Tattoo/Legends

"Please tell me that all that stuff will wash out of your hair" "It will. But the tattoos are permanent." "Tattoos?"

- Myri Antilles startling her father

A tattoo was a permanent insertion of ink or other pigments below the skin using a sharp instrument. A number of beings had tattoos, normally for cosmetic reasons or as part of their culture or an organization.

Tattooing also served a cruel purpose as a common identification or branding of slaves. One example of this evil tradition 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.

Mirialans
The Mirialans and the Kiffar stood out from other Humans and Near-Humans by their tattoos. The Mirialans had a religious belief based on a 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 patterns on 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 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. A diamond-shaped pattern ran across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, and a diamond-shaped tattoo consisting of four smaller diamonds were emblazoned on 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 nails of both master and Padawan matched their tattoos.

The male Mirialan pirate and mercenary Arwen Cohl was rashed from temple to temple with small diamond-shaped tattoos.



Kiffar
The Kiffar, meanwhile, 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 signified their family heritage from their mothers. Various patterns, designs and colors identify an individual's clan. Known colors are yellow, like the Jedi Master Quinlan Vos, green, like Asanté Vos , purple, like Horsea , black, like Sintas and Ailyn Vel , and red, like Vanlin.

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. The markings on the newborn Korto were painted on his skin. This could mean that a child's markings were just paint and weren't tattooed on their skin before they were older, which is plausible, given the painful nature of having a needle under one's skin.



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 Carvers 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 clans 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.



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 forehead with hieroglyphic tattoos which indicated rank and caste.



Humans of Aquella
The Humans of the planet Aquella had purplish-green skin, which made them look like a race of Near-Humans. In reality, their strange skin color was a combination of permanent dye and micro-tattooing applied to young people during rite of passage ceremonies.

Nightsisters
Several members of the clan of the Dathomiri Nightsisters adorned their faces and other body-parts with tattoos of various designs. Some Nightsisters were emblazoned with tattoos which drastically altered their appearance; notable examples are Mighella, Zalem , Silri and Robetheri. Others, like Ros Lai and Vonya, wore tattoos of a simpler design.

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.



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 Wroonians often wore ornate markings on their faces. It is unclear how often these facial decorations were tattoos, instead of make-up or paint. The Wroonian Baron Papanoida wore yellow markings on his forehead and cheekbones, as well as a black line under his nose, that went down to his lips and continued from under his mouth, where it went down to the point of his chin. The Wroonian woman Azoora had her forehead decorated with a yellow mark that matched her lips. Chi Eekway, the Twi'lek 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. The Sith Lord Darth Maul had his skin covered in black Sith tattoos.

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.

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, but added a skull to his tattoo, thus making the symbol his own. His friend and fellow pirate Jariah Syn also had markings of the same color as the Bloody Bones, 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.



Sith Order
Several members of the Sith Order adorned themselves with black tattoos of various patterns and designs. 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.

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 followers Darth Malak and Jorak Uln had their bald heads tattooed with a striped design.

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. One prominent example was the Sith Lord Darth Bane, the man who reinvented the Sith order after its destruction and established the Rule of Two. 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. One of them was the Sith Lord Kas'im, who wore his tattoos on his chest.

Darth Maul, a Sith Lord of the Rise of the Empire era, covered his entire body with jagged patterns of Sith tattoos. 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. During the Confederation-Galactic Alliance 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.

All, or most of, the members of Darth Krayt's new Sith Order adorned themselves with tattoos on various areas of their bodies. 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.

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.

Notable people with individual tattoos

 * The Dark Jedi Tavion Axmis wore patterns of purple tattoos on her arms and forehead, as well as under her eyes and on the bridge of her nose.


 * Basso, a member of the Rebel Alliance, had his head tattooed with a black band that went over his forehead and around his head.


 * Cavis Bault, a follower of the religious organization H'kig, had every inch of his arms decorated with elaborate tattoos disappearing into his plain habit.


 * The young rancor Bender was tattooed with his name in both Basic and Huttese upon his left shoulder.


