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mandos-sluts · 3 years

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The Prisoner's Dilemma

The Mandalorian x Fem!Reader

Rating: Explicit

Word count: 2.7k

Summary: There’s a bounty on your head and the Mandalorian Din Djarin picks you up. Boba Fett informs Din of what he does with bounties like you.

Warnings: Smut, rough sex, explicitly non con!! (but reader is into it), fingering, daddy kink, bondage, lots of dirty talk, degradation, exhibitionism kink

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PLEASE please heed the warnings!!

Masterlist

Din has been hunting with Boba Fett ever since the Razor Crest was destroyed; they travel from planet to planet together collecting bounties. While he would prefer to work alone, Din doesn’t mind Boba’s company— the two are very similar people. Both are cold, stoic bounty hunters who don't take shit from anyone.

You struggle and resist when Din picks you up. Sending endless punches and kicks at the Mandalorian trying to cuff you. You attempt to flee but to no avail, your strength is nothing compared to his.

He cuffs your hands behind your back and roughly walks you to the ship, maintaining a firm grip on your upper arm as he drags you alongside him.

The first thing you see upon entering the rusty ship is another man in Mandalorian armor. “Ahh what the fuck? She’s your bounty??” Boba says to Din as he tugs you up the ramp of Slave I.

Both men are fully covered from head to toe in beskar. The one handling you is taller than the other, and has a deeper voice.

“Yeah. Where’s yours?” Din responds casually.

“In carbonate.” Boba says nodding to the chamber. ”Damn. You’re lucky, Djarin.”

“Lucky? The price on her head is the same as your bounty’s.” Din replies.

“I'm not talking about the payout. Look at her, man! She’s yours to take.” Boba says locking his stare on your increasingly confused expression.

“What do you mean?” Din says flatly, looking down at you.

Boba takes a deep breath. “Ohhhhh Din, so innocent.” He laughs. “….You get to fuck her!”

Did…. did he just say what you think he said?

Din scoffs. “You fuck your bounties?”

“Well if they look like her! Shit, how could you not?!” Boba takes a step closer to you. “Damn. I've never seen a bounty as pretty as this one.” He says grabbing your chin and lifting your face up.

You’re standing there silently, still in Din’s grasp with your hands clasped behind your back. Din looks down at you and you turn your wide puppy dog eyes up to meet his gaze, anxious to see what he will do with you.

Boba takes a step away from the two of you. “If you don’t fuck her, I will. I’m not letting a pretty thing like that go to waste on my ship.” He pats Din on the back. “C’mon Djarin, you deserve it pal.” Boba says as he exits the room.

You stand there, almost in shock, waiting for the Mandalorian to do or say something. Part of you suspects all of this talk is just some nonsense to intimidate you.

But then after a moment, he finally speaks. His voice is low and rough, tone firm with a hint of condescension. “Well…..you heard him darling. You want me or Boba? I’ll give you the choice.” Din lightly chuckles.

Your heart drops. He can’t be serious. There’s no way bounty hunters are allowed to fuck the bounties they collect. Then again, why would he not, whose gonna stop him? You’re the criminal.

You’re scared, but not as much as you would expect yourself to be. And that’s because your fear is clouded with arousal. Why aren’t you scared shitless? Perhaps because this is lowkey one of your fantasies? And maybe because you’re also incredibly attracted to this big strong Mandalorian manhandling you. Shit.

“Yo— wait, no please don’t.” You say the last part mechanically.

“You want Fett to fuck you?”

“No!”

“Alright.Then I’ll be fucking you, princess. Consider yourself lucky. Fett would make it all about himself, but I'll see to it that your needs are met as well.” Din says softly as he runs one hand through your hair and grabs your waist with the other.

“What? Wait…. I….I….wait– please.” You say, your body trembling underneath his hold.

Din takes a deep breath. “You’re getting fucked baby, you may as well enjoy it.” He says as he grabs your ass with both hands and practically lifts you up, pressing your body flat against him.

“Ah! No. Just– just let me go…. please!” You plead trying to shake free of his clench, your glassy, scared doe eyes staring right into his visor.

“Ha. Keep struggling, sweetheart.” Din pushes his helmet right against your ear as he tightens his grip on your ass. “Just turns me on more.” He whispers in your ear.

“Mmph!” You squeal out, shaking your shoulders as he spins you around and pushes your torso down, bending you over a table.

One of his hands is on the back of your neck, forcing you down on the metal surface. The other is on your waist, right near your cuffed hands. Your ass is waggling in the air as you try to resist his advances and rid yourself of his grabby hands.

You can barely move, however, under his sedulous grip. He shoves your pants down, leaving you bent over the table with your ass in the air in nothing but the unfortunately racy thong you’re wearing.

Your whole body shudders as you feel two of his thick fingers trace your clothed folds.

“Hahahahahahaha…..” Din maniacally laughs as he feels your gooey wetness through the fabric. “Nowwwww I see. Now I get it. You fuckin like this, you little slut.” He growls in your ear. “Pfft. I was gonna say, the fight you’re putting up is pathetic, but now I see why.”

Din isn’t wrong. He has seen you actually struggle and resist when he was capturing you, and the weak shaking of your shoulders and your little pouting is clearly not everything you have.

“Damn, I’ll give it to ya princess, you had me fooled for a while.” Din coos as he grinds his unbelievably large bulge against your ass.

“N-no! I don’t want this!” You contend. Your jolting only serves to make him shove you against the table harder, essentially inhibiting all your movements.

“Baby girl, your pussy is fucking sopping wet, drop the act.” Din scoffs. “You are literally leaking through these panties.” He says as he slips his long thick finger underneath your soaked underwear, running it along your slick. Your whole body shutters under his touch as pressure darts in your core.

“I—”

“Tell me, pretty girl.” Din interrupts. “Have you ever had a cock as big as mine?”

He loosens his grip on your neck, allowing you to crane your neck and look back at the monster cock he is rubbing up and down your glazed valley.

“Fuck.” You whisper to yourself, unsure how he is going to fit in you.

Din slaps your ass. “Answer me.” He commands in a deep tone.

“Ah!” You cry. “No. N-never.”

“Yeah?” Din purrs right before he shoves his entire length into you.

You scream out. “Ah!!” Never have you been opened so much before. He lets his cock sit in you a moment once it’s fully engulfed, leaving you stuffed to the brim with his member.

“Holy shit.” Din breathes out. “Oh fuck yes, this is some good pussy.”

With that he starts rocking his hips back and forth, driving his massive girth into you each time. Your mouth falls open as disgusting moans fall out of your throat. His grip still harsh around your neck as he holds you down hard, pushing his hips against yours and delivering you the best pleasure you’ve ever felt.

“Ha. Knew it.” You hear Din chortle behind you.

You open your eyes and realize that you are pushing your hips back into his, trying to pound him even harder into your G-spot. You curse at yourself for being this brazen with your actions and not hiding your pleasure and yearning better. At this point, you know you’re not fooling him, but you’re not ready to completely give in.

“Now— now that my cock’s in you, you gonna finally behave? Be a— a good girl for me, huh? You little whore.” Din pants as he plows into your hole.

