Babwa Venomor

"Raze the jungle to its roots. A hundred Wookiee pelts to whoever finds the Jedi."

―Babwa Venomor^[1]

Babwa Venomor was a Trandoshan commander who led others of his species in helping the Galactic Empire to strip the planet Kashyyyk of its resources. Between 19 BBY and 18 BBY, he learned that a fugitive Jedi had attacked his forces, and led a Trandoshan-Imperial convoy including Trandoshans collaborators and clone stormtroopers to locate them.

The convoy was then ambushed by the Jedi Gungi and both the rogue Clone Force 99 and the inhabitants of a nearby Wookiee sanctuary. During the fighting, Venomor purused Gungi alone into the jungle with a flame cannon, but after the weapon was destroyed, a trio of netcasters attacked the Trandoshan and carried him away wrapped in webbing.

Biography

Imperial collaborator

"Commander Venomor, we've found more of those carved stones."
"Stay on schedule. Blast them to dust."

―A Trandoshan tank commander and Venomor^[1]

VenomorLeader — Venomor led a group of Trandoshans that aided the Empire.

Babwa Venomor was a hunter^[3] who acted as commander of^[1] an opportunistic^[4] group of Trandoshans^[1] that worked in conjunction with the Galactic Empire. The Trandoshans burned through the lush forests^[3] of the jungle planet Kashyyyk, homeworld of the Wookiee species,^[5] to aid their Imperial allies^[3] in stripping the world of its resources^[1] and forcing it under Imperial rule.^[3]

Between 19 BBY and 18 BBY,^[6] Venomor was contacted via hologram by a tank commander who informed^[1] him^[2] that their modified Armored Assault Tank Mk I crew and accompanying guards had encountered more standing stones blocking their path in the jungle. Venomor ordered the tank commander to destroy the stones and keep to the schedule before disconnecting; however, after setting the stones ablaze, the tank commander's group was attacked and killed by the Wookiee Jedi Gungi and his allies in Clone Force 99.^[1]

Venomor later arrived in the clearing where the tank had been destroyed as part of a larger^[1] Trandoshan-Imperial convoy^[7] including two more tanks and several clone stormtroopers^[1] under his command.^[8] Emerging from a tank hatch and sniffing the air, he moved over to the destroyed tank, where the clones had discovered marks from Gungi's lightsaber. When the clones stated that they would need to inform Imperial command, Venomor declared that would not be necessary if he could locate the Jedi first. Climbing onto one of the tanks, he announced to the other Trandoshans present that he would grant one hundred Wookiee pelts to whoever could find the Jedi first.^[1]

Arachnid ambush

"Ambush!"
"Crush them! Take what's left as trophies."

―A clone stormtrooper and Venomor^[1]

VenomorBetrayer — Venomor set one of his own men ablaze while attacking Gungi.

Venomor's large convoy then followed tracks toward another nearby Wookiee sanctuary, but as the tracks broke off, they were ambushed by Gungi, Clone Force 99 and the Wookiee villagers, who destroyed one of the convoy's tanks with a thermal detonator. Venomor ordered his men to attack as the opposing force opened fire from the undergrowth, but the Wookiees and their allies soon retreated and drew the Trandoshans and stormtroopers further into the jungle before renewing the assault.^[2]

Venmor watched Gungi disable another of the tanks with his lightsaber before emerging from his own tank with a flame cannon. Aiming it at the Jedi, he inadvertently set one of his own men on fire while firing it at Gungi, but the Wookiee managed to avoid the flames and retreated into the forest, drawing Venomor in alone after him. Gungi's allies then drew the commander's remaining forces into a netcaster nest where they were swarmed and routed. Stalking Gungi through the forest with his weapon ready, Venomor began setting the foliage ablaze as he saw the Jedi dart past him. Soon the Trandoshan was surrounded by a circle of flame, which Gungi lept into from a nearby tree.^[1] Nimbly^[2] dodging the Jedi's lightsaber, he continued to fire the flame cannon, pushing the Wookiee back when Gungi slashed at him again.^[2]

VenomorWebbed — Venomor was wrapped in web and carried away by netcaster.

Realizing the slash had destroyed his flame cannon, Venomor threw it and his satchel aside and prepared to fight with his claws, but before he could attack, three netcaster dropped from the canopy above and surrounded him. Gungi deactivated his lightsaber, and no longer seeing the Wookiee as threat, the netcaster began jabbing at Venomor with their mouth appendages. The Trandoshan attempted to fend them off, but was quickly knocked to the ground and wrapped in webbing. As Gungi lept to safety from the ring of fire, Venomor was pulled screaming up into the canopy by the netcaster's webbing.^[1]

Personality and traits

"The tracks have broken off. There's no trace of them."
"They can't run far."

―A clone stormtrooper and Venomor^[1]

Venomor was a Trandoshan with red eyes and yellow scales mottled with green.^[1] He cared only for trophies and bragging rights and was intrigued by the promise of a Jedi survivor as a potential prize.^[3] He offered Wookiee pelts as a reward to his men for finding the Jedi,^[1] and was willing to risk anything to claim Gungi for himself,^[3] preferring to hunt alone^[8] and find Gungi himself rather than have the Imperial command alerted. He pursued Gungi with murderous intent, inadvertently setting one of his soldiers on fire and leaving him unaided while pursuing the Jedi.^[1]

Equipment

Venomor wore a blue uniform with fur on the left shoulder, a satchel, and a comlink on his wrist.^[1] He had many weapons in his arsenal, but prefered to use his flame cannon when hunting Gungi.^[8]

Behind the scenes

"They fought Babwa Venomor, was the villain."
"That was the Trandoshan."

―Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo, on Venomor's planned role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars^[9]

Babwa Venomor concept art by Jim Moore for *Star Wars: The Clone Wars*

Venomor was voiced by JP Karliak in "Tribe," the sixth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch's second season,^[1] which aired on February 1, 2023.^[10] The character was originally created with the name Babwa Venomor for^[11] an unfinished arc of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series set on Kashyyyk,^[9] written by Matt Michnovetz.^[12] The "Babwa Venomor" name originated directly from Star Wars creator George Lucas during the arc's development.^[13] Series supervising director Dave Filoni first mentioned Venomor and his role as the villain of this arc at Celebration Anaheim in 2015.^[9] Venomor was depicted in a piece of concept art made by Jim Moore for the arc's first episode, dated December 4, 2012, which Moore later uploaded to his ArtStation account.^[11]

In the unfinished episode, Venomor was aligned with the Confederacy of Independent Systems^[11] during the Clone Wars with the Galactic Republic.^[9] Venomor and and other Trandoshans—backed by the Confederacy—would have attacked Kashyyyk^[9] in 19 BBY.^[14] In response to that trespass, the Wookiees would have then been forced to burn a number of trees to drive the invaders out.^[9] The Trandoshan's costume design for the episode consisted of a belt and a sleeveless blue outfit bearing the Confederacy's hexagonal emblem.^[11]