Kantam Sy was a Force-sensitive, nonbinary human who lived during the High Republic Era. A member of the Jedi Order, they were once the Padawan of Grand Master Yoda. As a young adult, Sy achieved higher ranks in combat, meditation, and other Jedi abilities than many of their elders, but fellow Jedi speculated about why the skilled Padawan had not yet been knighted by Yoda. Sy was not in a hurry to progress; they knew it was not only about skill, but about something deeper that they and Yoda were waiting to happen.
On Endovar, Sy met Aytar, an eighteen-year-old male performer, whose arrival in Sy's life felt to them like a storm. The pair quickly developed a mutual attraction, and after knowing each other for four days, Sy realized that the unpredictability and complexities of life away from the Jedi Temple was something they needed to experience. They received Yoda's permission to go on a walkabout away from the Order.
For a time, Sy and Aytar were lovers who lived and traveled together, both working in the circus. When the couple eventually ended their relationship, it was on good terms. Sy let go of their attachment to Aytar and continued to travel. They worked in many jobs, including as a messenger, a mechanic, a smuggler, a waiter, and a bodyguard. One of those jobs was as a person-to-person courier between diplomats on Alderaan and Naboo, requiring Sy to travel back and forth many times.
One day on Naboo, Sy felt a stirring through the the Force and saw a kolvor, a large bird known among mountain villagers as vangartraks (vanishers) for their ability to carry away children. The kolvor snatched up a boy and a girl who were playing in a park under the supervision of an orphanage matron. Sy quickly made a decision that saving the children was more important than delivering the message. The former Jedi pursued the kolvor halfway up a mountain before the bird dropped both children. Using the Force, Sy extended a hand and successfully slowed the fall of the girl—Lula Talisola—but the boy disappeared into the trees. As Sy rescued Talisola, they realized she had imitated Sy's actions, stretching her hand out to save the boy from falling.
After more than a year away from the Jedi, meeting Talisola affirmed to Sy that their place in the galaxy was among the Order. The little girl and the wayward Jedi found Yoda and assisted him with the happabore Monsalmo as she gave birth to her litter of pups. Yoda was pleased and pronounced that Sy had left as a Padawan and returned as a Jedi Knight. Sy was formally granted the rank in a modest Knighting Ceremony and became Talisola's Jedi Master.
Sy eventually attained the rank of Jedi Master. During a Nihil attack on Trymant IV, Talisola and her friends met and befriended the Force-sensitive Mikkian Zeen Mrala, who was invited to come to the Starlight Beacon in the aftermath. One week after Mrala's arrival, Sy, along with Masters Yoda, Torban Buck, Avar Kriss, and Estala Maru, came to see her to decide whether she would stay at the Beacon. During the Masters' discussion, in response to Maru noting that Mrala was too old to begin training, Sy countered that she had gotten along well with Talisola and the other Padawans, and Yoda noted that Sy had made a good point. The apprentices, including Talisola and Farzala Tarabal, pointed out that Mrala's opinion, as well as theirs, should be taken into account.
When the Padawans and younglings regaled the Masters with the tale of the events on Trymant IV, Sy watched along with the other Masters. Eventually, it was agreed that Mrala could stay at the Beacon for a time, as the status of Trymant IV was still unknown and she could help them locate the Nihil since she knew Krix Kamerat and Tromak, who had both been taken by the pirates. After Yoda revealed that he had given Mrala and Kamerat holoprojectors which allowed them to communicate, during the ensuing discussion, Sy noted that it was imperative the Jedi find out about the strange object Yoda had encountered on the pirates' Spider Cruiser. Mrala, however, was uncertain about whether she would help stop the Nihil.
Sy later travelled to the Republic Outpost space station in the Bright Jewel system, along with Yoda, Buck, Talisola, Tarabal, Qort, and Mrala. While Talisola kept Mrala company, the three Masters worked with the Republic personnel at the station to watch for Nihil activity. Eventually, the Masters headed out in their Jedi Vectors, accompanied by a force of Z-28 Skywings, after a credible report was received about the Nihil. Talisola was meditating with Mrala when she heard the news, and finding out from Tarabal what was going on, was disappointed to be left behind. However, Sy insisted over the comms that there was no good reason for Talisola and her friends to endanger themselves by going along. The ensuing battle was swift and decisive, with the Nihil forces easily being routed. However, Yoda was suspicious, believing that the victory had been too easy. Sy picked up a distress signal in their starfighter which the Masters quickly determined was coming from the junk moon Quantxi, and the Masters set off in that direction to investigate. Yoda would go missing afterward as he embarked on an effort to learn about the threats facing the Jedi.
In 230 BBY, Sy joined a mission to the planet Corellia, where they told fellow Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus about their old decision to spend time away from the Order. During the Battle of the Corellian Shipyards, Sy attempted to hold up a trawler but struggled until Yoda revealed himself, making his return to the Jedi and locking eyes with Sy, who was brought to tears by the return of their old master. Afterward, Sy helped in Reath Silas's Knighting Ceremony but was surprised by Vitus's decision to then leave the Jedi, which Sy feared was inspired by their story. Vitus, however, revealed he was not simply taking a break but leaving the Order forever and then departed.
Kantam Sy was a human with tan skin and black hair. Before becoming a Jedi Knight, their hair was short; as a Jedi Master, their hair was long and worn in a topknot. Sy was welcoming to Zeen Mrala, believing that she deserved a chance to stay with the Jedi as she got on well with the apprentices, including Talisola.
Kantam Sy wore white and tan Jedi robes. They wielded a green-bladed lightsaber in combat, and piloted a Jedi Vector.
Kantam Sy was first mentioned in the second episode of Star Wars: The High Republic Show, in a flowchart which depicted relationships between various Jedi of the era. Sy first appeared in the third issue of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures.
- Star Wars Jedi Pocket Expert
- The Art of Star Wars: The High Republic (Phase One)
- Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Timelines
- Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia