Bom Vimdin was a widely disliked Advozse who worked as a mercenary, smuggler, and black marketeer. He earned a reputation for working with corrupt officials, providing illicit goods to Imperial officers, and became wanted by the Galactic Empire. In 0 BBY, the Empire held him prisoner on board its Death Star superweapon, but he managed to escape from his cell using an explosive device.
After escaping, he spent time in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina in the spaceport of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine, sitting at a table with fellow patrons Hem Dazon, Pons Limbic, Braconnor Bakiska, and Arleil Schous. He was later present in the cantina again when the bounty hunter Boba Fett questioned the patrons there for information on local moisture farmer Luke Skywalker. New Republic police commissioner Exantor Divo later wrote about Vimdin in his book, Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious.
Bom Vimdin escaped from the Death Star.
Born around 29 BBY on the planet Riflor, Bom Vimdin was an Advozse mercenary who became one of the most successful smugglers and black marketeers operating in the Outer Rim Territories, selling Imperial officers illicit substances and entertainment that was not in keeping with Imperial codes of conduct. By 7977.44.3 C.R.C., he was wanted for crimes against the Galactic Empire—including collusion, bribery, theft, and conspiracy—even though he indirectly supported the Imperials.
Imperial Security Bureau Agent Andressa Divo included a mention of Vimdin in her notes, describing him as a "disease-carrying parasite" and "amoral magnet" who confused the human moral compass and played an important role in tempting Imperial officials to begin taking bribes. She also noted that the Empire had yet to develop a reliable defense against criminals like Vimdin.
In 0 BBY, he ended up as a prisoner of the Empire and was held in a cell on board the Death Star superweapon. Vimdin managed to get hold of an explosive device and used it to blow a hole in the side of his cell, allowing him to escape into the neighboring corridor and flee from pursuing stormtroopers. Soon after escaping from the Death Star, Vimdin was present at the bar of Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina in the Mos Eisley spaceport on the planet Tatooine when the bounty hunter Bossk searched for the rogue Imperial astromech droid 261 there.
Vimdin witnessed Boba Fett's search for information on Luke Skywalker.
Shortly before the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, Vimdin was present in the cantina again and sat at a booth table in one of the establishment's backrooms with the Arcona Hem Dazon, the Siniteen Pons Limbic, the Stennes Shifter Braconnor Bakiska, and the Defel Arleil Schous. While the group sat together, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and local moisture farmer Luke Skywalker entered the establishment looking for a pilot to take them to the planet Alderaan. Dazon, Bakiska, and Vimdin were still sitting in the booth with several other patrons when Kenobi and Skywalker came into conflict with the thugs Doctor Cornelius Evazan and Ponda Baba at the cantina's bar.
Following the Battle of Yavin, in 0 ABY, Vimdin and Limbic were both again present in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina when the bounty hunter Boba Fett entered seeking the identity of Skywalker. The pair stood silently as part of a crowd while Fett questioned them until one of the other patrons challenged him. Fett defeated the patron and eventually got the information he sought by interrogating a human who tried to flee the bar.
During the New Republic Era, New Republic police commissioner Exantor Divo, son of Andressa, wrote about Vimdin in his book, Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious, which was published in 34 ABY and detailed the experiences of three generations of law enforcement officials in his family. Divo included his mother's notes and the criminal's Imperial wanted poster in the book, writing about Vimdin as an example of the opportunists who tempted Imperial officers who had been given difficult postings.
Bom Vimdin's mugshot
Bom Vimdin was a gloomy loner with a sour face and personality who obsessed over his credit balance and was universally disliked. A cynical individual, he kept mainly to himself and distrusted even those who enlisted his services. He was an opportunist with a keen eye for Imperials on the edge and was willing to risk contacting them, earning him a reputation for working with corrupt officials. An Advozse with pink skin and black eyes, he despised the rest of his species. He stood 1.8 meters tall.
Vimdin had above average fighting ability and average speed, strength, and intelligence. He had extremely low diplomatic skills and was not Force-sensitive.
Bom Vimdin was added during supplemental filming at in Dovington's Hollywood studio.
Bom Vimdin first appeared in the 1977 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. His scene was added to the film during a series of supplemental shots filmed for the cantina sequence on a sound stage in Dovington's Hollywood studio between January 24–25, 1977. Vimdin's costume was provided by creature designer Rick Baker and, on set, the character was known as "Don Rickles" due to his similarity in appearance to the famous Vegas insult-comic. Vimdin appeared in Jeffrey Brown's 2021 non-canon children's book, A Vader Family Sithmas, in which he can be seen listening to Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes playing holiday music at Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina.
In Star Wars Workbook: Kindergarten Writing & ABCs, a 2014 entry in the Star Wars Workbooks series, Vimdin is depicted in one of the hypothetical exercises as sitting with a Gotal while watching the Jedi Aayla Secura sing. In the new Star Wars canon, Vimdin was first named in the mobile card game Star Wars: Force Collection, which initially launched in 2013. Although the launch of Force Collection predates the Star Wars canon reset of 2014, Lucasfilm Story Group member Leland Chee confirmed that the game was kept updated to fit with canon. The name originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was created by Louis J. Prosperi for the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game supplement Wanted by Cracken, released by West End Games in 1993.
- A Vader Family Sithmas
- Star Wars: Force Collection
- Star Wars Workbook: Kindergarten Writing & ABCs
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- Star Wars: Complete Locations
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures & Aliens
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
- Star Wars: Search Your Feelings
- Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious
- The Star Wars Archives: Episodes IV–VI, 1977–1983
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 78
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Official Collector's Edition