Rugor Nass

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"Wesa no like da Naboo! *tic tic tic.*Da Naboo think dey so smarty, dey think dey brains so big."

―Rugor Nass, to Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi after the latters' request to help them get to the Naboo^[2]

Rugor Nass, also known as Boss Nass, was a male Ankura Gungan. He was the Boss of all the Otolla Gungans, of Otoh Gunga, and of the Gungan High Council at the time of the Invasion of Naboo. He led his people successfully through the trying times of the invasion, and even swallowed his pride, allowing the Naboo to make use of the Gungan Grand Army. Following the invasion, he broke new ground in Gungan progress, by establishing a colony on the moon Ohma-D'un.

Nass was a proud ruler, and was the foremost Gungan of his time. He was respected by his peers, and was well known for his stubbornness. He held a bitter prejudice against Humans, a prejudice that could have led to his downfall if not for the intervention of Queen Padmé Amidala.

Biography[]

Early life[]

A descendant of the legendary Gallo, Rugor Nass was born on Naboo in the Gungan city of Otoh Gunga. He quickly cut a figure above his contemporaries with his warrior's spirit and unwavering determination. A popular fable concerns his inborn leadership abilities even as early as a tadpole. He was the first to sprout legs in his collective pool, and also seemed to organize the other tadpoles and aided them in their development. While in school, he ventured out into the unknown depths and encountered a sando aqua monster, somehow he managed to survive.^[1]

Early career[]

Gungan High Council — Nass at the head of his Council.

Nass took on many varied careers—from army sergeant, to engineer, to energy miner, and, eventually, the head of several small businesses. He became famous among his people by winning the Big Nasty Free-For-All, a grueling physical challenge in the annual Gungan Festival of Warriors, an unprecedented three years in a row.^[5] He began rising through the echelons of the Gungan civil service, impressing the citizenry with his organizational skills.^[4] By the time the elections for Top Boss came around, he had gained popularity with a supermajority of the population, and won the election in a landslide.^[5]

Rather more conservative than the other Otolla leaders, Nass developed a reputation for stern, no-nonsense, yet fair and just leadership. Exceedingly proud of his city, Nass made unprecedented steps towards civic improvement, including the development of the Municipal Zoo and a new Rep Council Chamber.^[4] The most notable of Nass' developments was the construction of a new public concourse he dubbed City Bigspace.^[5]

One day, when traveling in a Bongo submarine with Jar Jar Binks and Commander Wollod, Nass was alerted by Otoh Gunga Traffic Control that a storm was heading through their path. Nass was unable to avoid the storm, which resulted in severe damage to the Bongo. Binks and Wollod aided Nass in the repairs, before setting out to save anyone else who might be affected by the storm. They raced to the Festival Arena in Lake Umberbool where the Boss made sure that a group of bubble engineers were properly sheltered, before rescuing Rep Teers and his niece, Fassa.^[6]

Nass showed remarkable patience with the ever-bungling Jar Jar Binks, letting the hapless Gungan off with minor punishments for his misdeeds where most Bosses would have demanded Binks' head on a pike.^[1] However, Nass did vehemently draw the line at Binks romancing Fassa, revoking a life debt she had sworn to Jar Jar on a technicality.^[7] It was only after Jar Jar crashed Nass' personal heyblibber while trying to save it from a gas explosion (which Binks had also caused earlier that day), that Nass reached the end of his patience. The punishment chosen was banishment under threat of death if violated, rather than instant death, and for a while, Binks was gone and Boss Nass ruled Otoh Gunga in relative peace.^[1]

Nass was well and truly aware of his own achievements, and saw fit to commission a series of tributes to himself: A series of 16 display bubbles over the City Bigspace, each of which would be a tribute to his greatest deeds. The Rep Council, however, barred his efforts, and soon enough he had more pressing matters to deal with.^[4]

Invasion of Naboo[]

"Yousa cannot bees hair. Dis army of mackineeks up dare tis new weesong!"

―Rugor Nass^[2]

BossNass laugh — Nass laughing in 32 BBY.

In 32 BBY, Trade Federation forces headed by OOM-9 invaded Naboo. Prior to their occupation of Theed, they landed in the swamp areas, much to the horror of many Gungans. Through his leadership, Nass was able to keep the community together through the crisis. Nass was furious when the outcast Binks not only returned, but brought with him two outlanders: the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Nass blamed the Jedi for bringing the "mecha-neeks" (his term for the Trade Federation's battle droids). The Jedi argued that the Trade Federation's attack on the Naboo would adversely affect the Gungans as well, but Nass stubbornly refused to involve himself in the problems of the Naboo. Under the influence of Jinn, he then offered the Jedi a bongo submarine for their passage to Theed, not realizing that the Jedi had used the Force to sway his mind in the decision. He also reluctantly waived Jar Jar's death sentence to allow him to fulfill his life debt to Qui-Gon by being their navigator through the treacherous core of Naboo. Since even the most experienced of navigators had fallen prey to the perils of the core, Boss Nass felt secure in the knowledge that he would never see Binks or the Jedi again.^[2]

Alliance with the Naboo[]

"Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans. Mesa like dis. Maybe wesa bein friends."

―Rugor Nass^[2]

A few days later, the Trade Federation droids discovered Otoh Gunga, and Nass quickly evacuated the Gungans to their hidden Sacred Place deep in the swamps. He was able to keep the Gungan people organized in their evacuation, and saved countless lives due to his skills. His personal craft was attacked as it headed upstream towards the Sacred Place, but his escorts were able to quickly fend off the Federation aggressors. The troops under his command then eliminated nearby Federation encampments, securing the safety of the Sacred Place.^[8] Much to his chagrin, Binks and the Jedi showed up again, this time with the Queen of Naboo and her royal guard.^[2] Nass agreed to see them after the Jedi bested his Security Chief.^[9] The Queen, Padmé Amidala, humbled herself before Nass and pleaded for his help in fighting off the Trade Federation. Realizing that the Naboo were not as unreasonable and elitist as he had been led to believe, Nass heartily pledged his allegiance to them, combining their forces against a common threat. In addition, as a reward to Jar Jar for bringing about their alliance, Boss Nass not only revoked his exile, but he also promoted him to Bombad General, and was likewise amused at Jar Jar's fainting.^[2]

Nass proceeded to personally command the Gungan army which liberated Spinnaker and Harte Secur. While he was not actively involved with the attack on Spinnaker, he personally aided in the assault on Camp Six, where they freed the captured fambaas for use in the upcoming battle with OOM-9's forces. With the Federation presence in Harte Secur eliminated, Nass made preparations with General Tobler Ceel for the Battle of Grassy Plains.^[8]

Naboo celebration — Nass and Queen Amidala formally announce the beginning of the era of peace between their two societies.

During the Battle of Grassy Plains, the Gungan Grand Army bravely held off the bulk of the Trade Federation's droid contingent long enough for the Naboo to ambush Viceroy Nute Gunray in his palace and destroy the Droid Control Ship, rendering the droid army immobile and helpless. In the aftermath of the battle, Nass solemnly attended the funeral of Qui-Gon Jinn, and then jubilantly participated in the grand parade in which Queen Amidala presented Nass with the Globe of Peace to show the newfound peace between the Naboo and the Gungans after their centuries of rivalry.^[2]

Ohma-D'un[]

After the battle, Boss Nass took his plans for the betterment of the Gungans even further. Deciding that Otoh Gunga was too small to house the Gungan population, Nass emigrated some of his people to the Naboo moon Ohma-D'un. Moving Gungans out from the seas of Naboo and onto a planetoid of their own greatly improved Gungan relations with the rest of the galactic community.^[10] During the Clone Wars, the bounty hunter Durge, under orders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, poisoned Ohma-D'un, nearly wiping out the Gungan population. Fortunately, Nass and Obi-Wan Kenobi were able to find a cure, and the Gungans were saved.^[11]

Blue Shadow Virus[]

"Mesa shaaks, dey detectin' some-tin. Some-tin dey no liken at all."
"Da last time dey bein' like dis?"
"Over ten years. When da mackineeks... when dey comin' to Naboo."

―Peppi Bow and Boss Nass^[12]

Peppi and Nass — Boss Nass and Peppi Bow address the Royal Advisory Council

During the Clone Wars Nass brought a Gungan Shaak herder to the Naboo council. The herder, Peppi Bow, told the Queen that some of her shaaks had died from a mysterious disease. Upon coming of the idea of droids Nass and the council discussed the possibility of CIS forces on the planet. Luckily the virus was destroyed and the confederate scientist Nuvo Vindi was captured by the Jedi Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano and the senator Padmé Amidala and Naboo was saved.

Around 21 BBY, Nass was no longer leader, and was replaced as Boss by the Gungan Lyonie.^[13]

Clone Wars[]

MourningforPadme — Boss Nass (left), was among the thousands who attended the funeral of former Queen Padmé Amidala.

Shortly following Palpatine's rise to absolute power and the creation of the Galactic Empire, Nass attended the funeral of the former Queen Padmé Amidala with a heavy heart. Here, along with Jar Jar Binks, Queen Apailana, and thousands of other Naboo and Gungans, he bid his final respects to the woman who had helped unite the Gungans and the Naboo, thus bringing peace and co-operation to the planet.^[14]

Imperial occupation[]

"Yousa crazy? Attack Imperials? Maxi-bad strategy mesa friend! Yousa noticed they be controlink the wide-sea galaxy?""

―Boss Nass, to Ferus Olin^[15]

In 19 BBY, Nass, who had resumed his position of Boss, agreed to aid Ferus Olin by lending Gungan aid to Naboo troops, who attacked and destroyed the Imperial headquarters on Naboo, along with an illegal Imperial stockpile of explosives.^[15] Nass continued to fight against the Imperial occupation throughout the Emperor's reign, making the secret swamp villages his base of operations. Nass confined his troops to engage only in harassment and sabotage of the local occupying troops, realizing they were not strong enough, at the time, to drive the Emperor's legions off of Naboo.^[16]

Despite his private disdain for Naboo's Imperial occupation, Boss Nass represented the Empire during the Empire Day festivities in Theed. During these festivities, he addressed a sizable swarm of revelers clogging the city's streets. Over the city's giant holoprojectors, Nass wished for the revelers to have fun and enjoy Empire Day. Every time his voice boomed out across the city, cheers erupted from the city's mass of dancing, singing Gungans, with revelers exclaiming, "Happy Empire Day!" in an incessant fashion.^[17]

RugorNass — Boss Nass during the crisis of the stolen artifacts.

