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- "The most gracious Jabba has one more small condition: he demands you bring back the slime who kidnapped his little…punky muffin."
- ―TC-70, translating her master Jabba the Hutt
Rotta, nicknamed "Pedunkee Mufkin" (translated as Punky Muffin) by his father and also nicknamed "Stinky" by Ahsoka Tano, was a male Hutt and the son of Jabba the Hutt. During the Clone Wars, he was secretly kidnapped by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which was orchestrated by Count Dooku with help from Ziro, Rotta's great-uncle. The plot was meant to discredit the Jedi Order and scuttle negotiations between the Galactic Republic and the Hutts, but the Jedi were able to rescue him. He was kidnapped by Asajj Ventress and taken to the planet Teth. A Jedi rescue team consisting of Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano traveled to Teth to rescue him. He then became sick and nearly died on his way to Tatooine but survived thanks to Ahsoka Tano. After Anakin Skywalker and Tano evaded Dooku, who tried to kill Rotta and blame the Jedi, Rotta was returned to his father.[3] Rotta was later present when Baron Notluwiski Papanoida visited Jabba's Palace.[6] In 20 BBY,[7] Ventress returned to Tatooine, and wished to avoid attention from Jabba as she had previously kidnapped his son.[8] Rotta lived past the Imperial Era and into the New Republic Era.[9]
Biography
Rotta was born between 24 and 22 BBY[2]. Shortly after his birth, the bounty hunter Greedo was attempting to make a reputation for himself and impress Rotta's father, Jabba the Hutt, by gifting him Billging Grubs, which he had accidently spilled on the floor after being grabbed by guards. Later on, Jabba and Greedo drank together, and the former mentioned that he had recently become a father.[10]
After some time, in another attempt to impress Jabba, Greedo brought a Wookiee that he had captured to him. After Bib Fortuna said that the prisoner was a toymaker named Brewhada, Greedo stated that he had captured him so that he could become Rotta's personal toymaker. Jabba decided that Brewhada would become his son's personal toymaker. Later on, Greedo would narrate these events to Rotta, who fell asleep. At the same time, Brewhada was making toys for him, including a plush Wookiee.[10]
In 22 BBY, during the Clone Wars, Rotta was kidnapped by Asajj Ventress while on a cruise aboard Jabba's sail barge. Ziro the Hutt, Rotta's uncle, had helped the Separatist Alliance capture him in an attempt to start a conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Hutt Clan so he could become the leader of the latter. Piloting a Trident-class assault ship, Ventress destroyed one of the desert skiffs guarding the sail barge aboard which Rotta was located and used the tentacles of her ship to grab the vehicle. The remaining skiff returned to Jabba's Palace and a guard informed him of what had happened. Ventress took Rotta to the B'omarr Monastery on Teth where he was taken to a prison cell.[3]
Following the conclusion of the Battle of Christophsis, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, his Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Torrent Company went to Teth to rescue Rotta. The Republic wanted to free him so Jabba would agree to assist it in the fight against the Confederacy. As Republic gunships carrying General Skywalker, Commander Tano, Captain Rex and the members of Torrent Company flew towards the monastery, the battle droids guarding it began firing at them. Shortly after the gunships landed, the two Jedi and the clones began scaling the mountain atop which the monastery was located as the fight continued. After reaching the top of the mountain and destroying the droids, they went inside the monastery and encountered 4-A7, whom General Skywalker asked where Rotta was. He replied that the battle droids kept their prisoners on the detention level and the two Jedi went to find him.[3]
After they destroyed more droids, they reached the cell in which the Huttlet was being held. After they opened its door, they were surprised to see Rotta was a baby and Tano stated that that would make their mission to return him to his father a lot easier and that he was very cute. Skywalker replied that she should see what he would grow into. Shortly afterwards, she said that her Jedi training hadn't prepared her for this and asked him what they were going to do. He said that, since she thought the Huttlet was cute, she was going to carry him.[3]
As the two Jedi were exiting the monastery, Tano was holding Rotta in her arms and Skywalker asked her if she still thought Rotta was cute, to which she replied that the Huttlet was reminding her of him more and more. He said that she should carry them both then, before Rotta started coughing. The Padawan said that she thought he was sick and having a fever. Skywalker placed a hand on Rotta's forehead to check his temperature, agreeing afterwards that the Huttlet was ill and telling a clone trooper to bring him a backpack. As the two Jedi were trying to put Rotta in the backpack, he was screaming and struggling and Skywalker said that he hated Hutts. During this time, 4-A7 was recording what was happening so Count Dooku could use the footage to convince Jabba that they Jedi had kidnapped his son.[3]
