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 and toward the end of the Dark 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 always 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

When the Mandalorian Wars began, many Iridonian colonies were attacked and destroyed. Bao-Dur leapt at the opportunity to join the war when the Republic began to fight back, not out of a desire to protect but to get revenge for the Iridorians who had been killed.

Rather than infantry, Bao-Dur was a technician who came under the command of the Jedi Exile. He was the only Iridonian who served in his unit. 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 The galaxy.

During the Jedi Civil War Bao-Dur's homeworld colony in the Mid Rim was bombed out of commission by Darth Malak.

After the war's end, Bao-Dur decided to use his mechanical genius to help people rather than design weapons. Originally he intended to design planetary shield generators, but most governments were unable to afford them. Instead, he joined the Republic-sponsored Ithorian herd that was aiding the Restoration Project on Telos IV, 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 when the Telosian government was ineffective at stopping their depredations, he traveled to the planet's surface to stop them himself. However, the numerous mercenaries garrisoned on Czerka's surface forced him into hiding. Shortly afterward, a shuttle crashed not far from his hiding place. When Bao-Dur went to investigate he found a burning wreckage and went in to save the crew of three. Among them was the Exile. Although she did not recognize him at first, Bao-Dur still insisted on referring to her as "General."

Bao-Dur was a person who 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 seeing that she still treated those she encountered with kindness and compassion, Bao-Dur was able to feel calmer and in control of his anger. The Exile found he was Force-sensitive, so 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, "[h]is skill with machines is something beyond which most can aspire to." She then went on to add that "[h]is shield technology surpasses the designs of even the most skilled of Echani power architects"&mdash;sublime praise coming from someone who was an Echani herself, and moreover a warrior.

When the Exile and Bao-Dur finally returned to Malachor V, Bao-Dur programed his remote to reactivate the Mass Shadow Generator for a final time, destroying the planet completely.

Other than the droids, Bao-Dur was 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

Although he joined the Republic military for the sake of revenge, Bao-Dur was known to have a deeper conscience after the events of Malachor V. Racked with guilt over creating the Mass Shadow Generator, he wandered into exile before he dedicated to helping others. War took an obvious emotional toll on him and although he was generally amiable, he held a deep prejudice against Mandalorians for their actions in the wars and clashed with Canderous Ordo about honor.

He was, for the most part, a mild-mannered person of few words with an appreciation for the small things in life, and a blithely sarcastic sense of humor. Although he trusted the Exile and felt as though she was one of the few people who could understand the effect that the Mandalorian Wars had on those who had fought in them, he did not often speak except on matters at hand. He enjoyed the natural beauty of the restored areas of Telos and liked to see acts of kindness. However, he hated seeing the malicious or greedy harming others and did not hesitate in stepping forward to stop them, even trying to stand alone against Czerka.

Aside from Basic he could speak Zabraki, Bocce, Ithorese and Binary languages.

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; it is impossible for the player, however, to gain influence with Bao-Dur while dark-side without taking an "alignment hit" since he respects light-side acts and despises dark-side acts.

In the cut material from the game's ending, no mention of Bao-Dur was made at all. Despite the fact that Mandalore can be seen with Visas on the Malachor surface loading screen, some fans speculate that Bao-Dur and Mandalore, 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, 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. In an interview, Chris Avellone stated that Bao-Dur was intended to die during the Battle of Telos IV, while helping HK-47 reach and shut down the HK Manufacturing Plant.

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.

Appearances

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

Notes and references
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