Saga Do Bounty Hunters really have a Code of Honor? Or Practically NO LOYALTY?

I came to wondering - in Star Wars and not just Star Wars but in many franchises the concept of loyalty and honor are strong - BUT then again some have a more cynical view of it - and are treacherous or go by the 'one is only loyal to one self to save your own backbone and backside' in the end ... or the at sometimes being too loyal to one's cause - whilst admirable it is also going to CO$T your lives at times ... and the concept of honor is sometimes 'arrogance in a mask' and that given some factions are not even 100% friendly to one another just like how I have posted numerous times how Sith betray one another and that Ancient Sith were mindless thugs and butchers and violent angry selfish psycho's on Korriban with a mob-mentality ... hence then I was wondering with Bounty Hunters; do they really have a Code of Honor in the end? I mean some like Jango Fett and Boba Fett have their Moral Codes which gives them a sense of honor - and the fact Jango Fett and Boba Fett - whilst not exactly fairy godmother saviors - they downright wouldn't kill innocent beings whom have nothing to do with them ... yet some like Cad Bane are more than trigger-happy 'as long as they get paid' and that Cad Bane may even betray his own clients FOR MORE CREDITS and MONEY if he chose fit ... and that Moralo Eval in The Box - when he remarked 'Let me tell you one rule ... THERE ARE NO RULES!' which implied 'dog eat dog' and that everyone for themselves and if you couldn't catch up you would die and which was what happened in the end ... and how some in The Box some like Embo even murdered fellow Bounty Hunters to eliminate competition ... and that Cad Bane in one of the trailers for Season 2 Rise of the Bounty Hunters even taunted the Jedi in the Hologram that 'I want to remind you Jedi ... We Bounty Hunters BOW TO NO ONE!' before laughing maniacally ... but in the EU there's the Bounty Hunters Guild which was meant to set a Code of Ethics and Regulations somewhat for Bounty Hunters ... and just like somewhat in gangster mobs or in Pirates of the Caribbean even crooks 'have standards' and a form of honor and rules/guidelines they must oblige but it seems some likewise don't give two hoots and that some in Star Wars they simply are more trigger happy and content to shoot-first and never ask questions at all ... and that where Moralo Eval declared 'THERE ARE NO RULES!' and that some Bounty Hunters like Cad Bane do not care about anyone at all and only care about money and their well-being ... it seems as if in the end the cynical saying 'there is no innocence...' or that 'there is no honor or loyalty...' and that the reality is somewhat like well ... Prehistoric wild animals - where the meanest and the strongest and most violent survive - no concept of loyalty or rules or structure or guidelines and only the meanest and toughest and most violent survive ... the weaklings die ... not too unlike Ancient Sith ...

 

Dude.... paragraphs are your friend.

But I would say mostly it depends on the bounty hunter in question. Some do, some don't. Not all that do have the SAME code, necessarily. But I would think that having a few basic rules is actually beneficial to most. People are much more likely to hire someone they know will do the job professionally and expertly rather than some wild card unpredictable lunatic. If you're going to need allies or assistance it's probably best NOT to be thought of as some backstabbing treacherous serpent, mostly.

 

The best source for this would be The Bounty Hunter Code:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Bounty_Hunter_Code:_From_the_Files_of_Boba_Fett

goes into some depth on rules and guidelines for bounty hunters - and is annotated by Boba, Aurra, Hondo, Bossk, Greedo, Han, etc.

 

Agreed. This was almost impossible to read.

 

I've been a little leary of how there are so many Bounty Hunters, and really conceptualize those characters more as mercenaries, who will seek out and capture bounties if not engaged in other work (guns for hire, assassins, spies, thugs, guards, escorts, soldiers, etc.). Boba Fett is sort of an ad-hoc guard in RotJ--he's not actively seeking bounties while hanging out in Jabba's Palace.

I agree that the morals/code of a particular bounty hunter would depend on the one in question. For instance, Boskk seems to be a pretty "bad guy" (going mostly from sources outside the films) that maims and brutalizes Wookies. On the other hand, Zam (AotC's) seems to just be doing her job, not really seeking out or relishing causing pain and suffering.

 

Credits take seem to precedent in most matters of morality and honor.

