Benni Baro was a thief and ipsium miner of the human male variety, residing on Ipsidon during the Imperial Era.
Following the ousting of the Techno Union from Mokkotown after the conclusion of the Clone Wars and the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the criminal overlord Mokko seized control of the mine where Baro was employed. Citing the declining quality of the ipsium, Mokko diminished the workers' sustenance and mandated increased labor. When Clone Force 99 made their entrance onto the arid planet, Baro utilized macrobinoculars to observe them surreptitiously. Approaching the clones' vessel, the Marauder, on a speeder, he hijacked it, making his escape before the squad could intervene. Baro's motivation was the expectation of being designated "top earner" by Mokko, thereby securing an additional ration.
After Baro aided Clone Force 99 in reclaiming their ship, the miners unearthed Mokko's deception regarding the ipsium's condition, revealing his embezzlement of the earnings. Consequently, Baro and his fellow workers confronted him, and in a desperate attempt at self-preservation, Mokko plummeted from a walkway situated above an ipsium excavation. He endeavored to drag Baro along with him, but the latter was rescued, leading to Mokko's fatal descent.
In the aftermath of Mokko's demise, Baro proclaimed his intention to continue ipsium mining, but with a commitment to equitable profit distribution among the workforce.
Around 18 BBY, Benni Baro was engaged as an ipsium miner on the planet Ipsidon. In the months directly following the fall of the Techno Union, a gang leader known as Mokko assumed authority over the mine where Baro toiled, implementing a rigorous system predicated on performance, notably through the "top earner" concept. The attainment of an extra ration hinged on generating the highest profit. Alleging a decline in ipsium quality, Mokko reduced the workers' compensation, which spurred Baro to pilfer a ship, aspiring to gain entry into Mokko's inner circle and thereby enhance his circumstances. One day, after surveying an area many kilometers from his settlement using macrobinoculars, Baro discovered an Omicron-class attack shuttle, which ultimately proved to be the Marauder, the property of a group of clone deserters, namely Clone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch. Approaching the Marauder on a speeder bike, Baro managed to board the ship undetected by the clones, who were occupied with retrieving ipsium within a nearby mine. After disabling its transponder, Baro returned to his town aboard the ship to meet with Mokko.
Hovering above the town, Baro made contact with Mokko, who initially reprimanded him for his tardiness. However, Baro asserted that he possessed something of interest to Mokko, prompting the gang boss to lower the deflector shield safeguarding the town. Once the Marauder was conveyed by a conveyor belt into a hangar, Baro informed his superior that he had located the ship in the planet's northern territory. When Baro speculated that the shuttle likely belonged to amateur miners, Mokko countered that it was atypical for miners to travel in modified starships. Upon Mokko's insinuation that Baro intended to introduce trouble to the mine and labeling him ungrateful, the miner avowed that his sole intention was to assist and that he harbored no such objective. Mokko conceded but concluded that dismantling and selling the ship piecemeal was the optimal course to avoid attracting undue attention. When Baro inquired whether his discovery would secure him the title of top earner for the week, Mokko merely permitted him to retain the Bad Batch's droid, Gonky. Baro then requested his water ration, to which Mokko responded by mockingly sipping from a water bottle, allowing the miner only to consume the remnants.
In the meantime, the Bad Batch had succeeded in tracking their droid through his binary code. As Baro was informing Gonky that he would be compelled to sell him for spare parts due to his defective nature, the miner was taken aback by Hunter and Tech. After the former remarked that Gonky was the property of the Bad Batch, they demanded information regarding the location of their ship. Baro attempted to escape on a speeder bike but was swiftly ambushed and knocked to the ground by Wrecker. Restrained by Omega, who was aiming her Zygerrian energy bow at him, Baro explained that the ship was now under Mokko's ownership. Hesitant to betray his boss, claiming that the latter had provided for him, Baro stipulated that he would guide the clones to their ship only on the condition that Mokko remained unaware of it.
Tech subsequently generated a hologram depicting the mine's schematic, revealing its protection by a ray shield and guards. When Tech proposed that the group infiltrate the mine via the factory stack and its perilous exhaust cycles, Baro cautioned that they risked being incinerated and expressed a desire to depart. However, the clones reminded him of his obligation to lead them to the Marauder. After employing a grappling hook to descend into the factory and neutralize the sentry droid guarding it, the clones and Baro observed a group of workers transporting crates of ipsium under the supervision of armed droids. Baro explained that the deteriorated state of the ipsium had compelled Mokko to reduce wages to sustain the mine's operation. Shortly thereafter, Baro informed Clone Force 99 that their ship was situated in the upper garage bay across from the central tower and volunteered to show them a shortcut. After the clones retrieved their ship, Omega inquired about the ray shield, which, if left deactivated, would prevent their departure from the town. Baro clarified that it could only be deactivated from the central tower and agreed to have Omega accompany him.
Baro elucidated that access to the tower required an access card, a privilege reserved for Mokko's inner circle. After he and Omega entered a mess hall and briefly conversed with the workers, Baro managed to pilfer a card. Mokko then arrived and announced that the miner Drake had emerged as the victor of the latest round, entitling him to an extra ration. After the gang boss vowed not to neglect his crew and departed, leaving them to vie for a bowl of soup, Baro voiced his disappointment at not being named top earner. Inside a control room, Omega initiated the transfer of the shield code's data. However, Baro surreptitiously pressed a button, alerting Mokko to the clones' presence. When Omega asserted that Mokko was indifferent to the miners' plight, Baro dissented, explaining that Mokko had assured them that their conditions would improve with increased effort. Baro then revealed that he could not leave because the planet was his home. After Omega pointed out that the Marauder was their home, Baro apologized for stealing the ship. However, while scrutinizing the data, Omega uncovered reports substantiating Mokko's deception regarding the ipsium's degradation. Before Baro could respond, Mokko entered the control room accompanied by two droids and expressed his gratitude to Baro for apprehending the clones. Baro informed Mokko that the others were in the garage bay and reiterated his apology to Omega.
On the mine's suspension bridge, Mokko confronted the clones. Concurrently, Baro returned to the control room and reviewed the data on Omega's mini computer. Before Mokko ordered the clones' arrest, Baro arrived at the bridge and disclosed to all the workers present that Mokko had misrepresented the ipsium's quality to retain the profits for himself. After examining the data, Drake challenged Mokko, who countered that the workers would not have survived without him. Mokko then commanded his sentry droids to attack the miners with electrostaffs, but Tech and Wrecker neutralized them with their blasters. While attempting to defend himself with his cane, Mokko lost his footing, and Baro attempted to assist him. The gang boss endeavored to pull Baro down with him, but the latter was aided by his coworkers, resulting in Mokko's fall into the mine.
Subsequently, Baro returned the Bad Batch's belongings and explained that the workers could continue mining ipsium, as it was their only skill. However, they now intended to share the profits equitably. Before rejoining his coworkers, Baro informed Omega that he would assist her should she ever require a thief.
Benni Baro was a human male characterized by blue hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. Despite initially stealing Clone Force 99's ship, he ultimately aided the clones in locating the Marauder and even expressed remorse for his actions, explaining that his sole motivation was to gain acceptance into his boss' inner circle. Upon realizing that the Bad Batch were not miners, Baro exhibited apprehension. However, upon learning that the workers had been deceived, Baro promptly confronted Mokko for an explanation but also attempted to assist him when the latter began to fall from the bridge. Following the miners' liberation from Mokko's tyranny, Baro exuberantly celebrated with his coworkers.
Benni Baro made his debut in the ninth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch season two, "The Crossing." He subsequently reappeared in the following episode, "Retrieval," where he was first identified as "Benni Baro." In the episode, he was voiced by Yuri Lowenthal. In the early stages of development, Baro was potentially intended to be a Balosar, a near-human sentient species that was initially introduced in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.