The Star Wars Disney Plus show The Book of Boba Fett has, thus far, been divisive among long time Star Wars fans. Sound familiar? The Disney era of Star Wars seems as extremely divisive as modern politics with some fans hating it with others loving it. I must admit I am somewhat underwhelmed by the solo series given to one of my favorite Star Wars’ characters- Boba Fett. However, I was thrilled to see a cult favorite character make the jump from the comic books to the TV series- Black Krrsantan.
Black Krrsantan is the large and intimidating Wookie character who was set up as an adversary to Boba Fett in the early episodes of season one of The Book of Boba Fett. First appearing as a heavy for the ridiculous Hutt Twins and then attacking Boba Fett himself while he was napping in his Bacta tank. However, according to Star Wars lore, and if the Marvel Comics Star Wars and Vader comic books are to be taken as cannon, this was far from the first meeting between Boba Fett and Black Krrsantan. In fact, they were once allies.
Making his debut in 2015’s Vader issue 1 comic book from Marvel Comics, Boba Fett introduced Black Krrsantan to Darth Vader himself during the period between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
According to the Star Wars online encyclopedia Wookieepedia: “Black Krrsantan… was a male Wookiee bounty hunter whose career spanned from during the rule of the Galactic Empire into the era of the New Republic. Originally captured from his homeworld Kashyyyk… Krrsantan later became a ferocious bounty hunter. He was regularly hired by the crime lord Jabba the Hutt and at one point, was hired by Darth Vader during the Galactic Civil War to track down and capture an agent of the Emperor.
So, even though those who only watch the live-action Star Wars shows and movies had never seen Black Krrsantan before, in Star Wars cannon, he had actually been around since the days of Darth Vader. Comically, he was originally written into his first appearance in Vader (2015) issue 1 under the working name “Newbacca” until writer Kieron Gillen ultimately came up with the Black Krrsantan name.
Most of Black Krrsantan’s back story comes from the pages of various Marvel Star Wars and Vader comics with the most recent events taking place on The Book of Boba Fett Disney Plus streaming series. According to Wookieepedia: “Black Krrsantan was forced to flee his homeworld of Kashyyyk and subsequently disgraced his people. He sought out the pit fighting crime bosses, the Xonti Brothers, who used slavers to acquire new fighters, to learn from them in fighting.”
“To make [Krrsantan] a valuable fighter to buyers, the Xonti Brothers altered the Wookiee's knuckles by filling them with metal to give him an edge in the fighter market. Now equipped with what one of the brothers called ‘permanent knuckle dusters’ Krrsantan was able to beat the Dowutin [Gladiator] and knocked it unconscious in one punch.”
“Sometime later, Krrsantan became a bounty hunter for the crime lord Jabba the Hutt who resided on the desert planet Tatooine… Krrsantan was hired by Jabba to track down the man who stopped his water tax. He went to the location of the attack in the Dune Sea with Pagetti Rook and a Klatooinian guard. Krrsantan went to the moisture farm nearby and took Owen Lars hostage. He then saw the man who had stopped the water tax, "Ben" Kenobi, appear behind him. He was given a chance to leave by Kenobi. Before Kenobi could use a Jedi mind trick to make him leave, Krrsantan attacked him, choking him and trapping him with a stun net. Lars fought back against Krrsantan but was easily knocked aside. Kenobi used the Force to cause rocks to hit Krrsantan and save Lars from falling. He then tried to kill Kenobi with a rock. Krrsantan was briefly blinded and scarred by Kenobi's lightsaber. He tried to shoot Kenobi again with his electrified net gun, but it was destroyed. Krrsantan then punched and tried once more to kill Kenobi, as Kenobi attempted to rescue Lars. He continued trying to kill him with his bowcaster until he fell off the side of a cliff. Krrsantan then fled Tatooine, knowing that Jabba would be incensed at his failure.”
“Eventually, Black Krrsantan was able to return to Tatooine and Jabba's service. Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Darth Vader traveled to Tatooine on a mission to negotiate on behalf of the Galactic Empire for supplies with Jabba. Vader also used the opportunity to take on a personal mission, and he requested two bounty hunters from Jabba. The Hutt provided his two best bounty hunters, Krrsantan and Boba Fett. While Boba Fett was to track down Luke Skywalker, the Rebel Alliance pilot who destroyed the Death Star and who was secretly Darth Vader's son, Krrsantan was hired to find and capture an agent of the Emperor. Vader wanted this agent, whose identity and purpose Darth Sidious did not reveal to the Dark Lord, in order to find out why he was working for the Emperor.”
Black Krrsantan then has a series of adventures in the pages of the Doctor Aphra comic book series from Marvel Comics where he crosses paths with Han Solo and Chewbacca including, as one can imagine, a much-anticipated fight with Chewbacca which was won by Krrsantan.
The events between his time with Doctor Aphra and his are, as yet, untold but he next turns up on The Book of Boba Fett streaming series. When Jabba the Hutt was killed it creating a power vacuum on Tatooine. Krrsantan had been employed as a guard for the Hutt Twins. When the Twins traveled to Tatooine intending to reclaim the territory of their late cousin Jabba for the Hutts, Krrsantan accompanied them, acting as their muscle.
Jabba's empire had been claimed, however, by former bounty hunter Boba Fett. Boba Fett maintained that the territory was his, and that the Hutts should go back to Hutta. The Twins wanted to kill him, but the brother of the pair decided to defer the conflict until later, leaving Fett and bringing Krrsantan with them, the latter of whom glared at Fett before departing.
Following the first confrontation, Krrsantan infiltrated Jabba's palace, now Boba Fett's palace, and attacked Fett, who was healing in his bacta tank. A battle between Krrsantan and Boba Fett and his new crew of employees knocked Krrsantan into a trap door. Krrsantan managed to grab the floor with one hand, but eventually knocked into Jabba's former rancor pit, where he was trapped and imprisoned.
After the failed assassination attempt, the Twins met by the palace doors where Boba Fett met them, having Krrsantan tied at the end of shackles by one of the Gamorrean guards. Boba Fett offered to give him over to the Hutts but they offered him as a gift to Fett before departing to Nal Hutta. Krrsantan was given freedom and advice to not waste his time working for the Hutts. Krrsantan is then seen running away after exchanging a glance with Boba Fett.
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