Tattoo / Legends A tattoo was a permanent insertion of ink or pigments below the skin using a sharp needle . A number of beings had tattoos , normally for cosmetic reasons or as part of their culture or an organization . Tattooing was also used as a common identification or branding of slaves . One example was the slave trade planet Orvax IV . The Togorian Mezgraf , a former slave of this planet , had his slaver ' s mark on his right shoulder , still visible through his white fur , and would often wear a long - sleeved jacket to cover it . A tattooist , or tattoo artist , was a person who drew tattoos on people ' s skin as a job . Notable examples were Bojam Rees , who made a living as a tattooist on Starstation 12 , and the male Lafrarian Nuyu , a tattoo artist and body decorator who ran a small shop on StarForge Station . The Blue Sector of Corellia ' s capital Coronet hosted a high proportion of tattoo parlors . During the Clone Wars , under the direction of the Jedi , clone troopers were encouraged to adopt nicknames for themselves , get tattoos and customize their armor and even their hairstyles . " Tatooine Tattoo " was shipjacker slang for " price on your head " ( Jabba the Hutt level ) . Tattoos could be concealed with synthskin . Notable cultures . A ' mari . The A ' mari were the former ruling clan of Malano III . They were marked with a black tattoo across their neck . Aquellans . The planet Aquella was notable for the Human males ' ritual tattooing and dyeing on their bodies upon reaching adulthood . A combination of permanent dye and micro - tattooing was applied during rite of passage ceremonies , and the resulting purplish - green skin made them look like a race of Near - Human s . Bk ' trugh clan . The Bk ' trugh clan was a Gamorrean clan whose members could be recognized by a tattoo on their arms . Blood Carvers . The Blood Carver s sported tribal tattoos along the ridge of their nose flaps . Bomu Clan . The Bomu Clan was an extended family of Rodian mercenaries . Each member was marked with a tattoo of the clan ' s family symbol as soon as she or he was old enough to hold a blaster carbine . Bosphs . The Bosph stood out from other tattooed cultures by their unusual motif : star maps . The first Bosphs were nomads , and would often tattoo themselves with maps and star charts for navigation . This tradition is still practiced by high - ranking officials and many non - ranking Bosphs . When the species was discovered by scouts several decades before the Battle of Yavin , the Bosphs who took to the stars developed the tradition further by having their skin adorned with intricate star maps , which often depicted star systems and planets not yet discovered by even professional scouts . Dantari . Seven years after the Battle of Endor , refugees from Eol Sha made a new home on Dantooine , the homeworld of the Dantari , only to be wiped out by Imperial Admiral Daala . To the primitive Dantari , the arrival of Daala ' s forces was an event of unprecedented awe , and they began incorporating Imperial symbology into their belief systems . As part the new tradition , the Dantari tattooed themselves with Imperial symbols ; Imperial crests , AT - ATs , blaster rifles , and in the case of the truly brave , full body depictions of stormtrooper armor . Duhma . The Duhma species identified themselves through their tribal tattoos of a unique pattern . The former Imperial Colonel Abal Karda had his face tattooed with their symbol , as part of a disguise to avoid being captured for the bounty placed on his head . Ebranite . The Ebranite social structures were based on family and clan units . Each clan , or " thilda " , had a unique identifying insignia . This insignia was a source of pride and honor , and any insult directed to the clan insignia was viewed as an insult to the clan itself , and to each and every clan member of that clan . Every Ebranite had their clan ' s insignia tattooed on the uppermost left arm at birth , and remained loyal to their respective clans until death . In the past millennia , the Ebranite society was plagued with clan warfare , but as their society slowly evolved , many clans would cooperate for mutual advancement . It became increasingly more common to find several clans living together , and children were now given a new clan insignia symbolizing the unity of several clans . Falleen . Some groups of Falleen had clan or loyalty tattoos on their bodies . Gorothite . The Gorothite had several wattles beneath their chins , which they decorated with complex , helical tattoos of bright color . The tattoos denoted ancestry and status within their society , and also identified to which " j ' ber " ( a kind of clan or extended family ) an individual belonged . Most Gorothite couldn ' t understand how offworlder could be insensitive to these fine gradations of status . Gree . The Gree decorated their long foreheads with hieroglyphic tattoos which indicated rank and caste . Kiffar . The Mirialans and the Kiffar stood out from other Humans and Near - Human s by their tattoos . The Kiffar believed that it is the mother who gives life , and the power of the Force flows through her to her children . As part of this belief , the tattoos of the Kiffar — known as qukuuf — signified their family heritage from their mothers . Various patterns , designs and colors identify an individual ' s clan . Known colors were yellow , like the Jedi Master Quinlan Vos , green , like Kiffu Guardian Asanté Vos , purple , like Guardian Horsea , black , like bounty hunters Sintas and Ailyn Vel and former Special Forces Republic trooper Larin Moxla , red , like Guardian Vanlin , and blue , like Jedi Padawan Shigar Konshi . When an individual ' s mother was not a Kiffar , apparently the father ' s tattoos were taken on ; this was the case of Korto Vos , the son of Quinlan Vos and Human mother Khaleen Hentz . Mirialans . The Mirialans had a religious belief based on an ancient , primitive understanding of the Unifying Force , and believed that an individual ' s actions contributes to her or his destiny . Their actions encompass a long and specific list of tests of skill and character . The Mirialans tattooed themselves with geometric tattooson their faces and hands , sometimes on their arms , legs , feet and shoulders . The specific patterns told other Mirialans what tests an individual had undertaken successfully , and what general part she or he would take in the future of the Mirialans , as well as that individuals importance to the future of the universe . The shapes and locations of Mirialan tattoos denoted different actions in the life of the Mirialan , and upon death , the markings were used to determine the cultural worth of the individual and their contributions to furthering the culture as a whole . Each shape and line depicted the Mirialan ' s personal history , but few other species cared to decipher them . The Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan Barriss Offee wore unique tattoos to signify that the Force had singled them out for greater destinies . Luminara ' s tattoos included her lower lip , her chin and the knuckle joints on her hands . Her lower lip had a purplish - black color , and her chin was adorned with interlocking black diamond - shaped tattoos , while more intricate markings covered her knuckle joints . Later , she had her upper lip tattooed as well , and her chin - tattoo was enlarged with more diamonds . Barriss ' tattoos were not as detailed as her master ' s , but she knew that she would acquire more of them as she grew older . Her diamond - shaped tattoos ran across her cheeks , the bridge of her nose , and the backs of her hands . Her lips were the same dark color of the tattoos , but it is uncertain whether they were tattooed as well , or were just make - up . The male Mirialan pirate and mercenary Arwen Cohl was rushed from temple to temple with small diamond - shaped tattoos . The Mirialan smuggler Baasen Ray had tattoos on his chin and cheeks . He acquired a few more as he got older . Nightbrothers . The Nightbrothers were a tribal group of Dathomirian ( Zabrak - Human hybrids ) men subservient to the Nightsisters of Dathomir . Shortly after birth , a Nightbrother was subjected to an initiation ritual in which he was submerged in an oily bath , energized with spirit ichor conjured by the Nightsisters ' use of magic ks , and covered with tattoos on their chests and faces . Sometimes , the tattoos were applied to the Nightbrother ' s entire body - this was the case with the Sith Lord Darth Maul . The Nightbrothers ' tattoos marked them as the Nightsisters ' kin and warriors , and also showed which Nightbrother clan they belonged to . Maul was a member of the Nightbrothers before being taken by Darth Sidious to be trained as his apprentice . Maul ' s tattoos , thought to be linked to the Sith , actually came