Star Wars: Jedi Knights #5 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS No. 5, September 2025

Permeated with a persistent aura of untrustworthiness and treachery, Marc Guggenheim’s narrative for Issue Five of “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” arguably provides a rather intriguing insight into Count Dooku’s exploits before the Force Sensitive fully fell to the dark side of the Force. In fact, it seems clear that the future Darth Tyranus is already willing to cold-bloodedly kill his opponents “years before the Battle of Naboo”, and is already cultivating the wariness of Jedi Council Members such as Yaddle with his evident inclination to give in to his fury; “If that were so, you wouldn’t strike someone down in anger.”

Furthermore, the American author is very good at making his readers doubt as to whether the Count of House Serenno would actually have survived his encounter with Lonkus’ Wookie raiding party if he’d been alone, and question that his capture was just a ruse so the former Jedi Master could be taken to meet his attackers' leader face-to-face so as to kill them all. Certainly, Yaddle seems to doubt the man would have succeeded without her and Seera Longa’s help. But considering how easily Dooku appears to escape the criminals’ clutches, even when he’s chained-up, his predicament begs some tantalising ‘what if’ questions.

Likewise this twenty-page-periodical gives its audience an early look at Viceroy Nute Gunray’s descent into darkness, and the beginning of his relationship with Sheev Palpatine. Though not mentioned by name it’s clear that the Trade Federation representative is already up to his neck in dishonest dealings for the Galactic Senator, and now needs Darth Sidious to dispatch Dooku to “safeguard” the Neimoidian’s property from the supposedly legitimate Gillanter corporation as a favour. This plot-thread genuinely helps sell just how patiently planned the future Emperor’s plans are, and shows just how much his hand was guiding Gunray’s actions even before the illegal blockade of Naboo.

Perhaps therefore this comic’s one minor quibble lies with Madibek Musabekov’s design choice for one of the Wookie crooks who debatably is so thin and short-furred that it looks more like a red version of Dr. Seuss’ Grinch than a killer from the planet Kashyyyk. Other than this rather curious faux pas the illustrator’s pencilling is spot on – especially when it comes to selling the anger in Dooku and the Count’s sinister future predication as to the Jedi Council’s fate.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS" #5 by Rahzzah