DJ

Living during the era of the New Republic, the individual known only as "DJ," a name derived from his personal philosophy "Don't Join," functioned as both a thief and a slicer. His motto reflected a rejection of simplistic notions of good and evil, instead embracing a nuanced perspective where moral absolutes dissolved into shades of gray. For DJ, the only relevant distinction was between his own interests and those of others, with his own needs taking precedence. He dismissed the existence of inherently "good" or "bad" actors. Regarding the First Order-Resistance War, he saw the oppressive First Order and the ambitious Resistance as two sides of the same coin, even though one aimed to establish a totalitarian regime while the other fought to protect freedom. He alluded to past experiences with First Order technology.

At some point, DJ established a residence in an apartment within Canto Bight, a city situated on the desert world of Cantonica, a planet renowned for its casinos and racetracks. This city became his hunting ground, where he utilized his slicing skills and equipment to siphon money from Canto Bight's wealthy elite. He also fabricated a persona named "Denel Strench," a notorious gangster who supposedly considered DJ his closest living associate. The name Strench became well-known throughout Canto Bight, with some believing him to be a real person. In reality, this persona was a fabrication designed to serve as a scapegoat for DJ's own criminal activities. The Canto Bight Police Department's file on Strench eventually became the longest in the entire sector.

In 34 ABY, not long after the Hosnian Cataclysm, DJ visited the Coruscant Hotel and Casino, where he engaged in Eclipse—a holographic card game—using a large sum of stolen money with the intention of stealing even more by rigging the table with virused cash. His plan involved uploading corrupted funds into the Eclipse system, manipulating the game to favor him; the more money he invested, the more he could withdraw. Ultimately, his goal was to spend a week at Zord's Spa and Bathhouse. He eventually chose a table where he was heckled by O1-MG, a gambling protocol droid. Unaware of DJ's scheme, the droid was bewildered by DJ's aggressive betting and the substantial losses he was incurring.

The droid disregarded DJ's request to mind his own business and became increasingly vocal as DJ tipped a waitress and the game's Zabrak dealer with nearly all of his betting chips. However, the droid's interference was curtailed by Oosha Choi and Pol Ipol, two Canto Bight Police Department detectives known for their honesty, a trait that DJ derisively labeled as naiveté. They were there to warn DJ and question him about Denel Strench, whom they believed was targeting him due to events stemming from their pursuit of arms dealer Flestic Crupp. The officers were put off by DJ's nonchalant attitude and his dismissive response to the deaths of the "good men" on their squad. When Ipol attempted to detain DJ, he was stopped by Jorka Edy, the owner of the Coruscant Hotel and Casino. The officers were ejected from the casino for harassing a customer, leaving DJ free to continue his scam.

After tipping the dealer again, DJ headed for the exit, having previously arranged for an escort from the security team of the Vesustrian resort. However, Edy had discovered DJ's scam and followed him, only to be confronted by Ipol, Choi, and the Vesustrian security team, led by a burly security guard named Dezmoont. To avoid a public scene, all parties allowed Dezmoont to escort DJ to the Vesustrian, with Edy hoping that a rival casino would fall victim to the same scam.

Upon welcoming DJ to the Vesustrian, Dezmoont revealed his awareness of DJ's skills and promised to keep a close eye on him during his stay. Consequently, the security guard shadowed DJ at every turn, including visits to a fathier track, a tauntaun display, and an upscale restaurant. Upon learning that DJ was supposedly being targeted by Strench, Dezmoont increased the security around him.

DJ grew frustrated with the constant surveillance and negotiated a deal with Dezmoont to gain some space, agreeing to let the guard physically assault him if he was caught cheating. After Dezmoont left, DJ joined a game of Eclipse while Dezmoont monitored him via a cam droid. While playing, DJ encountered Groff Fordly, a podracer pilot on whom DJ frequently bet. In exchange for some chips, Fordly offered DJ a ride around the Canto Bight strip in his speeder. At that moment, they were interrupted by Crupp, who had been released from prison apparently due to Denel Strench, who had also informed Crupp of DJ's location.

Although Vesustrian security intervened before DJ could be harmed, DJ realized that someone was impersonating Strench. Shortly after, and after DJ accepted Fordly's offer, Dezmoont returned, having learned of DJ's cheating from Strench. With the assistance of Ipol and Choi, who arrived to belatedly warn DJ about Crupp, DJ evaded Dezmoont's men and fled into Canto Bight with Fordly.