from the warrior culture of the Nightbrothers . His entire body had been garishly and ceremonially tattooed in red and black pigments by his mother when he was less than a standard year of age ( before he was taken by Sidious ) , symbols which showed his Nightbrother heritage . Later stripped of his black Nightbrother markings , Maul was left solely red - skinned . Agonizing Sith Tatoos were applied personally by Darth Sidious in an attempt to cleanse Maul ' s mind . Savage Opress also wore tattoos . Nightsisters . The Nightsisters of Dathomir had a tradition of facial tattooing . The markings announced to the galaxy what they were . One example was a group of Nightsisters lead by matriarch Zalem . The coven had pale skin with black tattoos . The Nightsister Robetheri wore reddish - brown tattoos on her bald head and face , which drastically altered her appearance . Sometimes , the markings on a Nightsister ' s face were not tattoos , but bruises . According a text written by Mother Talzin , channeling the magic of the Fanged God could burst minor blood vessels , raising telltale bruises on the cheeks and around the eyes . Talzin ' s herself had such permanent bruises on her face as a result of the use of dark side powers . Pantorans . The blue - skinned Pantorans wore yellow tattoos on their faces . Rattataki . The Rattataki were distinguished by their chalk - white skin , and facial tattoos . Scipioans . Tattoos were mark of status on the planet Scipio . Rush Clovis , a Banking Clan member from Scipio , wore yellow tattoos on his forehead . Sharu . After the Mindharp of Sharu was activated , the life - energies of the Sharu were awakened from their computerized slumber , and the Toka , the species ' temporary , primitive form , were restored to the Sharu . Many of the new Sharu had tattoos on their foreheads of the Mindharp or other Sharu symbols . Sleheyroni . The wealthy Hutts of Sleheyron , a Hutt trade world , wore unique headdresses , jewelry and golden tattoos . Ziro the Hutt got his tattoos during his younger days as a crime lord and smuggling boss on the planet . His tattoos were inked by a Sleheyroni artist . He also had the symbol of his Black Sun faction tattooed on his belly . Sullustans . Each Sullustan ' s cranial markings and dew flaps were as unique to that individual as a retinal marker or fingerprints . Some Sullustans took this uniqueness a step further by adding ritual tattoos , reinforcing their individualism . One example of a tattooed Sullustan was a Sullustan member of the Black Hole Gang during the Clone Wars . In 0 BBY , Han Solo met a Sullustan in a cantina on Kiamurr , who had ornate tattoos on his dewflaps and ears . Tarasin . The Tarasin had a tattoo design unique to their species : A kir ' ala tree with its long , weeping branches . Color - changing inks were reserved for marks of true honor . Tusken Raiders . Tusken Raiders wore ritual tattoos on their bodies . A ' Sharad Hett , a Human raised among Tuskens , wore the tattoos of his people on his face and shoulders . The black markings were a way of identifing himself as not being human under his Tusken trappings . Yuuzhan Vong . Among the Yuuzhan Vong , tattooing was part of a religious ritual of reshaping and disfiguration . Most Yuuzhan Vong bore severe disfigurements , scars and tattoos to more closely resemble their gods , which they fanatically worshiped . Wroonians . The Near - Human , blue - skinned Wroonian s often wore ornate markings on their faces , but it is unclear how often these facial decorations were tattoos , instead of make - up or paint . The Wroonian woman Azoora had her forehead decorated with a yellow mark that matched her lips . Chi Eekway Papanoida , the Pantoran senator of the Wroonian homeworld , whose skin color matched the Wroonians , wore black markings on her forehead , nose and chin . The planet Saleucami was home to several offworld cultures , including Wroonians . Among the Wroonian colonists , ornate facial markings appeared to be common . At least two colors , red and black , existed . Zabrak . The Zabrak wore facial tattoos made up of thin lines that they received during their rite of passage , which takes place after their horns begin to grow at puberty . These facial marks could be symbolic of many things , like family lineage or where they came from , or could be a personal design of their own . A Zabrak ' s ritual tattoos were unique to each Zabrak , and could represent any number of things in their life or culture . The Sith Lord Darth Maul had his skin covered in black tattoos from his Nightbrothers tribe . It was unusual for a Zabrak to have no facial tattoos ; notable examples were Jedi Master Agen Kolar , Pol Haus , prefect in the Imperial Sector Police and the Jedi Padawan Maris Brood . Notable organizations . Black Sun . Some members of the crime syndicate Black Sun carried the symbol of the organization as a permanent tattoo on their body . During the Clone Wars , a trio of Black Sun mercenaries crossed paths with Nuru Kungurama and Breakout Squad . At least one of the mercenaries had a Black Sun tattoo on his forearm , though he covered it up with synthskin . Vigo Ziro the Hutt had the symbol of his Black Sun faction tattooed on his belly . During the Galactic Civil War , a group of Black Sun operatives attacked Imperial Governor Lexhannen Torlock ' s palace on Corulag . The group was posing as members of the Rebel Alliance , but their Black Sun tattoos gave them away . In 137 ABY , several Black Sun members sought to extort protection money from " Bantha " Rawk . After the skirmish , a Black Sun tattoo could be seen on the shoulder a dead Quarren . The Crucible . The Crucible was a slaving ring , whose minders wore tattoos known as Flames of the Crucible . Some members , such as Chantique and Jarael , were known to bear the Flames of the Crucible on their arms and faces . Jarael had never explained her body art , but in the end , her past caught up with her when she ran into a slave called Goethar Kleej on Pantolomin . Goethar had never met her before , but recognized the markings printed on her face . However , the tattoos on Jarael ' s face spelled out her name , which in the ancient tongue of the Crucible meant " protector " , and had been given to her by the slaves she had tried to help as well as she could . Duality . The Duality was a popular and benign Tarrack cult founded on the twin principles of joy and service . Followers could be identified by the tattoos on their foreheads and cheeks . Force Hounds . Force Hound s were Force - sensitive servants of the Rakata n Infinite Empire . They wore a tattoo of their Aurebesh letter name on their face and body . The Near - Human Trill had a red tattoo on her face representing the letter Trill . Human Force Hound Xesh had blue tattoos on his face , back and arms , representing the letter Xesh . Isk had azure tattoos on his face and arm representing the letter Isk . K ' thri . The followers of the K ' thri martial arts had their mark tattooed on their skin . Matukai . The Matukai were an ancient sect of Force - users spread throughout the galaxy . When a member completed her or his training , that person tattooed themselves with a symbol that covered parts of their forehead and the sides of the face at the eyes . After the fall of the Galactic Empire , many Matukai joined the New Jedi Order , but they still preferred to distinguish themselves with a facial tattoo . Rav ' s Pirates . The pirate Rav and his crew wore tattoos of the Rav ' s insignia called the Bloody Bones , composed of two crossed red bones . His symbol was feared throughout the galaxy . After joining Rav ' s crew , Cade Skywalker was marked with Rav ' s insignia on his arm , but added a skull to his tattoo , thus making the symbol his own . He would later add a similar , black tattoo on the other arm . Many members of Rav ' s crew wore other red tattoos in addition to Rav ' s symbol . For example , Cade ' s friend and fellow pirate Jariah Syn had red markings tattooed on his right forearm , wrist and hand . Cade had a similar tattoo on his left forearm , reminiscent of a red anchor , as well as a red skull tattooed on his left leg . Red Hand . Several members of the Coruscant criminal organization Red Hand had their organization ' s symbol tattooed on their skin . At least two different color designs , red and purple , were used . Sisterhood of the Beatific Countenance . The Sisterhood of the Beatific Countenance were a religious group of Lorrdian mercenaries . When traveling outside their temple , they wore full length robes and masks to hide the lines of scripture tattooed on their bodies . Sith Order . Several members of the Sith Order adorned themselves with black tattoos of various patterns and designs . Sith Empire . XoXaan , one of the first Sith Lords , had her face tattooed with black markings . The Dark Lords of the Sith of the old Sith Empire wore tattoos of rank on their foreheads . The burning venom of a kind of pincerbug was used to burn the mark into the Dark Lords skin . Centuries later , the Sith Lord Naga Sadow would bear the same mark . 