OnACanonArticle

"Sa'Kalla!"
―Paodok'Draba'Takat Sap'De'Rekti Nik'Linke'Ti' Ki'Vef'Nik'NeSevef'Li'Kek's battle cry — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[4]

Paodok'Draba'Takat Sap'De'Rekti Nik'Linke'Ti' Ki'Vef'Nik'NeSevef'Li'Kek, also known as Paodok'Draba'Takat for short—and to most as Pao—was a male Drabatan who was born on the Outer Rim planet of Pipada in 31 BBY. During the Imperial Era, he would leave his homeworld and his dream of becoming an engineer behind after the Galactic Empire invaded the planet for resources to improve the Imperial Military.

Sometime after leaving his homeworld, he joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic to fight the Empire, eventually reaching the rank of corporal in the Rebel Alliance Special Forces. Pao took part in a demolition job to destroy a communications tower on the astronomical object of Foerost for the Alliance. The skills he used in that demolition job later assisted his placement of charges during the Battle of Scarif—a turning point for the Rebel Alliance in the Galactic Civil War.

In 1 BBY, Pao was among those who volunteered to join Rogue One, a ragtag team of rebels who looked to retrieve the plans for the superweapon known as the Death Star from the Imperial Center of Military Research on Scarif, despite not receiving sanctioning from Alliance High Command. Upon arriving on the planet, Captain Cassian Andor—the leader of the mission—assigned Pao to the main squad alongside Sergeant Ruescott Melshi and two former members of the Guardians of the Whills, Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe. Pao helped cause a distraction to draw the stormtrooper garrison's attention with multiple other soldiers while fellow rebels Andor, Jyn Erso, and K-2SO snuck into the Citadel Tower and obtained the plans. Pao was killed before death troopers were deployed to the battlefield.

Biography

Early life

Pao was born on the planet Pipada (pictured).

Pao was born on the planet Pipada (pictured).

Paodok'Draba'Takat Sap'De'Rekti Nik'Linke'Ti' Ki'Vef'Nik'NeSevef'Li'Kek was a Drabatan born on the[1] Outer Rim[5] planet of Pipada[1] in 31 BBY. His shortened name was Paodok'Draba'Takat; however, he was known to most simply as Pao—as remembering and pronouncing his name was difficult for many. He studied structural dynamics and dreamed of becoming an engineer, but these wishes would remain unfulfilled when the Galactic Empire began an occupation of his homeworld[2] after the Drabatan people protested its rule. One protester was Sa'Kalla, a young and popular singer who wrote songs denouncing the Empire. After her execution by an Imperial governor, many Drabatan warriors[6] such as Pao[4] used her name in a war cry when charging into battle.[6]

During the occupation, the Empire exploited the planet of its resources to further expand the Imperial Military and satisfy their fuel needs. The occupation caused most of the Drabatan people—including Pao—to abandon their homeworld.[2] Pao eventually gave up his wish of becoming an engineer and joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic in order to fight the Galactic Empire. After serving with the Alliance for some time, he became a corporal in the Rebel Alliance Special Forces.[1]

The Rebellion

A cry of rebellion

"Commander—If Jyn Erso can't get the job done, we need to consider a plan for raiding Saw Gerrera's fortress in the Jedha Catacombs."
―General Davits Draven, expressing his concerns to Mon Mothma[7]
Sergeant Melshi leads rebels, among them Pao, on a jog on Yavin 4.

Sergeant Melshi leads rebels, among them Pao, on a jog on Yavin 4.

At one point, Pao undertook a demolition job to destroy a communications tower on the terrestrial astronomical object of Foerost.[8] In 1 BBY,[3] Pao was stationed in the Great Temple Rebel base on[9] the Outer Rim moon Yavin 4.[10] There, he walked through a hangar past multiple starfighters and met with an officer. Pao briefly spoke with the officer before he continued to walk past Admiral Raddus and General Davits Draven, who were discussing a U-wing arriving on the moon. The ship's captain was Alliance Intelligence Captain Cassian Jeron Andor, who had received information regarding a secret Imperial superweapon being constructed and met with Alliance High Command to discuss the information. The following day, Pao jogged through the forest and past Andor with a group of rebels led by Sergeant Ruescott Melshi.[9]

Shortly thereafter, Andor traveled to the Ring of Kafrene mining colony to meet with a contact. The meeting confirmed the information of the superweapon and its capability of destroying a planet. Andor also learned of its name—the Death Star. The Alliance had attempted to contact the lead engineer of the space stationGalen Walton Erso—through his daughter, Jyn Erso. She was extracted from Imperial capture by members of the Marine Corps led by Melshi and the reprogrammed Imperial KX-series security droid K-2SO.[4] Jyn was later brought to the Mid Rim[1] moon of Jedha to make contact with the rebel extremist Saw Gerrera and receive a message from her father about the rumored superweapon.[4]

Pao was amongst the rebels recommended by General Draven for a strike team.

