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- "How dare you disrespect Moralo Eval!"
- ―Moralo Eval
Moralo Eval, a male Phindian, was a criminal mastermind and serial killer active during the final years of the Republic Era. Loathsome and sociopathic from a young age, Eval became a career criminal while still a child when he murdered his mother, after which he committed several more killings. Because of his craftiness in evading the law, Eval soon garnered a reputation as a twisted genius. During the Clone Wars, a galaxy-wide conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Eval was hired by Confederate Head of State Dooku. For Dooku, Eval invented the Box, an enormous cubical structure with a shifting interior designed to test the skills of bounty hunters, and plotted a risky scheme to kidnap Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Republic.
While Eval was preparing to initiate his and Dooku's plan, he was arrested by law enforcement on Denon and transferred to a maximum-security prison on Coruscant. With the bounty hunters Cad Bane and Rako Hardeen, Eval escaped confinement, after which they narrowly avoided capture by Republic forces on Nal Hutta and Orondia. The trio made their way to Serenno to meet with Dooku, who had assembled more bounty hunters for the Box. Eval tested the hunters in the Box but was increasingly angered by Dooku's disappointment in the final product and Hardeen's ability to outsmart his simulations. Eval tried to kill Hardeen but found himself forced to battle the hunter in an arena when Dooku took control of the Box. Hardeen managed to beat Eval, whose failures resulted in Dooku demoting him to the role of getaway driver.
Now led by Bane, the team of bounty hunters traveled to Naboo and infiltrated the city of Theed, where Chancellor Palpatine was officiating the Festival of Light. Although the plan went awry due to the Republic's advance knowledge of the plot, Bane managed to secure the Chancellor and bring him to Eval. When Eval and Bane arrived at their designated rendezvous point to meet with Dooku, however, they found the count absent. Realizing they had been abandoned, Eval and Bane decided to ransom Palpatine themselves. They were soon tracked down, after which it was revealed that Hardeen was Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in disguise, having reported the plan to Republic authorities. Abandoned by Dooku and surrounded by Republic forces, Eval and Bane were brought back into custody, where Eval was placed in maximum-security solitary confinement at a military installation.
Biography[]
Early life[]
- "Eval killed his mother when he was only a boy. Told the authorities he did it because he was bored."
- ―Jedi Master Mace Windu on Moralo Eval's reputation
Moralo Eval was a serial killer with a reputation as a deranged genius.
Moralo Eval was born on the planet Phindar,[1] the homeworld of the Phindian species in the Outer Rim Territories.[6] Some accounts described Eval as sociopathic from birth,[7] and by the time he was a child, he displayed such tendencies and violent behavior, which were unusual for a Phindian. Though Phindian culture placed special importance on familial bonds, Eval killed his mother in cold blood.[8] When Eval was apprehended, he told the authorities that he had killed her because he was bored.[2] For the murder of his mother, Eval received a sentence of life imprisonment.[7] Because the Phindians had no system of properly dealing with such transgressions, the justice system opted to delicately psychoanalyze Eval instead. Their compassionate attempts to understand the underpinnings of Eval's behavior, rather than punish him for his crimes, led to lax security conditions[8] that Eval plotted to exploit. Soon after his imprisonment, he crafted an escape plan and managed to successfully break out of prison, beginning his life as a fugitive.[7]
Despite his newfound freedom from confinement, Eval returned to his violent ways[7] and went on to commit several more murders,[8] each with more elaborate planning than the last. In the beginning, Eval's ego and arrogance led to several more arrests. Because of how meticulously he had plotted each murder, however, no investigative judicial or police establishment could prove that Eval had committed any crime, so his original crime, the murder of his mother, was used as a proxy to put him back behind bars. Each arrest only temporarily hindered Eval's criminal path, and he easily escaped jail each time.[7] The serial killer eventually decided to evade law enforcement entirely, and his crafty brilliance in doing so gained him a reputation as a criminal mastermind.[8] Eval's time as a fugitive gave him a sharp survival instinct, as well as technical and engineering skills, but his years spent on the run also left him deranged, and he developed many odd mannerisms.[2]
The plot of the millennium[]
Interrupted preparations[]
- "What do you want from me?"
"A man like you, there's bigger game than Jedi, if you've got the guts."
"I'm listening."
"It's a brilliant plan if I do say so, and it involves the Chancellor." - ―Rako Hardeen and Moralo Eval
Moralo Eval's mugshot.
By the time of the Clone Wars, a pan-galactic war between the Galactic Republic and its splinter state, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Eval remained a fugitive from justice.[8] Because of his reputation as a criminal mastermind, Eval had earned notoriety and infamy across the galaxy, even if his obvious sadism made him unpopular with many peers in the underworld.[7] By the year 20 BBY,[9] Confederate Head of State Dooku, who had been tasked by his master, Darth Sidious, with orchestrating the kidnapping of the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine, enlisted Eval to help craft a plan for such a monumental task. Although Dooku had ostensibly hired Eval because of his experience, he also turned to the Phindian because of Eval's[7] loathsome reputation amongst the Republic's law enforcement circles,[8] who would take rumors of a potential kidnapping seriously due to his involvement. What Eval was unaware of, however, was that he was merely a pawn for a much larger plot created by Sidious, whose public alter ego was Chancellor Palpatine.[7]
Charged with creating a plan to kidnap Palpatine,[7] Eval decided to target the Chancellor when he was officiating the 847th Festival of Light on the planet Naboo.[5] With the Separatist resources at his disposal, Eval designed and engineered the "Box," a massive cubical structure meant to test candidates for the mission to the limits of their abilities.[10] To determine the suitability of such bounty hunters, Eval created a shifting series of simulations that would be arranged and assigned by him in real-time from a central command center.[11] The giant machine was built deep inside Count Dooku's palace on his homeworld, Serenno, where it was kept hidden until the time came for Eval to initiate his tests.[12] As part of his and Sidious' higher plan, however, Dooku allowed information about Eval's kidnapping plot to leak to authorities. Eval was tracked down and arrested[7] by a police detachment on Denon, who remanded him to authorities on the Republic capital Coruscant, where he was imprisoned at the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center for processing.[8]
After his arrest on Denon, Moralo Eval was remanded to the Republic capital Coruscant for processing.
While Eval was in custody, the rumors about a plot to kidnap the Chancellor spread throughout the Republic.[4] An inexplicable processing error allowed Eval contact with other prisoners rather than keeping him confined to solitary as had been ordered.[8] To help Eval escape, Dooku hired bounty hunter Cad Bane,[7] who arranged his own arrest and imprisonment. In the detention center, Eval struck a deal with Bane, who would help him break out in return for payment and inclusion in the lucrative kidnapping plot. Using his influence over the guards, Eval and Bane soon shared a cell. Eval's imprisonment coincided with that of another notorious criminal, Rako Hardeen, who was under arrest for the murder of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and whose reputation preceded him and caused a stir among the other prisoners. Unknown to any outside the Jedi High Council, "Hardeen" was, in fact, Kenobi, who was undercover to investigate Eval's plan. Eval was interested in Hardeen and soon got his chance to meet the bounty hunter.[4]
One day, during a shared lunch block, Eval sat on the opposite end of a table with Hardeen, who created some commotion by arguing with a Karkarodon prisoner. When Hardeen stabbed the Karkarodon with a fork, Eval was delighted by the display and moved to sit across from him. Eval commented on Hardeen's reputation, then asked if he had killed Kenobi for money or revenge. "Hardeen," having been briefed in Eval's past, replied that he had killed Kenobi out of boredom, which made Eval chuckle. As a gesture of openness to future meetings, Eval handed Hardeen a bottle of sauce he claimed would make the prison food taste "almost tolerable" before leaving the table. Later that day, Eval used his sway with the guards to have Hardeen brought to his cell, where he awaited Hardeen while Bane slept. After properly introducing himself, Eval propositioned Hardeen, briefly explaining that he was leading a big job that involved the Chancellor. Overhearing them, Bane interrupted and told Eval that it would cost him double if he had to break Hardeen out as well.[4]
Eval, Bane, and Kenobi escape the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center on Coruscant.
Eval introduced Hardeen to Bane, who mocked the hunter for killing a Jedi with a sniper rifle and not face-to-face. When Hardeen retorted, Bane warned Eval that breaking Hardeen out would now cost triple. Deciding not to involve Hardeen, Eval called the guards to take Hardeen away, but not before threatening to kill the man if he did not forget everything he had learned.[4] The next day, Eval and Bane prepared for their escape. Bane hired the bounty hunters Boba Fett and Bossk to incite a riot by fighting Hardeen.[13] While Eval and Bane sat for lunch, Fett and Bossk got into a fistfight with Hardeen, forcing the guards to intervene. When Bossk retaliated, the other prisoners in the dining hall joined in. Bane ushered Eval to a doorway that had been breached by the rioters amidst the chaos. Hardeen caught up to them as the two stealthily evaded guards while walking down the prison halls. Despite Bane's protests, Eval allowed Hardeen to join them. Bane led the trio to a morgue facility that led to the crematorium, but his attempts to break the locked door failed.[4]
Hardeen volunteered to rewire the lock and asked Eval and Bane to keep a lookout, which they obliged. After a few moments, Hardeen unlocked the door, and the three went inside the morgue. Bane told them to climb inside the body shutes, which would bring them straight to the crematorium. Once the containers arrived, the clone workers stationed there noticed vital signs and prepared to investigate, but the three criminals jumped from the containers and attacked. As Eval savagely beat one of the men with his fists, Hardeen hesitated to shoot the last of the clones, allowing him to set off an alarm before being executed by Bane. Bane led Eval and Hardeen to an unloading zone outside the prison, where they stole a police vehicle and flew off to a landing platform elsewhere. The trio swapped the airspeeder for a starship, where Eval began preparing for takeoff. Once they entered the atmosphere, Eval turned to Hardeen, commended his work in the escape, and told him that there could be a role in his plans for him after all.[4]
On the run[]
- Hardeen: "You thought you left me for dead, but the Hutts owed me a favor."
- Bane: "So you had them shoot us down?"
- Hardeen: "You would've done the same thing, Bane. The way I see it, we're even now."
- Eval: "Now that we're all friends, get me off this festering stink-hole!"
- ―Hardeen, Bane, and Eval[14]
After fleeing Coruscant, Eval, Bane, and Hardeen purchase new gear and weapons in Bilbousa Bazaar.
