Ben Quadinaros

"I see Ben Quadinaros from the Tund system."

- Fode

Ben Quadinaros was a Toong Podracer pilot who had very little actual racing experience when he participated in the Boonta Eve Classic that saw the liberation of the slave boy Anakin Skywalker. Piloting a Podracer with four red engines, Quadinaros never left the starting grid due to his pod stalling. A short while later, his power coupling failed, causing his engine's energy binders to deactivate. This caused the hapless Toong's engines to spiral away from the cockpit and fly off and explode on various parts of the Mos Espa Grand Arena. Despite this loss, Quadinaros continued to Podrace up to ten years later, during the time of the Clone Wars.

Biography
"Oh, there goes Quadinaros' power coupling!"

- Fode, after Quadinaros' Podracer explodes

A timid Toong, Ben Quadinaros was a Podracer pilot who claimed to come from the little known Tund system, located somewhere in the galaxy. Considered to be a rookie pilot, Quadinaros nevertheless joined the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace that took place during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. Piloting a unique Podracer that featured four separate engines, as opposed to the the more common two engine setup, Quadinaros prepared for the race in a hangar located at the Mos Espa Grand Arena, where the Boonta was to be held. Quadinaros for a brief time explored the hangar, before setting off to move his Podracer onto the starting grid. His starting position was on the grid's back row. As the Podracers prepared for the race, the Troig race commentators Fode and Beed conducted the opening ceremonies, introducing the pilots, including Quadinaros, to the cheering audiences.



Eventually, the race's host, the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, arrived in his personal viewing box, and waved the start of the race. However, Quadinaros' pod failed to ignite its engines, leaving the Toong stuck on the starting grid. He wasn't alone, however, as the Human pilot Anakin Skywalker. However, Skywalker was able to fix his Podracer and fly onto the track, while Quadinaros was left behind with a crew of Pit droids. When the droids did all that they could do, they left the grid and Quadinaros tried to ignite his Podracer again. Instead of zooming off of the grid to join the other racers, the Toong's power coupling failed, which caused the energy binders that held the engines together to deactivate. This ended up causing Quadinaros' engines to rip off of the cockpit and fly into various walls and structures inside the arena. The race was ultimately won by Skywalker. Despite this loss, Quadinaros continued to Podrace at least ten years later during the intergalactic Clone Wars, an armed conflict between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During this time, posters advertised a race between Quadinaros and the notorious Dug pilot Sebulba. One such poster was owned by Skywalker, who by this time was a Jedi Knight.

Personality and traits
Quadinaros was a timid Toong who was only a novice at Podracing. Despite his short comings, and his fear of the dangerous Boonta Classic, Quadinaros managed to overcome his fears for a short time by entering the Boonta. However, when his Podracer malfunctioned, he could only express frustration on his wasted effort. However, despite the setback, Quadinaros continued to Podracer, and eventually ended up in one on one match with Sebulba.

A pudgy Toong, Quadinaros possessed yellow colored skin, orange eyes, and stood at 1.63 meters tall.

Behind the scenes
Ben Quadinaros was created for the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which was written and directed by George Lucas. Conceptual art for the character was created by designers Terryl Whitlatch and Iain McCaig, which specified the details of Quadniaros' anatomy, clothing, and range of movement. Quadinaros later appeared on a poster in the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in the episode Friends and Enemies. The poster was designed by Kilian Plunkett.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace