Scoundrel. Scoun-drel?
Sure, it’s cute when Han Solo says it in that flirty voice of his. But no one likes the sound of that word when they cross paths with an unscrupulous pirate in the galaxy far, far away!
With big personalities matched only by their greed, the pirates running rampant in the New Republic typically have no qualms about taking advantage of anyone and anything in their way. You’re probably already acquainted with some of them, like Gorian Shard and Vane.
Soon we’ll have even more names to add to that list, like Gunter, Brutus, and SM-33 (played by Nick Frost). Before we meet these spacefaring scalawags in the upcoming Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, let’s take a closer look at the pirates who have already crossed paths with some of the galaxy’s greatest heroes. All hands on deck!
Behind the Scenes
Pirates have a long history in Star Wars storytelling. Among the most notable are Hondo Ohnaka, who made his charismatic debut in the first season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “Right from the get-go, George [Lucas] really loved the character of Hondo,” said producer Dave Filoni. “George created him for the show in the episode ‘Dooku Captured.’ He was a very dynamic personality… He’s not the real villain. He’s motivated by greed, but he’s not doing it to be mean or cruel.”
“He’s a pirate, but he’s not a bad guy,” agreed Jim Cummings, who gives Ohnaka his voice. “He does have a code.”
In contrast, ruthless pirate captain Gorian Shard and his second-in-command, Vane, are bad bad guys. They made their explosive first appearance in The Mandalorian’s third season episode “The Apostate.”
“Our pirates, led by Gorian Shard, are definitely beholden to classic buccaneers,” said director Peter Ramsey, “right down to the wardrobe details.” Let's learn more about them...
Vane
Vane is a callous, troublemaking Nikto who first ran afoul of the Mandalorian Din Djarin during a visit to Nevarro. The bounty hunter watched as Vane and Greef Karga exchanged a few tense words when his group of pirates mistook the local school for the cantina. When Karga refused to let them enter, Vane reminded him that the funds for the building came from a cut of Shard’s profits. Karga won the resulting standoff and sent along a message for Shard: Nevarro is no longer friendly to pirates.
The pirates weren’t done yet, though, and they opened fire on Din Djarin as he departed the planet. Shortly after the Mandalorian escaped their ambush in space, Vane, his captain, and their crew returned to Nevarro for vengeance. Vane took to the skies in his snub fighter once again in pursuit of Djarin. But as the other Mandalorians arrived and the tide of battle turned in their favor, Vane showed his true colors. He cowardly fled into space, abandoning his captain and crew. And he’s about to turn up again in Skeleton Crew.
Gorian Shard
Let’s review what happened to Vane’s last captain, shall we? Gorian Shard was the leader of the cold-blooded band of pirates who issued his orders from his ship, a Cumulus-class corsair outfitted with four quad laser cannons, fourteen turret missile launchers, a launch bay filled with snub fighters, and a full crew complement.
As for Shard himself, the Pirate King remains a mystery. His home planet and even his plant-like species are unknown, but his actions show that he was not impulsive; Shard gathered intel on Nevarro and its allies before initiating his attack on the seemingly defenseless settlement. Looking to greedily claim the city for his own, Shard demanded Greef Karga’s surrender before opening fire. His boorish crew made themselves at home (we’re talking about you, Vane!) in the city’s debris-filled streets, terrorizing the unlucky citizens who didn’t evacuate in time.
But Shard didn’t account for the Mandalorians, led by Bo-Katan Kryze and Din Djarin in response to a call for help from Karga. The Pirate King met a fiery end on the surface of Nevarro as Kryze and Djarin teamed up to take out the ship’s last engine.
Are the pirates in Skeleton Crew hiding hearts of gold? Find out next week when the series premieres on Disney+!
