Star Wars stories often focus on heroic figures. Their protagonists are rebels and Jedi, freedom fighters and benevolent warrior-monks. However, the Star Wars galaxy is vast. Not all of its inhabitants are heroic and not all of its stories are black-and-white. Bounty hunters have long been a fan-favorite part of the universe.
Bounty hunters provide a more grounded and gritty side to the science fantasy franchise. They aren't pure heroes or cackling villains. They use their wits and gear over esoteric Force powers. The Star Wars galaxy has a great many bounty hunters. Some of them prove much more deadly than their fellows.
Updated 2nd of March by Isaac Williams: Bounty hunters are some of Star Wars' most consistently interesting characters. The Mandalorian's third season showcases the galaxy's criminal underworld once more. In light of that, this list has been updated to include even more of Star Wars' best bounty hunters.
15 Rako Hardeen
Rako Hardeen was never shown in action in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, his reputation as the Marksman of Concord Dawn preceded him. He was one of the galaxy's best shots during the Clone Wars.
Hardeen's prowess was shown by the Jedi's choice to hire him when they faked Obi-Wan Kenobi's death. Hardeen was apparently more than willing to fight a Jedi despite wielding blasters. He was also dangerous enough to be part of a high-stakes plot to capture Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.
14 4-LOM And Zuckuss
4-LOM and Zuckuss were a bounty-hunting team that took contracts from both the Empire and the Rebellion during the Galactic Civil War. 4-LOM was a droid aboard a pleasure liner who learned to reprogram himself. He met Zuckuss, a Gand Findsman, and the two decided to team up.
4-LOM's cold droid logic and Zuckuss' powerful intuition proved a vicious pairing. It was rare for bounty hunters to work for both the Empire and Alliance, but those two managed. While they had a sort of bumbling, odd-couple relationship, they still made a name for themselves on the bounty-hunting scene.
13 Dengar
Dengar was a Corellian bounty hunter who worked during both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War. Known as the Demolisher, Dengar worked with all-time bounty-hunting greats on many occasions. He also distinguished himself by working for the Hutts. He acted as a bodyguard for Jabba the Hutt for a time.
Dengar survived at the highest levels of the bounty-hunting game for a very long time, which says something. He held his own against younger marks and competition as an old man. He never proved as successful as rival bounty hunters like Boba Fett, notably losing out on capturing Han Solo to the latter. Nonetheless, Dengar more than made a name for himself.
12 The Twin Suns
The Twin Suns were a pair of Twi'lek bounty hunters active during the time of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. They most often worked as assassins, but did bring their prey alive when they had to. They started their careers at a young age when they killed their owners and spent many years making a name for themselves.
The Twin Suns were capable enough to receive a dangerous mission. They were among the many bounty hunters charged with capturing a Jedi alive by the crime lord Goto. They proved unsuccessful in this mission twice. Nonetheless, the Twin Suns were one of the biggest threats to the Jedi Exile's party on Nar Shaddar.
11 Black Krrsantan
Black Krrsantan was one of many bounty hunters active on Tatooine during The Book of Boba Fett. He worked for a pair of Hutts known as the Twins and was one of the most respected figures on the planet. Krranstan's first act in the show was to try to kill Fett. He almost succeeded, only thwarted by several of Fett's allies.
Krrsantan joined Fett's side and proved invaluable in the battle against the Pyke Syndicate. He held his own against numerically superior enemies and fought on with grievous injuries. Krrsantan used the same skills that made him a dangerous bounty hunter, such as his vast stamina and inexhaustible willpower.
10 IG Series Assassin Droids
The IG series of Assassin droids were some of the most dangerous machines ever produced. Several of them, including IG-88 and IG-11, became bounty hunters. They were among the most feared and dangerous in the galaxy. IG droids were expert assassins and bounty hunters due to their resilience, skill, and determination.
The droids' computer-based targeting made them crack shots and allowed them to take out all kinds of foes. They could even take down enemies in the case of their own defeat. All IG droids had a self-destruct system capable of killing any nearby threat.
9 Aurra Sing
Before and during the Clone Wars, crime lords often found themselves in conflict with Jedi. When they did, these crime lords hired the best bounty hunters as protection. They didn't just hire them as bodyguards. They often send them to kill Jedi proactively. Aurra Sing made a name for herself as this sort of bounty hunter.
Sing was known for her near-perfect marksmanship. Her skills were more than a match for some Jedi. She led a decorated career through the Clone Wars and into the Empire's early days. Fellow career criminal Tobias Beckett eventually managed to kill her. However, even he threw Aurra Sing to her death rather than using a weapon.
