Warning! Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: High Republic Adventures #6
Recent Star Wars comics set in the High Republic era have rewritten the history of Jabba the Hutt, making him way less cool than he once was. While Jabba was alive 200 years prior to the start of the Skywalker saga when the High Republic era takes place, he wasn’t the head of the Hutt clans which creates the opportunity for other Hutts to be featured during the clan’s alliance with the Jedi Order in the face of the new galactic threat. However, it’s been revealed that Jabba’s ownership of a pet Rancor underneath his palace isn’t so unique anymore due to other Hutts have monstrous rancors of their own.
In the Star Wars canon, Rancors are a species of beast native to the planet Dathomir (the same homeworld as Darth Maul and the Nightsisters). However, Rancors and their various subspecies have been seen on other worlds due to having been taken from Dathomir and released on other worlds to breed. For example, a species of jungle rancor resides on the planet Felucia. Despite their large size and aggressively lethal tendencies, Rancors are able to be domesticated and kept as pets. Such was the case for Jabba the Hutt, who had a large pet rancor housed underneath his palace which he would feed with any who displeased him via a trap door set in front of his throne, at least until his rancor was killed by Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi.
However, recent comics such as IDW’s High Republic Adventures #6 from writer Daniel José Older with artists Harvey Tolibao and Pow Rodrix have made Jabba’s owning a rancor way less cool. In the issue, Padawan Farzala of the High Republic has been tasked with initiating negotiations with the Hutt clans on their homeworld of Nal Hutta, due to the ongoing alliance between the Jedi and Hutts. However, the Jedi were framed for an attack on the Hutts by Jabba himself, who seemingly cares little for an ongoing alliance once the danger of the Drengir has passed. In any case, Farzala and his pilot Leox Gyasi are soon attacked by a massive blue rancor, being the pet of the clan’s diplomatic envoy Skarabda the Hutt. Apparently, owning a rancor seems to be seen as a status symbol for the Hutts, making Jabba’s rancor not as unique as it once was.
Not only that, but Marvel Comics’ High Republic series have seen Jedi Master Avar Kriss fighting alongside Myarga the Hutt who owns two trained battle rancors herself. Despite not being native to Nal Hutta, it seems as though the most powerful Hutts go out of their way to own rancors. However, while this is certainly a new revelation into Hutt culture and history, it comes at the expense of dynamics Jabba used to have prior to the High Republic era.
An easy and potentially more interesting solution could have been reached had the most powerful Hutts still sought to have some sort of massive beast as pets, just not specifically rancors. Each Hutt having their own unique monster certainly feels like it would have been way more dynamic, rather than minimizing the coolness and unique quality that was Jabba owning a rancor under his palace. While the High Republic era is certainly a welcome and entertaining addition to the Star Wars continuity, this does feel like a situation where it’s hurt elements that came before such as with Jabba the Hutt.