After departing Coruscant, Eval, Bane, and Hardeen traveled to Nal Hutta, the homeworld of the Hutt Clans, to exchange their starship for a new one. Upon entering Nal Hutta's atmosphere, Hardeen set the ship on a path to plummet into the swamps below. Despite Bane's incredulity, Hardeen stated that they could not dock in a spaceport since law enforcement would be searching for the trio. Eval agreed with Hardeen's plan and braced for impact as Hardeen pulled the ship parallel to the planet's surface. The starship crashed into several giant roots and skidded into a pond, after which Eval and the bounty hunters evacuated the sinking transport. Outside the wreckage, Hardeen explained that the swamp would swallow the ship whole, which Eval understood meant there would be no trace of the crash. Eval complimented Hardeen's plan, and the three fugitives started the hike to Bilbousa Bazaar, where they would ditch their prison outfits and could ship. However, Hardeen insisted that legitimately paying for one would keep the authorities off their tail.[14]
Once the trio arrived at Bilbousa, Bane led them to Pablo's pawnshop while carefully avoiding the Hutt's local security. At the pawn shop, each of the fugitives purchased new clothing and armor, but Bane was disappointed in Pablo's selection of blasters. Pablo told him that he should not be picky since he was on the run, a comment that made Bane assault the Rodian and threaten him to keep quiet. Outside the shop, Hardeen chastised Bane for threatening Pablo, who he believed would inform the Hutts. Unnerved, Eval watched a group of Gamorrean guards, but Bane told him to relax, reasoning that they would escape notice since Nal Hutta was populated by fellow outlaws. Bane proposed the group split up, tasking Hardeen with purchasing a new ship while he and Eval bought weapons. Despite Hardeen's initial protests, he gave in to Bane and left for a shipyard. Once Hardeen was gone, Bane told Eval they would throw him to the Hutts once they acquired the ship. Eval asked if his decision was business or personal, to which Bane said it was both.[14]
Despite owing money to Bane and Hardeen for the prison break, Eval spent much of his remaining credits on Nal Hutta.
After buying a set of new weapons, Eval and Bane went to the local starship dealer to meet with Hardeen, who had just finished negotiating for a ship and told Eval they could leave once he paid for it. As Eval paid the Bith salesperson, Bane bluntly told Hardeen that he would not be joining them. Eval explained to Hardeen that Bane did not want to split his fee for breaking Eval out of prison, then gleefully added that Bane also simply despised Hardeen. Hardeen demanded his reward for helping with the prison break, but Eval replied that the matter was between the two bounty hunters and boarded the ship. As Eval boarded, Pablo and a group of Hutt enforcers arrived to arrest the three fugitives. Eval quickly prepared the ship for takeoff, and Bane kicked Hardeen off the loading ramp. While the Hutt's henchmen arrested Hardeen, Eval and Bane flew away from the compound, after which Eval contacted Dooku to apologize for his delay. Despite Eval's assurances that he would reach Serenno soon, Dooku warned that he would not accept any more excuses.[14]
After ending his transmission with Dooku, Eval returned to the cockpit, where Bane echoed Dooku's words and told Eval that he had no more excuses not to pay him. Eval countered that he had spent most of his remaining credits in Bilbousa but added that Bane would receive his payment once on Serenno. Suddenly, a trio of Hutt ships arrived and opened fire, causing heavy damage in a short amount of time. Eval questioned how the Hutts had found them so quickly, and Bane realized that Hardeen must have snitched to the Hutts to even the score. With the engines malfunctioning, Bane turned the ship around and managed to crash near Bilbousa. Eval and Bane returned to the city, where they spotted Hardeen sitting outside a saloon. When Bane assaulted Hardeen, Eval angrily shoved him aside and warned that he was running out of time and patience. Eval let Hardeen explain himself, and the bounty hunter stated that he had a ship ready for them on the condition Eval make him a partner in his scheme, which Eval begrudgingly agreed to.[14]
Eval and Bane attempt to escape Nal Hutta after leaving Hardeen to be arrested by the Hutt Clans.
Bane demanded to know how Hardeen acquired the credits to buy a new ship, and Hardeen responded that the Hutts owed him a favor. Bane expressed his outrage that Hardeen told the Hutts to shoot down their ship, but Hardeen countered that he and Bane were now even. Impatient with their bickering, Eval mocked the two for finally becoming "friends" and demanded they get him off Nal Hutta. The trio boarded the new ship and left the planet, but Hardeen was unaware that the Bith dealer had scammed him, only giving them enough fuel to reach the nearest refueling station on Orondia, owned by his brother. At the refueling station, Eval hurriedly paid the attendant and ignored Bane's snide comments about his paying everyone except him. As they departed, a Jedi T-6 shuttle that had tracked them from Nal Hutta arrived and rammed into the top of the fugitives' ship. Recognizing the Jedi starship, Bane tried evading the shuttle, but the Jedi stayed close on their tail and chased them.[14]
One of the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, jumped from the T-6 shuttle onto Hardeen's ship. Seeing his chance to kill a Jedi, Bane left to fight Skywalker, leaving Eval and Hardeen to pilot the transport. While Bane and Skywalker fought, the two ships raced along Orondia's pipelines. In an attempt to shake Skywalker off, Hardeen swerved upwards, crashing into the Jedi shuttle and sending both hurtling towards the planet's surface. While Bane and Skywalker were thrown to the ground, Eval and Hardeen tumbled around the cabin. As Eval got his bearings, Hardeen exited the ship to deal with the Jedi, joining Bane in his fight with Skywalker. Eval, meanwhile, repaired some of the critical damage from the crash. Once he managed to fire the ship's engines, Eval walked outside to retrieve Bane and Hardeen, who were locked in a standoff with the second Jedi, Ahsoka Tano. Eval yelled that he had gotten the ship operational again and urged them to hurry inside. Leaving the Jedi behind, the trio regrouped onboard and set off for Serenno.[14]
Tournament on Serenno[]
- "Your box does not appear to be as much of a challenge as I thought. Perhaps I should put Hardeen in charge of the mission."