 

I figure it just boils down to "Don't do something that'll cause more trouble than it's worth," and "Don't do anything that's bad for business." And how those are applied depend on the individual involved.

But the primary rule is, "How much cash do you have, and how much are you willing to pay?"

 

In the EU she even ends up saving the galaxy (or Coruscant at least) alongside Jango, shortly before AOTC.

 

I think (but my thinking may be wrong) that only Bounty Hunters of the Bounty Hunters Guild have a code. All the freelance bounty hunters can do what they want.

 

Yup. A Guild hunter that's caught breaking The Rules by other hunters, and reported to the Guild leaders, might face official sanctions - but a non-Guild one who keeps troubling Guild hunters would only face unofficial sanctions of various kinds. Maybe they get a bounty placed on them.

 

Mandalorian principles, philosophies, training, and execution all abide by a very strict code. Iron Lord mentioned the Bounty Hunter Code text, which details at length the process to become a mercenary, what guidelines they must abide by, the training they must go through, and how that should be executed in real operations. That even within their own ranks they try to weed out potential moles and threats to their way of life. It's a fascinating read and could answer a lot of your inquires about just how strict and code based the life of mercenary really is.

 

Keep in mind that there's many other mercenary groups besides the Death Watch and the Bounty Hunter's Guild.

 

True. The Bounty Hunter Code is probably the best place to start though.

 

Besides the boxed set (which comes with a short memoir from Guild Head Craddosk (Bossk's father) there's also a much cheaper single book, for those prepared to forgo the extras (memoir, saberdart, a few fairly unimportant things like Boba's licence, etc).

 

I think it's like how many real life criminals say they have honor and a code of punishment, but many of them break their own rules a little more often than they would acknowledge.

 

I'd say the Bounty Hunter Code is like the Code in Pirates of the Caribbean, they're like guidelines.

Also it probably depends upon the bounty hunter. Some are more sticklers than others.

 

Ah lots of insightful comments But its just then again given as we know some like Cad Bane only shoot first and never ask questions - only questions about 'WHERE'S MY MONEY? WHERE'S MY DUE?!' and the fact given how Cad Bane goes as far as to kidnap young children - well Force-Sensitive children and how he proclaimed 'just as long as I get paid...' and how the fact from what I read in prisoner hierarchy and well criminal ranks - child killers and molesters and well those whom abuse females and innocent in a horrifying way are hated ... and yet the fact some criminals go by the 'Robin Hood' approach - and they somewhat leave innocent beings alone but some just pretty much attack and kill anyone like psychopaths ...

 

Maybe you could give a clifnote version of the code as it is presented in the book to us who don't have it?

 

Wookieepedia has a few good bits:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bounty_Hunters'_Creed
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Peace-Keeping_Certificate

most of the rest of the book is "guide to using various pieces of equipment" rather than "regulations and moral principles".

 

I would agree with most people here. I think it would depend on the bounty hunter.
Sugi and her crew from The Clone Wars certainly had honor. They stayed to protect the villagers, even if they could get more money from Hondo if they just left.
Sugi literally chose honor before profit. That's a pretty stong moral for a bounty hunter.

But I think that a bounty hunter like Cad Bane would do anything for profit.
'I'll take on any job... for the right price.'

Also, Boba Fett had his own moral code in the old EU.

 

depends on the bounty hunter.

 

Actually now that you mention it - I wonder how Sugi would have fared in The Box ... I mean Embo worked with her at times and yet Embo was utterly ruthless and even killed Sintiritch ... and the fact Moralo Eval coldly claimed 'THERE ARE NO RULES...' and then again I found it surprising and slightly ironic how Cad Bane would rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi claiming to Moralo Eval 'you wanna kill him ... you do it like a man ...' sounds abit contradicting when Moralo Eval already claimed 'THERE ARE NO RULES!' ...

 

Well Bane did have some honor code

He could have let Hardin sleep to his death but caught him instead.

 

Now that you mention it ... that reminds me as well where Cad Bane sarcastically remarked to Obi-Wan Kenobi as Rako Hardeen 'HERE'S YOUR REWARD! I'M NOT KILLIN' YOU!' and yet he sprays him in the face with the gas ... instead of going trigger-happy ...

 

i don't know if it's honor or just respect.