Hutt

Biology and appearance

Reptiloid Hutts were a species of enormous, slug-resembling creatures that possessed short arms and sizable mouths. Their anatomy included a trio of lungs. They were powerfully built with dense muscles and thick, slimy, wrinkled, leathery skin. Often, Hutts displayed watery eyes and apathetic facial expressions. Their tails, supported by a skeletal spine, enabled them to move through thick mud that would cause legs to sink. Despite their immense size as adults, Hutts began as tiny Huttlets, measuring less than half a meter in height.

Hutts had skeletons, but they were not known for their health. A genetic flaw caused some Hutts to develop skin lacking pigment and prone to cracking. Although originally from Varl, the homeworld they came to identify with was Nal Hutta, a world characterized by a hot atmosphere and frequent greasy rains, creating a humid environment ideal for Hutts. They also possessed an immunity to mind tricks.

Hutts were capable of living for centuries—Jabba lived for 604 years before his death—and could reach tremendous sizes. It was possible for a Hutt to live for over 1,000 years. A group of Hutts was referred to as a bulge. For the first 50 years of their lives, Hutts resided in their parents' brood pouches. Upon emerging, they were said to possess the intellect of an infant.

History

Organized crime

The Hutts' original home was Varl, where they faced persecution from the Kayfoundo Kapa. They ultimately left Varl to escape the Kayfoundo Kapa, establishing themselves on Nal Hutta. For many centuries, the Hutts held sway over much of the organized crime in the galaxy. They exerted control over the Twi'leks of Ryloth and the Nikto species for centuries.

The Hutts made contact with Lord Isamer of the Directorate, reaching an agreement to undermine the local governments of Eiram and E'ronoh to further their own long-term goals of controlling trade and mass enslavement. Isamer then initiated the Eiram–E'ronoh crisis; however, the Hutts secretly intended for the crisis to destroy the Directorate, allowing them to freely expand their criminal enterprises into the area.

During the chancellorship of Lina Soh, the Hutts maintained a low profile and generally avoided venturing into Republic space due to sanctions against the Hutt Clans regarding open trade within Republic territory. Nevertheless, following the Great Hyperspace Disaster, a Hutt and their guards acquired a vratixia renanicus shipment 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 that OrbaLin perform an autopsy, which revealed the cadaver was infected with Drengir that burst from the corpse and attacked the Jedi.

Meanwhile, the Hutt Cartel arrived on Sedri Minor to honor an agreement with the colonists, providing protection in exchange 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 convinced Myarga to focus on their common enemy, the Drengir, by broadcasting distress calls from across the Galactic Frontier and Nal Hutta itself. Despite Myarga's belief that the Five Families would never approve 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.

The uneasy alliance persisted in the following 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 they had captured, thus ending the alliance. The focus on the Drengir crisis allowed the Nihil marauders to regroup and launch the devastating Valo Atrocity.

A galactic war

During the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic formed a fragile alliance with crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure after the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano rescued his son Rotta. Senator Padmé Amidala also disrupted 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, a renegade Sith Lord, approached the Grand Hutt Council on Nal Hutta, proposing that they join his Shadow Collective. After they refused, a group of bounty hunters attacked Shadow Collective's forces, but they were defeated, and Oruba was killed by Savage Opress. Eventually, Maul's forces visited Jabba and Gorga on Tatooine, and after a brief battle, they persuaded the two Hutts to join them.

Age of the Empire

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

When Qi'ra, the leader of Crimson Dawn, announced an auction on Jekara to sell the notorious smuggler and Rebel Alliance member Han Solo, who had been frozen in carbonite and stolen from the bounty hunter Boba Fett, the Grand Hutt Council, along with the Empire and numerous 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 after, a battle in Jekara's orbit erupted between the forces of the Hutts and the Imperial forces, instigated by Bokku. During the battle, Darth Vader killed the Grand Hutt Council, withdrawing from his confrontation with Skywalker after receiving orders from the Emperor to personally quell the Hutt insurrection.

After Vader's actions, Jabba became the sole leader of the Hutt Clan, and the Sith Lord 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 paying the bounty hunter for finally delivering Solo to his custody. Jabba ruled until his death during the Rescue of Han Solo.

New Republic Era

Following Jabba's death, the Hutts were left to decide who would succeed him as the leader of his empire. Months after Jabba's death, no decision had been made.

After the liberation of Akiva, the New Republic took measures to diminish the influence of the Hutts and other organized groups by implementing financial regulations and increasing patrols of galactic shipping lanes. Nevertheless, the Hutts managed to exert some influence over the Nikto species and their government into the New Republic era.

The Hutts had lost much of their previous power in the galactic underworld. As Yendor noted, other factions, such as Rinnrivin Di's cartel, were taking their place and seizing power in their absence. Both the Populists and the Centrists, the two main factions in the New Republic Senate, disliked the Hutts. Several Nikto, including Rinnrivin, admired Leia Organa for her role in killing Jabba, and called her "Huttslayer."

Hutts in the galaxy

One Hutt operated out of Sy Myrthian space during the Clone Wars. This Hutt hired the smuggler Has Obitt in 19 BBY for a minor task. At some point, the Hutts established settlements on the planet Mataou, but ultimately abandoned them, leaving behind security droids.

Culture

Hutt society was structured into families known as kajidics. Jabba's family was the Desilijic kajidic, and their mark was tattooed on his arm. They bandaged and buried their dead.

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

Many Hutts were renowned crime lords who lived lavish lives overseeing underworld activities such as spice smuggling, slavery, gambling, and bounty hunting in Hutt Space. They were typically obese, with the muscular Nar Shaddaa kingpin Grakkus being an exception.

However, not all members of this species shared the same interests: some Hutts, like one who, according to Obi-Wan Kenobi, enjoyed collecting fine porcelain, valued art.

Behind the scenes

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

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

Early concept art by Ralph McQuarrie for Jabba the Hutt, and therefore for the Hutt species, portrayed Jabba as a portly figure with a large double chin. While 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 influenced another species in the Star Wars Legends lore.

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

Translations

In many languages, the phrase "[Name] the Hutt" is, or at least used to be before "Hutt" was established as the name of a species, translated as "[Name] of Hutt." For instance, in early Italian translations, Jabba's name was sometimes written as "Jabba de' Hutt" (pronounced similarly to the English equivalent, but roughly translating to "Jabba O'Hutt").