Denid, a Human male, ascended to the throne of the planet Velmor in 3 ABY following a drawn-out succession dispute. As the older son of King Lorac and Queen Denira, Denid survived a Galactic Empire coup in 17 BBY that aimed to place his younger brother, Anod, on the throne, and spent the subsequent two decades on the remote jungle world of Tantajoc V. With the assistance of Alliance to Restore the Republic leaders Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker, Denid returned home in 3 ABY, disrupting his brother's coronation and reasserting his claim. During this period, Denid developed feelings for Organa and proposed marriage. Denid's arrival on Velmor triggered a series of assassination attempts that resulted in Anod's demise, leading to Denid assuming the title of King of Velmor and joining the Rebel Alliance.
Born in 32 BBY as a Human male, Denid was raised as royalty on the planet Velmor, being the eldest son of King Lorac and Queen Denira. Being groomed to inherit the throne as the crown prince, he was betrothed to a young noblewoman named Loren by the age of 15. As a teenager, Denid witnessed the rise of the Galactic Empire, and in 17 BBY, Imperial agents discovered King Lorac's rebel sympathies. Consequently, the Imperials instigated a riot on Velmor, during which a mob attacked the royal palace and killed Denid's parents. Denid was also targeted for assassination, as royal regent Zelor had conspired with the plotters to install Denid's weak-willed younger brother, Anod, as a pro-Imperial monarch.
Faced with the approaching mob, Denid and Loren were rescued by the king's trusted advisor, Jedidiah, a Velmoc who had once been a Jedi hopeful. Jedidiah saved the young lovers and placed them in a small escape craft, which contained only a week's worth of supplies and a deficient hyperdrive for the journey ahead. Their inadequately equipped vessel crashed on the nearby [jungle](/article/jungle-legends]-covered world of Tantajoc V, an accident that claimed Loren's life. Jedidiah also sustained severe injuries. After rescuing Denid from the wreckage of the ship, the Velmoc attempted to recover supplies, only to be struck on the head by falling debris, resulting in serious brain damage. Despite Jedidiah's traumatic injury causing a delusional mental state, where he could only recall his unfulfilled dream of serving the Jedi Order and his duty to protect the prince, Denid and Jedidiah survived in a harsh, untamed environment for the next 20 years.
During his exile, Denid matured into a strong and capable man, but a critical date loomed: Velmorian tradition stipulated that 20 years must pass before Denid could be declared dead, at which point his claim to the throne would expire, and the succession would pass to Anod. This deadline was set to occur in 3 ABY, as the Galactic Civil War between the Imperials and the Rebel Alliance reached its peak. As Anod's coronation neared, Denid finally secured passage off Tantajoc V when his long-crashed craft's weak distress signal was detected by Rebel leaders Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker, who saw Denid as a potential means to bring the Velm system into the Alliance.
Organa and Skywalker brought Denid and Jedidiah back to Velmor in time to disrupt Anod's coronation ceremony, arriving just before the royal crown was placed on Denid's brother's head. To conceal the Alliance's involvement, Organa dyed her hair blonde and pretended to be Loren, while Skywalker disguised himself as a bounty hunter named Korl Marcus. Denid's identity was quickly verified, sparking widespread celebrations for the return of the rightful heir to the throne. Having developed feelings for Organa during their time together, Denid proposed marriage to the Rebel leader, sharing a kiss that night with the woman he wished to be his queen.
However, the forces that had driven Denid into exile had no intention of surrendering easily. Under the guise of "Marcus," Skywalker discovered a plot by Anod, Zelor, and Imperial diplomat Zeta Traal to assassinate Denid and "Loren" and ensure Anod's continued reign. Skywalker informed Denid and Organa of the Imperial plot the next day at the traditional Mrid Hunt, but Anod still managed to surprise them and shot both of them with a blaster mistakenly set to stun. The resulting firefight led to the deaths of Anod and Jedidiah, and the imprisonment of Zelor and Traal, paving the way for Denid to assume the throne shortly thereafter. Denid parted ways with Organa and Skywalker soon after, with the Alderaanian princess politely declining his proposal and confirming Velmor's new allegiance to the Rebel Alliance.
Despite spending a significant portion of his life in the wilderness, Denid emerged as the epitome of an ideal nobleman: strong, intelligent, charismatic, self-assured, and articulate. A skilled huntsman and tracker, Denid developed excellent physical and mental health in the jungles of Tantajoc V. Examinations by Royal Physician Chozz Wardle even revealed that Denid was immune to the Velmoc flu, which Wardle speculated he had contracted during his exile.
Holding anti-Imperial sentiments, Denid readily seized the opportunity to support the Rebel Alliance and fell in love with Rebel leader Leia Organa. While Organa was flattered by his affections, she prioritized her duty to the Alliance over marriage to Denid, and the two parted amicably. Considered a promising monarch capable of leading Velmor into a new golden age, Denid excelled in the duties expected of the King of Velmor, becoming a proficient diplomat and developing a high level of skill with the traditional Velmor energy sword.
Denid made his debut appearance in Star Wars (1977) 49, penned by Mike W. Barr and released in 1981. He was illustrated by Walter Simonson in the comic.