Melas ( Sarkan ) Melas was a physically deformed Sarkan who was exiled from his homeworld of Sarka for his gregarious and social ways , traits considered outrageous to the insular Sarkans . However , he absconded with a considerable fortune in smuggled metals and gems , allowing him to travel from world to world , seeing different sights and meeting all sorts of interesting beings . Shortly before the Battle of Yavin , Melas was a patron at Chalmun ' s Spaceport Cantina on the planet Tatooine . Biography . Social outcast . Originally from the planet Sarka , Melas was born with physical deformities , resulting in a loss of status for he and his family . Melas thus spent his youth as an outcast , though his unusual appearance was not his greatest crime in the eyes of his fellow Sarkans . Melas ' people typically despised off - worlders , viewing non - Sarkans as primitives and savages . However , Melas actually enjoyed the company of aliens and Humans , eschewing the formal greeting protocols mandated by his government . Melas ' gregarious and social ways were an outrage , and he was exiled from his homeworld . Exiled traveler . However , exile did not pose much of a problem for Melas : Sarka was rich in precious metals and gems , and he was able to smuggle a considerable fortune off - planet when he was forced to leave . Melas used his riches to travel from world to world , seeing different sights and meeting all sorts of interesting beings , wanting nothing more than to see as many different species as possible . About a year before the Battle of Yavin , Melas was featured in a Star Tours advertisement for the planet Tatooine as a patron at Chalmun ' s Spaceport Cantina in Mos Eisley spaceport . In 0 BBY , the thirsty Sarkan barfly was present in the cantina , seated in a booth to the left of the entrance and next to another booth containing Chachi and Ohwun De Maal , a Duros couple . Personality and traits . To the protocol - bound Sarkans , Melas was always a troublemaker , both for displaying curiosity in other aliens and his gregarious , social ways . Despite his wealth , Melas was not entirely unaffected by his status as a Sarkan expatriate . He missed his homeworld on occasion and often spoke of its lush jungles , jewel - encrusted mountains , and beautiful cave - cities with a melancholy eloquence that belied his normally optimistic nature . However , Melas ' insatiable curiosity for what was out there easily eclipsed his bouts of sadness . A broad - snouted Sarkan with mottled gray skin , Melas was born with physical deformities : Standing at 1 . 7 meters in height , he was unusually diminutive in stature for his species . He also had short , stubby claws and unusual , vibrant blue eyes that invited unwanted attention . Equipment . Melas wore red and tan robes , along with a red turban . During his travels , he developed a fondness for smoking an Esoomian " gruu " pipe to heighten his awareness , and only rarely was he seen without the sweet - smelling device clasped in his scaly palms . Melas also carried a hold - out blaster and a credit voucher with 220 , 000 credits . He had numerous financial accounts totaling 2 million credits . Behind the scenes . Creating a new character . Melas first appeared in the 1997 " Special Edition " re - release of the 1977 film . The character was created by redressing the puppet originally used for the Pacithhip prospector Ketwol , which was designed by Howie Weed , chief creature maker of the " Special Editions " . Effects supervisor John Knoll noticed that the back of the original puppet ' s head looked like a completely different creature — by covering Ketwol ' s trunk and tusks with a turban , using the back of Ketwol ' s head as Melas ' face , and redressing the puppet with new clothing , a new character was made . Melas was shot and edited into the cantina footage , replacing Arleil Schous , a Defel whose off - the - shelf canine mask had long bothered " A New Hope " writer and director George Lucas . Continuity . The Melas character was first identified by name in the " Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook , Special Edition " , a supplement for West End Games ' " " . The text was written by George R . Strayton , Paul Sudlow , and Eric S . Trautmann , and released on October 1 , 1997 . Melas was listed as an example of a Sarkan name in the 2003 " Ultimate Alien Anthology " , a revised and expanded edition of the " Alien Anthology " sourcebook for Wizards of the Coast ' s " Star Wars Roleplaying Game " .