Dengar

Dengar's birthplace was Corellia, and during his childhood, he assisted his father in the repair and modification of swoops. This early experience led to him becoming a renowned and successful swoop racer for the Ferini team in his younger years. By the time he was approaching adolescence, he had become a figure of almost mythical status throughout the Corellian system. His connections with the Ferini team resulted in endorsements, higher wages, and increased winnings.

By the year 21 BBY, Dengar had made a name for himself as a bounty hunter, maintaining a commendable record. He eventually joined a group of hunters that included Boba Fett, Bossk, Latts Razzi, C-21 Highsinger, and Oked. Dengar and his associates were contracted to protect a hovertrain transporting valuable cargo for Otua Blank, the leader of the Belugan people residing on Quarzite. The team prepared for their mission on Tatooine, adding Asajj Ventress, a Dark Jedi (unknown to them), at the last minute, after she killed Oked in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina.

Dengar and the others traveled to Quarzite in the Hound's Tooth, where Major Rigosso transported them to the train's underground loading area via a space elevator from an orbiting skyhook. Dengar and Ventress were assigned to guard the train's rear. After Dengar's unsuccessful attempts to flirt with Ventress, a group of skilled Kage Warriors boarded the train, attempting to seize the cargo. Dengar successfully fought off many of the attackers, using his skilled hand-to-hand combat techniques, and even killing two with sticky explosives. Eventually, Dengar was overwhelmed and thrown from the train, landing safely on the subterranean surface. Dengar and his allies, who had also been thrown from the train, returned to the skyhook to await Ventress, who had betrayed the mission by swapping the cargo with Boba Fett, who was tied up and gagged.

Dengar was later hired by the Hutts, along with Latts, Embo, and Sugi, to provide security on Nal Hutta. They were present when Darth Maul, Savage Opress, and Death Watch leader, Pre Vizsla arrived to form an alliance with the Hutts. When the plan went awry, the four bounty hunters attacked, but were pushed back by the Mandalorian's flamethrower. The trio soon received reinforcements and renewed their attack. When it became clear that the battle was lost, Dengar and Latts saved the injured Embo and Sugi by covering their escape with smoke grenades. The group of mercenaries then fled from Death Watch and their Sith allies.

Sometime before 3 ABY, Dengar, who had become a master of the professional swoop circuit on Corellia, was invited to the private tour, where he faced more dangerous challenges. He was frequently compared to a young swoop jockey on the private circuit named Han Solo. Anxious to prove his superiority, Dengar challenged Solo to a winner-takes-all race through the crystal swamps of Agrilat. During the final stretch of the race, Solo maneuvered his swoop directly over and in front of Dengar, burning Dengar's face with the swoop's exhaust and locking the repulsor fins of both swoops. This caused Dengar to be thrown from his swoop, crashing headfirst into crystalline plants. A crystalline stem pierced his brain, leaving him in a critical condition that only the Empire's doctors could repair to a near-natural state. Dengar was banned from professional swoop racing for participating in the illegal race and was abandoned by his friends on the Ferini team. A section of the Agrilat Swamp Racing Circuit was later named Dengar's End in remembrance of his accident. With his life ruined, Dengar developed a deep-seated bitterness towards Solo, vowing to seek revenge.

To save his life, Dengar was forced to undergo Imperial experimentation, becoming partially cyborg. The parts of his brain responsible for compassion, mercy, and pity were removed, turning him into an emotionless killer. He was left only with rage, hope, and loneliness (accidentally), the only emotions that the Imperial doctors believed he needed to fulfill his new duties as an assassin. He was given the empty promise that if he served the Empire successfully, he would be restored to his former self. He also received cybernetic implants, including new, enhanced eyes and ears, and a drug-induced flawless memory, which made him prone to hallucinations. His hypothalamus gland was removed and replaced with a central computer module to manage his new systems.

He briefly worked as a gladiator on the planet Loovria, before the Empire employed him as an assassin, a role he carried out ruthlessly until he was ordered to kill the Holy Children of Asrat. These children had denounced the Emperor and expressed their desire to leave the Empire. Faced with the choice of killing children or deserting the Empire, Dengar chose to desert. Although he could no longer feel the difference between good and evil, he still recognized the disparity when he saw it. The Empire placed a bounty on him for his desertion.

After deserting Imperial service, Dengar became a bounty hunter again after learning about the bounty on Han Solo's head. Drawing on his extensive experience as an Imperial assassin, he quickly found employment with Jabba the Hutt, despite having a questionable record. Of the twenty-three bounties he had collected, only six were captured alive. During the Galactic Civil War, he encountered Solo on several occasions. Once, just before the Battle of Yavin, while searching for the Yavin Vassilika, and twice in the year before the Battle of Hoth: once on Tatooine, when Solo attempted to reunite Jabba the Hutt with his nephew Grubba, and again while working with Boba Fett, Skorr, and Bossk in a showdown with Solo, Luke Skywalker, and the pirate Raskar on Ord Mantell. However, Dengar was never able to capture Solo, who always seemed to outsmart him. Dengar often lamented that all he ever saw of Solo was the rear of the Millennium Falcon as it flew away.

His career as a bounty hunter and assassin even led him to target Imperials, particularly officers involved in COMPNOR's Redesign efforts. Dengar believed that COMPNOR was the most evil branch of the Empire. This included COMPNOR General Sinick Kritkeen on the planet Aruza. During this mission, the Aruzans paid him a small bounty to assassinate Kritkeen, hoping that the Empire would abandon their Redesign efforts on Aruza. There, Dengar rescued an Aruzan woman named Manaroo, who would soon become an important part of his life. At some point, he also contacted a spacer to deliver a "message" to pirate captain Nym on Lok.

Following the battle of Talus, Dengar was one of many bounty hunters involved in capturing individuals from the Emperor's Most Wanted list, which offered high-paid bounties on critical Rebel Alliance leaders. Dengar had claimed a significant bounty on Tatooine and then traveled to Naboo to turn it over to the Empire. From Moenia, he journeyed to the Imperial outpost at Dee'ja Peak, where he spoke with several suspicious-looking individuals. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of others in a landspeeder. They claimed to work for Borvo the Hutt, who supposedly had a job for Dengar. However, Dengar was suspicious, and the individuals revealed themselves to be Rebel agents searching for the location of the captured Rebel leaders. Dengar quickly drew his blasters, initiating a firefight, and his associates joined him. Despite Dengar's strong defense, his companions were killed, forcing him to surrender. He explained that he had handed over the bounty to Imperial authorities at the outpost in Dee'ja Peak but did not know where the prisoners were being held. When pressed, he added that Snoova had recently delivered a bounty to the same outpost as well. The Rebels pursued the trail, while turning Dengar over to Rebel authorities for questioning. He was later seen walking freely on Nal Hutta in 2 ABY, seeking bounty hunting work from the Hutts.

On the planet Toola, Dengar was recruited by an unnamed woman to join the Rebel Alliance, who had noticed his targeting of Imperial officials. The woman secretly programmed the coordinates for an unnamed star on the farthest rim of the galaxy into his ship's navicomputer, where he discovered a hidden Rebel outpost. There, he was examined by military intelligence officers and accepted an assignment to a newly formed outpost on the planet Hoth. However, his real reason for joining the Rebellion was that he knew he would find Han Solo wherever the Rebellion was.

Unfortunately for Dengar, he exited hyperspace into the Hoth system during the Rebel evacuation of the planet. Despite the presence of a Super Star Destroyer and a massive Imperial fleet, he recklessly attempted to reach the planet's surface, hoping to find Solo. His attempt to pose as an Imperial scout failed when his ship, flying in the wake of a squadron of TIE Fighters, was hit by an ion blast from the planet's surface. Drifting helplessly through space, his ship was tractored in by the Executor. His ship was boarded, Dengar was captured, and the Empire, recognizing his identity, imprisoned him.

