Unidentified retired Galactic Republic pilot

During the waning years of the Galactic Republic, a male Human pilot was a member of the Republic Starfighter Corps. As part of his responsibilities in the corps, the pilot piloted a cruiser carrying Republic soldiers to the planet Makem Te in an attempt to quell the rebellion incited by the Temple of the Beatific Razor, a local cult. On another mission, he transported a quartet of Jedi Knights, being instructed not to reveal the destination. Moreover, the pilot successfully navigated the perilous Kessel Run hyperspace route, despite warnings from his colleagues about its inherent dangers. In 38 BBY, after having visited numerous worlds and feeling that he was too old to continue, the pilot retired from the corps.

Sometime around 33 BBY, the pilot found himself stranded on Tatooine without funds or fuel. Content to spend his remaining days under the shade of the planet's twin stars, he was happy to share stories of his past travels with anyone willing to listen. Once, while visiting the spaceport in Mos Espa, he attended a podrace at the Mos Espa Grand Arena. The pilot was particularly impressed by one of the racers, a young boy named Anakin Skywalker, who displayed exceptional talent with his vehicle, even though he crashed his pod at the race's conclusion. Later that day, the pilot visited the Mos Espa marketplace, where he saw Skywalker discussing starfighters with his friends Kitster Banai and W. Wald. Joining their conversation, the pilot bought himself and the boys some ruby bliels, a popular Tatooine drink, and proceeded to share his adventures, much to their amazement. Skywalker confided in him his desire to become a pilot, but Wald doubted the slave boy's chances of success. Recounting his experience with the Kessel Run, the old pilot encouraged Skywalker to pursue his dream regardless of the obstacles.

The pilot was a regular at Maggy the Gorgon's cantina in Mos Espa, where he would meet Skywalker and his friends and entertain them with more of his past exploits. The pilot told Skywalker more about the Jedi, explaining that the Jedi Order generally only accepted children under the age of one for Jedi training. He also mentioned the so-called "Angels" from the planet Iego, rumored to be the most beautiful beings in the galaxy. On another occasion, the pilot was sitting outside the cantina at the Mos Espa marketplace when he saw the boy walking by and waved him over for a chat. However, the pilot was taken aback when the boy inquired about the Sith, a topic that frightened him due to the potential return of the ancient dark side cult. It turned out that Skywalker had only discovered the remains of an old war droid and seen an old holographic recording mentioning the Sith Order. Relieved, the old pilot explained that the Sith Order had been founded thousands of years ago by a rogue Jedi Knight. A millennium later, the Sith were believed to have been destroyed, although rumors persisted that one Sith Lord had survived to pass on their teachings. In 32 BBY, shortly before the Boonta Eve Classic podrace, the pilot visited Maggy the Gorgon's and shared a drink with a Duros assassin. A brawl soon erupted between the Boonta pilots who frequented the establishment. As the situation escalated, the pilot grabbed a ruby bliel and left the cantina, following one of the patrons who had been thrown out during the fight.

Outside, the pilot witnessed a confrontation between Skywalker and the Dug podracer pilot Sebulba, with Banai and Wald also present. Assuming a commanding stance, he asked what was happening. Sebulba quickly departed, assuring the pilot that he meant no harm to the boy. Advising the boys to stay away from Maggy the Gorgon's, the pilot gave them his ruby bliel, and Banai and Wald left. Before Skywalker rejoined his friends, he asked the pilot to tell him about the Angels again the next time he visited the cantina. The pilot agreed and returned to his Duros companion inside the cantina. When the Duros questioned why he bothered talking to a slave, the pilot replied that he sensed something special about the boy. Hearing this, the Duros jokingly suggested that the pilot sounded like a Jedi, but the pilot dismissed the idea with a laugh. Shortly after, Skywalker found himself piloting a starfighter, helping to end the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo.

This seasoned spacer was a tall, wiry man with a weathered, sun-tanned face and short-cropped hair. His distinctive facial hair was gray and consisted of a full beard, shaved at the chin except for a small patch of hair. He had unusual gray eyes and a warm, ironic smile. Despite his extensive travels throughout the galaxy during his time in the corps, he felt that he had only scratched the surface of the wonders of space. Upon realizing that he was too old for his profession, he retired and enjoyed spinning yarns for unsuspecting listeners. The pilot was a determined individual, as evidenced by his decision to fly the Kessel Run despite numerous warnings. He was deeply impressed by Anakin Skywalker's skill with a pod, believing that the boy was a better pilot than he had been at twice the boy's age. When Skywalker expressed his desire to become a space pilot, the old man encouraged him, telling him that he should not accept his fate as a slave as permanent.

The pilot's intuition told him that Skywalker would achieve his dream; this feeling was so strong that his Duros companion likened it to a Jedi's Force sense. Regarding starfighters, the pilot favored the Z-95 Headhunter. The pilot feared the return of the Sith and became visibly frightened when Skywalker mentioned the ancient order. However, he could also be intimidating himself, as demonstrated by his ability to make Sebulba retreat during their confrontation at Maggy the Gorgon's.

The retired pilot made his debut in Terry Brooks' 1999 novelization of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. The scene in which Anakin Skywalker encounters a space pilot after his unfortunate race is also depicted in Anakin's Fate, a storybook by Marc Cerasini with illustrations by John Alvin. However, Anakin's Fate contradicts The Phantom Menace novel in several ways. In the storybook, Skywalker is accompanied by a boy named Seek instead of Wald. The space pilot is depicted as a young man rather than the old veteran from the novel. The dialogue between him and Skywalker also differs. Instead of discussing his past career, the young pilot simply encourages Skywalker to pursue his dreams, believing that the boy is a better pilot than he was at his age. Star Wars Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker featured the pilot, establishing that he was the one who told Skywalker about the Angels of Iego. The comic book Episode I: The Phantom Menace ½ depicted a space pilot visiting Maggy the Gorgon's, and also showed Skywalker asking that pilot to tell him about the Angels again, confirming that the pilot is the same character as the one from The Phantom Menace novel and the Episode I Journal.