The often unforgiving Star Wars galaxy, particularly under the increasingly tyrannical Galactic Empire, with its strict control on goods and movement, prompted the age-old profession of smuggling to absolutely thrive. Only those that exhibit the sharpest reflexes, highest cunning, and enough luck can survive the smuggler’s life and be prosperous while doing so and out of an Imperial prison like ISO-L8.
The appeal of the smuggler in Star Wars starts from the very beginning with the character of the brash but charming Han Solo. The smugglers’ culture, techniques, starships, and characters have grown since Han Solo first came on screen in 1977.
The Smuggler’s Role In The Star Wars Galaxy
In the Star Wars galaxy, a smuggler, sometimes known by the euphemism of “free trader” was anyone who engaged in the criminal and clandestine shipment of illegal goods and people to prevent taxation or in the service of other illicit activity.
More often than not the goods smugglers would ship were often dangerous, wanted, and always highly illegal. After the fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of the totalitarian Galactic Empire, an environment where smuggling could grow and thrive was created.
Following the end of the Clone Wars, the Empire nationalized all of the former Trade Federation’s assets including the vast merchant fleets the Trade Federation had amassed over its lifespan.
The Smuggled Goods
Furthermore, as the Empire enacted a tighter control on the movement and availability of certain commodities and resources they also began adopting stricter restrictions on the movements of its citizenry.
The varieties of the psychoactive drugs known collectively as “spice” became by far the most commonly smuggled substances since the Empire outlawed most forms. This policy was not the flow of spice but the uncollected taxes and revenues through legal avenues.
Other cargo that smugglers throughout the Galaxy included: stolen goods, strictly controlled weapons, and the flavorful Chak-root. In a major planetary crisis, smugglers would also smuggle resources, food, and medical supplies.
The Smuggler’s Identity
Stereotypically, most smugglers were thought to be of Corellian birth and indeed many Corellians sought their fortunes as smugglers however smuggling was carried out by every species and by various criminal organizations.
The Hutts created a vast, loosely aligned criminal empire that controlled the Mid and Outer Rim regions of the Galaxy. There were other fringe elements such as Black Sun that played an important role in the illicit black market through a well established clandestine network.
Smugglers truly capture the imagination with their incredible skills, luck, and interpersonal relationships. With the release of the film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and other media from a galaxy far far away, this love affair will only continue to bloom for Star Wars fans everywhere.