In The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 2, “The Tribes of Tatooine,” it was revealed that the Twins have laid claim of the planet. These twin Hutts were believed by Boba Fett to be preoccupied with the debauchery of Nal Hutta, but instead decided to claim the planet that once was ruled by their cousin, Jabba.
Boba Fett isn’t willing to back down without a fight, however, and so the Twins reveal their gladiator: a black, fear-inspiring Wookiee. The moment he emerges onto the scene, from the cinematography to the way he looks, it’s clear that he will be a formidable foe for Fett. “You can bring as many gladiators as you wish,” Boba defiantly says, “but these are not the death pits of Duur and I am not a sleeping Trandoshan guard.” Especially considering that the Trandoshans enslave Wookiees (and we just saw one in the previous episode bring Boba a Wookiee pelt as tribute), this seems to be a pointed insult at this Wookiee as well as a rejection of the Twins. They decide to back down, not wanting bloodshed for the moment, but it seems clear that Boba will have to deal with this formidable Wookiee at some point.
But who is he? We’ve actually seen this Wookiee before: it is Black Krrsantan, and he’s every bit the threat he looks.
Black Krrsantan was created by Kieron Gillen for the first issue of his Darth Vader comic series (which began in 2015). In the series (set in-between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back), Darth Vader visits Jabba the Hutt and demands his help in some missions. Jabba enlists his two best bounty hunters for Vader: Boba Fett and Black Krrsantan – meaning this show is not the first time the two have met, and they are surely quite aware of the other.
Black Krrsantan was an ongoing player in that Darth Vader run (as well as making a few crossover appearances in Jason Aaron’s Star Wars series), and he also would become a recurring character in Gillen’s Doctor Aphra series (which began in 2016), and again in the next Doctor Aphra series (which began in 2020), this time written by Alyssa Wong. In these stories, Black Krrsantan’s backstory is unpacked a bit, as we learn that he was wound up leaving his homeworld of Kashyyyk as a disgrace to his people, and he wanted to join up with the Xonti Brothers as a gladiator in their fights – but it didn’t wind like he thought. Later, he would become a bounty hunter – which included a run-in with Obi-Wan Kenobi in which Black Krrsantan got the scar along his left eye – and by the time of A New Hope he was regarded as one of Jabba the Hutt’s very best bounty hunters. He completed a mission for Darth Vader, and then came to work closely with the archaeologist Doctor Aphra. At one point, he had a run-in with the rebels of the Millennium Falcon, and he fought against a weakened Chewbacca. The last we saw of Black Krrsantan is that he was still working as a bounty hunter in the time following The Empire Strikes Back – and now we know that his work continued years after Return of the Jedi as well, even with his former employer, Jabba, dead (and Darth Vader too, for that matter).
It’s unknown how Black Krrsantan came to work for the Twins, but a reasonable guess is that they knew of his reputation from his work for their cousin, and that they paid up to employ his services, knowing that they might encounter opposition.
Black Krrsantan’s appearance in The Book of Boba Fett is super exciting, as he’s a clear threat and has a history with Boba Fett, yet casual audiences don’t need to know any of that backstory to tell that he’s an obvious opponent who will surely give Fett quite the fight. I think that’s the best kind of appearance, as it doesn’t require the audiences to know any backstory while also rewarding fans who know who he is (as opposed to just creating a brand new character). One of the things I have really loved about The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett is the way it has pulled in characters and elements from all over Star Wars storytelling, whether it be movies, shows, books, or comics. Like Cobb Vanth from the books, Black Krrsantan is a thrilling and rewarding appearance for those of us who read and follow along. I love how it makes the whole galaxy feel more connected. I think Black Krrsantan looks great in live action, and I can’t wait to see more of him.
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