Bursantian

Last Updated: 09/09/2025

Name: Bursantian

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Alternative/Beastite

Homeworld: Bursant

Coloration: Purple and Black

Biology: The Bursantians were a bipedal humanoid species with two arms and two legs, possessing the same general build, frame, weight, and height as the average Human, if not being slightly taller and thinner. Their bodies were covered in purple fur that was lighter on the insides of their arms and legs, stomach and chest, and the front of their neck and face. The rest of their short fur was dark purple, black, or occasionally brown, with defined lines between the two colors instead of any sort of gradient. Bursantian limbs were rather spindly, with four black claws on their feet, as well as three on their hand, all rather large and seemingly sharp.

Bursantian heads were slightly oblong, with angular foreheads and flat face ending in pointed chins. Their mouths were round and lack much in the way of visible lips, with small white teeth and four prominent canine teeth, two on each jaw. While not possessing any sort of true nose growth, Bursantians did have four nostril openings, with a larger pair stacked on top of a smaller pair, all situated in the middle of their face. Their eyes were large, glossy, and solid orange in coloration, possibly indicating enhanced vision although we cannot confirm this yet.

The species had four lobes extending out past the back of their head, stacked on top of each other in sets not unlike their nostrils. These lobes appeared to be fleshy and semi-mobile, despite almost having the appearance of horns. Given the general nature of species in the Star Wars universe, there is a high likelihood that these served as some sort of extrasensory organs, although again, we can only infer at the moment. The purpose of these growths has yet to be revealed. Bursantians were capable of pronouncing Galactic Basic, and it seems they may have been able to be Force Sensitive under normal circumstances.

Lore: The Bursantians were the little known native population found on the planet Bursant. Around the start of the Clone Wars, Bursantians were still considered a fairly primitive species, with limited technologies found within their small canyon villages, their weapons consisting of basic blades and farming tools, and their clothing made up of nothing more than loose-fitting ponchos, scarves, arm wrappings, and the occasional hate. It would appear that they were a farming people, located within Galactic Republic jurisdiction but seemingly unaffiliated with the Republic or represented on the Senate.

Millennia prior to the Republic’s collapse, Bursant had been host to some sort of Jedi presence, long enough ago that even Yoda was unaware of the Order’s influence on the world. There is a chance that this entire story was fabricated by Count Dooku aka the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, although it seems more likely that the artifacts unearthed were simply from an age long forgotten, potentially even dating back to the days of the early Je’daii Order (if that concept still even remains Canon). If the Bursantians had already developed sentience by that point, there is a good chance they would have come across these Jedi, and may have even been supporters of them at that time.

In 22 BBY these artifacts were first discovered, leading to a small Republic presence on the world consisting nearly entirely of researchers, as well as the occasional Jedi visitor or even Republic Senator, as was the case when Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu, alongside the Wookiee Senator Yarua, arrived to oversee the fig, alongside a small Republic delegation and a gaggle of inquisitive Younglings. During this visit, despite being informed that the nearby natives were completely peaceful, the Republic contingent was ambushed by an entire village of Bursantians who used their underwhelming means in an attempt to specifically target the elder Jedi. It would turn out that these Bursantians had been employed by Count Dooku, allying themselves with local CIS forces in exchange for the promise of great wealth should they succeed in their mission.

Utilizing underhanded tactics, the Bursantians grew fairly close to succeeding, although they simply weren’t skilled enough, even with the support of Separatist Battle Droids and the Sith Lord himself, to finish the job. From what we observed, the Bursantians were rather greedy by nature, although they were neither skilled combatants nor liars, and many (but not all) felt guilt after realizing they had involved children in their schemes. Whether this relative moral bankruptcy was commonplace among the species, or relegated to this one community, remains to be unseen, as does any potential continued alliance with the CIS or future occupation by Republic forces given their dissidence.

Continuity: The Bursantians were created specifically for the current Star Wars Canon.

Unexplored: Given their minor appearance, there is quite a bit left to explore when it comes to the Bursantians, some intentionally left mysterious and some simply waiting to be established. The following are some questions worth posing that would help us better flesh out this fun species: When did the Bursantians first develop sentience, what sort of creature did they evolve from (to help for classification purposes), and were they aware of the Jedi’s initial visit to their planet so long ago? If so, did they worship the strange beings, or maybe they felt threatened by them, or is it possible the early Order befriended the people of Bursant and worked closely with them while they resided there? If so, why did those allegiances not last? In fact, was the Jedi presence on the planet even real, or were the artifacts simply planted by Dooku to draw Yoda and company in?

How advanced or primitive were the Bursantians by the start of the Clone Wars, and were the ones we saw the lowest class of farmers, with many others residing in large cities or civilizations elsewhere on Bursant? If so, does that change the status of how well known they were among the galaxy, could it be established that they were actually members of the Republic, and if so, why did the Jedi or Yarua not consider their presence while visiting the excavation site? What happened to the Bursantians after the one village attacked the Republic? Did their reputation as peaceful begin to shift? And was the entire planet punished by the Republic, just the one group of dissidents/mercenaries, or did the Republic intervene and ask that charges not be pressed? What was their relationship with the CIS like after this event, as well as with further factions that popped up after the end of the Clone Wars? Ultimately, what was the future of the species like?

Exploring the questions above, as well as the many other worldbuilding traits I often pose in my articles including things we haven’t directly discussed as of yet such as their exports, local economy, global society, various civilizations, population size, reach within the galaxy, level of universal knowledge, traditions, philosophies, religions, habits, additional distinct anatomical and biological traits (including their potential enhanced eyesight or extrasensory organs), diets, unique developments, architecture, or arts, and even their cultural practices that they see as commonplace. Exploring them additionally in other mediums and art styles would also be helpful as this is one of those species that is currently difficult to imagine in a 3D style or even live action. (Also, my final question I suppose would just by why the species collectively does not wear pants? I find this concept incredibly pressing.)

Additional Notes: This is one of the newest named + pictured species to be introduced into the Star Wars galaxy as of the initial writing of this article, and I find their design to be incredibly fun! It’s a lot more unique than the handful of new near-Human species we’ve been getting as of late, and I desperately want to see more of them in the future. Fortunately, the artist who designed them and illustrated the comic they first appeared in, Megan Huang, has expressed her passion for this design and desire to include them in future works, so I suspect we’ll see them in the background of further comics she is commissioned to illustrate. In fact, she posted a few concept pieces to Twitter/X giving us an even better look at the species outside of Hyperspace Stories #11 (where they first and currently have exclusively appeared), including the picture of the unofficial Bursantian Jedi used as the featured image for this profile, and the isolated head image on the right below!

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