Pao was amongst the rebels recommended by General Draven for a strike team.

Draven recognized Pao for his fearlessness and self-awareness. For this reason, the Drabatan corporal was among those considered to be a part of a strike team to raid Saw Gerrera's Base on Jedha if Jyn was unable to complete her mission. General Draven recommended Pao, alongside the other soldiers,[7] to rebel Chancellor[11] Mon Mothma as candidates for the strike team, with a larger squad potentially being built around them.[7] However, Draven's strike team was not formed, as Jyn completed the task and later was able to speak directly to her father on the planet Eadu. She then brought the information back to the base on Yavin 4.[4]

Battle of Scarif

"Melshi, Pao, Baze, Chirrut—you'll take the main squad. Move east and get wide of the ship."
―Captain Cassian Andor issuing orders — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[4]
Pao (left) volunteered to partake in an unsanctioned mission to steal the Death Star Plans.

Pao (left) volunteered to partake in an unsanctioned mission to steal the Death Star Plans.

Jyn met with the Alliance Cabinet to discuss the information she had received from her father, stating that the plans for the Death Star were being kept on the Outer Rim planet Scarif. However, before her meeting with the Cabinet was even complete, Andor and Melshi began calling upon volunteers to partake in an unsanctioned mission to steal the Death Star plans from Scarif, even if it meant disobeying orders.[8] Pao eagerly joined the newly formed Rogue One group, being one of the first people to respond to Melshi's call.[12] He, alongside the nearly two dozen other volunteers, boarded the stolen Imperial shuttle SW-0608, with the Imperial pilot-turned-rebel Bodhi Rook as its pilot, and departed for Scarif. On the way to the planet, the soldiers exchanged war stories and talked amongst themselves.[8]

The planet was protected by the orbital Shield Gate space station, which provided the only entry and exit from the surface to space. Using the shuttle's Imperial access codes, Rogue One was able to pass through the Shield Gate without incident and began their descent onto the planet. After landing on Landing Platform Nine, some of the troopers felt worried and expressed concerns about the task at hand, until Jyn gave a speech to the group, which motivated the rebels and gave them hope for the mission they were about to undertake. Captain Andor then instructed Pao, alongside Melshi and two former Guardians of the WhillsBaze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe—to take the main squad and plant charges along the Imperial base, with the goal of making it appear as if there were a hundred soldiers attacking as opposed to the small amount that were actually present.[4]

Pao planting an explosive on the side of a barrel to provide a distraction.

Pao planting an explosive on the side of a barrel to provide a distraction.

While Pao and the rest of the soldiers prepared a distraction, Jyn and Andor donned Imperial disguises and ventured into the facility alongside K-2SO to retrieve the plans from the vault in the Citadel Tower. After the area was clear, Pao led the group as they snuck out of the ship. Taking cover behind a crate, he signaled for the other soldiers to follow in close to him, leaving five soldiers behind to protect the ship and Rook—who would be their only way off of the planet. The troopers quickly entered the jungle canopy and gathered together as Sergeant Melshi handed out explosives to each of the rebels, telling them to plant one at each pad. Pao received charges and placed one on the side of a barrel[4] before setting more explosives in the barracks of the Scarif garrison.[2]

Chaos on the beaches

"Light it up."
―Cassian Andor, to Ruescott Melshi[4]

Captain Andor soon gave Melshi the signal to blow the charges and begin the distraction. Explosions erupted all across the island,[4] prompting Director of the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research Orson Callan Krennic[13] to order the Scarif garrison to be deployed in order to combat the rebels. Pao and the rest of the rebel fighters on the main platform immediately ambushed and engaged the shoretroopers and stormtroopers. He took cover from the oncoming fire behind a crate as his comrades began to fall. Amid the chaos, an All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport emerged from the smoke caused by countless explosions and started firing on the rebels. Pao let out a yell to alert his fellow troopers to the threat and started to retreat back into the shrubbery on the beach while continuing to fire at the approaching Imperials.[4]

Pao taking cover behind boxes on the Imperial platform while combating the Scarif garrison.

