Summary

• The Guardians of the Whills, a religious order of monks, were associated with Jedha's Temple of the Kyber and protected the Holy City.
• The Guardians of the Whills had a good relationship with the Jedi and fought together against a Jedi-hating terrorist group during the High Republic era.
• Unlike the Jedi, the Guardians of the Whills remained on Jedha and were smaller in scale, emphasizing balance within themselves and protecting the Temple of the Kyber.

Even though the Star Wars galaxy. This means that very little is known about them. Some new details, however, have been revealed about them since Rogue One first hit theaters.

In Rogue One, audiences were introduced to Guardians of the Whills Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus. The Guardians of the Whills were a religious order of monks founded hundreds of years before the events of Rogue One, and while this movie officially brought them into canon, the Guardians of the Whills were actually meant to be in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. George Lucas' original idea was for Luke's story to be told by the Guardians. However, the Whills eventually turned into the concept of the Force itself and were not made canon until Rogue One. Here's everything that's known about this group, 7 years after the release of Rogue One.

The Guardians Of The Whills Were Associated With Jedha's Temple Of The Kyber

The Temple of the Kyber was a temple on the moon Jedha in the Holy City of NiJedha. Because it was one of the few places in the galaxy that contained kyber crystals, it was considered a Holy Land by several Force-worshipping religions, including the Jedi. Not only that, but the kyber crystals on Jedha - colloquially referred to as "Jedha crystals" - were particularly potent and thus treasured. The Temple of the Kyber was a temple dedicated to the Church of the Force. The Guardians of the Whills were based on Jedha and, like other Force-s, were connected to this temple, helping to protect and preserve it.

The Jedi Had A Good Relationship With The Guardians Of The Whills

The Jedi and the Guardians of the Whills were known to each other. The Jedi came into with the Guardians of the Whills on Jedha. While the two orders didn't interact frequently, they had a good relationship. When a member of the Guardians went rogue and formed a dangerous, Jedi-hating terrorist group called the Path of the Open Hand, both the Guardians of the Whills and the Jedi decided they had to do something. They teamed up and fought the Path of the Open Hand together at the Battle of Jedha during the High Republic era. However, there isn't much mention of interactions between the two orders after that.

How The Guardians Of The Whills Differ To Jedi

Like the Jedi, the Guardians of the Whills emphasized becoming one with the Force. They sought balance within themselves and were light-aligned. However, unlike the Jedi, the Guardians of the Whills remained on Jedha, choosing to live as monks and protectors of the Temple of the Kyber rather than branch out across the galaxy. This also meant they were significantly smaller than the Jedi Order. After all, the Jedi needed as many people as possible, since they acted as peacekeepers and warriors across numerous star systems. The Guardians of the Whills operated on a much smaller scale and thus didn't have the same need to recruit.

Guardian Of The Whills Weapons Explained

The Guardians of the Whills were archers. They used a special kind of lightbow powered by Jedha kyber crystals. Much like the Jedi with their lightsabers, it was a traditional rite of age for a Guardian to craft their own lightbow. Despite his blindness, Chirrut Îmwe was very skilled with his lightbow. He used both his lightbow and his kyber crystal-powered staff at the Battle of Scarif.

The Last Of The Guardians Of The Whills Appeared In Rogue One

Rogue One saw the total destruction of the Guardians of the Whills. When the Empire took over the Republic and all its worlds, they sought out kyber crystals to power the Death Star. Because Jedha and the Temple of the Kyber were known to be full of them, the Empire attempted to raid the place. The Guardians of the Whills fought valiantly to protect the temple but were ultimately wiped out along with NiJedha itself in Rogue One. Sadly, this was after the Empire had managed to raid the Temple, despite the Guardians' best efforts.

Chirrut Îmwe, a member of the Guardian of the Whills, along with his ex-Guardian friend Baze Malbus, fought with the Rogue One squadron to get the Death Star schematics to Princess Leia Organa. They played a critical role in the Battle of Scarif, as Îmwe was the one who activated the switch that allowed the rebels on the ground to communicate with the fleet above. However, he was killed in the process, and Malbus was killed shortly after. As the last two known of the Guardians of the Whills, their deaths mark the end of their order of monks.

However, that doesn't mean there is no chance the Guardians of the Whills will appear in future Star Wars projects. While it seems unlikely, it is possible that some survived. While the Guardians were established to live exclusively on Jedha, that doesn't mean they never left the moon. There is a possibility that some were traveling at the time the Death Star leveled the Holy City. If a few did survive, audiences might see the resurgence of the Guardians of the Whills.

Another option for their return is in projects set in past eras. Star Wars is planning to delve further into the past with a new show set during the High Republic era. Since the Jedi Order and the Guardian of the Whills interacted and even fought together during that time, the Guardians could easily be included in future movies, TV shows, and books set during that era. In fact, they have already appeared in some books that came out after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As such, it isn't a stretch to assume they could show themselves in live-action once again.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is available to stream on Disney+.