21 year old Riley Howell who was a student at the University of North Carolina and was killed when trying to protect his fellow classmates from a gunman, is now a Jedi in the book of names.
At the time of the event Riley was praised as a hero by police officials. They said that “his sacrifice saved lives.” He was brave and rushed the gunman and tackled him to the floor. This was back in April and now this December Lucasfilm has decided to immortalize him in the Star Wars Universe for standing for good.
He is now featured in an entry in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — The Visual Dictionary.
According to NPR: The newly released book has a character named “Jedi Master and historian Ri-Lee Howell”. He is credited with collecting “many of the earliest accounts of exploration and codifications of The Force.” Jedi Master Howell also has an entry on Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
Lucasfilm had sent a letter to Riley’s family in May of this year and let them know of their intent to include him in the upcoming book. “As a small tribute, our Story Group has incorporated a reimagining of Riley’s name as a character in the Star Wars galaxy. The Force will be with Riley, and all of you, always …”
It’s one of the nicest things that Lucasfilms could have done knowing that Riley Howell was a life long Star Wars fan. His girlfriend posted on TikTok that it was “the best news we’ve gotten all year. (thanking Lucasfilms for) Making him part of the Star Wars universe forever.”
Cover image VIA Howell Family/Tiktok