"But, this was my plan. You promised me the lead role."
"You have one last test to change my mind."
"Do not fear, Count Dooku. I will show you who is weak." - ―Count Dooku and Eval discussing who will lead the mission to kidnap Palpatine
Moralo Eval, Cad Bane, and Rako Hardeen arrive on Serenno.
After reaching Serenno without incident, Eval, Bane, and Hardeen landed near Count Dooku's palace, where the ships of several bounty hunters Dooku had gathered to participate in the Box were parked. Eval hurriedly left the transport to greet Dooku, who awaited him with a detachment of IG-100 MagnaGuards on the landing platform. Though Eval apologized for his delays, Dooku chastised him and had his MagnaGuards point their electrostaffs at the Phindian. Seeing Bane and Hardeen exit the ship, Dooku asked Eval who the latter was, and Eval explained that Hardeen was vital to his escape from prison but would also participate in the tournament. An impatient Bane interrupted and demanded his payment, as did Hardeen a few moments later. Dooku told the pair they would be paid for their services but added they could earn much more if they joined the tournament in the Box.[11] Though neither of the bounty hunters was impressed by the Box, Dooku expressed his confidence that Eval's machine would ensure that only the best participants would be hired for his mission.[13]
Eval chimed in and stated that he designed the Box to find weak links and eliminate them and that a dozen of the best bounty hunters, including Bane and Hardeen, were assembled on Serenno to take part.[13] The other ten hunters were Kiera Swan, Derrown, Sixtat, Jakoli, Embo, Twazzi, Bulduga, Onca, Sinrich, and Mantu. While Dooku and Eval left to make final preparations, the twelve contestants waited outside the Box, during which Bane killed Bulduga for his hat, leaving his partner, Onca, alone. When Dooku and Eval returned, they introduced the group to each other and gave them instructions for the tournament, which would leave the five most skilled hunters alive at the end. Any other survivors would be killed to preserve the secrecy of the mission, which Dooku hinted would pay enough for the final five to retire in comfort. Eval spoke up and explained that the hunters would solve a series of simulations similar to possible scenarios they would face on the job. With sinister pleasure, Eval taunted the group and gestured them onto an elevator to bring them inside the Box.[11]
Eval gives the contestants instructions for the first challenge.
Once the hunters were inside the Box, Eval and Dooku went to the machine's command center to oversee the challenge. Transforming the square-paneled walls into screens to display himself, Eval told the contestants that the only rule inside the Box was there were no rules. Embo asked what the purpose was then, and Eval explained they had to escape each simulation as quickly as possible, then ended his transmission and began the first challenge. Eval activated a haze of dioxis gas, which the hunters evaded by climbing onto columns rising from the floor. As columns kept rising towards the ceiling, meaning the participants could not stay on them for long, Hardeen realized the escape route was not up but down and located a path below the gas line, and each of the hunters followed him into the next chamber. Though impressed by the lack of casualties, Eval reappeared via a screen in the next room and ominously stated this would not be the case in the second challenge.[11]
After Eval deactivated his dispatch, several panels opened to reveal electrified blades, which jabbed in and out of the walls at the hunters, and Onca and Sinrich became victims of the Box. In the control room, Dooku complimented the bounty hunters' survival and noted that he sensed something different about Hardeen. He asked Eval what he knew about the marksman, and Eval informed him that Hardeen had killed Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though he downplayed the feat by adding he had done so only with a sniper rifle, Dooku was still impressed. In the arena, the walls began closing in, and Hardeen noticed a pattern in the blades that created a path up the walls to an exit in the ceiling. Hardeen told the other hunters of his discovery, and soon, the group began climbing the rows. Though Swan died, the rest of the group managed to escape. Seeing Eval was aggravated by Hardeen's success, Dooku opined that Hardeen might be better suited to lead the operation on Naboo, much to Eval's chagrin.[11]
Eval was distraught when Dooku expressed disappointment in what Eval had delivered with the Box.
With a twisted smile, Eval agreed that Hardeen was crafty but adjusted the next simulation to see how he would fare when he was not key to the group's survival. Speaking again through a screen, Eval informed the hunters that, to survive the next challenge, one contestant had to pass through a ray shield encompassing the room to reach a switch to deactivate it. To do so, a contestant would inject a syringe of highly electromagnetic serum, granting them temporary invulnerability to the shields. Eval added that the serum was toxic to all but one of the hunters, then left the hunters to solve the test. As the group debated who could take the serum, Jakoli was killed by the ray shields, and Hardeen surmised that Derrown, a Parwan, could handle the injection. Derrown injected the serum and pressed the switch to deactivate the ray shields, but not before Mantu fell from the platform and was electrocuted. Once the shields turned off, a passage opened for the hunters that brought them to the final simulation.[11]
When Dooku expressed disappointment with how easily the hunters had solved Eval's challenges thus far, he again mentioned putting Hardeen in charge of the mission, enraging Eval. Eval stated that he had been promised the lead role and was entitled to it as the creator of the kidnapping plot. Dooku allowed him one more chance to prove his worth, and Eval left the room to initiate the final challenge in person. In the last arena, the hunters stood on a platform high above the floor, which opened up to reveal numerous flamethrowers. Eval appeared from behind a set of panels on the far wall, from which he controlled the simulations from an arm gauntlet and revealed a sniper rifle near the hunters. A moving target ran along the wall across from the hunters, and Eval stated that the hunters had to hit the target three times. Sixtat took the rifle and attempted the challenge but missed the third shot and plunged into the flames below. As Hardeen took the next rifle from the dispenser, Eval laughed coolly.[11]
After his invention and management skills failed to impress Dooku, Eval was replaced by Cad Bane as the mission's leader.
