Warning: spoilers ahead for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #10!
In the latest issue of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, the legacy of the legendary pirate Hondo Ohnaka lives on…. without him. The cyborg bounty hunter Beilert Valance is in a battle to protect members of the Rebel Alliance from Dengar, who’s surprisingly working with the Ohnaka Gang, which is still in operation after the Clone Wars. However, it’s confirmed that Hondo hasn’t been with the crew for a long time, which tracks with his appearances in the Star Wars: Rebels animated series where he’s on his own during the era of the Empire.
During the Clone Wars, the Ohnaka Gang and their legendary captain Hondo Oknaka were feared across the stars, an impressive band of pirates who even tangled with the Jedi on more than one occasion, when they weren’t getting drunk on spice drinks back at their pirate den. Hondo is as charismatic as he is cunning, and he was once almost successful in earning a huge score when he and his crew managed to simultaneously capture Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, as well as Count Dooku of the Separatist Alliance.
However, Hondo also got his men into all kinds of trouble, and it seems as though enough was enough once the Empire came to power. Hondo went on as a solo act in the galaxy, conning those he could and forming temporary alliances so long as there was profit involved, and he’s even featured in Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge. However, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #10 from writer Ethan Sacks and artist Paolo Villanelli reveals that his crew went on without him. While they’re now being lead by one Captain Skragg, they’ve hilariously kept the Ohnaka name, presumably due to the reputation it’s earned our in the galaxy. As such, the Ohnaka legacy lives on, even if Hondo ironically doesn’t have much to do with it. Additionally, it seems as though some of the crew actually miss their old captain, though just as many remember Hondo’s more problematic tendencies.
But it gets even better – bounty hunter Dengar is reluctantly involved with the Ohnaka Gang due to the fact that he’s severely in debt to them. After an unfortunate night of cards with their crew, Dengar’s drink was spiked with spice (meaning he was inclined to bet more). What’s so funny about this is that spiking the drinks was exactly how Hondo managed to capture Anakin and Obi-Wan during the Clone Wars, so it seems as though the Ohnaka Gang is still using his old tricks as well.
Despite the fact that Hondo Ohnaka is very much alive, his legacy has seemingly moved on without him, carried forward by the pirates he used to lead. However, the confirmation that the Ohnaka Gang is still kicking around makes one wonder if their old captain might one day manage to get his crew back. Fans will just have to wait and see as Marvel Comics’ foray into the ongoing stories of Star Wars continues.