Gungan / Legends The Gungans were a sentient , amphibious humanoid race native to the terrestrial planet known as Naboo . Prior to the Invasion of Naboo , an event that took place in 32 BBY , the Gungans were a largely isolationist society . They were able to combine machinery with biology . They lived in large bubble - like domes under water . Gungans had strong leg muscles for swimming and were aided by their long fin - like ears . Their somewhat lanky arms ended in four - fingered hands , and their feet had three stubby toes each . Females tended to be slightly smaller with sleeker faces . They often tied their long ears back . The long Gungan face had a tough yet flexible bill for burrowing and rooting out food . They also had long muscular tongues with which they scooped mollusks and lesser amphibians from the Naboo swamps . Their teeth were quite large and very blunt capable of cracking through shellfish . Their large nostrils completely sealed for underwater travel . While most spacefarers would dismiss Gungans as primitives , they developed an advanced , albeit unique , technology . They grew the basic structures of buildings , vehicles and technology and adorned them with artistic flourishes and organic lines . This gave Gungan technology a very fluid , non - rectilinear look . The power source for Gungan technology was a mysterious blue - white energy " goo " that was mined in the depths of Naboo ' s oceans . The viscous plasmic material formed the basis of Gungan weaponry as well . The Gungans had mastered energy field technology for a number of uses . Their underwater cities employed hydrostatic fields to create large bubbles of atmosphere within which they dwell . Similarly , Gungan ground troops carried portable frames which generate a protective energy field capable of deflecting blaster fire . In large - scale combat , giant Gungan shield generators could create an immense umbrella of protective shield energy that could stop laser bolts and physical objects with great kinetic energy . Despite mastering this bizarre technology , Gungans still employed beasts of burden for transportation . Their most common mount was the kaadu , a wingless reptavian which Gungans adorned with feathers and rode into combat . Other favored Gungan mounts included the large , stubborn falumpaset . For truly heavy loads , the Gungans domesticated the fambaa , a nine - meter tall , quadrupedal amphibian . The Gungans maintained a large standing - armed force called the Gungan Grand Army . This huge collection of foot soldiers carried cestas , electropoles , and atlatls capable of hurling plasmic energy spheres ( or boomers , as Gungans called them ) . Gungan catapults hurled even larger boomers over great distances . The Gungans were ruled by a Boss and his Rep Council from the High Tower Board Room of Otoh Gunga . The Gungans had an uneasy relationship with the Naboo , the human colonists on the planet . Many Naboo looked down upon the Gungans , thinking them as primitive . The Gungans in turn tried to avoid any contact with the surface - dwellers . Individuals were called a Gung ( eg . Militiagung ) . Biology and appearance . The Gungans were separated into two races : the lanky orange , yellow or red - skinned Otolla race , and the heavier green - skinned Ankura race . However , they all exhibited many of the same basic physical traits . Starting life as tadpole s , Gungans developed into tall beings with extremely flexible cartilaginous skeletons . Strong leg muscles allowed for powerful and quick frog - kick style swimming through water as well as a remarkable jumping ability while on land . Fin - like ears ( called haillu ) also aided them in swimming , as well as expressing emotions like aggression , friendship , and fear . They had partially retractable eyestalks with when underwater . They also possessed a unique mucus creating organ that helped when being underwater which they use to stop water from entering their nasal passages and mouth . Green eyes were unusual amongst Gungans . Expressive faces and long bills with flaring nostrils were signatures of Gungan physiology . Lengthy muscular tongues and large blunt teeth allowed them to eat lesser amphibians , while a layer of tough skin on the head allowed for burrowing . A Gungan ' s arms ended in four digits , and their feet had three stubby toes , both unlike that of a human . Females were smaller with sleeker faces and tended to tie their ears back . Females Gungans with light - colored ear flaps were considered very attractive by male Gungans , while the ones with dark - colored haillu were thought of as ' boyish ' . As male Gungans aged , some , like Roos Tarpals , developed prominent whiskers . Both sexes had a lifespan of roughly 65 galactic standard years . Gungans had nostrils that sealed when they entered the water . They also boasted very strong compound lungs , allowing them to both hold their breath for extended periods of time , breathe underwater , and withstand the pressure of deep water , along with well - padded kneecaps and powerful calves and legs for increased swimming speed . However , because they were so well - adapted to their watery environment , their skin dried easily in hot and arid climates , which Jar Jar Binks experienced during his visit to Tatooine . The Gungans appeared to be related to the Glurrg s , whom they used as a worker caste in their society . Gungans were detailed in the Republic Xenosociological Database , under Subdirectory ORT831 - 23 , 794 , 928 / 1N . Society and culture . Long ago , explorers on Naboo discovered the Gung Slabs , a set of ancient stones engraved with Olys Corellisi on one side and Old Gungan on the reverse . These relics , coupled with the work of philologist Burro Flats of the Baobab Archives , helped the galaxy to better understand the culture and language of the Gungan people . Gungans spoke a variation of Basic known as Gungan Basic , or " Gunganese , " which occasionally incorporated elements of Old Gungan , a language spoken during the time of the Old Republic . In fact , the Gung Slabs , a series of ancient monoliths , were essential for the translation of Old Gungan . The Slabs , coupled with the work of philologist Burro Flats of the Baobab Archives , helped the galaxy to better understand the culture and language of the Gungan people . Few Gungans were able to speak the pure Gungan language . The later Gungan language was largely a pidgin dialect that most users fluent in Basic could understand . Gunganese , as it was commonly referred to , combined slightly - altered Basic words with the occasional Old Gungan term ( i . e . " Seeks doopeewees isa berry good " is translated as " Six landspeeders are very good . " ) Utilizing their own unique phraseology , Gungans established a rather successful history of scholarly excellence , albeit unknown to the galaxy at large . Among their achievements include the epic poem " Das Depu Epu Sea " , or " Deep Dark Water " . This ode to Da Beauty Al ' Round was a source of great pride to these noble beings . Gungan alpha - males often exhibited a series of oral clicks when aggravated or angered . The Gungan military was made up of mostly male volunteers . Gungans were generally a generous and peaceful race until the Trade Federation invaded . They truly loved to have visitors and warmly welcomed them ; however , they would remain suspicious until the visitors had earned their respect . Gungans were not tolerant of anyone who threatened their peaceful culture . They had very strict laws , and would go to the extremes to punish anyone who had committed a minor crime . Vandals , for example , could be given a sentence of exile , caning , or even stoning . If a Gungan was cast out of society , it was very difficult for them to return . If they did manage to return legally , they would often be subjected to heavy discrimination . This could make life very difficult for them and could go on for months or years , until their past offenses disappeared from memory . In addition , returning back to the settlement they were exiled illegally will sometimes result in the death penalty , especially if they brought along outsiders . It usually requires a significant deed to not only have their exile revoked , but also be welcomed back to the fold , such as the time when Jar Jar Binks , due to his actions in uniting the Gungans and Naboo together to fight the Trade Federation , had his exile revoked and promoted to Bombad General by Boss Rugor Nass . Gungans were also known to produce Force - sensitive children and the Gungans Kin - Ya Dosun and Kosa - Yin Hadu served as members of the Jedi Order , while the Gungan child Roo - Roo Page was considered as a candidate to receive Jedi training . The Gungans relied on the semi - sentient mollusk Kresch for much of their knowledge on matters as varied as Gungan civilization and the fauna of Ohma - D ' un . The Kresch was consulted by Gungans as an encyclopedia of sorts . Gungans also organized yearly the Festival of Warriors , in which Militiagungs gathered to celebrate the Gungan ' s militaristic culture . An arena was scheduled for construction in Lake Umberbool for the festivity . Religion . Gungans were known to venerate certain deities exclusive to their culture known as guds , such as Mekamok , Wamka Pol , Balmtop , Dobbis , Kobble , Nododo , Balam , Gobba , and their chief god , Oma - Oma . By 1 ABY , the fundamentalist sect of the Ultragungans was active on Naboo . This cult was responsible for stealing an artifact from Boss Rugor Nass , later retrieved by a spacer hired by the Boss . Military . " Main Article : Gungan Grand Army " The Gungans possessed a large military force , known