Sturg Ganna, often called "Big Sturg," was a male member of the amphibious, sentient Whippomorn species. Functioning as a gangster, his operations were based in Canto Bight. Before his criminal life, he spent time as a lawyer and hosted holo-shows before entering the realm of politics. He held a councillor position in Canto Bight's legislature for over two decades, but one of his terms was cut short due to a felony conviction. He was among the most wealthy and feared figures in Canto Bight. He plotted to eliminate his political and criminal adversaries such as Defancio Storsilt, Ubialla Gheal, and Countess Alissyndrex delga Cantonica Provincion in order to seize control of the city. To achieve this, he persistently pursued the masseuse Lexo Sooger, aiming to make him an asset. After repeated refusals, Ganna resorted to kidnapping Lula, Lexo's adopted human daughter, to coerce him into becoming his informant, even though he intended to keep Lula as a slave regardless of Lexo's compliance. This act, however, became Ganna's downfall. The Dor Namethian rescued his adopted daughter, and together they discovered highly incriminating information about Ganna's takeover plans. They sent this information to trusted individuals, who would release it if Ganna killed them.
Sturg Ganna hailed from a humid, swampy planet where swamp folk music held high cultural value. Being very rich, Ganna had successfully established his own criminal organization, employing several Gamorrean Guardsmen, as well as other alien species. Sensing lucrative opportunities on the planet Cantonica, he decided to relocate to the affluent city of Canto Bight, where his considerable economic resources allowed him to influence key decisions. While the reason for Ganna's move to a hot desert planet with an artificial sea remained unclear to many, his long-term ambitions were known only to a select few informants and spies. His base of operations was situated underground, in a humid cavern transformed into an extravagant suite beneath the Canto Casino Hotel, designed to replicate the climate of his home planet, where he frequently relaxed in cold water tubs.
Sturg Ganna's reputation as one of Canto Bight's most feared individuals was tempered by the presence of equally powerful rivals, necessitating the acquisition of informants to further his schemes. In 34 ABY, he made an appearance at Zord's Spa and Bathhouse. The massage tables had been replaced by a large stone pedestal, and Ganna entered, bringing with him the rotten scent of his home planet. Lexo Sooger, a Dor Namethian masseuse, agreed to massage the Crime Lord, but detected the scent of Corwindyl paste, a medicinal plant used by his adopted daughter Lula to treat an injured Fathier at her workplace. Ganna suggested that Lexo, with his access to wealthy clients, likely possessed valuable information. Lexo wondered how the medicinal plant's scent had transferred to Ganna, speculating that it might have been on his hands. However, the scent intensified as the Councilor inquired about the affluent residents of Canto Bight, whom he often massaged, and about Countess Alissyndrex of the Cantonica Province, who was present on the massage parlor's balcony. Lexo pointed her out, causing Ganna's body to tense momentarily before relaxing again. The Crime Lord declared his intention to acquire her soon, boasting that he had enough money to buy the entire city. He turned for a chest massage, but instead of Lexo, Maby Sagedo and Oble Rumb attended to him, careful to avoid his sensitive tail. Ganna persisted in his inquiries, and upon his departure, Lexo visited Lula's workplace. There, Bargwill Tomder, the Cloddogran who managed the indentured children through exploitation, informed him that Lula had not reported for work. Realizing that Ganna had kidnapped her to blackmail him, Lexo immediately sought the assistance of Detective Neepers Panpick, who pledged to help. Meanwhile, Ganna returned to his lair, where his numerous guards watched over Lula in her cell.