Aboard the Executor, Darth Vader offered him a reprieve from his death warrant, granting him the freedom to hunt down Solo and the Millennium Falcon. Disgusted by the fleet's inability to capture the fugitive ship, Vader recruited Dengar and five other bounty hunters to bring him the passengers of the Falcon, possibly believing Luke Skywalker was among them. At this point, his bounty hunting record remained unimpressive, as he had yet to claim a notable bounty.

While searching for Solo in the Hoth asteroid field, the engines of the Punishing One were disabled by a bomb planted by Boba Fett, who may have heard about Dengar's death warrant. Dengar was left helplessly watching the Millennium Falcon limp out of the system, closely followed by the Slave I. He managed to repair his craft and followed Solo's particle vapor trail to Bespin's Cloud City, arriving a few days later only to see the Slave I leaving the city with Han Solo frozen in carbonite. However, it was on Cloud City that Dengar was reunited with Manaroo, whom he rescued, along with several other dancers, from the Imperial subjugation of the city. The woman would then become a permanent part of his life.

With Manaroo accompanying him away from Cloud City, the Aruzan woman, feeling pity for Dengar's near-emotionless state, attempted to share her own feelings with him through her Attanni, an Aruzan custom in which two people shared emotions cybernetically. Dengar was able to experience what it was like to be Human again, feeling what she felt and seeing what she saw. This emotional experience allowed Dengar to finally work with the Rebel Alliance by assisting in the evacuation of the Aruzans from their world, freeing them from their Imperial tormentors. Dengar's main concern was to free Manaroo's parents.

Sometime during 3 ABY, Dengar teamed up with fellow bounty hunters 4-LOM, IG-88, Bossk, and Zuckuss on a mission for Domina Tagge to steal a sacred gem from a temple in the Red Nebula.

Soon after, Dengar encountered Princess Leia, who was seeking information about Solo's location. After an unsuccessful bounty hunt for the Mandalorian Fenn Shysa, Dengar was imprisoned and scheduled to be handed over to the Empire. Promising Leia that he would reveal everything he knew, she distracted Shysa while C-3PO freed Dengar. However, Dengar double-crossed them, secretly informing the Empire of Leia's location. The planet was then seized. With Dengar's assistance, the Empire overran the planet of Mandalore. Dengar was recaptured by Shysa and Leia and forced to reveal a possible hideout for Boba Fett and, therefore, Han Solo.

On the planet Blimph 3, Dengar and other bounty hunters 4-LOM and Bossk competed in a bounty for Lando Calrissian that was staged by Quaffug the Hutt. Dengar was unsuccessful in this hunt.

Eventually, Dengar, accompanied by Manaroo, journeyed to Tatooine. He anticipated that Boba Fett would eventually bring the carbonite-encased Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt there. He soon discovered that Solo was alive and imprisoned within Jabba's Palace. Dengar finally found Solo there, clutching the carbonite slab and mocking his longtime adversary. Meanwhile, Jabba's henchmen had seized Manaroo and forced her to become one of the crime lord's dancers in his palace.

Determined to rescue her, Dengar made his way back to Jabba's Palace, understanding that he would need to eliminate the Hutt to free Manaroo. He witnessed Jabba's cruelty firsthand when he killed Oola, his Twi'lek dancer. He quickly devised a plan with a few members of Jabba's entourage, but Jabba soon discovered the plot. The Hutt tasked Boba Fett with personally dealing with Dengar, stipulating that he suffer a painful demise in the Teeth of Tatooine in the Valley of the Winds. The evening before Jabba intended to execute Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca at the Great Pit of Carkoon, Fett drugged Dengar, leaving him vulnerable to Tatooine's harsh environment. Surprisingly, Boba Fett inadvertently aided Dengar for the second time. Although he abandoned Dengar to die, he allowed him to remain with his armor, which protected him from the brutal winds until Manaroo rescued him. Dengar realized that Fett had spared his life on two occasions, the first being when he only disabled the Punishing One near the Hoth asteroid field instead of destroying it. Despite this, he vowed to avenge himself against Fett.

