Bounty hunting is a common profession in the Star Wars galaxy, one taken up by many characters. They have included heroes and villains, and some people in between. Some may follow a set of ethics while others will do anything for their paycheck. But the basic principle is the same. These are men and women who are hired to find specific people and bring them back safely to their employers. These are not to be confused with assassins - though they can and often do overlap.
Because there are a lot of bounty hunters in Star Wars, and it is a naturally competitive position, there is an entire guild dedicated specifically to their regulation. This comes with the Bounty Hunter's Creed, a set of rules that all individuals of the profession are expected to follow. These include rules about how to take on bounties, treat other hunters, and how to ensure the best results for both the hunter and their employer.
7 Rule 1: People Don't Have Bounties, Only Acquisitions Have Bounties
This rule is more for the benefit of the employer than the hunter, as it provides a lens through which bounty hunters are encouraged to see their job. As far as a bounty hunter should be concerned, their targets are not people but acquisitions to be collected and delivered to the employer, such as the Hutts.
Regardless of the employer or target's identity, or the reason for the bounty, the individual loses all rights in the hunter's eyes. This does not mean all bounty hunters are this cold, and in fact, some have gotten in trouble with the guild for breaking this rule - but it does impact the way they operate.
6 Rule 2: No Bounty Is Worth Dying For
This one is pretty self-explanatory. By definition, bounty hunting is a dangerous job and some degree of risk is inevitable. However, they should be smart about addressing those risks and be able to tell when the risk is too great. A ridiculously high offer might be tempting, but the money is no good if the job is a blatant suicide mission.
A good bounty hunter should be able to evaluate the job and determine whether the risk is worth the reward. Taking a job out of their element is only going to cause death, injury, and/or failure - and most likely cost more than it gains.
5 Rule 3: Capture By Design, Kill By Necessity
The key distinction between a bounty hunter and an assassin is a bounty hunter is expected to bring in their target alive. It is better to capture rather than to kill. Of course, while this may sound good in theory, it does not always work in practice. Sometimes the target fights back, or they see death as a better alternative to being taken back to the employer.
But a hunter should make every possible effort to ensure the target is safely captured and only use lethal force as an extreme last resort. Some contracts may allow a bit more flexibility with the request for the target to be brought in "dead or alive" but alive is still the more ideal option. The only exception to this rule is if the employer specifically asks for the target to be killed.
4 Rule 4: No Hunter Shall Slay Another Hunter
Bounty hunting is naturally a competitive business - rivalries are common, but they should be kept to a professional level. Disagreements can happen and hunters may have objections to each other's methods or motives, but outright murdering a fellow hunter is going too far. This means no killing rivals to reduce competition or turning on a partner to get an increased share of the reward.
This is a practical rule for bounty hunting since not having to be paranoid of assassination attempts by colleagues makes it a lot easier to focus on the actual job. However, if a price is offered for a bounty hunter, this rule is automatically waived and overridden with the first one - they become acquisitions and therefore can be dealt with as deemed appropriate.
3 Rule 5: No Hunter Shall Interfere With Another's Hunt
Bounty hunting is naturally competitive, and competition can be fierce. That said, a hunter should try to refrain from getting in the way of another bounty hunter without first being invited. This would mean that while they may compete, they cannot attempt to sabotage each other's efforts.
If one captures the target, they did so through skill alone. Trying to "cheat" by taking steps to divert, slow down, or incapacitate a rival is frowned upon, and attempting to do so is a very good way to get on the bad side of both fellow hunters and the guild.
2 Rule 6: In the Hunt, One Captures Or Kills, Never Both
If the target is successfully taken alive, they should remain that way. Capturing their acquisition is not always feasible - sometimes the hunter may end up killing the target by accident or in self-defense, or the target may decide suicide is better than facing the hunter's employer, or through pure bad luck the target dies of illness or natural causes while in custody.
But killing an acquisition that has already been disarmed, restrained, and no longer poses a threat is where the creed draws the line. At that point, murder is impractical and unnecessary, meaning the target should be kept alive as long as it is possible to do so. That said, some bounty hunters have been known to get around this rule by disguising the crime as self-defense or as a last resort while the target was trying to escape.
1 Rule 7: No Hunter Shall Refuse Aid To Another Hunter
Sometimes a target is too much for one bounty hunter to handle alone, even for bounty hunters as skilled as Mandalorians, and they may need to request assistance. In such a situation, hunters are expected to help each other out, even if it means putting aside their current job. During their partnership, they will be expected to put aside any differences or rivalries, so they can focus on the target.
This means no double-crossing the partner or trying to set up "accidents" to get a bigger share of the reward. Once the job is finished, the reward can be split in a manner previously agreed to by everyone involved, making it mutually profitable.
Source: Wookieepedia
