WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #10, on sale now.
While Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced Maz Kanata as a pirate queen with her own castle, she has taken on a mentorship role throughout her appearances in the Star Wars franchise. While Yoda is generally considered to be the best trainer in the galaxy when it comes to Jedi tutelage, Kanata proved herself to be an incredible leader. What made this all the more impressive is that Maz is not a Jedi, but she is attuned to the Force and a strong proponent for the light side.
Maz's appearance in the latest arc of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, especially her mentorship of Jedi Master Sav Malagán and Padawan Qort, further establishes both her allyship with the Jedi and her wisdom in caring for the needs of young Force users. Through Maz's mentorship, and by extension Sav's, Qort is able to overcome what could have been a devastating loss.
Maz's role as mentor to both Sav and Qort is established in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #9 by Daniel José Older, Toni Bruno, Rebecca Nalty, Johanna Nattalie, Riley Farmer, and Heather Antos. Sav first met Maz when she was a Padawan and went undercover with Maz's crew. Sav and Maz's gleeful retelling of how they met reveals their bond has stood the test of time. Sav's coolness under pressure throughout the arc reflects Maz's positive influence in her growth as a Jedi, and their continued friendship shows that Maz continues to be a strong ally to the Jedi despite the fact that she is not a member of the Jedi Order herself.
Both Maz and Sav serve as two surrogate mothers for Qort before his Jedi training begins. A flashback in the ninth issue reveals Qort was accidentally delivered to Maz as part of a smuggling shipment when he was a toddler, and Maz took his surprise arrival in stride. Traumatized by his kidnapping, Qort was separated from his mask.
As an Aloxian, Qort earned his mask as a very small child in a coming of age ritual, presumably for toddlers. The flashback in the ninth issue shows that Qort was so anxious about losing his mask that he went on a rampage throughout Maz’s castle until he found a suitable replacement.
It is heavily implied that the mask works as a sort of security blanket for Qort in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #10 by Daniel José Older, Toni Bruno, Rebecca Nalty, Johanna Nattalie, Riley Farmer, and Heather Antos. Jedi Master Sav Malagán tells him that only he will know when he is ready to live without the mask. Since Maz's influence on Sav has already been established, Sav's advice could also be partially attributed to the guidance Sav has received from Maz herself.
Still, by not panicking when she found Qort, by supporting him when he found his new mask, and by seeking out experts to make sure her guidance was helpful, Maz provided a safe environment for Qort to begin learning how to use his abilities with the Force. This prepared Qort for the moment when Master Yoda arrived to take him to the Jedi Order.
In the present timeline, Qort does not panic when his mask crumbles because he has been given the support he needs to function without his mask from Maz Kanata, Sav, and his other fellow Jedi. Instead, he triumphs over the Nihil invaders. Maz and Sav's early care for Qort and their acceptance of him helped Qort be able to thrive within the Jedi Order. Qort’s coming-of-age shows the importance of a caring environment in young Padawans’ growth.
Since the mask possibly was suppressing some of his abilities, Qort may grow even more powerful in the future. His friends’ wholehearted acceptance of him both masked and unmasked gives him the stability he needs to confidently grow into his powers. This confidence will be important as the Nihil continues to threaten the galaxy.
Qort's connection with Maz Kanata is particularly relevant because it shows that she has been a guiding force for young Jedi throughout the Star Wars saga despite not being a Jedi herself. The Star Wars franchise has already set up Maz as a mentor in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Star Wars: Forces of Destiny micro-series. Maz's role in the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries further cements her place as an alternate mentor on the side of light for young heroes throughout the ages.