Meet The Bounty Hunter

Boba Fett, Dengar, Zuckuss, IG-88, Bossk, 4-LOM. This was the lineup that started it all. Darth Vader wanted something done and his own people weren’t up to the task. So he called in specialists. Seeing this motley group of outlandish characters on the bridge rankled Vader’s officers and told us these guys were the real deal. When Vader felt it necessary to specifically look at Boba Fett when he mentioned he didn’t want anyone disintegrated, we understood this was a man with a reputation. When Boba Fett objected to Han Solo being frozen on the grounds that the Bounty Hunter needed Solo alive, Vader didn’t intimidate Fett -- as he did poor Lando -- or choke him senseless. He listened and reassured him in a businesslike manner. He was talking to a professional whose work he respected.

So what defines the Star Wars Bounty Hunter? Well, they work for the bad guys, but they’re not necessarily bad guys themselves. You get the distinct feeling they’re doing a job. Are some of them cruel lowlifes who enjoy hurting people? Sure, probably. Some of them are also remnants of warrior cultures who no longer have a place to practice their ancient arts, thrill-seekers out for the galaxy’s next challenge or just people with a knack for weaponry trying to make the most out of the gifts they were given in life. Whatever their story, they specialize in the hunt, the small scale assault, the personal touch. You don’t call the Bounty Hunter when you need to take out an army; you call the Bounty Hunter when there is a very particular person whose death or capture could mean the difference between large scale victory and defeat.

At the heart of the Bounty Hunter story is the hunt itself. Smugglers, Jedi, Sith, rebel leaders, rogue droids, assassins, entire gangs or embezzling underlings, the Bounty Hunter takes them all down. Each hunt has its own flavor and each hunt brings with it a unique set of challenges and choices. Do you follow the job’s description to the letter and kill the wayward daughter of a powerful officer or do you bring her in alive and force the man to do his own dirty work? Will you take a bribe to fake a kill you didn’t make—will you switch sides when it’s clear the person you’re hunting has more honor and justification for his actions than the one who sent you? Does your honor come from getting the job done or being a good person? Is your loyalty to your crew, your conscience or your credits?

Core to the entire Bounty Hunter fantasy is this sense of independence. As a Bounty Hunter you are, and always will be, your own person. You start with nothing and work your way up, make a name for yourself and eventually travel in circles with Darths and Moffs, intelligence officers and governors, but you never become one of them. You work for your reasons, do things your way and can become a force of pure vengeance and destruction if crossed. Along the way you build a crew to support your ambitions, make friends or rivals out of the other great names in your field and tend to draw enemies like flies.

But first things first. You’ve got a blaster, a few credits and a contact who thinks you have promise. Your move, Bounty Hunter.