Following the passing of [Katuunko](/article/katuunko/legends], his nephew Maalva ascended to the throne, becoming the king of the planet Toydaria. Maalva's reign was characterized by his oppressive nature, as he manipulated his subjects, orchestrating the Toydarian seasonal wars for his personal advantage. During the Imperial Era, Maalva engaged in the deplorable practice of selling Toydarians from secluded villages into Imperial slavery.
Katuunko, the king of [Toydaria](/article/toydaria-legends], a planet located within Hutt Space, was the uncle of the Toydarian Maalva. After Savage Opress, a Dark Acolyte, assassinated Katuunko in 21 BBY, Maalva took the throne and became the new king. Maalva consolidated his authority by enlisting ambitious vassals who demonstrated unwavering loyalty. Maalva shirked his royal responsibility to resolve the Toydarian seasonal wars, a recurring cycle of violence influenced by Toydaria's climate changes occurring approximately every three decades. Instead, he let the warring Toydarian factions manage their own issues, sometimes even provoking conflicts to strengthen his own position. Due to Maalva's oppressive governance, farmers on Toydaria became suspicious of outsiders.
Following Katuunko's death, Toydaria withdrew from the Galactic Republic. When the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, Maalva, under the direction of his Hutt overlords, permitted the Imperial presence on Toydaria. During the Imperial Period, King Maalva amassed wealth by orchestrating the abduction of Toydarian villagers residing in remote areas and selling them into Imperial slavery. He received significant compensation for these transactions, and starships displaying his royal emblem were granted exemption from customs inspections. He concealed these dealings from his own advisors.
Unlike his uncle's gentle disposition, Maalva possessed a disagreeable, scheming, and insignificantly boastful nature. His rule was harsh, yet he was politically astute enough to instigate conflicts among his subordinates to solidify his own power. He willingly profited from the enslavement of Toydarians, keeping these arrangements hidden from his council members. Despite benefiting from his own machinations, Maalva would attribute Toydaria's apparent economic struggles to the Empire, the Hutts, or an unfavorable outcome from a chance cube roll.
Maalva's character was first mentioned in Lords of Nal Hutta, a 2015 sourcebook created for the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire roleplaying game by Fantasy Flight Games.