A Human male, Zellos held the rank of Grand Moff within the Sith Empire during the era of the Great Galactic War, a conflict waged against the Old Republic. He led the second Imperial invasion targeting the Mid Rim planet of Bothawui, an operation that devolved into a protracted ground assault against a resistance force composed of Republic soldiers and Jedi Knights, all under the command of Jedi Master Belth Allusis.
Even with the Empire's significant advantages, the Republic's defense of Bothawui managed to inflict substantial losses on the invading Imperial forces. While Zellos's troops ultimately overcame the majority of the Republic's forces, the Grand Moff offered Allusis the chance to survive if he would surrender. The Jedi refused this proposition, resulting in Allusis and his remaining forces being massacred. However, before their demise, they managed to eliminate a significant portion of Zellos's army. The Battle of Bothawui proved to be a major source of shame for Zellos, and he disappeared from the historical record after his return to the Empire.
During the Great Galactic War, which pitted the Old Republic against the resurgent Sith Empire, Zellos, a Human male, served the Empire as a Grand Moff. Early in the conflict, the Sith Emperor initiated a highly successful campaign targeting the Outer Rim Territories. Following the Imperial capture of the Seswenna sector, the Emperor shifted his focus to the Mid Rim. The initial objective was the Bothan sector; however, the first Imperial invasion of Bothan Space ended disastrously. The Republic, anticipating the move, had concentrated its entire fleet above Bothawui.
To compensate for this initial setback, the Empire launched a second campaign to seize the planet, with Grand Moff Zellos in command. Leading Imperial warships gathered from across the galaxy, the Grand Moff initiated the second invasion of Bothan Space, with the intention of bombard Bothawui from orbit. However, the Sith vessels were prevented from doing so by a powerful planetary shield protecting the planet's surface. Instead, Zellos deployed an Imperial army of fifty thousand soldiers to the planet to engage the Republic defenders and destroy the shield generator. The remaining Republic forces, consisting of Jedi and soldiers who had survived the first battle, were led by Jedi Master Belth Allusis, a prominent member of the Jedi High Council who devised new strategies to combat the Imperials within the Bothan forests.
Zellos and his advisors expected a swift Imperial victory, and they ordered their troops to launch direct assaults. This proved to be a critical error, as Allusis's tactics and the Republic forces' resolve enabled them to repel the Imperial soldier. For every Republic trooper killed, the Empire suffered ten casualties. Zellos was eventually compelled to request reinforcements, which eventually overwhelmed the Republic defenders, who rallied around Allusis for a final stand. Before ordering his troops to eliminate them, Zellos offered Allusis a chance for peace. The Grand Moff promised to spare the Jedi Master's life in exchange for his surrender, but Allusis refused, and he and his men fought to their deaths. Despite their defeat, the Republic forces inflicted significant damage on the Imperial army, forcing them to withdraw from Bothawui. Zellos's failed invasion became a significant morale boost for the struggling Republic. Later, the Grand Moff's failure on Bothawui was featured in a holorecord created by the Kel Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural after the war's conclusion. This record, along with a journal maintained by Master Dural during the Great War, was submitted to the Jedi Archives on Tython. The journal also mentioned Moff Zellos, speculating that the Imperial commander would face punishment from his Sith superiors and disappear from public view.
Grand Moff Zellos, though not widely known, held a significant position within the Sith Empire and participated in its campaign to conquer the galaxy. As the commanding officer during the Battle of Bothawui, Zellos intended to leverage his superior numbers to crush the Republic resistance on the planet. However, he and his fellow commanders overestimated their advantage and employed simplistic, direct assaults during the battle. This overconfidence undermined their efforts, forcing Zellos to request reinforcements. When he finally had Allusis and his defenders cornered, Zellos offered the Jedi Master peace in exchange for surrender. Upon Allusis's refusal, Zellos authorized his forces to eliminate Allusis and the remaining Republic troops, inadvertently transforming Bothawui's defenders into martyrs.
Grand Moff Zellos first appeared in the fifth installment of the Galactic Timeline, an in-universe narrative detailing the events leading up to the LucasArts/BioWare massively multiplayer online video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. The timeline is narrated by Kel-Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural, voiced by actor Lance Henriksen. Zellos is also mentioned and depicted in The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural, a book included with collector's editions of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Both the game and the journal were released on December 20, 2011. Notably, The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural consistently misspells Zellos's name as "Zelos."
- Timeline 5: The Battle of Bothawui on The Old Republic's official website (article) (backup link) (First mentioned)
- The Battle of Bothawui on The Old Republic's official website (link obsolete; content only found on older version of webpage: backup link) (First mentioned)
- The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural