A bounty hunter, also called a fugitive recovery agent, skipfisher, skiptracer, thugcatcher and various other names, is an individual who captures fugitives for money (bounties).
Definition
Bounty hunters are essentially mercenaries who are hired for the specific purpose of personnel acquisition, though many bounty hunters in the galaxy find themselves in positions of true mercenary, bodyguard, or assassin work—all for the right price. Indeed, most people consider the terms "mercenary" and "bounty hunter" to be interchangeable, though they are still technically different.
Organization
Bounty hunters are known to work alone, in pairs or in groups, and their creeds vary widely. Some bounty hunters play well with one another, while others tend to form rivalries and even try to eliminate their competition.
Legality
Laws for bounty hunters vary per region, often on the level of states, prefectures and other subdivisions of nations on each planet. This can pose a problem for bounty hunters seeking to remain in good standing with law enforcement. Oftentimes, bounty hunters will attempt to do their job as quietly as possible in areas where acquiring a license or other form of permission would be inconveniently time-consuming or impossible. This often-necessary breach of law can lead to the unfortunate labeling of bounty hunters as criminals in certain areas. What's worse is that high-value fugitives tend to congregate in areas that are less friendly to bounty hunters and will often monitor local bounty hunting license records in order to get a head-start against the more legalistic pursuers.