Bistan was a male Iakaru soldier who held the rank of corporal within the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. As a door-gunner aboard an Alliance U-wing, he took part in the Battle of Scarif.
Roughly six months before the Battle of Scarif, Bistan became a member of the Rebel Alliance. He assisted a Rebel Alliance Special Forces team that had infiltrated his homeworld of Iakar to procure medical supplies, defending them from their Imperial adversaries by launching spears and rocks with great precision. His skill as a marksman under fire led the SpecForce commandos to invite him to join the rebellion.
When Jyn Erso informed the Rebel Alliance on Yavin 4 about her father's sabotage of the Death Star, Bistan was present. Bistan was among the cheering rebels after Jyn concluded her speech. Despite his enthusiasm, Bistan obeyed orders, even though the Alliance, fearing significant casualties, opted against sanctioning a mission to Scarif to secure the Death Star plans.
Later, however, Bistan and numerous others were dispatched to Scarif as reinforcements, following Admiral Raddus's departure to participate in the unauthorized operation initiated by Rogue One. Serving as the gunner on a Blue Squadron U-wing piloted by Laren Joma, Bistan immediately engaged an All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport upon arrival, utilizing the ship's door-mounted "Roba" M-45 repeating ion blaster. His concentrated fire eventually weakened and pierced a leg of the walker, causing its collapse. Tragically, during the battle, a laser struck one of the U-Wing's engines, causing the ship to crash and explode, resulting in the deaths of Bistan and the entire crew.
Bistan, a fierce warrior, was a short Iakaru with light skin, black hair, and orange eyes. Like other members of his species, Bistan exhibited exceptional spatial awareness, rapid reflexes, sharp eyesight, and accurate depth perception. He was a door gunner on a UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft. While operating his weapon, Bistan opted for minimal safety restraints, relying instead on his agility and natural sense of balance to remain secure. While he desired freedom for fellow Iakaru, the thrill and action of combat were his true motivation. Bistan was well-liked among his fellow rebels due to his boundless and sociable energy, although his file did contain reports of multiple instances of insubordination.
Bistan is brought to life by Nick Kellington in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a film from the anthology. Pablo Hidalgo revealed his name and species on The Star Wars Show on July 20, 2016.
The production crew referred to the character as "space monkey". Similar to the character Chewbacca, actor Nick Kellington's eyes were visible through the suit without the use of lenses. According to Neal Scanlan, the creature effects supervisor for Rogue One, the visibility of a real person's eyes, combined with the "space monkey" design that director Gareth Edwards immediately appreciated for its humorous and playful nature, contributed to Bistan's appeal.