Malakili

Malakili
Biographical information
Homeworld	Corellia
Descriptive information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	1.72 meters
Eye color	Blue
Skin color	Light
Chronological and political information
Affiliation(s)	Jabba's Palace

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Malakili was a male human from Corellia who temporarily worked as an animal handler in a circus, before being sold into slavery. Purchased by Jabba the Hutt, Malakili served as a caretaker to the creatures in Jabba's Palace on Tatooine. During this time, Malakili became fond of Jabba's rancor, and it saved his life during a Tusken Raider attack. Shortly before the Battle of Endor, Luke Skywalker of the Rebel Alliance attempted to rescue Han Solo from the palace. However, Skywalker was tricked into Jabba's rancor pit, and the Rebel killed the creature. Upon witnessing the death of Jabba's prized rancor, Malaliki wept.

Biography

Malakili was a human from Corellia, a planet in the galaxy's Core Worlds, and he worked as an animal handler for a travelling circus. During a show on Nar Shaddaa, one of his dangerous beasts got loose and killed audience members. As a result, Malakili was made a slave and sold to Jabba Desilijic Tiure, a Hutt crime lord on the desert planet Tatooine.

Serving as a caretaker in Jabba's Palace, Malakili was responsible for tending to Jabba's menagerie of creatures, including the Hutt's prized rancor. Jabba's rancor was purposed with eating prisoners, and Malakili would tend the wounds it received doing so. One day, when Malakili was attacked by Tusken Raiders, the rancor saved his life. During Malakili's time at Jabba's Palace, he became very fond of the rancor, and he, along with the Kadas'sa'Nikto Giran, considered it to be their favorite of Jabba's creatures.

Malakili and Giran weep at the rancor's demise.

Shortly before the Battle of Endor, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, a commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, attempted a bargain with Jabba to save the life of Han Solo, Skywalker's captured associate. However, Jabba declined the offer, and tricking the Jedi into a trap door leading to the palace's rancor pit. Evading the rancor's claws, Skywalker ran under the pit's gate towards its windowed back door, only to find the exit was locked from the other side. Malakili and Giran, who had been sitting at a table on the door's opposite side, quickly stood up, and Giran yelled at Skywalker, jabbing a spear at him. As the rancor approached Skywalker, the cornered Jedi picked up a skull, and he used the Force to propel it towards the gate's utility panel. The skull crushed the button, causing the panel to short-circuit and release the several ton gate of iron and steel down on the rancor's head. The beast was slammed to the ground, and its skull was crushed. Shocked, Malakili opened the door, rushing past Skywalker to the creature's side, and he wept upon seeing it was dead. Whimpering, Malakili turned away from the fallen beast, placing an arm around Giran for comfort.

Personality and traits

Malakili was a giant, burly, male Corellian with blue eyes and light skin, and he stood at a height of 1.72 meters. Despite his brutish, tough, and crude personality, Malakili cared deeply for his creatures, and he wept with shock when the rancor was killed.

Equipment

As a rancor keeper, Malakili wielded a gaderffii stick, and he used cages for transporting young rancors. At the time of Skywalker's arrival, Malakili wore a dark, sweat-soaked rag belt, ancient circus pants, a brown headdress, spiked armbands, and wrist guards.

Behind the scenes

File:Malakili concept.jpg

Costume concept art for Malakili

"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

Malakili first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original trilogy, which was released on May 25, 1983. Malakili was created by George Lucas over a year before the film's release, as Lucas liked the idea of someone loving the rancor. The character was portrayed by Paul Brooke, although Brooke's role was without credit.

In Return of the Jedi, Malakili was unnamed, listed in production notes as the "human rancor keeper" or the "rancor keeper that cries"; he would later be given the name "Malakili" in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game of the Star Wars Legends continuity. Malakili's name was first canonized by Star Wars: Galactic Defense, a tower-defense mobile game released by DeNA Co., Ltd. for iOS and Android platforms on October 30, 2014. In Galactic Defense, Malakili, alongside Luke Skywalker, were unlockable Champions available during the limited-time event "Enter the Pit." Players who won Malakili were able to use him on missions, and they could use his Champion Skill of summoning a young rancor to help fight enemy forces.

Appearances

• Star Wars: Galactic Defense (First identified as Malakili)
• Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
• Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!

Sources

• Star Wars in 100 Scenes
• Star Wars: Card Trader
• Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
• Star Wars High-Tek (Card: Malakili)
• Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
• Malakili in the Databank (backup link)

External links

• Malakili at the Internet Movie Database
• Star Wars Mysteries: Who is Weibba-Weibba? on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Tessek, Sim Aloo, Pagetti Rook... Kenner Action Names Sold Separately! on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Star Wars Trivia Tuesday Answers! on StarWars.com (backup link)
• The Big Impact of West End Games' Star Wars Miniatures on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Collecting the Galaxy: 15 Years of LEGO Star Wars, Part 4 on StarWars.com (backup link)
• 9 Creatures in the Star Wars Universe We'd Like to Keep as Pets on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Dragon Con Parade 2015: Sweat, Stormtroopers, and Smiles on StarWars.com (backup link (news/dragon-con-parade-2015-sweat-stormtroopers-and-smiles) not verified!)
• 9 Awesome Star Wars Battlefront – Outer Rim Easter Eggs on StarWars.com (backup link)