Hutt/Legends

"Would you like to discuss it with the Hutts? I'm sure they can settle this."

- Qui-Gon Jinn to Watto

The Hutts were a species of rotund gastropods with stubby arms, wide cavernous mouths and huge eyes, who controlled a large space empire in Hutt Space. The species was said to originally hail from the planet Varl, but no planet by that name appeared on any Imperial star charts. Their adopted homeworld was Nal Hutta.

Characteristics
Full-grown adult Hutts were obese creatures, boasting a total body-weight of as much as a metric ton. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they were often semi-sedentary, spending their days lounging lazily, and traveling on repulsorlift sleds or palanquins borne by teams of slaves. Most of their bulk rested in their bulging belly and thick, slug-like tail, adding to their impression of bloated corruption. In Hutt society, obesity was equated with power and status, while thin Hutts were derided as weak and unworthy.

In fact, a Hutt's thick, fatty hide hid a powerful musculature, allowing them to move with surprising speed on the single muscular "foot" formed by the base of their tail and belly. Their thick, sweaty skin and the heavy layer of fat beneath it served an evolutionary role, maintaining their body temperature. In fact, a Hutt's hide is sufficiently thick to take several blaster shots before vitals can be reached, permitting the Hutt ample time to pulverize would-be assassins who come unprepared to deal with such a fleshy obstacle. They are also proof against many otherwise lethal chemicals.



The Hutts were also largely immune to Force mind tricks because they were not weak-minded, with most of them being instead calculating and intelligent. They had the ability to see ultraviolet light and other frequencies not used by the human eye. Often, wealthy Hutts lit their palaces in those spectrums of light, giving intruders, or at least those without similar abilities or compensating equipment, a false sense of stealth.

Hutts lacked a conventional bony skeleton, but had an inner armature known as a mantle, which helped to support their arms and head. They could seal their nostrils and hold their breath for significant lengths of time, and they were omnivorous, capable of distending their jaws to accommodate vast mouthfuls, swallowing food down with a powerful tongue and a specialized shredding organ deep inside their throat, compared by some sources to a mollusk’s radula. Along with terms such as "gastropod", "mantle" and "foot", this choice of terminology seems to suggest a slug-like biology, but it should be noted that much of the current information on Hutts originates in Obo Rin's Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy, an inaccuracy-laden and perhaps mendaciously speciesist work of Imperial propaganda.

Perhaps most remarkably of all, Hutts could even regenerate body-parts when injured. Some time prior to 31 BBY, a Hutt known as Gargonn lost half his head, including an eye and apparently a sizeable part of his brain, when he was savaged by a wandrella, yet it was anticipated that he would regenerate the injured tissue completely after a century or so. It is not known if the regeneration of his brain had any effect on his mind or personality.

As a side note, this ability is possibly responsible for the fact that, upon his death in 4 ABY, Jabba the Hutt possessed two fingers and a thumb rather than the usual three. It is unknown if this is actually a side effect of the Hutt aging process, which is just as feasible.

Hutts were hermaphroditic, usually being regarded as 'male'; if a Hutt was identified as a female in Basic, it usually indicated that it was gestating an offspring. There is some scant evidence that Hutts had further gender roles amongst themselves, but it is not clear exactly how these were defined. Also, although it appears that all Hutts possessed male and female reproductive organs, it is not clear whether two biological parents were necessary.

"I am&hellip;with Huttlet."

- Anachro

Fetal Hutts spent their first 50 years of existence in the pouch of their mother, and had no sentient mind at that stage. Upon emerging, the intellectual level of a young Hutt was around that of a ten-year-old Human. Newborn Hutts, also known as Huttlets, would stay close to their mothers for decades, returning to their pouches when they were tired, lonely or scared. Other Hutts were sometimes known to kill them in fear of future competition. Young Hutts were not considered important or accountable for their actions until they were 130 years into their average life-span of well over a millennium&mdash;making Jabba's rise to power at the incredibly young age of 80 all the more impressive.

