Who Are The Witches Of Dathomir In The Book Of Boba Fett?

"Star Wars" fans are accustomed to spotting deep-cut Easter eggs and references to the wider universe, and the live-action shows on Disney+ are crammed with nods to other classic characters, events, and planets. "The Book of Boba Fett" is no different. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have taken the chance to widen the galaxy far, far away even further, expanding the mythos behind the bounty hunter himself (played by Temuera Morrison), as well as other classic aliens, such as the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine. "The Book of Boba Fett" Chapter 2 even gives the Sand People a much deeper meaning to Fett, and it develops his character even further.

Chapter 3 mostly takes place in the present day rather than Fett's Tusken flashbacks. We see him receive a surprising gift from the Hutt Twins, who you may remember originally arrived to stake their claim on Jabba's old territory. They give Fett his own Rancor calf to live underneath his palace, and he comes with a trainer played by none other than Danny Trejo.

The Rancor trainer opens up about what the Rancors are really like when they're not forced to fight. He explains they're "quite, peaceful — unless threatened" before revealing they form "strong bonds" with their owners. He adds, "The Witches of Dathomir even rode them through the forest and fens." Longtime "Star Wars" fans will no doubt pick up on the reference, but who are the Witches of Dathomir, and why are they so important?

Dathomir is most notably the home of Darth Maul (Ray Park), Darth Sideous' (Ian McDiarmid) Sith apprentice in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." But the planet shows up a number of times elsewhere in the franchise, mainly in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Star Wars Rebels," and "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order." The band of Dathomiran women called the Nightsisters have the ability to tap into the magical ichor which resides in the planet's core.  

The Nightsisters are just one of the many clans known as the Witches of Dathomir who can use the force in one way or another. Most of the clans had specific rules about how to use their abilities, but the Dark Side-using Nightsisters are the ones who've shown up the most in recent years. In "The Clone Wars," Mother Talzin is the leader of the Nightsisters, and she works with Count Dooku (Corey Burton) for a time before helping Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) mount her own personal war against the Sith Lord.

But let's address the Rancor in the room. The monstrous species is the apex predator on Dathomir and they feed on anything smaller than them. The Witches of Dathomir use their magic/force abilities to domesticate the beasts so they can ride them across the planet. So, it isn't surprising that Boba Fett wants to do the same — that would make him seem even more intimidating as a crime lord on Tatooine.