Cathar ( species ) The Cathar were a species of feline , bipedal humanoids native to Cathar , a planet of savannas and rough uplands . They were known for their loyalty , passion , and temper . Quick and powerful , they were considered great warriors and dedicated , efficient predators . Cathar had high moral values , learned from both family and society . Their females were prized as slaves , whereas the males were generally regarded as too uncontrollable for slavery . Biology and appearance . The baseline Cathar had fur - covered bodies with thick manes . They had prominent , retractable claws that could deliver powerful killing attacks on foes and prey . Their bodies also possessed rapid healing abilities . On average , Cathar were 1 . 5 to 1 . 9 meters tall . These traits made them the perfect hand - to - hand specialists . The Cathar species also had two additional subspecies , known as the Juhani and the Myr Rho . Both of these were notably less catlike than mainline Cathar . Cathar were born into a litter . The Cathar species was biologically similar to the Bothan species . History . The planet of Cathar was devastated by the Mandalorians during the Battle of Cathar , leading to the enslavement and near - extinction of the Cathar species . Over 90 percent of the species were killed by the Mandalorians in the battle . The few survivors were forced to flee off - world to survive . After the end of the Mandalorian Wars , Cathar began to resettle their world . By the time of the Galactic Civil War , it had fully recovered from the damage the Mandalorians had done . With the return of the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War , most Cathar sided with the Galactic Republic . By the time of the Cold War , many Cathar had settled on Ord Mantell . Others attempted to settle on Taris to aid in its rebuilding , but were attacked by the Sith Empire just prior to the outbreak of hostilities . As conflict was renewed with the Galactic War , Cathar support for the Republic began to mildly diminish due to galactic events . The Sith Empire had liberated a Cathar political prisoner and his followers who were covertly imprisoned on Belsavis for twenty years at the behest of the Strategic Information Service . This incident was leaked by Imperial Non - human Relations , which damaged the public trust between the Republic and their alien citizens . After Malgus ' betrayal , the Sith Empire began an alien initiative movement which saw to multiple cathar clans being freely inducted into the ranks . Society and culture . On their homeworld , Cathar lived in cities built into giant trees , and were organized into clans governed by " Elders . " Stories of their great heroes were often carved into the trunks of these tree - homes for following generations to see . The Cathar mated for life , to the extent that when one mate died , the survivor never had a relationship with another . Cathar clan society included great pageants and celebrations , especially for their heroes . Their religion included a ritual known as the " Blood Hunt , " in which Cathar warriors individually engaged in combat against entire nests of Kiltik in order to gain honor and purge themselves of inner darkness . The native language of the Cathar was Catharese , which included the emphasis of some spoken words with a growl . Cathar in the galaxy . Force - sensitive Cathar often became Jedi , even though the Jedi way tended to be in opposition to their natural tendencies . Sylvar and her mate Crado were famous Jedi who fought in the Great Sith War . The story of Crado ' s fall to the dark side of the Force under the influence by Exar Kun was well - known to all Cathar , just as the story of Sylvar , who was able to turn away from the dark path and regain the Jedi way . Another Cathar Jedi of that era was Juhani , who traveled with Revan and assisted him in the destruction of the Star Forge . Famous Cathar Jedi during the Second Imperial Civil War were brothers Rasi Tuum , Ahn and Zho . Behind the scenes . In " " , the Cathar Jedi Juhani speaks Basic , albeit with a heavy - like accent , with rolled " r " s and " w " s that sound like " v " s . Murghir , a bounty hunter and foe in the Great Hunt encountered by the Bounty Hunter class in " The Old Republic " , also speaks with such an accent . It is possible that this is meant to represent a Catharian accent . However , a Cathar companion of the Trooper class in TOR , Aric Jorgan , and a Cathar Jedi Master , Ryen had no such accents .