Bib Fortuna/Legends

"And this creature, this heap of fat and entrails and low cunning, this thing has made a servant of me. Worse, a slave. He degrades me, abuses me, amuses himself by abasing me. Me! Whose shadow he is not fit to touch!"

- Bib Fortuna talking about Jabba the Hutt

Bib Fortuna was a male Twi'lek from Ryloth. Bib served as a majordomo to Jabba Desilijic Tiure for many years. Considering he served Jabba for decades, it is unsurprising that few in the galaxy hated the Hutt as much as he did&mdash;the Twi'lek majordomo had tried many times to have Jabba killed. A member of the Una clan, Bib Fortuna was friendly with many B'omarr monks in Jabba's Palace&mdash;when he died his brain was forcibly removed from his body by the ancient religious order.

Before Jabba's Defeat
At some point in the past, Bib Fortuna was found guilty of exporting Ryll and was cast out of Twi'lek society. He then tried to enter the corporation of Kuat Drive Yards, but his untrustworthiness had him expelled from the planet of Kuat and he had a period of other employments involving spice smuggling. Jabba found him and asked for his assistance smuggling for him. When it was evident he may be caught again, he asked for a bigger position in Jabba's businesses. He soon worked with Naroon Cuthus and Bidlo Kwerve.

It was noted that he preyed on other members of his society. He had captured and trained several dancers for Jabba the Hutt, one of which was the human Jess. After he was cast out, other Twi'leks began breaking his name into two distinct parts as a way of symbolizing that he was cast out. Fortuna was able to procure the rancor for his master's birthday which was being transported from its home on Dathomir to an unknown destination but crashed on Tatooine. Jabba was so pleased with the gift he offered Fortuna and Bidlo Kwerve two choices of gift&mdash;the position of majordomo and some greater gift known to history. Fully knowing what Jabba intended, Fortuna accepted the role of majordomo, whilst Kwerve was fed to the rancor. Fortuna was able to secure the services of Malakili, a famous beast handler from the Circus Horrificus to take care of the beast.

At some time he returned to Ryloth seeking his revenge and ransacking seven cities, capturing most members and selling them into slavery for Jabba. While finding loot for himself he came across Nat Secura and his mother, who chastised him for his actions, cursing his name. The insult resulted in Bib executing her and taking Nat under his wing, though he was horribly scarred. Bib only took Nat as a way for in the future to take over Ryloth for himself, using the good name of Clan Secura.

Five years before the Battle of Yavin, Bib recruited six of Jabba's lesser minions, including Nivek, to kill Jabba's guards and make him tell all of his secrets for him, even under torture. Unfortunately, shortly after they started putting the plan into action, Gru'um and Miramba unleashed a bunch of freckers, spoiling it. Bib and his co-conspirators managed to kill all the freckers, who during the struggle slew all but Bib. Later, Jabba thanked Bib for being loyal to him, being a hero and risking his life for Jabba. Fortuna couldn't kill Jabba, after this.



Fortuna had procured the services of a dancer called Oola, a naïve Twi'lek girl who was partnered with another girl called Sienn'rha. The two were being taken to Jabba's palace by a thug called Jerris Rudd when they were intercepted by Luke Skywalker who killed Rudd, freed Sienn but Oola refused to go, wanting to see what life was like in the palace. Skywalker and Fortuna shared a brief conversation where Skywalker told Fortuna that his way of life was wrong and his depridations on his own people would only lead to ruin. He promised that the Rebel Alliance would be able to protect Ryloth from the Empire and for a brief moment, Fortuna strongly considered the young Jedi's words. But realism took a grip and Fortuna dismissed Skywalker's offer. As Oola was willing to return to Jabba's palace with Fortuna, Skywalker let the two go.

Bib Fortuna's tasks included greeting visitors to the Palace and he was there to greet two droids into Jabba's Palace. These droids were none other then C-3PO and R2-D2 who seemingly had a gift for Jabba. Fortuna demanded that they simply give the gift to him and he'll bring it to Jabba. The droids protested however and told him their master wanted them to give the gift to Jabba personally. Fortuna agreed and led them into the throne room where R2-D2 presented a message from Luke Skywalker. Skywalker demanded that Jabba bargain for the body of Han Solo, encased in carbonite. Jabba refused and ordered the droids into his services.

