Lasat

"Are all Lasat this touchy?''" "''I don't know because I've never seen another Lasat. It turns out not many people have."

- Ezra Bridger and Hera Syndulla, on Garazeb Orrelios

Lasats were a humanoid sentient species native to the Outer Rim world of Lasan, though the species originated from the Wild Space planet Lira San. They were thought to have been driven to the brink of extinction when Lasan was devastated by the Galactic Empire, but there were actually millions living on their true, isolated homeworld.

Biology and appearance
"You some kind of hairless Wookiee?"

- Ezra Bridger, to Garazeb Orrelios

A humanoid sentient species, Lasats were notable for their impressive height, strength, and agility, with their muscular digitigrade legs enabling them to run faster, jump higher and farther, and move more quietly than humans. Their large finger pads and prehensile toes assisted them in climbing. In addition, their large eyes and ears afforded them superior sight and hearing over humans. They had the strength to open a powered-down blast door. A height of two meters tall was considered below-average for a Lasat.

The fur patterns of a Lasat varied from individual to individual, and could change suddenly as they aged. Some humans considered a Lasat's strong odor unbearably offensive.

Society and culture
"Only the Honor Guard of Lasan may carry a bo-rifle!"

- Garazeb Orrelios, on bo-rifles

Within the species, those with fighting skills were highly respected, often being members of the Lasan High Honor Guard, a group of highly trained, highly intelligent warriors sworn to protect their homeworld of Lasan. Bo-rifles were a long-standing tradition in Lasat culture, used exclusively by the Honor Guard of Lasan. The warrior way of the Lasat was the Boosahn Keeraw. When a Lasat was bested by a superior opponent in combat, they would give them their weapon.

Facial hair was an important status symbol in Lasat culture. Those with green eyes and prominent purple stripes were considered to be attractive by others of their species. Juvenile Lasat were noted to climb tree branches. The species spoke Lasat, a language whose r's were difficult to replicate by most other species.

On Lasan, time was measured by counting how many of their homeworld's dust seasons they had survived through. The Lasat believed in the Ashla, a "spirit of the galaxy" and a personification of the Force. Using a Bo-rifle, a Lasat was able to channel the Force to see past and future events.

History
"Do you know what a T-7 disruptor is, what it does to an organic being?''" "Uh, no..." "''Well, Zeb knows. Because it's what the Imperials used on his people when they cleared his homeworld. Very few Lasats survived. And none remain on Lasan."

- Hera Syndulla tells Ezra Bridger about the Fall of Lasan

Lasats were native to the planet Lira San, beyond a collapsed star cluster in Wild Space. At an unknown point in time, a group of Lasats colonized the Outer Rim world of Lasan, and over the years their homeworld was reduced to myth. The Lasats did not take part in the Clone Wars, a galaxy-spanning conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. At the war's conclusion, the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire, and during its reign the Empire devastated Lasan, destroying the High Honor Guard, the royal family, and killing nearly all members of the species, despite the attempts of the Wookiees to prevent the massacres, often at the cost of their own lives. Since then, Lasats were rarely seen in the galaxy, and none remained on their homeworld. In their conquest of Lasan, T-7 ion disruptor rifles were used extensively by the Empire. This led to a strong hatred and distrust of such weapons by Lasats. Many of those who survived the fall were enslaved by the Empire.

Following this, Lasat culture fell into decline, with few remaining who could properly speak their native tongue, and the bo-rifle became, like the lightsaber of the Jedi Order, another symbol of a dying age.

Fifteen years after the birth of the Empire, three of the last remaining Lasats in the wider galaxy embarked on a quest to find the legendary Lira San with the help of the rebellion. They succeeded, using ancient Lasat technology in a Bo-rifle to shield the Ghost from being torn apart by the collapsed star cluster blocking their way, and with the help of Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus, guided them through the Force to the true homeworld. The Lasats in the wider galaxy regained contact with their original homeworld and Lira San became a safe haven for survivors of the Lasan genocide.

Lasats in the galaxy
"Honestly, Agent Kallus, I didn't think there were any Lasats left.''" "''A few, Minister. Only a few."

- Minister Maketh Tua and Agent Alexsandr Kallus

Following the fall of Lasan, very few Lasats were left in the galaxy, and of those who survived, most were enslaved by the Empire. A notable Lasat was Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Captain of the Lasan High Honor Guard. The destruction of his homeworld by the Empire motivated him to become a member of a rebel cell based on the planet Lothal and fight to end the Empire's tyranny. His grandmother was another of the few Lasat that survived the genocide.

Because of their scarcity and similarities in their size and strength, the ignorant sometimes mistook Lasats for Wookiees. While some Lasats felt indebted to the Wookiees for them helping fight the Empire during the fall, they despised such comparisons as they felt that it didn't do their own species justice.

Behind the scenes
"It's going to be exciting to develop him and his bizarre new species, and to explain to the audience where he came from, and the details, the personal nature of what happened with him."

- Executive Producer Dave Filoni, on Garazeb Orrelios and the Lasats

The appearance of the Lasat species is based on early concept drawings by Ralph McQuarrie for the character that became Chewbacca.

While the first canon appearance of the species was in Star Wars Rebels, it had previously appeared (also based on McQuarrie's concept art) in Tatooine Manhunt, a Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game adventure that is now designated as part of Star Wars Legends.

Non-canon appearances

 * Disney Infinity 3.0
 * Angry Birds Star Wars II
 * LEGO Star Wars Movie Short
 * LEGO Star Wars Movie Short
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
 * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
 * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes