The old adage went that “there were heroes on both sides” of any war. But over time, Boaz came to see that there were only villains. And not just on both sides. On ALL sides. And in any war.



There was no honor in it, despite what Holodrama propaganda would have you believe — despite what Boaz himself believed, for a time, when he first enlisted in the Toydarian royal army after news of the grisly murder of King Katuunko became public.



Serving in the Toydarian mobile infantry unit Jenth-18 — a group which soon earned the nickname “The Golem” for its effective role in protecting the Toydarian people — Boaz fought on the front lines and lived to tell about it. But the tale he would later tell was not a happy one.

Boaz quickly learned that his talents lay in close-quarters combat. He was able to pummel even later model battle droids into submission with just his bare fists. And whilst traveling the galaxy with Republic forces, Boaz’s base camp boxing matches and sparring sessions began to draw crowds.

But just as Boaz started allowing himself to feel pride in his battlefield heroics, and in the camaraderie shared with his fellow soldiers, the Clone War ended. And though his “side” had won, said side no longer resembled what Boaz had risked life and wing for. He thought he’d fought to defend a Republic and “democracy,” but what he had enabled instead was the rise of a fascist Empire. Everything that Boaz and his people had suffered through felt like it had been for naught. Toydarians continued to suffer, only now it was under an iron fist whose power Boaz himself helped cement. He and his fellow soldiers weren’t heroes; they were just pawns for the powerful.


There was no honor in war, only horror. But there *was* still honor in the boxing ring. And in the pits. There, one on one, face to face, mano a mano, Boaz (naively) convinced himself that a man still had a chance to do honest work, and that everyone who stepped into the ring had a shot at a fair fight.



And so “Battling Boaz, the Hammerin’ Toydarian” was born. Upending unflattering stereotypes about Toydarians, Boaz soon built a formidable reputation for himself in the Galactic fighting circuits, by reeling off an impressive streak of victories against far larger and stronger opponents. Boaz remained unbeaten, and had positioned himself for a championship bout after only three seasons against increasingly deadly foes. People had taken notice — including the “wrong” type of people.

The crime syndicates appeared to Boaz in shadows, mustering more combined muscle than even he could fight off on his own, as they insisted he throw the big fight. If Boaz lost the championship bout on purpose, they said, he stood a lot to gain. They guaranteed him an even bigger (under-the-table) payday than winning honestly would. And with that, the syndicates believed they had assured their own hefty windfall.



There’s a reason Boaz drives an air-taxi now — he doesn’t exactly drive it well, but the point stands. Rather than take a dive in the tenth round, Boaz fought harder than he ever had. It was harder than having to flee into the Outer Rim immediately after the bout. Harder than averting his eyes years later, when the occasional passenger thinks they recognize the “Hammerin’ Toydarian” in the driver’s seat.

But that match was also Boaz’ proudest moment. The victory might have cost him fame and fortune, but better that than paying the price of honor. Better that than dipping his hands again into the blood of his brothers. Better that than allowing the ethical compromises of the battlefield into the ring, into his head, and into his heart.



Now, years later, with his Coruscanti checker-cab grounded after repair costs for a “fender-bender” proved to be beyond his means, Boaz has been forced to wade back into the underworld muck and mire — this time as hired muscle. But smugglers never ask Boaz to throw a fight. On the contrary, *their* survival often depends on the Hammerin’ Toydarian’s surprising power. And to this day, Battling Boaz has never lost a fair fight.


Boaz feels as though he is, at least in part, personally responsible for the Empire's rise, by fighting on its behalf — despite having been bamboozled and despite having the best intentions.

In light of this, Boaz wants to NEVER compromise his principles ever again. He always wants to do the right thing. BUT doing the "right thing" doesn't mean NOT breaking the law — it's the Empire's law, after all. Boaz just always wants to know where he stands and that his actions are in support of "honest" day-to-day goals.

(More immediately, Boaz wants to make enough credits to pay for the repairs and replacement parts to his air-taxi.)

REFUSED TO THROW THE FIGHT / "TAKE A DIVE" (+10 XP):

Boaz refused to throw the championship bout he had earned. In so doing, Boaz lost the support of "legitimate" boxing circles AND nearly lost his life to gamblers looking to collect on what was supposed to be a "fixed" fight. Boaz's brawn saved his skin, but now he lives his life as an outcast, very much on the outs with his old circles.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Flying in the face of Toydarian stereotypes, Boaz is every ounce a fighter. Barrel-chested and rippling with muscle, Boaz is capable of going toe-to-toe with opponents far larger than he is. Sporting the same flat-cap and suspenders he's worn since before he enlisted in the war, Boaz looks grizzled and weary, but (somehow) still able to kick your @$$.

Voiced by George Clooney, a la his portrayal of Ulysses Everett McGill in the Coen Bros' "O Brother, Where Are Thou?" (2000)

Artwork by Me! https://twitter.com/Magna_Tolvan/status/1466073195010793474

CAPSULE: Once he was known as Battlin' Boaz. And once upon a time, he — a Toydarian! — was a feared presence in the ring. But that was a long time ago. In an entirely separate life that now felt far, far away.

A Clone War veteran who wound up as an air-taxi driver after the Empire abandoned those who'd fought for its survival, the "Hammerin' Toydarian" was once a promising pit-fighter. But he refused to throw the championship bout — "Not even for money!" Watto gasped — and as a result, Boaz nearly lost it all!