Elis Helrot, a Givin by species, made his living as a pilot and a spice smuggler. He engaged in conversation with Bossk, the bounty hunter, concerning the Imperial astromech droid fugitive, designated 261. This discussion occurred in the Mos Eisley spaceport situated on the planet Tatooine during the year 0 BBY. Later, Helrot was present inside Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina when Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master, became involved in a dispute with Cornelius Evazan and Ponda Baba, two ruffians.
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, Elis Helrot, a Givin, operated as both a pilot and a smuggler specializing in spice. In the year 0 BBY, while present at the spaceport of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine, he witnessed the astromech droid 261, a rogue Imperial unit, crash a stolen Lambda-class T-4a shuttle into one of the port's hangar bays. This occurred after its escape from the Death Star battle station with confidential Imperial data.
Subsequently, stormtroopers of the Empire engaged the droid in a gunfight, inflicting damage. Despite this, 261 managed to escape, leaving a trail of oil. Shortly after, Bossk, a Trandoshan bounty hunter, arrived in Mos Eisley seeking 261. He then had a conversation with Helrot inside one of the spaceport structures, discussing the events surrounding the crash.
Later in that same year, Helrot was seated at a table alongside Feltipern Trevagg, a Gotal, and M'iiyoom Onith, a H'nemthe, inside Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina in Mos Eisley. It was during this time that Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master, employed his lightsaber to defend himself against Doctor Cornelius Evazan and Ponda Baba, two thugs, at the cantina's bar.
Subsequently, Ohwun De Maal, a Duros, joined Helrot at his table. The two were in conversation when Greedo, the Rodian bounty hunter, ambushed Han Solo, the smuggler, in one of the cantina's booths, positioned behind Helrot. Solo then fatally shot and killed Greedo before exiting the cantina, briefly capturing the attention of the other patrons.
Elis Helrot possessed white skin and dark, black eyes. He expressed unfavorable opinions about Imperial stormtroopers to Bossk, the bounty hunter, displaying a lack of regard for them. However, he acknowledged and respected their inherent power, striving to avoid conflicts with them whenever possible.
Helrot's intelligence and speed were average, while his fighting skills and strength were slightly below average. His diplomatic abilities were poor, and he lacked any Force-sensitive capabilities.
While in Mos Eisley, Elis Helrot was seen wearing a black shirt paired with a white shawl.
The character eventually known as Elis Helrot made his initial appearance in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, part of the original trilogy. Special effects artist Jon Berg portrayed the character, wearing a rubber mask he had crafted. This mask was based on concept art created by Ralph McQuarrie in 1976. Initially, Helrot was informally called "Skull Head" and was intended to be officially named "Kull," but this plan was ultimately abandoned.
During the post-production phase, specifically between January 24 and 25 of 1977, Berg participated in supplemental filming for the cantina scene at Dovington's Hollywood studio. He was seated in a booth alongside two aliens who were later identified as M'iiyoom Onith and Feltipern Trevagg. Although footage of Helrot with these characters was not included in the final cut of the film, Helrot can be seen in a different scene within the cantina.
The name Elis Helrot was first assigned to the character in Star Wars Legends through the 1995 Premiere Limited expansion set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game produced by Decipher. Subsequently, in 2016, the reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations officially confirmed Helrot's name and his presence at the Mos Eisley Cantina table alongside Onith and Trevagg.