Cyborg bounty hunter Beilert Valance recently returned to Star Wars comic canon after many years. The anti-hero made his debut in 1978, in the 1970s Star Wars series published by Marvel Comics. Eventually, when the Star Wars comic universe was rebooted, his story became a part of Star Wars Legends, the stories no longer considered canon after the acquisition of Star Wars by Disney in 2012. Now he's back and about to play a big role in the upcoming War of the Bounty Hunters event. So who exactly is he and why does he matter?
Beilert Valance first appeared in Marvel Comics' Star Wars (1977) #16, written by Archie Goodwin with art by Walt Simonson. A former Imperial soldier, Valance is shown to have a personal vendetta against droids. He hates droids of all kinds, believing machines to be nothing but imitators of man. He destroys every droid he comes across. This is ironic, since by the end of the issue he is revealed to be part robot himself. Valance's accident that turned him into a cyborg occurred during his time with the Empire. After the accident—which involved a Rebel aerial torpedo—he was saved, much to his dismay. His hatred of droids extends to hating Luke Skywalker for being close to C-3PO and R2-D2.
Tracking down Luke, Valance turns into a kind of rival for Darth Vader, who also seeks Luke. However, Beilert finds him first and the two fight. Star Wars #27 and #29 show the confrontation, in which C-3PO helps Luke, revealing to the bounty hunter that humans and droids can actually have legitimate partnerships. Beilert lets the two leave, left in a state of disbelief and confusion regarding his own identity as a cyborg. Eventually, Beilert Valance turns into a distant ally for Luke, wanting to postpone Vader from finding him so he can give Luke time to get farther away and stronger. Vader and Beilert fight, but ultimately Vader kills the cyborg, ending his existence in the Legends timeline.
A new Star Wars comic canon was born with the launch of the Star Wars series in 2015. Beilert Valance's first major canon appearance came in the series Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet. Valance is a cadet in the academy along with Han Solo. This series provides the backstory for his being turned into a cyborg. He is Han's rival and a bit of a bully who believes in the Empire and what they are doing. After an accident, Han saves Valance, putting himself at risk, while Valance learns the harsh truth about how the Empire treats its soldiers.
He next appeared in Star Wars: Target Vader in 2019. This series focuses on his efforts to hunt down Darth Vader after being hired by a group called the Hidden Hand. More details of his backstory are given in this series. Valance is the son of a miner who dreamed of being an Imperial pilot. He gives everything to the Empire, just to be discharged after his injury. His home planet is abandoned by the Empire, leaving it prey for raiders. This results in Valance having a personal vendetta against the Empire.
As shown in the ongoing Star Wars: Bounty Hunters series—written by Ethan Sacks with art by Paolo Villanelli—Valance has worked with several bounty hunters including his former mentor Nakano Lash, Bossk, Boba Fett, and Dengar, as well as a few lesser-known ones. Dengar has betrayed Beilert twice, but they have come to blows three times. Beilert used to have romantic history with a woman named Yurala, but his insecurities about his cybernetic condition and his former dreams of being an Imperial pilot caused him to never have an actual relationship with her. Apart from these partnerships, he is a loner, moving from place to place capturing bounties or seeking out his rivals—like Boba Fett—to settle scores. Beilert Valance will be featured prominently in the upcoming Star Wars comic crossover event, War of the Bounty Hunters, in May 2021.