WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #9, on sale now from Marvel comics.
While the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries shows an era of Jedi at their highest point, the subseries also reveals that part of the reason why the Jedi were so powerful and well regarded at this time was their openness to viewing alternate ways of approaching the Force and the life of a Jedi. While Orla Jarenni, Wayseeker, most encapsulates this quest for continuing knowledge, other Jedi also show the Order's more relaxed approach to the Force than seen in the prequel era. In Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, Sav Malagán is a powerful Jedi who uses unconventional methods gained from her pirate connections to help her approach any rising problem calmly and effectively.
Sav Malagán first appears in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #8, by Daniel José Older, Toni Bruno, Rebecca Nalty, Jake M. Wood, Riley Farmer and Heather Antos. In her first issue, it is clear that Sav is both calm in the face of danger and uses unconventional methods to fight her battles. When the Nihil first arrive on Takodana, Sav states, "The Nihil have finally made it to our little end of the galaxy. Heh. I almost feel bad for them." Her reaction to the Nihil invasion shows that she has a cool confidence, both in her own abilities and in the abilities of the pirates at Maz Kanata's castle to repel the invasion. Her later fight with the Nihil forces shows that her confidence is warranted. On her own, Sav takes out multiple flyers, leaving the Nihil forces scrambling to prepare for a later counterattack.
Young Jedi Padawans from the Starlight Beacon arrive to help Sav prepare for the Nihil attack on Takodana's Jedi Temple in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #9 by Daniel José Older, Toni Bruno, Rebecca Nalty, Johanna Nattalie, Riley Farmer and Heather Antos. In the process, the Padawans learn that Sav “went undercover” as a pirate when she was a Padawan herself, over a century before, and started a strong friendship with Maz Kanata. While the two laugh over their past adventures, Sav also reveals her unbridled enthusiasm for the future when she states that their old memories are "probably nothing compared to the adventures we're about to have!"
Through Sav's unconventional adventures and her friendship with Maz, she has amassed a large arsenal for Takodana's Jedi Temple. However, Sav proves that massive firepower is not necessary, and anything can be a weapon, including her hat. Padawan Lula Talisola, an orphan herself, wonders why Sav still wears a Kyuzo hat, a clear marker of her history before the Jedi. Sav avoids telling the larger story behind her choice, and instead focuses on the practical uses for the hat as a sun protector, possible plate and weapon. Sav shows that connections with the past outside of the Order can be functional and practical while still holding sentimental meaning as well.
While Sav is savvy, she does miss some things. During her previous skirmish with the Nihil, Sav encountered the Krill sisters who claimed to want to defect from the Nihil to the Jedi. However, Sav's time as a pirate made her wary of their defection. While she keeps an eye on the sisters, she is unable to stop them from planting bombs throughout the Temple. The issue ends with one of the sisters, Sabata, setting off the bombs as the Nihil approach the Temple to attack. While this cliffhanger is a dangerous one for Sav and her young Jedi charges, her established abilities and her friendships will aid them in the coming fight.
Overall, Sav shows that the Jedi of the High Republic era formed many connections outside of the Order in their efforts to protect the galaxy from darkness. These connections actually helped them grow in the Force. While Sav's actual Force abilities are not necessarily outside of the normal realm for a Jedi, her ability to wield them so effectively comes from her past as an undercover pirate and the connections she forged during that time. With the explosions at the Temple and the impending Nihil attack, Sav will need to lean on these connections more than ever, and the young Jedi of the Order will need to continue this tradition of embracing unconventional methods and friendships to face the trials to come as the Nihil spread across the galaxy.