Bao-Dur

"I'll take the stupid one, who decided to threaten us rather than shoot us when he had the chance."

- Bao-Dur, after being confronted by the Zhug brothers

Bao-Dur was a Zabrak engineer from Iridonia who served under the Jedi Exile during the Mandalorian Wars. He was a skilled inventor and was responsible for the design, construction and activation of the Mass Shadow Generator. Years after the war he helped the Exile in stopping the echo in the Force caused by the Mass Shadow Generator. Wherever he went he was accompanied by a small, spherical remote which he had built as a child.

Biography
"Can you build me one?" "I would, but then I wouldn't be the only one with a floating sphere following him around, and I kind of like that."

- The Jedi Exile and Bao-Dur, about Bao-Dur's remote

"Let's go."

- Bao Dur preparing for combat

During the war Bao-Dur was a technician who fought under the Jedi Exile; years after the conflict was over he still referred to the Exile as "General." Bao-Dur was the inventor of many new weapons, shields, and other accessories. One of these included a new mechanical arm able to replace the one he lost in the Battle of Malachor V. This new cybernetic appendage was incredibly strong, and made Bao-Dur a formidable opponent in a fight. The arm also had the power to destroy force fields and shields. But his most infamous weapon was the Mass Shadow Generator, which he designed and built after getting a Republic military commission as a lieutenant. His activation of this weapon ended the Battle of Malachor V in the blink of an eye by completely obliterating the Mandalorian fleet, and inadvertently killing many Republic soldiers and Jedi on his own side of the battle. This guilt haunted him a great deal throughout his life. The Exile (who later befriended Bao-Dur) gave the command with a wordless nod, thereby killing almost everyone fighting in the battle above Malachor V, and (as the Jedi Council perceived it) creating a massive wound in the Force which cast echoes throughout the Galaxy.

When Bao-Dur met the Jedi Exile again years later, he was working as a technician on the surface of Telos, a world whose surface had been obliterated by a Sith fleet during the Jedi Civil War. He was in charge of the shield system that cordoned off areas on the Telosian surface and provided protection for any animals introduced there. He worked there so that he might help to add back into the Galaxy some of the life he took away at Malachor V. Bao-Dur hated the Czerka Corporation, and generally wished to see kindness spread throughout the Galaxy. He was an accomplished warrior, however, despite his pacifistic side and his long absence from combat. After traveling with the Exile for a while and gaining her trust, Bao-Dur agreed to be trained in the ways of the Force as a Jedi Guardian.

Atris and her Handmaidens generally thought highly of Bao-Dur's skill with machinery and technology; in the words of Brianna, "his skill with machinery is something beyond what most can even aspire to." She then went on to add that "his shield designs surpass even those of the best Echani power architects"&mdash;sublime praise coming from someone who was an Echani herself, and moreover a warrior.

Other than the droids, Bao-Dur is the only companion of the Exile who did not have a clear prediction to his future. Not even Darth Traya could find out what happened to him. He was also the one whose thoughts she could not read, though the Exile could hear him.

Personality and traits
"Yes, General."

- Bao-Dur, to Jedi Exile

Bao-Dur was known to have a conscience after the events of Malachor V. Racked with guilt over creating the Mass Shadow Generator, he wandered into exile. He was dedicated to helping others and always valued his companions and refused to call the Exile anything but General. War, however, took an emotional toll on him and eventually caused his intense hatred for Mandalorians, even arguing with Canderous Ordo about honor.

Behind the scenes
"How'd you lose your arm anyway?" "I got tired of it - kept dropping my hydrospanner. Figured I'd get a new one." "Yeah, I'll bet that was fun."

- The Jedi Exile and Bao-Dur, talking about his arm

Bao-Dur is voiced by Roger G. Smith.

While referred to as "Bao-Dur" throughout most of the game, he is credited as "Bao Dur," without the hyphen. This form also appears at some points in the game, mainly in rushed conversations like his hologram's final order to his remote.

Bao-Dur's character class, Tech Specialist, did not appear in the first KotOR game and is unique to him in the sequel, although it does exist in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. If the Exile chooses to train him in the ways of the Force, he becomes a Jedi Guardian. If he is seduced by the dark side due to the Exile's influence, he begins to display Sith tattoos similar to those of Darth Maul, who shares his species.

In the cut material from the game's ending, no mention of Bao-Dur was made at all. Some fans speculate that he and Mandalore, although he can be seen with Visas on the Malachor surface loading screen, did not join the Exile on the trip to Malachor V since they were not to appear to attack Kreia at the end of the game. It is rumored that he was to be killed on M4-78, since he only appears as a hologram on Malachor, and his place in the party selection screen is filled with an image of his remote. It is also possible that Kreia's inability to predict his fate was meant to leave room for his character to reappear along with the droids in a possible third installment in the series. It is also believed that Kreia could not sense his future because he did not survive Malachor's destruction, staying behind with his remote.

In an alternate dark side storyline, if the Exile did a dark side act. Bao-Dur would usually be the first to comment on why the Exile did so.

Additionally, in cut content, Bao-Dur reveals that he and the Sullustan mechanic, Tien Tubb worked together in a hangar bay during the Mandalorian Wars. This also reveals that Bao-Dur was part of the 12th Engineering Division out of Iridonia. When the Exile asked where his arm had come from Bao-Dur jokingly remarked of his mechanical arm as a "souvenir" from Malachor V.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

References and notes
Bao-Dur  Бао-Дур