The Star Wars universe is house to many different kinds of sentient species. From humans to Tusken Raiders, the movies, animated shows, and live-action adaptations have showcased some of these magnificent and exciting species. Among these interesting species are the Jawas, who have played a crucial role in the Star Wars saga. Making their first appearance in A New Hope, the scavengers once again appeared in The Mandalorian.
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Native to the planet of Tatooine, the Jawas are a highly cunning species who are known for raiding weary travelers and their planes for valuable parts. Having sold R2-D2 and C-3PO to Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, the scavengers once again appeared as a nuisance to Din Djarin in The Mandalorian where they raided his Razor Crest for parts and machinery. Traveling in humongous Sandcrawlers, the Jawas are always shown to covered in brown robes with just their glowing eyes visible. Like Din Djarin, the Jawas never reveal their true faces. Standing at barely a meter-tall, these greedy scavengers leave no stone unturned to collect every last bit of valuable artifact they lay their eyes on. Though their true appearance has never been revealed in any live-action adaptation, Star Wars Legends might have finally revealed what lies behind those long brown robes.
Formerly known as Star Wars Expanded Universe, Legends is sadly not considered to be a part of the canon. Nonetheless, Alan Dean Foster’s original novelization of A New Hope revealed bits and parts of these cunning scavengers. Having referred them to be extraordinarily ugly, the Jawas are claimed to be rodent-like in appearance and believed to have an extremely pungent smell. These devolved humanoids use yellow/orange gemstones to protect their eyes from the harsh suns on Tatooine, which explains their glowing eyes. It is also rumored that the Jawas are related to another dangerous species residing in Tatooine: the Tusken Raiders. It is believed that the Jawas and the Tusken Raiders share a common ancestor, known as the Kumumgah. Earlier an advanced species who mastered space travel and colonized nearby planets, the Kumumgah suffered a harsh fate when the lush planet of Tatooine was turned into an unforgiving planet, thus creating the Tusken Raiders and the Jawas.
The true appearance of the Jawas was further brought to light when legendary illustrator Ralph McQuarrie, who has earlier worked with Lucasfilms for the concept designs of Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO, revealed the face behind those brown robes. In his design, the Jawas resemble humans and wear a bowl-shaped helmet and round goggles.
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Recently, another reveal of the Jawas through Star Wars merchandise has left the fans horrified. In the removable toy, the appearance of the Jawas are quite similar to how Foster had imagined them in his novelization of A New Hope. A stuff of nightmare, the undressed toy revealed the Jawas to have black skin/fur without explaining much about their anatomy. Their grotesque appearance is probably the reason why any live-action movie/show does not want to demystify the mystery. And honestly, let’s hope they keep it that way.
