Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in theaters on May 25, 1983, bringing an end to the original trilogy in memorable fashion. Marking its 40th anniversary, StarWars.com presents “Jedi at 40,” a series of articles celebrating the film that brought us Jabba’s palace, Ewoks, Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with the Emperor and Darth Vader, and so much more.
Mos Eisley may notoriously be the wretched hive of scum and villainy. But if you have the courage and venture further, you’ll find the most disreputable characters in the galaxy lurking in the shadows of Jabba the Hutt’s throne room. Space-faring creatures, profit-seeking bounty hunters, spies, smugglers, and off-worlders just looking for a party, Jabba’s palace is the place to be. That is, unless you have a price on your head.
Here now are 11 characters that frequently haunt Jabba’s abode that you should know. We’ll also tell you where to look for them on your next viewing of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
1. Amanaman
The yellow-green Amani from Utapau was the first whom Lando Calrissian encountered during Han Solo’s rescue according to Marvel’s Star Wars comics. Amanaman made a pact with Lando, agreeing to tip off the smuggler should Boba Fett arrive with his precious carbon-frozen cargo. Amanaman also stood watch as Luke Skywalker bargained for Han’s life in Return of the Jedi. Not much is known about Amanaman, but with his threatening appearance — armed with a staff adorned with skulls and shrunken heads, he presumably was not someone you’d want on your bad side.
Where to Look: 10 minutes, 16 seconds — As Jabba the Hutt introduces his most prized decoration, Han Solo hanging on the wall frozen in carbonite, Amanaman stands in the shadow to the right of the slab. He ducks in to take a glance at our incapacitated hero.
Additional Intel: Because he’s often on the very edge of the frame in Jabba’s palace, the tall and thin Amanaman was a mystery to an entire generation who watched Return of the Jedi in a 4x3 or “pan & scan” frame. On square televisions, he was often cropped out and not seen. It wasn’t until the release of the film in widescreen and in theaters for the Special Edition that Amanaman was visible once again.
2. Beedo
A Rodian clothed in a green flight suit and orange vest, Beedo was often mistaken for his doppelganger, Greedo. Don’t feel bad if you’ve made the mistake, too; it’s not uncommon to have difficulty differentiating the two. Beedo was a longtime associate of Jabba's, having accompanied the gangster to corner Han Solo shortly after Greedo’s death. Beedo enjoyed the entertainment value of Jabba’s court, and pushed his way to the front for best viewing of rancor feedings and those seeking audience with the Hutt.
Where to Look: 9 minutes – As Luke Skywalker’s holo message begins for Jabba the Hutt, Beedo’s silhouette can be seen just to the left of the main entrance. You can get your first good look at him at 12 minutes, 22 seconds off to the left as the Max Rebo band entertains the court.
Additional Intel: Beedo loved to stay near the main entrance stairs, possibly having learned from poor Greedo’s fate and plotting a quick exit when things got hairy?
3. Bib Fortuna
A Twi’lek majordomo, Bib Fortuna acted as advisor and gatekeeper for Jabba the Hutt. Smugglers, bounty hunters, and contractors for the Hutt all had to bargain with Fortuna for assignments and payment. With a pronounced head-tail lekku, and pale skin from being confined within the dark recesses of the palace at all hours, Fortuna’s teeth were as sharp and pointed as his ambitions. Wherever Jabba went, so went Fortuna. He accompanied the Hutt to the Boonta Eve podrace, as seen in The Phantom Menace, and was at his side when the master’s sail barge transported captive Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca to the Great Pit of Carkoon. Though the barge exploded, somehow Fortuna was among the survivors.
Where to Look: 7 minutes, 5 seconds — Bib Fortuna greets C-3PO and R2-D2 upon entering Jabba’s palace.
Additional Intel: Fortuna eventually achieved his dreams of running the show and took control of Jabba the Hutt’s holdings in the Disney+ series, The Book of Boba Fett. His reign was short-lived as Fett assassinated the Twi’lek and claimed his throne.
4. Boba Fett
Boba Fett was a legend that could fill volumes. Fett was born on Kamino: a perfectly created clone of his “father” Jango as seen in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Bearing witness to the death of Jango at the hands of Jedi Mace Windu, he turned to a solitary life of bounty hunting, gaining a reputation for disintegrations. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, he worked as a freelancer for Darth Vader and the main culprit responsible for Han Solo’s capture and return to Jabba the Hutt. Fett was fiercely loyal to Jabba the Hutt, quick to draw his blaster at the first sign of danger. But when Luke Skywalker and his friends enacted a plan to save Solo, Fett’s jetpack malfunctioned in battle with the Jedi Knight, and he was sent flying into the mouth of the Sarlaac pit and was presumed dead.
Where to Look: 13 minutes, 6 seconds — Boba parts ways from Jabba atop the dais, then stands off to the perimeter of the court a few seconds later taking a moment to enjoy the Max Rebo Band, and their accompanying dancers’ performance.
Additional Intel: Though Boba seemingly met his end at the Great Pit of Carkoon in Return of the Jedi, he escaped and perused ambitions to run Jabba’s previous businesses in The Book of Boba Fett.
5. Ephant Mon
A close friend and associate of Jabba the Hutt, the pachyderm-looking Ephant Mon may appear slow and lumbering, given his hunched posture and use of a cane. But the Chevin from Vinsoth was a dangerous threat. Mon was a suspected arms dealer who was somehow always one step ahead of danger, and escaped certain doom by not being on Jabba’s sail barge when it exploded.