The Hutt Empire was powerful in its own right, comprising a large area of space on the Outer Rim, and Huttese, the native language of the Hutts, was widely spoken by subjugated races. But many ambitious Hutts moved to worlds outside Hutt Space to become overlords in organized crime within the Old Republic, Galactic Empire and New Republic. All Hutts had a given name, which was supported by their clan name and surname (such as Jabba Desilijic Tiure and Borga Besadii Diori). However, few outside Hutt society were aware of various Hutts' proper names and commonly replaced the clan and surname with "the Hutt", as in "Jabba the Hutt" or "Gardulla the Hutt," although it is doubtful the Hutts minded. Hutts were furthermore divided into castes, including H'unns. Hutt skin color varied, for Jabba the Hutt had green, oily skin. Durga the Hutt had orange, and Borvo the Hutt had blue. Throughout the years, Hutts have been known for having quite different skin colors from one another.

Vehicles
Hutts often were planted on their thrones or seats in their later years. More agile Hutts slithered, or walked using muscles in their stomach to push forward. Other Hutts would often, if going anywhere, ride a Hoversled. They also had power chairs, which were for the more immovable Hutts, such as Aarrba. Some of the most successful Hutts had Sail barges. They were often used for the Hutt's personal luxury if going someplace or overlooking executions.

History
"The Hutts are gangsters."

- Panaka

The Hutts originated on the planet Varl in the Ardos system. According to Hutt legend, the planet Varl orbited around two suns, Evona and Ardos. Evona and Ardos were venerated as gods by the Hutts. Evona was consumed by a black hole, and in fury, Ardos expelled its gaseous external layers and destroyed the other planets of the star system.

Somehow, Varl survived, though its atmosphere was torn away and its biosphere devastated, and left as wasteland with acid rain. The Hutts, too, survived the cataclysm, and soon left the pockmarked world. They believed that by surviving the cataclysm they had been elevated to the status of 'near-gods'. The planet they left behind was inhabited by the descendants of abandoned servants of the Hutts, with only a few squalid manufacturing centers.

The tale has generally been dismissed as more Huttese hyperbole, and the most commonly accepted alternate theory is that the Hutts destroyed their world themselves, in some ancient war. Interestingly, there are signs indicating that the cratered wasteland of planet Varl was once a pleasant green world, and besides many asteroids, no other world orbits the white dwarf, Ardos. Presumably, the asteroids are the remains of Varl's moons, as researchers at the Baobab Archives have claimed to find Hutt artifacts "on the moons of Varl".

In 26,000 BBY, the Hutts migrated across space to Evocar in the Y'Toub system, which the Hutts renamed Nal Hutta, or "Glorious Jewel" in Huttese. Having decided that Evocar was a suitable home, they traded their technology with the Evocii in exchange for pieces of land on Evocar. In 25,100 BBY, the defeated Xim the Despot died in the dungeons of Kossak's palace on Evocar. The Hutts continued doing this until the Evocii realized that their homeworld had almost been bought out from under them. Hutt palaces, amusement parks and other constructions were built all over Evocar, and the Evocii could do nothing about it.



They appealed to the Old Republic, though the Republic sadly ruled in favor of the Hutts. The Evocii were eventually evicted from Evocar by the Hutts, and relocated to the planet's fifth moon, which would later be known as Nar Shaddaa, "The Smuggler's Moon."

On Nar Shaddaa, the Evocii began mutating due to the various technologies practiced on the moon. The Evocii were believed, incorrectly, to have died off from prolonged exposure to Nar Shaddaa's polluted atmosphere. Their descendants remained hidden in the lower levels of the Smuggler's Moon. For a time, Nal Hutta and Nar Shaddaa prospered since they were located on popular trade routes. The trade routes shifted. As a result, Nal Hutta and its moon became a haven for smugglers, pirates, and other criminals.

Early in their interstellar history, the Hutts founded an empire that was based in mainly in the Outer Rim though it also covered a portion of the Mid Rim. This empire was near the Tion Cluster and occasionally both fought.

During the reign of the Tionese dictator Xim the Despot from 25,130 BBY to 25,100 BBY, the Tionese attempted to vanquish the Hutts and rule the Si'Klaata Cluster. This campaign included the devastation of the once-lush Hutt world of Ko Vari in 25,105 BBY. However, the Hutt Empire made a pact with the Nikto, Klatooinian and Vodran. This new slave army was crucial in the Hutt victory at the Third Battle of Vontor circa 25,100 BBY which saw the defeat of Xim's War-Robots.