Pao taking cover behind boxes on the Imperial platform while combating the Scarif garrison.

Soon after the AT-ACT attacked, the rebel fleet arrived above the planet to engage the Imperial ships stationed over the Shield Gate. The AT-ACT continued to chase the rebel foot soldiers out of the canopy and into an open beach with little cover. Pao leaped into a ditch, attempting to use it as cover, letting out his war cry of "Sa'Kalla!" Meanwhile, twelve T-65B X-wing starfighters and one UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft of Blue Squadron were able to breach the Shield Gate before it was closed. Together, the squadron took down the Imperial walker, saving the fleeing rebels. Pao continued to run through the battlefield close to Melshi; however, despite being saved from the walker,[4] he perished in the battle shortly before death troopers were deployed on the surface to combat the few remaining fighters.[2]

Legacy

Sacrifice not in vain

"Rogue One, may the Force be with you. All ships, prepare for jump to hyperspace."
―Admiral Raddus — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[4]
Pao's distraction and sacrifice paved the way to the Death Star's destruction at the hands of Red Squadron's Luke Skywalker.

Pao's distraction and sacrifice paved the way to the Death Star's destruction at the hands of Red Squadron's Luke Skywalker.

Pao's actions and sacrifice provided Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor enough time to transmit the Death Star plans to the rebel Mon Cala capital ship Profundity, which was captained by Admiral Raddus.[4] The Battle of Scarif was the first major victory for the Rebel Alliance. The plans eventually made their way back to the Rebellion's base on Yavin 4 and were used to bring about the destruction of the Death Star at the hands of the Force-sensitive rebel pilot Luke Skywalker and Red Squadron at the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY.[14] After the Battle of Scarif, some rebels had begun to notice that their commanders had started to feel almost embarrassed by the successful mission performed by Rogue One, despite most of the fighters involved having been killed.[15]

When the Empire launched an attack on the Mako-Ta Space Docks[2] in 1 ABY,[3] Skywalker named his group Rogue Squadron in honor of the members of Rogue One's efforts and sacrifice. He served as Rogue Leader and it was decided that the next pilot should not go by "Rogue One" but rather "Rogue Two." The rebel pilot Zev Senesca received this title, while the former was retired out of respect for the fallen.[16]

Remembered for decades

"Pao was a notable Drabatan who served as a commando for the rebel forces during the Battle of Scarif. Drabatans are freshwater amphibiods, so the salt water on Scarif was unpleasant for Pao. He nevertheless charged into battle with his Drabatese war cry of 'Sa'kalla!' against his Imperial enemies, inspiring his many squad mates to follow suit."
―A section of the entry on Drabatans in an artist's journal[17]
Pao was mentioned in a journal that came into the possession of the Graf Archive (pictured).

Pao was mentioned in a journal that came into the possession of the Graf Archive (pictured).

The recommendation of Pao and other soldiers to a strike team was included in The Rebel Files, a collection of documents relating to the Rebel Alliance compiled by the archivist Hendri Underholt. After being lost during the Imperial bombardment of the planet Durkteel[7] in 4 ABY,[18] they were recovered years later in 34 ABY[19] after a bomb squad crew who was assisting in excavating the planet unearthed the files. The documents eventually were passed on to General Leia Organa of the Resistance, and several Resistance members read them. Resistance officer and former rebel lieutenant Caluan Ematt read Draven's recommendation of Pao and his fellow soldiers and commented that Draven was onto something in selecting them, as evidenced by Pao's volunteering for the unsanctioned mission to Scarif[7] that resulted in his death.[4]

Pao's legacy was also recounted in an artist's journal as part of an entry on Drabatans, which referred to Pao as a notable member of his species. It also mentioned the presence of a Drabatan mechanic at the Resistance base on the planet D'Qar.[17] At some point no earlier than 34 ABY,[20] the journal came into the possession of the Graf Archive—a vast depository owned by the Graf family that contained documents that held historical importance.[17]

Personality and traits

"Karabast! AT-AT!"
―Pao upon seeing an AT-ACT approaching his position — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[1]
Pao yelling while courageously charging the enemy during the Battle of Scarif.

Pao yelling while courageously charging the enemy during the Battle of Scarif.

Pao was a male member of the amphibious Drabatan species[1] with tough[21] gray skin and amber eyes who stood at 1.72 meters (5 feet, 8 inches).[1] Although he understood Galactic Basic Standard, the wide structure of his jaw made it difficult for him to pronounce words. He often muttered oaths and curses in his native Drabatese. Due to his skills as a soldier, his squadmates were fine with him speaking in his native tongue, as relaying specific orders was not among his tasks.[2] Pao did not let low odds of success deter him from his goals,[1] nor did he let his short stature keep him from proving his effectiveness.[22] His thirst for battle was only exceeded by his hatred of the Galactic Empire, which led to him being a fierce commando.[1] As a Drabatan that thrived in freshwater, the saltwater on Scarif was unpleasant for him.[17]

Skills and abilities

Pao was a skilled demolitions specialist with a booming voice.

Pao was a skilled demolitions specialist with a booming voice.

Pao was a demolitions specialist,[23] and because he was amphibious, he was particularly skilled at underwater demolitions. He studied structural dynamics, which contributed to his ability to find the best place to set explosive charges on structures. As a Drabatan, Pao had enlarged lungs and strong diaphragm muscles that allowed him to speak with a booming voice and hold his breath for long periods of time.[1] He used his booming voice to yell his war cry of "Sa'Kalla" that unnerved even his bravest opponents.[24] Pao was not Force-sensitive, though he had high speed and fighting ability, average strength and intelligence, and low diplomacy skills.[23]

Equipment

35?cb=20250116042720
▶️ to a preview of Pao's rifle firing blaster bolts
(info)
Pao wielded an illegal tibanna-jacked black market boiler rifle that required replacement galven barrels for constant repairs

Pao wielded an illegal tibanna-jacked black market boiler rifle that required replacement galven barrels for constant repairs

During his time serving in the Rebellion, Pao wore water-shedding fatigues with a dark gray vest over a tan smock with upper arm guards made of folded reeds from his homeworld of Pipada.[1] He wore a protective tan-colored cap atop his head.[21] He donned a pair of wrist gauntlets over dark fingerless gloves; the gauntlets held replacement galven barrels for his illegally tibanna-jacked black market boiler rifle, as it often needed repairs.[1] Alongside his rifle, he utilized sonic grenades while in combat.[25] Pao carried a backpack equipped with a transmitter antenna featuring a mounted glowrod and protected by an armored sheath. He wore a belt around his waist with a square buckle featuring a design resembling the Rebellion's commander rank insignia. There were also two holsters attached to the belt that held cylindrical objects in each.[1]

Behind the scenes

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Concepts and casting

"Pao has very tiny eyes which he squints through and he spends most of the time with his mouth shut, but when he opens it, when he screams in battle, his mouth opens to an extraordinary extent."
―Neal Scanlan[26]
An almost finished sculpt of Pao by Colin Jackman

An almost finished sculpt of Pao by Colin Jackman

Pao originated in a one-off[27] sketch of a Jakku scavenger[28] by artist Jake Lunt Davies during a creative brief for the[27] 2015[29] sequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens that never made it to the final cut. The original sketch designed Pao with a large mouth, spiky glam-rock hair,[27] a shredded shirt, and bones around his neck.[30] It was later decided that Pao would be used in the Anthology Series film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and he was redesigned by Davies to fit more in the film's militaristic style, although Davies opted to keep the large mouth.[27]

Pao was among the first alien designs that director Gareth Edwards responded to,[31] liking the idea of Pao being in the final battle and turning to his comrades to shout "Come on!" with his mouth opening far wider than expected.[27] Edwards liked how the character's eyes were subdued and almost shadowed in contrast to the large mouth. The trick was to have Pao seem introverted and then have his heroic nature revealed when his mouth opened.[32] More art for Pao was created by Davies and costume concept artist Adam Brockbank.[27] Creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan began work to bring the character to life.[26] Senior sculpter Colin Jackman created sculpts of Pao's head with the mouth wide open over a bust of Derek Arnold so he could line up various critical parts of the mouth interior with Arnold's mouth, eyes, and nose.[33]

Derek Arnold behind the scenes with Pao and Pablo Hidalgo

Derek Arnold behind the scenes with Pao and Pablo Hidalgo

Derek Arnold—who previously worked on The Force Awakens as the Tarsunts Lanever Villecham and Vober Dand, along with the hind legs of the luggabeast—was invited back to Star Wars to lend his talents once again. He was originally set to play Pao, Bor Gullet, a Mon Calamari, and another character. Due to a rewrite,[30] Pao was moved up in importance, joining the core team of the film while the other character and Mon Calamari were pushed aside. This allowed Arnold to focus primarily on Pao—which he was happy with.[34] After one of his first fittings, Arnold met with Gareth Edwards and had a half-hour conversation discussing Edwards' ideas for Pao. Edwards detailed how he had fallen in love with the design and wanted to play around with the design of the large mouth. Arnold and Edwards took the concept and developed Pao together from there.[30]

Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
Storyboards Concept art Digital renderings In-progress artwork
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Storyboards Concept art Digital renderings In-progress artwork

Plights of Pao

"I just had to go to a quiet place because it was just like you have thirty motors going on in your head, and it's a shell, it becomes a cave."
―Derek Arnold, describing the difficulty of playing Pao[30]
Derek Arnold's face visible inside the Pao head.

Derek Arnold's face visible inside the Pao head.

Around four months before filming, Arnold went through several fittings for Pao, one including a moving tongue prosthetically fitted to his tongue that choked him during the attempt—leading to the crew abandoning the idea. The final head for the character featured animatronic movements underneath two-inch-thick[30] silicone[34] skin controlled by puppeteer Phill Woodfine using radio electronics and took around fifteen minutes to put on or take off. When wearing Pao's head, Arnold was rendered nearly blind and deaf to what was around him, only seeing around half an inch when the mouth was fully opened. Inside the head, just above the tongue, a space was cut out for Arnold's lower face—which was painted black—for him to breathe when not filming. During scenes, a prosthetic that mimicked the appearance of a throat was placed over the cutout.[30]

Inside Pao's head were many loud motors that controlled the character's facial expressions. Arnold compared being inside the head to being in a loud, echoing, claustrophobic cave, while only a light humming was heard from outside of the head. When playing the part, he had to keep his eyes shut due to the motors being in front of his face, taking away his focus. Meanwhile, Pao's backpack presented another challenge, as it pushed Arnold's shoulders back when he tried to push them forward to properly hold his blaster—which was not nearly as heavy—leading to his arms going numb after just ten minutes. The crew constantly reminded him to simply focus on not dying while running around explosions being deaf, blind, and not feeling his own arms.[30]

The mask for Pao allowed for very wide mouth articulation.

The mask for Pao allowed for very wide mouth articulation.

When the different costumes and creatures were being screen tested, within a minute, the crew discovered yet another issue with the costume; Arnold was unable to breathe while in the full outfit. To solve this, the crew created an air pumping system with small fans inside one of the packs on his belt connecting to a tube that ran along his chest, pumping fresh air into the head.[30] Arnold and Woodfine created prompts to signal when he struggled to breath in the suit. When Arnold would adjust Pao's hat or turn his head to a side in a way, Woodfine opened the mouth a bit to allow oxygen to enter the head. Arnold would know when to signal to Woodfine that he was on the verge of passing out when he saw flashing lights, heard his heartbeat in his ears, and felt his heart rate rising.[34]

One day after filming a battle scene, Arnold was with Pao's fabricator and caretaker Morna MacPherson when Arnold began to feel lightheaded and smelled something foul. They quickly realized they were standing next to the person blowing fire and a fan for the scene, and that the gear was pumping the fumes into the head, prompting MacPherson to rush Arnold away from the fuel. The longest Arnold stayed in the costume was six and a half hours.[30]

Filming

"A lot of the time Pao was running, ducking, and diving amongst explosions on set and it was a challenge as he totally had to trust in the directions he's been given. Then there was a third person, Phill Woodfine, performing the physical expressions on Pao's face using radio-controlled animatronics."
―Neal Scanlan[26]
Derek Arnold on set as Pao.

Derek Arnold on set as Pao.

All of Pao's scenes on Scarif were filmed at the former air base RAF Bovingdon in the United Kingdom over the course of around five weeks. The set built at the air base included a large lake,[30] two thousand tons of sand, over sixty palm trees, and various greenery from the U.K.[26] Unlike other performers, Arnold and the Pao costume never traveled to the Maldives in South Asia—much to Arnold's disappointment—where other scenes featuring Scarif were filmed. The reason for this was that Pao's costume was simply too expensive to move around, as it was so complicated that it required Arnold and around five other people to work on him at once.[30]

Arnold and Pao's support team—Woodfine, movement director Paul Kasey, and others—always arrived on set before everyone else would to map out the set and get Arnold used to the area before shooting his scenes. MacPherson would arrive an hour even before the rest of the support team to ensure the Pao costume was prepared and functional for the performance ahead. MacPherson also occasionally ran with Arnold, providing him an umbrella and water.[29] When called to the set, Pao was referred to as "Debbie Francis."[34]

Derek Arnold had to rely on his fellow performers when playing Pao.

