Since her debut in Darth Vader (2015) #3, Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra has become one of the most compelling original characters to emerge from Marvel’s modern Star Wars comic line. Created by writer Kieron Gillen and artist Salvador Larroca, Doctor Aphra’s solo series launched in 2016 and has since spanned multiple volumes, intertwining with key Star Wars events and offering a fresh, morally grey perspective on the galaxy far, far away.
Who is Doctor Aphra?
Doctor Aphra is a brilliant, fast-talking archaeologist with a flair for uncovering forbidden artifacts and ancient technologies. Unlike Indiana Jones, she’s less concerned with preserving history and more with turning a profit—or surviving her latest ill-conceived scheme. A queer woman of color, Aphra brings representation and nuance to the Star Wars canon, as well as a uniquely chaotic energy.
Her character is defined by contradictions: she’s clever but reckless, self-serving yet capable of deep emotional bonds, especially with her on-again/off-again romantic interest, Magna Tolvan, and her complicated relationship with her estranged father and mother. Her narrative is driven by her attempts to escape the consequences of her own actions, especially those tied to her time under the thumb of Darth Vader.
Overview of the Comic Series
Volume 1 (2016–2019) — Written by Kieron Gillen, then Simon Spurrier
This initial run picks up after Aphra fakes her death to escape Vader’s wrath. She returns to her usual business: stealing dangerous relics, manipulating clients, and staying alive. Key characters introduced or expanded here include:
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Triple-Zero and BT-1: Murderous droid versions of C-3PO and R2-D2.
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Black Krrsantan: A deadly Wookiee bounty hunter.
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Magna Tolvan: An Imperial officer and Aphra’s love interest.
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Tam Posla: A lawman turned vigilante hunting Aphra.
Key arcs include:
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The Aphra Family Reunion: Explores her history with her father, who obsesses over Jedi lore.
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The Screaming Citadel crossover with Star Wars (2015), where Aphra and Luke Skywalker team up (and clash) over Force-sensitive relics.
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Her betrayal by and of her own droids, who eventually attempt to kill her.
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Her romantic and moral struggles, particularly her attempts to convince herself that she doesn’t need others while still deeply longing for connection.
By the end of Volume 1, Aphra has burned nearly every bridge and barely escapes death multiple times, a recurring theme in her life.
Volume 2 (2020–2023) — Written by Alyssa Wong
Set after The Empire Strikes Back, this series further explores Aphra’s past and places her more firmly in the ongoing Star Wars saga. She is drawn into a race for ancient technology, tangling with:
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Ronan Tagge, a member of the aristocratic and powerful Tagge family.
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Just Lucky, a freelance assassin with ties to Aphra’s youth.
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Kho Phon Farrus, another archaeologist (and ex of Aphra) seeking power and redemption.
Themes of trauma, memory, and legacy permeate this volume, especially as Aphra contends with the Ascendant, a cult of tech-based Force mimics. This arc delves deeper into what it means to wield power without understanding it and continues exploring the blurred line between magic, technology, and belief in Star Wars.
During the crossover events like War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign, and Hidden Empire, Aphra becomes entangled with Qi’ra and Crimson Dawn, a storyline that connects her directly with the underworld and the broader galactic conflict as it approaches the events of Return of the Jedi.
By the series’ end, Aphra again pulls off the impossible: escaping death, severing toxic ties, and embracing (at least temporarily) her desire for growth—while remaining a rogue.
Aphra in the Larger Star Wars Canon
Doctor Aphra is fully canon within the official Star Wars continuity. She operates during the Galactic Civil War and often interacts with major players—Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and more—without disrupting established lore. She offers a lens into the underbelly of the galaxy, an academic criminal world populated by black-market dealers, ancient Force cults, and morally ambiguous players.
Aphra’s popularity is notable not just for her survival in a universe that often deals in absolutes (light vs. dark) but also because she defies categorization. She’s neither Rebel nor Imperial, neither Sith nor Jedi. She’s an example of a new breed of Star Wars character: independent, chaotic, and deeply human.
She is also one of the franchise’s most prominent LGBTQ+ characters, with her relationships explored meaningfully throughout her run. This representation has been praised for its authenticity and integration into her character arc without reducing her identity to a plot point.
Potential Future in Star Wars
As of 2025, Aphra has not appeared in live-action, though fans continue to campaign for her inclusion in future Disney+ projects. Her combination of wit, danger, and unorthodox morals make her a strong candidate for a show akin to The Mandalorian, offering a new flavor of storytelling in the galaxy far, far away.
Doctor Aphra in the Star Wars Timeline
Doctor Aphra is a shining example of what Star Wars can achieve when it moves beyond the central Skywalker narrative and explores the galaxy’s untamed edges. Her stories, filled with morally murky decisions, emotional vulnerability, and dark humor, offer a striking contrast to the mythic tone of the main saga. Operating on the canon Star Wars timeline primarily between the events of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, Aphra’s timeline runs parallel to the original trilogy. While she never upstages the heroes of the Rebellion or the might of the Empire, her adventures intersect with their missions in surprising and meaningful ways—whether by clashing with Darth Vader, brushing shoulders with Luke Skywalker, or getting entangled in the schemes of Crimson Dawn. These connections anchor her firmly within canon, but her path remains distinctly her own.
Her value to the broader Star Wars universe lies in how she expands its thematic and mythological scope. As an archaeologist, Aphra uncovers the galaxy’s forgotten past: Force cults that predate the Jedi and Sith, dark technologies engineered to mimic mystical powers, and relics that challenge the binary notions of light and dark. Through her, readers gain a deeper understanding of the Force as a cultural and historical phenomenon—not just a tool of space wizards, but a legacy shaped by many civilizations and beliefs. Aphra’s relentless pursuit of knowledge (and profit) brings a fresh, academic lens to a universe typically governed by dogma and destiny, showing how the echoes of the past continue to influence galactic power struggles in the present.
Doctor Aphra also represents a significant evolution in Star Wars storytelling, one that embraces character complexity, queerness, and emotional ambiguity. As a queer woman of color with a deeply flawed moral compass, Aphra broadens the representation within canon and embodies the new generation of antiheroes that thrive in the franchise’s expanding media. She is neither a noble Rebel nor a loyal Imperial, but a survivor—constantly caught between self-preservation and the messy tangle of her relationships, especially with figures like Magna Tolvan and her estranged parents. In this way, Aphra mirrors the lived realities of many who exist on society’s margins, adding authenticity and richness to the galaxy far, far away. Her continued relevance in crossover events and ongoing comic series signals her integral place in canon, not just as a supporting character—but as a central figure in the evolving legacy of Star Wars.