Solo GFFA Crime Syndicate Structure circa SOLO

So, what can we extrapolate here?

In the late Clone Wars, Maul brought Black Sun, the Pyke Syndicate, the Hutt Cartel and ultimately all of Mandalore together under his leadership.

Maul got owned by Palpatine, but Death Watch remained loyal through the siege of Mandalore. His standing with the other factions remains unknown.

Next thing we know circa SOLO: Maul controls the previously unknown Crimson Dawn. From what we see and hear in the film, the Pykes are definitely unaffiliated with CD and the Hutt Cartel is implied to be as well.

As for Black Sun, all we know is that, after SOLO and circa the time of REBELS, they still exist as a distinct entity. Also by that time, whether or not Crimson Dawn still exists, Maul no longer controls it. Nor does he hold any sway over Mandalore.

In the OT timeframe the only faction we're sure is still operational are the Hutts.

Any other pieces to the puzzle? Where do we think this is all heading?

 

By the Rebels timeline (almost to ANH), we also add in the Crymorah Syndicate -- though they may be fairly minor players. Specializing in smuggling the way the Pykes are specializing with the Spice Mines. The way the Pykes are not part of the Crimson Dawn but have an alliance with them fits well into the history -- they are the only group who joined with Maul by choice, so they don't have much in the way of "bad blood" with regards to their relationship with him. I would like to see the Black Sun in this time frame, and my personal preference is for Qi'ra to inherit Crimson Dawn from Maul when he leaves for Malachor and doesn't find his way back in a timely manner. Star Wars has been making a nice effort lately to include women and non-white actors in the role of protagonists; I would like to see some of that with the antagonists, too.

 

That's not right. Dryden Vos explicitly states that Crimson Dawn maintains an alliance with the Pyke syndicate.

 

The Hutts post the Clone Wars is an interesting aspect that could've been explored, at some point did they try to take over the whole lot?

 

Right -- just one viewing so I got that mangled a bit, the plan was culpable deniability that Beckett's team was involved with CD. So to modify that bit, there is an alliance between CD and the Pykes, but they're not both under the same (Maul's) management; if they were there'd be no need for CD to steal the coaxium to begin with.

We know Black Sun is still a player under its own name because Ketsu in Rebels worked for them; is there any other canon insight into what they're all about at this stage?

 

Right. The Pykes in Solo are their own syndicate and not subservient to the CD. They’re just allied. That’s an affiliation, of course. Though an affiliation based on equality.

 

According to Fact File, which is of dubious canonicity, the Pykes, Hutts, and Black Sun were all equally weakened by their affiliation with Maul's Shadow Collective, so it might have opened up opportunities for the lesser gangs and new comers to gain a foothold in the criminal underworld.

Enter Crimson Dawn, the Droid Gotra, etc.

 

I really want to see the Droid Gotra in live action. Such a cool name.

I also suspect we will at some point get a “heads of the families/ syndicates” type scene.

 

Well we all remember how Maul dealt with the heads of black sun.

 

Oh yeah... the Droid Gotra, how cool is that? Huh, did we maybe even see its genesis in SOLO? Even if not, a lot of groundwork is being laid for independently acting droids so it would be cool to see the DG as players!

 

The Droid Gotra is one of those concepts I am dying to see put on screen. I would find it hilarious and wonderful if they managed to make legitimately intimidating battle droid gangsters, given their comedic leanings in later films/shows.

 

I dread to think if all this crime syndicate stuff has any links to Jakku and maybe some inconvenient kid getting sold off/abandoned or something. Yuck, don't even think it.