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Tanus Spijek was an Elom who was hired by the Alliance to Restore the Republic at some point between 1 and 0 BBY, delivering messages from the planet Alderaan to the Great Temple, the Alliance High Command headquarters on the moon of Yavin 4, by that year, and serving as a spy for the Alliance. At some point by the year 4 ABY, Spijek left the Alliance, and joined the crime lord Jabba the Hutt's organization which operated on the planet Tatooine. Spijek carried out extortion activities for the Hutt. In 4 ABY, the Elom was present in the crime lord's palace on Tatooine when the Alliance's Heroes of Yavin arrived in an attempt to rescue fellow Hero of Yavin Han Solo, who was held prisoner by Jabba. Those events led to Jabba sentencing Solo and fellow Heroes of Yavin Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca to death at the Great Pit of Carkoon, although the captives fought back, with Jabba being killed and his luxury sail barge Khetanna destroyed with Spijek onboard in the subsequent Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon.
Biography[]
Alliance service and joining Jabba[]

Tanus Spijek, who served both the Alliance to Restore the Republic and Jabba the Hutt
The Elom male Tanus Spijek lived during the Galactic Civil War, a conflict fought between the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the Galactic Empire.[1] At some point between 1[4] and 0 BBY, before the Empire destroyed the planet Alderaan in the latter year,[5] Spijek was hired by the Alliance to deliver messages between Alderaan and the Great Temple,[1] the Alliance High Command headquarters on the moon of Yavin 4.[6] He also served as a spy for the Alliance.[1]
At some point by the year 4 ABY,[5] Spijek had left the Alliance[1] and joined the organization of Jabba the Hutt, a crime lord based on the planet Tatooine. Spijek served in the Hutt's palace on Tatooine, carrying out extortion activities for Jabba.[3]
Festivities and rescue of Han Solo[]

Tanus Spijek (center) raising a glass to the death of Oola
In 4 ABY,[5] Spijek was in the throne room of Jabba's palace, sitting in one of the booths, when the Max Rebo Band performed their song "Jedi Rocks." Jabba had a second performance of the song occur, which ended with the Hutt dropping the slave dancer Oola into the pit of his pet rancor, with the Elom remaining in his seat during Oola's demise.[2]
Immediately after, Alliance leader—and one of the Alliance's Heroes of Yavin—Princess Leia Organa, disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, arrived with the intention of rescuing her ally Han Solo, a prisoner of the Hutt. Organa arrived with the Wookiee Chewbacca, ostensibly her captive, and threatened to destroy the palace with a thermal detonator. After winning Jabba's favor, Organa rescued Solo on that night, before both Organa and Solo were caught and imprisoned.[2]
Luke Skywalker's arrival and Jabba's death[]

Tanus Spijek (left) watching Luke Skywalker being sentenced to death
The next morning,[7] Spijek was among the courtiers sleeping on the throne room's floor, when Jedi Luke Skywalker—also, with Solo and Chewbacca, part of the Heroes of Yavin—arrived to demand the freedom of Chewbacca, Organa, and Solo. Skywalker was in turn dropped into the rancor pit by Jabba, although he ended up killing the rancor. Spijek and others in the throne room watched as Jabba sentenced Skywalker, Solo, and Chewbacca to death at the Great Pit of Carkoon.[2]
Spijek and others in the palace accompanied Jabba to the Great Pit of Carkoon aboard the Hutt's luxury sail barge, the Khetanna. However, the captives ended up fighting back against the Hutt. In the subsequent Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon, Jabba was killed and the Khetanna was destroyed.[2]
Personality and traits[]
Although most Eloms were sympathetic to the Alliance, Tanus Spijek, a vile opportunist,[3] was supporting Jabba when he captured or attempted to kill the Alliance's Heroes of Yavin.[2] He interacted with few others at the crime lord's palace,[3] and also raised a glass while he watched Oola get attacked and eaten by Jabba's rancor. Spijek reacted with fear when Organa entered the palace, and panicked when she threatened to destroy the palace with a thermal detonator.[2]
Spijek had a thick, oily pelt[3] which was mottled gray, brown, and white.[2] He had calloused skin[3] which was gray and pink, and black eyes.[2]
Equipment[]
Spijek carried a T-21 light repeating blaster.[8]
Behind the scenes[]

