Dowutin

Last Updated: 2/5/2024

Name: Dowutin

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Saurian/Giant/Alternative

Homeworld: Dowut

Coloration: Brown, Orange, Red, Yellow, or Green

Biology: The Dowutins were hulking creatures that evolved from some sort of omnivorous herd animals long ago on the icy planet Dowut. Being bipedal with two arms and two legs, in their present state they generally stood between 2 and 3 meters tall on average, although it was possible for them to grow much larger. The species had thick hides inherited from their predecessors which allowed them to resist extreme temperatures with ease, their semi-scaly exterior ranging from green to yellow to red in coloration, although they were usually observed as being orange or orange-brown. The sclera of their eyes could be black, white, or yellow, with generally beady pupils, and their exposed bones such as claws and horns were usually black or white.

Being a hairless species, Dowutin heads were rounded and wrinkled. They had slightly pointed craniums, as well as pronounced and often furrowed brows. Their aforementioned eyes were small, often tucked away so deep within their face that they were only visible upon close inspection. The species possessed upturned noses with exposed nostrils, and incredibly wide mouths that housed a massive set of teeth, including prominent fangs. Their tiny ears were tucked away on the far back-sides of their heads, commonly not even visible when looking at the species head on. And one of their most noticeable traits were their pair of chin horns extending down from the bottom of their faces, often curving outwards although the specific configuration seemed unique from Dowutin-to-Dowutin.

The species was incredibly muscular, with broad features and impeccable strength, easily able to lift things well over twice their own weight. Their wide limbs gave way to massive massive claws, sporting and saurian-like feet with four toes each, as well as large, four-fingered hands. They technically possessed no growth cap, and as such, you could tell the general age of a Dowutin by their overall size, with the oldest living ones physically shaking the ground when they walked. Their lifespan was said to be over 500 years, although many believed the species to be technically immortal, their causes of death supposedly always being unnatural.

Dowutins had generally poor eyesight, but made up for it with advanced hearing and a heightened sense of smell, making them fairly capable natural predators. They had the vocal ability to speak Galactic Basic, but often chose to speak their own, much “cruder” language, Dowuta. Male and female Dowutins appear almost completely identical, with no evident sexual dimorphism or unique gendered traits. The species also appeared to have a heightened midi-chlorian count, with many members of the species ending up becoming deemed as Force Sensitive

Lore: Despite their continual appearances, not a whole lot is known about Dowutin society overall. We do know that the concepts of “age” and “stature” mean much to the species, often dictating their hierarchies and levels of respect. Their home planet of Dowut was an icy wasteland, although the species generally did not need to construct insulated shelters, since their thick hides kept them perpetually warm. They also usually did not dwell in groups, living only as individual family units or all by themselves. In fact, as soon as a young Dowutin was old enough to fend for itself, it was abandoned by it’s parents in the middle of the wilderness. They were forced to learn extreme survival skills, and those who survived for long periods of time were allowed back into their greater social landscape, embodying the “survival of the fittest” mindset.

Dowutins had immense pride in themselves and their collective species, viewing most other sentient species as below them. Of course, they were the ideal candidates for body guards and mercenaries given their strength, size, and durability, however, because of their aforementioned pride, many chose not to work for those they deemed as lesser individuals/species/factions, with most of them instead remaining on Dowut for their entire lives. The relative few who did venture out into the rest of the galaxy usually only chose to work for the best and most powerful, although the species actually had a reputation for almost always being on the wrong side of history, their pride-fueled lust for power usually leading them straight to their doom.

Millennia before the fall of the Jedi Order, even long before the “Rule of Two,” an entire group of Dark Side-wielding Dowutins known as the “Dowutin Sith Sect” seemingly broke away from the rest of the Sith Empire due to their disdain for lightsabers. The Dowutin Sith instead wielded massive Darkness-infused melee weapons designed for to suit their natural strength, which was enhanced only further by the Force. These Sith appeared to operate freely for some time under the rule of a Sith Lord presumably known as Darth Khashyun, although, according to legend, one of their weapons, the “Sword of Khashyun,” was cursed in a way that caused the Sect to turn on each other. Their last known remnants can still be found within a tomb they constructed on the Sith world of Korriban/Moraband, holding the survivors’ long mummified corpses as well as a number of the weapons they had forged.

The next time we really see the species, a number of them had joined the organized marauder faction known as the Nihil in their fight against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order during the days of the High Republic. One of them, a man by the name of Pan Eyta, even rose to the rank of “Tempest Runner,” one of the few collective leaders of the group during their early days. All throughout this period, a number of Dowutins also became infamous bounty hunters, smugglers, and crime lords, although at least a few did take up more socially acceptable positions throughout the galaxy, such some of those found on the Jedi-allied world, Tenoo. Shortly before the start of the Clone Wars, we know a handful of Dowutins became bodyguards for the various crime syndicates, some also serving as slavers, while others were instead enslaved as gladiators.

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, a number of Dowutin mercenaries sold their services to the Empire. These Dowutins could be found on many battlefields, serving on the front lines while wielding heavy weaponry unsuitable for traditional Imperial units. It is unclear how well these Dowutins fared given the Empire xenophobic standing, however, the pay must have been quite substantial as these mercenaries were employed right up until the Empire’s inevitable collapse. Following this period, the species seemingly became a much rarer sight throughout the galaxy, with only a few well-known members by the commencement of the Cold War era, one of those being the legendary hunter, Grummgar.

Legends/Canon: The Dowutins were introduced at the beginning of the current Star Wars continuity, being created for and introduced in Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and becoming on the most iconic and consistently utilized Canon-exclusive species!

Unexplored: Honestly, as far as the Disney-era species go, this one quite possibly requires the least future exploration, though that definitely doesn’t mean they should stop, nor have they covered all of the worldbuilding bases that we see with many much more classic OT and even PT species! Here are just a few of the many questions I could thing of with answers that I would love to see explained someday. First off, when were the Dowutin first discovered, and is it possible they are one of the oldest sentient species in existence? Were they discovered by the Sith, or is it possible they might have even helped found the Sith Order itself? What was life like dwelling on Dowut, especially after thousands of years, and was there a true cap to their lifespan? How were the Dowutin mercenaries treated among the Empire, why did so many Dowutins seek out lives of crime, oppression, and debauchery, and what did they think of their reputation as usually being on the losing teams? Additionally, it would be great to see some general worldbuilding traits like their governments, culture, economy, religions, philosophies, traditions, architecture, diets, advancements, etc. fleshed out to a further degree!

Additional Notes: I’ll be honest, since first writing this article (which was the third I ever published on the site) the Dowutins have gone from being one of my favorite Sequel Trilogy species to being one of my favorite Star Wars species overall, sometimes even dipping into my Top 5! Their design really is just classic Star Wars, yet equally unique, and it fits in to seamlessly into so many different settings. Every time we get a new bit of Dowutin lore, it turns out to be some of the most fascinating stuff, and from the Sith Sect to their harsh uprbringings, there is just so much I want to see fleshed out more and more, especially if they’re given dedicated stories and not just necessarily encyclopedia lore blurbs and/or in-universe word-of-mouth history. So yeah, Star Wars, please keep including the Dowutin in like every other book, comic, and video game, and I’ll keep updating this article to accommodate those appearances!

Additional Images: