Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Book of Boba Fett´s fourth episode “The Gathering Storm.¨
Wookiees and Trandoshans have a long and bitter history that has already played a role in The Book of Boba Fett. During the show’s fourth episode “The Gathering Storm,” the Wookiee Black Krrsantan attacks a group of Trandoshans, flinging them across the Sanctuary, and seizes one of them.
Madam Garsa Fwip tries to talk Black Krrsantan down and even offers to clear his bar tab if he lets the Trandoshan go, but Black Krrsantan chooses to rip the Trandoshan´s arm off and pay his tab instead.
For those who are unfamiliar with the history between Wookiees and Trandoshans, the scene may come off as a little strange. This history explains more about the scene and possibly teases that there are more Wookiee and Trandoshan conflicts and dynamics to come in The Book of Boba Fett’s remaining episodes.
Wookiee and Trandoshan history
Trandoshans worship a deity known as the Scorekeeper. Trandoshans believe that they honor the Scorekeeper by earning something called Jagannath points for each of their kills. Wookies are among the highest point-value targets that Trandoshans can kill in honor of the Scorekeeper.
Thus, there is a long history of Trandoshans hunting, capturing, and killing Wookiees and Wookiees having to defend themselves. One of the most memorable instances of this in Star Wars canon is in The Clone Wars when Trandoshans capture everyone’s favorite Wookiee Chewbacca. Chewbacca works with Ahsoka Tano and some other Jedi younglings to survive the Trandoshan threat.
The Doctor Aphra Annual #1 comic shows that Black Krrsantan has his own history with Trandoshans when they try to capture him, and he slaughters all but one that he wants information from.
In The Book of Boba Fett, the Trandoshan is minding his own business and it is Black Krrsantan who attacks him. Given his own history and his people’s history with Trandoshans, Black Krrsantan hates them, and they are a perfect target to make suffer as he feels aimless, bored, and without a purpose. Nothing–not even the promise of a free tab–can rob Black Krrsantan from the satisfaction of ripping a Trandoshan’s arm out of its socket.
The relationship between Trandoshans and Wookies was also shown before Black Krrsantan made an appearance in The Book of Boba Fett. As part of his tribute to Boba Fett in the first episode, the Trandoshan Dokk Strassi gave a Wookie pelt. In the eyes of a Trandoshan, this is one of the greatest gifts that can be given to another.
In both Legends and canon, Trandoshans have traditionally been depicted as ruthless aggressors. Several stories have begun to subvert this traditional depiction, though. In From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back, there is a story from Bossk’s perspective where he hunts down a Wookie liberator named Chainbreaker, who he assumes to be a Wookie. To his surprise, Bossk discovers that Chainbreaker is a Trandoshan and one of his clutchmates, meaning they were born from the same hatch of eggs. Even though Bossk ate all his siblings’ eggs, Chainbreaker managed to survive, and was raised by Wookies. She proves that Trandoshans and Wookies don’t have to hate or fear each other and can work together. She even gets Bossk to promise that he will no longer hunt Wookies.
Another subversion of the brutal Trandoshan hunter is in The High Republic, where one of the most prominent Jedi in the comics is a wise, yet troubled Trandoshan Jedi Master named Sskeer.
What this could mean for The Book of Boba Fett’s last episodes
Black Krrsantan will definitely be seen again in The Book of Boba Fett as he was hired by Boba at the end of “The Gathering Storm.” Meanwhile, the Trandoshans represent one of the major crime families in Mos Espa. At Boba’s request, the Trandoshans have agreed not to work with the Pykes.
Having the fierce Black Krrsantan on his side gives Boba a lot more muscle and ensuring the fierce Trandoshans don’t side with the Pykes is also important. Given the animosity between Wookies and Trandoshans, though, it may be difficult to keep both Black Krrsantan and the Trandoshans in check and not fighting at each other’s throats. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Dokk Strassi was paying tribute to Boba with a pelt made from the fur of Wookies.
With all of the Trandoshans that have already appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, it seems like only a matter of time until Star Wars‘ first and most famous Trandoshan–Bossk–appears. Bossk’s first scene in Star Wars was with Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back. Through The Clone Wars, comics, and many other stories, Bossk and Boba Fett have a lot of history together.
As a famous bounty hunter who shares history with Boba Fett, Bossk could be hired by Boba, or there is the chance that the Pykes will hire Bossk to fight the former bounty hunter. If Bossk is on Boba’s side, it will create some tense and challenging dynamics with Black Krrsantan. If Bossk fights for the Pykes, there is the chance for some truly intense and ferocious fighting between the two deadly bounty hunters.
There is also the possibility that The Book of Boba Fett will find ways to further subvert the traditional depictions of Wookies and Trandoshans. If Boba Fett can change as much as he has, maybe Black Krrsantan and the Trandoshans will find a way to work together.
Regardless of what happens, fans likely have not seen the last of the Wookiee and Trandoshan conflict and relationship in The Book of Boba Fett.
New episodes of The Book of Boba Fett are available to stream every Wednesday on Disney+.