Bantha fodder

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This article is about the phrase.
You may be looking for the swear word poodoo, the insult rancor poodoo,
or Bantha Poodoo, a Low Altitude Assault Transport.
"This sack of bantha fodder tried to buy me from that sleemo Calrissian and make me his servant."
―Hera Syndulla, about Azmorigan[1]

Bantha fodder (Huttese: "bantha poodoo") was a slang term for a person deemed to have no value beyond something for a bantha to feed on.[2] It literally referred to food for banthas, which was known for having a terrible smell[3] and attracting stink-flies.[4] The term was also used as a synonym for nonsense, e.g. "Enough bantha poodoo flowing out of you to fill up this whole lake."[5] The phrase "sack of bantha fodder" referred to a despicable person.[1]

History

High Republic Era

In 229 BBY,[6] Haze Delik was on a mission for the Nihil scientist Niv Drendow Apruk to retrieve a Nameless egg. Recognizing Apruk's significance to the Nihil, Delik sought to gain Apruk's favor, despite her belief that he "had the personality of bantha poodoo."[7]

In c. 132 BBY,[8] Nilsson Summach, a spice addict and arms dealer, listened to his subordinates attempting to clarify their failure in executing a straightforward deal, but found it difficult to comprehend their absurd narrative. To endure the "load of bantha fodder" being presented by his subordinates, he opted to smoking a type of spice known as Lake Country Daydreams, which induced a soothing haze. Later, as he spoke to a collection of business partners on Spira, Summach found himself growing weary of the unending questions, believing that his associates were attempting to "baffle him with bantha fodder."[9]

Twilight of the Republic

In 40 BBY,[10] Rael Averross explained to Qui-Gon Jinn that he had attempted to contact his former mentor, Count Dooku, on the planet Serenno, but did not receive a response. When Jinn inquired about this, Averross merely shrugged, explaining that Dooku had become a ruler and was likely preoccupied with "courtiers, bureaucracy, and all the other bantha poodoo" that Averross himself had been contending with for the past eight years on Pijal.[11]

During a card game on the moon of Dawk with the Devaronian criminal Coir Cion, Devi heard Cion's boast that he would soon be a free man. He asserted that after obtaining his pardon, he would abandon his life of crime and live legitimately, no longer needing to evade the law. However, Devi expressed doubt regarding Cion's chances of receiving a pardon, referring to it as "bantha poodoo."[12]

While on Asusto, Jedi Master Lene Kostana observed that the entire planet was enveloped in the dark side of the Force, noting that trash was attracted to the planet "like stink-flies to bantha fodder."[4]

Fall of the Republic

During the year 32 BBY,[10] there was a fierce competition between the Dug Sebulba and another podracer pilot, Anakin Skywalker. Just before the Boonta Eve Classic was about to start, the Dug couldn't resist one last taunt directed at young Skywalker, and the two exchanged insults in Huttese. The young boy called Sebulba a "sleemo," and Sebulba retaliated by calling Skywalker "bantha poodoo."[13]

In Theed on Naboo, an unnamed Gungan child on the street was terrified by Asajj Ventress, who warned the young Gungan to "watch it, or you'll be bantha fodder."[14]

Imperial Era

In 2 BBY,[10] the Spectres joined forces with the pirate Hondo Ohnaka and the crime lord Azmorigan in a mission to loot an Imperial cargo ship. Upon boarding the rebels' ship Ghost, Azmorigan received a cold reception from the Spectres, particularly Hera Syndulla, who remembered him as the "sack of bantha fodder" who tried to buy her from "that sleemo" Lando Calrissian and make her his servant. Azmorigan responded that she was the feisty one who had hit him with a tray and claimed that he still technically "owned" her.[1]

During the hunt for Vader[15] in 1 BBY,[10] Dengar grew increasingly impatient as he received no reply from Urrr'k, exclaiming, "I know you can hear me, you bantha poodoo."[15]

In 0 BBY,[10] Greedo watched as C-3PO and R2-D2 accompanied Luke Skywalker into the Mos Eisley cantina, where Wuher cautioned that the droids must remain outside. Greedo reflected on Skywalker's foolishness, believing he would be lucky to make it through an entire drink in the cantina or to live for another year, labeling him as "untried bantha fodder."[16]