Hardeen managed to hit the target three times, and Eval's mental state began slipping. Using his controller, Eval raised the other contestants higher, then told Hardeen he had to make five more hits to prove his skills. Hardeen successfully hit the targets four times before running out of charges, at which Eval cruelly laughed, telling Hardeen that it was important for a bounty hunter to be lucky. Eval set the platforms Hardeen was standing on to give out, but before Hardeen was sent into the fires below, he was caught by a cable from Bane's wrist gauntlet. Infuriated, Eval demanded to know why Bane defied him, but Bane simply responded that if he was going to kill Hardeen, he had to do it like a man. Using the screen transmission, Dooku appeared and agreed with Bane. Taking control of the Box's command terminal, Dooku deactivated the flamethrowers in the center of the room to create a fighting pit, then closed the wall behind Eval to push him in. Bane released Hardeen onto the floor, and the fight began.[11]
Using the technology of the Box from his controller, Eval released four Ringneck probe droids to fire at Hardeen, who easily dispatched them, after which Eval created a maze of moving platforms. Easily evading Hardeen, Eval nearly killed him with flamethrowers, but Hardeen managed to gain the upper hand by tackling him and breaking the gauntlet to even the playing field. Though Eval savagely pummelled Hardeen, the hunter was able to tackle Eval again and beat him to the brink of death. Dooku ordered Hardeen to kill Eval, but Hardeen refused, and Dooku criticized his poor leadership skills. Dooku congratulated the final five hunters for surviving the Box, and the team's roster comprised Eval, Bane, Hardeen, Twazzi, Embo, and Derrown. After informing the group that their mission was to kidnap Supreme Chancellor Palpatine at the Festival of Light on Naboo, Dooku told the team that Eval would walk them through his plan while en route to Naboo but announced that he had chosen Bane to lead the operation, much to Eval's disdain.[11]
Kidnapping the Chancellor[]
- "That's your perfect plan? A perfect pile of bantha dung if you ask me. A million things could go wrong, starting with those holograms."
"Nothing is going to go wrong with my plan unless you mess it up." - ―Cad Bane and Moralo Eval
Though unhappy with the decision, Eval gave in to Count Dooku's orders and handed leadership of the kidnapping plot to Cad Bane.
With the tournament complete, the kidnapping team, accompanied by Dooku, prepared to travel to Naboo. Once the ship went into lightspeed, Dooky instructed Eval to inform Bane of his plan so he knew what to do as the new leader. When Eval objected that the plan was his creation, Dooku sternly responded that he had to let Bane in on the full plan if he wanted to get paid. Dooku allowed the rest of the team to rest, giving Eval a chance to explain the plan to Bane. Eval turned on a hologram of the Theed Royal Palace and the surrounding city, but Bane quickly shut it off when Hardeen entered the room. Bane dismissed Hardeen and told him to sleep, which the bounty hunter obliged. With Hardeen gone, Eval turned the hologram back on and detailed each step of his plan, describing the Festival of Light, the layout of the Royal Palace, and how the team would use holographic disguise matrixes to infiltrate the Republic's Senate Guard. It took Eval an hour to explain his intricate plot, only for Bane to dismiss it as "bantha dung" once he finished.[13]
Bane told Eval there were too many ways for the plan to go awry, starting with the disguise matrixes, but Eval defended his plan and stated that nothing would go wrong unless Bane messed it up. When the ship discreetly arrived at Naboo, where Eval had chosen an abandoned docking bay to land. When the team arrived, however, they found that it was not abandoned and was staffed by several techs working a late shift.[13] Eval, Derrown, and Embo entered the warehouse and killed the workers. Dooku, escorted by Bane, Twazzi, and Hardeen, joined them once it was cleared. With the group gathered, Dooku told them that he believed their plot would proceed as planned, then instructed them to follow their roles closely. He added that, in addition to being immortalized in history, each participant would be rewarded enough credits that none would ever have to work again, then let Bane take over. Bane handed out datapads to each member containing information on their position and job specifics. Eval, once the mastermind of the plot, was now the getaway driver.[5]
In his role as getaway driver, Moralo Eval drove a commandeered flash speeder to escape Theed.
