In Return of the Jedi, Bib Fortuna acts as majordomo to Jabba the Hutt and typically stands by the side of his master's throne, helping him deal with the various suppliants who come before him. The first part of Bib Fortuna's name ("Bib") befits his position, while the second part ("Fortuna") reveals his priorities.
The purpose of a bib is to keep its wearer clean while he or she is eating. Bib Fortuna's name pairs him with Salacious Crumb, the other character who hangs around Jabba's throne in Return of the Jedi: a bib is something that catches crumbs. Bib and Crumb's names underline the gluttonous appetite of their master; they both enable and benefit from Jabba's vices. Moreover, Bib's name points to his role as a steward whose job is to clean up Jabba's messes.
Bib Fortuna's surname indicates his values. In classical philosophy, everything under heaven – money, pleasure, fame, safety, and the like – is governed by Fortune, who Boethius famously described, in The Consolation of Philosophy, as the "random goddess." Fortune is always capriciously shuffling the things in her domain, an ever-changing quality clearly expressed in the classical image of the "Wheel of Fortune" or Rota Fortunae. Because Fortune is forever spinning her wheel, a man may be "on top of the world" one moment and at the bottom the next.
Bib Fortuna's brief appearance in "The Rescue" (The Mandalorian 2.8) highlights Fortune's dominion over him. Years after Jabba's death, Bib Fortuna has taken his place on the throne. In taking Jabba's power, Bib has also adopted many of his vices; he has grown fatter, seems lazier, and has a scantily clad slave girl sitting at the foot of his throne just like Jabba did. When Boba Fett arrives to take the throne for himself, he blasts Bib and unceremoniously throws his body down onto the floor. First Bib is by the throne, waiting for his turn; then he is on the throne for a short while; then he is on the ground beneath the throne.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Bib Fortuna / Jabba the Hutt / Salacious Crumb
Shows: The Mandalorian
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