Three years later,[10] Zev Senesca was among the rebels stationed at Echo Base on the ice-planet of Hoth. Senesca observed that some the Rebels attempted to find solace in their surroundings on Hoth by extolling the natural beauty of the region, highlighting the magnificence of the expansive ice plains and glaciers. Nevertheless, he regarded such sentiments as "a load of bantha fodder" and would have willingly exchanged all the natural splendor in the galaxy for a toilet that did not subject one to freezing temperatures while seated.[17]

In 4 ABY,[10] following his capture by the ruthless gangster Jabba the Hutt, Han Solo was presented to Jabba for judgement. Solo attempted to beg for his life, but Jabba showed no interest. He declared that Solo may have been a skilled smuggler in the past, but now he was nothing more than "bantha poodoo."[18]

Rise of the First Order

In 34 ABY,[19] after Kedpin Shoklop arrived at the planet Cantonica, where his prize was a two week all expenses paid vacation to Canto Bight, he was stopped by Ohlos, an officer at the Custom House of Cantonica, for lacking a sponsorship chip. However, Ohlos' fellow officer Lorala opted to let Shoklop go due to the significant amount of data work involved in keeping him detained. Ohlos decided to turn a blind eye to this, but warned his colleague that if she got caught skipping forms by their superiors, she was the one who was "bantha fodder," as he planned to feign ignorance regarding this matter.[20]

Behind the scenes

A common misconception is that "poodoo" refers to a bantha's feces.[21] However, despite referring to fodder,[3] "bantha poodoo" as a synonym for nonsense[5] is similar to the real-world noun "bullshit." The phrase "sack of bantha fodder," which refers to a despicable person,[1] is similar to the real-world noun "dirtbag,"[22] and the vulgar slang phrase "piece of shit."[23]

Appearances

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Non-canon appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "The Wynkahthu Job"
  2. ↑ Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Star Wars Book of Monsters, Ooze and Slime
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dokuu: Jedi Lost script
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars (2020) 40
  6. ↑ The events of The High Republic: Escape from Valo take place one year after the destruction of Starlight Beacon, which equates to 229 BBY per Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia.
  7. ↑ The High Republic: Escape from Valo
  8. ↑ The events of Star Wars: The Acolyte take place in 132 BBY per the reasoning here. Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide establishes that Indara is fifty-four years old in The Acolyte and also states that she is twenty-six years old during the events of The Acolyte: Wayseeker. Therefore, the events of Wayseeker must take place around 160 BBY.
  9. ↑ The Acolyte: Wayseeker
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Star Wars: Timelines
  11. ↑ Master & Apprentice
  12. ↑ Darth Maul – Black, White & Red 3
  13. ↑ Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
  14. ↑ Hyperspace Stories 5
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Target Vader 4
  16. ↑ "The Luckless Rodian" — From a Certain Point of View
  17. ↑ "Rogue Two" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  18. ↑ Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  19. ↑ StarWars.com 4 Reasons Canto Bight Is an Essential Read on StarWars.com (backup link) states that Canto Bight takes place a few days prior to Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of The Last Jedi to 34 ABY.
  20. ↑ "Rules of the Game" — Canto Bight
  21. ↑ StarWarsDotComBlogsLogoStacked A Mouth Like An Intergalactic Princess: Cussing In A Galaxy Far, Far Away on Only Sith Deal In Absolutes! — Abel G. Peña's StarWars.com Blog (original site is defunct)
  22. ↑ Premium-Era-real dirtbag on Cambridge Dictionary: "an unpleasant person who has done something dishonest or unacceptable: He's a cheating, lying dirtbag! a person who is dirty and untidy: I saw him dressed like a dirtbag." (backup link archived on January 14, 2025)
  23. ↑ Premium-Era-real piece of shit on The Free Dictionary: "1. rude slang A derisive term for something that one considers utterly worthless or inferior. (...) 2. rude slang A derisive term for someone whom one considers contemptible or deplorable." (backup link archived on January 5, 2025)