Dezmoont pursued them through the city streets. Fordly protested his involvement in the escalating situation and demanded all of DJ's chips. DJ complied, handing over 250,000 worth of chips before instructing Fordly to make a sharp turn that resulted in a collision with a parked vehicle. However, the crash occurred in front of Canto Bight police officers, who arrested both of them, effectively removing DJ from Dezmoont's reach.

At that moment, the cam droid from the Vesustrian, which had been tracking DJ throughout the chase, confronted the slicer. DJ recognized the cam droid as O1-MG. After being ejected from the Eclipse table at the Coruscant, O1-MG, feeling slighted, infiltrated DJ's apartment and examined his computer files, discovering the Strench persona. The file was so detailed that when downloaded into O1-MG, it partially overwrote his core data, impacting his own identity. Ipol and Choi destroyed O1-MG shortly after, and DJ was incarcerated in a Canto Bight prison.

Simultaneously, two Resistance operatives—Rose Tico, a technician, and Finn, a stormtrooper defector—along with the droid BB-8, traveled to Canto Bight in search of a slicer capable of disabling the technology that allowed the First Order to track the Resistance fleet through hyperspace. However, Rose and Finn were apprehended by the Canto Bight Police Department and placed in a prison cell alongside DJ. Unconvinced of DJ's capabilities, they initially rejected his offer of assistance. DJ then unlocked all the cells, surprising Finn and Rose.

During their escape, DJ rounded a corner and witnessed BB-8 seemingly incapacitating several officers. When another officer appeared and ordered DJ to surrender, BB-8 fired coins at him, allowing DJ to knock him unconscious. They then commandeered a yacht, the Libertine, and rescued Finn and Rose, who were on the verge of being apprehended by the police.

After escaping Cantonica on the stolen yacht, DJ demanded Tico's pendant made of Haysian smelt as upfront payment for his services. Finn objected to the price, recognizing its sentimental value to Tico, but Tico agreed to his terms to secure the slicer's help. Finn insisted that DJ return the pendant, emphasizing its importance to her. When Finn observed DJ searching the ship's compartments, he realized that the ship did not belong to DJ. DJ clarified that he and BB-8 had stolen the ship together. With DJ's assistance, they infiltrated the flagship Supremacy of the First Order Navy, which housed the tracking system they intended to disable.

Dressed in the uniforms of First Order officers, the infiltrators proceeded to their target area, where DJ used Tico's pendant to unlock a sealed door before returning it to her. At that moment, however, they were surrounded by Captain Phasma's troopers, having been detected on board the warship by the droid BB-9E.

The prisoners were escorted to the main hangar, where DJ revealed to Finn and Tico that he had sold information about the Resistance—including their plan to escape to the planet Crait—to General Armitage Hux in exchange for his freedom and a substantial sum of money. He then departed from the Supremacy with his reward, abandoning his former allies to execution on Phasma's orders. Ultimately, Finn and Tico survived due to the sacrifice made by Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, who rammed the Resistance flagship Raddus through the Supremacy at hyperspeed.

DJ was a human male characterized by black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. He spoke with a stutter, and his personal philosophy—encapsulated in the phrase "Don't Join"—was inscribed on a plate attached to his hat.

DJ possessed exceptional slicing skills and was a brilliant codebreaker. As an unscrupulous thief, he operated in the shadows of Canto Bight, frequently stealing whatever he needed. He could effortlessly unlock a jail cell or open a secured door using a piece of Haysian smelt. According to his personal philosophy, the only path to true freedom was to remain neutral. He was steadfast in his beliefs and refused to align himself with either the First Order or the Resistance as their conflict escalated into open warfare. He did not consider either side to be inherently good or evil, believing that both factions were components of a system built upon greed and corruption.

Despite his refusal to take sides, DJ was willing to collaborate with either faction if it served his interests. He assisted the Resistance in their attempt to disable General Hux's tracking system but ultimately betrayed them by cooperating with the First Order in exchange for his life and a monetary reward. DJ believed that committing to any cause would inevitably lead to one's downfall. In his line of work, everything was simply "business."

DJ is a character played by Benicio Del Toro who made his debut in the 2017 film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. Del Toro was previously considered for the role of Darth Maul in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, but he left the project after George Lucas cut most of Maul's dialogue. Writer/director Rian Johnson contemplated using Lando Calrissian for the role, but concluded that Calrissian's stronger moral compass would prevent him from outright betraying the heroes.