Jawa Jawas were a sentient species of meter - tall humanoid s native to the Outer Rim desert world of Tatooine . Biology and appearance . What Jawas hid underneath their heavy robe s was subject to much speculation from the colonist s who settled on Tatooine , with rumors claiming they were giant rodent s or devolved human s . Although Jawas were typically small , measuring only one meter , some of them were significantly taller than that . One of those abnormally gangly Jawas was almost as tall as a 3PO unit , a model of protocol droid measuring 1 . 71 meters . Society and culture . Jawas were passionate scavenger s , combing the desert s of Tatooine for droid s 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 droid s . Thus , moisture farmer s were wary of their goods , but they often purchased them due to being hard - pressed to find a better selection in their remote locations . Jawas could create specialized " monster droids " made up of various parts from a variety of droids . Jawas were found lurking at podracing tracks in order to haul away smoking debris from crashed Podracer s . Jawas were usually first on the scene of a crashed starship , as Anakin Skywalker discovered when he crash - landed the " Twilight " on Tatooine . 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 . Jawas traveled through the desert and transport ed their droids in their huge sandcrawler transports . 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 . Some Jawas worked for Jabba the Hutt . Jawas had a tentative peaceful relationship with the Tusken Raider s , 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 . 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 stormtrooper s 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 . 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 . Behind the scenes . No canonical source has revealed what a Jawa looks like under the hood . In behind - the - scenes shots from " " , 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 canon ical appearance . The original " Star Wars " novelization implies a possible familial relationship between Jawas and Tusken Raider s . 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 " " , 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 called " Roadeyes " began accompanying the rocker on stage during a concert tour , in a tour film , and on the cover of the album " " . The case was settled out of court . 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 .