When Disney bought Lucasfilm, the House of the Mouse decided to re-organize the Star Wars canon by cleaning the slate and making only the main films and TV shows part of the official chronology – and a couple of books here and there. Everything else received a new label, "Legends," and was separated from canon as legendary stories that may or may not have happened. Now that the Star Wars universe keeps expanding on Disney+, series such as The Book of Boba Fett keep rescuing characters and events from these so-called Legends and making them canon (and popular) again.
The Book of Boba Fett has already recreated Boba Fett’s (Temuera Morrison) escape from the Sarlacc Pit, namedropped the Witches of Dathomir, and even turned the Wookiee gladiator Black Krrsantan into a recurring support character. While the series does a great job presenting these lesser-known names and events to the public, some details might still confuse the casual Star Wars viewer. For instance, fans of The Book of Boba Fett might not quite understand why Black Krrsantan picks a fight with a group of Trandoshans in a bar during the events of "Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm." But don’t worry, you don’t need to growl and threaten to dismember people. We are here to explain why a Wookiee has so much anger towards apparently innocent Trandoshans.
Trandoshans vs. Wookiees
While Trandoshans have been part of the Star Wars universe for decades, the reptile-like aliens’ culture is thoroughly explained in novels and comic books belonging to the “Legends” label. The Trandoshans are natural hunters, and their society is built around dangerous rites of passages where young people need to take down a perilous foe to be greeted as part of the clan. While the Trandoshans are far from being a tribal people, the hunting rites are still part of their culture. And you know what specifies the Trandoshans consider the perfect prize? Well, Wookiees.
More than often, young Trandoshans trying to prove their value travel to the forests of the planet Kashyyyk, determined to take down a mighty Wookiee warrior and bring their pelt back home. It’s easy to understand, then, why Wookiees and Trandoshans have been enemies for centuries, a schism that only grew during the galaxy’s occupation by the Empire.
The people of Kashyyyk, loyal to the Republic, tried to protect the Jedi when the Empire enacted Order 66 and quickly joined the Rebel Alliance to take down Emperor Palpatine and his right arm, Darth Vader. As for the Trandoshans, they worked with Palpatine long before the rise of the Empire, when the Clone Wars still set the galaxy in flames. Trandoshans’ culture’s hunting ethos would lead them to work as bounty hunters for the Empire, going after people who threatened the Sith Lord.
It’s also interesting to underline how The Book of Boba Fett teased the Trandoshans' and Wookiees' dispute right in the first episode. After Boba Fett claims the throne in Jabba's palace, he’s visited by influential traders and criminals of the city, who all pledge to respect the former bounty hunter’s rule. One of these vassals is Dokk Strassi, the leader of the Trandoshan family on the planet Tatooine. To show his respect for the new Daimyo, Dokk gifts Boba Fett a Wookiee pelt. The gift is a profound sign of submission, given that Trandoshans highly esteem the Wookiee hides as the proof of their hunter value.
Now that Boba Fett has enlisted Black Krrsantan as an ally and is trying to keep the piece with Tatooine’s Trandoshan family, the bounty hunter might have to consider keeping the Wookiee pelt well hidden from the gladiator’s eyes. Black Krrsantan's anger knows no bounds, and it’s best for Boba Fett if he keeps the Wookiee warrior as an ally.
The Book of Boba Fett airs new episodes each Wednesday on Disney+.