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"You spent seven seasons with the Circus Horrificus, training their specimens without being eaten. That's a record for them, you know."
Bib Fortuna[3]

Malakili was a male Human from the Core World of Corellia, a creature tamer and servant of the Hutt gangster Jabba Desilijic Tiure on Tatooine. Malakili took care of Jabba's rancor.

Biography[]

Early life[]

A Human male, Malakili was born on Corellia,[1] a planet of the Core Worlds best known for its pirates, its fast starships, and skilled merchants.[4] Since his most tender childhood, the young Malakili was fascinated by wild animals, and he wished he could dedicate his life to taking care of them.[5] By 32 BBY, the Corellian became involved with Gargonn the Hutt's Circus Horrificus,[6] a traveling menagerie that displayed monstrous creatures throughout the galaxy, for which he became a professional beast handler and monster trainer. Quickly, it became obvious that Malakili's touch was inimitable. Only he knew how to tend the circus' restless beasts while avoiding undue risk. Aside from the bloodthirsty creatures themselves, Malakili became the true star of the Circus Horrificus.[3]

Incident on Nar Shaddaa[]

"An illegal performance by the underground Circus Horrificus ended in chaos yesterday in the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa as a new, exotic beast showcased by the traveling troupe escaped and ran amuck."
―Extract from a HoloNet News report[7]

Despite the Corellian's unequalled skills, accidents remained possible. In the fourth month of 22 BBY, an unexpected event took place while the menagerie was performing in the Ko Hentota district of Nar Shaddaa. One of the wrangler's beasts, an aggressive arqet, got rid of its restraints and attacked the spectators, killing twelve in the process. The Corellian attempted to stun the arqet, but to no avail. While the murderous creature crawled into the district's ventilation grid, Malakili and the other surviving members of the Circus vacated the premises.[7]

Slave of the Hutt[]

"I think this is a rancor. I have heard of them, but never dreamed that I would be lucky enough to see one in my lifetime."
―Malakili to Bib Fortuna[3]
Malakili-humiliated

Like many of the Hutt's employees, Malakili had to suffer humiliations from Jabba.

Following that incident, the Circus Horrificus sold Malakili to Jabba Desilijic Tiure,[3] a Hutt crime lord and shipping magnate in the Outer Rim Territories.[8] Although his contract file mentioned that he was "transferred," the Corellian knew that he had been purchased like a slave and would be left at the mercy of Jabba, probably for the rest of his life. Nonetheless, the wrangler was mild-mannered and friendly with many of Jabba's crowd, such as Porcellus and J'Quille. He viewed the rancor as a kindhearted creature and a friend. At one point, the bloodthirsty gamblers demanded more violence. So Jabba ordered Malakili to train the rancor for battle, and had a special weapon harness built.[3] Malakili fitted the rancor with the weapons harness and entered his master's dangerous demolition derby.[9] Malakili and his mount, however, did not emerge victorious in the contest. As a cruel punishment, the wrangler was forced to endure humiliation by Salacious B. Crumb, Jabba's court jester, who sat on his shoulders dancing and giggling madly in front of the whole court.[10] Nevertheless, Malakili forged a close bond with the rancor, such that the creature would allow him to treat its wounds and eat meals with it.[3]

In 1 ABY,[11] Malakili recruited a spacer to help him to achieve several tasks. He first tasked the spacer to kill several Jundland eopies and collect their livers in order to feed the sarlacc of the Great Pit of Carkoon. Malakili then tasked the spacer to get a sample of DNA from the Western Dune Sea krayt dragon skeleton. The skeleton was supposed to belong to an ancient krayt dragon more powerful than any other dragon and Jabba wanted to use the DNA in experiments. Malakili next tasked the spacer to explore and search Ben Kenobi's hut. The spacer found a fossilized resonance chamber from a krayt dragon that Obi-Wan Kenobi used to terrify Tusken Raiders. In recognition for this work, Malakili finally accepted to give to Jabba's supervisor droid EV-9D9 the shock rods she needed to maintain discipline among her droids.[12]

At some point during his time on Tatooine, Malakili killed a giant mutated womp rat that had taken over a cave owned by Tusken Raiders, and got a gaderffii stick as a gift from them.

