In The Phantom Menace, we were introduced not only to Anakin Skywalker but to some of his friends, fellow slaves, such as Kitster and Wald. As is typical in the Star Wars fandom, Kitster in particular seems to have developed a sort of cult following in recent years, and he has recently made a surprising return to the Star Wars canon.
It happened in Greg Pak’s current Darth Vader run, with Kitster’s introduction happening in issue #23. The storyline focuses on Darth Vader teaming up with Sabé, Padmé’s former handmaiden who has deduced the dark lord’s true identity. Years earlier Sabé had worked to free slaves on Tatooine, but after Padmé’s death she began investigating. That led her to Vader, and to Crimson Dawn, and in this arc she begins working with Vader. Their journey takes them to Gabredor III, where they hope to rescue a band of refugees – former slaves – from an oppressive governor. Among those living in the colony are Kitster and Wald.
They don’t know who Vader really is, of course, but he recognizes them. And he fights alongside them in an effort to overthrow the governor and thwart the sinister plans. The arc is still ongoing, so we don’t know what will happen to these refugees or how the story will shake out, but it’s cool to see some familiar faces make a return.
It also reveals that Kitster and Wald made it off of Tatooine and found freedom, which is especially interesting when considering what happened to Anakin. He made it off of Tatooine to freedom before any of them, yet by this point in the timeline he is the one in bondage, trapped by his own rage and darkness and brokenness.
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