Banks, identified as CT-7719, served as a sergeant within the clone trooper ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic. As the Clone Wars ignited in 22 BBY, he became one among the millions of clones battling for the Galactic Republic against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. His moniker stemmed from his exceptional ability to perceive mathematical angles with greater precision than his fellow clones, enabling him to strategically "bank" blaster projectiles off surfaces to strike his intended targets.
During the conflict's initial year, Banks was dispatched on a mission to the planet Oznek, with the supposed aim of dismantling a battle droid production facility. However, the mission was actually a scheme orchestrated by Republic Commander Griebs Kishpaugh and another clone, Ghost, to involve the strategically important planet and its indigenous people, the Toma, in the war, paving the way for both men to defect to the Confederacy. Throughout the course of this assignment, Banks witnessed the loss of his entire squad due to both enemy droids and Ghost's betrayal. Despite this, Banks successfully thwarted the plot, eliminating Ghost and placing Kishpaugh under arrest. Although he was subjected to a formal inquiry following the mission, Banks was subsequently reassigned to serve under the command of Jedi General Bultar Swan.
CT-7719 was a clone trooper, created on the world of Kamino. He was based on the genetic blueprint of the Mandalorian bounty hunter, Jango Fett, a Human. When the Clone Wars erupted during the year 22 BBY, he became one of the countless clones comprising the Galactic Republic's Grand Army. His armor was adorned with the standard green markings indicative of his position. CT-7719 underwent training to become an officer within the military, ultimately achieving the sergeant rank.
During his training period on Kamino, the soldier led seventy-two successful training exercises. It was during this time that he discovered his aptitude for mathematics and angles, possessing a superior ability to both calculate and visualize them compared to most clones. He utilized this skill to precisely calculate angles for bouncing laser blasts off various surfaces, enabling them to strike their targets without any reduction in power. This talent led to him being given the nickname Banks even before he participated in his first combat mission.
Later in 22 BBY, Banks was handpicked by Republic Commander Griebs Kishpaugh to head a mission on the planet, Oznek, a world considered crucial for maintaining control of the surrounding region. He and his team were tasked with locating their designated drop zone and investigating Separatist activity on the planet, specifically the potential existence of a droid control center. Despite the fact that the sergeant was a "shinie"—the term used by clone soldiers to describe those without combat experience—he was placed in command of a squad comprised of seasoned clones. The squad traveled across the forests of Oznek aboard a Low Altitude Assault Transport during what seemed to be a standard reconnaissance mission. Along the way, two of the clones under his command, Syke and Ghost, questioned his leadership and experience, which caused him to become agitated.
Shortly afterwards, the squad's aircraft came under intense enemy fire. The area was believed to be devoid of Confederate forces, but they encountered a substantial droid force that shot them down. Despite the pilot's best efforts, the LAAT crashed, resulting in the deaths of several other clones upon impact. Syke managed to escape the wreckage through a hatch, only to be confronted by hundreds of B1 and B2 battle droids advancing towards them. Banks and his men fought off the attacking battle droids while protecting the wounded. Eventually, the droid assaults ceased, and Banks concealed the tracks of the seven surviving clones by detonating a thermal detonator.
As they established a camp in the woods, Syke attempted to repair and utilize a communications device, but to no avail. Prompted by Syke and Crazy Legs, their injured pilot, Banks demonstrated the origin of his nickname to the group by ricocheting a blaster shot and knocking a food container from Crazy Legs's hand. They were then contacted via holoprojector by Commander Kishpaugh after Syke successfully got the device working. Kishpaugh informed them that the droid command center was located twenty kilometers away. They were instructed to investigate and, if possible, disable it within eighteen hours, despite their losses. He then ordered the other clone troopers to leave the shelter so he could speak with Banks privately. Kishpaugh inquired about Banks's impressions of the other clones and warned him that their behavior would only worsen. He informed the Sergeant that he expected him to be a detached and pure clone, capable of executing the mission precisely as instructed. Furthermore, the mission was to be conducted "off the books," requiring the clones to avoid being detected.
Banks and the others departed before sunrise, leaving Crazy Legs behind to care for his leg, which had been fractured in the crash. They navigated through the forest, encountering dangerous terrain and creatures at every turn, and they lost another clone, who was consumed by a large predator. During their journey, Syke recounted a war story about how his armor had been damaged early in the war when he destroyed two droidekas. Syke then requested a story from Ghost, but the veteran clone declined. Banks pointed out that they could all request repairs for their armor or even receive new armor. However, Syke believed that a clone's armor served as a unique and personal narrative, and he questioned why they would ever want to discard that.
Cutter, the clone trooper leading the way, drew the others' attention to the ruins of an ancient city. The clones noted that their scanners had not detected any signs of the large settlement, and they suddenly found themselves surrounded and captured by the Toma, the native sentient species of Oznek. With their hands bound, Banks fabricated a story, telling the Toma patrol leader that his men were on a humanitarian mission.
The Toma recognized the deception, pointing out that the troopers were carrying explosives instead of medicine. The patrol leader ordered their execution, but the clones were discovered and attacked by droids once again. At Banks's request, the Toma leader severed the clones' bonds so they could fight together. The Sergeant and the others fought off the droids, but Cutter urged Banks to break away with Ghost and Syke, leaving Cutter and the others to hold back the droids, allowing Banks to complete the mission within the allotted time frame. Banks disliked the plan, unwilling to abandon Cutter, but Cutter pointed out that their presence could not be revealed, so the Toma could not be allowed to live either. As the battle raged on behind them, Banks and the others fled.
