The criminal underworld has played a major role inStar Warsfrom the moment Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness) rode into Mos Eisley and warned Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that he would “never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” InStar Wars, villainy has always been a bit of a gray area. After all, sometimes you need a little villainy to fly you under the radar of an oppressive imperial regime. But the criminal syndicates have always been a stark danger.
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Jabba the Hutt may have been the first crime lord to threaten the protagonists inStar Wars, but he was far from the last. Each new addition to the canon added players to the galactic criminal scene and deepened the lore about their motivations and connections. Although many criminal groups operate in the galaxy, a group known as the five syndicates dominates the criminal underworld from the end of the Clone Wars until the rise of the First Order. Ongoing shows and books may rewrite the canon but for now the five syndicates reign supreme duringThe Book of Boba Fett.
Crimson Dawn
Crimson Dawn originated as a band of marauders raiding planets for resources while committing savage acts against their inhabitants. Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman) told Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) how the Savarians tried to fight back, and Crimson Dawn punished them by removing the tongues of every man, woman, and child. This group was already brutal, but they were forged into one of the most feared syndicates in the galaxy by Maul (Sam Witwer).
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After his revival at thehands of the Nightsisters, Maul consolidated five criminal organizations, including Crimson Dawn, into a group called the Shadow Collective. He aimed to use criminal enterprise to finance his attempts to usurp control of the galaxy from Darth Sidious (Ian Abercrombie) as he rose to power. This plan ultimately failed when Sidious himself attacked the collective resulting in its disbanding. Following that failure, Maul assumed control of Crimson Dawn and forged a new alliance to finance his aspirations of galactic dominance: the five syndicates. The five syndicates worked together when they stood to benefit, but they often warred with each other as well.
Crimson Dawn’s headquarters was on Dathomir where the Nightsisters’ lair used to stand. Though Maul led the organization, he used Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) as the face of the syndicate while very few members ever discovered who was truly in charge. Dryden had a lieutenant named Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), a childhood friend of Han Solo, who took over as Crimson Dawn’s figurehead when Dryden died. Not long after this, Maul also met his end on Tattooine at the hands of Obi-Wan. Qi’ra took charge of the syndicate and may still be running it duringThe Book of Boba Fett.
The Hutt Clan
This syndicate made its debut in the originalStar Warstrilogy, and they also may canonically be the oldest of the five syndicates. The Hutt Clan functions similarly to the mafia, as they intimidate people, “tax” businesses, and control hyperspace lanes, though they do engage in other criminal enterprises when there is money to be made. The syndicate is headquartered on Nal Hutta and run by the Hutt Council, which includes Jabba the Hutt. Though operating from the Hutt homeworld and led by Hutts, not all Hutts are part of the Hutt Clan. Ziro the Hutt (Corey Burton), for example, was a member of Black Sun until he ran afoul of the Hutt Council and died for it.
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The Hutt Clan assisted Maul with his conquest of Mandalore before he was routed. Later, they were pulled into a fight with the Empire by Qi’ra. During this battle, Darth Vader destroyed the entire Hutt Council except for Jabba. After Jabba’s death, it is unclear who leads the Hutt Clan duringThe Book of Boba Fett, though the Twins prove that the syndicate is alive and well.
Pyke Syndicate
Headquartered on the Pyke homeworld of Oba Diah, the Pyke Syndicate’s business is primarily running spice through the galaxy. Spice (demonstrating thatGeorge Lucaswas indeed inspired byFrank Herbert’s novel,Dune) is a substance that can be refined into mind-altering drugs. The Pykes use slave labor to mine spice from Kessel and other planets before paying smugglers to distribute it.
Last known to be led by Marg Krim, this well-organized syndicate is a force to be reckoned with. They are capable of sending armies into combat and helped Maul conquer Mandalore. Perhaps the greatest testament to their ferocity is that they successfully killed a Jedi, former Master Sifo-Dyas.
Crymorah Syndicate
The least known of the five syndicates, the Crymorah Syndicate is mentioned often but rarely shows up directly inStar Wars. Jabba the Hutt cut his teeth as a gangster in this organization before returning to the Hutt Clan and ascending to the Hutt Council. They are duplicitous, both selling information to the Empire and using other criminals to raid Imperial facilities with plausible deniability.
TheVadercomics, the novelTarkin, and reference books like theSmuggler’s Guideindicate that the Crymorah Syndicate relies on droids more than the other syndicates. They may be allied with the Droid Gotra, a group of droids with deadly enhancements fighting for droid rights.
During the Clone Wars, Darth Sidious played both sides of the war to weaken the Jedi and spread their Order thin so that he could easily defeat them with Order 66. An unintended consequence of the Jedi Order’s focus on warfare was Black Sun’s rise to power in the criminal underworld. This syndicate had headquarters on Mustafar, the location of Vader’s Palace, and Ord Mantell. Ziton Moj took charge of the syndicate when their previous leader was killed by Maul’s brother, Savage Opress (Clancy Brown), to compel them to join the Shadow Collective. Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar),a Mandalorian who once wieldedthe superweapon the Darksaber, worked for a time as a bounty hunter for the organization. She came to regret this decision when she realized their primary business was slavery.
Black Sun has proven capable in warfare, battling Count Dooku’s (Corey Burton) forces on Ord Mantell and clashing with the Pykes. In the Imperial Era, they enjoyed a partnership with the Empire. The Empire turned a blind eye to their activities in the Outer Rim in return for favors. Although the fall of the Empire was a major loss to the syndicate, they managed to survive into the era of the New Republic.
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