Your cheek is pressed hard against the table and you bite your bottom lip, trying to muffle your lewd moans as you squeeze your eyes shut.

Din chuckles at your pathetic attempt to remain silent. “Don’t respond and I won’t let you cum. Which— well…. you don’t even want to cum, right? Cuz— cuz you don’t want this, right?”

Your eyes shoot open. “Wait….N-no! Ple– please!!!” You cry, turning your head to look back at him.

“Mmmf, please what?” Din growls.

“Please….ah— please let me cum!” You finally relent.

“Ahhhhhh there it is. Keep beggin’, baby. You’re gonna have to earn it after being such a naughty little bitch.” He remarks as he moves both hands to your hips and pulls you into him each time he drives into you.

“Please! Please let me c-cum daddy!” You cry. “I wanna cum so badly, I wanna— wanna cum all over your cock. Please, please daddy!”

“That’s it. Look at you being so obedient now. Ha. Looks like I've fucked the good girl right into ya.” He says, slowing down his thrusts. Din bends over so that his helmet is right against the side of your head and whispers in your ear. “You like playing an innocent little brat don’t you? Pretending tha— that you don’t want to get fucked. But you’re such a dirty fuckin slut, you just couldn’t resist my big dick could ya? You— you’re just too fuckin desperate to get your tight little hole stuffed full of cock. Isn’t that right?”

“Y-yes! Fuck! Your cock hits me— hits me so deep! S-stretches me out so good!” You whine out as he thrusts into you.

Din spanks your ass again, sending a fresh wave of arousal to your core and making your cunt clench around him.

“Oof. I felt that. Ya like being spanked too? Fuck. You are a whore.” Din chuckles.

Your moans have turned into downright vulgar screams that you have no control over. He’s pounding into you so hard that your vision has gone blurry from the tears falling out of your eyes.

“Gah. You look so f-fuckin pretty when you cry baby.” Din mutters.

You hear a bang at the door and panic momentarily.

“Goodness, Djarin! It sounds like you're torturing her in there.” You hear Boba yell on the other side of the wall.

“Nahhh, I’m taking good care of her, isn’t that right sweetheart?” Din calls out, leaning over to your face.

“Y-yes!” You scream in response.

Din then grabs your shirt and for a moment tries to pull it over your head. Upon realizing that your cuffed hands pose an obstacle, he rips it right off your body, causing you to jump a bit.

“Come see for yourself, pal.” Din offers to Boba after discarding the ripped fabric on the floor.

The door slides open and Boba is met with the crude scene of you bent over a table, completely naked with your hands cuffed behind your back, mouth open wide with tears rolling down your face, and Din standing behind you, holding your hips tightly while plowing into you.

Boba stands in amazement. “…Holy fuck.”

“Say hi to Boba, pretty girl.” Din orders.

“H-hi sir.” You manage to spit out, lifting your head slightly.

“Shit. You hit the jackpot, Djarin. How’d you get this little one to submit?”

“Ohh, she wasn’t hard to tame. Ah— Needy whores like her never are.” Din responds while continuing to drive into you.

“Well, bye princess.” Boba says looking straight into your watering eyes. “Be good now. Din can get mean if he doesn’t get his way.” He remarks before existing.

When the door closes, Din yanks you up by your hair, spins you around, and lifts you onto the table. You’re sitting straight up on the table with your hands still clasped behind your back, a fully clothed Din standing between your legs, holding your trembling thighs wide open as he sinks his length back into you. You instinctively wrap your legs around him.

He grabs a rough hold of your face, hooking his thumb in your agape mouth while the rest of his long hand wraps around your head, forcing your watering eyes to look right at him as he pounds up into you. Strands of your hair stick to your sweaty face as you’re unable to brush them away.

His other hand trails down your sweating skin to your clit and starts drawing tiny circles on it. You wish you could wrap your arms around his neck and hold on tight to him as he drives you over the edge.

“Alright, pretty girl, cum for me. Show me what you’ve got, baby, come on.” Din encourages, swiping his thumb over your swollen clit.

Your cuffed hands are in tight white fists with your nails digging into your palms. Your whole body tenses up and your back arches as you squeal out. Din’s grasp on your face stops your head from falling back as your orgasm shatters through your body.

Din is hardly pulling his length out of you while thrusting fast and deep inside of you, feeling your cunt flutter on his cock makes him moan and you can tell he’s going to cum soon.

Just then he lifts you off the table and shoves your head down. “On your knees and open wide, I’m gonna cum in that pathetic pretty mouth.” Din breathes out as he rapidly strokes his cock over your face.

You sit up tall on your knees and open your mouth, sticking your tongue out while looking up at him with wide watery eyes. Din grunts as he grabs a hold of your hair and tilts your head up, positioning his cock right over your quivering mouth. Warm streams on white cum shoot from his length and fall on your lips and tongue. He keeps pumping it as he sprays the rest of your face with his seed.

“Damn baby, I thought you were hot before, but you look even better on your knees with your face covered in cum, sweat, and tears.” Din remarks while putting his softening member in his pants.

You slowly rise from the ground, your legs shake and almost give out as you bring your self to your feet. You’re panting and strands of your hair are stuck to your gooey face, as your cuffed hands prevent you from wiping your face.

You stand there awkwardly and silent, naked and disgusting as Din buckles his belt.

“Your pussy is so fucking good. I think I'm gonna have to keep you.”

“W-wait, what?”

“Yeah. I can't turn you in. Can't let a cunt like yours go to waste.”

“Bu— but then you won’t get paid.”

“Oh, having you around to fuck at my leisure is worth way more than the bounty on your head sweetheart.”

You gulp. “I thought—”

“Come on princess.” Din interrupts. “You can either stay with me, or go rot in jail. What’ll it be?

“But I— I….” You have completely forgotten about the foul fate that awaited you. You haven’t had time to think about what would happen once you were turned over. You have no idea of what life is like in a New Republic prison, nor did you have any knowledge how long you would be incarcerated.

“....I wanna stay with you.” You say softly looking down at your feet.

“That's what I thought.” Din says walking up to you. “Get yourself cleaned up baby girl.” He spins your nude body around and unlocks your hand cuffs, nodding in the direction of the fresher. “I’m going on a supply run and then it’s my turn on the flight deck. And my cock could use some warming while I pilot the ship.”

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Masterlist

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Taglist:

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lizardguyaaron · 4 years

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Lizard Reviews: Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters

Hello everyone! Welcome to the first of hopefully many reviews where I talk about various books, movies, comics, video games, and whatever. For my first review, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite Star Wars Legends books of all time. It’s a book that I absolutely adored as a kid, and I recently picked up a reprinted copy of it about a week ago. So without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters is an anthology comprised of five short stories, each one detailing one of the infamous bounty hunters that appeared on the bridge of the Executor, Darth Vader’s flagship, in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Each short story was written by a separate author, so I’m going to be breaking each story down separately in order to give each one the proper attention it deserves.

Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88:

This is the first short story in the novel, and as the title suggests, it focuses on the assassin droid bounty hunter IG-88. The story details IG-88′s creation, his escape from Holowan Laboratories, his takeover of the droid manufacturing planet of Mechis III, and finally his attempt at taking over the Death Star II. Written by Kevin J. Anderson, this is definitely one of the stranger stories to start with. Anderson explores the idea of IG-88 achieving sentience and attempting a droid takeover of the galaxy, while using bounty hunting as a front for his activities. Anderson also introduces this idea of IG-88 occupying four different droid bodies, all named A through D. These ideas seem good on paper, but they take a turn for the truly odd when Anderson has IG-88 take over the Death Star II’s central computer. From here, it becomes immediately clear that Anderson has written himself into a corner. The idea of having IG-88 take over the Death Star II is interesting, but it’s ultimately a dead end when you realize that Anderson is constrained by the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). It makes me wonder why he even bothered to go this route in the first place, considering that there’s only one way that the story can now end. I definitely think that this story would have benefited from a different ending, perhaps one that doesn’t feel like Anderson took the easy way out in ending IG-88′s story. As a result of this story decision, I do have to rank this story lower on my list than the others.

Payback: The Tale of Dengar:

Written by Dave Wolverton, “Payback” focuses on Dengar, the bandaged human bounty hunter. In this story, Wolverton portrays Dengar as a bounty hunter who is out for revenge against the Imperials who turned him into a killing machine following an accident, as well as Han Solo for causing the accident in the first place. During one of his hunts, Dengar runs into an alien woman named Manaroo, whose species possesses a unique technology that allows them to share their emotions, and the two gradually fall in love during Dengar’s hunt for Han Solo. I will say that this story surprised me in the best way possible. Dengar was a character that I never had a particular interest in, but Wolverton writes the character in such a way that makes the reader empathize with Dengar. After a certain point, you actually start to root for Dengar and hope he succeeds in his hunt despite the fact that we know he loses out to Boba Fett. All in all, I have to say that “Payback” is probably my favorite short story in the novel.

The Prize Pelt: The Tale of Bossk:

If “Payback” made me care about a hunter that I normally have no interest in, then “The Prize Pelt” by Kathy Tyers made me feel like my favorite Star Wars character, Bossk, had been completely wasted in this story. “The Prize Pelt” is a story about how Bossk was foiled in his attempts to catch Han Solo and Chewbacca by a pair of bounty hunters, Chenlambec, a Wookiee, and Tinian I’att, a human. While I think the idea might have been there, it’s Tyers’s execution of the story that bothers me. The biggest problem here is that Bossk, frequently considered to be second only to Boba Fett, is easily outsmarted and outmaneuvered by Tinian I’att, a novice bounty hunter studying under Chenlambec. Not only do I find it hard to believe that a long-time professional bounty hunter like Bossk is outsmarted by a novice, but it’s the fact that Tinian I’att feels like a Mary Sue style character. I don’t like using the term “Mary Sue” as I feel as though it’s become bastardized in recent years (particularly by the Star Wars fanbase), but I do feel it is applicable here. Tinian is an heiress to a weapons manufacturing company, lost her parents, grandparents, and fiance (who is Force-sensitive) to the Empire, but is quite easily able to concoct several plans to outsmart Bossk, who again has been hunting far longer than she has. So we have the tragic backstory component and the ridiculously high skill level component, which are both necessary for a Mary Sue character. All of this seems to come at the cost of dumbing down Bossk, and frankly making him seem like an idiot. While I did honestly enjoy the cat-and-mouse elements of the hunters all trying to outsmart each other, it’s the dumbed down Bossk and overly capable Tinian that really ruin this story for me, and I feel as though there were probably better ideas for a Bossk story. Overall, this was probably my least favorite story in the novel.

Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM:

Written by M. Shayne Bell, “Of Possible Futures” tells the story of why the Gand findsman Zuckuss and protocol-droid-turned-hunter 4-LOM are after the reward on Han Solo and The Millenium Falcon. In a similar vein to the “Payback” story, Bell paints Zuckuss and 4-LOM in a sympathetic light, a stark contrast to the outright villainy we see from IG-88 and Bossk. In this story, Zuckuss and 4-LOM need the reward money in order to afford a new set of lungs for Zuckuss, an ammonia-breathing Gand who accidentally was exposed to oxygen during a hunt gone bad. 4-LOM, on the other hand, stays by Zuckuss’s side in order to learn how to use intuition to determine possible futures that their prey may take. I really like this story, and how it shows us that not all of the bounty hunters are outright villains. We’re given a very real world motivation for why the duo need the money, and needing money for life-saving healthcare is something that a lot people can relate to. Furthermore, I like how Bell ends this story on a hopeful note, with Zuckuss getting the medical care he needs, 4-LOM beginning to learn how to see into the future, and the duo joining the Rebellion to help liberate Han Solo from Jabba’s Palace. While I really do enjoy this story, I think it lands firmly in the middle for me, and that’s due to the pacing. Bell can be a bit slow at points and that sometimes drags down the story. That being said, it’s certainly better than some of the other entries such as “Therefore I Am” and “The Prize Pelt”.

The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett:

The final story in the novel, written by Daniel Keys Moran, details the origins, fall, and return of the most infamous Star Wars bounty hunter, Boba Fett. I think this story stands out from the others not because it’s simply about Boba Fett, but because the writers of the early EU had some very different ideas about Boba Fett’s origin than what George Lucas ultimately gave us in Attack of the Clones (2002). Instead of being a clone of Jango Fett, Boba Fett in this story was originally a Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn named Jaster Mereel, who was stripped of his title after committing heinous offenses in the name of his twisted sense of morality. It’s a very stark contrast to what we ultimately got, and it’s interesting to see how these details of Boba Fett’s life were retconned. This story is where we first get the concept that Fett wasn’t a true Mandalorian, but somehow acquired the armor and gear (an idea later canonized but reworked to fit the prequel origin in the Disney-era). What I also like about this story is that Bell made Boba Fett’s infamous escape from the Sarlaac have long-lasting consequences in the character later in the story. As a result of being partially digested, Fett is missing his right leg and has cancer, resulting in him completing hunts with increased difficulty. We also get snippets from Han Solo’s point of view, and things ultimately come to a head when Fett attempts to carry out one last hunt against his nemesis. I like this story for being an early attempt at trying to demystify Boba Fett. While the story is no longer canon, I think it definitely is worth a read if you’re a Boba Fett fan. That being said, I do think this story ranks as my second favorite for two reasons: first, it doesn’t quite hit the emotional highs that “Payback” reached, and second, there’s a scene between Boba Fett and Leia in Jabba’s Palace that I found rather unnecessary. Overall, it’s in a solid second place for me.

Final Thoughts:

Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters is definitely a fun read. While the stories in it can be pretty hit or miss, it’s certainly a fun novel that offers some unique insight into the bounty hunters that only appeared for a moment in the films. If you’re a fan of bounty hunters like I am, then definitely give this book a shot. If you’re new to Star Wars and want to get into the Legends timeline, this is a decent place to start since it features characters and moments from the movies. The novel certainly holds a special place in my heart. But despite that, the hit or miss nature of the stories is what causes it to lose points for me.

Overall, I give this novel a 3.5 out of 5.

#star wars #bounty hunters #boba fett #books #book review #lizard guy reviews

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aion-rsa · 5 years

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Star Wars: Best Bounty Hunter Stories

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With the release of The Mandalorian, it's time to take a look back at the best Star Wars bounty hunter stories!

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With The Mandalorian exploring a lawless corner of the galaxy far, far away, bounty hunters -- the scum of the galaxy -- are now at the forefront of the Star Wars universe. Certainly, it's been a long time for fans of the most famous bounty hunter of all, Boba Fett. But, as the famous scene in The Empire Strikes Back shows, there's a whole stable of bounty hunters working across the galaxy for the highest bidder.

Besides Boba Fett, the other intergalactic scum only had a few seconds of screen time in The Empire Strikes Back, but those brief ticks of a clock were unforgettable. The image of a few alien toughs, some truly salty looking armored humans, and even a few droids fueled the imaginations of Star Wars fans for generations. So we thought we’d take this opportunity to spotlight some of the coolest Expanded Universe tales featuring Dengar, IG-88, Boba Fett, Bossk, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM.

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Now remember, most of these stories were wiped out of continuity when Disney took over the galaxy far, far away, but that doesn’t make them any less readable and awesome. And yeah, we may even have a few that are part of the current Star Wars canon.

We promise there will be no disintegrations as we turn back time and examine the coolest bounty hunter stories of the Star Wars galaxy:

Dengar

Ah Dengar, we know kids of the 80s probably referred to you as Diaper Head, but you are still badass. Dengar was front and center when Vader gave the bounty hunters their marching orders and could also be seen chilling out in Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi. Dengar was played by Morris Bush, an actor who also appeared in Hammer’s Scars of Dracula (1970), the Christopher Lee pot boiler Creeping Flesh (1973), and the bizarre Ringo Starr musical comedy Son of Dracula (1974). Interestingly enough, Bush worked as a stand in for David Prowse in Star Wars (1977). According to Prowse, that is Bush’s foot you can see kicking Obi-Wan’s cape after Luke’s mentor is struck down by the Dark Lord of the Sith.

But where can you read about ‘ol Diaper Head? In the 1996 Kevin J. Anderson-edited Tales of the Bounty Hunters anthology (get ready, this isn’t the only time I’m going to mention this collection in this article), author Dave Wolverton related Dengar’s origin in a short tale entitled "Payback." In this piece of essential Dengar fiction (yes, such a thing exists), Wolverton details that Dengar used to be a swoop bike racer who was injured as a teenager by his racing rival. Of course, that rival was none other than a young Han Solo. Wolverton makes Dengar’s vendetta against the captain of Millennium Falcon very personal.

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But Wolverton’s hyper-readable story isn’t our Expanded Universe essential Dengar pick. That honor goes to the season four episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars entitled "Bounty." In this toyetic installment of Clone Wars, an aimless Asajj Ventress joins up with a band of roguish bounty hunters that includes a teenage Boba Fett, Bossk, and the grizzled, weathered Dengar. Dengar plays a secondary role in this episode (doesn’t he always) to Fett and Ventress, but when Dengar springs into action, he truly shines. Better yet, Dengar is voiced by lifelong Star Wars lover Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Star Trek), and you just know that when Pegg was a wee lad he took his Kenner Dengar figure on many adventures. Pegg’s Star Wars enthusiasm shows as he fills the once tabula rasa Dengar with a salty, badass personality. "Bounty" was a Dirty Dozen-like adventure through the underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy and finally gave fans a sense of who the bandaged badass of Star Wars truly is.

IG-88

With a scant few seconds of screen team, IG-88 showed the world that not every droid in the Star Wars universe is cutesy. Yeah, we saw a few black imperial R2 and R5 units and a smattering of Death Star sroids, but IG-88 was a different mechanical animal all together. IG-88 was all sharp edges with a surreal design and multiple big honking firearms. Fans only got one quick glimpse of this death machine, but it was enough to emblazon this oddly shaped engine of destruction in fans’ minds forever. IG-88 was built and operated by puppeteer and effects guru Bill Hargreaves, and by operated I mean that Hargreaves moved IG’s head a tiny bit in Empire. But, damn, what a creation!

So we’re going to take IG-88’s chosen chronicle from the aforementioned Tales of the Bounty Hunters. In a short story entitled "Therefore I Am," it was revealed that everyone’s favorite murder droid had a great deal in common with Marvel’s Ultron. You see, in this tale, it was revealed that there were actually four models of IG-88 that shared the same malevolent consciousness. The IG master intelligence wanted to kick start a droid revolution and conquer the galaxy, but when it was activated, IG-88 murdered its creators and then built three duplicates of itself. One of those duplicates answered Vader’s call for bounty hunters while the others began plotting for the droid uprising. After Vader gave his marching orders, IG-88 stealthily downloaded Imperial files off the ships’ computer. Through this data theft, the assassin droid discovered top secret plans detailing the construction of a second Death Star.

Read More: Star Wars Movies Disney+ Streaming Guide

After IG sent that info to his duplicates, it tracked Solo to Bespin where it had a violent encounter with Boba Fett. Hey, remember the IG carcass in the background of the Ugnaught smelter sequence in The Empire Strikes Back, the one where the little pig people played keep away with Chewbacca? Yeah, this short story explains that carcass, as Fett blasts the IG unit to oblivion. But there were still three IG-88s out there. Two of them went after Fett but the last remaining IG-88, get this now, downloaded itself into and took over the freaking Death Star. Yes, according to Anderson’s "Therefore I Am," at the end of Return of the Jedi, the Death Star gained sentience thanks to IG-88. Of course, this was right before Lando Calrissian, Wedge Antilles, and Nein Numb blew the sucker up, but still, a malevolently intelligent Death Star is about as badass as it gets. That certainly would have led to the droid uprising, if not for fate and a fateful, last ditch bid at freedom by a desperate band of rebels.

IG-88—from a blink and you’ll miss it first appearance to a bee’s eyelash away from wiping out all non-mechanical life in the galaxy. Awesome.

Boba Fett

Can you imagine Star Wars without Fett? Honestly, the whole saga wouldn’t have been much different on screen, but it certainly would be fundamentally altered in the hearts and minds of fans, because Boba Fett’s legend lives in the Expanded Universe, or fans’ own personal expanded universes at least. There is a mystique to Fett. Maybe it’s because Boba Fett was the first mail away action figure which signaled to SW fans everywhere after 1977’s Star Wars that there would be more adventures in a galaxy far, far away to come. Perhaps it’s the fact that the Fett figure was supposed to feature a rocket-firing backup until Kenner grew worried that kids would choke on Fett’s spring loaded missile. Dude, Fett is so dangerous he was considered a threat to real world children before he made his film debut. Take that Dengar!

Perhaps it’s that badass souped up Stormtrooper like armor that Fett wears or perhaps it is because every inch of this gravelly voiced outlaw is covered in dangerous armaments. There are countless reasons that the whole world has a Boba Fettish and the stories we are about to list take advantage of this rarified adoration. It’s hard to narrow down just one great Boba Fett Expanded Universe story, so we won’t. We’ll hit you with a few.

Boba Fett was played by Jeremy Bulloch in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. For years, no one knew the lethal bounty hunter’s origins until George Lucas detailed Fett’s clone birth in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002), but before that, Fett was a mystery than many Expanded Universe creators tried to shed some light on.

Read More: Who are the Mandalorians?

First up is a yarn entitled "Prey" that appeared in Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars Tales #11 (2002). This flashback story written and drawn by Kia Asamiya features Fett being dispatched by Moff Tarkin to retrieve Han Solo after the future hero of the Rebellion defects from the Imperial Navy. Darth Vader disagrees with giving this assignment to a bounty hunter and goes after Solo himself. This leads to Fett and Vader engaging in an eye popping lightsaber battle in the middle of the Mos Eisley Cantina! Fett, who had procured a lightsaber from a dead Jedi (awesome), held his own against Vader, proving that this bounty hunter backs down from no man. Solo escaped by attaching his ship to a Star Destroyer and floating away when the warship dumped its garbage. Hmm, that sounds familiar, huh? This battle also built that subtle grudging respect that can be felt when Vader addressed Fett aboard the Star Destroyer Executer in Empire.

From the Dark Horse era to the first Marvel Comics era, let us go back in time to Star Wars #81 (1984) by Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, Tom Palmer, and Tom Mandrake. There have been a number of Expanded Universe accounts of Boba Fett escaping the Sarlaac Pit, but this semi-classic published by Marvel just happens to be the first. The issue was entitled (get ready for it) "Jawas of Doom!" Let that sink in for a moment.

The story takes place just after the Battle of Endor and sees Han Solo searching for some extra cash. Han, Chewbacca, Leia, R2, and C-3P0 fly to Tatooine so Han can withdraw his credits from a Mos Eisely bank. Sadly, Han’s credits were frozen at the same time he was (in carbonite, natch!). Meanwhile, Boba Fett was spat out by the Sarlaac Pit and picked up by aggressive Jawas. It seems that since Jabba the Hutt’s demise, the Jawas have become more and more aggressive. In other words, the only thing that was keeping these hooded desert rodents in check was a mob boss, and now that Jabba is gone, the Jawas have become a gaggle of little murder bundles. So the Jawas droidnap R2-D2 and Boba Fett, whom they mistake for a droid due to his strange armor. Boba Fett has amnesia because comics and becomes the Jawas hapless prisoner (this is like an action figure adventure I would have had with a 103 degree fever).

Read More: Star Wars TV Series Disney+ Streaming Guide

Han, who sets on a rescue mission, boards the Sandcrawler and is shocked to see Boba Fett. The two former enemies work together to defeat the Jawas (no, really) until Fett regains his memory and takes a pot shot at Han. Han leaps to safety just as the Sandcrawler plummets into, you guessed it, the Sarlaac Pit. Wahh-wahh-wahhhhhh! What a strange little must-read story. First off, it featured the first post-Return of the Jedi appearance of Fett and, secondly, it then almost turned Fett into a kind of tragic hero before depositing him back into the same pit of death in which he met his ignominious film demise. One has to wonder if Marvel was under marching orders by Lucasfilm to make sure Fett stayed in the Sarlaac, and if so, what kind of plans did Lucas have for the fan favorite hunter killer back in 1984? And what about those killer Jawas. How are you not eBaying this right now?

Let’s move on to some alternate escapes from the Sarlaac Expanded Universe fiction, shall we? We have discussed Tales of the Bounty Hunters ad nauseam (and we will again), but now, let's take a look at Tales from Jabba’s Palace (1996), another Kevin J. Anderson-edited anthology. In "A Barve Like That: The Tale of Boba Fett" by J.D. Montgomery, readers get to experience Fett’s time in the Sarlaac. This short story features the most backstory that was ever revealed about the mysterious bounty hunter pre-Attack of the Clones, as fans are welcomed into Fett’s thoughts for the first time. Most of these thoughts consist of “Oh my lord, I’m slowly being digested over a period of a thousand years. It hurts. It hurts. Solo is a dick!” but there is also a great deal revealed about the heart and spirit of the hunter.

This tale mostly takes place within the Sarlaac, as a trapped Fett is able to converse with the Pit’s first victim, a being named Susejo. Through Susejo, Fett learns how hopeless his plight truly is—but guys, this is Boba Fett, the most lethal bounty hunter in the galaxy, a walking weapon, the first mail away action figure! Fett isn’t having any of that noise and tricks the Sarlaac into digesting his rocket pack. Well, Kenner was right, that backpack was dangerous, and when the thing explodes, Fett is freed of the Sarlaac. Pretty intense and much better than dying while fighting rabid Jawas. Montgomery’s tale really highlighted what Star Wars fans new all along—that nothing can stop Boba Fett, the most lethal bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Boba Fett is so badass he couldn’t even be stopped by the The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978). For real, the haphazardly animated nine-minute animated short featuring the introduction of Boba Fett is the only watchable part of the infamous Christmas special. In this short, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker fall victim to a sleeping virus and Chewbacca and the droids must team with a mysterious armored figure named Boba Fett to save the heroes.

Over the course of the stiffly animated feature, Fett fights a lizard dragon thing and is still a menacing presence despite the fact that he barley moves in this unbudgeted production. Now imagine, kids everywhere sending away for the Kenner figure and encountering Fett for the first time in the Christmas special. Even though the rest of the special is unwatchable, Fett’s animated debut must have been pure magic for Star Wars fans of a certain age. And that’s why we love Fett and his mystique, because his uniquely marketed pre-The Empire Strikes Back introduction into the Star Wars galaxy introduced the very idea of an Expanded Universe. Expect more Fett very soon, possibly in his own feature length film in the next few years.

Bossk

Bossk, possibly the most fearsome looking bounty hunter to gather on the Executor in The Empire Strikes Back, has long been an iconic but minor adversary in the Star Wars saga. Like Fett, Bossk was a Kenner mail away action figure, which just adds to the aura of this Trandoshan villain. Bossk is so tough, he doesn't have time for footwear, and his arms and legs barely fit into his famous yellow space suit. You just know that Bossk ripped apart some poor pilot to score his flight gear, and the lizard-like bounty hunter really pops in the few seconds he is onscreen in Empire.

Played by British actor Alan Harris, Bossk also pops up in Return of the Jedi and has appeared in many Expanded Universe tales. By the way, that Bossk’s famous space suit was a leftover costume used in the 1966 Doctor Who episode "The Tenth Planet Part 1" is pretty cool sci-fi synergy, huh?

Read More: 10 Emperor Palpatine Facts You Need to Know

To find our Bossk highlight, we look to the recent past and to the young adult Star Wars Rebels novel Ezra's Gamble by Ryder Windham (2014). Before this EU tale (which is part of the new Disney canon), Bossk was traditionally portrayed as an almost mindless, cannibalistic brute. While this has added to the infamous legend of Bossk, it didn’t leave room for character subtleties. Windham took care of all that by portraying the Trandoshan as a morally ambiguous hunter with a unique sense of honor.

In this recent prose Rebels adventure, Bossk is depicted as a reluctant anti-hero with a conflicting sense of right and wrong. Bossk helps Ezra Bridger and is presented to fans in a heroic light for the first time. But in Empire and in other Expanded Universe fiction, Bossk is a flesh-hungry monstrosity who uses his personal ship, the Hound’s Tooth, to track his prey across the galaxy. So whether you like the new, more complex Bossk or the slavering, blood hungry scum of yesteryear, you've got to admit that with a few short seconds on screen and one garbled line that almost caused ‘ol Admiral Piett to poop his Imperial trousers (Res luk ra'auf!), Bossk has long captured the imagination of Star Wars fans.

Zuckuss and 4-LOM

Before we delve into our final pair of bounty hunters, let us play the name game. When Kenner produced its last two bounty hunter action figures in 1982, the toy company made a bit of a boo boo. Kenner used the Zuckuss name for a character that was clearly a droid and used an alpha-numeric droid designation for a character that was clearly an alien. Yes, according to Kenner, 4-LOM was an alien and Zuckuss was a droid, but history now tells us that Kenner done screwed up. In recent years, 4-LOM has been correctly identified as the bug eyed droid aboard Vader’s Star Destroyer in Empire, and Zuckuss has become the robed, bug eyed alien and all is right with the galaxy.

But this name confusion just adds to the mystery of these two strange beings. The two bounty hunters in question appear in the same shot together and thus, have always been associated with each other. So when the two made their first appearance in the Expanded Universe, they did it as partners, as the Lenny and Squiggy of the Star Wars universe, but with an intense blood thirst and lots of guns. Before we delve into our 4-LOM and Zuckuss highlight, let us mention that 4-LOM was played by actress Cathy Munroe while Zuckuss was played by Chris Parsons (who also played the white protocol droid that appeared on Hoth, K-3PO—because if we’re going to go SW obscure, we might as well take it all the way to the extreme).

Okay, of course our 4-LOM and Zuckuss tale comes from Tales of the Bounty Hunters because quite frankly, neither of these scums has made many Expanded Universe appearances. You would have thought that with their really awesome costumes 4-LOM and Zuckuss would have popped up in Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi, but nope, it was one and done for this pair of assassins.

Read More: Star Wars Episode IX Predictions

In the Tales of the Bounty Hunters story, "Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM" by M. Shayne Bell, fans learn the complex histories of both of these blink and you’ll miss ‘em bounty hunters. 4-LOM and Zuckuss ambush a group of Rebels as the freedom fighters are attempting to escape Hoth during the first act of The Empire Strikes Back. The pair planned to sell the captives to Vader and the Empire.

During the mission, fans learn of the background of both bug-eyed bounty hunters. 4-LOM was once a simple protocol droid whose programming became compromised. At first, 4-LOM began stealing from passengers of a luxury liner he worked on and before long became proficient in all sorts of mayhem. Eventually, 4-LOM embarked on a career as a thief and a bounty hunter and became so infamous, that even IG-88 considered recruiting 4-LOM into the droid revolution but thought better of it because the former protocol droid’s personality was too unstable.

As for Zuckuss, this diminutive killer was a member of the Gand species, a group of insectoid aliens that breathed pneumonia and had to wear specially-made breathing apparatuses or suffocate in oxygen rich atmospheres. Gands also used special chemicals called the Mists to help them reach precognitive trance states. Whether Zuckuss really had mystical powers or just kind of got high and hunted people is unclear, but it was clear that this alien and droid made a formidable pair.

In Bell’s tale, Zuckuss and 4-LOM are also shown to have a sound moral compass as, after the bounty hunting duo capture the Rebels, they free them and help the fugitives escape the Empire. So there you have it, according to the now out of continuity Expanded Universe tale, two of our infamous bounty hunters in question possessed the heart of heroes even though they looked like things that crawled out of an H.R. Giger fever dream.

Most of these Expanded Universe tales are now expelled from the Star Wars canon, but the wonder that surrounds these six bounty hunters remains. As we move towards countless more Star Wars films, books, comics, and cartoons, you can be assured that these six characters that captured fans imaginations in about six seconds will continue to fascinate Star Wars fans of every age. Happy hunting.

Marc Buxton is a freelance contributor. You can read more of his work here.

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kennethherrerablog · 5 years

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Manage Your Money, You Must: 10 Money Lessons We Learned from ‘Star Wars’

The Force will be with us — always.

Because “Star Wars” has embedded itself so deeply into our cultural DNA, it continues to shape the way we think about life.

Over numerous movies and assorted iterations, “Star Wars” has taught us about overcoming obstacles, about dealing with family drama, about friendship, about patience, about beating the odds — and even about money.

Because this is The Penny Hoarder, we’re especially interested in the part about money.

Even though the epic saga of Luke Skywalker & Co. played out a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the financial wisdom we gleaned from it applies to the here and now.

Now, prepare to make the jump into hyperspace! Here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Always Pay Your Debts — Or Else

Bingo. This is always the first one everyone thinks of.

Han Solo owes money to the giant slug-like crime boss, Jabba the Hutt. When he doesn’t pay up, Jabba sends bounty hunter Boba Fett after him — basically a debt collector with blaster pistols and green Mandalorian armor.

Instead of declaring Chapter 7 bankruptcy, Han ends up frozen in carbonite. Then Princess Leia, Luke, Lando and the iconic droids have to infiltrate Jabba’s lair to save him in a sequel.

Just like with Solo, the longer you don’t pay off your debts, the bigger the problem gets. The interest piles up.

Pro Tip

Credit cards companies charge compound interest. If you don’t pay off your bill each month, the company charges interest that is added to the amount you owe. Then that new total is charged interest.

Your first step should be to figure out what you’re dealing with. Map out exactly what kind of debt you have. For example, which companies do you owe money to? Are any of your debts in collections? What are your minimum monthly payments on each credit card or loan?

An easy way to start doing this is to sign up with a free service like Credit Sesame. This tool shows your balance on any unpaid bills, credit cards or loans. It also offers tips on reducing your debt and raising your credit score.

2. Used Vehicles Offer the Best Value

The Millennium Falcon takes its share of verbal abuse in multiple “Star Wars” films.

“You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought,” Princess Leia says upon first seeing the starship. And in “The Force Awakens,” Rey calls the ship “garbage.”

But the Millennium Falcon gets the job done. (Did we mention that it made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?) Turns out you don’t always need a shiny new vehicle.

Used cars are often a better deal than new ones. Consumer Reports recommends buying a car that’s two or three years old. For tips on buying a used car, go here or here or here.

You’ll need to take care of your ride, though. (The Falcon’s hyperdrive keeps breaking down despite Chewbacca’s best efforts in “The Empire Strikes Back.”)

According to a AAA survey, 1 in 3 U.S. drivers can’t pay for an unexpected auto repair. Consider creating an emergency fund with a high-yield bank account.

3. Negotiate the Best Deal You Can

Early in “A New Hope,” Luke and Uncle Owen are bargaining with some creepy little jawas over the price of some used droids.