Hardeen asked how all the pieces fit together, and Bane briefly explained what each team member's role was: he, Twazzi, Embo, and Derrown would infiltrate the festival disguised as Senate Guards, while Hardeen would separately infiltrate the city and take a sniper position overseeing the palace, and Eval was the getaway driver. Each datapad also laid out details on the rendezvous point, where Dooku would pick them up and escape the planet. Using a holographic disguise matrix, Bane gave the bounty hunters, save himself and Eval, a shadow hologram disguise of a Senate Guard. Once the rest of the team were in their disguises, Bane informed them that they would not have any further communication until the mission was complete. When the team left to take their positions, Eval boarded a[5] commandeered flash speeder[15] and waited on the sidelines for his time to enter the fray. The rest of the team, meanwhile, entered the Festival of Light, where Chancellor Palpatine opened the ceremonies.[5]
Unknown to Eval or Bane, the Jedi Order had advanced knowledge of the kidnapping plot thanks to the intel provided by Obi-Wan Kenobi and had prepared robust security defenses and placed the Chancellor and Naboo leadership under the protection of several Jedi, including Skywalker, Tano, and Master Mace Windu. Kenobi, hiding in the sniper position given to Hardeen, aided the Jedi by keeping watch for the kidnapping team. Despite Kenobi's attempts to warn the Jedi, Derrown,[5] using the same electromagnetic serum from the Box,[11] passed through a protective ray shield and destroyed the shield generator protecting the Chancellor's platform, and the resulting blast left several people, including Palpatine, unconscious. As the Jedi dealt with Derrown, Twazzi and Embo took an unconscious Senate Guard and, using a disguise matrix, disguised them as the Chancellor. Bane, disguised as a Neimoidian, used another matrix to disguise Palpatine. As the Jedi went after Embo and Twazzi, Eval arrived to pick up Bane.[5]
Abandoned by Dooku and unable to escape Naboo, Eval and Bane are arrested by the Jedi.
Seeing Bane and the unconscious Palpatine, Eval yelled at him to throw the Chancellor on board, but Bane pointed a blaster at him and made him take his hands off the controls, ensuring Eval would not drive away without him.[13] Eval quickly sped away from Theed to the rendezvous point, a nearby plasma refinery. Once there, Eval told Bane that Dooku would arrive shortly, as planned. As they waited, Eval boasted that his plan had worked perfectly, sparking an argument with Bane, who dismissed Eval's involvement in their success. Moments later, Kenobi arrived in a speeder. Still unaware of his true identity, Bane told Hardeen he was not supposed to be at the rendezvous point yet, and Hardeen replied that he did not want to be double-crossed again. Realizing that they had all been double-crossed by Dooku, Eval asked what they were supposed to do with the Chancellor, and Bane suggested they ransom him themselves. Just then, Kenobi dropped the "Hardeen" persona and aimed his blaster at Bane, telling him that the Chancellor was staying with him.[5]
Eval ran up and grabbed Kenobi's arm, giving Bane a chance to attack. After a brief fight, Kenobi incapacitated Bane, but before Eval could escape, another speeder carrying Republic forces arrived at the refinery. Skywalker and Windu quickly cornered Eval and pointed their lightsabers at him, and Eval feigned injury and pleaded for mercy. While Eval surrendered, the Jedi took Bane into custody, and both were cuffed and placed in a speeder.[5] As the Jedi spoke to each other, revealing that "Hardeen" was Kenobi, Eval incredulously yelled Kenobi's name.[13] Bane, who had fought Kenobi before, berated the Jedi for his deception before he and Eval were taken away.[5] With their plan ending in failure, Eval and Bane were shipped back to Coruscant by the Republic and remanded to the Republic Judiciary. Though Bane returned to the Central Detention Center,[13] Eval was sentenced to life imprisonment and was placed in a maximum-security Republic Military installation from which, subject to absolute isolation, not even he could escape.[7]
Legacy[]
- "Now, if you ask Moralo Eval, he'll probably tell you something different. I wouldn't be surprised if that ugly old wheeze bag tried to blame it all on me."
- ―Cad Bane, recounting the story of his time with Eval to Boba Fett and Bossk
Unbeknownst to Moralo Eval, he was merely a disposable pawn in the larger plans of Darth Sidious, whose public alter ego was Chancellor Palpatine.
While Eval was placed in solitary confinement elsewhere,[7] Bane was allowed contact with fellow prisoners at the Judiciary Detention Center. In prison, he met with Boba Fett and Bossk during a shared lunch block, where they demanded to know where their payment for instigating the riot several days earlier was. Bane told them that there was no reward, adding that "Hardeen" had, in reality, been Obi-Wan Kenobi undercover. While recounting the story of his escape from Coruscant and the kidnapping attempt, Bane portrayed Eval poorly, repudiating Eval's reputation as a mastermind and stating that Eval's plan was not as great as he believed. Bane blamed Eval for the plan's failure, opining that Eval's purported brilliance was nothing more than posturing. When Bane finished his story, Fett offered him a job he and Bossk were planning, which he said was bigger than anything Eval could have imagined.[13]
The full events regarding Eval's first Republic imprisonment and rearrest remained shrouded in mystery to those outside them, a judicial mystery compounded by the apparent disappearance of the real Rako Hardeen after he was taken into Jedi custody to facilitate Kenobi's impersonation. Much to the ire of Coruscant Security Force Inspector Tan Divo, who maintained dossiers on Eval, Bane, and Hardeen, the Jedi kept much of its reports on Kenobi's undercover mission classified. In conversation with Divo, Chancellor Palpatine expressed disdain for the Jedi's elaborate plot to stop Eval, believing they needlessly risked a lot in their operation.[8] In truth, Darth Sidious and Count Dooku had orchestrated much of the preceding events, including Eval and Bane's initial arrests,[7] the processing errors[8] that allowed the two to convene in prison, and Dooku's abandonment of both on Naboo as part of a much larger plot to drive a wedge between prospective Sith Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi Order.[7]
The designs Eval used in the Box were recreated in the "Well" at the Imperial Academy on Lothal.