8 Bossk
Bossk was a Tradoshan bounty hunter active during the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War. Tradoshans were known for their enmity with the Wookiees. Bossk showed this through his preference for Wookiee targets. Given the immense strength and skill of the species, this is no small feat. Bossk also acted as a mentor to the young Boba Fett.
Bossk would prove to be one of the most successful bounty hunters around. He survived and stayed near the top of the profession for many years. During this time, Bossk worked with top Imperials like Darth Vader and crossed paths with some of the most dangerous targets in the galaxy.
7 Embo
Embo was a bounty hunter with an unusually long career. He first made a name for himself during the Clone Wars. However, he would continue to get work all the way through the Empire's reign and during the New Republic's time. Embo lacked many of the quirks or scruples of other bounty hunters. He did whatever it took to get paid.
Embo showed no compunctions in kidnapping, killing, or fighting against impossible opponents. He crossed blasters with several other legendary hunters and even the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. His unique fighting style helped him match Jedi and Sith in close combat. Even fellows like Cad Bane held Embo in high regard.
6 Asajj Ventress
Asajj Ventress worked several careers during Star Wars: The Clone Wars. After years of being an apprentice, a commander, and a Sith Assassin, she turned to bounty hunting. Ventress proved every bit as capable at bounty hunting as she was in every other role she took.
Ventress had several invaluable skills. She was a capable Force-sensitive, a rarity among bounty hunters. She was also one of the finest lightsaber-wielders in the galaxy. Ventress could hold her own against Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Savage Opress, and even Count Dooku.
5 Fennec Shand
Fennec Shand made a name for herself as a sniper working for the Outer Rim's crime lords. The rise of the New Republic saw many of her bosses locked up. She was an expert marksman, capable of landing shots under near-impossible conditions.
Fennec Shand's first appearance in The Mandalorian saw her almost beat Din Djarin and another bounty hunter simultaneously. Shand nearly died during this encounter. However, she was saved from death by Boba Fett and rebuilt. She then proved her skills as a hunter, enforcer, and right hand to the crime lord in The Book of Boba Fett.
4 Cad Bane
Cad Bane was one of the most lethal bounty hunters of the Clone Wars. He became one of the galaxy's premiere names after Jango Fett's death. He was known for his distinctive wide-brimmed hat and twin blaster pistols. With these, he was one of the galaxy's fastest draws. These skills helped him fight dangerous opponents like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.
Cad Bane's appearance on Tatooine in The Book of Boba Fett was seen as a major threat to Boba Fett's faction. Bane's skills didn't diminish with age, as he was able to gun down Cobb Vanth and his deputy Scott in moments. Bane was almost able to overcome Boba Fett in a duel between the two.
3 Din Djarin
Din Djarin was a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter. He was a member of the Children of the Watch who held strongly to the Mandalorian Creed. The Mandalorian shows his work both as a bounty hunter and as the guardian of Grogu. In the early days of the Republic, Djarin proved himself one of the galaxy's best fighters.
Djarin was an expert shot, a skilled pilot, and a talented hand-to-hand combatant. He also benefited from a wide array of lethal equipment. He wore blaster-proof beskar armor and fought with weapons like an Amban phase-pulse blaster and the fabled Darksaber. With these tools, Djarin was almost unstoppable. He may well prove even more dangerous in The Mandalorian's third season.
2 Jango Fett
Jango Fett was considered the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter before the Clone Wars. With his beskar armor and ship, Slave I, Fett made a name for himself as a killer for the highest bidder. His skills saw him used as the template for the Republic's clone army. Jango Fett was considered everything a soldier should be.
Jango Fett even held his own against Jedi. He proved his worth against Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones. Jango Fett ultimately lost his life in the very first battle of the Clone Wars. Even then, however, it took Mace Windu himself to slay him.
1 Boba Fett
Boba Fett took his father's legacy and added to it. After Jango's death, Boba traveled the galaxy and earned a fierce reputation despite his youth. As a teenager, he even led crews of hardened bounty hunters on jobs. As an adult, he would become the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy.
Boba Fett was thought dead after Return of the Jedi. He made a proud reappearance in The Mandalorian and showed his strength despite his age. In The Book of Boba Fett, he took over Tatooine, becoming its reigning crime lord. This saw him take down the Pykes and other criminal gangs, as well as best Cad Bane.