A short while later, Skywalker and Tano were telling General Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had convinced Jabba to join the Republic should it rescue his son and with whom they were talking via hologram, that Rotta had been kidnapped by the Separatists, and that he was sick. General Skywalker and General Kenobi knew that the Confederacy wanted to convince Jabba to join them by making it seem the Republic captured and murdered Rotta. As they continued talking, Separatist forces attacked them. Skywalker told Tano to get inside the building and she did so, carrying Rotta with her. As the battle continued, the Jedi Knight told the clone troopers to fall back and they all entered the monastery, locking the door.[3]
General Skywalker, Commander Tano and R2-D2 went to find an exit from the building, taking Rotta with them. They reached the throne room and noticed that Rotta was asleep. Skywalker told Tano to put down the backpack in which she was carrying the Huttlet and to get some rest herself. After they talked a short time, she did so. Ventress cut the lock of the door and the droids attacked the clones again as the battle continued. R2 found an outer landing platform and they were starting to go towards it, but General Skywalker noticed that Rotta was no longer in the backpack and asked Commander Tano where he was. She replied that he had told her to put him down and he told her to find him. They heard him grunting from under the throne and Skywalker grabbed him, telling him to come out of there as he pulled him from there, calling him a grubby little slug. As the Jedi Knight pulled him from beneath the throne, Rotta screamed.[3]
Shortly afterwards, the two Jedi and R2, along with the Huttlet, reached the outer lading platform and General Skywalker contacted General Kenobi, who had arrived at Teth with reinforcements. The Separatist forces were jamming their communications and two Droidekas attacked them as Ventress came towards them. R2-D2 closed the door to the landing platform, locking the droidekas and Ventress inside the building. She began cutting through the door and the jedi wanted to head into the jungle, but spider droids began firing towards them from beneath the platform. Skywalker said that they were out of options and Rotta pointed towards an outer landing platform in the distance with a ship on it. Tano congratulated him for noticing the other platform and showing it to them and he smiled and waved his hand. Skywalker jumped on a Can-cell so it could them them to the ship and Tano fought Ventress. Skywalker directed the Can-cell towards Ventress and it hit her, sending her away from them. He grabbed Tano's hands and they flew away towards the platform and R2 did too, using his rocket boosters.[3]
After they reached the second platform, they encountered 4-A7. Commander Tano was talking to him as General Skywalker put the backpack in which Rotta had been placed on R2's legs. They discovered that 4-A7 was a member of the Confederacy as a B1 battle droid exited the Twilight to tell him that they were ready to leave. Tano destroyed the droids there and cut 4-A7's head off. they entered the ship and, after trying to get it to work for a short time, they took off. Skywalker intended to help Rex and the other clones fight the droids, but Tano told him that Rotta was getting sicker and that they had to get him to the medics on the Venator-class Star Destroyer in the atmosphere in order to save him. He agreed and started flying the freighter towards the cruiser.[3]
As they reached the cruiser, they saw that a battle was talking place, as it was fighting against a Munificent-class star frigate and V-19 Torrent starfighters were fighting against Vulutre droids. The crew of the Republic cruiser fired at the Twilgiht, thinking its an enemy ship and Rotta grunted as the ship was hit. At the same time, Vulture droids started firing at the freighter. Skywalker told the crew of the Venator his name and that they had to get the Huttlet to the medics on the cruiser. The Vulture Droids continued chasing the Twilghit and, as General Skywalker spun the ship so it could fly between the bridges of the Venator in order to fly away from the fighters, Rotta screamed and flailed his hand, being surprised by the maneuver. A clone navigation officer told General Skywalker that the crew thought they could lower the shields of the Venator on the lower rear hanger so the Twilight could land there. As he flew the ship toward the hangar, Commander Tano told Rotta that they made it and he was happy to hear that. Before they could land, the hangar was destroyed by vulture droids, so they decided to take the Twilight to Tattooine. As Rotta coughed, Tano caressed him and told Skywalker that she didn't think the Huttlet was going to survive and that there had to be something they could do for him. He told her to take a look in the back of the ship to see if there were any medical supplies there.[3]
Tano asked the hologram of a medical droid if he had a remedy for Rotta's condition and he indicated a medical booster to her and told her to dispense it into the Huttlet's mouth. Rotta refused to take it at first, but did so shortly afterwards, then burped and laughed. She then put him back in the backpack which she laid on a bunk bed. as she caressed him, she told Skywalker that Rotta's fever had broken and that she thought he would survive.[3]
A short time after the Twilight exited hyperspace near Tattooine and they talked a little, Skywalker asked Tano how Rotta was feeling and she replied that he seemed to be much better and that his fever was gone. She then said that he had to admit Rotta was cute while he was asleep and he replied that he admitted he liked him better when he was quiet, but only a little.[3]
