Sabat

Last Updated: 4/23/2024

Name: Sabat

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Alternative

Homeworld: Sabata

Coloration: Brown, Tan, Pink, or Blue

Biology: The Sabat were a fleshy humanoid species bearing some similarities to that of Humans. They shared the same general height, weight, build, and frame as the average Human, being bipedal, with two legs and two arms, their hands ending in five-fingered hands. That’s around where the similarities ended however, as Sabat skin could be anywhere from orange-brown to light pink to even shades of pale blue. Sabat heads were bulbous, flat faces and massive foreheads. They had naturally downturned mouths full of sharp teeth, as well as exposed nostrils, and sunken, perpetually squinted eyes. Sabat had pointed ears that extended from the back side of their jaw area and stuck close to their heads. Though they were mostly bald, they could possess some snagged hair around their ears, top of their head, and chin, usually gray, white, or yellow in coloration.

Lore: The Sabat hailed from a world known as Sabata, situated within the infamous Mid Rim region known as “The Slice,” though it was not found along any of the major established trade routes or hyperspace lanes that ran through this section of space. Little remains known about the Sabat at this time, aside from the fact that they had been discovered by the end of the “High Republic” era, and a number of them were associated with various rebel cells during their fight against the Empire, though each of these individuals seemed to have widely varying reasons for joining and were seemingly not indicative of some greater anti-Imperial sentiment among Sabata and it’s people. They also had a noticeably naturally gruff appearance, a trait they seemed to intentionally lean into at times.

Continuity: The Sabat are a species exclusive to Star Wars Canon, most well known for appearing in both the “A Star Wars Story” films, though they have been featured in various canonical media since as well.

Unexplored: We don’t really have a basis to pose many specific questions regarding the Sabat at the moment, so this section will probably remain a bit sparse for now. Still, we can at least ask a few lore-expanding questions such as: For starters, when did the species develop sentience, what sort of creature did they evolve from, when were they first discovered by the outside galaxy, what stage of the usual development cycle were they in when they were found, and who from the outside galaxy first discovered them? What was Sabata like and did it boast any unique biomes, natural wonders, or other unique aspects, Sabat-made or otherwise? What did life look like on their homeworld throughout the years, when did they develop or gain access to spacefaring technologies, and how many members of the population left compared to those who remained?

What did the Sabat nation(s) look like, and how were their politics and government(s) structured? Were they allied with any outside species, groups, or factions, potentially even the Galactic Republic given Sabata’s location among the Mid Rim? Did the species have any sort of intergalactic reputation, or were they known for a particular service, export, product, discovery, etc.? And was there a central reason as to why it seemed quite a few may have been fighting against the Empire, potentially an occupation of their homeworld or even possibly a genocide of their people, or was there no real defining factor and it’s simply happenstance and the universal disdain that was growing for the Empire that caused them to take up arms? Finally, we should always consider other basic worldbuilding traits, such as their history, civilizations, society, culture, religions, philosophies, traditions, practices, habits, languages, diets, advancements, etc.

Additional Notes: I’m still not sure how I feel about this one. There’s isn’t really anything that stands out regarding the Sabat at the moment, the body is just Human-like, and the face is a bit… bland to say the least. I’m also not entirely sure whether this is supposed to be a simian-inspired species or something completely alien, so some clarification on that definitely wouldn’t hurt someday. Ultimately, I think they just need a big lore revelation, some bit of worldbuilding that makes them stand out and worth including in future projects instead of just at random. Until then, however, despite appearing in two modern films, they’re going to remain on the rather forgettable end of the named and “debuted in live action” spectrum.

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