as the Gungan Grand Army . Most of their transportation were beasts , although there were some biomechanical constructs in one of their heavy weapons . Their vehicles are generally named after native fauna within the Naboo wetlands . History . At some point in Galactic history , there was at least one Otolla Gungan who was a Sith . The Gungans were believed to be indigenous to Naboo , but this is uncertain . Biologists believe the Gungans , wherever their original home , evolved originally as land - dwellers . On Naboo , evidence of Gungan habitation extended for ages , as there are records of battles of survival with the woolly veermok s during an ice age . However , the primary reason they developed warfare technology was the threat of the bursa s that often attacked their settlements . The Gungans assembled a " Grand Army " to meet this threat , eventually driving the bursas into extinction . Their technology was peculiar in that everything , from tools to structures is not constructed , but " grown " , each device being therefore organically unique . Ancient starfarers told tales of great Gungan migrations across the plains of Naboo prior to their shift to more aquatic environments . The reason most commonly accepted for their flight to the water revolves around an alien civilization of reptilian humanoids remembered as the " Elders " , who colonized Naboo . They engaged in warfare with the Gungans , forcing them to retreat underwater , giving rise to modern Gungan civilization . Undoubtedly , the presence of healthful underwater plants and tasty gumfish did much to solidify their change in lifestyle . The Ankura and Otolla branches of Gungans united , forming a symbiotic relationship . They dominated Naboo for millennia afterwards , though largely keeping to the swamps and waterways ; the mountains and grasslands were considered ' desert - like ' . About 3000 BBY , Gungans were separated in tribes that fought against each other ( War of the Gungan tribes ) , until united under Boss Gallo . Gungans from various cities migrated to a new large city , Otoh Gunga , which was the major and capital city of Naboo ( as far as Gungans were concerned ) . C . 529 BBY , a number of needy Gungan locals were approached by recruiters sent by Hugo Bartyn . Bartyn wanted amphibian fishermen to settle a new city in Lamaredd and tempted these poverty - stricken individuals with promises of untouched seas in a new frontier . Once they arrived , however , they became slave laborers . The Gungans and the Human inhabitants of Naboo did not get along , as the Gungans believed the Naboo to be pompous cowards while the Naboo believed the Gungans to be barbarians . This attitude lasted until Queen Amidala united the Gungans and Naboo to fight the Trade Federation in the Battle of Naboo . Gungans , over the millennia of Human presence , have developed their own dialect based on their language , called Gungan Basic . After the Battle of Naboo , the Gungans attained representation in the Galactic Republic Senate through Representative Jar Jar Binks . The Gungans also colonized the moon of Ohma - D ' un , due to overcrowding on Naboo . A number of extremist Gungans colonized Naboo ' s other moon , Rori , at about the same time . During the Clone Wars in 22 BBY , a CIS biological weapon known as the " Swamp gas " was unleashed on Ohma - D ' un and wiped out much of the population . Later , a Jedi task force defeated the CIS forces on the moon during the Battle of Ohma - D ' un , thus saving Naboo . Following the end of the war , the newly formed Galactic Empire established a presence on Naboo . Fearing enslavement , the Gungans went into semi - seclusion . However , at least one Gungan worked on the nearby Rori Space Station . After the Empire ' s defeat at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , the Gungans and the Humans of Naboo banded together once more to oust the Imperial presence from their world , reclaiming the world as free for both species . As a result , the species began traveling in much larger numbers , across Naboo and the galaxy . Gungans in the galaxy . Gungans in Lamaredd achieved certain renown as the co - engineers , along with the Quarren , of the popular gondola skimmersub . Other Gungans that succeeded in that planet were Bamfurd , a tapcafe owner in Bartyn ' s Landing ; Boom Boom , the Security Chief ' s Second ; and The Mighty Musstoro , an Akura wrestler . They also jointly operated the Dorumaa Resort on Dorumaa ' s moon . Behind the scenes . According to an interview with George Lucas , the name " Gungan " came from his son Jett ' s name for tractors and trucks . Gungans were partially modeled after hadrosaurs , duck - billed dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period . The word " Gungan " can also refer to any member of an Australian genus of frogs , " " .