When an R2 unit they’d just bought immediately breaks down, Uncle Owen aggressively questions the quality of what the jawas are selling: “Hey, what are you trying to push on us?”

The result: Luke’s family gets the best droid ever, R2-D2.

Negotiating isn’t just for markets and cars, any variable expense can be negotiated to a lower price — you just have to know what to look for.

4. “Do or Do Not. There is No Try.”

Yoda’s admonition to Luke in “The Empire Strikes Back” is probably the biggest zen moment in any of these movies.

As always, Yoda is right on target. You’re either going to do it, or you’re not. Don’t just try.

If you’re going to make financial changes, commit to them and be consistent. Don’t just try once or twice and then forget about it. Sticking to it is the key to success.

Pro Tip

Help yourself by making it harder to spend. Deleting your credit card number from your internet browser can create just enough of a hurdle to force you to pause before giving in to that impulse buy.

For instance, saving money is hard. Consider trying an auto-savings app like Acorns.

Once you connect it to a debit or credit card, it rounds your purchases up to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into a savings or investment account.

Because the money comes out in increments of less than $1, you’re less likely to feel an impact in your bank account.

5. Don’t Let the Little Details Blow Up On You

The Empire spared no expense on the Death Star, don’t you think?

You’ve got to figure that moon-sized battle stations capable of blowing up planets don’t come cheap (especially two of them).

But they overlooked that pesky little design flaw that allowed the Rebel Alliance to destroy the whole thing. Whoops!

Don’t neglect the details like that, because they’ll burn you. Don’t skimp on maintenance and repairs for big-ticket items like your home and car. If you blow that stuff off, you’ll just end up paying more in the end.

Another lesson from the Death Star: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. The Empire sure had a lot riding on its supercool Death Star, didn’t it?

Don’t depend on just one thing. Diversify your investments. Here’s how one woman used an app to make sure her 401(k) was in balance.

6. Get Rid of Your Old Stuff

The “Star Wars” universe looks different than Star Trek and other sci-fi settings. “Star Wars” has that “lived-in” look — there’s junk everywhere. You know, just like your house.

And in the “Star Wars” movies, people make money selling that junk — just like you should.

In “The Force Awakens,” Rey is a scavenger on the planet Jakku, feeding herself by salvaging parts from ships.

On Luke’s home planet of Tatooine, those jawas we mentioned earlier appear to be scavengers, too.

Pro Tip

Letgo is an app that lets you connect with people who want your old stuff. It’s free to use — just snap a photo, upload your item and add a description and price.

In “The Phantom Menace” — hey, here’s our first and only mention of the prequels! — Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi meet young Anakin Skywalker in a junk shop where he fixes things.

Meanwhile, here on our planet, a number of apps are making it easier than ever to sell your old stuff online.

To free up space and earn some extra cash, use apps to sell your stuff. Listing the right stuff in the right marketplaces means you’re more likely to sell it for the right price.

7. Beware of Scams. Know What Things Are Worth.

Toward the beginning of “The Force Awakens,” a hungry Rey nearly pawns the droid BB-8 in exchange for 60 portions of inflatable food. She’s sorely tempted, but senses something is wrong and backs off.

That’s the surest way to spot a scam: If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Whether you’re selling a droid or shopping for shoes online, you’ve got to watch out for rip-offs. Here’s how to protect yourself from imposter scams, credit repair scams, identity theft and senior scams.

As long as identity theft remains a huge problem you need to keep an eye on your credit and transactions.

8. Embrace the Gig Economy

When Luke and Obi-Wan need transportation to Alderaan, they basically catch an Uber. A space Uber. They pay for the Millennium Falcon to take them there.

Here on Earth, you can make like Han and Chewie in your Honda or Chevy by driving with Uber or Lyft and make extra money each week on your own schedule.

Pro Tip

In addition to age requirements for drivers, Uber and Lyft both have age restriction for your vehicle that are based on regulations in your city.

There are other entry-level ways to make money nowadays that you can do on your own time – and from your phone – thanks to the growing gig economy.

Craigslist is an easy place to sell your services under the “Gigs” section. Pay and tasks will vary, of course. And if you don’t trust Craigslist, check out TaskRabbit or Fiverr – to name just a few.

9. If the Deal Turns to the Dark Side, Cut Your Losses

Here at The Penny Hoarder, we’re always looking for good deals.

We’re always asking, Is this a good deal or not a good deal? And when we hear the words “deal” and “”Star Wars”,” we can’t help but think of Lando Calrissian in “The Empire Strikes Back.”

Lando … Lando did not get a good deal.

When Han, Leia and Chewie first turn up in Cloud City, Lando tells them, “I’ve just made a deal that’ll keep the Empire out of here forever.”

Of course, the deal involves betraying his friends. Later, Darth Vader menacingly informs Lando, “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.”

Still later, when Vader threatens Lando further and mistreats his friends, Lando fumes, “This deal is getting worse all the time!”

That’s when he switches sides.

If you make a deal and the reality doesn’t match what you were promised, be prepared to walk away. Cut your losses and move on.

10. Sand People Always Walk in Single File to Hide Their Numbers

You see, from this we can learn that … no, no, wait. That’s not a good example at all. We learn no financial truths from that.

We’ve got nothing for you here.

Let’s try this instead. One of the most important lessons we learned from “Star Wars” is:

10. Make Sure You Have a Long-Term Plan

The heroes and villains of the “Star Wars” universe are seriously into some long-term planning.

Emperor Palpatine’s master plan takes several movies to unfold. After he reveals himself to be Darth Sidious and strikes, Yoda and Obi-Wan lay low for a couple of decades after the prequels, waiting for their chance to return the favor.

Of course, when we first meet Obi-Wan and Yoda, they’re chilling in a cave and a swamp, respectively. Apparently the Jedi Council didn’t have much of a 401(k) match.

The sooner you start saving, investing and paying down your debt, the better off you’ll be.

All told, that’s everything that “Star Wars” has taught us about money so far. Take it as you will.

Do, or do not.

There is no try.

Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. His “Star Wars”-loving co-workers helped out with this post.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

Manage Your Money, You Must: 10 Money Lessons We Learned from ‘Star Wars’ published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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10 Best Star Wars Villains Ranked

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Star Wars is a story about good triumphing over evil, the heroes overcoming all challenges before them and defeating the villains. But we love to watch the antagonists, too! What would the saga be without its iconic, larger-than-life villains?

The hum of a lightsaber echoes in a hallway filled with smoke. A mastermind works behind gilded walls against his enemies. A bounty hunter zips through the sky with his jet pack. A dark lord awaits her prey from the core of a dying planet. These are moments that stay with us long after the credits have rolled, and they’re the reason why a few of the villains on this list are considered some of the best ever created regardless of the medium.

We’ve ranked our top 10 favorite Star Wars villains below:

10. General Grievous

Like many characters and concepts in the Prequels, Grievous is perhaps most notable for his visual design and powerful presence. A spindly four-armed droid, he looks like a mix between a robot, a spider, and a dinosaur. This non-human form wields four lightsabers at the same time, all of which he stole from Jedi he killed.