Derek Arnold had to rely on his fellow performers when playing Pao.

Due to being unable to see or hear during filming, Arnold was instructed by Kasey and Woodfine through an earpiece in one ear, who gave commands such as left, right, or stop.[30] Woodfine would also use "blow queues." One blow into the earpiece could tell Arnold to look left, two blows would mean to look upwards at K-2SO, three blows was to look at Cassian.[34] In the other ear, he had a separate earpiece for the rest of the actors' dialogue for cues.[30] Along with help from Kasey and Woodfine, the other actors assisted Arnold's navigation of the set.[29] During the scenes where Pao would yell, Arnold yelled as well to ensure the body language was correct and avoid Pao being hunched over with an awkward hanging jaw.[30] Matthew Wood provided the voice for Pao in the film, he included "Karabast" in Pao's lines because he wanted to have some slang from the animated series Star Wars Rebels in the film.[35]

Release

Pao's story was expanded in Pablo Hidalgo's book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide.

Pao's story was expanded in Pablo Hidalgo's book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide.

Pao was first revealed to the public during an exclusive trailer shown at the Star Wars fan convention Celebration Europe,[36] which ran from July 15 to July 17, 2016.[37] He was later identified as Pao when the film—alongside its novelization and junior novel adaptations—was released on December 16, 2016. Pablo Hidalgo's reference book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide was also released alongside the film[38] and revealed Pao's full name of Paodok'Draba'Takat Sap'De'Rekti Nik'Linke'Ti' Ki'Vef'Nik'NeSevef'Li'Kek.[1] Hidalgo—who had grown close with Arnold—included his name in Pao's lengthy title as part of "Sap'De'Rekti."[30]

Hidalgo stated that he believed Pao was more "gung ho" than most other Drabatans, but believed the rest of his people would be proud to call him a representative of their species. Alongside this, he stated that he planned to include a story in Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide about how Pao had a mild-mannered civilian life as an engineer before joining the Rebellion.[39]

Edits and errors

"Originally, he was just going to come in and just hail the beginning of a big battle scene. Kinda come in, sniff the battle out, and then scream at the start of the battle."
―Christopher Clarke[40]
Pao running past Bistan's downed U-Wing in an unused scene.

Pao running past Bistan's downed U-Wing in an unused scene.

According to animatronic designer Christopher Clarke, Pao was originally set to only appear at the start of a battle, exiting a ship and sniffing out a battle before screaming to show off how wide the costume's mouth could open. However, he ended up having a slightly larger role.[40] According to Arnold, Pao originally had a larger presence than what ended up in the final film.[34] Some scenes were featured exclusively in trailers and other promotional material. In one, Pao is seen charging past[41] the Iakaru rebel Bistan's[42] downed U-wing on the beach, having seemingly lost his backpack antenna.[41] Another features the Drabatan giving soldiers the signal to move forward during the Battle of Scarif.[43] Neither of these scenes appeared in the final theatrical release of the film.[4]

Another scene that was edited before the final release involved Pao setting a charge on the side of a barrel. A longer scene was filmed where the Drabatan came out of the tree line, crept around a crate, and walked to the barrel before arming and placing the explosive. The scene was reshot several times, as the charge had a magnetic strip that needed to connect with the metal piece of the set, and being rendered blind hindered Arnold's ability to flawlessly pull it off. Arnold was also forced to count his steps to the crate, and the scene took around ten to fifteen takes. The film's final cut only included the charge being placed, cutting the prior buildup.[30]

An extended scene where Pao places the charge.

An extended scene where Pao places the charge.

