There have been some epic rivalries in the history of Star Wars, ever since Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader first crossed lightsaber blades in the film Lucas retitled A New Hope. Think Han Solo and Boba Fett, or Rey and Kylo Ren, or even Ahsoka Tano and Baylan Skoll. Because Star Wars is a transmedia franchise, spin-offs and tie-ins have introduced so many different rivalries over the decades.
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Comics have introduced a classic nemesis for Princess Leia, for example; Commander Ellian Zahra, the protege of Grand Moff Tarkin who sought revenge on the Rebellion by hunting her down. 11 years ago, Star Wars set up another epic rivalry in the comics that immediately delighted readers, and the character has even made his way into live-action. Surprisingly, though, this character still hasn’t met their rival.
Black Krrsantan is the Perfect Nemesis for Chewbacca
Introduced in Charles Soule and Salvador Larroca’s Darth Vader #1, Black Krrsantan is a very different kind of Wookiee. We’re all used to Wookiees who are brave and loyal, using their prodigious strength for heroism after the pattern of Chewbacca, but Black Krrsantan is rather different. He’s a Wookiee who left Kashyyyk in order to become one of the galaxy’s most feared bounty hunters, and he’s generally considered to be without any trace of honor or integrity.
The Wookiees have been locked in an unending conflict with a rival race known as the Trandoshans, who enslave them for gladiatorial pits, but Black Krrsantan sought out the glory of these matches. His career began in the arenas, where his formidable strength was complemented by some of the best combat training in the galaxy. The Wookiee became a heavyweight champion, and then used his infamy to launch a career as a bounty hunter, initially working for Jabba the Hutt.
Black Krrsantan follows a classic comic book archetype; he’s a twisted mirror image of Chewbacca, a perfect rival for Han Solo’s partner. The two have indeed clashed several times in the comics, and their match-ups have been truly epic. But they’ve never been reproduced on either the big or small screen – in spite of the fact Black Krrsantan has indeed made his debut in The Book of Boba Fett.
Black Krrsantan Has Made His Way Into Live-Action Too
Black Krrsantan was a delightful addition to The Book of Boba Fett, played by stunt performer Carey Jones – a towering actor whose height makes him perfect for a Wookiee (he’s also well known for playing the part of multiple Predators). Employed as a bodyguard by the Hutt twins, Black Krrsantan was briefly hired to kill Boba Fett and would have achieved his mission if not for the intervention of Fett’s street gang. The Hutt twins didnt appreciate his failure, releasing him from employment, and he ultimately wound up part of Boba Fett’s crew.
The Book of Boba Fett wasn’t exactly a success; the show has an audience score of just 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Lucasfilm has shown no sign of knowing just what to do with the characters in play there since it aired. Temuera Morrison himself has been sidelined as the starring character, and it’s doubtful we’ll see anything of his entourage for quite some time. All this is a shame, because it does mean Black Krrsantan’s biggest rivalry is unlikely to ever appear in live-action.
The modern Chewbacca is, of course, played by Joonas Suotamo. Unfortunately, even Chewbacca doesn’t seem to have much of a live-action future in upcoming Star Wars projects, never mind Black Krrsantan; original trilogy characters are deliberately excluded from the Mandoverse shows (although that may change given Lucasfilm’s new leadership), while there hasn’t been progress on Rey’s New Jedi Order film since it was announced back in 2023, and he obviously isn’t confirmed for that anyway. It’s quite disappointing that such an iconic character has been created, but general audiences will never see their rivalry.
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Image Courtesy of Toei Animation -
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