Thermal Det was a Kitonak slicer and friend of Kitster Chanchani Banai on Tatooine during the Galactic Civil War.
In 1 ABY, a slaver named Drik Bandrik became upset with Kitster Banai's persistent attempts to improve the lives of slaves on Tatooine. In order to ruin Kitster, Drik Bandrik framed him with a large number of fake crimes, including the supposed murder of moisture farmer Krin Vel. However, a spacer working for Kitster managed to find Krin Vel, who then proceeded to help Kitster compile evidence clearing his name. Kitster tasked the spacer with delivering this evidence to Thermal Det, a slicer who proceeded to put the information onto the HoloNet. Thermal Det also revealed that Drik Bandrik tricked the crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure by fabricating evidence that Kitster Banai led a slave revolt at Jabba's Palace years ago. Thanks to Thermal Det, Jabba the Hutt soon learned of Drik's misgivings as a result, forcing the slaver to flee Tatooine.
Thermal Det was a Non-Player Character (NPC) in the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, prior to its closure on December 15, 2011. Players who performed a series of quests for Kitster in Mos Espa had to find Thermal Det and give him evidence clearing Kitster's name.
Thermal Det appears to have been named after the thermal detonator.