Buktari

Last Updated: 01/26/2026

Name: Buktari

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Alternative/Diminutive

Homeworld: Unknown

Coloration: Green or Brown

Biology: The Buktari were a humanoid species with green or brown skin and a pair of ribbed lekku headtails. They could seemingly stand somewhere between 1 and 1.8 meters tall, and commonly wore heavy clothing, as well as specialized head coverings and what appeared to be distinctive brown metal or maybe leather masks with goggle-like components bearing slitted flaps, as well as a tube extending out from the end that connected to their chestplate. This seemed to imply the species could not breath within oxygen-rich environments, though it’s possible these masks served a different purpose, such as supplying nutrients, filtering germs, or even just providing comfort. Because of these coverings, however, we do not know what most of the species’ body looked like, aside from having two legs and two arms ending in five-fingered hands.

Lore: The Buktari are a species we still know seldom about, aside from the fact that they were fairly widespread throughout the galaxy as early as reign of the Galactic Empire, with members of the species found at places such as Ferrix, Tatooine, Nevarro, and Jakku. Most of the locations they can be found were hot or arid environments, potentially indicating something regarding their homeworld. They had very clearly been discovered and introduced into the galaxy sometime prior to 5 BBY, though anything else regarding the species currently remains unknown.

Continuity: The Buktari are a species exclusive to Star Wars Canon, having been designed by one of my personal favorite concept artists, Jake Lunt Davies, to serve as one of the first aliens within the new continuity as seen in “Episode VII: The Force Awakens.”

Unexplored: Nearly everything about this species remains unexplored at present, so we must ask some of the following worldbuilding questions in hopes they may be answered someday (or so that we can unofficially answer them ourselves in whatever fan project we might be working on). This includes inquiries such as: Where did the species come from, what was the name of the planet, and in what system/sector? When did they evolve sentience, what sort of creature did they evolve from, and what in their environment caused them to develop into what they are today? Is it true they may come from a drier, hotter world? And what was the purpose of their masks and tubes? Breathing, safety, comfort, none of the above, or maybe a combination of all?

Who first discovered the species, and when? How long did it take to integrate them into the greater galaxy? What was their perspective of these events? Were they ever members of the Galactic Republic with representation on the Senate? Or were they maybe opposed to the Republic or totally neutral? Did they ever become famous among the galaxy, or maybe infamous? Were they known for their military might, advanced technologies, strong personalities, services, exports, or produce, unique biological traits, bad luck as a people, or were they just one of the species who bled into the background, being more inconspicuous like so many other less prominent galactic populations? Were they ever involved in major galactic events or wars? And was it true they were incredibly spread out across a ton of worlds, or is it just coincidence that we’ve seen them in so many places so far? Additionally, expanding some of their other personal traits such as languages, diets, traditions, religions, philosophies, habits, and whatnot would also help distinguish them and really make them standout from among the many little-explored species introduced within the “Sequel Trilogy.”

Additional Notes: I actually really like the Buktari primarily because I got to be a part of the discoveries regarding the species. They were one of the early entries in my “unidentified species” series, but it turns out Leland Chee had casually revealed their name in the comments of a post Jake Lunt Davies had made on Instagram, which went unnoted until one of my Twitter contacts sent me a screenshot. Went back to verify, then also got a second confirmation from Chee on Discord, who also helped us realize there was not one member of this species in “Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” but in fact two. And the one I, as well as Wookieepedia had been referring to as Hoogenz all these years was, in fact, another member with the newly (at the time) revealed name, Anoonda, with Hoogenz being spotted briefly in a different shot of the film (the only way to tell them apart being the colors of their satchels). That was a fun few days unraveling the mystery of this species, and they’ve stuck with me since. Now I just want to see them take on a more prominent role in the universe, instead of being relegated to set dressings and a single LEGO appearance as they have so far.

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