B ' omarr Order / Legends The B ' omarr Order , which consisted of the B ' omarr Monks , was a mysterious religious order that moved to the planet Tatooine around 700 BBY . The B ' omarr believed that cutting themselves off from all physical sensation would further their studies , and allow them to ponder the galaxy and achieve enlightenment . When a monk became enlightened , his brain was removed through a special procedure , and was placed in a nutrient - filled jar . The brains were held in very high regard by the lower , embodied monks , who saw to their every need , though the brains rarely did anything other than think and wonder . When they did need to travel around their monastery on Tatooine , the brains were transferred into specially modified BT - 16 perimeter droid s . The order was established sometime prior to 700 BBY , though they transported their followers to Tatooine soon thereafter . They constructed a giant monastery , where they lived for centuries , though they were rarely the only inhabitants ; over the years , many bandits and criminals occupied the palace , including Alkhara and Jabba Desilijic Tiure . After Jabba ' s death in 4 ABY , the monks took their palace back by force , recruiting new members without their consent . They then locked up Jabba ' s Palace and continued to practice their beliefs for many years . Practices and beliefs . The B ' omarr centered their religion on isolating themselves from all feeling and emotion , so they could focus and enhance the power of their minds . They embarked on mental journeys that were impossible to comprehend while one was focused on the physical world . The B ' omarr cared little for personal comforts and wore the simplest of garments . As a monk came closer and closer to enlightenment , he began to shed the use of speech , preferring to communicate either with solitary words or images , which the monks alone could fully understand . Other B ' omarr were able to telepathically communicate , speaking directly into the subject ' s mind . Eventually , a monk would require none of his senses , at which point he was said to have achieved enlightenment . The monks were also adept healers , and offered aid to any who stumbled upon any of their outposts on Tatooine . There were several stages that marked the spiritual growth of a B ' omarr monk ; after each stage , a monk was given a test to check his knowledge of the subject . There were many different types of tests : some were designed to gauge a monk ' s understanding of logic , others to test one ' s knowledge of sacred B ' omarr texts , and others still determined a monk ' s ability to cut himself off from the physical world , by putting him through painful tasks and observing how much pain he felt . Eventually , after many years of study and practicing distancing himself from the physical world , as well as successfully completing each stage ' s test , a monk would become enlightened ; he had pure mental power , and was at peace with the cosmos . As enlightened monks no longer required their bodies , lesser monks would help them shed their body through surgical means . After their enlightened brain was carefully removed , the monks were transferred into a nutrient - filled jar , freed from the distractions of life . The process of removing a monk ' s brain was very delicate , and the surgeons had to be extremely well - trained and careful when performing the transplant . They made use of reliable anesthesia to ensure the process was painless , and through experience , as well as various forms of apparatuses developed over the centuries , the monks were able to keep the brain functioning and alive long enough to transfer it into a nutrient jar . One small mistake and the brain was lost ; they were usually discarded along with the lifeless body , before being eventually disposed of . Occasionally , however , a monk ' s brain would be removed before he had truly achieved enlightenment . Assuming the operation went well , the monk would survive , though there were several side effects . The separation of the body and the brain could often induce psychosis , and the brain would then mentally scream , usually for days on end , without pausing for breath . Monks going through this transition were generally kept separate from the other disembodied monks , whom they usually disturbed . Eventually , in most cases , the brain would cease to scream , and could be returned to where the rest of the brains were located . Although incredibly rare , a brain could be transplanted " back " into a body , be it the monk ' s original body or that of someone or something else . However , the B ' omarr had little technology to aid this procedure , so it was considerably more dangerous than the original process . For this reason , as well as the fact that the majority of monks were at peace when separated from their bodies , this was not widely practiced by the B ' omarr . After a successful operation , brains were transferred to the Great Room of the Enlightened , where they sat on shelves , meditating and pondering the infinite for centuries . The names of the enlightened ones were documented in the B ' omarr Registry , a thick manuscript which included some of their greatest philosophical ideas , ponderings , and musings . With their every need catered to by the embodied monks , the enlightened brains rarely had use for moving around the monastery , though they did have means to do so when necessary : BT - 16 perimeter droid s . These droids were reported to have been designed by the B ' omarr themselves , though similar models were in existence almost four thousand years earlier . The BT - 16 droids possessed only the simplest of processors and technology ; their main function was to react to the enlightened monks ' telepathic messages . The droids would travel to the Great Room of the Enlightened at a monk ' s request and transfer a monk ' s brain - jar into a brain support unit , which was at the center the droid ' s legs . The brain support unit allowed the monks to survive without being connected to the special equipment in the deepest parts of the citadel , though they were initially difficult to use , and most monks preferred to stay in their jars . Towards the time of the Galactic Civil War , embodied monks began to experiment with the walkers , resulting in several of the newer models bearing five or six legs . The spiders would rarely leave the monastery , though some were known to roam the deserts surrounding the citadel , attacking anyone they came into contact with . The B ' omarr acolytes rarely congregated or spoke to each other , though they occasionally gathered in tea rooms , where they consumed their only form of nourishment whatsoever — potent teas made from strong herbs . These meetings rarely lasted long , the monks busy attempting to further their studies and understanding of the mind . Although part of the teaching of the B ' omarr stated that possessions and comforts were unnecessary distractions , many monks veered from the order ' s way , accepting bribes to spy on the palace ' s criminal occupants . During Jabba Desilijic Tiure ' s time in their place of worship , many B ' omarr acted as spies , while some were even on the payroll of his greatest rival , Lady Valarian . History . The details surrounding the founding of the B ' omarr were largely unknown , though their practices did change throughout the centuries . The order originally consisted only of Humans , though in time it encompassed a great many species . They had sought a world where they would be met with little distraction from any settlers , eventually choosing the monastery that one day became Jabba ' s Palace , in the desert world of Tatooine , in the Outer Rim Territories . At some point , they also lived in a monastery on the Wild Space world of Teth and had established a Temple on the Mid Rim world of Danuta . Tatooine was inhabited by no one but primitive salvagers , and was forgotten by the records of the Galactic Republic . The leaders of the order relocated their followers to Tatooine , arriving in about half a dozen cargo ships , which were the basis for the colossal structure they built in the planet ' s Dune Sea . Their structure slowly adapted to the planet ' s climate ; the monks built a roof after they encountered their first Tatooine windstorm , while the building was enclosed after their first encounter with the Tusken Raiders . Many rumors surrounded the citadel ; it was even said that the monks received help from the Tusken Raiders when building it , though these were simply unproved legends . The B ' omarr kept to themselves for the next few centuries , though civilization began to grow on Tatooine , with several small towns being established . Eventually , the palace became a haven for a small number of bandits and criminals , who used it as both a hideout and a shelter in the middle of the barren desert . The monks were happy to accommodate the bandits , though they ensured that the deepest parts of the citadel were reserved for housing the brains of the enlightened monks . Around one hundred and fifty years after they moved to Tatooine , the period of B ' omarr isolation ended . A well - known pirate named Alkhara , who had incurred the wrath of both the local Tusken population and the Human authorities , sought refuge in the B ' omarr ' s palace . Alkhara and his followers were welcomed with open arms by the monks , and quickly made the building their base of operations . Eventually , the Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure came into possession of the B ' omarr ' s temple , bringing with him a motley crew of gamblers , bounty hunters , and other criminally active individuals . The B ' omarr were not fazed at this development , and continued to live out their lives as before . The presence of Jabba and his henchmen , however , would make the B ' omarr far