Favorite Characters: Baze Malbus (Star Wars)

*Baze-related spoilers for Rogue One.*

Much like with Jyn, I wrote a Relationship Spotlight post for Baze and Chirrut after Rogue One came out, but while I did a separate Favorite Characters post for Chirrut, I somehow missed Baze. Rectifying that now!

It’s true that, in the Rogue One crew, Baze doesn’t get as much of a chance to distinguish himself as some of the others. Chirrut, for instance, gets a lot of focus on his own, but Baze often comes as a package deal with his old friend/possible husband (I’m not a truther or anything, but I definitely see it.) Of the two, he’s far less talkative, and he doesn’t have many one-on-one interactions with members of the team besides Chirrut.

And yet, despite being a bit more in the background, Baze’s characterization comes through nicely. Like Chirrut, he’s a former guardian of the Temple of the Kyber on Jedha—a temple the Empire destroyed. Now that the temple is gone, Baze stands in stark contrast to his better half. While Chirrut is still dedicated to their religion and to the Force, Baze has lost his faith. He fondly teases Chirrut at times for his beliefs, such as when they’re captured by Saw Gerrera and Baze notes that Chirrut is praying for their cell door to open.

In their dynamic, I’m reminded just a tiny bit of Enjolras and Grantaire from Les Miserábles, specifically this exchange between them in the book. Enjolras, aggravated by Grantaire’s lack of passion for the revolution, tells him, “You don’t believe in anything.” Grantaire simply replies, “I believe in you.” In any other regard, I wouldn’t compare either Chirrut or Baze to Enjolras or Grantaire, but in this small moment, I see it.

Because for all his gruffness and eyerolling, Baze is ride or die for Chirrut. Interpret that however you like, but Baze considers himself Chirrut’s protector. When his comrade points himself in the direction of danger, counting on his belief in the Force to keep him safe, Baze is the one begrudgingly following behind with a big gun. He goes where Chirrut goes, looking after him and standing behind him. (By the way, there’s never any sense between them that Baze’s protective attitude is related to Chirrut’s blindness—Baze knows how capable Chirrut is, but he also knows that Chirrut likes to push his luck.)

So when Chirrut steps in to help Jyn and Cassian on Jedha, Baze is there. This extends to their capture by Saw’s rebels, their desperate escape from Jedha and the subsequent mission to Eadu, and finally, to backing up Jyn as she works to steal the Death Star plans. Fighting on the beach, Baze is grief-stricken when Chirrut is killed in the battle. After his loved one dies in his arms, Baze rises, fanning the last spark of his faith into a flame as he goes out guns blazing.

Relationship Spotlight: Chirrut îmwe & Baze Malbus (Star Wars)

With The Last Jedi coming up soon (and a recent rewatch of The Force Awakens in preparation!), it seemed like a good time to break out another Rogue One post.  Even among the many great things the film has going for it, I’d say the relationship between Chirrut and Baze is in a class unto itself (spoilers.)

In any story about a disparate group of insert-title-heres banding together to fight a common enemy, it’s good to have at least two people who come to the table already knowing each other – especially in a movie like this that only takes place over a few days.  Rogue One gives us Cassian and K-2 as well, and the plot momentum depends on Jyn’s connections to both Galen and Saw, but Baze and Chirrut are just everything.  We know very little about them, including what drew them together or how long they’ve known each other.  In terms of facts, what we have is that they’re both guardians of the Khyber temple on Jedha, Chirrut is deeply devoted to the Force, and, while Baze once had the strongest faith of all, he now scoffs at the religion of the Force.

But those are the facts, and there’s a lot more truth to be found between these two than can be limited to these basics.  The truth of it is, they’re inseparable.  It’s evident that Baze considers himself Chirrut’s protector, and more than once, they bicker fondly about whether Chirrut, in his more reckless moments, was safeguarded by the Force or Baze’s big gun.  It’s an interesting dynamic, because Chirrut is always quick to say that he doesn’t need Baze looking out for him when he has the Force on his side, but he welcomes Baze’s vigilance all the same.  I can’t tell if it’s pragmatism on Chirrut’s part – if he rationalizes that Baze may be one of the means by which the Force protects him – or if he simply knows that Baze won’t rest until he personally knows that Chirrut is safe, and who is Chirrut to deny Baze that (relative) peace of mind?

Their relationship is a nice mixture of good-natured ribbing and fierce dedication.  The “like an old married couple” back-and-forth between them bears out in more than just Baze getting on Chirrut about walking headfirst into danger when he can’t see.  It seems they’re forever disagreeing.  Baze rolls his eyes at Chirrut’s more out-there demonstrations of his faith, and Chirrut gives back as good as he gets, needling Baze that Chirrut’s prayers only bug him because he knows deep down that Chirrut is the one who’s right.  Chirrut is devoted, Baze faithless, Chirrut hopeful, Baze pessimistic. 

Throughout it all, though, through every winking remark from Chirrut and every begrudging sigh from Baze, is evidence of how they care for one another.  However it began, there’s no longer any path for these two that takes them down separate roads.  Baze can try and dissuade Chirrut from doing something dangerous, or even just something Baze doesn’t want to do, but if Chirrut can’t be convinced, Baze isn’t about to leave him to it.  Baze will go with him no matter what, and I think it might that more than anything – the dedication, not the firepower – that Chirrut truly needs from Baze.

As with Jyn and Cassian, the exact form that Chirrut and Baze’s relationship takes is up for debate.  Are they best friends, brothers-in-arms, lovers?  An argument could be made for any of these possibilities.  And if the latter is what the film has in mind, while I’d have preferred something less ambiguous, I do still love the dynamic between them and would be happy to claim them as the Star Wars universe’s first onscreen same-sex couple.  No matter what, they clearly love each other dearly, regardless of what shape that love takes; it would be impossible for two people to say goodbye to one another like these men and not feel the sincerest love.  In the end, Baze begs Chirrut not to die even as he chastises Chirrut for doing something so foolhardy, and Chirrut urges Baze to lean on the faith he once had, that they’ll one day find one another again in the Force.  As Baze rises, repeating Chirrut’s mantra while he himself goes out guns blazing, it seems evident that, if Chirrut believed in the Force, Baze believed in Chirrut.  What’s that if not love?