Vengnar Heiff Vengnar Heiff , Master Torturer , was the head of the Galactic Empire ' s Department of Punishment during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War . A cold blooded , reptilian humanoid , Heiff earned a reputation for his brutal and violent methods , giving him the nickname of the Torturer . He was alternatively despised , feared , and respected by the upper echelons of the Imperial Military , though there was a general perception that he was a butcher . In 0 ABY , Heiff was called to the Ithorian herdship " Tafanda Bay " , on Ithor , to extract information from a group of Ithorian technicians pertaining to the operation of the mammoth craft . After killing twelve of the Ithorians , Heiff was thrust into the middle of a ship - wide uprising . Battling a Rebel agent , Heiff was eventually brutally wounded and arrested by a large group of the normally - peaceful Ithorians . Biography . The Torturer . Sir Vengnar Heiff , Master Torturer of the Galactic Empire ' s Department of Punishment , rose to infamy throughout the galaxy due to his highly successful track record of extracting information out of his prisoners . During the Galactic Civil War , Heiff helped the war effort by applying his talents to captured leaders of the Alliance to Restore the Republic . During this time , Heiff earned the nickname of " the Torturer . " Due to his elevated position , Imperial officers of vaulting ambition would try and curry favor with him . The Ithor uprising . Despite being amongst arbiters of massacres and the like , Heiff was considered one of the most fearsome entities in the entire Galactic Empire . In 0 ABY , he was dispatched to the " Tafanda Bay " , a herdship on Ithor . The officer in charge of the occupied " Tafanda Bay " , General Olan Dewes , had mentioned in a report that the Ithorian technicians had failed to reveal vital details about the ship , and so the Empire saw fit to dispatch Heiff to encourage them . Prior to his arrival , the Heroes of Yavin , along with exiled leader Momaw Nadon , had landed on Ithor , claiming to have been ferrying Heiff himself . Although was aware of this , Heiff was unconcerned , and so went about his work . Setting up in the " Tafanda Bay " makeshift prisons , Heiff went through prisoners at a rapid rate , mauling them with his long claws in an attempt to learn more about the herdship . His work made everyone on the " Tafanda Bay " uncomfortable , as the stereo screams of the technicians echoed throughout the herdship ' s corridors . He had killed approximately twelve of his prisoners by the time an uprising broke out on the " Tafanda Bay " . Too immersed in his work to care , Heiff and his guards were eventually attacked by a Rebel agent and a group of Ithorians . Turning the tables , Heiff let his stormtrooper escort take the brunt of the attack , while he hid and deactivated the lights in the room . Due to his natural instincts , he was able to detect the smell of his adversaries . While distracting the Rebel with the remainder of his guard , Heiff pounced on his opponent , attacking with his oversized claws . The struggling Rebel , evading Heiff , desperately released all the Ithorian prisoners , forcing Heiff to feign a retreat . Doubling back to finish off the Rebel , he was intercepted mid - leap by his adversary ' s blaster bolt . Gravely wounded , he begged to be finished off , but the Rebel refused , handing him over to Ithorian custody to be tried and sentenced . Personality and traits . Sir Vengnar Heiff took a great deal of pleasure from his work , although he was exceptionally carefree towards the health of his victims . He would use his own anatomy instead of implements to beat the truth out of the subject , tearing them apart with his large claws . He was described as a butcher by some , being both feared and looked upon with disdain by the Imperial community . Some , such as General Dewes , believed that Heiff would go through torturing the supply of Ithorian prisoners before being able to extract the needed information . Heiff wore no clothes , save for a utility belt and a large , flowing red cape . A reptilian lizard - man hailing from an icy planet , he was cold - blooded , and able to use a heightened sense of smell to detect his prey . His claws were considered gargantuan , and were used liberally in the Torturer ' s line of work to both maim and kill his victims . Heiff also had green skin . Behind the scenes . Vengnar Heiff first appeared in Dave Wolverton ' s " " . Although not mentioned in Wolverton ' s later work , " " , it is specified that the Master Torturer is the head of the Department of Punishment , hence the connection in this article . Heiff was not mentioned in canon again , until ten years after " Ithorian Invasion " , when he was given an entry in 2008 ' s " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " .