Bail Antilles was a male human politician, who, in the waning and unstable decades of the Galactic Republic, held the position of senator representing Alderaan within the Galactic Senate. Following the Galactic Senate's decision to remove Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum from office, Antilles received a nomination as a potential replacement.
As a male human, Senator Antilles served as the representative for the planet of Alderaan in the Galactic Senate during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. He also had a familial connection to Breha Organa, the wife of fellow senator Bail Organa. During his time as a representative, Antilles made a name for himself by actively opposing corruption and the interests of powerful corporations, which resulted in him gaining both supporters and adversaries.
During the Invasion of Naboo, he received assistance from Liana Merian and Agrippa Aldrete. When Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo was unsuccessful in persuading the Senate to put an end to the Trade Federation's occupation of her homeworld, she initiated a Vote of No Confidence against Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, whose leadership had been hindered by the Senate's bureaucratic processes. Alongside Ainlee Teem from Malastare and Sheev Palpatine representing Naboo, Antilles was considered as a possible successor to Valorum for the position of Supreme Chancellor. Ultimately, Palpatine emerged victorious in the election, an event that would eventually pave the way for the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Sometime after his political loss to Palpatine, Bail Organa took over Antilles's position.
The name Bail Antilles originates from the initial scripts of the 1977 movie Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In the May 1974 first draft of the film, Bail Antilles was portrayed as a tough galactic trader and an ally of Aquillian Ranger Clieg Whitsun. A revised script in 1975 transformed the character into an Aquillian Ranger himself, serving as the co-pilot of Luke Starkiller, who would later evolve into Luke Skywalker. As the narrative progressed, Bail Antilles was originally conceived as the father of Princess Leia from Ogana Major. After Ogana Major was renamed Alderaan, the slightly altered name of Organa was given to Leia and her royal lineage. The initial draft version of Bail Antilles is featured in the 2013 comic book series The Star Wars, which is an adaptation of George Lucas's original script. Concurrently, the concept of an Antilles character piloting alongside Luke was repurposed to create Wedge Antilles.
Canonically, Bail Antilles was initially referenced in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Adrian Dunbar filmed scenes for the role, which was then referred to as Bail Organa. In the scene that was ultimately cut, "Organa" supported Queen Amidala's motion for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum. During the production phase, the character's name was changed to Bail Antilles, and Jimmy Smits was eventually chosen to play Bail Organa in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Dunbar expressed his disappointment after learning from George Lucas that the scene had been removed, as the actor accepted the role with the understanding that Lucas intended to include him in the remainder of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Even though he was only mentioned in the film, Antilles made a few appearances in novels and other materials within the Expanded Universe, which has since been reclassified as the non-canon Star Wars Legends series. He was a character in two novels by James Luceno, Cloak of Deception from 2001 and Darth Plagueis from 2012. Additionally, he was mentioned in Luceno's 2005 novel, Labyrinth of Evil. Several reference books, such as The New Essential Chronology, also referenced the character to provide additional information about him.