Jedi at 40 is a series of articles at StarWars.com that celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and in this instalment Troy Benjamin shares some of the characters that frequently haunt Jabba’s abode.
1. Amanaman
The yellow-green Amani from Utapau was the first whom Lando Calrissian encountered during Han Solo’s rescue according to Marvel’s Star Wars comics. Amanaman made a pact with Lando, agreeing to tip off the smuggler should Boba Fett arrive with his precious carbon-frozen cargo. Amanaman also stood watch as Luke Skywalker bargained for Han’s life in Return of the Jedi. Not much is known about Amanaman, but with his threatening appearance — armed with a staff adorned with skulls and shrunken heads, he presumably was not someone you’d want on your bad side.
Where to Look: 10 minutes, 16 seconds — As Jabba the Hutt introduces his most prized decoration, Han Solo hanging on the wall frozen in carbonite, Amanaman stands in the shadow to the right of the slab. He ducks in to take a glance at our incapacitated hero.
Additional Intel: Because he’s often on the very edge of the frame in Jabba’s palace, the tall and thin Amanaman was a mystery to an entire generation who watched Return of the Jedi in a 4×3 or “pan & scan” frame. On square televisions, he was often cropped out and not seen. It wasn’t until the release of the film in widescreen and in theaters for the Special Edition that Amanaman was visible once again.
2. Beedo
A Rodian clothed in a green flight suit and orange vest, Beedo was often mistaken for his doppelganger, Greedo. Don’t feel bad if you’ve made the mistake, too; it’s not uncommon to have difficulty differentiating the two. Beedo was a longtime associate of Jabba’s, having accompanied the gangster to corner Han Solo shortly after Greedo’s death. Beedo enjoyed the entertainment value of Jabba’s court, and pushed his way to the front for best viewing of rancor feedings and those seeking audience with the Hutt.
Where to Look: 9 minutes – As Luke Skywalker’s holo message begins for Jabba the Hutt, Beedo’s silhouette can be seen just to the left of the main entrance. You can get your first good look at him at 12 minutes, 22 seconds off to the left as the Max Rebo band entertains the court.
Additional Intel: Beedo loved to stay near the main entrance stairs, possibly having learned from poor Greedo’s fate and plotting a quick exit when things got hairy?
3. Bib Fortuna
A Twi’lek majordomo, Bib Fortuna acted as advisor and gatekeeper for Jabba the Hutt. Smugglers, bounty hunters, and contractors for the Hutt all had to bargain with Fortuna for assignments and payment. With a pronounced head-tail lekku, and pale skin from being confined within the dark recesses of the palace at all hours, Fortuna’s teeth were as sharp and pointed as his ambitions. Wherever Jabba went, so went Fortuna. He accompanied the Hutt to the Boonta Eve podrace, as seen in The Phantom Menace, and was at his side when the master’s sail barge transported captive Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca to the Great Pit of Carkoon. Though the barge exploded, somehow Fortuna was among the survivors.
Where to Look: 7 minutes, 5 seconds — Bib Fortuna greets C-3PO and R2-D2 upon entering Jabba’s palace.
Additional Intel: Fortuna eventually achieved his dreams of running the show and took control of Jabba the Hutt’s holdings in the Disney+ series, The Book of Boba Fett. His reign was short-lived as Fett assassinated the Twi’lek and claimed his throne.
4. Boba Fett
Boba Fett was a legend that could fill volumes. Fett was born on Kamino: a perfectly created clone of his “father” Jango as seen in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Bearing witness to the death of Jango at the hands of Jedi Mace Windu, he turned to a solitary life of bounty hunting, gaining a reputation for disintegrations. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, he worked as a freelancer for Darth Vader and the main culprit responsible for Han Solo’s capture and return to Jabba the Hutt. Fett was fiercely loyal to Jabba the Hutt, quick to draw his blaster at the first sign of danger. But when Luke Skywalker and his friends enacted a plan to save Solo, Fett’s jetpack malfunctioned in battle with the Jedi Knight, and he was sent flying into the mouth of the Sarlaac pit and was presumed dead.
Where to Look: 13 minutes, 6 seconds — Boba parts ways from Jabba atop the dais, then stands off to the perimeter of the court a few seconds later taking a moment to enjoy the Max Rebo Band, and their accompanying dancers’ performance.
Additional Intel: Though Boba seemingly met his end at the Great Pit of Carkoon in Return of the Jedi, he escaped and perused ambitions to run Jabba’s previous businesses in The Book of Boba Fett.
5. Ephant Mon
A close friend and associate of Jabba the Hutt, the pachyderm-looking Ephant Mon may appear slow and lumbering, given his hunched posture and use of a cane. But the Chevin from Vinsoth was a dangerous threat. Mon was a suspected arms dealer who was somehow always one step ahead of danger, and escaped certain doom by not being on Jabba’s sail barge when it exploded.
Where to Look: 20 minutes, 23 seconds — Mon is behind the curtain when Leia Organa revives Han Solo from carbon freeze. He can be seen just to the left of Leia as Han explains he was on his way to repay Jabba’s debts.
Additional Intel: Though it never made it on-screen, the cackling Salacious B. Crumb was originally intended to be perched on Ephant Mon’s shoulder as his pet rather than keeping close to Jabba himself.
6. Max Rebo
With bright blue skin, a beady-eyed face, and a long trunk resembling the most adorable of elephants, Max Rebo was a prolific entertainer on Tatooine. Generally seated at his trusty red ball jett organ, the Ortolan was frequently animated and energetic when performing, bouncing to the upbeat, jazzy-sounding music he created.
Where to Look: 12 minutes, 30 seconds — Max Rebo sits at his keyboard to the left of the frame as his band finishes up a song for Jabba’s entertainment. He continues to play for Jabba on the sail barge during a cruise to the Great Pit of Carkoon.
Additional intel: Though the band as it was comprised at Jabba’s palace parted ways, Max still frequented gigs around cantinas, including Garsa Fwip’s Sanctuary in The Book of Boba Fett.
7. Pote Snitkin
A driver for Jabba the Hutt, Pote Snitkin was rewarded for his service with unlimited drinks and entertainment. With no visible neck, and sizeable hands comprised of only three chubby digits, Snitkin was a fireplug of a Skrilling. His duties as a driver for Jabba’s pleasure cruise entourage ultimately led to his death, however. Under attack by Jedi Luke Skywalker, Snitkin was tossed overboard from the skiff he was piloting and became a meal for the Sarlaac.
Where to Look: 12 minutes, 43 seconds — Pote Snitkin can be seen standing in an enclave behind the dancer known as Wiebba-Wiebba. But he’s better seen later, above the Pit of Carkoon at the far back at the helm of a skiff as Luke Skywalker jumps onto it at 33 minutes, 36 seconds.
Additional Intel: Pote Snitkin was one of the few patrons of Jabba the Hutt’s who didn’t receive an action figure until the late 1990s, and was first available as an online exclusive figure through the official Star Warsfan club.
Head to StarWars.com for even more of Jabba’s denizens.