Soon after that, they were attacked by MagnaGuards flying Rogue-class starifghters. Rotta was asleep for a while, but, during a maneuver taken to avoid fire from the fighters, he fell in Tano's arms and woke up, crying. General Skylwaker and R2-D2 destroyed the fighters, but the Twilight had been shot and was crashing towards the planet. After the ship crash-landed, they were about to start walking towards Jabba's palace and Rotta cried because he wanted Tano to come with them and she smiled at him, telling him she would.[3]
Later on, Skywalker decided they should split up in order to get Rotta to his father. Tano took him and Skywalker took the backpack, which had been filled with rocks, to make Count Dooku think he was the one carrying Rotta. Skywalker dueled Dooku while Tano fought Magnaguards. Both Jedi won the fights and Skywalker arrived at Jabba's palace and, after Tano did too, she handed Rotta to his father. Jabba wanted his guards to kill the Jedi, but Senator Padmé Amidala contacted him from Ziro's Palace, after having discovered that he had helped the Separatists kidnap Rotta and after she, along with Commander Fox and members of the Coruscant Guard, had captured him. Ziro told Jabba that Count Dooku captured Rotta, but Jabba knew that Ziro had helped in the capture. He decided to join the Republic.[3]
A year later, in 21 BBY, when Baron Papanoida and his son, Ion, came to Jabba's palace in order to find Greedo, who had kidnapped the chairman's daughters, Rotta saw a butterfly and hit it several times. Jabba told him to stop and he grabbed the butterfly, eating it and smiling.[6]
Rotta was in an arena at some point during the New Republic Era.[11]
Personality and traits
Rotta was a 0.43 meters (1 foot, 5 inches) tall Huttlet,[5] with orange eyes and greyish-green skin.[3] Rotta was very intelligent and perceptive, understanding what was happening around him and what people told him and coming up with a solution to the issue of being stuck on the back door landing platform of the B'omarr Monastery by noticing the Twilight and the platform it was on and showing it to General Skywalker and Commander Tano. He was cheerful and friendly and developed a close friendship with Ahsoka Tano. He was also strong both mentally and physically, able to survive his sickness and heal and to still be cheerful, friendly and to show the two Jedi the location of the Twilight.[3] His physical strength was also evident when he killed a butterfly with his fist.[6] Rotta cared about Tano and his father, crying because he wanted Taano to join him and Skywalker when they were leaving for Jabba's Palace and being happy to see his father.[3] He liked playing and having fun, moving under the throne in the B'omarr Monstery[3] and eating the butterfly he had killed.[6]
Skills and abilities
Rotta had strong family connections, such as his father Jabba.[5]
Behind the scenes
Development
Rotta appears in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film, where he was vocalized by David Acord.[3] Per Supervising Director Dave Filoni's initial series concept, Rotta was intended to be a character in the series alongside his father, Jabba. The concept was later developed into the theatrical film.[12] Rotta's part in the story of The Clone Wars film and him being carried by Anakin on his back were inspired by the 1989 Samurai movie Shogun's Shadow.[13]
Continuity
In Hyperspace Stories 6, it is revealed that Rotta was recently born. A doll with a bow is seen being made by Brewhada,[10] which means it is set before Hyperspace Stories 1, where the very same doll appears. The events of Hyperspace Stories 1 occur before the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film, where Rotta is portrayed as visibly smaller and younger than in Hyperspace Stories 6.[5] As such, it is assumed that Hyperspace Stories 6 was merely mistaken in its larger depiction of Rotta.
In a Star Wars.com blog post, Rotta is described to be 55 years old during the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars film.[14] This article gives precedent to Hyperspace Stories 6—which establishes Rotta was only recently born[10]—and assumes the age given in the blog post is an error.
Appearances
- Hyperspace Stories 6
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars film (First appearance)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Sphere of Influence"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Hunt for Ziro" (Mentioned only)- "The Lost Nightsister" — The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars (2020) 39 (Variant cover only)
- The Mandalorian and Grogu
Non-canon appearances
Sources
Notes and references
- ↑
Rotta the Huttlet in the Encyclopedia (original site is defunct)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 In Hyperspace Stories 6, a conversation between Jabba Desilijic Tiure and Greedo reveals that Jabba had recently become a father to Rotta, which occurs between 24 BBY and 22 BBY per the reasoning here.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
- ↑ 4.0 4.1
Rotta the Huttlet in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Sphere of Influence"
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Bounty" to 20 BBY.
- ↑ "The Lost Nightsister" — The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Hyperspace Stories 6
- ↑ The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- ↑
Highlights of the 'Star Wars' Animation Panels at Dragon Con 2018 on TWG (September 8, 2018) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- ↑
The Clone Wars Rewatch: A Sith Plot Unravels in the Theatrical Release (Part 3 of 3) on StarWars.com (backup link)