more involved with the other occupants of their monastery . While many feared the eerie spider droids and gave them a wide berth , some of Jabba ' s men took an interest in the B ' omarr , learning and taking advice from both the embodied and the disembodied monks who frequented the palace . Although many sought to learn more from the B ' omarr , others saw the potential for exploitation , and hired many of the B ' omarr as spies . Jabba ' s period on Tatooine saw many monks abandon their principles and engage in unsavory activities . Some worked for Jabba himself , such as the corrupt monk named Grimpen , who transferred wanted criminals ' brains into other bodies , usually unsuspecting monks or any of Jabba ' s captives . Jabba also forced the monks to remove the brains of those who had failed him ; they wandered the corridors of the palace aimlessly for years after . The majority of monks who found themselves working with the palace ' s criminally minded occupants acted as spies or informants ; Jabba ' s main rival , the Whiphid Lady Valarian , had at least one B ' omarr spy stationed in the palace . The monk was later killed by another spy of Valarian ' s , J ' Quille , after a misunderstanding . Although the corpse was discovered by one of Jabba ' s Gamorrean guards , J ' Quille managed to persuade him that the monk had in fact entered a trance . Others acted as informants for Ephant Mon and Bib Fortuna , two of the most prominent members in the Hutt ' s court . Much of the information on the B ' omarr available to the galaxy at large was compiled by Shi ' ido Senior Anthropologist Mammon Hoole during Jabba ' s stay in the B ' omarr ' s domain . On his first visit to the palace , Hoole mingled and interacted with the monks , learning of their beliefs and customs . Hoole , however , left the monks when they offered to guide him to enlightenment . On his second visit studying the monks , Hoole brought his two surrogate children , Tash and Zak Arranda . Jabba wanted Hoole to translate an ancient book he had taken from the B ' omarr monks , though the visit to the palace proved far more eventful . Tash Arranda ' s brain was swapped with a criminal ' s by a corrupt monk , though it was eventually restored to her body and Hoole managed to escape with the children . Occasionally , Jabba interacted with the monks , allowing them access to prisoners they dubbed " interesting . " One such event occurred when Han Solo was imprisoned following his release from carbonite , and he consented to tell his story to a young monk . In 4 ABY , Jabba Desilijic Tiure was killed by Princess Leia Organa aboard his sail barge above the Great Pit of Carkoon , with most of his henchmen dying in the destruction of the " Khetanna " . Many of Jabba ' s former allies scrambled to pick up the pieces of the Hutt ' s criminal empire and claim it for themselves ; the B ' omarr took this opportunity to emerge from the shadows of their monastery , recruiting many new members by force , and killing those that resisted . Among the new " initiates " was Bib Fortuna , Jabba ' s former majordomo . The B ' omarr remained in the palace , and although several attempts to make use of the vast building were made , the monks remained mostly in solace for many years . For over twenty years after Jabba ' s demise , various thieves — among them agents of Lady Valarian , Jabba ' s old rival — arrived at the B ' omarr monastery , hoping to plunder whatever wealth remained from Jabba ' s reign . The B ' omarr were far too numerous for any petty criminals to fight off , so their ranks swelled considerably when thief after thief was enlightened , their brains placed in jars . In order to encourage more robbers to arrive , thus giving them further subjects to induct into their order , the monks allowed several to leave the Palace unharmed , taking with them hoards of Jabba ' s valuables . These stories attracted many more visitors ; the B ' omarr let none of them escape . Locations . The Tatooine Monastery . The palace which was later known as Jabba ' s Palace was built by the B ' omarr approximately seven hundred years before the Battle of Yavin . Located in the Dune Sea , the palace was originally a simple construction made out of the chassis of several freighters , though after attacks by the vicious natives , the monks decided to build a more secure place for their studies . They built a huge round palace , which stood for several centuries , with many types of criminals and bandits occupying it , though the B ' omarr always remained , lurking in the deepest and darkest portions of the citadel . Whenever a new band of mercenaries took over the building , they added to the complex building , constructing an observation tower , sewer systems , and even a series of subterranean tunnels . Eventually , the palace came into the possession of Jabba the Hutt , who had his main architect tweak it to suit his needs . Jabba had his architect , Derren Flet , make many adjustments , though he was ultimately unhappy with the lack of prison space , and had Flet killed . The Hutt gangster had a vast hangar and garage — used to house his many pleasure yachts and sail barges — built beside the original palace , as well as stables used to keep his many vicious pets , which included the fearsome rancor . Jabba also installed a vigilant security system , and could locate any potential visitors from up to ten kilometers away . The hub of the palace during Jabba ' s time was his massive throne room , which housed his accountants , assassins , bounty hunters , and various other unsavory individuals . After Jabba ' s death , the palace was turned into the Tatooine Retirement Home for Aged Aliens , though a shortage of government funds allowed the B ' omarr to remain alone in the palace once again . Jabba ' s father Zorba became the owner . The Teth Monastery . At some point , the Order constructed and lived in a monastery on the jungle world of Teth , on the top of a large mesa . It shared many design features with the Tatooine monastery and like that , had a throne room . It also had a room that housed a jungle rancor . By the time of the Clone Wars , the monastery had long been abandoned . During the conflict , the captured Huttlet Rotta was taken to the monastery by the Confederacy of Independent Systems . The Galactic Republic sent a group of clone troopers , as well as the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano , to free the baby Hutt , which instigated the Battle of Teth in and around the monastery . The Danuta Temple . At some point , the Order also established a temple in the city of Trid on Danuta , which was primarily populated by Hutts during the days of the Old Republic , but later went under control of the Galactic Empire . Like thousands of other religions within the Empire , the monks were tolerated by the Imperials as long as they remained apolitical . In addition to embodied and disembodied monks who lived within the Temple , some supporters of their religion lived within the city of Trid and only visited the Temple during the regular ceremonies and prayers . One such visitor was Meck Odom , an Imperial officer whose position in the Imperial Military forced him to keep his religious beliefs a secret . Other locations . The B ' omarr had several other places of worship on Tatooine , though none were as famous or well used as Jabba ' s Palace . The B ' omarr outpost was situated very near to Jabba ' s Palace , and was the home of the Most Perfect Order of K ' vin . Another location was the Citadel of B ' omarr ; similar in design to the B ' omarr Monastery , the citadel was the home of both embodied and enlightened monks . The citadel was also an outpost for those needing medical attention , who would always be treated by the embodied B ' omarr healers . The healers made no distinction between patients who had been injured in the line of illegal activities and those who were not , offering their help and expertise to all who sought it . Although the connection between it and the order is unknown , the B ' omarr Flats were a large expanse of land , located near the Great Mesra Plateau . The Great Pit of Carkoon was located in the flats . Notable members . Evilo Nailati was a B ' omarr monk who had had his brain removed some time before or during the reign of the Galactic Empire . He was extremely different to most other members of the B ' omarr , in that he did not seek abstract concepts such as " truth " and " enlightenment , " but rather , he longed to amass as much knowledge as possible . Knowing his efforts would not last long in his original body , he joined the monks , eventually being deemed " enlightened " by the senior monks . After then , he took a frog - dog named Buboicullaar as an underling of sorts , teaching him of the galaxy . Bubo ' s species were thought brutish and unintelligent , though in truth they were capable of extraordinary intellect , though they kept it a secret . For years before he wound up on Tatooine , Bubo was a spy and an assassin , and was eventually part of a plot on Jabba ' s life . He took an interest in the B ' omarr , and after the Hutt ' s death , willingly allowed them to transfer his brain into a jar . Sai ' da was a keen B ' omarr historian , with a particular interest for information from the outside world . This isolated him from the other monks , who felt that his time would be better spent contemplating the infinite . Nevertheless , he continued studying as a historian , and became very knowledgeable in the Galactic Civil War . When one of the most prominent players in that war , Han Solo , found himself jailed in Jabba ' s dungeon , Sai ' da could not resist the temptation to speak with him . Sai ' da acquired entry into Solo ' s cell ; in return for the Rebel ' s life story , Sai ' da would have to ensure that his companion , Leia Organa , was safe . He agreed , and left their