Bulgan was an Ansionian, an Alwari tribal outcast of the Tasbir clan, who had a hunched back and was missing an eye due to a suubatar accident he suffered as a child. His brain was also damaged during the accident—that is, until the Jedi healer Barriss Offee fixed it. His disabilities were the cause of him being cast out from his clan as a child to live in the cities. He became an enforcer for Soergg the Hutt, who implanted a detonator chip in his neck to ensure loyalty.