 * Trunks Bibo, the Ortolan leader of the Lost Ones street gang, adorned his blue fur with geometric tattoos of red, green and purple.


 * The minor Crime Lord Ray Carantar had a twisting and curving tattoo on the right side of his bald head.


 * The Mandalorian Baltan Carid had a dark blue tattoo of a vine which emerged from the top of his armor and ended under his chin.


 * The smuggler and Rebel Alliance member Nera Dantels was distinguished by her black talon-shaped tattooed under her eyes. The tattoos were later enlarged, with bigger talons that and also covered her eyes, and the color was changed to dark blue.


 * Peace Brigade leader Reck Desh, also a smuggler, was recognizable by his full sleeve of tattoos.


 * The Sith Lord Count Dooku's aide, the Twi'lek Sha'ala Doneeta, had Sith-like tattoos on her lekku.


 * The Emperor's Hand Jeng Droga had a jagged black line tattooed on his hairless scull.


 * The Zeuolin Eeusu Estornii, a Senator in the Galactic Senate, wore a x-shaped tattoo of two brown lines that went over and below each eye and meeting on the bridge of her nose.


 * Ushka Et, the Devaronian lead singer of the band Distraction, stood out from other tattooed people by a peculiar design: Half her face was tattooed to look like she'd been in a horribly disfiguring accident – that is, from a distance. Up close, she was very attractive. She had done this for the sake of attention, and was very self-conscious about her actions. She wasn't ashamed of the original body art, but preferred that people didn't stare at her tattoos unless she was performing. When she talked to people, she therefore tended to turn the tattooed half of her face away from the person.


 * The near-Human Jedi-Master Fay had black lines tattooed on her left cheek and forehead.


 * The bounty hunter and former Mandalorian Jango Fett had strangely tattooed arms.


 * Anja Gallandro had a piranha beetle with a lightning bolt on its back tattooed on her right arm.


 * The tramp freighter captain Dana "Deke" Galvason had strange tribal-looking tattoos under her eyes and across the bridge of her nose.


 * Malindin Gevarak was a small-type counterfeiter recognizable by the tattoos on his face and neck.


 * Gauer, a man employed by the Galactic Empire, had a tattoo consisting of a brown line that ran over his hairless skull to the top of his nose, where the line split in two and formed another line over the bridge of his nose. His eyelids and the skin around his eyes was tattooed black, and both eye tattoos were connected by a black stripe underneath the brown one over the bridge over his nose.


 * The Twi'lek starship thief Tardon Golor had intricate tattoos on his scalp and lekku.


 * The Hutt criminal Grappa wore a tattoo of a skull on his forehead.


 * The Hutt crime lord Groola had a purple talon-shaped tattoo over each eye, as well as two bands of purple tattoos that went from his chin and down his chest and belly.


 * Yet another tattooed Hutt was the gangster Jabba Desilijic Tiure, who had the symbol of his clan tattooed on his right arm. This tattoo was made of yoro root pigment. Big Gizz, the leader of Jabba's swoop gang, wore a tattoo identical to Jabba's, on the same arm.


 * The Arkanian offshoot Jarael was emblazoned with blue tattoos above and below her eyes, as well as on her arms. The tattoos matched her lips and nails.


 * The Besalisk cook and diner proprietor Dexter "Dex" Jettster had a black tattoo reminiscent of an anchor on his uppermost right arm.


 * The famous podracer Kerd K'Kerren had every inch of his hands, face and neck covered in intricate tattoos of green and gold. The left side of his had was shaved and tattooed with swirls and checks.


 * Blue Squadron pilot Dorset Konnair had a blue starflare tattoo covering her right eye. Her skin was also decorated with other symbols, most of which were hidden underneath her clothes.


 * Lungru Nokko Vimmas, a Hutt who owned a household of Cerean retainers, had a diamond-shaped tattoo in the center of his forehead.


 * New Republic lieutenant Massimo had wavy blue lines tattooed on his back.


 * The criminal Achk Med-Beq had a spiderweb of tattooed dark lines that curved and twisted outward from his left eye.


