The Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie was the first canon introduction to Hutts other than Jabba, including the gangster’s son, Rotta. However, while Rotta is a terrifyingly adorable addition to Star Wars, his existence makes one wonder how the Hutts reproduce in the first place. And sure, the answer may seem obvious, but the biology of Hutts has changed multiple times throughout Star Wars‘ history.
The Clone Wars expanded upon the Hutts more so than any other piece of Star Wars media. On top of Rotta, several other members of the Hutt family were introduced, all members of the same criminal empire spreading out across the galaxy. While it’s not known where they got their wealth and power from, much of the galaxy knows about the Hutts, and despite not hiding their illegal deeds, few dare to stand up against them.
One of the new Hutts introduced was Ziro the Hutt, who, at one point in the series, travels to his home planet of Nal Hutta, where he meets his mother named Mama. It’s also revealed he has a father called Papa, which would suggest that the Hutts have two parents and are born with either male or female reproductive organs. However, in Legends canon, the Hutt species were confirmed as being hermaphroditic, which means all members of the species process both male and female organs and can act in either role during reproduction. They would then store their young in a pouch on their abdomen, much like a marsupial.
But, given the information Clone Wars reveals, it’s more likely that, in the new canon, the Hutts are closer to real-world gastropod species, which possess the ability to reproduce both asexually and sexually with a mate. Given the choice, the latter is much more common in nature because sexual reproduction combines genetics, resulting in healthier babies, but, of course, Star Wars has never delved too deeply into the details.
But while the failure to make a firm stance has led to debate among fans about what the Hutts really are, the fact that they have separate sexes makes the answer clearer. For many years, the vast majority of the Hutts seen throughout Star Wars appeared to be male in voice and structure, but, in recent years, more female ones have appeared. In fact, during The Book of Boba Fett, Star Wars’ most recent project, Jabba’s cousins named the Twins make a brief appearance, and the smaller of the two is referred to as “sister” by the other, confirming one is male and the other is female.
With that being the case, it’s more likely than not that Hutts produce their offspring asexually, just like real gastropods can. But if that’s as far as the powers that be at Lucasfilm want to go explaining how the slug-like creatures reproduce, nobody should really blame them.
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