Star Warsis one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. The series’ diversification in terms of its story has proven to be a key reason why. The years-long conflict between the Jedi and the Sith is just one of the many facets of a galaxy far, far away. The galaxy’s criminal underworld and bounty hunters also appear to exciteStar Warsfans. Those shady elements have been a part of the franchise since the very beginning, inA New Hope.From the start, Han Solo is fully engulfed in the criminal empire when Luke and Obi-Wan needed his help on Tatooine. Those links continued inThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, where Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett, and company came back for revenge on Harrison Ford’s character.
Beyond the original trilogy, the underworld has been seen inThe Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and even the sequel trilogy (albeit to a lesser extent).The Rise of Skywalkerexpands on Poe Dameron’s backstory, revealing his previous connections to the spice runners, an interesting sect of the criminal word. Despite this reveal, the spice runners have remained a bit of a mystery in theStar Warsmovies. However, added canon materials have given more insight into this mysterious group.
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The spice runners had one of their biggest roles in live action in Episode IX. As the hunt for Palpatine leads the heroes to the planet of Kijimi, Poe Dameron confronts his past as he runs intohis old spice running colleagueson the snowy mountain world. One of these colleagues is Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell), who appeared to have a romantic history with Oscar Isaac’s character. Poe also knew Babu Frik and a few other characters on the planet, highlighting his connections to this criminal hive of activity. At that point in the timeline, much of the spice trade went through Kijimi, which also shows the planet’s deep history with the criminal underworld. It’s no wonder, then, that the new video gameStar Wars Outlaws, which is about the more seedy and darker parts of the galaxy, appears to show the planet in its first trailer.
Spice is an illegal substance that is highly addictive. It is often described as a plagueon the galaxybecause of the negative effects it has on users. Different crime syndicates, especially the Pykes, farmed the spice in the mines on Kessel, where they used slaves to do the work for them.This was seen in 2018’sSolo: A Star Wars Story, where Han and his allies broke in to the mines to steal Coaxium, another valuable substance. The heroes were clearly focused on the coaxium, but the syndicate was paying close attention to their spice factory as they mined it from the core of the planet Kessel.
The spice runners are tasked with moving the drug throughout the galaxy. They are the ones who sell it to various corners of the markets, making money for the crime syndicates that run the organizations. This was a main plot point inThe Book of Boba Fett,as fans will remember. The title character had to deal with influx of spice coming in from syndicates that wanted to take advantage of the chance of regime in Mos Espa.The spice runners were seenrunning into Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) the Marshal of Mos Pelgo, who drove them out of his small town and sent a warning to the broader syndicate.
Many themes and conflicts inStar Warsreflect those that are present in the real world; for example, the political conflicts in the Skywalker Saga appear similar to many of the more recent issues in the world. George Lucas spoke openly about the Vietnam War’s influence on the original trilogy and the conflict between the Empire and the Rebels. That allusion to the real world can be seen once again with the spice runners. Different aspects of spice production and spice running could be seen as parallels to the real-life drug world.
The spice runners exist in corners of the galaxy that are vastly different from the spaces usually occupied by the Jedi and the Sith. Because of that, the profession often attracts a unique type of character, many of which have become fan favorites. The Mandalorian, Boba Fett,Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, Grogu, and more have all come face to face with spice runners at some point in the timeline. On a broader note, these spice runners have a huge role to play in the criminal underworld of a galaxy far, far away. Iconic characters like Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett are continually involved, and the franchise continues to come back to these characters as the story moves forward.
