The stories in Tales of Jabba’s Palace are short and stand alone in themselves, but most of them interweave with the others. It’s creative and entertaining how the beings in Jabba’s palace are expanded here. This isn’t just a different points of view of the events but a bit of background and some on their fates as well. Even thee motley hanger’s on at the palace have hopes and dreams. They are by multiple authors with Kevin J. Anderson as the editor.
Tales of Jabba’ Palace Reviews and Continuity.
A Boy and His Monster: The Rancor Keeper’s Tale by Kevin J. Anderson
This is one of my absolute favorites in Tales of Jabba’s Palace. That scene in Return of the Jedi is surprisingly moving when the keeper (now named Malakili) weeps at its death. This story gives their relationship and I felt sorry the monster couldn’t have been freed.
Malakili gets a brief appearance in some of the first Star Wars prequel comics during his days with the Circus Horrificus.
Taster’s Choice: The Tale of Jabba’s Chef by Barbara Hambly
I never stopped to consider the challenge of being a chef for multiple species, nor how hard making Jabba’s meals must be! This is also the first place I saw a new in universe curse word. I feel for Porcellus, fearing he’ll give the Hutt indigestion and be accused of poisoning him. But who knew a Hutt could be poisoned at all?
Porcellus does show up in a few other stories The chef appears in Tales of Mos Eisley Cantina, Nightlily the Lover’s Tale by Barbara Hambly anas an NPC in the Star Wars Galaxies MMO. The Hutt poisoning idea is an unlikely thing, hard to pull off but not impossible, according to the Han Solo Trilogy by A. C. Crispin.
“That’s Entertainment: The Tale of Salacious Crumb” Esther M. Friesner
This little guy is more than a bit annoying in the movie and it turns out, more dangerous than I had imagined. The story is humorous but kind of dark!
I’m not aware of any other stories with Crumb, although you can get a Kowakian Monkey Lizard pet in Star Wars the old Republic and there is a mutated dark Jedi one in Jedi Knight, Dark Forces 2.
A Time to Mourn, a Time to Dance: Oola’s Tale by Kathy Tyers
It’s tragic what became of the Twilek Oola. All the more how she got there. Oola has a lot of spirit and life to her, which makes a rewatch all the more tragic after reading. This particularly interweaves with Bib Fortuna’s and Yarna D’agul’s stories. Tale’s of Jabba’s Palace was written before she got added content in the Return of the Jedi Special Edition
Her sister is a protagonist in the Young Jedi Knights Diversity Alliance Arc.
Let Us Prey: The Whiphid’s Tale by Marina Fitch and Mark Budz
Whipid’s are hunters. This one is not related to the one in the Tales of Mos Eisley but I thought it first it was. Both incidents involve Lady Valarian. I’ll not say more or I’ll spoil the story.
Whipid’s are mentioned in Courtship of Princess Leia when Luke visits their home world of Toola. Master K’kurhk of the Jedi Order is a famous Whiphid.
Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade by Timothy Zahn
As always Zahn’s stories are at the very least good. This contribution to Tales of Jabba’s Palace does not interweave at all really with the others, nor do you see Mara at all in Return of the Jedi. Still you can imagine her just out of sight.
The basic premise is naturally mentioned in her first introduction in the Thrawn trilogy, here we just find out the details of why she failed to “You will kill Luke Skywalker”! There are of course many other stories involving Mara Jade! The tale of this leads to the comic Mara Jade: The Emperor’s Hand arc.
And Then There Were Some: The Gamorrean Guard’s Tale by William F. Wu
This poor fellow I felt rather sorry for. He’s not the brightest bulb among Gamorreans. But he has hopes and dreams too and I did rather like him, even if I wouldn’t want to hang out.
This particular Gamorrean is not mentioned again so far as I recall. That said there are some stories to expand on them. Children of the Jedi and Murder of Slushtime, both by Barbara Hambly, give a lot of culture to them. X-Wing the Krytos Trap does give just a brief encounter. There is also a famous Gamorrean pilot in Wriath Squadron, though Voort has been genetically altered.
Old Friends: Ephant Mon’s Tale by Kenneth C. Flint
Intriguing glimpse into the Chevin’s past, as well as unexpected change in the life path based on his encounter with Luke Skywalker, who sees more in him than most would. Ephant Mon was Jabba’s one true friend.
The earliest prequel era comics actually have him in them so his encounter with Luke was not his first experience with Jedi. The previous experience was entirely different. The comic would be set between his earlies memories of his home and a certain experience that made him most loyal to the Hutt in Tale’s of Jabba’s Palace.
Goatgrass: The Tale of Ree-Yees by Deborah Wheeler
Tales of Jabba’s Palace shows he had a lot of enemies but I never saw the plot twist in this coming. He was not a nice being.
There are Grans in the Senate in the prequels, and in some of the first comics of that era we find they’ve subjugated (though they wouldn’t call it that) the Dugs on Malastare. Their homeworld is part of the podracing circuit.
And the Band Played On: The Band’s Tale by John Gregory Betancourt
How did a great band like Max Rebo’s end up working for such a slimeball? Here is the answer! I believe they’ve also been in the Droids cartoon in the background.
I did have some confusion on this Tales of Jabba’s Palace story because the implication of a certain Bith Band was involved and acting rather more ruthless and sadistic then I’d expect.. While not named, the implication was the Modal Nodes. That seems out of character though and it seems unlikely based on there situation in Tales of Mos Eisley – The Band’s Tale – that they’d have still been there three years later after Jabba got mad at them.
Of the Day’s Annoyances: Bib Fortuna’s Tale by M. Shayne Bell
Bib has schemes no one knows of in Tales of Jabba’s Palace. And a far more interesting relationship with the Bomar monks. The ending is a bit of a shock. This story introduces Nat Secura.
Bib Fortuna’s tale. Bib has previous adventures with Jabba and Nat Secura is in early Star Wars comics featured alongside his relative, the Jedi Aayla Secura. The Bomarr monks are further defined in Illustrated Star WArs Galaxy, Galaxy of Fear series and briefly in Soldier for the Empire. Bib also comes up in X-Wing comics, Battleground: Tatooine. Tales of Jabba’s Palace was written long before we see him in the prequels but that is plenty of time for his life to take ups and downs. Also his attitude in Jabba the Hutt: Art of the Deal is similar to this, though in that he had different tactics.
The Great God Quay: The Tale of Barada and the Weequays by George Alec Effinger
I wasn’t sure what to make of this one. I felt a bit sad reading about Barada (well known to have been on the skiffs). The weequay just confused me and I thought it a bit silly. It’s not in my opinion one of the better stories,
This is a bit odd as even in the story itself, as well as the rest of Tales of Jabba’s Palace, the Weequay leader is named A Buz yet in story it suggests they had no names as indivduals. It also suggests they are much less intelligent than we seem them in SWTOR. This could be just a specific group of them, or even that the species as a whole has regressed since that era I suppose.
A Bad Feeling: The Tale of EV-9D9 by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
A strange droid who was put in charge of 3PO and R2. A very creepy droid. A droid, in fact, with a history that should alarm anyone. This story starts long before most of the other Tales of Jabba’s Palace adventures on Cloud City. She isn’t called a torture droid for nothing. This mechanical being is every bit as sadistic as Jabba the Hutt.
Ev-9D9 has a sequel kind of droid! EV-9D9 too with the same odd add on that causes it to seek pleasure in other’s pain. This is found in the New Rebellion by Kristine Kathryn Rusche.
A Free Quarren in the Palace: Tessek’s Tale by Dave Wolverton
This one interweaves well with the Whiphids tale as well as Ree Yees. Not a bad story though the ending was unsettling and left interesting questions about Bomarr Monks. this quarren is an exile from his own world but he’s not thrilled to be stuck with Jabba.
Well this adventure from Tales of Jabba’s Palace is a bit tricky continuity wise. His reasons for winding up in Tales of Jabba’s Palace with Jabba imply Dac/ Mon Calamari in joined the Empire recently. However the prequels show otherwise as do swtor. To be fair the Republic BECAME the Empire so that is a minor detail and his actions can be the same. Also there is evidence that before Bane’s time, Dac/ Mon calamari may have been totally cut off from the Republic for a very long time.
Tongue-tied: Bubo’s Tale by Daryl F. Mallett
He looks just like a oversized pet, if not a vicious one like the rancor. Then again no one suspects the frog dog of anything because they think just that! This one also interweaves with Ree Yee’s and is yet another one making me question the Bomarr Monks.
Out of the Closet: The Assassin’s Tale by Jennifer Roberson
This scary creature is the answer to many mysteries interweaving in Tales of Jabba’s Palace. He wants more than just to kill Jabba. Dannik Jerikko, the assassin, was first seen in Tales of Mos Eisley Cantina. He is in Soup’s on, the Pipe Smoker’s Tale (same author), Galaxy of Fear: Ghost of the Jedi.
His species the Anzat are also in Republic comics, look for Volffe Karko (Darkness is the arc) and I,Jedi Nichos Tyris.) Both were Jedi but the Anzat’s natural need for soup does lead to the dark side and destruction of others.
Shaara and the Sarlacc: The Skiff Guard’s Tale by Dan’l Danehy-Oakes
I have no clue whatsoever who this character is or even if they are in Return of the Jedi at all. For all I know, he may have been invented entirely for Tales of Jabba’s Palace. It’s a case of a story in a story and that inner story might be fact or myth.
Barve Like That: The Tale of Boba Fett by Daniel Keys Moran (as J. D. Montgomery)
This is another story like Mara Jade’s that doesn’t intertwine with the others Tales of Jabba’s Palace short stories. But it was first revealed that Fett escaped the sarlaac in Dark Empire and this is how it happened (not counting a similar classic Marvel story that suggests something similar, only that he fell in again.) Sarlaac VS Fett. We know who wins but not how. It’s a decent story and believable.
Obviously Boba Fett has many other adventures told, but the one closest tied to this one is the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy which picks up directly after most of the events here. I understand the author wasn’t thrilled with Lucas editorials controlling nature on this and didn’t like the changes. I think its fine though. Obviously this was written long before the prequel era and the revelation that he was a clone of Boba Fett. The story dovetails nicely with Shadows of the Empire as well.
Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer’s Tale by A. C. Crispin
This is my other favorite from Tales of Jabba’s Palace! Yarna D’agul’s tale interweaves with Oola’s, Dannik Jerikko, and others are mentioned. It also features a guard named Doallyn who is probably in Return of the Jedi who I guess you can blink and miss. She has a nice little story arc and a bit of a sad one, but still its uplifting. This not only fills out the character but her people, the Aksajians, as well, with their own culture.
Epilogue: Whatever Became Of…? by Kevin J. Anderson
I’m happy to note the stories in Tales of Jabba’s Palace aren’t left unwrapped up. Some surprise me in a I didn’t expect that one to survive way, others I didn’t expect to die. Others had happily ever after but not in any way I foresaw.