At the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY, Sidious successfully turned Skywalker from the Jedi, the result of a long process[9] that included his plan to use Eval as a minor pawn during the Clone Wars.[7] Soon after ordering Skywalker to kill Dooku, Sidious reorganized the Republic into the first Galactic Empire.[9] As part of its rabid military expansion,[16] the Empire created several training academies for recruits, and among them was the Academy for Young Imperials on the Outer Rim planet Lothal. Within the academy on Lothal was a testing ground dubbed "the Well," a remotely configured chamber meant to simulate obstacle courses and challenges.[17] The style and composition of the Well took direct inspiration from the designs Eval had created for his Box, as well as the[18] decommissioned[19] training facilities created for the Republic Military on Kamino.[18] Like Eval's Box,[11] the Well incorporated a grid of shifting panels, and most simulations required participants to escape the chamber as quickly as possible.[17]
Decades after the Clone Wars, Exantor Divo, the police commissioner on Hosnian Prime and the grandson of the late Tan Divo, was gifted his grandfather's case files from his time with the CSF, which had long been thought lost since the Clone Wars. Among Divo's files were his dossier and writings on Moralo Eval and the Jedi Order's elaborate plot to stop him from kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine. Exantor compiled his grandfather's files in a multi-generational catalog detailing the evolution of crime and law enforcement over several decades, which he titled Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious. Exantor added commentary and context to his grandfather's files, including his dossier on Eval. Exantor wrote about Eval's history of crime before the kidnapping plot and his still-infamous reputation at the time of the book's publication[8] in 34 ABY,[20] as well as the circumstances of his time in the Central Detention Center, which remained a mystery even then.[8]
Personality and traits[]
- "The breakout was just the beginning. Moralo Eval had much bigger plans. Not good plans, just big ones. He tries to pass himself off as some sort of criminal mastermind, but he's no Hutt, I can tell you that."
- ―Cad Bane, on Moralo Eval
Sadistic and sociopathic, Moralo Eval was both revered and loathed as a criminal mastermind and escape artist.
Moralo Eval was a male Phindian[2] with yellow eyes, coarse dark skin, and an elongated skull typical of his species,[7] and who stood at a height of 1.75 meters, or 5 feet and 9 inches.[3]
From a young age, Eval was known to harbor sadistic and sociopathic tendencies,[7] which manifested outwardly as a stark rejection of traditional Phindian reverence for familial bonds.[8] Eval began his criminal career when he killed his mother, a crime he claimed was committed out of boredom. In the following years spent as a fugitive of the law,[8] he developed a deranged personality and strange mannerisms.[2] In addition to a number of physical twitches,[5] Eval developed a habit of referring to himself in the third person, an incessant quirk that showcased Eval's high self-regard. Despite his psychological disorders,[7] Eval quickly gained a reputation as a criminal mastermind for his unique and crafty manner[8] of both committing murders and evading justice. As a serial killer, Eval's premeditated crimes were complex and meticulous but almost always successful.[7]
Because of his reputation as a brilliant murderer,[8] Eval held himself in high esteem. After his arrogance and inflated ego resulted in several brief arrests,[7] Eval decided to avoid situations that could result in encounters with law enforcement.[8] Known in underworld circles for his conceit and selfishness, Eval was not one to put himself in the line of danger unnecessarily and never strained himself more than was strictly necessary. Because of his arrogant nature and increasingly deranged mannerisms, Eval was notoriously difficult to work with. Associates in the galactic underworld found his pompous self-reverence infuriating, and Eval's sociopathy hindered his admiration. Eval took obvious pleasure in inflicting pain indiscriminately, even among supposed allies, and thus was hugely unpopular. Though loathed by fellow criminals[7] and law enforcement alike, Eval maintained his infamous reputation, and even the highest levels of police establishments begrudgingly regarded him for his ability to outfox them.[8]
Though arrogant and conceited, Eval was desperate to earn the approval of his benefactor, Count Dooku.
In his sociopathic disregard for others,[7] Eval was quick to change plans or freely shape his convictions as he wanted. During the preparations for his kidnapping plot, Eval twice abandoned Rako Hardeen without a second thought,[14] first in prison[4] and then on Nal Hutta. When confronted by Hardeen for the incident on Nal Hutta, Eval denied any blame and gleefully stoked the feud between Hardeen and Cad Bane. Though he initially enjoyed observing the fights between the two, Eval soon became aggravated by their displays when they threatened to delay his scheduled arrival on Serenno.[14] Despite being loyal to none but himself[7] and bullying those beneath him,[14] Eval suffered from insecurity[11] and gullibility[7] and thus had an innate respect for his benefactor, Count Dooku, who he clamored for approval.[11] Unaware that he was merely a pawn for greater powers,[7] Eval relished the resources and purported powers granted him by Dooku. Though ostensibly only loyal to Dooku so he could get paid, Eval egotistically also sought praise and attention from him.[11]
Eval had difficulty accepting defiance or disapproval and struggled to handle himself when his ego was challenged.[11] Eval was quick to defend himself and his creations, believing firmly in their success even if others disagreed.[13] When belittled and mocked by Dooku during the disappointing tournament in the Box, Eval grew irritated and embarrassed, exacerbated by Dooku's compliments to Hardeen for outsmarting Eval's simulations. Unable to maintain his posture, Eval eventually broke down in front of Dooku, pleading not to be replaced before resolving to kill Hardeen himself,[11] a fateful decision that would leave him relegated to the role of getaway driver.[5] Despite initial protests to the demotion, Eval gave in to Dooku's will and surrendered his plans to Cad Bane, who criticized what he believed to be a convoluted and contrived mess. Despite Bane's doubts,[13] Eval's plan proved successful. The two escaped Theed with Chancellor Palpatine in tow, a small consolation given that a life of imprisonment and solitary confinement lay ahead once he was arrested by Republic forces.[7]
Skills and abilities[]
- "You're going to have to do better than that!"