After an unsuccessful attempt by Princess Leia Organa, disguised as a bounty hunter, to free Han Solo, Luke Skywalker himself came to the palace. Fortuna was given orders that he was not to be admitted into the palace. Jabba did not foresee however that his majordomo would be weak-minded enough to fall for his Jedi Mind Tricks. After leading Skywalker to Jabba, Jabba became furious at Fortuna and knocked him off his throne. When Skywalker was able to defeat Jabba's rancor, he, Han Solo and Chewbacca would be thrown into the Pit of Carkoon. Bib Fortuna accompanied Jabba the Hutt to the executions on his Sail Barge. The Jedi and his friends proved more than Jabba's forces could handle and as such, his Barge was destroyed.

After Jabba's death


As Jabba's sail barge exploded, Fortuna escaped on a skiff and returned to the palace to take over. He fought a small battle over the remainder of Jabba's possessions, and was the apparent winner. However, soon the mysterious B'omarr Monks who inhabited the cellars removed his brain from his body and placed it in a spider-like walker, much as the monks themselves used. For years Fortuna went on in madness.

Six months after the events at Endor, a Twi'lek by the name of Firith Olan received Fortuna's messages that he'd been secretly sending and arrived on Tatooine to claim Jabba's treasures. Olan uncovered clues that an Imperial Agent by the name of Lirin Banolt knew of the final location of the missing Strike-class medium cruiser, the Eidolon. Olan knew that if he were to take possession of the ship, his personal power would increase greatly. However, the Eidolon was a fake&mdash;Sate Pestage had a fake built and destroyed it whilst in hyperspace. The real purpose of the Eidolon was a hidden base on Tatooine which Pestage could escape to.

Olan used Fortuna's computer skills to unlock the location of various weapons caches scattered over Tatooine and was able to take control of at least 64 TIE Interceptors. Rogue Squadron had been tasked by Admiral Ackbar with investigating events on Tatooine and uncovered the plot whilst enjoying the hospitality of Huff Darklighter. By this time, the Imperials began poking around led by Marl Semtin and destroyed Olan's TIE's. Olan tried to hide on Ryloth from his enemies and tried to abandon Fortuna on the planet but he was able to stow away on Wedge Antilles' ship and return to Tatooine.

Marl Semtin was tasked with securing the Eidolon Base and capturing Olan&mdash;he planned to put Olan in charge of the base given his underworld connections. Rogue Squadron attacked Eidolon Base, Olan panicked and Semtin stabbed him. Olan fled the base but ran right into Fortuna outside who took the wounded Twi'lek back to Jabba's Palace. He managed to convince the monks to get his brain placed in the body of Olan, using the same techniques that got him in the walker in the first place. Then with Olan's resources at his disposal as well as the credits embezzled from Jabba, Fortuna began rebuilding Jabba's criminal empire, and was able to continue on in the criminal underworld.

Behind the scenes
Bib Fortuna was portrayed by Matthew Wood in The Phantom Menace and Michael Carter in Return of the Jedi.

The word 'Fortuna' means 'Fortune' in Latin, other Romance languages and Polish.

During several scenes in Return of the Jedi, Bib Fortuna can be heard speaking something which can be interperated as a twisted form of English, suggesting that he spoke a heavy dialect of Galactic Basic.

In earlier drafts of Return of the Jedi, Fortuna's title was the 'High Beeser of Hoth'.

Bib Fortuna's first words in Return of the Jedi, "Die Wanna Wanga" are frequently quoted by underworld characters in Star Wars video games, most notably in Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy. It is also said by Gragra to Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace. Given as it's said as Jar Jar tries stealing a gorg, it's possible to assume that "Die Wanna Wanga" means "What do you want?"

In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic when Revan is on Tatooine, the Twi'lek that helps you kill the Krayt Dragon has the last name of "Fortuna". It could be possible that this character is an ancestor of Bib Fortuna or that Fortuna is a common Twi'lek last name.

In Star Wars Galaxies, Fortuna is the last quest giver in the Jabba themepark quest series before Jabba himself

Bib Fortuna is one of the characters in the as yet unnamed Star Wars live-action T.V. series.

Non-canon appearances

 * Best Birthday Ever
 * Skippy the Jedi Droid
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Star Wars Tales 15 intro
 * The Return of Tag & Bink: Special Edition
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
 * The One That Got Away
 * Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi

Notes and references
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