There's always trouble in the Star Wars galaxy, especially when a nefarious regime tries to take control. And thanks to the countless battles between good and evil, there's always valuable salvage to plunder, people to double-cross, and territories to take over for smugglers and pirates. This notoriety has made a name for some, including smugglers like Hylo Visz and Gault Rennow, as well as Red Blade, a pirate identity players can take on the identity of in The Old Republic.
When looking at the pirates within the Star Wars franchise, there are a few whose reputation precedes others. Some will be very familiar to Star Wars fans, like Hondo Ohnaka's exploits in The Clone Wars. In contrast, others were introduced to the franchise in other media like novels, games, comics, and shows like The Mandalorian.
8 Gorian Shard
As the newest pirate to be encountered in the galaxy, Gorian Shard seems to be a formidable foe – especially to Din Djarin in The Mandalorian. Introduced in The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 1, Gorian leads a pretty troublesome pack of pirates in Nevarro's sector. With many having already met their fate thanks to an encounter with the Mandalorian, the pirate king has a pretty big chip on his shoulder.
Gorian and his crew currently reside on an unnamed ship similar in design to an Eclipse-class dreadnought. This class of ship was introduced in Tom Veitch's Dark Empire saga and was built for Emperor Palpatine.
7 Andronikos Revel
A captain for the Republic Navy, Andronikos Revel soon left that life behind by deserting his post and becoming a pirate during the Cold War. Now the captain of the Sky Princess, the notorious pirate would terrorize the galaxy with his crew. But that all changed when, for one reason or another, his once loyal crew decided to turn on him after a relatively successful raid.
Ejected into an escape pod by his first mate Sylas Wilkes, Andronikos ended up in Imperial prison for a year before being tasked by Darth Zash to find the artifacts from the previous raid. In addition to locating said artifacts, the cold-blooded pirate has made it his goal to hunt and kill those who betrayed him that fateful day.
6 Kragan Gorr
As a young pirate, Kragan Gorr worked with a group led by Grox, a Lasat who worked during the Galactic Civil War. Kragan eventually led his crew during the New Republic Era, called the Warbirds. Their biggest job occurred when the Quarren pirate agreed to work for the First Order to capture Colossus, a refueling station captained by Imanuel Doza.
Never one to back down from what he is owed, Kragan insisted the First Order pay the Warbirds triple for their repeated efforts to capture the Colossus. Despite being double-crossed by Commander Pyre and the iconic Captain Phasma, Kragan and his crew managed to bait TIE Fighters away from the ship during an ensuing battle between the First Order and the Resistance before reboarding the ship and blasting into hyperspace with its inhabitants.
5 Enfys Nest
Despite inheriting her mantle as the leader of the Cloud-Riders when she was sixteen, Enfys Nest became known for her expert skills as an experienced marauder and fighter. Enfys wore her mother's mask and beskar-plated armor and carried an Electroripper staff, making her even more intimidating – particularly to a young Han Solo and Chewbacca when they first encountered the pirates on Savareen.
Operating during the reign of the Galactic Empire, Enfys and her band of pirates' main focus was defeating Crimson Dawn, a crime syndicate led by Sith Lord Maul. Aside from fighting Crimson Dawn, Enfys would regularly lead the Cloud-Riders in bountiful raids of spice caches as well as carrying out numerous heists.
4 Sidon Ithano
Before his brief appearance in The Force Awakens, pirate leader Sidon Ithano made his Star Wars debut in The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku. The short story recounts when Sidon and his crew search for the downed Obrexta III for treasures believed to have been left by Count Dooku.
Also known as the Blood Buccaneer and the Red Raider, Sidon was known for hiding his Delphidian identity under a crimson Kaleesh helmet. A man of few words, the pirate became known as one of the best in the Mid Rim thanks to the loot he and his crew scavenged from the Obrexta III. He also helped the Resistance occasionally, most notably during a battle against the Sith Eternal on Exegol.
3 Eleodie Maracavnya
Once held captive by the Empire, Eleodie Maracavnya came to be the leader of zher own pirate crew. After the Empire fell, Eleodie established the Sovereign Latitudes of Maracavnya – an organization of pirates under zher control over a flotilla of ships. The main base of operations is the Annihilator, a Super Star Destroyer that once belonged to Grand General Cassio Tagge, which was renamed Liberty's Misrule.
Despite only appearing in the novels Aftermath: Life Debt and Empire's End, Eleodie is a well-known pirate across the galaxy, known simply as the "Pirate ruler of Wild Space."
2 Lassa Rhayme
Captain of the starship Opportunity, Lassa Rhayme is a Pantoran pirate and leader of the Blood Bone Order – a group of pirates that were operational during the Clone Wars. They continued to pillage their way across the galaxy under the reign of the Empire, which saw Lassa begin to work with the bounty hunter Asajj Ventress after a failed attempt at stealing cargo from the freighter Steady On, which was eventually taken over by the Ohnaka Gang. However, Lassa and Asajj's teamwork resulted in them taking back the freighter from the Weequay pirates.
Lassa also supplied the Dreamers, a group of Partisans, with food and weapons. She helped smuggle Gidon Hask and Del Meeko into the group, who eliminated the Dreamers once and for all. Lassa is also a formidable swordswoman despite not being force-sensitive. She once managed to disarm Hondo Ohnaka with the help of Asajj's yellow lightsaber.
1 Hondo Ohnaka
The witty Weequay pirate Hondo Ohnaka is a fan favorite among fans, featuring heavily in The Clone Wars. One of the most notorious pirates among his species, Hondo formed and led the Ohnaka Gang and earned a solid reputation as one of the best pirates in the Outer Rim. Based on the planet Florrum, the Ohnaka gang gained notoriety during the Clone Wars when they managed to capture then-Separatist Head of State Dooku, who was subsequently saved by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. But not before Hondo and his crew took the Jedi hostage to increase their ransom payment.
Following the events of the Clone Wars, the Ohnaka Gang ended under the rule of the Empire. However, Hondo soon became an ally to Ezra Bridger, a Jedi fugitive who helped the Rebels fight the Empire and liberate Lothal. Hondo eventually returned to his pirating ways by establishing Ohnaka Transport Solutions, which he used as a front for his smuggling business.