"You, my friend, have seen nothing yet." - ―Rako Hardeen and Moralo Eval, during their fight in the Box
Unlike Cad Bane or "Rako Hardeen," Moralo Eval was an unsophisticated and savage combatant.
Despite several physical abnormalities,[5] including a short stature compared to other Phindians[3] and a limp, Moralo Eval was a brutal combatant and fighter.[11] Unlike the more martial Cad Bane or Obi-Wan Kenobi, Eval was animalistic and savage when in a fight, pummeling his victims without mercy. While escaping the Central Detention Center on Coruscant, Eval tackled a clone worker to the ground, then proceeded to slam his fists into the trooper even after he was unconscious.[4] Likewise, Eval used his brutish hand-to-hand combat skills when fighting Kenobi, disguised as Rako Hardeen, in the Box, pairing his quick and powerful movements with the technology at his disposal.[11] Besides his unarmed combat abilities, Eval was also skilled in armed combat.[3]
Despite his lack of martial prowess,[4] Eval had a keen intellect despite his deranged personality.[2] He was well-known as a brilliant mastermind and thinker,[8] and his creativity led to his partnership with Count Dooku and the construction of the Box.[10] Adept at various technical abilities,[3] many of which he picked up during his early years on the run, Eval was a proficient mechanic and engineer,[2] able to complete tasks as simple as fixing his ship when it crashed on Orondia to designing[14] complex and unique technology such as the Box.[10] Like many in the criminal profession, Eval was also capable of piloting an array of vehicles, such as speeders and starships.[3]
Equipment[]
- "You said it yourself, Eval. You're free now. I want my money."
"After the weapons and the ship, I have very few credits left." - ―Cad Bane and Moralo Eval
Moralo Eval's YV-666 light freighter, which he owned for a short time before it was destroyed.
After ditching his prison fatigues on Nal Hutta, Eval purchased used gear and several weapons from Pablo's pawnshop in Bilbousa Bazaar. Eval bought a gray pistol that had begun to rust and a sniper rifle. He also acquired a worn brown holster for his blaster. For armor, he had a dual-colored chest plate with matching pauldrons. Underneath his armor, Eval wore simple pants and a long-sleeved shirt, both in shades of brown.[14]
Later, while in Bilbousa, Eval purchased[14] a YV-666 light freighter, a model of the YV-series manufactured by the Corellian Engineering Corporation,[21] from a Bith starship dealer chosen by Rako Hardeen. While he and Cad Bane attempted to leave Nal Hutta, Eval's ship was attacked by Hutt Clan forces and shot down, after which they regrouped with Hardeen and purchased[14] a Luxury 3000 space yacht, a transport ship manufactured by the SoroSuub Corporation.[22]
Behind the scenes[]
- "[M]ost good directors do this—they let the actor give you what they come there with and then start fine tuning the performance if it's going awry. Moralo Eval was much like that. He's really this insane madman but he's trying to contain it. That was the way I did it. If you were to watch my body language while I was doing that character, my shoulders were scrunched up, my hands were all curled in. My body was contorting, which you have to do. You have to get into the character physically, otherwise it just doesn't play right."
- ―Stephen Stanton on voicing Moralo Eval
Moralo Eval was created for a four-episode arc in the fourth season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.[24] The first episode of the tetralogy, "Deception," was directed by Kyle Dunlevy, written by Brent Friedman,[4] and first aired on Cartoon Network on January 20, 2012.[25] "Deception" was followed by the episodes "Friends and Enemies," "The Box," and "Crisis on Naboo," all of which feature Eval as a primary character.[24] Concept designs of Eval for "Friends and Enemies" and "The Box" were created by Polina Hristova and Andre Kirk as early as November 2, 2010.[26][27] In The Clone Wars, Eval was portrayed by veteran voice actor Stephen Stanton, who had already voiced Mas Amedda and Admiral Tarkin earlier in the series and would voice several more in later seasons of The Clone Wars and the larger Star Wars franchise.[23]
Stanton enjoyed voicing Eval and considered the unhinged and psychotic character one of his favorite Star Wars performances. According to Stanton, who was amused that Eval was written to be a life-long criminal, an early version of the script for "Deception" gave Eval's age when he murdered his mother as seven. He and Corey Burton, who portrayed Cad Bane in The Clone Wars, compared their characters in the villain-centric storyline to gangster films produced by Warner Bros. starring Humphrey Bogart or James Cagney, where many of the lead characters were criminals.[23] With supervising director[4] Dave Filoni, Stanton fine-tuned his performance of Eval's barely-contained psychosis to keep it from going too far in any one direction. One of Stanton's methods for playing Eval was contorting his body during recording sessions to get into character physically.[23]
Throughout 2012, Stanton was a frequent guest on The ForceCast, where he voiced Eval in a recurring segment called "Bedtime Stories with Moralo Eval" or "Uncle Moralo's Bedtime Stories." In these comedic segments, Stanton would read children's stories and nursery rhymes in Eval's voice, often with humorously dark commentary or rewording.[28]
Appearances[]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Deception" (First appearance)- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Friends and Enemies"
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Box"
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Crisis on Naboo"
- "Bane's Story" — The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
