Why The Pykes Are Going To War With Boba Fett

This article contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett episode 3.

The Pykes are declaring war on Tatooine’s new crime lord in The Book of Boba Fett episode 3. The five years after Return of the Jedi have changed Boba Fett. The former bounty hunter has attempted to reinvent himself as a crime lord, taking Jabba the Hutt’s old empire as his own. He seems to have thought this would be fairly easy, executing Bib Fortuna – the one who had claimed it after Jabba’s death – and simply expecting to receive tribute. However, as the actions of the Pykes prove, Boba Fett’s reign is not going to go unchallenged.

At first, it seemed as though Boba Fett’s greatest threat would be the Hutts. The Hutt Council had been slaughtered by Darth Vader shortly before Return of the Jedi, allowing Jabba to become dominant; Jabba’s death at the hands of Leia must, therefore, have plunged them into further chaos. They presumably allowed Bib Fortuna to retain control of Tatooine because they didn’t believe he would be a challenge, but Boba Fett’s hostile takeover caused the Hutts to assign Tatooine to two of their number. But, in a surprising twist, the Hutts were soon forced to abandon Tatooine when the Pyke Syndicate began to muscle in. They’re arriving in force, ready to challenge Boba Fett for Jabba’s former throneworld. As it turns out, there’s a good reason why the Pyke Syndicate want Tatooine so badly.

The planet Tatooine has always been rather more significant than residents like Luke Skywalker believed. It sits near the Triellus Trade Route, one of three hyperspace routes that forms a so-called “Spice Triangle” trade network used by smugglers to transport spice to Outer Rim planets. This is why Jabba claimed Tatooine as his throneworld, marking Hutt dominance of the underworld, but Tatooine’s importance faded after Jabba’s death. Bib Fortuna failing to maintain this empire; as revealed in The Mandalorian season 1, the Bounty Hunters’ Guild even closed its chapter on Tatooine, because it no longer found enough work there to make it worthwhile. Still, Boba Fett’s decision to take control of Tatooine can easily be seen as an indication he aims to rebuild Jabba’s old power base – and it seems to have prompted the Pykes to decide to take Tatooine, presumably claiming control of the Triellus Trade Route with it. Taking Tatooine would also be a symbolic victory for the Pykes, demonstrating their growing importance in the galaxy because they had taken control of a world once so important to the Hutts.

The Pykes are becoming one of the most important villains of Star Wars TV. They were manipulated by the Sith into killing Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas a decade before the Clone Wars began – signifying their willingness to confront even the Jedi Order – and they were part of Maul’s Shadow Collective during the Clone Wars. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars they clashed with the likes of Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, and in Star Wars: The Bad Batch even Clone Force 99 feared the Pykes.

The Book of Boba Fett had already hinted the Pykes had a presence on Tatooine; they were the ones who ran a spice train through the desert wastes in episode 2. Presumably, this was done with Bib Fortuna’s blessing, and perhaps even Jabba’s before him, for it seemed to have been running for quite some time. Should the Pykes take Tatooine, it will become a slave world once again, with the natives treated even worse than they were under Jabba. Hopefully, The Book of Boba Fett will see them defeated – although quite how remains uncertain, given the scale on which they operate.

The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4894 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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