Jawa

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"I can't abide those Jawas! Disgusting creatures!"

―C-3PO^[src]

Jawas were a sentient species of meter-tall humanoids native to the Outer Rim desert world of Tatooine.

Biology and appearance

Jumbo Jawas — Although Jawas usually measured one meter, some were significantly taller.

What Jawas hid underneath their heavy robes was subject to much speculation from the colonists who settled on Tatooine,^[2] with rumors claiming they were giant rodents or devolved humans.^[6]^[10] Although Jawas were typically small, measuring only one meter,^[2] some of them were significantly taller than that. One of those abnormally gangly Jawas was almost as tall as a 3PO unit,^[5] a model of protocol droid measuring 1.71 meters.^[11]

Society and culture

Jawas were passionate scavengers, combing the deserts of Tatooine for droids or scraps which they would capture and sell to the local residents, forming a codependent circle of trade. However, they had a reputation for swindling, selling hastily refurbished equipment and faulty droids. Thus, moisture farmers were wary of their goods, but they often purchased them due to being hard-pressed to find a better selection in their remote locations.^[1] Jawas could create specialized "monster droids" made up of various parts from a variety of droids.^[source?]

File:Crawlersand.jpeg

Jawas used sandcrawlers as mobile bases for scavenging as well as for protection from Tusken Raiders and sand storms.

Jawas were found lurking at podracing tracks in order to haul away smoking debris from crashed Podracers. Jawas were usually first on the scene of a crashed starship, as Anakin Skywalker discovered when he crash-landed the Twilight on Tatooine.^[12]

A Jawa could often speak both their native Jawaese—which utilized scent as well as spoken words to convey meaning, thus making it impossible for outsiders to understand—and their simpler Jawa Trade Talk, allowing them to communicate more easily with other species.^[6]

Jawas traveled through the desert and transported their droids in their huge sandcrawler transports.^[1] Defunct mining companies on Tatooine had abandoned these vehicles in the desert once their projects failed, allowing the Jawas to use them as mobile bases.^[6]

Some Jawas worked for Jabba the Hutt.^[13]

Jawas had a tentative peaceful relationship with the Tusken Raiders, or "Sand People," an aggressive species also native to Tatooine. However, the Jawas preferred to avoid the Sand People when possible due to their unpredictable nature. They also feared the Krayt dragon, and getting caught in a sandstorm was just as dangerous.^[1]^[6]

History

One band of Jawas was responsible for locating and reuniting C-3PO and R2-D2 after their escape pod crash-landed on Tatooine. The band subsequently sold the droids to Luke Skywalker's uncle, Owen Lars. The entire clan was later interrogated and then slaughtered by stormtroopers who had come looking for the droids. The stormtroopers attempted to make the carnage look like the work of Sand People but Obi-Wan Kenobi was able to see through the ruse when he and Luke Skywalker came across the corpses. The two later burned the bodies out of respect.^[5]

Jawas in the galaxy

A popular galactic drink known as Jawa Juice existed and was served in locations such as Dex's Diner on Coruscant. However, it was not made from or by Jawas.^[6]

Behind the scenes

No canonical source has revealed what a Jawa looks like under the hood. In behind-the-scenes shots from Return of the Jedi, the Jawas have squarish heads covered in black cloth with large yellow eyes that appear mechanical. However, this is a costume and so may not represent their canonical appearance. The original Star Wars novelization implies a possible familial relationship between Jawas and Tusken Raiders. It also describes Jawas as rodent-like and compares them to de-evolved Humans, though these could be mere metaphors.

According to Stephen J. Sansweet's book Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible, the Jawas were the centerpiece in one of the strangest copyright infringement cases involving Star Wars. In 1978, small hooded creatures with glowing eyes that Neil Young called "Roadeyes" began accompanying the rocker on stage during a concert tour, in a tour film, and on the cover of the album Rust Never Sleeps. The case was settled out of court.^[14]

In 2015, Jawas made an appearance in Star Wars, a webcomic adaptation of the original trilogy. However, due to cultural interpretation, the comic is in a "grey area" of canon.^[15]