meeting thinking of concepts like companionship , bravery , and humor , to which he had offered little thought previously . A disembodied brain calling himself K ' vin was the leader of the Most Perfect Order of K ' vin , which he claimed the B ' omarr Order was a splinter sect of ; in truth , he had left the order to start his own . K ' vin lived on Tatooine at the B ' omarr outpost , and like the B ' omarr , his order had their brains removed so they could ponder the infinite for ever more . K ' vin , however , sought more ; when a bounty hunter entered his temple searching for Han Solo , the brain pleaded with the bounty hunter to shoot his vat , which would free him and expand his knowledge of the universe . Despite the efforts of the other monks , the bounty hunter did ; K ' vin ' s brain died soon thereafter . Hedon Istee left the order after being branded a " sensualist , " taking with him a sacred scroll belonging to the B ' omarr . The monks were unhappy , and sent one of the less law - abiding occupants of Jabba ' s Palace after Istee , to take back the scroll . Fearing for his safety , Istee hired a spacer to defeat the Gamorrean sent after him . The spacer succeeded , and was paid 3 , 000 credits for his efforts . The B ' omarr , however , resorted to more extreme measures , and had a bounty hunter attempt to track down Istee , though , like before , the spacer managed to defeat him . Eventually , Istee buckled under the pressure , though , and had the spacer return the scroll to the B ' omarr citadel . Meck Odom was already interested in the B ' omarr Order during his time as a Cadet in the Academy of Carida , though his position in the Galactic Empire forced him to keep his beliefs a secret . After his graduation , he was assigned to the Trid research facility on Danuta and began secretly visiting the B ' omarr Temple located there , participating in their ceremonies . Shortly before the Battle of Yavin , his best friend and former roommate Kyle Katarn was sent by the Alliance to Restore the Republic on a mission to steal the partial set of Death Star plans from the research facility . Using his knowledge on Odom ' s beliefs , he was able to contact him through the help of the B ' omarr Monks and convinced him to help him steal the plans of the battlestation . Bib Fortuna was always interested by the B ' omarr , and used them as informants during his time in Jabba ' s Palace . He was not ready to have his brain removed after his master ' s death , however , though the B ' omarr monks did so regardless ; Fortuna ' s brain screamed for days , though eventually he adjusted . Fortuna longed to escape , as did his friend and fellow B ' omarr , Nat Secura . Nat had been sentenced to death by Jabba the Hutt ; desperate to save his friend , Bib had the B ' omarr remove Nat ' s brain . Eventually , Fortuna had his brain transplanted into the body of Firith Olan , and escaped the monastery . Jabba ' s Quarren accountant Tessek had no interest in joining the B ' omarr , though he was forced to when they recaptured their palace . Tessek was transferred to a brain walker , though he found that he had far more freedom in his new life . J ' Quille was another of Jabba ' s henchmen that joined the order , though he did so by his own choice . A former lover of Lady Valarian , J ' Quille had been sent to Jabba ' s Palace to assassinate the Hutt , though he soon found himself without the means to do so . After Jabba ' s death , Valarian was furious at J ' Quille , and promised him she would put a bounty on his head if he ever left Tatooine . Confined to a life of misery under Tatooine ' s hot suns , J ' Quille opted to join the B ' omarr , knowing he would not survive long if he attempted to flee Tatooine . Behind the scenes . The B ' omarr first appeared in " " , in the form of brains attached to spider droids . The droids were based upon sketches by Ralph McQuarrie , which later appeared in " The Illustrated Star Wars Universe " . Although they first appeared in " Return of the Jedi " , the B ' omarr played a minor role : they only appeared in the form of brain spiders , and were not given their name . " The Illustrated Star Wars Universe " was the first " Star Wars " work that named them , and it also provided much of the information known about the order . The B ' omarr were labeled as among " The Bad " in " Who ' s Who in Jabba ' s Palace " , an article appearing in " Star Wars Insider 60 " . The B ' omarr have generally been portrayed as neither villains nor heroes , though in " " , they play a more sinister role . Disembodied brains in analogous devices to those of the B ' omarr Monks have appeared in a number of other sources , such as " Wanted by Cracken " ( seen ) , " Shadows and Light " , and " " ; however , these have not been tied to the order canonically . In the non - canon video games " " and " " , B ' omarr spider droids wander around Jabba ' s Palace and can be used as mountable rides .