Jho, most often referred to as "Old Jho," was a male Ithorian running Old Jho's Pit Stop, a well-known cantina, on the planet of Lothal. This was approximately fifteen years after the Galactic Empire's founding. The Broken Horn Syndicate, a criminal organization, attempted to shake down the barkeeper for protection money, dispatching an IG-RM bodyguard and enforcer droid to collect their payment.
On the fifteenth anniversary of Empire Day, three Imperial TIE fighter pilots walked into Jho's establishment and forced him to broadcast the Imperial message. This broadcast was subsequently interrupted by Gall Trayvis, an exiled senator, who used the opportunity to call for a boycott against the Empire. Jho, who was against Imperial rule, sometimes gave information to the rebel crew of the Ghost starship. Furthermore, he aided Merei Spanjaf, a rebel sympathizer, along with her family and the Leonis parents, in escaping Lothal. In 1 BBY, Old Jho was put to death for his assistance in helping suspected rebels escape. His bar was then seized by Baron Valen Rudor.
The Ithorian male known as "Old" Jho was born on the world of Ithor. He eventually left his homeworld and made his way to Lothal during a time when the planet's Capital City was merely a quiet trading post. He chose to stay on Lothal for many years, witnessing the transformation of Capital City into a bustling administrative hub for the Galactic Empire. While residing on Lothal, Jho owned and operated a well-known cantina, Old Jho's Pit Stop, as well as a docking bay. Both were situated in a small, isolated village called Jhothal, which was named in his honor. The cantina's decor included parts from a Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry dating back to the Clone Wars period between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Jho claimed these were authentic remains of the vessel known as the Crumb Bomber.
On one occasion, an IG-RM bodyguard and enforcer droid, employed by the Broken Horn Syndicate, entered the Pit Stop and demanded protection money from Jho. However, the Ithorian countered by stating that Cikatro Vizago, the droid's employer, was in debt to him. In response, the droid slammed its arm onto the bar. On Empire Day in 4 BBY, three TIE fighter pilots visited the Pit Stop, searching for the Rodian Tseebo. The Imperials were unable to locate their target among Jho's patrons, which included a group of rebels whom they failed to recognize. The pilots then insisted that Jho play the Imperial broadcast, a requirement under Imperial law. The Ithorian complied, but the broadcast was almost immediately interrupted by Gall Trayvis, the exiled senator, who urged the citizens of Lothal to boycott Imperial rule and Empire Day celebrations. The Imperials demanded that the broadcast be stopped, but Jho refused, leading to the pilots' departure. Following this, Jho informed the rebels about a full Imperial blockade of Lothal.
At a later point, the rebels returned to Jho's establishment. Garazeb Orrelios, a Lasat member of the group, engaged in a game of sabacc with two other individuals: Lando Calrissian, a "galactic entrepreneur," and Tsoklo, a Rodian. While the game was in progress, Kanan Jarrus, another member of the rebel group, inquired with Jho about any available paying jobs, as the rebels were in dire need of credits. Although Jho had no work to offer, he mentioned that Calrissian was looking for a crew. Jarrus joined Orrelios at the table, and Jho witnessed him wagering the astromech droid Chopper and ultimately losing it to Calrissian. The rebels then departed the cantina with the entrepreneur.
Jho first encountered Merei Spanjaf, the girlfriend of Zare Leonis, when she was employed by the Gray Syndicate. He enjoyed watching pirated grav-ball holos that Spanjaf delivered as part of her courier duties. Spanjaf later remembered Jho when she needed to help an elderly poet named Holshef, who was hiding from the Galactic Empire, leave the planet. Initially, Jho was hesitant, questioning why Spanjaf would seek more trouble after finally escaping the Gray Syndicate's influence following the death of its leader, Yahenna Laxo, during an Imperial assault. However, after reading some of Holshef's poetry, he understood her motives and agreed to provide his freight hauler to facilitate his escape. As the Empire began to close in on both Spanjaf's family and the Leonises, the entire group was forced to flee to Garel. Jho transported the Spanjafs and Leonises to the edge of the Garel system, where they were picked up by members of the Ghost crew, including Orrelios.
By 2 BBY, Jho had become a member of a rebel cell led by Ryder Azadi, the former Governor of Lothal. Other members of the cell included Morad Sumar and his wife Marida, who had lost their farm to the Empire. Jho was seen at Azadi's rebel encampment when Ezra Bridger, Jarrus, and Chopper arrived to discuss a mission to infiltrate the Imperial Armory Complex in Capital City, with the goal of stealing top-secret Imperial plans for a prototype starfighter. When Jarrus, Bridger, and Chopper were escaping from the factory, Jho, along with Marida and Azadi, assisted their escape using landspeeders. Later, Jho, along with other patrons including Azadi and Marida, watched a live hologram broadcast from his bar by Mon Mothma, the former Imperial Senator, urging the galaxy to stand up against the Empire.
However, in 1 BBY, Jho was apprehended by the Imperials for aiding suspected rebels in escaping a raid conducted by the Imperial Security Bureau. He was executed for his assistance to the suspected rebels. His bar was confiscated and granted to Valen Rudor, a TIE pilot holding the title of Baron, who transformed it into a popular gathering place for Imperials.
Jho possessed a sharp mind, brown skin, yellow eyes, and lacked hair. By the time he encountered the IG-RM thug droid, his age had diminished his reflexes and strength. This meant that, despite his courage and willingness to fight, he would have been unable to defeat the droid. During that encounter, the bartender stood at a height of 1.99 meters and weighed 90 kilograms.
Jho opposed the Galactic Empire's rule and disregarded their requirement to constantly play the Imperial broadcast, even arguing with the TIE pilots when they demanded compliance. The Ithorian was always attentive to information that could benefit his customers or the Empire's enemies. He often provided information to the rebel crew of the Ghost starship, with whom he maintained a friendly relationship and allowed to dock at his cantina. In combat situations, Jho preferred to draw his blaster beneath the table to surprise his opponent.
Jho enjoyed watching pirated holos of grav-ball games. In his younger years, he enjoyed visiting Pelamir Gorge, listening to the wind through the spine trees, and drinking root tea before the Empire destroyed the forests. His sympathies for the rebellion and his opposition to the Empire eventually led him to join Azadi's rebel cell.
Jho used a translator collar to communicate in Galactic Basic Standard instead of Ithorese, ensuring that his customers could understand him. He utilized a hunting blaster in combat. He also owned a freighter equipped with a questionable hyperdrive motivator, which was also modified with weaponry that could turn Imperial speeder bikes into scrap metal.
Jho was conceived as a character for the Star Wars Rebels animated series. He was first mentioned briefly in Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide, a reference book written by Adam Bray and published in 2014 as part of the promotional campaign for the show's release later that year. More detailed information and an image of the character were subsequently provided in Star Wars Rebels: Head to Head, another Rebels tie-in book authored by Pablo Hidalgo and also released in 2014.
The Ithorian made his debut appearance on the show in "Empire Day," the sixth episode of Star Wars Rebels Season One, where Dee Bradley Baker provided his voice. The character was also included in an early version of the first season's eighth episode, "Path of the Jedi," where he was involved in Jedi trainee Ezra Bridger's quest for a kyber crystal. However, he was ultimately removed from the story when the episode was streamlined to focus on the events within the Lothal Jedi Temple.