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A group of sentient species
- "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
- ―Qui-Gon Jinn to Jar Jar Binks
Sentience was the ability of an organic species to think intelligently. It was commonly determined by the being's ability to reason, speak, and manipulate tools. Creatures that completely lacked that ability were classified as non-sentient, while those that appeared to have emerging sentience were classified as semi-sentient. Droids, despite not being technically alive to begin with, were regarded as sentients.
Definition
According to The Essential Guide to Alien Species, ghostwritten by Ann Margaret Lewis based on data collected by Senior Anthropologist Mammon Hoole, "a species given the sentient definition is considered able to reason and understand abstract metaphorical concepts and ideas, make and use tools, and communicate with written or spoken language." Species that did not reason at all and survived via their natural instincts, were classified as non-sentient,[1] or sometimes as sub-sentient.[2] It should be noted that non-sentience did not imply the lack of any form of intelligence. Species that appeared to have emerging sentience were classified as semi-sentient. These included species that had very primitive capabilities to manipulate tools, use language, and/or solve problems.[1] Examples included the Arkanian dragon, the Zillo Beast, the Bafforr tree, and the Wampa.
History
Various sentient species
In the waning years of the Galactic Republic, an Annual Mid-Rim Domesticated Sub-Sentient Show was held for non-sentient creatures.[2] The Galactic Empire would often recategorize sentient species such as the Wookiees as non-sentient, allowing it to enslave them without formally violating the laws protecting sentient beings from such abuse.
Behind the scenes
In real-world usage, sentience refers to the capacity to feel sensations, such as pain; thus, most animals are sentient. In English, a more correct term for a being with the capacity for intelligent thought would be sapient or sophont. Star Wars usage follows the science-fiction convention of including intelligence as a defining characteristic of sentience.
Sentient comes from the Latin word sentire, meaning "to feel, to realize."
Sentience is not restricted to organic species and droids, despite the common belief; an example of this is Yuuzhan'tar, a sentient planet.
Appearances
- Darth Plagueis
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Best in Show Eaten by Second-Best — HoloNet News Vol. 531 #46 (content now obsolete; backup link)- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Han Solo at Stars' End
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (First appearance)
- Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novel
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novel
- Star Wars: The Old Republic
Sources
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- The Essential Guide to Alien Species
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
- Galaxy of Intrigue
- Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook
- Suns of Fortune
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Essential Guide to Alien Species
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
Best in Show Eaten by Second-Best — HoloNet News Vol. 531 #46 (content now obsolete; backup link)
