The criminal underworld has played a major role in star wars from when Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness) entered Mos Eisley and warned Luke Skywalker (Marc Hamil) that he “would never find a more wretched hive of scum and wickedness”. In star wars, meanness has always been a bit of a gray area. After all, sometimes it takes a bit of naughtiness to slip under the radar of an oppressive Imperial regime. But criminal syndicates have always been a great danger.
Jabba the Hutt may have been the first crime lord to threaten the protagonists of star wars, but it was far from the last. Each new addition to the canon added players to the galactic crime scene and deepened the lore of their motivations and relationships. Although many criminal groups operate in the galaxy, a group known as the Five Syndicates has dominated 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 for Boba Fett’s Book.
crimson dawn
Crimson Dawn is originally a group of marauders raiding planets for resources while committing savage acts against their inhabitants. Enfy’s Nest (Erin Kellyman) told Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) how the Savarians attempted to retaliate, and Crimson Dawn punished them by suppressing the language of every man, woman, and child. This group was already brutal, but they were forged into one of the galaxy’s most feared syndicates by Maul (Sam Wiwer).
After his rebirth at the hands of the Nightsisters, Maul consolidated five criminal organizations, including Crimson Dawn, into a group called the Shadow Collective. He aimed to use the criminal enterprise to fund his attempts to usurp control of the galaxy from Darth Sidious (Ian Abercrombie) when he came to power. This plan ultimately failed when Sidious himself attacked the collective, leading to its disbandment. Following this failure, Maul took control of Crimson Dawn and forged a new alliance to fund his aspirations for galactic domination: the Five Syndicates. The five unions worked together when they had the advantage, but they often went to war with each other too.
Crimson Dawn’s headquarters was on Dathomir where the Nightsisters’ lair was. Although Maul led the organization, he used Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) as the face of the union when very few members ever found out who was really in charge. Dryden had a lieutenant named Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), a childhood friend of Han Solo, who became the figurehead of Crimson Dawn upon Dryden’s death. Shortly after, Maul also met his end on Tattooine at the hands of Obi-Wan. Qi’ra took charge of the Syndicate and could still lead it for Boba Fett’s Book.
The Hutt Clan
This syndicate debuted in the original star wars trilogy, and they can also canonically be the oldest of the five syndicates. The Hutt Clan operates similarly to the Mafia, intimidating people, “taxing” businesses, and controlling hyperspace lanes, though they engage in other criminal enterprises when there is money to earn. The syndicate is headquartered in Nal Hutta and is governed by the Hutt Council, which includes Jabba the Hutt. Although they operate from the Hutt homeworld and are ruled 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 clashed with the Hutt Council and died.
The Hutt Clan aided Maul in his conquest of Mandalore before he was routed. They were later drawn into combat 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 unknown who led the Hutt clan for Boba Fett’s Bookthough the twins prove the union is alive and well.
Pyke Syndicate
Based on Pyke’s homeworld of Oba Diah, the Pyke Syndicate’s business primarily involves spreading spices across the galaxy. Spice (demonstrating that george lucas was indeed inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel, Dunes) is a substance that can be refined into mind-altering drugs. The Pykes use slave labor to extract spices from Kessel and other planets before paying smugglers to distribute them.
Last known to be led by Marg Krim, this well-organized syndicate is a force to be reckoned with. They are able to send armies into battle and helped Maul conquer Mandalore. Perhaps the greatest testament to their ferocity is that they managed to kill a Jedi, former Master Sifo-Dyas.
Crymorah Syndicate
The least known of the five Syndicates, the Crymorah Syndicate is often mentioned but rarely appears directly in star wars. Jabba the Hutt cut his teeth as a mobster in this organization before returning to the Hutt clan and rising to the Hutt Council. They are deceitful, both selling information to the Empire and using other criminals to attack Imperial installations with plausible deniability.
the Vader comics, novel Tarkinand reference books such as Smuggler’s Guide indicate that the Crymorah Syndicate relies more on droids than other Syndicates. They can be allied with the Droid Gotra, a group of droids with deadly enhancements fighting for droid rights.
Black Sun
During the Clone Wars, Darth Sidious played both sides of the war to weaken the Jedi and expand their Order so he could easily defeat them with Order 66. An unintended consequence of the Order’s focus Jedi on War was Black Sun’s rise to power in the criminal underworld. This syndicate had its headquarters in Mustafar, the location of Vader’s Palace, and in Ord Mantell. Ziton Moj took charge of the syndicate when their former leader was killed by Maul’s brother, Savage Opress (Clancy Brown), to coerce them into joining the Shadow Collective. Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), a Mandalorian who once wielded the Darksaber super weapon, worked for a time as a bounty hunter for the organization. She came to regret this decision when she realized their main business was slavery.
Black Sun has shown himself capable of waging war, fighting Count Dooku (Corey Burton) forces on Ord Mantell and clashing with the Pykes. In Imperial times, they enjoyed a partnership with the Empire. The Empire turned a blind eye to their activities in the Outer Rim in exchange for favors. Although the fall of the Empire was a major loss for the syndicate, they managed to survive the era of the New Republic.
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