What Is Spice, And Why Is It So Critical In 'Star Wars'?

Since 1977 Spice has been a part of the Star Wars universe. Rumor has is that the idea of Spice in Star Wars came from Dune. But most people only recognize the name as some sort of illicit drug, not knowing quite what it is or where it comes from. Legends had explanations spanning back to the youth of The Republic, especially in the Knights Of The Old Republic series, where the ship of the character the Ebon Hawk was at one point a spice smuggler's ship. Despite all of this, Spice doesn't have a lot of in-universe lore that is easily accessible. So we decided to fix that by telling you everything you need to know about Spice.

Spice is an illicit drug that has been around since the dawn of The Republic. There are several types of Spice, but the more common versions are Ryll and Sansanna Spice. The main difference in each variant is either where they are mined or their uses. Though most forms of Spice have other uses, it is primarily a hallucinogen and a highly controlled substance.

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Like any sort of controlled substance, Spice plays a considerable part in the criminal underworld of the Star Wars universe. During the last years of the Galactic Republic, we see that most of the Spice trade is controlled by the Pykes. Ten years before the events of The Phantom Menace, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was dispatched to the Pyke homeworld Oba Diah to bargain with them over their control of the entirety of raw Spice production in the galaxy. During the Republic, The Pykes were connected to the crime families of Coruscant, delivering Spice via smugglers and freighter captains. Meaning that Spice held enough power to warrant the attention of the Jedi Order to make sure the drug didn't plunge the galaxy into war.

Given its incredible value and influence during the height of the Galactic Republic, what are the effects of Spice? When refined to its purest form, Spice was a hallucinogen, but most Spices did have other properties. For example, Sansanna Spice, the most popular form among The Pykes, was also used to make specific medicines. In addition, Ryll Spice could be used in various military and scientific applications. However, some forms were not as useful aside from recreation.

Polstine Spice, for example, is a very potent variant; even when it isn't fully cooked, it is more potent than other Spice variants. Just a tiny amount of Polstine Spice, for example, dust on a jacket, was enough to send someone to an Imperial Prison for life. This tactic was used by Moff Ghadi to turn Arhinda Pryce against her superior, Senator Renking of Lothal. So Spice even plays a part in the political maneuvering of Star Wars.

Spice has been a part of the Star Wars universe from the beginning and has grown to take on quite a life of its own. From the formation of The Republic to the fall of the First Order, Spice and the people who sell and smuggle it has been woven into Star Wars' tapestry. Indeed the franchise wouldn't be what it is today without the ambiguity of Spice in the original trilogy. Hopefully, now Spice is a little less ambiguous for all of us.

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Written by James Cockrum

Source(s): Wookieepedia

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