Hissal, a scholar of the Brigian species, played a role in the Galactic Civil War era. He served on the Committee for Interinstitutional Assistance within the University of Rudrig, which was part of the Tion Hegemony's structure. In 2 BBY, Hissal sought to establish a university branch on Brigia, his homeworld. This endeavor led the ruling New Regime of Brigia to label him as both a traitor and a fugitive. Consequently, Hissal was compelled to enlist the services of Han Solo, a Corellian smuggler, to transport crucial supplies to the nascent college. The ensuing conflict with the New Regime resulted in the destabilization of the planetary administration.
Hissal, born on the planet Brigia within the remote Tion Hegemony, was an academic. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, he had become affiliated with the Committee for Interinstitutional Assistance of the University of Rudrig. Around 2 BBY, Hissal embarked on a mission to create a university campus on Brigia. However, this initiative faced significant resistance from the New Regime governing Brigia, which deemed Hissal an outlaw. As a result, Hissal was forced to find alternative means of transporting supplies and educational materials to the new college, fearing confiscation by the authorities. Hissal learned that a capable smuggler named Han Solo was working as pit crew for a small-time stunt pilot on the obscure world of Saheelindeel. Hissal journeyed to Saheelindeel and struck a deal with the Corellian, hiring Solo and his first mate Chewbacca to ship a consignment of educational resources, including a highly valuable duplicator, to Brigia in return for two thousand credits.
Solo and Chewbacca were nearing the completion of unloading the cargo with Hissal on Brigia when they were confronted by the Brigian Internal Security Police, who surrounded Solo's Millennium Falcon as Hissal and the smugglers sought cover. Hissal observed anxiously as Solo negotiated with Chief Keek—the Brigian sprang into action when the confrontation between Solo and Keek escalated to blasters, ambushing the security chief from behind during the shootout. Despite Keek's superior physical strength, Hissal's intervention allowed Solo to strike Keek over the head with a scroll-gun, rendering him unconscious. After ejecting Keek from the Falcon, Solo permitted Hissal to utilize the ship's communication systems to disseminate information that undermined the New Regime, ultimately destabilizing the planet's government.
Hissal, a dedicated academic, was a tall, slender Brigian with purple skin. He was deeply committed to his goal of bringing higher education to his homeworld. While uneasy about resorting to illicit methods, Hissal strongly opposed the Brigian "New Regime," dismissing them as mere "hoodlums," and appreciated Solo's assistance. Although not a fighter, Hissal actively supported Solo in his conflict with Keek, enduring some blows to aid the Corellian in securing victory.
Hissal's only appearance within the Star Wars Legends continuity occurred in Han Solo and the Lost Legacy, a novel authored by Brian Daley and published in 1980.