Lexo used a disposable comlink to call Ganna and pinpoint his location. When Lexo identified himself to the secretary, he was politely informed that he could leave a message. Lexo interrupted, insisting that the secretary relay his name to Councilor Ganna, who was expecting his call. The secretary insisted on taking the message, but promised to connect him after playing the song "Serenity Starscapes" from the Councilor's homeworld. Ganna assumed that Lexo had reconsidered his offer to become an informant, but this was not the case. Lexo demanded his daughter's return, but the Whippomorn expressed his certainty that Lexo would flee the planet with her if she were released. Lexo inquired about her safety, prompting Ganna to assure him that she was being treated well and would not be harmed intentionally, but that accidents could happen. He laughed, sensing Lexo's anger and fear. Lula had previously told Lexo that a child who spied for Ganna to earn more money had been found dead within a month. Lexo tracked Ganna to the Canto Casino, learning from a bartender that a droid had been collecting a swamp drink daily for years, taking it to an unknown location. Following the droid, Lexo discovered a damp cavern beneath the Canto Casino. The droid entered, but Lexo's path was blocked by two Gammorrean Guards. Using his translator necklace, Lexo understood their conversation and was forced to flee when one of the Guards mentioned that someone was inquiring about the Councilor's servants via comlink. Lexo then approached Countess Alissyndrex of the Cantonica Province, who claimed that Sturg Ganna was her greatest ally. However, Lexo sensed her deception, which became even more apparent when she began to cry, expressing her reluctance to sell her share of Zord's Spa and Bathhouse. The Countess offered to help Lexo infiltrate Ganna's suite in exchange for assassinating a human named Jerdon Bly, who was aboard Baron Yasto Attsmun's ship, the Undisputed Victory. Lexo complied, and the Countess secured his entry into Ganna's base.
Inside Sturg Ganna's cave, plants and bioluminescent algae cast a blue light on the walls. The Countess had arranged a power outage in the suite to allow Lexo to find Lula and escape while the security measures were disabled. Lexo followed the trail of Corwindyl left by Lula and found his thirteen-year-old daughter, who had escaped from her cell during the outage. Before the guards returned, he discovered Ganna's private collection, which included a piece of the Second Death Star, indicating Ganna's immense wealth. Lexo and his daughter began searching, damaging valuable, one-of-a-kind items. While searching the data files, Lexo discovered that Sturg Ganna had altered the diet of Defancio Storsilt's Fathiers to harm the magnate. With Lula's assistance, he found a datapad containing information that would compromise Ganna if it were released. This included plans to force Ubialla Gheal to relinquish his nightclub and businesses, replace the Canto Bight police with his own Sentinel Droids, and acquire the Countess's share of Zord's Spa and Bathhouse. Lacking technological expertise, Lexo relied on his daughter to send all the information from the datapad to Neepers Panpick, the private investigator, with instructions to make it public if he did not acknowledge receipt by the next day. They barely managed to send the information before the power and security systems were restored. Lula then thoroughly destroyed the datapad to prevent their actions from being traced. As they attempted to leave, a silver protocol droid and Gammorrean Guards entered, ordering them to be taken to Ganna immediately, or face death.
Sturg Ganna was submerged in his cold, glass-like sludge tank, surrounded by algae. The protocol droid informed him that Lexo and his adopted daughter had been found in the library. Ganna, arrogant and confident in his power, declared that he would now have to kill them. However, Lula warned him that killing them would be a grave mistake, but he laughed, confident in his ability to do as he pleased. Soon, Canto Bight would be his, or so he thought. The crimelord asked Lexo how he had arranged the power outage, knowing that the masseuse lacked the resources or influence for such an act. Lexo replied that, as Ganna himself had noted, he massaged many important individuals.
Ganna found this statement unsettling for his business, but to regain control, he threatened to kill them and use their carbon in his compost tank. Lexo then revealed everything they had discovered in the library, causing Ganna to panic. They had to die. As the Gammorrean Guards prepared to kill them, Lula announced that they had sent all the material to a secure source, which could release the data at any time. Lexo reminded Ganna that his numerous rivals would ensure his downfall. Ganna dismissed their claims as lies, but raised a hand to stop the guards, suspecting that they might be telling the truth.
The protocol droid then confirmed that the base's communication system had detected a large amount of data being sent minutes earlier, while Lexo and Lula were in the library. Even if they didn't know the exact contents of the files, they were the same size as those on the datapad. Ganna sank completely into the tank, creating waves with his nose. He resurfaced, realizing that he had lost and was now trapped. Knowing that Lexo and his daughter held all the cards and that he would be ruined even if he killed them, Ganna asked what they wanted. Lexo demanded that Ganna refrain from buying the Countess's share in the Bathhouse, stop harming Defancio Storsilt's Fathiers, and restore their normal feed.
Lexo also stipulated that Ganna no longer seek his services, and that others would massage him from now on. Finally, he demanded that Ganna pay off his daughter's indentured debt to Bargwill Tomder and finance a five-year course for Lula to become a Fathier rider. Ganna was furious, questioning why Lexo would go to such lengths for a girl who wasn't even his biological child, but Lexo remained firm and ordered Ganna to let them go and never threaten them again. Ganna complied, allowing Lexo and Lula to leave unharmed, realizing that kidnapping Lula had been his greatest mistake and a major setback in his plans to take over Canto Bight.
The next day at the bathhouse, Ganna was being massaged by Maby Sagedo and Oble Rumb, while Lexo massaged a Twi'lek. The Countess was also present on the balcony. Lexo thanked Ganna for her generosity, as she stood near the townsfolk. As he seethed with anger, the Whippomorn noticed that the Countess had raised her glass of wine to Lexo in greeting and thanks.
Sturg Ganna exhibited the characteristics of a wealthy and cunning Whippomorn. Despite his extensive wealth, luxuries, and the power they provided, the avaricious crime lord consistently sought further enrichment, desiring immediate gratification. In 34 ABY, his financial resources positioned him to potentially assume control of Canto Bight, but he opted for a gradual and meticulous approach to surpass his equally formidable adversaries and competitors. Recognizing the inherent value of a reliable informant, and acknowledging Lexo Sooger's access to prominent, affluent, and influential clientele, the Whippomorn persistently endeavored to enlist him, anticipating that he could furnish insights into potential activities that might impede his objectives. Ganna stood on the precipice of compelling Ubialla Gheal to relinquish all of his commercial enterprises and even substituting the Canto Bight Police pursuit vehicles with his proprietary security droids, not to mention the financial repercussions it would inflict upon the Countess. On Canto Bight, wealth dictated dominance, and Ganna trailed only the Countess in financial standing. Ultimately, however, Ganna precipitated his own misfortune and bore sole responsibility for the ensuing consequences.
Possessing the traits of a grasping and merciless crime lord who prioritized solely his personal ambitions, Ganna lacked comprehension of unconditional affection. He questioned Lexo's willingness to jeopardize his existence and expend considerable effort to rescue a young girl whom Ganna deemed unattractive and unintelligent, particularly given that she was not Lexo's biological offspring. Furthermore, he displayed pronounced cruelty, relishing the opportunity to assert his authority over others. Despite Lexo's outward acquiescence to his demands following Lula's abduction, Ganna declined to repatriate the child, intending to retain her indefinitely as a slave to ensure Lexo's continued presence on the planet.
This hubris proved to be his undoing, as he underestimated both Lexo and Lula, culminating in his potential downfall when Lexo infiltrated his suite and absconded with data pertaining to his comprehensive strategy to usurp control of the city. This forced Ganna to concede to several of their stipulations and pledge to refrain from any further interference.
Sturg Ganna derived pleasure from receiving massages. As an amphibious entity, he possessed a tail that was particularly susceptible to tickling. His physique was enveloped in a layer of blubber that served to maintain warmth within his native environment, and he enjoyed prolonged immersion in frigid water while listening to the indigenous music of his home planet. He also had an affinity for Storga, a custom-made, viscous, brown beverage formulated specifically for him. Additionally, he functioned as a Collector, possessing a fragment of the Second Death Star and an array of other valuable artifacts, and sought to indulge in extravagance within his subterranean cavern, complete with aquariums and bioluminescent algae.