They proceeded to the facility that Kishpaugh had identified as their target, where Ghost sniped the two Toma guards stationed outside, allowing the clones to infiltrate the building undetected. They navigated through the corridors, encountering minimal resistance—a fact that Banks later realized should have raised suspicion. Once inside the main section of the facility, Banks instructed Syke and Ghost to disperse and search for any signs of Separatist technology. Syke quickly noticed that something was amiss, and that the facility did not match the description they had been given. Banks was shocked when Ghost shot Syke in the back, killing him.
Ghost began planting bombs around the facility, casually informing Banks that Syke had to be eliminated because he was unaware of their true objective: to destroy the facility, which was not a droid command center, but rather a power plant, which would then entice Oznek to join the Clone Wars on the side of the CIS. Although Banks attempted to reason with Ghost—arguing that they should strive to prevent conflicts, not instigate them—Ghost spun around and fired his blaster rifle at Banks, stating that he no longer needed him. As Banks evaded the blast, the blaster bolt grazed his visor. He then attempted to shoot Ghost using his ability to ricochet blaster bolts, but the elder clone had already vanished from sight. The Sergeant demanded to know why Ghost would betray his training and brothers, questioning whether his mind had deteriorated due to age, but Ghost replied that he had simply gained clarity and no longer wished to die.
Attempting to surprise him, Banks crept up on Ghost, but the veteran clone was prepared and threw a grenade, which exploded directly in front of the Sergeant. Although battered and wounded, the Sergeant remained alive, but Ghost was determined to ensure his demise. As he explained that their sabotage would inevitably drive Oznek into the Separatists' embrace, he climbed atop Banks and produced a garrote from his glove to strangle the Sergeant. Struggling, Banks managed to reach his own blaster and fired a shot that ricocheted off the room's turbines and struck the back of Ghost's head, killing him.
Acting swiftly, Banks deactivated Ghost's bombs, stole his helmet, and fled before the facility's Toma guards could apprehend him. Wearing the deceased clone's helmet, Banks contacted Kishpaugh and reported that the mission had been accomplished. Kishpaugh retrieved him in a transport, but he immediately recognized that the clone was not Ghost and drew a blaster on the imposter. As they departed the planet, heading for hyperspace, Kishpaugh forced Banks to reveal his face and was surprised to discover that he had survived. The Sergeant demanded an explanation for Kishpaugh and Ghost's betrayal of the Republic. Enraged, the Commander told him that he had never wanted to participate in a galaxy-wide conflict, while Ghost had simply desired to live. Banks advanced on Kishpaugh and ordered him to surrender, but he refused, noting that the clone was unarmed. The Sergeant then hurled Ghost's helmet at Kishpaugh, striking his hand and causing his blaster to discharge, destroying his own pilot droid. Banks tackled the Commander and, following a crash landing, handed him over to Republic authorities.
Banks, bearing scars from the battle and restrained in handcuffs, faced a military court for his actions, where he recounted the entire mission. His superiors reprimanded him for following Kishpaugh's orders, stating that the Republic's reputation on Oznek had suffered damage. However, they also acknowledged that his clear-headed actions and courage had averted an even greater catastrophe and likely saved thousands of lives, preventing them from punishing him. Instead of rewarding him for his actions, he was reassigned. Two weeks later, he found himself on a snowy planet serving under Jedi General Bultar Swan. As a result of the combat he had experienced and the clones he had encountered, Banks acquired three long scars across his face, and he chose to leave the damage to his helmet inflicted by Ghost unrepaired. Aboard an LAAT/i gunship en route to engage Separatist droids, he requested that General Swan cease using his clone designation and instead address him as Banks.
As a clone derived from Jango Fett, Clone Sergeant Banks possessed the same physical characteristics as the mercenary and his millions of clone counterparts. He was naturally endowed with tan skin, brown eyes, and black hair, which later appeared brown. Similar to Fett, he reached a height of 1.83 meters. As a clone fresh from his training on Kamino, Banks strictly adhered to the regulations established for clone troopers, including maintaining short hair and keeping his armor and weapons in pristine condition.
Banks possessed an innate ability to calculate mathematical angles. He could use this ability to shoot blaster bolts off objects in order to ricochet them into a target. Although at first he believed that the trick was of little use outside of the barracks, it saved his life when Ghost tried to murder him on Oznek, as he was still able to calculate the angles and fire his blaster while being strangled.
Banks initially disliked his subordinates using his nickname, nor did he appreciate their humor. En route to their mission, when Banks removed his helmet to clean it, Syke mocked him for his adherence to what Syke considered trivial regulations. Banks was unwilling to tolerate insubordination and reprimanded Syke, reminding him of the proper regulations and threatening him with having to write a detailed report on regulation protocols. When Ghost asked Banks if he had ever been in the field and faced enemy fire before, Banks admitted that he had not, but tried to defend himself by stating his spotless record during training missions.
Over the course of the mission on Oznek, Banks's perspective underwent a significant transformation. Syke, the clone in his squad whom he had admonished the most, ultimately had the greatest influence on him, as Banks adopted his viewpoint on being both a clone and an individual. During his confrontation with Ghost, Banks sustained injuries to his face, resulting in three long scars across his features. He also adopted the common clone practices of preferring his individualized nickname and retaining the damage done to his armor.
Like most other clones in the beginning of the Clone Wars, Banks possessed Phase I battle armor, painted green to signify his rank as a sergeant. During the mission to Oznek, he used both a pair of DC-17 hand blasters and, later, a DC-15S short rifle.
Banks made his first appearance in The Clone Wars: The Enemy Within, the eighth of a series of small comics based on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. The Enemy Within was released on March 7, 2012. He was created by author Jeremy Barlow and illustrator Brian Koschak.