In 2017, Pao was featured in the 2017 Topps Star Wars: Rogue One Series 2 card set produced by The Topps Company, Inc. In the fifty-eighth card "Pao Gives It His All," Pao's battle cry is incorrectly identified as "Karabast" rather than the correct "Sa'Kalla."[44] Pao's name is spelled incorrectly in the Star Wars Encyclopedia booklet published by De Agostini, "The Heroes of Rogue One,"[2] first released in French on February 16, 2021[45] and was kept in the English publication. In the booklet, the third section of Pao's name is spelled incorrectly as "Nik'Linek'Ti'"[2] as opposed to to correct "Nik'Linke'Ti'."[1]

After Rogue

The Pao costume was featured with a different hat on a moving animatronic alongside other costumes during Celebration Europe at the Lucasfilm studio showcase panel on April 7, 2023.[46] Derek Arnold reprized his role as Pao in "Jedha, Kyber, Erso,"[9] the twelfth episode of the second season of the live-action Disney+ series Andor released on May 13, 2025.[47] An article released on the same day covered Pao's return from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and his portrayal by Arnold.[48]

Immortalized in plastic

Going rogue

"Can you hear me? This is Pao! I'm on heat! and I need backup!"
"You got it. What's the situation Pao?"
"The instructions are somewhere out there in that wreck, but we're not getting anywhere near it."
―Pao reports the situation to Jyn Erso — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[49]
The action figure of Pao used in episode 3 of Star Wars Go Rogue.

The action figure of Pao used in episode 3 of Star Wars Go Rogue.

Pao was featured as a secondary character in the non-canonical series Star Wars Go Rogue on the official Star Wars YouTube channel,[49] which was released from August 31[50] to September 26, 2016.[51] In the third episode, Pao was first seen as an action figure under blaster fire while scouting an Imperial crash site for the second set of Death Star plans, as the Rebellion had obtained the first one. Panicking, he requested backup and Jyn Erso answered the call, arriving with Cassian Andor, K-2SO, Chirrut Îmwe, and Baze Malbus. Erso requested a status report on the mission, and Pao informed her that the second instruction booklet for the Death Star was located in the wreck, stating that they would not be getting anywhere near it with the overwhelming Imperial forces present.[49]

After Andor and K-2SO snuck behind the enemy and took remote control of an All Terrain Armored Transport, Pao joined the other rebels in rushing the wreck to retrieve the plans. A stormtrooper discovered the case that contained the booklet in the wreckage and celebrated before being knocked over by Malbus and stepped on by Pao. Erso grabbed the case and headed towards the group's U-wing. The stormtroopers captured Andor, discovered the ship, and took back the first booklet before destroying the fighter. However, Erso had another plan.[49]

Going more rogue

"Over thirty-eight hundred pieces, now with over thirty-eight hundred pieces of instructions!"
"Hahahaha, that's a good one."
―Jyn Erso and Pao after completing the mission[51]
The LEGO minifigure of Pao used in episode 4 of Star Wars Go Rogue.

The LEGO minifigure of Pao used in episode 4 of Star Wars Go Rogue.

In the fourth and final episode, Pao—as well as the other characters—appeared as LEGO minifigures. While searching the wreck of the U-wing, Erso discovered Bodhi Rook, their pilot who survived the ship exploding. The crew built two ships using pieces from the destroyed U-Wing and escaped the astronomical object they were left on. The band of rebels reached the Death Star in hopes of recapturing the plans and saving Andor. Erso and Rook entered with the first ship and attempted to make a deal with Imperial Director Orson Krennic, who was holding Cassian.[51]

When the plan failed, the other rebels came in with the second ship, with Pao in the gunner's position shooting at the Imperial forces. The ship was destroyed by blaster fire, but everyone survived. In the chaos, both instruction booklets were destroyed in a shredder, preventing either side from obtaining their information. Andor was rescued and Rook commandeered Krennic's shuttle, after which Pao and the crew boarded the ship and escaped the battle station, celebrating their victory.[51]

Appearances

This article has an associated index page with page numbers and/or timestamps.