1000 year after the fall of the Sith Empire , the spirit of the Dark Lord Marka Ragnos named Exar Kun the newest Dark Lord , and made Ulic Qel - Droma Kun ' s apprentice . Marked with Sith tattoos on their foreheads by Ragnos ' hand , the newest members of the Sith joined forces . When Ulic returned to the light side , his tattoo was carved away , leaving an x - shaped scar . The members of the Lost Tribe of Sith on Kesh did not wear tattoos . Seelah Korsin instilled in the tribe ' s younglings a " respect for their bodies " and a " lust for physical perfection " . In her eyes , tattoos were labels for slaves . This tradition was still alive 5000 years later : While the Lost Tribe enjoyed painting their bodies with decorative markings , they would never defile themselves with permanent ink . Sith Empire ( Jedi Civil War ) . During the Jedi Civil War a few decades later , the fallen Jedi Knight Darth Revan founded a new Sith Empire and declared himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith . Several members of Revan ' s new Sith order sported tattoos . Uthar Wynn , the head of the Sith Academy on Korriban , and his apprentice Yuthura Ban had parts of their heads and necks adorned with a detailed pattern of tattoos . Revan ' s follower Jorak Uln had his bald heads tattooed with a striped design . . However , Revan ' s apprentice , Darth Malak , got his tattoos , blue stripes which adorned his head , before he became a Sith . Sith Empire ( Post – Great Hyperspace War ) . Many Sith of the reconstituted Sith Empire had facial tattoos that represented their devotion to the Sith . Xat Hracken was the Sith Combat Master at the Sith academy on Odacer - Faustin in year 3645 BBY . His upper body was hardened by scar tissue and strange tattoos . New Sith Empire . In year 1750 BBY , the powerful Sith leader known only as the Dark Underlord consolidated a large Sith group known as the Black Knights . One of these knights was a Zeltron commander , whose red skin was decorated with black tattoos on the left side of his face and bald head . New Sith Wars / Brotherhood of Darkness . 750 years later , by the time of the battle of Ruusan , two and a half thousand years after Revan ' s time , the tattoos of the Sith had evolved into circles , wavy lines , straight lines , squares , spots , swirls , triangles etc . One example was the Sith Lord Githany , who bore a wavy , circular black tattoo on her forehead . Several Sith of this era had their eyelids and skin around their eyes tattooed . The Sith Lord Darth Bane , the man who eventually reinvented the Sith order after its destruction and established the Rule of Two had black markings around his eyes , though is is unknown whether these were painted on or permanent tattoos . Apparently , most of the Sith of this era wore tattoos on their head and / or face , though some had other parts of their body decorated . Among them was the Sith Lord Kas ' im , who wore his tattoos on his chest , and an unnamed tattooed Sith Lord who was tattooed on his head , face , neck and arms . Finn , a Sith Master who operated as a terrorist during the final years of the New Sith Wars , had two black tattoos under each eye . Order of the Sith Lords . Darth Bane ' s apprentice , Darth Zannah , eventually acquired facial markings similar to those of her master ; again , is is not known whether these were permanent tattoos or simply painted . Zannah ' s apprentice , Darth Cognus , already wore tattoos before she became a Sith - her chin was tattooed with four sharp , thin lines , extending like fangs from her lower lip . Darth Tenebrous , the master of Darth Plagueis , had esoteric body markings and tattoos on his body . Darth Sidious selected Darth Maul as his apprentice . Unbeknownst to many , Maul had been a member of the Dathomiri Nightbrothers before being taken away by Sidious , and Maul ' s full - body tattoos , thought to be linked to the Sith , initially came from the warrior culture of the Nightbrothers . Maul ' s entire body had been garishly and ceremonially tattooed in red and black pigments before he was taken by Sidious , when Maul was less than a standard year of age . Later