 | |
|---|---|
| Malakili | |
| Physical Description | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 1.72 meters |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Skin Color | Light |
| Chronological and Political Information | |
| Era | *Rise of the Empire Era |
| Affiliation | *Circus Horrificus
|
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
From a young age, Malakili was fascinated by wild animals, and eventually became working for Circus Horrificus.
A Human male, Malakili was born on Corellia, a planet of the Core Worlds best known for its pirates, its fast starships, and skilled merchants. 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. By 32 BBY, the Corellian became involved with Gargonn the Hutt's Circus Horrificus, 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.
Incident on Nar Shaddaa
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 arquet, 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.
Slave of the Hutt
Following that incident, the Circus Horrificus sold Malakili to Jabba Desilijic Tiure, a Hutt crime lord and shipping magnate in the Outer Rim Territories. 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. Malakili fitted the rancor with the weapons harness and entered his master's dangerous demolition derby. 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. 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.
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.
Malakili and Giran weep at Pateesa's demise.
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.
Shortly before the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY,Jedi Luke Skywalker, a commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, attempted a bargain with Jabba to save the life of his captured friend, Han Solo. Jabba declined the offer and tricked the Jedi, who, along with the Gamorrean guard Jubnuk, fell through a trap door leading to the palace's rancor pit. While the guard was promptly eaten by Pateesa, Skywalker evaded the beast's claws and ran under the pit's gate toward a windowed back door. When Skywalker reached the exit, he discovered it was locked from the other side and would not open for him. Malakili and his assistant, Giran, were in the adjoining chamber, playfully fighting over their dinner, and when Skywalker tried opening the barred gate, the two laughed at the rebel and used spears to force him away.
After Skywalker killed the rancor, Malakili wept painfully. 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.
Personality and traits
Like many of the Hutt's employees, Malakili had to suffer humiliations from Jabba.
A large Human, Malakili was muscular from wrestling against 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. Malakili cared most of all for the rancors, whom he thought to be precious, and he took joy in working with them.
Malakili had been emotionally attached to the rancor, Pateesa, and when he learned Jabba had other plans for the creature, he made plans to betray Jabba to Lady Valarian and escape Tatooine. When Pateesa was killed by Luke Skywalker, Malakili wept with shock.
Skills and abilities
Malakili was capable of training rancors.
Skilled with animals from a young age, Malakili trained many restless creatures. The human was hired as a beastmaster for Circius Horrificus, eventually becoming its true star, and he trained a variety of creatures,including vicious Arquets, the latter of which no one else could tame. During his slavery to Jabba, Malakili worked with the Hutt's creatures, including the rancor Pateesa. The slave befriended the rancor and tended wounds he received, and Pateesa saved Malakili's life during a Tusken Raider attack.
Equipment
As a rancor keeper, Malakili wielded a gaderffii stick, and he used cages for transporting young rancors. Additionally, Malakili's sleeping quarters in the palace were connected to the rancor pit, and the room was equipped with a device capable of stunning the beast into submission. 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
Paul Brooke on the set of Return of the Jedi
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. In that game, there were 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
- Star Wars 17: Emissaries to Malastare, Part 5
- Star Wars 18: Emissaries to Malastare, Part 6
- Template:Hnn (Picture only)
- A Boy and His Monster: The Rancor Keeper's Tale
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided- Star Wars: Demolition
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novel
- Taster's Choice: The Tale of Jabba's Chef
- Goatgrass: The Tale of Ree-Yees (Mentioned only)
- And Then There Were Some: The Gamorrean Guard's Tale
- Let Us Prey: The Whiphid's Tale
- Old Friends: Ephant Mon's Tale (Mentioned only)
- Epilogue: Whatever Became Of...?
Sources
- Template:KennerCite
- Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi
- The Movie Trilogy Sourcebook
- Template:KennerCite
- Template:CCG
- Template:CCG
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
- "State of the Arts"—Star Wars Gamer 1
- The Essential Guide to Alien Species
- "Who's Who in Jabba's Palace"—Star Wars Insider 60
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 114 (RAN3-4, Rancor Keeper)
- Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "A Long Time Ago...."—Star Wars Insider 107
- "Toy Wars"—Star Wars Insider 107
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 15
- Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
- Template:DB
- The Essential Reader's Companion
- Star Wars: Force Collection (Card: Malakili)
- "Launch Pad"—Star Wars Insider 146 (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: What Makes a Monster?