Following the battle, the Treaty of Vontor was signed by the Hutts, Klatooinians, Vodrans, and Nikto. This treaty set the Hutts up as eternal overlords of the three other species and of the Si'Klaata Cluster. Xim was killed at Vontor according to Tionese history, but actually died a slave in the dungeons of Kossak on Evocar.



During the Tionese War in 24,000 BBY, the Galactic Republic used its agents to stir up trouble in the Hutt Empire, thus winning its war against the Honorable Union of Desevro & Tion (one of the feuding states that rose from the ashes of Xim's empire a century after his death). However, this only worsened the divide between the Hutts and Tionese.

At some point in history, the Hutt Empire collapsed as a result of internal fighting between the various clans and all that was left became known as the Hutt Space. Eventually, the fighting was resolved and the Hutts became governed by the Clans of the Ancients - currently known as the Hutt Grand Council. The Council oversaw the operations of all Hutt Clans, favoring none of them, but governing all of them fairly. Since the species had expanded into space, they may have given rise to a number of Near-Hutt species including the Orooturooans, t'landa Til, Toydarians and Yahk-Tosh.

Although the species was stereotyped by many as greedy, ambitious, lazy and cowardly, there were several exceptions including Blotus the Hutt (whom became Supreme Chancellor and ruled the Republic for 275 years during the Rianitus Period) and Aarrba (a humble and honest businessman at Koros Major in 5,000 BBY). The Hutts never joined the Galactic Republic, the Alliance to Restore the Republic or the New Republic, and they managed to keep the Galactic Empire at bay.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Hutts thought they could save themselves by cooperating with the Yuuzhan Vong. They made a deal with Nom Anor that they would provide the extragalactic invaders with several Hutt worlds in exchange that they be left alone. However, the Yuuzhan Vong thought that they would betray their Hutt allies once the New Republic was destroyed. Meanwhile, the Hutts were secretly informing the New Republic with locations where the Yuuzhan Vong would strike. It would not be long before the Yuuzhan Vong discovered the Hutt's treachery. The Y'Toub system was surrounded by several of the Yuuzhan Vong's most deadly warships. Several organic creations were sent to Nal Hutta and its moon Nar Shaddaa for multiple purposes. Different types of bacteria killed most of the inhabitants, before processing their remains into the soil of Nal Hutta. Then all the technology on the planet was broken down and also absorbed into the soil. Then the Yuuzhan Vong Vongformed Nal Hutta and Nar Shaddaa.

The Hutt clans suffered a terrible defeat as a result of this. Most of the Hutts fled to Tatooine, but those still left alive on Nal Hutta, such as Borga Besadii Diori, tried to persuade the Yuuzhan Vong into letting them go. By 26 ABY there was a Hutt underground operating against the Yuuzhan Vong, with Booster Terrik supplying them with weapons.

By about 130 ABY, the Hutts may have recovered to their former level of power. One such notable Hutt was Queen Jool who owned Rik's Cantina on Coruscant.

Notable Hutts
"At least I'm still not as bad as that bloated puss-bag."

- "The Hutt Mirror"
 * Aarrba
 * Aruk Besadii Aora
 * Beldorion
 * Blotus
 * Borga Besadii Diori
 * Durga Besadii Tai
 * Gardulla the Elder
 * Grappa the Hutt
 * Great Bogga
 * Grelb
 * Jabba Desilijic Tiure aka Jabba the Hutt
 * Jiliac Desilijic Tiron
 * Motta the Hutt
 * Queen Jool
 * Kossak
 * Popara Anjiliac Diresto
 * Vago Gejalli Thokka
 * Vogga the Hutt
 * Zorba Desilijic Tiure

See List of Hutts for a more complete list.

Behind the Scenes
Like a few other terms relating to Tatooine and its inhabitants, the word "Hutt" was derived by George Lucas from Arabic, in this case, the word  حوت ḥawt, meaning "whale".