Rennek was a Human male who worked as a nerf herder for the Tatooine-based Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure. In the year 4 ABY, Rennek was present in the audience chamber of Jabba's desert palace when the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and later Princess Leia Organa, arrived there to free their imprisoned Rebel Alliance cohort Han Solo from Jabba's clutches.
Biography[]
The Human male Rennek lived during the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic.[1] He found work as a nerf herder for Jabba Desilijic Tiure,[3] a Hutt crime lord based on the planet Tatooine.[4] Rennek personally oversaw the herding of Jabba's nerfs.[3]
In the year 4 ABY,[5] Rennek was in the audience chamber of Jabba's desert palace, standing right behind the crime lord's throne, when the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 arrived on behalf of their master, Luke Skywalker, to free their captive ally Han Solo, who was frozen in carbonite and hung on display within the palace. During the incident, Rennek was among those within the courtroom who witnessed the Hutt drop the slave dancer Oola into the pit of his pet rancor, and rushed forward to witness her demise.[1]
Rennek again stood behind Jabba's throne in the audience chamber when Rebel Alliance leader Leia Organa, in the disguise of the bounty hunter Boushh, also arrived with the Wookiee Chewbacca as her alleged prisoner, ostensibly to bargain for the bounty on Chewbacca's capture. Organa threatened to destroy the palace with a thermal detonator if the Hutt did not comply with her demands. After winning Jabba's favor, Organa later freed Solo—the true reason she had arrived at the palace—and attempted to escape with him, but both were caught and subsequently imprisoned.[1]
Personality and traits[]
Despite his scruffy appearance,[3] Rennek was a lethal combatant[6] with an expertise in unusual combat techniques.[3] He could defeat the toughest of Jabba's Gamorrean guards—attributes not reflected by his trifling assignment as the Hutt's nerf herder.[6] When Oola was eaten by Jabba's rancor, Rennek joined others in the courtroom in laughing at the dancer's fate. He had dark skin, black hair,[1] and brown eyes.[2]
Equipment[]
As a nerf herder,[3] Rennek wore a white fur-trimmed coat during his time at Jabba's Palace. He also wore a white shirt with interconnected tubing, which ran along the middle of his torso and down between his legs.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Rennek first appeared as an extra in the Jabba's Palace sequence of the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The character's first scene, featuring the Max Rebo Band's performance of "Lapti Nek," was cut from the film's 1997 Special Edition release, but Rennek is still visible in new footage of the Max Rebo Band's performance of "Jedi Rocks" created for the Special Edition.[1] The cut footage for "Lapti Nek" is included in "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace, which was commercially released for the Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection LaserDisc in 1993.[7]
The character was first identified by name on the "Rennek" card as part of the May 1998 Jabba's Palace Limited expansion set of the Decipher, Inc. Star Wars Customizable Card Game.[3] Spelled backward, Rennek's name is an anagram of toy manufacturer Kenner.[8]
Appearances[]
- "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
Sources[]
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Rennek) (backup link) (First identified as Rennek)
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic (Picture only)
- Rebellion Era Sourcebook (Picture only)
- "Who's Who in Jabba's Palace" — Star Wars Insider 60
- Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Complete Locations (Picture only)
- Drawing from the Present: Familiar Creatures in a Galaxy Far, Far Away on StarWars.com (article) (content now obsolete; backup link) (Picture only)
- Jabba the Hutt in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Video clip only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rebellion Era Sourcebook
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Rennek) (backup link)
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 130 ("Jabba the Hutt (Jabba Desilijic Tiure)")
- ↑ The New Essential Chronology dates the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which includes Rennek's time at Jabba's Palace, to 4 ABY.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Who's Who in Jabba's Palace" — Star Wars Insider 60
- ↑ "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace—Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection
- ↑ The History of Kenner on KennerToys.com (archived from the original on April 15, 2006)