Hutt Clan

"There are many things the Hutts influence and possess that would be useful to us."

- Darth Maul to the Grand Hutt Council

The Hutt Clan, also known as the Hutt Cartel and sometimes simply as the Hutts, was one of the most powerful crime families in the galaxy around the time of the Clone Wars. It was governed by the Grand Hutt Council, whose members were the heads of the five Hutt families which ruled over a number of systems, known as Hutt Space. During the Clone Wars, the clan allied itself with the Galactic Republic and briefly with Darth Maul's alliance with the Death Watch and numerous other crime organizations known as Shadow Collective. During the Galactic Civil War, they clashed on multiple occasions with a group of mercenaries operating on the planet Tatooine and went into an alliance with the Galactic Empire.

Waning days of the Republic
During the final days of the Republic, Jabba and fellow Hutts were known to preside over Tatooine's podraces. Notably, he was present when a slave Anakin Skywalker won the Boonta Eve race, a momentous event.

Kidnapping of Rotta
During the Clone Wars, the Hutts influence and power over the Outer Rim, specifically its hyperlanes, was sought by both the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. When Rotta, Jabba's son, was secretly kidnapped by the Separatists, which was orchestrated by the Sith Lord Count Dooku™with help from Ziro. The plot was meant to discredit the Jedi Order and scuttle negotiations between the Republic and the Hutts, but the Jedi were able to rescue him. the crime lord promised his support to the whomever returned his son. When the Separatists were revealed to have orchastrated Rotta's kidnapping, Jabba pledged his support to the Republic.

Senate Hostage Crisis
Another point during the war, there was a hostage crisis that took place at the Senate Office Building on Coruscant which Bounty hunters led by Cad Bane held the Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Galactic Republic and other senators hostage in order to free Ziro the Hutt from the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center, with both sides were on the hunt for Ziro who escaped from the custody of both the Galactic Republic and the Grand Hutt Council, but found him dead on Teth after he was killed by Sy Snootles at the behest of Jabba the Hutt.

Nal Hutta Incident
"There are many things the Hutts influence and possess that would prove useful to us."

- Darth Maul appeals to the Hutt Grand Council

The Shadow Collective lands at the Hutt Palace on Nal Hutta to gain the backing of the Grand Hutt Council for their coup on Mandalore. In the council chamber, Maul, Savage, and Vizsla ask for the Hutts to join them by promising to spare their lives in exchange for the Hutt territories. The Council just laughs who did not respond kindly to Darth Maul's threats and Jabba orders for his bounty hunters. Sugi hurls a knife at Maul but it is stopped by Opress. The knife is thrown back and the bounty hunters open fire. Maul and Opress cut through several guards while Vizsla sets fire to the council table with his flamethrower so they can have a head start. The bounty hunters chase after them where a firefight starts after which the guards and bounty hunters to retreat back inside. This time, Maul and his followers chase them back in.

As more guards come to defend the palace, Shadow forces quickly cut though them. Sugi drops down from above and knocks Vizsla over before getting into a fight with Maul. Maul knocks her to the floor and begins swiping at her with his lightsaber, but she rolls out of the way with each strike. Embo gets into a fight with Savage while Marrok attacks Maul, knocking the lightsaber from his hands and saving Sugi. Savage continuously punches at Embo who uses his hat to block the punches but is still knocked to the ground. Vizsla pulls out his Darksaber and cuts down several guards. Maul manages to throw Marrok off when several smoke grenades are thrown. Latts Razzi and Dengar are at the end of the hall and yell for their companions to get out. Embo, Sugi, and Marrok follow them and Maul lets them go and decides to go to Tatooine.

Attack on Jabba Palace
"Give up, Jabba, you're the only ones left!" "Submit or suffer."

- Pre Viszla and Darth Maul to Jabba the Hutt in his inner sanctum

The Shadow Collective attacked the perimeter of the Jabba Palace, paving the path for Darth Maul, Savage Opress, and Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla into Jabba's inner sanctum. After a very brief and violent struggle proving the Shadow Collective to be the more formidable, Jabba agreed to surrender his criminal empire, channeling his resources to the organization's cause for an imminent takeover of the Mandalorian capital city, Sundari. The Hutts then gave them a couple of Hutt enforcers made of red-skinned Niktos which would later prove useful in the takeover of Mandalore and subsequent battle of Sundari.

