Tusken Raider

**Tusken Raiders**, less formally referred to as **Sand People** or simply as **Tuskens**, were a culture of nomadic, primitive sentients indigenous to Tatooine, where they were often hostile to local settlers. The term *Sand People* was given to them due to their existence in the desert, and was in use from at least around 4000 BBY; but the more formal name of *Tusken Raiders* was acquired much later, due to a period of concerted attacks on the settlement at Fort Tusken in 98-95 BBY. Although this name is often used as a common term for the race, it actually refers only to the participants of the attack on the settlement.

Specialists studying the past of the Tusken Raiders also used the term **Ghorfa** to denote an earlier sedentary phase of their culture, and lastly Kumumgah, which is what Tusken Raiders evolved from, as they were the earliest stratum of sentient civilization on the planet, believed by some to represent a common ancestry shared by the Ghorfa and the Jawas. In the culture of the Tuskens, to expose any part of the flesh was forbidden and seen as a disgrace.

## Characteristics

A'Sharad Hett stated, while on a mission to Aargonar with Anakin Skywalker, that Tusken Raiders were biologically incompatible with Humans. This implies that Tusken Raiders were a non-Human species.

Sand People were known to adopt settler orphans, such as K'Sheek, after raids on Human settlements and convoys, in a similar fashion to Mandalorians. Also, the Jedi Knight Sharad Hett won a place in their tribes through his great combat prowess. Beyond these isolated and uncommon incidents, there is no indication that Humans were present in any great number among the Tuskens.

The lack of detailed knowledge about Tusken Raiders can be accounted for in part by the hostility of the Tatooine climate, and in part by the hostility of the Tusken Raiders themselves. Scientific studies of the few corpses found were said to have been inconclusive, and knowledge of the Sand People—or what was thought to be known about them—was often based on uncertain and inferential evidence. However, A'Sharad Hett's claim that he learned of the Tusken-Human incompatibility, combined with his firsthand knowledge of the Tuskens, is compelling evidence that they were a different species.

It is thought that Tuskens and Jawas shared common ancestry in the Kumumgah, who were taken off world by the Infinite Empire to work as slaves on other planets. In fact, the Sand People were one of the slave races used in construction of the Star Forge by the Rakatans. Since the Kumumgah were considered a possible origin species for Humanity, it is possible that Tuskens and Humans shared ancestry; however, the connection was not close enough to allow inter-breeding, and their unmasked appearance was distinctive. Anakin Skywalker recognized immediately that the unmasked A'Sharad Hett was not genetically a Tusken Raider; this indicates that he was familiar with the appearance of Tuskens under their masks. Later, Skywalker had a nightmare in which a Tusken appeared partially unmasked; however, it is not known whether this appearance represented their true form or was simply a "boogeyman," derived from Anakin's imagination.

The Grave Tuskens, a group of warriors that had pledged allegiance to a Dark Jedi named Maw, flaunted their bare faces, which provided a little information about their species' traits. The Tusken Raiders had grayish skin tones, dark eyes, and a short, feline muzzle.

Along with Ewoks and Vulptereens, Tusken Raiders were among the species without the mental aptitude necessary to become Jedi.

## History

In 5 ABY, a tribe of Tusken Raiders attacked military forces from the Second Union who were fighting in a massive battle in the Dune Sea.

Prior to the Battle of Jakku, the Sheriff of Freetown, Cobb Vanth, struck a deal with local Tusken Raiders to protect his settlement from criminal elements. Like Vanth's community, the Tuskens despised criminals particularly slavers. When the Red Key Raiders under crime lord Lorgan Movellan captured Freetown, the Tusken tribe ambushed the criminals and liberated the town.

In 9 ABY, a tribe of Tusken Raiders captured bounty hunter Boba Fett. They also captured a Rodian. When Fett attempted to escape, he was defeated by one of the raiders, though he began to earn their respect upon defeating a sand beast. A warrior instructed Fett how to fight with a Gaderffii stick, and Fett taught members of the tribe how to use speeder bikes. Eventually, after leading the tribe into a victory against an interloping Pyke Syndicate repulsortrain that had attacked the tribe on multiple occasions, Fett was inducted into the tribe. The Tuskens used a gekko that crawled inside Fett's body, giving him a vision and making him walk in the desert, until he came across a Wortwood tree, from which he broke a branch to forge his own gaderffii stick in a Gaderffii stick workshop. However, the tribe was massacred some time later, by the Pyke Syndicate, who painted the symbol of a speeder bike gang known as the Kintan Striders to put the blame on them.

That same year, the Mandalorian Din Djarin reluctantly teamed up with rookie bounty hunter, Toro Calican. The two set out on speeder bikes across the Dune Sea to capture the Master Assassin Fennec Shand. On their way to the target, they encountered some Tusken Raiders. The Mandalorian negotiated through Tusken Sign Language to allow them safe passage through their land. The Tuskens allowed this, in exchange for the rookie bounty hunter's binoculars, which Djarin willingly gave to them in spite of Calican's objection.

Some time after, a group of Tuskens allied themselves with Djarin and Cobb Vanth to team up and take down a massive krayt dragon living nearby. Having studied the dragon's digestive cycle for generations, the Tusken Raiders attempted make the dragon sleep longer by feeding a bantha to it, but the animal devoured a Tusken instead. Being out of ideas how to handle the dragon, the group joined forces with the people of Freetown, now once again known as Mos Pelgo. In exchange for their collaboration, the Tuskens promised to not attack Mos Pelgo again unless one of the villagers broke the peace. The Tuskens were also promised the corpse and ichor from the dragon. To take down the beast, Vanth and his men contributed explosives and worked alongside the Tuskens, who set up ballistas. Despite several Tuskens being eaten by the dragon, the group succeeded in killing the beast when Djarin sprung their explosives. The Tuskens then butchered the carcass, with one member finding a pearl inside, which greatly excited the tribe.