Gank/Legends

"Every day more bounty hunters are searching for me. I'm going to pay off Jabba before he sends any more of his remotes, Gank killers, and who knows what else. I've got to get this price off my head while I still have a head."

- Han Solo

Ganks, also known as Gank Killers, were a mysterious, bloodthirsty bipedal sentient species, who mainly resided on the Hutt-controlled industrial moon known as Nar Shaddaa, located in the Y'Toub system in the Mid Rim section of the galaxy. Ganks were believed to be from another planet originally; however, because of their affiliation to the Hutts of Nar Shaddaa, they moved there permanently.

Ganks usually wore high-tech battle armor from head to foot, so for a long time their physical appearance remained unknown. Ganks could often be found working for Hutts&mdash;acting as mercenaries, bounty hunters, bodyguards or assassins. They were rarely seen alone, as they always moved around in packs and worked together to accomplish their aims.

Biology and appearance
Ganks were fur-covered carnivores. They had square, yellow faces twisted into permanent snarls, and cruel, beady eyes set above their faces. They had broad, strong shoulders and two extremely thick, powerful arms which they used to hold a variety of weapons, though they were usually seen supporting primitive blaster rifles.

Gank faces were rarely seen. They wore a sort of mechanized battle armor into conflict and rarely took it off, to the extent that most people on Nar Shaddaa had never seen a Gank without its armor on. They wore imperfect, prolate spheroid-shaped helmets, with small holes at the front and two thin poles sticking out each side. From their necks they hung a variety of objects, including old teeth. They wore knee high boots, elbow pads, gloves and had small sheaths tied around their wrists, in which they stored knives.

Despite being a heavily-built species, Ganks were able to run very quickly.

Society and culture
"This is from Smada the Hutt. It's your turn to disappear."

- Unidentified Gank killer

Very little was known about Gank culture&mdash;they were only famous for their bloodthirsty nature. Even their original homeworld was unknown, for most Ganks lived in some of the lowest levels of Nar Shaddaa.

Ganks were extremely militaristic creatures who enjoyed battle. Very ruthless, Gank Killers took pleasure in the misery of others&mdash;they would happily laugh as their victim struggled to stay alive. Most Ganks also had incredible tempers and hated it when a potential victim escaped. The bloodthirsty Ganks made excellent bodyguards&mdash;they were both an excellent shot and extremely loyal, following their orders exactly as given.

Ganks rarely ever wandered around on their own, preferring to work in packs to achieve their unsavory goals. They worked so well in small groups of between two and five that advanced sentientologists had hypothesized that Ganks possessed at least a primitive telepathic ability that allowed them to remain in constant communication with each other. However, no Galactic scientist had ever gotten close to a Gank long enough to prove or even provide evidence to suggest that the theory was true. Most of the anthropologists who approached Ganks were usually killed.

The shape shifting Shi'ido senior anthropologist Mammon Hoole once had an encounter with a group of vicious Gank Killers. He managed to infiltrate the group of murderous aliens&mdash;changing his form so that he resembled them. While amongst the Gank, he made an important discovery. The Ganks were able to constantly communicate with one another through implants. They could communicate silently through mechanical means, giving them an edge over other possible bodyguard candidates for the wealthy Hutts of Nar Shaddaa.

As well as Huttese, some Ganks also spoke Galactic Basic Standard, although their vocabulary was limited.

Dr. Hira Deboota of the Coruscant State Coroner's office noticed that, after performing an autopsy on a Yaka, he found that the Yaka's implants were similar to those of a Gank, albeit slightly more advanced. Deboota hypothesized that Gank circuitry was a beta test for the final implementation of the Yakas.

History
"It was not a good situation. I was being chased by Ganks. No need to explain why. I just infringed on a Hutt's good graces, and he was taking it out on me."

- Mammon Hoole

Gank Killers became infamous for their violent ways during the Gank Massacres, which took place in 4,800 BBY. At that time, Neimoidian merchants discovered the ryll spice. It was highly addictive to the Porporite species who went into homicidal rages upon its consumption. Various neighboring factions of the Porporites hired the Ganks for protection and to eliminate the threat. The various Gank clans committed genocide on the other species, completely wiping them out. After that, the Ganks embarked on a full scale war against the Galactic Republic, but were eventually put down by the Jedi.

One well-known story about Ganks concerned an encounter between some of them and Mace Windu, in which the Jedi Master faced off against a group of Ganks, who dropped their weapons to the ground rather than face him. Most Ganks had probably learned better due to past experience with Jedi.

The Shi'ido senior anthropologist Mammon Hoole once had a gang of Ganks trailing him, after he infringed on a Hutt's good graces. The Hutt sent a group of Ganks after the shapeshifter, who turned a corner and quickly changed shape, to that of his pursuers. When the group realized they'd lost their target, they quickly began communicating on what to do next. They were communicating through their implants, so Hoole could not hear them. When they realized he wasn't one of them, he transformed into a Rishii avian, and flew away, with a blaster burn on one of his wings. Hoole later included an entry on the Ganks in his book The Essential Guide to Alien Species.

Prior to the Battle of Hoth, Gank Killers in the employ of Jabba the Hutt were sent out after Han Solo. Around the same time, a group of them were hired by Dominic Raynor to kill Lando Calrissian. Years later, while visiting Nar Shaddaa after the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, Solo and his wife Leia encountered a squad of Ganks at about the same time as Boba Fett's reappearance.

Ganks in the galaxy
"People will wake up soon, boss. Lots of witnesses."

- A Gank killer

Gank Killers could usually be seen on Nar Shaddaa acting as mercenaries, guards, bounty hunters, bodyguards and assassins. Their lust for blood, their ability to work as an effective team, and their ability to communicate with each other through mechanized means meant that a group of Ganks was a prized asset of any Hutt gangster. Nar Shaddaa was not the only planet on which Ganks were known to reside; Ganks were not uncommon in shady outlets such as Mos Eisley Cantina. Ganks also worked for Hutts on planets such as D'vouran.

Behind the scenes
Gank killers first appeared in the comic-book series Dark Empire (1991-92) and their background was first expanded in Dark Empire Sourcebook (1993). However, they had been mentioned one decade earlier in the novelization of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, where Han Solo mentions in passing the Gank killers among the minions Jabba had sent after him.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Saga of Nomi Sunrider
 * Star Wars: Republic: Emissaries to Malastare
 * Dining at Dex's
 * Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
 * A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale
 * Galaxy of Fear: Eaten Alive
 * Galaxy of Fear: Planet Plague
 * Galaxy of Fear: The Brain Spiders
 * Lando Calrissian: Idiot's Array
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novel
 * Star Wars 39: The Empire Strikes Back: Beginning
 * Dark Empire
 * Dark Empire II
 * Ylesia
 * Ylesia