The criminal organization known as Black Sun rose to prominence during the Clone Wars as the Jedi Order dedicated their focus to military operations, resulting in a reduction of law enforcement efforts. Black Sun forged an alliance with the Shadow Collective, which was led by the former Sith Lord, Maul. The syndicate's operations were based on Mustafar and Ord Mantell, and it included a significant number of members from the Falleen species.
Black Sun's existence spanned thousands of years. In 49 BBY, Nodrus Cay held the rank of lieutenant within Black Sun. This Zabrak lieutenant made an attempt to abduct the Jedi younglings Gehren Rand and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but both managed to break free.
During the Clone Wars, the syndicate wielded considerable power across the galaxy, governed by a council of Falleen noblemen operating from their fortress located on Mustafar. Among its members was Ziro, a Hutt. Black Sun exploited the reduced surveillance from the Galactic Republic during the war, leading to an expansion of their influence. In 19 BBY, the Sith Lord Maul compelled Black Sun to align with his Shadow Collective after his brother Savage Opress killed their leader, Xomit Grunseit, leaving only one survivor. Black Sun openly operated a base on Ord Mantell.
Under the Shadow Collective's command, Black Sun, alongside the Pyke Syndicate, played a role in the extensive Battle of Ord Mantell, defending against Separatist forces led by Count Dooku and Grievous.
Near the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Black Sun's leader, Ziton Moj, suggested a merger with the Pyke Syndicate, known for its distribution of illegal narcotics. When the Pyke leader, Marg Krim, declined his proposal, Moj responded by abducting Krim's family to force his compliance. In response, Krim hired two independent bounty hunters, Asajj Ventress, and Quinlan Vos, to rescue his family. The pair of bounty hunters launched an assault on the Black Sun fortress on Mustafar, successfully freeing Krim's family. During the operation, Ventress and Vos engaged Moj and his Falleen guards. Black Sun retaliated by deploying a fleet to attack the Pyke Syndicate's stronghold on Oba Diah.
Following Palpatine's transformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire as the Clone Wars ended, Black Sun established a lasting alliance with the new autocratic regime. They oversaw the Outer Rim, becoming the predominant criminal force in that region. Early in the Imperial Era, a Black Sun racketeer operated on Murkhana until Darth Vader, in one of his initial acts as Palpatine's enforcer, undertook a mission to Murkhana, during which he eliminated the racketeer. As a result of Vader's actions, Black Sun abandoned Murkhana, allowing the Sugi Faazah to gain power on that planet.
About a year after the Empire's rise, Black Sun took notice of pilot Ahsoka Tano (known to them as "Ashla," without knowing her past as a Padawan), after she interfered with their sentient trafficking. The Force-sensitive Tano had been aiding the people of the Outer Rim. Discovering that "Ashla" was employed by the Fardi clan, Black Sun believed they could offer her more money, while also expecting her to repay the thousands of credits she had cost them. Consequently, Black Sun instructed their agents to either recruit or eliminate the pilot. When a Black Sun agent located her on an Outer Rim planet, Tano declined their offer and escaped aboard her light freighter while the agent opened fire.
The agent pursued Tano in their sleek starship, even as she realized that the encounter had cleared her mind. Their dogfight was interrupted by Chardri Tage's starship, sent by Senator Bail Prestor Organa to find Tano. The agent chose to retreat rather than engage the larger vessel. After boarding Tage's ship and reuniting with astromech droid R2-D2, Tano rested aboard her ship, positioning it above a nameless moon orbiting the planet where she had fought the agent. She was confident that the agent, while repairing their ship, would not find her hiding place. During the Age of the Empire, Black Sun possessed a Pantolomin cruiser. The mercenary Saponza was hired by Black Sun, but he abandoned the job. In response, the syndicate dispatched a Mandalorian assassin after him.
At one point, Duke Blazor of Black Sun expected payment from the Gatto Gang, leading him to hire bounty hunter IG-88B. Gyuti, a Boss within Black Sun, was involved in a fiasco on Ryloth, a embarrassing incident on Ryloth. Black Sun abandoned Mustafar during the Imperial Era after the Galactic Empire established a garrison there, opting for a less conspicuous world. Former Imperial cadets Sabine Wren and Ketsu Onyo decided to join Black Sun as bounty hunters. However, Ketsu became "greedy," left Sabine for dead, and joined Black Sun on her own. Years later, Ketsu accepted a Black Sun assignment to retrieve a GNK-series power droid named EG-86 carrying critical information for the rebellion. This mission brought her into conflict with Sabine, who despised Black Sun for its involvement in slave trafficking. Ultimately, the two reconciled and joined forces to escape the Empire and deliver the droid to the Rebellion.
Between 3 ABY and 4 ABY, the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn resurfaced after a long absence, sending a message to various criminal factions. In the message, the syndicate's current leader Lady Qi'ra invited the other syndicates to participate in an auction for the carbonite encased Han Solo. Black Sun responded and arrived at Jekara, where one of their ships was struck by the Millennium Falcon. Black Sun retaliated by deploying fighters to destroy the Millennium Falcon, but it evaded them and crash-landed on the planet.
Gyuti, along with Xet and other Falleen, entered the Vermillion. Black Sun placed a bid for Solo during the auction, but their efforts were thwarted by a mind trick performed by Imperial Sub-Administrator Sly Moore. Jabba Desilijic Tiure of the Grand Hutt Council won the auction, but his victory was short-lived due to the arrival of Darth Vader. Flanked by two death troopers, the Sith Lord declared that Solo belonged to him. Chaos erupted, and Vader attacked several syndicates, including Black Sun, forcing them to withdraw from Jekara. In the ensuing chaos, the Hutt Clan engaged several Imperial ships.
Following the auction, Gyuti met with Qi'ra aboard the Black Sun frigate Darkpath. Qi'ra offered Crimson Dawn's services and suggested that Black Sun assert itself to gain the Empire's partnership, which the Hutt Clan previously held. This proposition intrigued Gyuti.
Shortly after the meeting with Qi'ra, Crimson Dawn began orchestrating attacks on various criminal syndicates, including Black Sun. The Black Sun smash-processing lab on Dantooine was attacked and destroyed. Gyuti watched footage of the aftermath on the Shadowfeeds, but he could not identify the perpetrator.
During the time of the New Republic's establishment, Black Sun was one of the prominent crime syndicates operating in the Outer Rim. In 5 ABY, the Black Sun Boss Gyuti placed a bounty on the Zabrak bounty hunter Jas Emari due to debts incurred by her aunt Sugi. Underboss Rynscar and her henchmen ambushed Jas and Sugi while they were on Nar Shaddaa seeking information on Han Solo's location. Jas convinced Rynscar not to turn her in by offering to repay double the amount she owed. Rynscar also provided Jas with information about Han Solo's whereabouts.
Shortly before the Battle of Jakku, the bounty hunter Mercurial Swift decided to collect Gyuti's bounty on Emari as revenge for her role in ambushing him on Taris. Later, Black Sun conspired with the Red Key Raiders to prolong the Galactic Civil War. They bribed and blackmailed five New Republic Senators, Ashmin Ek, Dor Wieedo, Rethalow, Grelka Sorka, and Nim Tar, to oppose Chancellor Mon Mothma's resolution to send New Republic Defense Force forces to Jakku, where the Galactic Empire had retreated. Their plot was thwarted by a team led by Sinjir Rath Velus and Han Solo, who rescued Nim Tar's child and persuaded the senators to change their votes in exchange for pardons and political favors. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, Black Sun maintained significant territory in the Outer Rim. During this period, Maul's influence over Black Sun became public knowledge.
During the New Republic Era, Black Sun re-established its presence on Mustafar, governed by Falleen from noble families. Black Sun also developed a rivalry with the resurgent Crimson Dawn, leading to occasional skirmishes. Information about Black Sun was included in "Index of Organizations," a survival guide distributed by Carson Teva to New Republic recruits.
A major criminal entity, Black Sun engaged in illicit activities like sentient-trafficking. While considered reprehensible by many, Black Sun members viewed it as a "business venture." Black Sun Guards were Falleen who served as ground-level soldiers and protectors for the syndicate.
Black Sun made its debut in the now-Star Wars Legends multimedia project, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, released in 1996 as a novel, comic book, video game, and more. During the development of "Eminence," the fourteenth episode of the fifth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the decision was made to provide Maul with a power base within the criminal underworld. Dave Filoni, the supervising director of the show, recalled Black Sun from Shadows of the Empire and knew that the Expanded Universe depicted Maul as having fought against Black Sun before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Consequently, Filoni and his team chose to incorporate Black Sun into the series.