stripped of his black Nightbrother markings , Maul was left solely red - skinned . Agonizing Sith Tatoos were applied personally by Darth Sidious in an attempt to cleanse Maul ' s mind . Sidious later wrote in the " Dark Side Compendium " that he himself applied Maul ' s tattoos . The symbols on Maul ' s body showed both his Nightbrothers heritage , as well as his complete dedication to the dark side . Maul ' s brother , Savage Opress , was also tattoed in the same fashion as Maul , but his tattoos were brown . The Dark Jedi Jerec , of the same era , bore Sith tattoos on his mouth and chin , even though he was never named a Sith Lord . One Sith . During the Second Galactic Civil War , decades after the birth of the New Republic , the Sith continued to survive on the planet Korriban . One of them was Dician , whose pale geometric - patterned tattoos on her cheeks stood out from normal black Sith tattoos . Her tattoos stood out in sharp relief on her dark skin . Vestara Khai , a Sith apprentices of the Lost Tribe of Sith on Kesh , wore what appeared to be a black tattoo that went from between her eyes to the left side of her forehead . However , this was actually eye swirls that she carefully painted on every morning to draw attention away from a scar at the corner of her mouth . Many members of Darth Krayt ' s One Sith wore red and black Sith tattoos all over their body . Darth Krayt himself was tattooed long before he became a Sith . As a Human raised among Tusken Raiders , he marked his face with black tattoos so that he , under his Tusken trappings , would not have to be human . His markings were ritual Tusken tattoos . He also wore tattoos on his shoulders . One of Krayt ' s two Hands was the Twi ' lek Sith Lord Darth Talon , whose tattoos were scribed by Krayt and earned in ritual combat . Skull Squadron . Gunn Yage , leader of Skull Squadron , and squadron members Brodie Coburn and Tev Rimon , had their squadron symbol tattooed on their shoulder . Sluissi Padawans . Jedi Padawans of the Galactic Republic wore a braid behind the ear as a sign of their status ; that is , those of them who had hair or fur . Padawans without hair would show their rank in other ways , and Sluissi Padawans could choose to bisect their left cheek with a facial tattoo . Vurrha ' s Blood . Vurrha ' s Blood was a criminal group lead by the Quarren Vurrha Chur . Their name derived from both the initiation ceremony where Vurrha would cut himself and smear his blood across the face of the new member , and the tattoos they wore - a red circle with a black teardrop inside . Zealots of Psusan . The Zealots of Psusan , female members of the cult Disciples of Psusan , could be recognized by a spiritual tattoo of a black starburst on the abdomen , surrounding the navel . At least two designs existed : Nyrat Agira and Khaleen Hentz wore a mark which was slightly more detailed than the design worn by Rosha Vess . Khaleen Hentz was adorned with other tattoos as well : Two triangles formed a diamond under her left eye , and a flower made up of black diamonds , dots and lines was tattooed on the left side of her back . The Farghul bounty hunter Breela had a belly tattoo very similar to the Zealots of Psusan , marking her as a possible member . Behind the scenes . One of the proposed designs for Anakin Skywalker for had him sporting a and a black tattoo on his right arm and shoulder , but George Lucas thought it was too much . The " " states that tattoos are part of the Togruta culture , and describes the white facial markings of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano as tattoos . This has been contradicted in other sources ; the " Ultimate Alien Anthology " , " " , " The New Essential Guide to Alien Species " and " " all establish that the facial markings of the Togruta are in fact natural pigments . Even so , during the production of " " , Ahsoka ' s facial markings were designed as tattoos , according to " " . A conclusive answer has yet to be revealed . In " " , a black tattoo erroneously appears on Fionah Ti ' s shoulder in one panel . For the rest of the storyarc , the tattoo is missing . Appearances . While people wearing tattoos appear in many Star Wars works , the following is only a list of media in which tattoos are specifically mentioned : Sources . Note : Pictures of tattoos are generally only listed if the character or species can only be found in sources , and not in any appearances .