Jawa

"Utinni!"

- A commonly used Jawa cry

Jawas were meter-tall natives of Tatooine. What they hid under their heavy robes was subject to much speculation, with some rumors claiming that they were in fact giant rodents. They were passionate scavengers, seeking out technology for sale or trade in the deep deserts in their huge sandcrawler transports. A band of Jawas was responsible for locating C-3PO and R2-D2 and selling them to Luke Skywalker's uncle, Owen Lars.

They had a reputation for swindling, as they had a penchant for selling old equipment such as outdated faulty droids to moisture farmers. Other Jawas worked for Jabba the Hutt.

Behind the scenes
In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan is offered a cup of "Jawa Juice" at a Coruscant diner.

No canonical source has revealed what a Jawa looks like under the hood. In behind-the-scenes shots from Return of the Jedi, 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 canonical appearance. The original Star Wars novelization implies a possible familial relationship between Jawas and Tusken Raiders. 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 Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible, 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 Neil Young called "Roadeyes" began accompanying the rocker on stage during a concert tour, in a tour film, and on the cover of the album Rust Never Sleeps. The case was settled out of court.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Defense
 * Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * A New Hope Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight
 * Star Wars 1: Skywalker Strikes, Part I
 * Star Wars 2: Skywalker Strikes, Part II
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars: Commander
 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars 2: Skywalker Strikes, Part II
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars: Commander
 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi