Omwati

Last Updated: 12/1/2023

Name: Omwati

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Near-Human/Avian

Homeworld: Omwat

Coloration: Blue

Biology: Upon first glance, Omwati appear very human-like. However, many of their mannerisms and characteristics actually resemble that of birds and other avian creatures. They generally have thin, spindly appendages and appear incapable of becoming overweight. Their heads are slightly longer/narrower than the average human, with pointed lips that sometimes resembled beaks (with lesser evolved instances actually still possessing true beaks). And in place of hair, they actually have long feathers protruding from their head that can be either white, pink, or red, entirely based on their parent’s own genetics imprint. These feathers were also luminescent, and were often dyed to glow different and exotic colors.

Their skin was always blue, and while the tone of the blue could vary, it usually remained a lighter shade. When Omwati would get anxious, angry, or embarrassed, their skin would temporarily take on a much darker hue. The lighter their skin was, the calmer they seemed to be overall.

Their language, Omwatese, combined regular words with more of the cooing and clicking sounds produced by birds. It was considered a very beautiful language, and the Omwati’s voices were always described as silky, smooth, and pleasurable to listen to, thanks to their unique vocal chords. These vocal chords did allow them to speak Basic, however, it was specifically stated to be difficult for them to learn, as it did not come naturally.

Their brains were incredibly complex and evolved, and especially when young, they often possessed near photographic memories. This increase in intelligence was often considered to make up for their fragile bodies and brittle bones, giving them mental fortitude over physical. Because their brains were so complex, they had to be coached during childhood to prevent psychological damage. Too little coaching and their brains would regress into a much more primitive state, while too much coaching would cause a chemical imbalance, damaging the brain and rendering them on the brink of insanity for the rest of their lives.

The male Omwati stood around 1.8 meters tall on average, par for the course for most near-human creatures. However, the woman generally stood about half a meter shorter than the men, a height difference that was distinctly noticeable. The head feathers of female Omawti head feathers also grew much longer than that of the males. Omwati possessed similar genitalia and reproductive organs to that of humans, and as such were capable of cross-breeding. However, the mating process was very difficult for them as their brittle bones easily and often broke, leading to an immense amount of pain.

Omwati also had an incredibly high connection with the Force, allowing it to enhance their mental capacities and guide all of their actions. While none have yet been identified as Jedi, they have been documented becoming religious sorcerers, prophets, and shaman in the past, due to their high Midichlorian count.

Lore: The Omwati were a highly peaceful and intelligent society. They generally did not engage in any form of violence or warfare, as they believed they had evolved past such savagery long ago. Instead, they produced some of the most beautiful instruments, music, poetry, and art in the entire galaxy.

Education and schooling was incredibly important to the Omwati, as the amount of mental training a young Omwati needed to healthily develop their superior brains was calculated down to a T. They also required extensive practice to learn any and every language, as the avian vocalizations of their own could be difficult to master, and languages like Basic came across as very unnatural. Still, despite some hardships, they created breakthroughs in the fields of science, medicine, technology, and interstellar travel, many things that outside powers and individuals highly coveted.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Empire attacked Omwat, killing a large portion of the population. Grand Moff Tarkin himself then went to the broken planet to find a survivor and make them his protégé, a goal which he readily accomplished. The locals did not fight back during the Imperial invasion, as they still valued peace, and Tarkin’s new Omwati apprentice Qwi Xux went on to help design facets of the Death Star, as well as the devastating superweapon known as the Suncrusher. After these devastating events, the Omwati seemed to favor and assist the Rebel Alliance, while still not getting involved in any violent conflicts that the faction so commonly incited.

Legends/Canon: There are actually two VERY distinct versions of Omwati, one in Legends and one in Canon. Fairly recently, the Omwati were canonized, however, they were described quite differently than their Legends predecessors. They are still blue, but they are now much more avian in nature, covered in feathers from head-to-toe and possessing a very distinctive beak. Their lore appears to follow along the same lines, but since their biology is different, their pre-established backstory should definitely be treated as tentative.

Unexplored: Now that they have been redefined as a more bird-like and less human-like entity, there are various ways you can take the Omwati. It’s possible that they now have the ability to take flight, just as many sentient avians do. This would prevent them from having to use their brittle muscles too much, which would definitely change their dynamic as a species. Their intellect and connection with the Force can also be a great storytelling piece that has been yet to be explored very thoroughly, especially within the current Canon. In fact, the entire history of the species can really be told with little consequence. The limits are nearly boundless.

Additional Notes: The Omwati were actually loosely based off of a Diahann Carroll’s character from the Star Wars Christmas Special, although they were changed to be distinctively blue much later on. Many attribute the strange new addition of a full on beak and traditionally avian features to author Chuck Wendig most likely quickly glancing at an old article about the Omwati and simply seeing the part where they were described as vaguely “bird-like,” crafting the character of Shi Shu in Canon shortly thereafter. I’m not a huge fan of the idea, and think that the old design was much more unique, but we will have to wait and see if the Omwati are further fleshed out into something equally as interesting in the coming years. We have yet to receive a visualization of what their “redesign” looks like, but with so much new Star Wars content on the horizon, it may only be a matter of time.

In addition, heir “flutey” voices, vocal ranges, and songwriting abilities would make them incredibly famous singers, and yet we haven’t seen a Omwati singer as of yet. Just something with a lot of potential to keep in mind in case you want to include them in one of your fan works. And definitely feel free to write your character based off of Legend or Canon, as it’s plausible to have both forms exist at the same time due to Star Wars’ abundance of subspecies (i.e. the Kyuzo, Aqualish, etc.). Since not much information exists about them as of yet, and they have such a rich, artistic culture to work off of, they can definitely be utilized in a number of creative ways in the future!

(The Omwati were also originally derived from the character Mermeia featured in the Star Wars Holiday Special, a character from whom their distinct voices and feather-like hair were specifically lifted. I originally featured a picture of her below, but it proved to be a bit confusing or misleading when popping up on Google searches, so I removed it. Feel free to google it to see what I’m referring to, and eventually I will feature her on my “Unidentified Species” Twitter/X series, so maybe I can link it then!)

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