After Manaroo saved him, they both decided to get married. Dengar spent several weeks recovering from his injuries in Mos Eisley, accumulating significant medical expenses. He then realized that many people were unaware of Jabba's death at the Pit of Carkoon. He and Manaroo traveled to the site of the Hutt's demise, hoping to recover valuable items. Instead, they discovered a severely burned and scarred man near death, who had apparently killed the Sarlacc. He learned that the broken man was Boba Fett, who had survived being consumed by the Sarlacc. Dengar, now filled with compassion due to Manaroo's Attanni device, nursed Fett back to health. Dengar, Fett, and Kateel of Kuhlvult survived a bombing run on the Great Pit of Carkoon orchestrated by Kuat of Kuat, the leader of Kuat Drive Yards. This unlikely alliance led Fett and Dengar to collaborate on a mission to thwart what they believed was Prince Xizor's intricate scheme to destroy the Bounty Hunters' Guild. To accomplish this, they had to abduct the powerful Kuat of Kuat. Fett even served as Dengar's best man at his wedding to Manaroo.

During 5 ABY, Dengar pursued the pirate Nosstrick to the planet Fluwhaka for a bounty posted by the New Republic. But Jodo Kast, who Dengar initially mistook for the feared Boba Fett, had already arrived. Dengar found Kast dangling above a spiked pit. Dengar destroyed the computer controls for the trapdoor leading to the pit, saving Kast's life. Kast responded by aiming a blaster at Dengar and claiming the bounty for himself. Realizing that Boba Fett would not have made so many errors or threatened the person who saved him, Dengar contacted Fett, informing him of Kast's impersonation. Dengar accompanied Fett to Paqualis III, where Fett disguised himself as "Sava Brec Madak" and approached the House Benelex bounty hunters' guild to hire Kast. "Madak" claimed that a man named Satnik Hiicrop had stolen his identity and reputation; Hiicrop, according to "Madak," could be found in a clan keep on Nal Hutta, and he wanted Kast to capture him. Dengar assisted Fett in setting traps for Kast in the ruined clan keep and was present when he was killed.

Their partnership lasted until 10 ABY, when the cloned Emperor Palpatine returned. Their final, unsuccessful attempts to recapture the elusive Solo on Nar Shaddaa and Byss led Dengar to declare that he would never collaborate with Fett again.

Following his partnership with Fett, Dengar settled into married life with Manaroo. However, he occasionally resurfaced for reasons unknown.

During 9 ABY, Mara Jade was briefly captured by a bounty hunter. After escaping, she discovered an ID card bearing the name "Dengar Roth." However, the card was a forgery used by a man named Gunner Groth to intimidate his targets and negotiate higher bounties with the Empire.

In 11 ABY, Dengar worked as a freelancer for Grappa, a Hutt who offered substantial rewards to bounty hunters. When Grappa's organization began to collapse, Dengar fled but was captured by the Black Sun, whom Grappa had offended. After revealing everything he knew about Grappa's organization, Black Sun released Dengar unharmed, and he vowed never to work for a Hutt again.

More than a decade later, in 24 ABY, Dengar joined the search for Bornan Thul during the Diversity Alliance's rule. This brought Dengar into contact with Jacen and Jaina Solo, the children of his former enemy. Dengar's final whereabouts and activities remain a mystery.

Early in his career, Dengar was a rough and untidy bounty hunter known for his effectiveness, valuing firepower and destruction. Despite his unkempt appearance, he often flirted with women who caught his attention. Although some found him unpleasant, a young Boba Fett enjoyed working with him and respected him.