He was planning on betraying Jabba to Lady Valarian and leaving with the rancor because Jabba planned on pitting it against a Krayt dragon, which would surely kill it. He even hid a camera for her in Jabba's throne room. When Gonar threatened to blackmail Malakili with evidence of the planned betrayal, Malakili murdered him and fed the body to the rancor.

When Luke Skywalker killed the rancor, Malakili wept painfully. His assistant Giran, despite not being fond of the rancor, attempted to comfort him. After Jabba's death at the Great Pit of Carkoon, Malakili broke the cook, Porcellus, out of Jabba's dungeon, and they went on to found a restaurant in Mos Eisley called the Crystal Moon Restaurant.[13][1]

Personality and traits[]

Malakili-Circus-Horrificus

Malakili employed by Circus Horrificus in 32 BBY

A large Human, Malakili was muscular from wrestling monsters and lifting heavy objects. However, his star status at the Circus Horrificus came with its feasts of plentiful food, and Malakili's belly had grown large and fat. The wrangler, however, did not care much for his physical appearance. He was not interested in impressing any sentient being and only wanted his monsters to hold him in respect. He usually wore a simple loincloth and a draped black headdress.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

"I like the idea that everyone loves someone. And even the worst, most horrible monster you can imagine was loved by his keeper. And the rancor probably loved his keeper."
George Lucas[14]

Malakili first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the third installment of the original trilogy. He was portrayed by an uncredited Paul Brooke, but his sobs were provided by Ernie Fosselius.

In 2000, Jess Harnell voiced Malakili in the video game Star Wars: Demolition. That game had two possible endings for Malakili: he either won or lost Jabba's demolition derby. The "losing cutscene" showed Jabba and Salacious B. Crumb humiliating the wrangler. If he won, a cutscene showed the rancor eating Lyn Me as a reward. However, Lyn Me was still alive during the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which occurred shortly after those of Demolition. This indicates that Malakili did not win the demolition games, making his "losing cutscene" official.

The Ewok Handler's model in Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption is actually that of Malakili, but the game makes no mention of him.

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
  2. The Official Star Wars Fact File 114
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "A Boy and His Monster: The Rancor Keeper's Tale" — Tales from Jabba's Palace
  4. A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
  5. The Official Star Wars Fact File 114 (RAN3-4, Rancor Keeper)
  6. Star Wars (1998) 17
  7. 7.0 7.1 HNNsmall Circus Horrificus Turns HorrificHoloNet News Vol. 531 #52 (content now obsolete; backup link)
  8. HNNsmall Zorba the Hutt Sentenced to 45 YearsHoloNet News Vol. 531 #48 (content now obsolete; backup link)
  9. Star Wars: Demolition
  10. In the video game Star Wars: Demolition, Malakili's winning cutscene had the Twi'lek dancer Lyn Me eaten by Jabba's rancor. However, the Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition established that Lyn Me survived Jabba the Hutt, which renders the wrangler's winning cutscene non-canon. In the losing cutscene, Malakili was humiliated by Jabba and Salacious B. Crumb for being defeated.
  11. According to its opening crawl, Star Wars Galaxies was set sometime after Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The only precise time indication in the game was given by the character Ruwan Tokai, who referenced the destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin as occurring one year earlier, placing the game sometime around 1 ABY. Later, multiple elements confirmed the placement of the game storyline in 1 ABY. First, The Essential Reader's Companion established that the tie-in novel Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine took place in 1 ABY. Furthermore, the game expansion Star Wars Galaxies: Rage of the Wookiees was set during the Blockade of Kashyyyk, one year after the Battle of Yavin according to The Star Wars Holiday Special. Additionally, the main scenario of The Nightsister's Revenge from the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game was set over a year before the Battle of Hoth (3 ABY), so around 1.5 ABY. Finally, the reference book Strongholds of Resistance placed the events of Star Wars Galaxies's Chapter 9: "The Fury of Exar Kun" one year after the Battle of Yavin. Of note, Galaxies's Chapter 11: "The Battle of Echo Base" introduced the Battle of Hoth in the game. However, the developers were quite clear that this was only intended to be a completely isolated "Star Wars Moment" without any effect on continuity for the rest of the game.
  12. SWG logo sm Star Wars Galaxies: Starter Kit — Legacy Quest: "Shock Rods" on Tatooine
  13. "Epilogue: Whatever Became Of...?" — Tales from Jabba's Palace
  14. The Making of Return of the Jedi
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