While Grievous’ personality isn’t really the draw here (he has a brief backstory and a tendency toward the dramatic), you can see some of his history in the excellent The Clone Wars episode “Lair of Grievous.” But we’d especially recommend you check out his first on-screen appearance in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars microseries. Scary stuff!

9. Grand Admiral Thrawn

Inspired by Sherlock Holmes and legendary military strategists like Alexander the Great, Grand Admiral Thrawn is the first character on this list to originate in tie-in books. He also has the distinction of being the first major villain of the post-Return of the Jedi era. The “Thrawn Trilogy” in the 1990s remain the most famous books of the lot for rejuvenating the franchise and introducing this tactical genius.

The epitome of working smarter, not harder, Thrawn is a no-nonsense thinker who can tell what a culture’s war strategy will be like based solely on their art. His clashes with characters from the Original Trilogy to the Rebels crew to his own Chiss Ascendancy are beloved as tactical puzzles and a showcase for his intimidating personality.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

Fans love Thrawn so much that he was one of the first non-canon Legends characters to be retconned back into the Disney continuity after the House of Mouse bought Lucasfilm in 2012. The Mandalorian season 2 has even set up the Grand Admiral to make his first live-action appearance at a later date.

8. Kylo Ren

While there’s some debate among fans about whether Kylo Ren should still be considered a true villain after The Rise of Skywalker, his appearance in The Force Awakens is our favorite, and he’s firmly in bad guy territory there. From the intimidating crossguard lightsaber to his chaotic nature that makes the audience feel like even he doesn’t quite know what he’s going to do next, Ren’s vivid characterization and volatile personality (not to mention Adam Driver’s performance) helped sell The Force Awakens as a worthy successor to the Original Trilogy.

He sometimes borrows too much from Darth Vader in that first installment to be truly unique, but that’s the point: Kylo is a fan of the villains who have come before, a member of a new generation of characters who inherit the saga and choose which role they want to play. Ren joins the dark side knowing exactly where it will lead.

7. Asajj Ventress

Ventress has been many things. A witch, a bounty hunter, a Jedi, and a Sith disciple, but her different roles are all in service of finding what she really wants: A home.

Introduced as the acrobatic and creepy antagonist in the first and second seasons of the Clone Wars miniseries, she goes toe-to-toe with Anakin Skywalker on several occasions during the galactic conflict. Throughout The Clone Wars, we also see how her part in the war changes, all while she tries to fill the hole in her heart created by her separation from her parents and death of her mentor when she was just a child. Ultimately, she’s both a tragic and sympathetic figure but also a frighteningly unpredictable villain.

6. Kreia/Darth Traya

Knights of the Old Republic II features one of the most inventive and critical explorations of what it means to wield the Force. The game’s Jedi and Sith are conflicted, use their powers in unique ways, and hold personal philosophies about the light and dark sides beyond the beliefs of their respective orders.

Into the life of the game’s Jedi exile protagonist comes the mysterious Kreia, a Sith lord disguised as the hero’s mentor in the ways of the Force. And her teachings about the ancient energy are unlike anything else we’ve seen or read to date.

Instead of following the light or the dark side, Kreia feels the Force itself is a malevolent barrier between people and free will. Although her philosophy technically leads her to the dark, her ideas about going beyond that dichotomy entirely make her one of the most thought-provoking characters in the series. It’d be interesting to hear what she thought about the Force dyad from The Rise of Skywalker.

5. Boba Fett

Boba Fett began his Star Wars career as a mysterious cartoon character in The Star Wars Holiday Special and as a faceless villain in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, before making the jump to the classic Legends tie-in books and comics. Now, he’s back for the first time in the Disney canon, thanks to The Mandalorian, which gives a new generation of fans plenty of reasons to love the iconic bounty hunter.

Although he isn’t the first actor to portray Boba Fett, Prequel Trilogy veteran Temuera Morrison brings newfound charm and power to the legendary bounty hunter, whose armor, jetpack, and laconic personality made him a breakout star despite his relatively minor screen time in the Original Trilogy. On The Mandalorian, we finally get to see his legendary prowess as he single-handedly breaks stormtroopers with his bare hands before even regaining his armor.

Boba Fett’s history is almost as long as Star Wars‘ itself, debuting in 1978, and he’s been a fan-favorite ever since, living many other lives on the page beyond the movies. He’s worked for the Empire, teamed up with other bounty hunters, and even become the leader of the Mandalorian people. With his return to Disney canon, he gets a whole new future full of adventures for fans to look forward to, including The Book of Boba Fett.

4. Darth Maul

Maul just keeps coming back. While he was easily one of the best parts of The Phantom Menace, it’s his development in The Clone Wars that really puts him near the top of the list. A perpetual student always looking for a master, Maul’s tutelage under Sidious means he never really learned how to live outside the structure of the Sith order. That mentality clashes with the Jedi in one of the most dramatic confrontations in The Clone Wars, where Maul reveals he knows the Empire is coming and the Jedi are too late to stop it.

From a martial arts expert to the galaxy’s Cassandra, he’s played many different roles, including the secret leader of a galaxy-spanning criminal organization in Solo. In Rebels, his death serves as a moving capstone to what began in the Prequels, when Obi-Wan Kenobi finally ends his life in a battle not of martial skill but of the kind of mercy and solace only a Jedi at their best can offer.

3. Moff Gideon

While the villain of The Mandalorian hasn’t had nearly as much time on screen as many of the others on this list, he’s climbed to the top through force of personality. Giancarlo Esposito gives even Moff Gideon‘s expository dialogue a sinister life.

As an ISB agent, he differentiates himself from most Star Wars villains by not being a Force-wielding warrior first and foremost. He’s cool because he thrives on information, and frightening because of the lengths he’s willing to go to get it. And don’t forget, he’s willing to handcuff Grogu. You get in the Villain Hall of Fame for that.

2. Emperor Palpatine

The mastermind of many falls (Anakin’s, the Republic’s, Ben Solo’s), Emperor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, is the shadow looming over the entire saga. He has a hand in everything, from the inability of the Jedi to hold on to even their own Force powers (as they discover in the Prequels) to the rise of the First Order. He’s the ultimate example of ambition gone wrong, the desire to rule the galaxy for the sake of ultimate control in human form. And the performance by Ian McDiarmid through the decades has become a staple of pop culture.

1. Darth Vader

From the first part of A New Hope to the finale of Rogue One and beyond, Vader’s intimidating visage is synonymous with Star Wars. Designed by Ralph McQuarrie in part after the shape of a samurai armor, the apparatus that keeps Vader alive was made to look dark, intimidating, and “spooky.” He doesn’t have to run or use flashy lightsaber moves to kill you: instead it’s his inexorable approach and brutal moves that are so fearsome. And he has no problem Force choking his own men to get what he wants.

While part of what makes Vader number one is how frightening he is, that’s not the whole story. As Anakin Skywalker, he also brings pathos to the saga and inspires endless debate. His choice to turn to evil is the event on which the rest of the saga turns. Decades later, he’ll inspire Kylo Ren to start down a similar path.

Let us know your own ranking in the comments below!

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