When The Empire Strikes Back released in theaters in 1980, audiences everywhere watched as the ruthless Darth Vader assembled a team of the deadliest, most skilled bounty hunters in the galaxy to track down and capture the crew of the Millennium Falcon. The team, consisting of Boba Fett, Dengar, IG-88, Bossk, 4-LOM, and Zuckuss, instantly became one of the most iconic parts of the film, largely due to their unique character designs.
What started off as cool designs eventually transformed into expansive areas of the Star Wars universe to be explored. Most people would probably credit Boba Fett as the most iconic and influential character of this particular bunch, going on to inspire the creation of the entire Mandalorian culture in Star Wars lore. However, the Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk led to the creation of an entire species that occupies a rather unique corner of the franchise. With that being said, here is everything that Star Wars fans should know about the Trandoshans.
Where Are The Trandoshans From?
The Trandoshans hail from the Mid Rim planet of Trandosha, a rainforest-like world that allowed for a reptilian-like species such as the Trandoshans to thrive. The planet was in the Kashyyyk System, and as such neighbored the planet Kashyyyk, home of Chewbacca and the rest of the iconic Wookiee species. This close proximity between the Trandoshans and the Wookiees led to much conflict and rivalry between the two.
Appearance-wise, the Trandoshans were reptilian in nature. Scaly skin, sharp teeth, and forked tongues made them instantly recognizable even among other humanoid species. They also had the unique ability to heal entire limbs, an evolutionary trait not often found in the Star Wars mythos. The species also exhibited particularly impulsive and violent behavior.
Due to their features, the Trandoshans were naturally skilled hunters. This gift was so valued by the Trandoshan people that hunting activities and business became their primary purpose and goal. Many notable Trandoshans such as Bossk would go on to become professional bounty hunters, creating long-lasting partnerships with other famed characters in the profession such as Boba Fett.
Their Role In The Clone Wars
Sometime after the death of his father Jango at the hands of Mace Windu on Geonosis, bounty hunter Boba Fett sought revenge on the Jedi Master. Looking for assistance in this mission, Boba called upon a group of skilled hunters, including the aforementioned Trandoshan Bossk. Though their attempt at vengeance was ultimately unsuccessful, the mission led to an alliance between the two that would last for decades to come.
At one point during the Clone Wars, a band of Trandoshan hunters under the command of the Trandoshan Garnac kidnapped Jedi younglings and padawans, including Ahsoka Tano, padawan of Anakin Skywalker. After Tano’s escape and the rescue of a group of captured Jedi Younglings, an interplanetary chase and conflict between the two parties ensued. Both the hunters and the Jedi experienced losses. However, after gaining an alliance with the Wookiee Chewbacca, Tano and the younglings gained the upper hand, ultimately wiping out Garnac and his crew.
A Different Path For The Trandoshans
Most of the time, Trandoshans led lives as hunters, giving into their natural skill sets that allowed them to have advantages over other species in that given field. However, regardless of this general path followed by Trandoshans, not all of them chose to walk it. Some, in fact, have played crucial roles in aiding the heroes of the Star Wars universe in their quest for good.
One such Trandoshan was a Jedi Master named Sskeer, who served with the Jedi Order during the High Republic Era, a couple of hundred years before the Battle of Yavin. He served alongside other famous Jedi of the era such as Avar Kriss, and witnessed important events in High Republic history, such as the fall of Starlight Beacon. Not many Trandoshans were accepted into the Jedi Order due to their violent tendencies that conflicted with the morals of the Jedi Code. However, Sskeer displayed the perseverance and determination that are cornerstones of any Jedi’s set of traits.
Another outlier among her species was Ciddarin Scaleback, who lived a life as a smuggler. During the rise of the Empire, Ciddarin (who often went by Cid) aided the Bad Batch in their post-war undercover lifestyle, providing them with missions to carry out in exchange for payment. Despite their relationship lasting for a time, the ties between them were eventually broken, with Cid selling the team out to the Empire.
The Trandoshans' Legacy
After the Empire’s collapse, the Trandoshan people continued in their ways of bounty hunting, with many directly involved in major bounty hunter organizations. To remain outside the watchful authority of the New Republic, much of this activity was kept to the Outer Rim worlds, where the jurisdiction of the New Republic did not hold any real power.
One such world was Tatooine, where Boba Fett, former bounty hunter-turned-crime lord, established his power in the wake of the death of Jabba the Hutt. Many Trandoshans involved in the criminal underworld in this region accepted this new change in power, pledging allegiance to Boba Fett, and living under his rule in the Star Wars galaxy for years to come.