In addition to the Imperial threat, Nass himself had additional problems with the many criminal organizations infesting Naboo during the Galactic Civil War. Many stole artifacts and the like from the Gungan tribes. By the time following the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, Nass had lost five ancient artifacts, four of which had been stolen by such groups as the the Maulers,^[18] Skaak Tippers,^[19] Darkwalkers,^[20] the and the rogue Muskeg Gungans.^[18] The last artifact had been broken and shattered by the fanatic militant Gungan group called the Ultragungans. Some of the pieces had ended up in the possession of the Mummer, Mauler, Darkwalker and Skaak Tipper groups, while some of the others were in the possession of the Naboo.^[21]

In 1 ABY,^[22] Nass met up in the Sacred Place with members of the Royal Naboo Security Forces who were looking for an Old Republic droid module, a stochastic decision chip, which was located inside a B2 super battle droid and had somehow ended up in the possession of the the Ultragungans. Nass saw this as a chance to recover the artifacts and agreed to help the RSF agents if they would help him recover those that remained.^[23] The RSF members attacked the Mauler,^[18] the Skaak Tipper^[19] and the Darkwalker bunkers,^[20] as well as the Muskeg Anarchist, Extremist and Reactionaries camps^[18] to retrieve four of the stolen artifacts. The spacers eventually recovered the pieces of the last artifact in the Darkwalker Cave, Mummer bunker, Moenia University Hall, Keren Bank, Mauler Stronghold and in the Skaak Tipper Hideout.^[21] Nass kept his word and provided them with the location of the super battle droid.^[23] Furthermore, the Gungan also helped the spacers to find a way to penetrate the Ultragungan bunker and access the super battle droid without triggering any self-destruct security mechanism.^[24]^[25] Thanks to the help of Boss Nass, the spacers were able to find and destroy the super battle droid, and finally recover the Old Republic droid module.^[23]

Personality and traits[]

"Datsa Boss Nass? Hesa ugly!"

―Jar Jar Binks^[26]

Rugor Nass was somewhat of a bully—a particularly loud and bombastic Gungan. He would often make ticking noises when he was displeased with something, and would make other peculiar noises from time to time. He would often yell at those who opposed him as a method of intimidation. Nevertheless, he had the Gungan people's best interests at heart, and always did his duty. He was rarely diplomatic, but he was always honest. In addition, whenever he agreed to someones terms regarding negotiations, he has a habit of shaking his head and spitting.^[2]

Nass was also extremely ambitious, and wanted to leave behind a legacy that would rival that of his ancestor, Gallo.^[8] With the colonization of Ohma-D'un, Nass effectively debunked any criticism directed towards him, knowing that the Naboo would always look up in the sky and see a Gungan moon. This was also designed to compensate and be a tribute to the Gungans who fell at Grassy Plains.^[1]

Despite his sense of self-importance, Nass was still capable of self-mockery, and he would not hesitate to put in a lot of efforts to make other people laugh. During the celebrations that followed the victory against the Trade Federation, Nass agreed to play the game of Gungan dunk tank, during which people would make him fall into the water for fun. Dressed in his very own swimming attire, the Gungan would even encourage visitors to pay the "Dunk Boss Nass Bubble" a visit.^[27]

Equipment[]

During the Invasion of Naboo, Nass wielded a Gungan Staff.^[28]

Behind the scenes[]

Boss Nass was voiced by Brian Blessed in The Phantom Menace and by Kevin Michael Richardson in the game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. He has also been voiced by Greg Burson in several other games. He first appeared in George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, and has made a variety of Expanded Universe appearances since.

In the revised rough draft of The Phantom Menace, Nass was given the title of "Governor", and did not speak with the Gungan dialect that his final incarnation bore. In the early design stages of the film, Nass looked much more like Jar Jar Binks and other Gungans, but as his development evolved, his appearance shifted considerably, giving him an alternate look to other Gungans.^[5]

In the behind the scenes video on StarWars.com, Episode 1: Sound, they show the sound made by his lip shaking is made by shaking a hot water bottle.

In the Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game, the scene in Otoh Gunga during the game's third mission contradicts the scene in the movie. In the game, Nass places Binks in prison, and Jinn sends Kenobi to retrieve him while Jinn stays to negotiate transport with Nass. This article assumes the scenario to be non-canon. Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles, a video game released in 2000, and Star Wars: Obi-Wan, released in 2001, skip the scene entirely.

In 2005, Boss Nass was re-imagined in LEGO form with the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game and again in 2007 with the compilation re-release. He appears in the game's cutscenes and is unlockable as a playable character.