Hutt

Hutts were a reptiloid species resembling enormous slugs, possessing large mouths and short, stubby arms. Their anatomy included three lungs. They were known for their resilience and muscular build, characterized by thick, leathery skin that was both wrinkled and slimy. Hutts often displayed watery eyes and impassive facial expressions. Their tails, supported by a skeletal spine, enabled them to navigate through thick mud that would otherwise impede movement. Despite achieving considerable size as adults, Hutts began as diminutive Huttlets, measuring less than half a meter in height.

Hutts possessed skeletal structures, though they were not particularly known for their health. Some Hutts were afflicted with a genetic condition that resulted in a lack of skin pigmentation and a tendency for their skin to crack. While originally from Varl, the homeworld they eventually adopted was Nal Hutta, a planet distinguished by a hot atmosphere and frequent, oily rains, which combined to create a humid, sauna-like environment in which Hutts thrived. Hutts were resistant to mind tricks.

Hutts were capable of living for centuries—Jabba lived to be 604 before his demise—and could attain immense sizes. Indeed, a Hutt's lifespan could stretch beyond 1,000 years. The term used to describe a group of Hutts was "a bulge". Hutts spent their first 50 years within the brood pouches of their parents, emerging with what was described as the mental capacity of an infant.

The Hutts originated on Varl, where they faced persecution from the Kayfoundo Kapa. To evade this threat, they ultimately fled Varl and established themselves on Nal Hutta. Over many centuries, the Hutts became dominant figures in galactic organized crime. They held sway over the Twi'leks of Ryloth and the Nikto species for a considerable time.

The Hutts engaged with Lord Isamer of the Directorate, forging an agreement to destabilize the local governments of Eiram and E'ronoh. This was to benefit the Hutts' long-term ambitions of controlling trade and enslaving populations. Isamer thus initiated the Eiram–E'ronoh crisis, but the Hutts' true intention was for the crisis to dismantle the Directorate, thereby enabling them to freely expand their criminal activities into the region.

During Lina Soh's chancellorship, the Hutts maintained a low profile, generally avoiding Republic space due to trade sanctions imposed on the Hutt Clans. However, in the aftermath of the Great Hyperspace Disaster, a Hutt and their guards acquired a shipment of vratixia renanicus from the Sedri system. While traveling through the Kazlin system, their starship was attacked by the Nihil, resulting in the Hutt's death. Sskeer, Keeve Trennis, and the Kotabi bond-twins Ceret and Terec investigated the wreckage, and the Ataraxia transported the Hutt's body to Starlight Beacon. Avar Kriss requested an autopsy, which OrbaLin performed, revealing that the corpse was infected. The infection turned out to be Drengir, which erupted from the corpse and attacked the Jedi.

Concurrently, the Hutt Cartel arrived on Sedri Minor to honor an agreement with the colonists, offering protection in return for regular grain payments. Myarga Anjiliac Atirue discussed the arrangement with Kriss, but Sskeer attacked, sparking a conflict between the Cartel's mercenaries and the Jedi. Kriss managed to persuade Myarga to focus on their shared enemy, the Drengir, by broadcasting distress signals from across the Galactic Frontier and Nal Hutta itself. Despite Myarga's belief that the Five Families would never approve of an alliance with the Jedi, she ordered her warriors to fight alongside them against the Drengir. Trennis used a mind touch on Sskeer to convince the Drengir to retreat, conveying the idea that the "meat" on Sedri Minor was spoiled.

This fragile alliance continued for several months as Avar and Myarga worked to contain the Drengir infestations across the Frontier. The alliance dissolved after the Drengir were defeated during the assault on Mulita. Myarga wanted her forces to execute the captured Great Progenitor of the Drengir, but the Jedi defended her as a living being, leading to the end of the alliance. The Drengir crisis, however, had allowed the Nihil marauders time to regroup and launch the devastating Valo Atrocity.

During the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic formed an unofficial alliance with crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure after Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano rescued his son Rotta. Republic Senator Padmé Amidala also thwarted a scheme by Jabba's uncle Ziro to depose his nephew with the assistance of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Later in the conflict, Maul, the rogue Sith Lord, approached the Grand Hutt Council on Nal Hutta to offer them a role in his Shadow Collective. After they refused, a force of bounty hunters attacked the Shadow Collective's forces. Following their defeat, Savage Opress killed one of their members, Oruba. Eventually, Maul's forces visited Jabba and Gorga on Tatooine and, after a brief skirmish, convinced the two Hutts to join their cause.

During the Age of the Empire, the Hutts, along with other organized crime groups, wielded considerable influence throughout the galaxy. The Hutts also maintained extensive dealings with the Galactic Empire in exchange for protection within Hutt Space. They provided certain essential, albeit clandestine, services, including the operation of several black-site prisons.

When Qi'ra, the leader of Crimson Dawn, announced an auction on Jekara to sell the infamous smuggler and Rebel Alliance member Han Solo, who had been frozen in carbonite and stolen from bounty hunter Boba Fett, the Grand Hutt Council, along with the Empire and various other criminal organizations from across the galaxy, arrived to participate. Jabba ultimately purchased Solo, but before he could claim his prize, Darth Vader invaded the auction. After defeating Qi'ra, Vader ordered his forces to take Solo away as he departed to confront the rebel Luke Skywalker. Shortly thereafter, Bokku instigated a battle in Jekara's orbit between the Hutt forces and the Imperial forces. During the battle, Darth Vader killed the Grand Hutt Council. After learning that the Emperor had instructed him to personally end the Hutt insurrection, Vader withdrew from his confrontation with Skywalker.

After Vader's actions, Jabba became the sole leader of the Hutt Clan. The Sith Lord also discovered that Bokku had been an agent of Crimson Dawn. After Fett recovered Solo during the battle, Jabba informed Fett of his new position before compensating the bounty hunter for finally delivering Solo into his custody. Jabba reigned until his death during the Rescue of Han Solo.

Following Jabba's death, the Hutts faced the task of determining his successor as the leader of his empire. Several months after Jabba's demise, no decision had been reached.

After the liberation of Akiva, the New Republic took actions to reduce the influence of the Hutts and other organized groups by implementing financial regulations and conducting extensive patrols of the galactic shipping lanes. Nevertheless, the Hutts managed to maintain some influence over the Nikto species and their government into the New Republic era.

The Hutts had lost much of their former sway over the galactic underworld. As Yendor noted, other factions, such as Rinnrivin Di's cartel, were stepping in to fill the power vacuum. The Populists and the [Centrists],(/article/centrists) the two main factions in the New Republic Senate, both disliked the Hutts. Several Nikto, like Rinnrivin, admired Leia Organa for her role in killing Jabba and called her "Huttslayer."

During the Clone Wars, one Hutt operated out of Sy Myrthian space. In 19 BBY, this Hutt employed the smuggler Has Obitt for a minor task. At some point, the Hutts established but later abandoned settlements on Mataou, leaving behind security droids.

Hutt society was organized into families known as kajidics. Jabba's family was the Desilijic kajidic, and its mark was tattooed on his arm. Hutts practiced bandaging and burying their dead.

Classical architectural Hutt style was evident on Mataou, characterized by terraced buildings with sloping gates and a color scheme of white and red. Clothing was optional for Hutts, and some adorned themselves with live Sha'rellian toops as hairpieces. Hutts enjoyed eating gorgs, slime pods, and Klatooine paddy frogs, and were also known to smoke hookah pipes. The Hutts believed that Boonta Hestilic Shad'ruu, one of their own, had ascended to godhood, and they celebrated the Boonta Eve holiday in their honor.

Many Hutts were notorious crime lords who lived lavishly while overseeing criminal activities such as spice smuggling, slavery, gambling, and bounty hunting in Hutt Space. They were generally obese, with the muscular Nar Shaddaa kingpin Grakkus being an exception.

However, not all members of this species shared the same interests. Some Hutts appreciated art; for example, Obi-Wan Kenobi noted that one Hutt enjoyed collecting fine porcelain.

Hutts made their debut in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the 1983 film that concluded the Star Wars original trilogy.

In the Return of the Jedi tape included in The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition of 1997, Lucas explained that the term "Hutt" was initially intended to be Jabba Desilijic Tiure's gangster title, but it was later changed to denote Jabba's species.

Early concept art by Ralph McQuarrie depicted Jabba the Hutt, and thus the Hutt species, as a corpulent figure with a prominent double chin. Although this design was not used in the final film, it later served as inspiration for the appearance of Azmorigan, and consequently the Jablogian species, in Star Wars Rebels. Coincidentally, the same concept art inspired another species in the Star Wars Legends continuity.

Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group revealed at Celebration Anaheim (2015) that Hutts in canon each possessed a single gender, unlike in the Star Wars Legends continuity.

In numerous languages, the phrase "[Name] the Hutt" was previously translated as "[Name] of Hutt" before "Hutt" became established as the name of a species. For instance, early Italian translations sometimes rendered Jabba's name as "Jabba de' Hutt" (pronounced similarly in English, but roughly translating to "Jabba O'Hutt").