His personality changed dramatically after his swoop accident and the bio-implants the Empire used to save his life. Dengar became devoid of all caring emotions. His new cybernetics transformed his damaged biological brain into that of an emotionless and remorseless killer. Dengar consistently displayed a serious demeanor and only killed professionally, not for pleasure. Dengar firmly believed Han Solo was responsible for his condition, and before each assassination, he would try to visualize his target as Han Solo, using his desire for revenge to fuel his desire to kill.

For much of his career, he was considered more ruthless than Boba Fett and typically performed assassinations rather than live captures. Nevertheless, traces of self-reproach and vague memories of his past haunted him, leading to deep self-loathing and despair.

After meeting and marrying Manaroo, however, his emotions were restored, thanks to the Aruzan Attanni device and Manaroo's determination to change him. Following her wishes, Dengar, who no longer needed his cybernetics, had them removed. Even after the removal process, he remained a man of considerable strength and speed, with heightened senses. Even with the return of his emotions, only a small portion of his former self resurfaced, and he was still regarded as a cold man by everyone except Manaroo.

Dengar's worn and faded body armor consisted of various Imperial armor components, serving as a constant reminder of his Imperial past. The chest plate and undersuit were from a snowtrooper, while the shoulder bells, gauntlets, midsection, codpiece, kneepads, and thighs were standard sandtrooper armor, a slight variation of stormtrooper armor, with Dengar wearing two kneepads instead of the usual one. His facial wrappings, initially used as a fashionable turban in his youth, later helped to conceal his cybernetic implants and scar tissue. During assassinations, he often covered his mouth and nose, hiding his identity and adding to his intimidating presence.

Dengar possessed an impressive arsenal of weapons. His preferred weapon was the Valken-38 blaster rifle, a sniper rifle used to kill or injure his targets from a distance. He also carried a DL-21 blaster pistol, DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle, concussion grenades, and a vibroblade. He was skilled, and sometimes overly enthusiastic, in using grenades and other explosives to complete his bounties.

Dengar's personal flagship was the Punishing One. Originally a JumpMaster 5000 scout ship, Dengar had it extensively modified with significantly improved sublight engines and a range of weaponry, including a mini-ion cannon, proton torpedos, and an R2 unit controlled, quad-blaster cannon system.

The character's portrayal in Payback: The Tale of Dengar by Dave Wolverton was inspired by the author's experiences as a prison security guard during college, capturing the "inner deadness" of incarcerated killers.

Dengar was portrayed by British actor Morris Bush in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. He makes a brief appearance in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and it was later confirmed by Jeremy Bulloch at the Celebration Europe II panel, The Fett-Tastic Four, that it was still Bush in the role. Joe Hacker voiced him in the audio adaptation of Star Wars: Dark Empire. In the Star Wars series, his armor is made up of pieces of sandtrooper and snowtrooper armor, repainted from their original white, to signify his Imperial background. Simon Pegg provided the voice of Dengar in Bounty, an episode from the fourth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, giving him a British accent.

In pre-production photographs from Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Dengar is shown holding a modified WWII-era German MG 34 machine gun (the basis for both the W-90 concussion rifle and BlasTech DLT-19). However, in the film, that weapon was wielded by the bounty hunter droid 4-LOM, and Dengar was armed with a modified German MG 42 (as seen in the main profile image above).

Dengar is present in the unabridged script of The Empire Strikes Back radio drama. Though he has no lines, Imperial Lieutenant Venka describes him as a "former gladiator" with "twenty-three captures, six alive" as he stands aboard the Executor. The scene was removed from the radio episode, but the script was later published in book form.

A comic titled Jodo Kast & Dengar: Preying for Time, a prequel series to Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction, was planned but ultimately canceled.

Star Wars: The Old Republic features an easter egg that recreates the bounty hunter scene from Empire Strikes Back, including Dengar along with the other bounty hunters who appeared with Darth Vader in that scene.