Tzizvvt, a Brizzit male from the world of Jandoon, presented himself as a professor specializing in xenoarchaeology. He claimed to be on a quest for a legendary artifact called "The Eye of the Beyonder." However, many suspected him to be Ilna, a wanted criminal who had escaped from the clutches of the Galactic Empire. Taking up residence within the subterranean sewers of Tatooine, Tzizvvt rapidly became an object of ridicule across the planet, often dismissed as a "crazy old storyteller." The truth was that he had managed to accumulate a collection of valuable treasures, which he kept hidden away in his sewer dwelling, away from the eyes of the common folk.
Among the few who actually listened to Tzizvvt's tales in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina was Solomahal, a veteran of the Lutrillian wars. While not entirely convinced of the Brizzit's veracity, Solomahal was intrigued enough to investigate further. Impressed by the treasures Tzizvvt possessed, he offered his assistance in the search for the elusive artifact, even without receiving any payment from the Brizzit beforehand.
A denizen of Jandoon, Tzizvvt belonged to the Brizzit species. While Humans often struggled to differentiate between individual Brizzits, the Imperial HoloNet identified Tzizvvt as "Ilna," a fugitive who had absconded with valuable relics from Biitu and Roon. To evade capture, he made his way to Tatooine, hoping to find a pilot who could transport him to a safe haven.
Driven by suspicion and fear, Tzizvvt adopted the guise of a professor of xenoarchaeology, searching for the fabled artifact known as The Eye of the Beyonder.
By sharing his story with anyone who would lend an ear, he became a familiar face among the residents of Mos Eisley. Soon, "crazy old" Tzizvvt was met with derision by the city's space-traveling population. He established his residence in the antiquated sewers of Tatooine, filling his living space with the treasures he had pilfered from Biitu and Roon. He also safeguarded a particularly remarkable item, said to have originated from Jandoon itself.
In the year 0 BBY, Tzivvt was present inside Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina when an elderly man, a younger man, and a golden protocol droid walked in. The younger man, a farmboy named Luke Skywalker, became embroiled in a dispute with the Aqualish thug Ponda Baba. The older Human, who was a Jedi Master named Obi-Wan Kenobi, intervened by using his lightsaber to sever one of the Aqualish's arms. While the incident initially captured everyone's attention, most patrons quickly resumed their conversations. The crowd then watched Kenobi depart the cantina. Eventually, word of Tzizvvt's narratives reached the ears of Solomahal, a General and veteran of the Clone Wars. The Brizzit encountered the Lutrillian within the cantina, where Tzizvvt recounted his familiar tale of "The Eye of the Beyonder." Solomahal remained skeptical and secretly investigated the Brizzit's past. Despite uncovering the Imperial warrant for his arrest, he remained interested and contacted Tzizvvt at his sewer dwelling. The Brizzit was unable to provide upfront payment for Solomahal's services as a pilot, but the Lutrillian agreed to transport him in exchange for a share of the treasures they hoped to find.
Tzizvvt possessed a knack for storytelling and concealing his true identity, enabling him to successfully evade Imperial retribution for a time leading up to the Battle of Yavin. He cultivated a persona within the Mos Eisley community, where he was largely regarded as a storyteller who embellished the truth. Some even went as far as to brand him as "crazy." Despite this, he eventually managed to persuade a pilot to assist him, even without offering credits in advance.
The character of Tzizvvt made his debut in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, appearing as an unnamed alien during the Cantina sequence. During the film's production, the character was referred to as "Snail Head" and was originally intended to be named "Illna." However, the character was largely removed from the film during re-shoots, although he still makes a brief appearance in the final version. A character of the same species appeared in the second issue of Marvel Comics' adaptation of A New Hope, Star Wars (1977) 2, which was released fifteen days before the film. It remains unconfirmed whether this character was intended to be the same as the one who would later be known as Tzizvvt. The intended name "Illna" was either forgotten or disregarded by Decipher when they identified the character as "Tzizvvt" in the Star Wars Customizable Card Game.
Tzizvvt's detailed backstory was crafted by Tim Veekhoven for Hyperspace's "What's The Story?" segment. The initial version delved deeper into the lore of The Eye of the Beyonder and established "Illna" as the Brizzit's homeworld. However, these elements were either excluded or altered in the final version. Veekhoven drew inspiration from the Indiana Jones movies and the comic Star Wars 84 while developing Tzizvvt's past. Information from Veekhoven's work was later incorporated into the character's entry in 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.
A design sheet of sketched cantina characters by costume designer John Mollo featured Tzizvvt under the name "Fly," with annotations describing him as having broad shoulders, a white belt, and a holster. The name "Stephen Culcutt" was also noted as a possible actor for the role, but it was crossed out.