 * The near-human handmaiden of Malta the Hutt, Jozzel Moffet, had her eyes covered with dark red tattoos that matched her lips and nails.


 * Black Sun member Asa Naga had three thin, blue, vertical rectangles with black outlines tattooed in the center of his forehead. This design was enhanced with white color tattooed over his nose and parts of his forehead, in contrast with his blue skin.


 * Yet another tattooed Mandalorian was Canderous Ordo, who was emblazoned with a tattoo of the Mandalorian symbol on one of his shoulders.


 * While posing as a pirate captain, the Twi'lek Dia Passik had her lekku decorated with temporary tattoos of an intricate pattern of black cuneiform marks. The body art told the misdeeds stories of her fictitious character.


 * Lady Por'Ten, head of one of the Cestus Cybernetics Families, was adorned with elaborate tattoos on her lips.


 * Thrynka Padaunete, leader of the People's Inquest, had a dark grey tattoo on her chest. Her face was decorated with red and white markings, which might have been tattoos as well, or just simply make-up.


 * The Emperor's Hand Sarcev Quest had a pointed red tattoo on his hairless scalp.


 * Sa'arli was a Tarasin aide to Senator Lavina Wren of Cularin. She wore a tattoo of a snakelike lizard whose tail ran from her jawline to up around her ear-slit.


 * After the female Twi'lek Sienn'rha was abducted and enslaved by Bib Fortuna, her lekku was tattooed with delicate floral chains. A Twi'lek's lekku was full of nerves, which made the skin extremely sensitive, and tattooing excruciatingly painful.


 * The zealous Xalto Sneerzick had the back of his hand decorated with a tattoo of the symbol of his cause: A purple cog being struck by a lightning bolt, which signified his devotion to freeing all droids throughout the Galaxy.


 * The Emperor's Hand and TIE pilot Maarek Stele had the tattoo of the Emperor's Reach on his left forearm, which signified his involvement with the Emperor's Secret Order.


 * The feared Firrerreo pirate lord Tantos had his arms covered with three-dimensional tattoos of strange beasts.


 * Diversity Alliance leader Nolaa Tarkona had her single lekku – the other one was missing – tattooed, and stoically endured the prolonged agony. Everyone who saw the Twi'lek woman's tattoos admired her endurance, which added to her power.


 * Rebel Alliance member Wyl Tarson adorned his skin with a single, big golden tattoo which covered parts of his neck, chest, back, left arm and stomach.


 * The Nagai Lusubrin T'shkali, also known as Brin, had a violet royal crest tattooed around his left eye, and silver sigils tattooed on his neck. He refused to discuss the significance of either set of markings.


 * Grand Moff Morlish Veed of the New Galactic Empire had a black tattoo of the Aurebesh letters wesk over herf, on his right arm.


 * The Rattataki Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress was distinguished by the black tattoos on her chalk-white skin. Six knife-shaped tattoos were arrayed on each side of her bald head, like daggers pointing at her ears, one for each of the twelve warlords she had killed after swearing their deaths.


 * Vreel, a recruit of the Imperial Army, was distinguished by the intricate tattoos on the side of his scalp.


 * Zabin, the Kubaz Queen of the Zabin Hive, had her face decorated with graceful blue lines.


 * The pirate Dorok Zalaster had his bald head covered with tattoos of swirling designs.


 * After Myri Antilles startled her father by telling him about her new tattoos, she laughed. It is unclear whether she was telling the truth or only joking.

Tattoos mentioned
Below are appearances of tattoos in mention, excluding all appearances of those individuals that wore them.
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 16: Nights of Anger, Part 1
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Marked
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Episode I Adventures 5: The Ghostling Children
 * The Approaching Storm
 * The Cestus Deception
 * MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
 * MedStar II: Jedi Healer
 * Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire
 * Star Wars Missions 6: The Search for Grubba the Hutt
 * Tales from Jabba's Palace
 * X-wing: Iron Fist
 * Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance
 * Young Jedi Knights: Return to Ord Mantell
 * Vector Prime
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Balance Point
 * Star By Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Bloodlines
 * Exile
 * Sacrifice
 * Fury