Taung

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The Taungs, later known as the Mandalorians, were a warlike Near-Human species with gray skin that dominated the planet Coruscant thousands of years before the rise of Humans.

Contents 1 History 2 Behind the scenes 3 Appearances 4 Sources

[edit] History

The Taungs and the thirteen native Human nations, the Battalions of Zhell, eventually battled for control of Coruscant. Though the Zhell were nearly exterminated in a volcanic explosion, they managed to drive the Taungs from Coruscant. Due to the two years of darkness caused by the ash, the Taungs named themselves the Warriors of the Shadow (Dha Werda Verda).

The Taungs fled to Roon, where they remained for thousands of years, until, under the leadership of the legendary Mandalore the First, the Taungs conquered another world which they renamed in honor of their leader, Mandalore. The species as a whole then also took the name, becoming the Mandalorians (or Mando'ade in their native Mando'a).

Eventually, the Mandalorian species became extinct. Much like the Sith species which gave rise to the Sith Order, the name "Mandalorian" became associated with a multi-species organization of warrior clans, who, regardless of species, adhered to the tenets of the Mandalorians. These Mandalorians, who were mostly baseline Humans, held the legacy of the Taungs in high regard.

Taung Heights, a district of Coruscant, was presumably named for the Taung.

[edit] Behind the scenes

The name Taung may be a reference to the Taung Child, a fossil skull which was the first known example of the early hominind Australopithecus africanus. A. africanus are thought to have been remote ancestors of Humans, just as the Taung of Coruscant were precursors of the later Mandalorian culture.

The Taung are frequently compared in appearance to the aliens featured in the film Predator and its sequels and spinoffs. InQuest Gamer 39, an unlicensed source, features the "Predator" aliens in a non-canonical crossover with the Star Wars universe.

[edit] Appearances

• Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War (First appearance as Mandalorian species)
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 8: Flashpoint, Part 2
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 15: Days of Fear, Part 3 (Cover only)
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 19: Daze of Hate, Part 1 (Appears in hologram)
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 20: Daze of Hate, Part 2
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 21: Daze of Hate, Part 3
•  Mass Aqualish Exodus Expected—HoloNet News Vol. 531 45 (Mentioned only)
•  Area Woman Finds Sith Icon in Pastebread—HoloNet News Vol. 531 49 (Mentioned only)
• Republic Commando: Triple Zero (Mentioned only)

[edit] Sources

• Shadows of the Empire soundtrack (Liner notes) (First mentioned as Taung)
• InQuest Gamer 39 (Non-canonical appearance)
•  "The History of the Mandalorians" - Star Wars Insider 80 (First identified as same species)
•  "The Mandalorians: People and Culture" - Star Wars Insider 86
• The Essential Chronology
• The New Essential Chronology