Where to Look: 20 minutes, 23 seconds — Mon is behind the curtain when Leia Organa revives Han Solo from carbon freeze. He can be seen just to the left of Leia as Han explains he was on his way to repay Jabba’s debts.
Additional Intel: Though it never made it on-screen, the cackling Salacious B. Crumb was originally intended to be perched on Ephant Mon’s shoulder as his pet rather than keeping close to Jabba himself.
6. Max Rebo
With bright blue skin, a beady-eyed face, and a long trunk resembling the most adorable of elephants, Max Rebo was a prolific entertainer on Tatooine. Generally seated at his trusty red ball jett organ, the Ortolan was frequently animated and energetic when performing, bouncing to the upbeat, jazzy-sounding music he created.
Where to Look: 12 minutes, 30 seconds — Max Rebo sits at his keyboard to the left of the frame as his band finishes up a song for Jabba’s entertainment. He continues to play for Jabba on the sail barge during a cruise to the Great Pit of Carkoon.
Additional intel: Though the band as it was comprised at Jabba's palace parted ways, Max still frequented gigs around cantinas, including Garsa Fwip’s Sanctuary in The Book of Boba Fett.
7. Pote Snitkin
A driver for Jabba the Hutt, Pote Snitkin was rewarded for his service with unlimited drinks and entertainment. With no visible neck, and sizeable hands comprised of only three chubby digits, Snitkin was a fireplug of a Skrilling. His duties as a driver for Jabba’s pleasure cruise entourage ultimately led to his death, however. Under attack by Jedi Luke Skywalker, Snitkin was tossed overboard from the skiff he was piloting and became a meal for the Sarlaac.
Where to Look: 12 minutes, 43 seconds — Pote Snitkin can be seen standing in an enclave behind the dancer known as Wiebba-Wiebba. But he’s better seen later, above the Pit of Carkoon at the far back at the helm of a skiff as Luke Skywalker jumps onto it at 33 minutes, 36 seconds.
Additional Intel: Pote Snitkin was one of the few patrons of Jabba the Hutt’s who didn’t receive an action figure until the late 1990s, and was first available as an online exclusive figure through the official Star Wars fan club.
8. Ree-Yees
With an unmistakable three-eye stocked face, Ree-Yees was a Gran from the planet Kinyen and loved to be at the center of the action in Jabba's palace. It was this desire that led to his demise, as he was at Jabba’s side as the Hutt’s sail barge exploded over the Great Pit of Carkoon.
Where to Look: 8 Minutes, 15 Seconds — As Bib Fortuna turns the corner and is about to walk down the stairs, look to the far left of the frame to see Ree-Yees. He’s present throughout Jabba’s throne room and can also be seen next to Beedo, hunched over the rancor viewing area cheering on the beast.
Additional Intel: The design for Ree-Yees was first intended to be the character Admiral Ackbar in pre-production.
A diminutive and entertaining Kowakian monkey-lizard, the inimitable cackle of Salacious B. Crumb can cut through the loudest of dins. Equal parts pet and court jester for Jabba the Hutt, no movement, joke, or scrap of food escaped Crumb. Usually subdued and fit to laze in luxury with his master, Crumb engaged in a bit of a tussle with R2-D2 and C-3PO on Jabba’s sail barge and paid a shocking price for it.
Where to Look: 9 Minutes, 14 Seconds — Salacious gets his first true closeup while seated at his usual spot, right in front of Jabba the Hutt lounging on his dais.
Additional Intel: The direction of Crumb’s shrill laugh was spared upon no one, including Darth Vader when he paid Jabba a visit in the Marvel Star Wars: Darth Vader comics.
10. Sy Snootles
Sy Snootles was a long-legged and armed Pa’lowick, with a very pronounced mouth that made her a striking lead singer. Her voice made her perfect for singing in Huttese to entertain Jabba’s court. But don’t let her talents and fabulousness deceive you; in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it’s learned that Sy had a dangerous past working as a spy and assassin for the Hutts, and used her station to be granted audience with distinguished figures, including Jabba the Hutt’s greatest rivals.
Where to Look: 12 minutes, 30 seconds — Sy Snootles dances at the top of the steps as the Max Rebo Band completes a hot number that gets the crowd going. But she gets her moment in the spotlight with a solo performance of “Jedi Rocks” at 12 minutes, 57 seconds.
Additional Intel: In 1983, Sy originally appeared in Return of the Jedi as a rod puppet that was performed underneath a raised stage by a puppeteer. But close to 15 years later, the lead singer of the Max Rebo Band received a full computer-animated makeover for the Special Edition in 1997.
11. Yak Face
With a long nose, accentuated with fluffy, white facial hair, Yak Face was easy to spot on the crowded sail barge. The Yakora, also sometimes known by his formal name Saelt-Marae, was a regular in Jabba’s court, often imbibing and onlooking as visitors requested an audience with the Hutt. Not one to leave his drink or give up his prime vantage point table, Yak Face opted to remain seated and at a distance during rancor feedings, which were often highlights of any day’s entertainment at the palace. As an honored guest of Jabba’s on his sail barge, Yak Face was amid the chaos as Luke Skywalker enacts his plan and the barge is overtaken by the rebel heroes.
Where to Look: 8 Minutes, 15 Seconds — As Bib Fortuna turns the corner and is about to walk down the stairs, look to the far right of the frame to see Yak Face for the first time.
Additional Intel: Possibly to help pay for his bottomless tab at Jabba’s palace, Yak Face worked as a spy and informant to gather intelligence for the Hutt as seen in Marvel Darth Vader series.
