Nute Gunray's Timeline | Star Wars Guide

Nute Gunray (Viceroy) died in 19 BBY.

Nute Gunray was a Neimoidian male business executive and politician who rose to become Viceroy of the Trade Federation and, later, one of the most visible figures of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Greedy, cowardly and easily manipulated, he was recruited by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who used the Federation's commercial grievance over the taxation of trade routes as the pretext for the blockade and invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY — a manufactured crisis engineered to topple Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum and elevate Sidious's public persona, Senator Sheev Palpatine, to the chancellorship. Gunray occupied Naboo, imprisoned its population and pressured Queen Padmé Amidala to sign a treaty legitimizing the occupation, only to be captured when the Naboo and Gungans retook Theed. Despite four trials before the Supreme Court he kept his title and his freedom, and by 22 BBY he had thrown in with Count Dooku's separatist movement, demanding Amidala's death as the price of the Trade Federation's droid armies and signing the Confederacy into being on Geonosis. Throughout the Clone Wars he sat on the Separatist Council, surviving capture on Rodia in a scheme that saw him briefly held by the Republic before Asajj Ventress broke him out. His usefulness ended with the war: hidden on Mustafar with the rest of the Council on Sidious's orders, he was cut down by the newly christened Darth Vader in 19 BBY, the final casualty of the conspiracy he had helped set in motion.

Homeworld: Neimoidia

Species: Neimoidian

Force Sensitive: No

Birth year unknown - Born on Neimoidia

Nute Gunray was born a Neimoidian male, a species raised in grub hives whose survivalist upbringing bred the acquisitiveness and cowardice that defined him. Canon sources record no birth year.

~34 BBY - Rises to Viceroy of the Trade Federation

Gunray climbed the Trade Federation hierarchy to the office of Viceroy, commanding its vast mercantile fleet and battle droid army, and came under the secret influence of Darth Sidious.

32 BBY - Blockade of Naboo

On Sidious's instruction, Gunray ringed Naboo with Trade Federation battleships in protest of the Republic's taxation of the outlying trade routes, opening the crisis that would make Palpatine Supreme Chancellor.

32 BBY - Attempted murder of the Jedi ambassadors

When Chancellor Valorum sent Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to negotiate, Gunray tried to have them killed aboard his flagship with dioxis gas and droidekas; both escaped to the planet below.

32 BBY - Invasion and occupation of Naboo

Gunray landed his droid army, seized Theed, and herded the Naboo into camps while pressing Queen Amidala to sign a treaty that would make the occupation legal. She refused and fled offworld.

32 BBY - Defeat at the Battle of Naboo and capture

Amidala returned with Gungan allies; when Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Droid Control Ship, Gunray's army shut down and he was taken prisoner in his own throne room and delivered to the Republic.

Between 32 and 22 BBY - Four trials, no punishment

Gunray faced four trials before the Supreme Court and escaped meaningful sanction, retaining his viceroyalty — an outcome that deepened public cynicism about Republic justice.

22 BBY - Backs the Separatist movement and demands Amidala's death

Approached by Count Dooku on Geonosis, Gunray agreed to commit the Trade Federation's droid armies to the Confederacy only on the condition that Senator Padmé Amidala be assassinated; earlier attempts on her life on Coruscant were made at his urging.

22 BBY - Signs the Confederacy into existence

In the Geonosian war room Gunray signed the treaty founding the Confederacy of Independent Systems alongside the Techno Union, Banking Clan and Commerce Guild, and took a seat on the Separatist Council.

22 BBY - Battle of Geonosis

The Clone Wars erupted with the Republic's assault on Geonosis. Gunray fled the planet as his droid forces were routed, and spent the war moving between hidden Separatist strongholds.

~21 BBY - Capture on Rodia

Lured to Rodia by Senator Onaconda Farr's feigned defection, Gunray was arrested by Padmé Amidala and Jar Jar Binks and taken into Republic custody as the highest-value Separatist prisoner of the war.

~21 BBY - Escape aboard the Tranquility

While being transported for interrogation by Jedi Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano, Gunray was freed by Asajj Ventress and the treacherous Senate Guard captain Argyus, returning to the Separatist Council.

19 BBY - Ordered into hiding on Mustafar

With Dooku and General Grievous dead and the war ending, Darth Sidious directed Gunray and the remaining Separatist leaders to the volcanic world of Mustafar, promising their safety.

19 BBY - Killed by Darth Vader

Anakin Skywalker, newly anointed Darth Vader, arrived on Mustafar and slaughtered the Separatist Council. Gunray, begging for mercy and reminding Vader that Sidious had promised him safety, was the last to be cut down — ending the Confederacy and the Clone Wars.

View Nute Gunray in our timeline:

Learn more on Wookiepedia.com

Back to All Characters

⚡ Nute Gunray's Timeline

Key Events in Nute Gunray's Star Wars Story