Boles Roor, a Sneevel of the male variety, was a celebrated Podracer pilot and a successful glimmik singer. His powerful vocal abilities and audacious racing style made him a well-known figure. Initially, this Sneevel combined his passions, achieving stardom in both fields by performing in the Kallarak Amphitheater located on Coruscant and twice securing victory in the Boonta Eve Classic held on Tatooine. Despite some critics, he was regarded as a legend in his own time. Eventually, he opted to prioritize his musical career, yet he made at least a couple of returns to racing for special events. Although his Podracing skills were considered diminished by his critics, Roor's performance was surprisingly competent. In his racing days, Roor preferred a Bin Gassi Racing Engines Quadrijet 4-Barrel 904E, even after newer models were available.
Hailing from the planet Sneeve, Boles Roor was a male Sneevel who distinguished himself as a skilled Podracer, often seen racing without protective gear. He was known to pilot his pod equipped with a Bin Gassi Racing Engines Quadrijet 4-Barrel 904E. His modified [cockpit](/article/cockpit-legends] high-performance machine could attain speeds of 790 km/h, which Roor expertly controlled. Roor was a crowd favorite at the Zugga Challenge on Mon Gazza, and he twice triumphed in the celebrated Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine during his career. Nevertheless, skeptics attributed his wins more to good fortune than to actual skill.
Roor, who saw himself primarily as a singer, dedicated his efforts to his profession as a glimmik singer, where he enjoyed a successful career. As opposed to racing in full attire, Roor would be nude while singing or relaxing. By the time Sebulba, the highly-successful Dug, entered the sport, Roor was semi-retired from Podracing. Instead, Roor performed at prestigious venues such as the Kallarak Amphitheater on Coruscant, a hall with a million seats that consistently sold out for each of his shows.
Roor, neglecting the proper care of his vehicle, employed a team of Ishi Tibs to handle maintenance duties while he was busy singing. He also eventually hired Shrivel Braittrand, a Kulless, to serve as his chief mechanic. Despite their efforts, the pod began to deteriorate: its dual combustion chambers were not adequately cooled, inferior substitutes replaced its internal parts when needed, and the soldered seams were poorly executed. Furthermore, the left engine of the racer had substandard welding.
After a significant break from professional Podracing, Roor made a comeback to the Boonta Eve Classic for the race in 32 BBY. He wasn't the only veteran racer in the competition, but both his machine and his abilities had become outdated, and the racing landscape had changed without his awareness. Even then, Roor declined to upgrade his obsolete pod.
The day before the race, Roor and some of the expected frontrunners at the Boonta Eve, including Gasgano the Xexto, Mawhonic the Gran, Clegg Holdfast the Nosaurian, and Sebulba, were guests on the Fode and Beed Show, the talk show hosted by race commentator Fodesinbeed Annodue. Sebulba mocked each of his rivals during the show, and Roor was the only one to respond. Roor also used the show to announce a glimmik performance for that evening. While on Tatooine, Roor frequented the food stall run by Gragra, the Swokes Swokes gorgmonger.
On the night before the Boonta, Roor performed his glimmik show at the Poodoo Lounge in the city of Mos Espa. During his performance, Roor arrogantly and loudly challenged the rookie pilot Ben Quadinaros, who was a Toong, wagering five million peggats that Quadinaros, being a coward, would not enter the race. Much to everyone's amazement, including his own, Quadinaros accepted the bet. Roor avoided further embarrassment by dedicating his opening song to Quadinaros, and then continued with a boisterous concert.
In the Boonta Race, Roor was displeased to see Quadinaros in the eighteenth starting position, not far from Roor's own tenth spot. By that point, his wager with the Toong was widely known. Nevertheless, Ark Roose sabotaged Quadinaros's quickly-rented BT310 quadra-Podracer in an attempt to harm Anakin Skywalker's vehicle. Consequently, Quadinaros never made it past the starting line, but he still won his bet.
