Asgar Ro, an Evereni male, achieved the rank of Eye of the Nihil within the Nihil marauder groups during the High Republic Era. Born to Shalla Ro and another Evereni male, he eventually became the father of Marchion Ro. In the year 252 BBY, a disagreement arose between Asgar and Shalla concerning the speed of the Nihil's expansion. This disagreement escalated, leading Asgar to murder Shalla and seize the title of Eye of the Nihil for himself.
In his role as Eye, Ro significantly and rapidly grew the Nihil, utilizing hyperspace Paths provided by the captive Mari San Tekka. His reign was cut short when he was killed by a dissatisfied Lourna Dee, and, in his final moments, he was kicked by his own son. Marchion then succeeded his father as the Eye of the Nihil, expanding the group's influence even further.
Asgar grew impatient with his mother's slow approach to engaging with the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. While aboard the Gaze Electric, he challenged Shalla's strategy of waiting, which resulted in an argument that ended with him pushing her off a railing, causing her death. After killing his mother, Ro brought his son before the rest of the Nihil in No-Space. There, he met with the Tempest Runners, wagering everything he possessed, including the Gaze Electric, on whether they could shoot down his son in a single fighter, regardless of how many fighters they used. The two senior Tempest Runners, Pan Eyta and Kassav Milliko, eagerly accepted the wager and sent a large number of fighters against the young Marchion. As the fighters approached to engage, Ro called upon Mari San Tekka to transmit Paths to Marchion, enabling him to jump into hyperspace at unpredictable and seemingly random locations. This confused the Nihil and led to Marchion destroying many of their fighters. Ro commanded his son to stop, but Marchion refused to listen and killed more than his father wanted before finally stopping at a threat on his own life. This served as a demonstration of the Path engine, which Ro used as leverage to keep the Nihil loyal to his family alone, if they wanted access to the Paths. Asgar assumed the mantle of the Eye of the Nihil for himself after making this deal, even considering the addition of a third Tempest.
As the Eye, Asgar unified the Nihil and rapidly transformed the group from a small band of savage pirates into a much larger and more feared organization, leveraging the hyperspace Paths provided by San Tekka. Similar to Shalla and Marchion, he persistently questioned San Tekka about how she discovered the Paths, but she was unable to explain it to any of them. As the secretive keeper of the Paths that enabled the pirates to expand their influence throughout the Outer Rim Territories, the Eye's authority was often questioned by the unruly Tempest Runners, but his position held a double vote which allowed him to break deadlocks and steer the decisions the way he desired. Furthermore, Ro established a pact with the Tempest Runners known as the Rule of Three, a system that dictated the distribution of spoils from Nihil raids among the leadership. One-third of the riches was allocated to the Strikes, Storms and Clouds that comprised the three Tempests of the Nihil. The second third went to the Tempest Runners, who orchestrated the raids. And, if the Nihil utilized the Paths that Ro had provided, he received his own third. Ro commissioned the construction of the Great Hall of the Nihil, situated at the center of No-Space. He also possessed a collection of texts in the Gaze library; his son Marchion would later recall them as forgotten by Asgar and gathering dust.
In 247 BBY, Ro convened the Nihil for a meeting within the Great Hall of the Nihil. During this gathering, he accused Tempest Runner Xanaven of attempting to undermine the Rule of Three by withholding profits from clandestine raids. Xanaven denied the accusation and insulted Marchion, calling him a leech. Xanaven then broke free of his restraints and attempted to attack Asgar. Storm Lourna Dee intervened, killing Xanaven to protect Ro. Immediately afterward, Ro promoted Dee to the position of Tempest Runner to replace Xanaven. Following this event, Ro was widely regarded, including by his own son, as a despot and tyrant.
The Tempest Runners Pan Eyta and Kassav Milliko often resented Ro's domineering control and desired to restore the Nihil exclusively to their authority, retaining the third of the spoils they were required to surrender for access to the Paths. With Dee's assistance, they conspired to assassinate Ro and exploit his son, whom they perceived as a weakling easily manipulated, to maintain control of the Paths. However, Dee contacted Ro to inform him of their plot. However, Ro ridiculed Dee's suggestion that they eliminate Eyta and Milliko together and restructure the Nihil with themselves in command, instead declaring that the Paths would remain his alone. Ro planned to convince the two Tempest Runners to launch a coordinated attack against Shili, the homeworld of the powerful Togruta, an attack which would be designed to fail and force the two runners to regain the respect of their Tempests. Consumed by the leadership challenges, they would be unable to turn on Ro and would need his assistance to gain the Paths for raids to restore their credentials.
However, Ro underestimated Dee, who was angered that he had rejected her proposed plan. Without the knowledge of her fellow Tempest Runners, Dee went to the Great Hall and fatally stabbed Asgar. Marchion discovered him bleeding profusely in his quarters, and Asgar pleaded for help. His son, fueled by years of resentment from his father's abuse, took pleasure in kicking him repeatedly, intensifying his suffering and hastening his death. Marchion, suspecting that one of the Tempest Runners had murdered his father, succeeded him as the Eye of the Nihil.
After Asgar's demise, Marchion claimed Asgar's helmet, wearing it during a meeting with the Tempest Runners. He declared himself the new Eye and proclaimed his vision for the Nihil. Marchion Ro believed that Asgar had failed to realize the Nihil's full potential for cruelty; however, much of Marchion's chaotic ambition was inspired by his father's greed. Marchion believed that his father lacked vision and should have reorganized the Nihil when he was the Eye. Throughout Marchion's life, Asgar's spectre haunted Marchion, as his son's mind often dwelled on the imagined thoughts and opinions of his father as he led the Nihil against the Republic and Jedi. In 229 BBY, Marchion frequently heard Asgar's voice.
Ro wore ancient Evereni armor that offered protection from electrical attacks, along with a mask that had been in the Ro family for generations. He also wore a cloak that was later used by his son, Marchion.
The character of Asgar Ro was first mentioned in The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, a novel written by Charles Soule and released in 2021. He made his first appearance in flashbacks in the 2021 novel The High Republic: The Rising Storm, written by Cavan Scott. In the audio drama The High Republic: Tempest Runner, Ro's voice is provided by Jonathan Davis.
Asgar Ro was first depicted in a flashback in the 2022 comic The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 1, written by Charles Soule, with illustrations by Guillermo Sanna and Jim Campbell, and published by Marvel Comics on January 12, 2022. The conversation between Marchion and Asgar as he dies differs between Eye of the Storm 1 and The Rising Storm. This article assumes, that because The Rising Storm presents the conversation as a memory of Marchion's, that he misremembered, and Eye of the Storm 1 provides accurate information.