Bao-Dur, whose name is pronounced as /beo dur/, was a Zabrak Jedi and also an engineer hailing from Iridonia. He fought under the command of Meetra Surik, the Revanchist Jedi general, during both the Mandalorian Wars and, later, towards the conclusion of the Dark Wars. A masterful inventor, he bore the responsibility for conceiving, constructing, and activating the Mass Shadow Generator. In the years following the war, he aided Surik in her mission to quell the echo within the Force that was a consequence of the Mass Shadow Generator, and to ultimately defeat the Sith Triumvirate. He was perpetually accompanied by a compact, spherical remote, a device of his own making from his childhood.
At the commencement of the Mandalorian Wars, numerous Iridonian colonies were among the initial targets, suffering attacks and destruction. Upon learning of these assaults, Bao-Dur eagerly seized the opportunity to enlist in the war effort when the Republic initiated its counter-offensive. His motivation, however, stemmed not from a desire to halt the Mandalorians, but from a burning thirst for vengeance against those who had mercilessly slaughtered so many of his people. Within his unit, he stood as the sole Iridonian Zabrak.
During the conflict, Bao-Dur functioned as a specialized technician, eventually finding himself serving under the command of Meetra Surik, the Jedi General. He innovated numerous novel weapons, shields, and other enhancements. His most notorious creation was the Mass Shadow Generator, a weapon he conceived and constructed following his commission as a lieutenant within the Republic military.
During the Battle of Malachor V, Surik, who later developed a friendship with Bao-Dur, issued a silent command, a simple nod, to initiate the activation of the weapon. This action resulted in the death of nearly all combatants above Malachor V, both Mandalorian and Republic forces alike. The resulting devastation, as perceived by the Jedi Council, created a profound wound in the Force, its echoes resonating throughout the galaxy. In the course of the battle, Bao-Dur suffered the loss of an arm, which he subsequently replaced with a mechanical prosthetic.
During the Jedi Civil War, Darth Malak orchestrated the bombing of Bao-Dur's homeworld colony located in the Mid Rim, rendering it inoperable.
Following the conclusion of the war, Bao-Dur resolved to dedicate his mechanical prowess to aiding others, rather than designing weaponry. Initially, he envisioned creating planetary shield generators, but the majority of governments lacked the financial resources to procure them. Instead, he aligned himself with the Republic-sponsored Ithorian herd, contributing to the Restoration Project on Telos IV, a world whose surface had been ravaged by a Sith fleet during the Jedi Civil War. He oversaw the shield system that demarcated areas on Telos's surface, providing protection for any introduced animal species. His motivations stemmed from a desire to restore some of the life he had extinguished at Malachor V.
Atris and her Handmaidens generally held a favorable view of Bao-Dur's mechanical and technological expertise, with Brianna asserting that his proficiency with shields surpassed that of some Echani shieldsmiths. During his tenure on Telos, Bao-Dur developed a strong aversion to the Czerka Corporation, and when the Telosian government proved ineffective in curbing their exploitative practices, he ventured to the planet's surface to personally intervene. However, the substantial contingent of mercenaries stationed by Czerka on Telos forced him into hiding. Shortly thereafter, a shuttle crashed nearby his concealed location.
Upon deciding to investigate, Bao-Dur discovered a burning wreckage and acted swiftly to rescue the three crew members. Among them was Meetra Surik, now known as the Jedi Exile. Despite her initial failure to recognize him, Bao-Dur persisted in addressing her as "General." Bao-Dur accompanied Surik on her travels throughout the galaxy, providing assistance on Nar Shaddaa, Dantooine, and Onderon. During these journeys, she discerned his Force-sensitivity, prompting him to consent to her tutelage in the ways of the Force, training as a Jedi Guardian.