Non-canon appearances

Sources

Non-canon sources

Notes and references

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Audio · Images
  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "The Heroes of Rogue One" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, including the death of Paodok'Draba'Takat Sap'De'Rekti Nik'Linke'Ti' Ki'Vef'Nik'NeSevef'Li'Kek, to 1 BBY.
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  5. Star Wars Galaxy Map poster
  6. 6.0 6.1 Dawn of Rebellion
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Star Wars: The Rebel Files
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Andor logo new Star Wars: Andor — "Jedha, Kyber, Erso"
  10. Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
  11. Star Wars (2015) 4
  12. Star Wars: Rogue One: Secret Mission
  13. StarWars-DatabankII Director Orson Krennic in the Databank (backup link)
  14. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
  15. Star Wars (2015) 39
  16. "Rogue Two" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Star Wars: Alien Archive
  18. According to Star Wars: The Rebel Files, the bombardment of Durkteel took place at the same time as Battle of Endor. Since Star Wars: Galactic Atlas states that the Battle of Endor was fought in 4 ABY, the bombardment of Durkteel occurred that year.
  19. According to Star Wars: The Rebel Files, The Rebel Files were recovered thirty years after their loss during the bombardment of Durkteel, which took place at the same time as the Battle of Endor. Since Star Wars: Galactic Atlas states that the Battle of Endor happened in 4 ABY, it can be calculated that The Rebel Files were recovered in 34 ABY
  20. Star Wars: Alien Archive, which is presented as a restored in-universe journal, mentions Poe Dameron's mutiny against Amilyn Holdo, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 34 ABY, meaning the document must have been published at some point no earlier than that year.
  21. 21.0 21.1 Star Wars: Rogue One: Ultimate Sticker Encyclopedia
  22. StarWars.com 25 Wonderfully Weird Star Wars Character Names on StarWars.com (backup link)
  23. 23.0 23.1 2020 Topps Star Wars Holocron Series Card: Pao (backup link)
  24. 2018 Topps Star Wars Masterwork Card: Pao (backup link)
  25. Star Wars: Force Arena
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - The Official Mission Debrief
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 27.7 The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 Instagram-Logo Jake Lunt Davies (@jakeluntdavies) on Instagram (post on February 19, 2023) (backup link) (screenshot)
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 SWInsider "From Puppets to Pao: The Inside Story of a Rebel Commando" — Star Wars Insider 173
  30. 30.00 30.01 30.02 30.03 30.04 30.05 30.06 30.07 30.08 30.09 30.10 30.11 30.12 30.13 30.14 30.15 Premium-Era-real Ep. 32 Derek Arnold - The Interesting Podcast (with Brian Ballance) (Podcast) on soundcloud.com (backup link)
  31. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - The Official Mission Debrief
  32. The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures & Aliens
  33. 33.0 33.1 Instagram-Logo Jake Lunt Davies (@jakeluntdavies) on Instagram (post on February 19, 2023) (backup link) (screenshot)
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 34.5 Premium-Era-real Derek Arnold: Creature Performer, Puppeteer for the Stars (Wars) on talkingbay94.libsyn.com (backup link)
  35. Premium-Era-real Auditory 'Rogue One' Easter Eggs Revealed By Sound Editors Matthew Wood And Christopher Scarabosio by Sciretta, Peter on /Film (January 25, 2017) (backup link archived on January 29, 2025)
  36. Celebration-favicon Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryCelebration Europe exclusive trailer
  37. Celebration-favicon Europe Tickets on the Celebration Europe official Star Wars Celebration website (original link is obsolete)
  38. StarWars.com Rebel Reading: A Guide to Rogue One Books on StarWars.com (backup link)
  39. StarWars.com Much to Learn You Still Have: Talking Rogue One Aliens with Pablo Hidalgo on StarWars.com: "I think Pao may be a bit more gung ho than your average Drabatan, but I hope his people would be be proud to consider him a representative of their species. One story idea I wanted to put in the Ultimate Visual Guide was that he had a mild-mannered civilian life prior to joining the Rebellion. He was an engineer who felt he had to do something about the Empire." (backup link)
  40. 40.0 40.1 YouTube Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Bonus: "Pao" on the Star Wars NL YouTube channel (April 17, 2017) (original link is obsolete)
  41. 41.0 41.1 SWYT-Logo Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer (Official) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
  42. StarWars-DatabankII Bistan in the Databank (backup link)
  43. SWYT-Logo Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Breath" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
  44. 2017 Topps Star Wars: Rogue One Series 2 Card: Pao Gives It His All (backup link)
  45. DeAgostini-Logo Official Star Wars Encyclopedia on De Agostini's official Mexico website (backup link)
  46. StarWars.com SWCE 2023: 11 Highlights from Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase on StarWars.com (backup link)
  47. StarWars.com First Andor A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer and Poster Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
  48. StarWars.com Secrets from the Set of Andor Season 2: Week 4 Trivia on StarWars.com (backup link)
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 SWYT-Logo Star Wars Go Rogue | Chapter 3 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
  50. SWYT-Logo Star Wars Go Rogue | Chapter 1 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
  51. 51.0 51.1 51.2 51.3 SWYT-Logo Star Wars Go Rogue | Chapter 4 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)

External links