Vob Bitas

"Two hours after the odds-defying victory of Blob 14 in the third race at Fondine Raceways, the Umgullian Racing Commission announced findings of banned viscosity-enhancing substances in the winning blob's system. Vob Bitas, the blob's owner, was immediately taken into custody and put to death."

―A HoloNet News report^[2]

Vob Bitas was a gambler and the owner of Blob 14, an Umgullian blob. Bitas enhanced Blob 14's viscosity with the aid of illegal substances and, in 22 BBY, entered the blob in the third blob race at the Fondine Blob Raceways on the planet Umgul. Bitas wagered over one million credits on Blob 14, but the racer's odds-defying victory prompted an investigation that led to the discovery of the substances. Bitas was arrested and subsequently executed.

Biography

"Bitas had bet a fortune, so the tainted blob saved me over a million credits."

―Slish Fondine^[2]

Vob Bitas cheated in a blob race on Umgul (pictured) and was subsequently executed after being caught.

Vob Bitas lived during the reign of the Galactic Republic and was the owner of an Umgullian blob named Blob 14.^[2] In 22 BBY,^[1] Bitas entered Blob 14 in the third blob race at^[2] the world^[3] Umgul's Fondine Blob Raceways. Blob 14 was not expected to win, but Bitas introduced prohibited viscosity-enhancing substances into the creature's system, an offense that was punishable by death. Bitas then bet over one million credits on Blob 14, which defied expected odds and won the race. The Umgullian Racing Commission immediately investigated the unlikely victory, and when the banned substances were discovered two hours later, Bitas was taken into custody and executed.^[2]

Slish Fondine, the owner of the raceways, used Bitas's winnings to recuperate financial losses incurred by the scandal. As Bitas was the fourth cheater caught at the raceways that year, Fondine considered deterring further fraud by instituting a harsher penalty than death. Bitas's victory and execution were soon thereafter reported on by an edition of HoloNet News CoCo District Edition.^[2]

Personality and traits

"This is the fourth time this year someone's been caught cheating. We may have to look into a stronger deterrent than the death penalty."

―Slish Fondine, following Bitas's execution^[2]

Vob Bitas was a gambler who was willing to use illegal viscosity-enhancing substances on Blob 14 in order to win a large sum of credits. However, the gambler's untoward ways were revealed by an investigation a mere two hours after the conclusion of the race.^[2]

Behind the scenes

"I'm indebted to Paul Ens and Pablo Hidalgo for helping me get my own Star Wars character, even if he only lasted a single issue of HoloNet News."

―Bob Vitas^[4]

Vob Bitas was named after Bob Vitas (pictured).

Vob Bitas was first mentioned in "Blob Racing Cheater Killed," an article published in HoloNet News Vol. 531 #48 on the HoloNet News website^[2] on March 21, 2002.^[5] Though the site content was written by Pablo Hidalgo and Paul Ens,^[6] Ens was responsible for the creation of Bitas.^[4] The character was named after Bob Vitas,^[7] the creator of the fan-made The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia (CUSWE), and he considered it an honor to have been made into a Star Wars character.^[4]

In 2005, author Abel G. Peña included Bitas as an example in a blog entry titled "How to Become a Star Wars Character in 5 Easy Steps." As Vitas was a notable figure in the Star Wars fan community, Peña humorously asserted that he had been able to skip some of the steps. Peña also jokingly implied that Hidalgo had killed Bitas off due to the CUSWE having once been a rival of Hidalgo's own Star Wars Index in the realm of online fan depositories of Star Wars knowledge.^[7]