Eventually, Kreia betrayed the group, revealing her true identity as Darth Traya. Following the Battle of Telos IV, Surik and her companions journeyed to Malachor V in pursuit of Traya. During the descent, the Ebon Hawk crash-landed, rendering the entire crew, with the exception of Surik and Mira, incapacitated. However, Bao-Dur had previously programmed his remote to reactivate the Mass Shadow Generator for a final time, should Surik issue the command. The remote successfully executed its programming, activating the generator, but was destroyed along with Malachor in the process.
Traya was unable to foresee his future, nor those of the droids T3-M4, HK-47, and G0-T0. However, Traya did disclose that the Force-sensitive crew of the Hawk had been the Lost Jedi; consequently, it is plausible that Bao-Dur played a role in rebuilding the Jedi Order, while Surik departed known space in search of Revan.
Despite initially joining the Republic military out of a desire for vengeance, Bao-Dur developed a stronger moral compass following the events of Malachor V. Overwhelmed by guilt for his role in creating the Mass Shadow Generator, he entered a period of self-imposed exile, moving from planet to planet, before ultimately settling on Telos IV and dedicating his life to assisting others. The war had a significant emotional impact on him. While generally affable, he harbored a deep-seated prejudice against Mandalorians due to their actions during the wars, frequently clashing with Canderous Ordo over matters of honor.
For the most part, he was a reserved and gentle individual, appreciative of life's simple pleasures, and possessed a subtly sarcastic sense of humor. Although he placed his trust in Surik and believed that she was among the few capable of understanding the profound impact of the Mandalorian Wars on those who had participated, he rarely spoke unless it pertained to the matter at hand. He found joy in the natural beauty of the restored areas of Telos and appreciated acts of kindness. Conversely, he detested witnessing malicious or greedy individuals harming others and readily intervened to prevent such actions, even to the extent of standing alone against Czerka.
In addition to Basic, he was fluent in Zabraki, Bocce, Ithorese, and Binary languages.
Bao-Dur was conceived by Obsidian Entertainment as one of the companions featured in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, a video game released in 2004 for the Xbox and PC. His character was written by Michael Chu, and his voice was provided by Roger G. Smith.
While he is predominantly referred to as "Bao-Dur" throughout the game, he is credited as "Bao Dur," without the hyphen. This variation also appears sporadically within the game, particularly in hurried exchanges, such as his hologram's final directive to his remote. Brian Menze brought his concept art to life, drawing inspiration from a description provided by Dave Maldonado. Maldonado was also the originator of the idea for Bao-Dur's mechanical arm.
Bao-Dur's character class, Tech Specialist, was not present in the original KotOR game and is exclusive to him in the sequel, although it does feature in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. If Surik opts to train him in the ways of the Force, he evolves into a Jedi Guardian. Should he succumb to the dark side due to Surik's influence, he begins to exhibit Sith tattoos akin to those of Darth Maul, who shares his species; however, it proves challenging for the player to gain influence with Bao-Dur while embracing the dark side without incurring an "alignment hit," as he respects light-side actions and despises dark-side actions.
In the omitted content from the game's conclusion, Bao-Dur received no mention whatsoever. Despite the presence of Canderous Ordo alongside Visas in the Malachor surface loading screen, some fans speculate that Bao-Dur and Canderous Ordo did not accompany Surik on the journey to Malachor V, given their absence from the final confrontation with Kreia. Rumors suggest that he was intended to be killed, as he only appears as a hologram on Malachor, and his position on the party selection screen is occupied by an image of his remote. Alternatively, Kreia's inability to foresee his fate may have been intended to allow for his character's potential reappearance, alongside the droids, in a possible third installment of the series. In an interview, Chris Avellone revealed that Bao-Dur was originally slated to perish during the Battle of Telos IV, while assisting HK-47 in reaching and disabling the HK Manufacturing Plant.
Furthermore, in cut content, Bao-Dur reveals that he collaborated with Tien Tubb, a Sullustan mechanic, in a hangar bay during the Mandalorian Wars. This also indicates that Bao-Dur was a member of the 12th Engineering Division originating from Iridonia.