Meanwhile, Roor raced at a rapid pace. He completed the race in sixth place, with a total time of 16:42:473 and an average speed of 781 km/h. His rival Sebulba did not finish the race, crashing before reaching the finish line, while the young Skywalker claimed victory. During the post-race party, Roor's bet with Quadinaros was the main topic of conversation among the pilots. Roor was annoyed, but he promptly paid Quadinaros the agreed-upon sum.
To make up for his financial setbacks during the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY, Roor shelved Podracing once again and embarked on a glimmik tour of the galaxy. During this period, he entrusted his pod to his chief mechanic Braittrand, who modified the racer and used it in subsequent competitions.
Ten years after the race, Roor had become a celebrated figure on his homeworld of Sneeve. He came out of retirement to publicly endorse Senator Jollin Resbin of Sneeve, an advocate for the Military Creation Act during the Separatist Crisis. Roor appeared in a series of holographic endorsements and participated in charity races in the Mid Rim to promote Resbin's message in the region. He was scheduled to compete in the Dasoor Challenge on the same day as the final vote on the Act, contingent on weather conditions.
Boles Roor, standing at 1.6 meters, was relatively short for a Sneevel, whose height typically ranged from 1.6 to 2.1 meters. Like many members of his species, Roor was shaggy and emitted a strong odor that was one of his defining characteristics. Another trademark was his commanding voice, which he used to his advantage in his singing career. He was a talented musician whose captivating performances brought him considerable wealth. When performing glimmik, Roor played a long-necked pink instrument that he carried with a nonchalant air.
Many Sneevels had a craving for excitement. Roor was not alone among his species in pursuing dangerous sports as a way of life. Although he was a skilled and decorated pilot in his prime, acknowledged as such by critics, Roor's Podracing skills were less competitive by 32 BBY, as his rivals had quicker reflexes and the podracing scene had evolved since his time. Consequently, Roor was never considered a serious contender to win the Boonta Eve Classic and was generally viewed as an inferior pilot compared to the likes of Sebulba and Gasgano. Nevertheless, Roor regarded Podracing as more of a hobby, finding greater fulfillment in his career as a musician.
For the Boonta Eve Race of 32 BBY, Roor opted to use his old Bin Gassi Racing Engines Quadrijet 4-Barrel 904E, even though newer and superior models were available; this decision drew criticism. Nevertheless, the racer's high price allowed Roor to flaunt his wealth. Although most Podracer pilots were also their vehicles' primary mechanics by 32 BBY, Roor's skills in that area were relatively poor compared to his rivals. Instead, Roor hired a crew of other beings to maintain his pod. When piloting, Roor wore clothing, unlike his glimmik performances.
Roor's arrogance and boastfulness were evident the night before the Boonta Eve in the Poodoo Lounge when he goaded Ben Quadinaros into accepting a five-million-peggat bet that the latter would not enter the race. Roor was subsequently humiliated by Quadinaros's acceptance of the challenge.
The character of Boles Roor was initially mentioned in the novelization of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, and he made his first appearance in the second issue of the film's comic adaptation as one of the Podracers participating in the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine. However, Roor is notably never clearly visible on-screen in The Phantom Menace film. When the Boonta Eve race announcer calls his name, only the empty cockpit of his Podracer is shown. However, his face is briefly visible on a screen during an earlier scene when the announcer greets the audience.
During the film's development, Boles Roor was initially referred to as "Shaggy Podracer" in the original Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace concept sketches created by artist Terryl Whitlatch. Peter Lurie provided the voice for Boles Roor in the video game Star Wars Episode I: Racer.
The revised rough draft of The Phantom Menace mentions the Podracer Boles Roor, who hails from a planet called "Ord Padrove." The planet's name may have evolved into Ord Pedrovia, the homeworld of Gasgano.
Roor is featured in the computer game Star Wars: Jar Jar's Journey Adventure Book, released in 1999 by Lucas Learning, during a mini-game set at Gragra the gorgmonger's stand. In the game, Roor is one of several patrons who approach the stand and order a food item in rhyme. The player must then select the correct order from a list of pictures to satisfy the customer. Peter Lurie voices Roor in the game.