Nilo Rodis-Jamero's illustration of Tanus Spijek
Tanus Spijek first appeared in the 1983 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi,[2] where he was portrayed by at least one extra[9]—Hugh Spight and Graeme Hattrick, who were credited in the film respectively as a puppeteer and mime artist,[2] went on to autograph themselves as the Elom[10]—wearing a full-body costume.[9] Before the film's May 25, 1983 release,[11] the character was developed in sketches by Chris Walas,[9] and artist Nilo Rodis-Jamero did an illustration of Spijek around spring 1981, showing the Elom wearing an armored jumpsuit and using a blaster rifle to kill another being.[12] For its obvious underground inspiration,[9] the character was later known as "The Mole" during production and its mask was based on a maquette that was designed with lighter gray fur.[13] The scenes that featured Spijek were filmed between January 25 and March 1, 1982, with the Jabba's Palace scenes filmed in Elstree Studios's stage 8, and the scenes on the Khetanna filmed on stage 9 at Elstree Studios.[12] In the same year as the Return of the Jedi film, Spijek was also included in the Return of the Jedi Monster Activity Book, where he was described as a slimy creature and shown capturing the R2-series astromech droid R2-D2, with the astromech droid calling for help in the Binary language.[14]
In 1998, Spijek was named in a card for the Jabba's Palace Limited set of Decipher, Inc.'s Star Wars Customizable Card Game.[1] According to a fan site for the card game, Spijek's name was an anagram of Justin Pakes, an employee of Decipher at the time.[15] On April 4, 2000,[16] "The Last Page," an article in the 48th issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine, used an image of Spijek to represent the character Vigrriev.[17] While nothing has officially addressed the discrepancy, this article assumes that Spijek is the Elom seen in the Return of the Jedi film, with the Vigrriev identification an error.
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars Manga: Return of the Jedi 1
- Star Wars Manga: Return of the Jedi 2
Sources[]
- The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Coloring Book (Max Rebo) (Picture only)
- Return of the Jedi Monster Activity Book
- Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi
"Mark Hamill: 10 Years Later" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 3 (Picture only)
- Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens — Enemies and Allies (Picture only)
- From Star Wars to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives
1996 Topps Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Widevision (Card: #24 - Int. Jabba's Throne Room) (backup link not verified!) (Picture only)
- Live-Action Adventures (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Chronicles
1997 Topps Star Wars Trilogy: The Complete Story (Card: #53 - A Jedi tries to Reason) (backup link not verified!) (Picture only)
1997 Merlin Star Wars Special Edition (Card: #106 - Luke Skywalker) (backup link not verified!) (Picture only)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Elom) (backup link)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Laudica) (backup link) (Picture only)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Tanus Spijek) (backup link) (First identified as Tanus Spijek)
- Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive (Picture only)
"The Last Page" – Star Wars Insider 48 (Picture only) (Misidentified as Vigrriev)
"Who's Who in Jabba's Palace" – Star Wars Insider 60
"Jabba's Jam"—Star Wars Adventures Magazine 11 (Picture only)
"Answer Key"—Star Wars Adventures Magazine 11 (Picture only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 100 (TES2, Tessek) (Picture only)
Star Wars Saga (Pack: Tanus Spijek (Jabba's Sail Barge)) (backup link)
2007 Topps Star Wars 30th Anniversary (Card: #86 - Jabba and his Cohorts) (backup link not verified!) (Picture only)
"Master & Apprentice" – Star Wars Insider 102 (Picture only)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 6 (Action Stations: The battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon) (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Blast Off! (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Tatooine Adventures (Picture only)
- Star Wars Character Encyclopedia (Picture only)
"A Blu Hope!" – Star Wars Insider 128 (Picture only)
Eloms in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
Laudica in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link) (Picture only)
"Blood-Feud: Warriors of the Deep!" – Star Wars Insider 129 (Picture only)
"Rogues Gallery: An Audience with Jabba the Hutt" – Star Wars Insider 134
"Master & Apprentice" – Star Wars Insider Special Edition 2013 (Picture only)
"A Star Wars Family Legacy" – Star Wars Insider 141 (Picture only)
"Inside Jabba's Court" – Star Wars Insider 143 (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Force Collection (Card: Tanus Spijek (★))
- The Making of Return of the Jedi
"Take a Tour of Jabba's Palace!"—Star Wars Comic 3 (Picture only)
Jabba the Hutt in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Video clip only)
"Take a Tour of Jabba's Palace!"—Star Wars Magazine 2 (Picture only)
"Jabba's Hutt of Horror"—Star Wars Comic 11 (Picture only)
- Star Wars Widevision: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One (Picture only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Tanus Spijek) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
- ↑ Star Wars: The Comics Companion dates Underworld: The Yavin Vassilika 5, where the Alliance to Restore the Republic establishes their base in the Great Temple, to 1 BBY.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novelization
- ↑
Star Wars Saga (Pack: Tanus Spijek (Jabba's Sail Barge)) (backup link)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3
Eloms in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Tanus Spijek (Elom) - Hugh Spight & Graeme Hattrick (2017-3-2). diablitodesigns on Flickr. Flickr. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022.
- ↑
Critical Opinion: Return of the Jedi Original Reviews on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Making of Return of the Jedi
- ↑ Star Wars: Chronicles
- ↑ Return of the Jedi Monster Activity Book
- ↑ Anagramed Decipherians (2005-08-15). Corellian Engineering Corporation. ReoCities. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016.
- ↑
Star Wars Insider #48 on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑
"The Last Page" – Star Wars Insider 48