Ponda Baba

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A burly Aqualish thug, **Ponda Baba** smuggled spice for Jabba the Hutt alongside his friend Dr. Cornelius Evazan, a murderous former surgeon Ponda had rescued from a bounty hunter. Ponda was one of the alien barflies escaping the heat of Tatooine’s twin suns when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi visited the Mos Eisley Cantina. Bored and looking for excitement, Ponda picked a fight with Luke, which Evazan quickly escalated. But the two bullies had picked the wrong target – Obi-Wan interceded, taking action when Ponda and Evazan refused to back down. The old Jedi’s lightsaber left Evazan dead and Ponda missing an arm, ending the quarrel rather decisively.

## Biography

### Early Life

Originally from the planet Ando, **Ponda Baba** was a burly Aqualish thug who rescued Cornelius Evazan, a former doctor who was infamous for the cruelty he inflicted upon his patients, from a bounty hunter. The two formed a partnership and began to smuggle spice for Jabba the Hutt. The pirates were successful at their trade and became wanted men. Their working relationship wasn't always pleasant, however, and Baba even briefly considered turning Evazan in to collect the bounty on his head before realizing that their ongoing partnership was more profitable. Still, the two considered each other friends despite their differences.

Prior to the Battle of Yavin, Baba and Evazan were patrons at the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine. Bored and looking for excitement, a drunk Baba decided to pick a fight with Luke Skywalker, a young farmboy. Evazan quickly escalated the argument, even beginning to threaten the boy before attracting the attention of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Skywalker's guardian. The hermit attempted to ease tensions by offering to purchase the pair drinks, but Evazan refused to back down and tossed Skywalker out of his way, and, along with Baba, drew his blaster pistol on the old man, despite the protest of Wuher, the cantina's bartender. Before the pirates were even able to discharge their weapons, however, Kenobi had already ignited his lightsaber, swiftly removing Baba's right arm and killing Evazan with a slash across his torso, decisively ending the argument.

Following the altercation, those present in the cantina briefly turned to see what had transpired before returning to their business. However, a departing patron decided to inform a squad Mos Eisley's Sand Troopers of the attack. ]After the troopers had entered the establishment and reached the counter, Wuher indicated to them where Kenobi and Skywalker had taken a seat, though the pair found another exit before they could be apprehended. Skywalker later recalled his encounter with Baba while he was training with his own lightsaber in the Temple of Eedit on Devaron.

## Personality and Traits

Ponda Baba was a fearsome, ill-tempered thug who enjoyed bullying those whom he considered to be an easy target.

Baba was a burly male Aqualish who stood 1.85 meters tall. He had gray skin, black eyes, black hair on the lower part of his face, and a pair of pink tusk.

## Equipment

Ponda Baba wore an orange jacket, a brown pair of pants, a black pair of boots, and a black belt with a gold buckle which had a holster attached to its left side to carry his SE-14C blaster pistol.