A resident of the world Naboo, this Human male tradesman found himself incarcerated by the Trade Federation when they attacked his home planet in 32 BBY. The businessman claimed his capture stemmed from his efforts to create a rebellion force against the invaders.
While confined, the Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was on a quest to save Naboo's ruler Padmé Amidala, discovered the merchant. The Jedi freed the tradesman, who later aided Amidala in freeing Naboo by supplying her with hidden weapons.
This Human tradesman, an inhabitant of the planet Naboo, was present during the assault by the Trade Federation's droid army in 32 BBY. The man was apprehended and jailed in Theed, the capital city, managing to conceal a thermal detonator.
Shortly after, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Padawan tasked with escorting Queen Padmé Amidala to her royal starship for escape, encountered the jailed merchant. The merchant begged Kenobi for release, stating he was imprisoned for attempting to organize a resistance movement against the invaders.
Despite initial suspicions of the prisoner's honesty, Kenobi chose to believe him and granted his freedom. The merchant, in turn, gifted Kenobi his thermal detonator as thanks, suggesting its use against the Federation Armored Assault Tank blocking access to the hangar where the Queen's vessel was stored. As the Jedi left, the merchant vowed to recruit others to fight the Trade Federation's battle droids.
Following Kenobi and the Queen's departure, the merchant began amassing weapons to fight the Trade Federation. During this period, he learned of Amidala's supposed death at the hands of Federation agents, a loss that saddened him. Eventually, the Naboo, alongside their allies, the Gungan species, launched a joint offensive to liberate their home planet.
Amidst the battle in Theed, the merchant stood on a balcony near his former cell. There, he met Amidala, alive and leading the assault on Theed. He recounted his encounter with Kenobi and provided her with a stockpile of weapons, including a proton missile launcher and ten flash-bang grenades. As Amidala departed, he wished her success in liberating the planet, a goal that was soon achieved.
During his encounter with Obi-Wan Kenobi, the merchant displayed nervousness, hesitating and struggling to find the right words. Initially, Kenobi doubted his story, suspecting he might be a criminal. Even after being freed, the merchant insisted on his innocence, proclaiming himself a hero and urging Kenobi to "sense the truth."
However, by providing Queen Amidala with weapons, he proved his commitment to Naboo's liberation. He was overjoyed to find the queen alive after hearing reports of her death. The merchant had fair skin, gray hair, a gray-white beard, and brown eyes.
During the Invasion of Naboo, the merchant wore a brown coat, brown pants, and black boots. While imprisoned, he managed to keep a thermal detonator, which he later gave to Kenobi. After his release, he stockpiled weapons to fight the Trade Federation, including at least ten flash-bang grenades and a proton missile launcher. He willingly supplied these weapons to Queen Amidala, hoping they would aid her in liberating the planet.
The Naboo merchant appeared in the 1999 video game Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game, developed by Big Ape Productions and published by LucasArts. Credited as "Prisoner," he was voiced by Tom Kane, a prolific Star Wars voice actor.
As in-game Easter eggs, the development team modeled several NPCs after real-world celebrities. This merchant was designed to resemble Sean Connery, known for his roles in the James Bond film series and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This Easter egg was confirmed by Big Ape Productions' 3D Modeler/Animator, Ray West, using the alias "Zanzibar," in a Q&A session on a LucasArts fan forum after the game's release.
The game offers several alternate outcomes for the merchant. He is first encountered as a non-playable character in the fifth level, "Escape from Theed," where the player controls Obi-Wan Kenobi. The encounter is optional and does not affect the storyline. If encountered, the player can leave him imprisoned or release him, and even kill him after releasing him.
Unless Kenobi kills him, the player, now controlling Queen Amidala, can encounter him again in the tenth level, "Assault on Theed." If Kenobi didn't encounter him or kept him locked up, the prisoner remains in his cell. Amidala has the same options: ignore him, release and kill him, or release him and let him live. If Kenobi already released him, Amidala finds him on a balcony, where he provides her with weapons. This article follows the latter scenario.
Due to a game glitch, if Amidala releases the merchant, lets him reach his balcony spot, and then kills him, a new version of him respawns next to his corpse, acting out the dialogue for the scenario where Kenobi released him.