Zaril, a male Defel and accomplished thief, orchestrated a daring raid targeting a Jedi vault situated on Alaris Prime. Although he successfully absconded with treasures pilfered from the vault and concealed them, the Jedi relentlessly pursued him across the galaxy. In a bid to evade capture, Zaril sought refuge with the B'omarr Order on Tatooine, where he underwent a procedure to have his brain extracted from his body. He anticipated that his droid crew would eventually rescue him. However, the Jedi eliminated his droid crew, leaving Zaril's brain stranded within the depths of Jabba's Palace's catacombs. Crakka, a relative of Jabba the Hutt, attempted to seize Zaril's brain with the aim of uncovering the location of his hidden treasure, but Jabba thwarted her efforts. During the attempt, Crakka accidentally dropped the container holding Zaril's brain, resulting in irreparable damage and the permanent loss of the treasure's whereabouts.
Centuries prior to the era of the Galactic Empire, Zaril functioned as a thief who commanded a group of droids. He masterminded a daring theft on Alaris Prime, specifically targeting a Jedi vault renowned for its extensive collection of artifacts. The operation proved successful, enabling him to make off with a substantial amount of treasure from the vault, which he then concealed at a secure location. However, the Jedi Order became aware of the theft, and they initiated a pursuit of Zaril that spanned the galaxy.
Despite successfully evading capture for a time, Zaril grew increasingly desperate to shake off his Jedi pursuers. Seeking refuge on Tatooine, Zaril sought out the B'omarr Order, opting to undergo the monks' brain removal procedure as a means of concealing himself from the Jedi. Following the removal of his brain from his body, the Defel anticipated that his droid crew would eventually return to rescue him. Unfortunately for Zaril, the anticipated rescue mission never materialized because the Jedi located and destroyed his droid crew. Consequently, Zaril's brain remained within the catacombs of the B'omarr Monks, and his treasure remained unfound.
In the passage of time, the catacombs, situated beneath Jabba's Palace, fell under the ownership of Jabba the Hutt, a notorious crime lord. Crakka, a relative of Jabba, ventured to the palace with the intention of stealing Zaril's brain from the catacombs in order to ascertain the location of the hidden treasure. Crakka and her beastmaster, Dagra Van, successfully stole the jar containing Zaril's brain. However, during their escape, Crakka inadvertently dropped the brain, which Jabba subsequently recovered. Zaril's brain was then attached to a B'omarr droid walker, but the damage sustained from the fall proved irreparable, resulting in the permanent loss of the knowledge Zaril possessed.
Thom Hudd, a lieutenant in the Rebel Alliance, eventually learned of the story involving Crakka and Zaril's brain from an associate stationed on Batuu. He subsequently recounted the tale to distract Vaneé, a servant of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, while the two were confined within Vader's fortress.
Zaril exhibited a daring and audacious personality as a thief, evident in his decision to undertake a heist targeting Jedi property. However, the relentless pursuit by the Jedi instilled a sense of desperation within him. He incorrectly assumed that his droid crew would eventually come to his rescue. As a Defel male, Zaril possessed distinctive physical characteristics, including black fur and red eyes.
During his heist on Alaris Prime, Zaril donned a red cloak and relied on the assistance of a droid crew. While on Tatooine, Zaril utilized a landspeeder for transportation to the B'omarr Monks.
Zaril made his inaugural appearance in Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle 4, authored by Cavan Scott, illustrated by Nicoletta Baldari, and published by IDW Publishing on October 23, 2019.