After the Clone Wars
The Hutts continued to operate in the Outer Rim after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire, preserving their power base, despite Emperor Sheev Palpatine's interference.

On the desert world of Tatooine, an intense drought which become known as the Great Drought that was the worst in then-recent memory. This left moisture farmers with little water to harvest, worsening conditions on the poor, backwater world. In the midst of the drought, henchmen for the crime lord Jabba the Hutt collected a water tax on their master's behalf.

Deal with the Empire
After the destruction of the Death Star by the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. The Emperor sent Darth Vader to negotiate a deal with Jabba to secure raw materials for production and resources to fuel its military operations. This followed the destruction of the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin and the loss of Weapons Factory Alpha during a Rebel assault on Cymoon 1. The negotiations which was a continuation of what was meant to take place on Cymoon 1.

Vader arrived on Tatooine earlier than scheduled to hire two bounty hunters for assignments the Dark Lord of the Sith kept secret from the Emperor. Jabba provided him with Boba Fett, who Vader tasked with finding Luke Skywalker, a Rebel pilot and Black Krrsantan, who Vader tasked with capture Cylo-IV, an agent of the Emperor.

After attending to his personal mission, Vader returned to Jabba's palace the next day and negotiated on the Emperor's behalf. Jabba agreed to provide the Empire with whatever resources it needed to fuel its operations. This alliance with the Empire allowed him and the Hutts to survive the Imperial crackdown against criminal elements in the Outer Rim, as well as rid the Hutt of his competitors.

Dispute on Tatooine
"Those men worked for my master, the mighty Jabba the Hutt. He is most displeased with your hostility."

- Bib Fortuna contacts the mercenaries following the battle

Sometime before the Battle of Hoth, Jabba's majordomo Bib Fortuna contacted the mercenaries via hologram after an attack on their Homestead and informed them that they had angered his master. The Alliance also contacted the mercenaries and asked for their aid in recovering medical supplies from a Hutt Cartel den on the planet Dandoran, also earning them an offer of allegiance from the Rebels. While the mercenaries were off-world aiding the them, Jabba's men destroyed their homestead in vengeance for the outlaws deaths. The mercenary gang would at some point later work with Jabba in order to obtain intel on the faction they opposed in the civil war but would however eventually break down and conflict between Saponza's men and the Hutt's errupted once more.

Death of Jabba
Jabba placed a high price on Han Solo who was eventually delivered to him by one of his bounty hunters, Boba Fett, as a gift from Darth Vader. The Sith Lord intended to use Solo, as well as Leia Organa and Chewbacca, as bait to lure Luke Skywalker into a trap. Vader intended to freeze Solo in carbonite, as a test to determine whether Skywalker would be able survive the same process and turned the frozen smuggler over to Boba, who had Solo taken to Slave I brought Solo to Jabba's Palace on Tatooine. due to Han Solo not repaying him for lost cargo, however, this capture brought him to the attention of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who sought to rescue his friend from Jabba's imprisonment. As he attempted to execute the Jedi and his allies in the Great Pit of Carkoon, Jabba was killed by Leia Organa.

Government
"Well, well. If it isn't the heads of the five Hutt families."

- Cad Bane, sitting in on a meeting

The Hutts and their criminal enterprise were ruled Grand Hutt Council that was located on the Hutt world of Nal Hutta and included a number of high profile and influential Hutt leaders of each family such Jabba who led the council and the clan. The Ruling Council handled the day-to-day affairs of the Hutt species, and its leader later spoke on behalf of all Hutts in treaties and dealings with the Galactic Empire.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
 * Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Galactic Defense
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * Star Wars: Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir 1
 * Lords of the Sith
 * Star Wars 7: From the Journals of Old Ben Kenobi: "The Last of His Breed"
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * A New Hope Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight
 * Heir to the Jedi
 * Star Wars 1: Skywalker Strikes
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars 4: Skywalker Strikes, Part IV
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 2: Vader, Part II
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 7: Shadows and Secrets, Part I
 * Star Wars: Commander
 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
 * Return of the Jedi Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * Rescue from Jabba's Palace
 * Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!
 * Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
 * Return of the Jedi Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * Rescue from Jabba's Palace
 * Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!
 * Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi