Saato was a humanoid female Sith witch from the planet Dathomir who left the Witches of Dathomir to work as a Dark Acolyte under Count Dooku. In 21.17 BBY, during the Clone Wars, she was sent to the planet Tatooine alongside the bounty hunter Aurra Sing to capture the Galactic Republic spy Raala Ponchar, who had knowledge on a Separatist operation to create droids invulnerable to lightsaber attacks. She encountered Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, who she imprisoned in Jabba's Palace, though he later escaped and killed Saato near the Great Pit of Carkoon.
Raala Ponchar, whom Saato was sent to capture, had obtained knowledge on the C-B3 cortosis battle droid (pictured).
Hailing from the Outer Rim Territories planet Dathomir, the humanoid female Saato was a member of the Witches of Dathomir, a culture of witch covens who practiced Force-based magic. In 24 BBY, she left Dathomir and joined the Sith Lord and leader of the Confederacy of the Independent Systems Count Dooku, also known under the Sith moniker Darth Tyranus, as one of his apprentices known as Dark Acolytes.
In 22 BBY, the Confederacy of Independent Systems revealed itself to the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order, and launched the Clone Wars against the both groups. In 21.17 BBY, the Separatists began the manufacturing of the C-B3 cortosis battle droid, a new type of battle droid made of the lightsaber-resistant material cortosis, to better combat Jedi Knights on battlefields. Living on the Outer Rim planet Tatooine, Republic spy Raala Ponchar discovered the operation and notified the Jedi Council.
In response, Saato was dispatched to Tatooine alongside the bounty hunter Aurra Sing and a portion of the Separatist Droid Army, with the mission to find and imprison Ponchar. Meanwhile, the Jedi Order had dispatched Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to rescue the spy. Saato sent out a group of B1-Series battle droids to aid her in her search; however, they encountered Skywalker, who destroyed them. The Sith witch eventually discovered Ponchar working at the homestead of the moisture farmer Bellek, north of the city Mos Espa. Saato took Ponchar and ordered her droids to destroy Bellek's farmstead, as well as the surrounding homesteads. Saato imprisoned the spy in the palace dungeons of the Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, who was allied with the Separatists through his criminal empire.
Skywalker arrived to a homestead near Bellek's shortly afterward, and talked to one of the people outside, who informed him of the attack. He then set out to find Bellek, who had been captured by the native Tusken Raiders. Upon saving the farmer, Bellek directed him to Jabba's Palace to find Saato; however, when he arrived, Sing greeted him and threatened to kill him. Before the two could fight, Saato arrived and telekinetically gripped and strangled Skywalker to subdue him, before imprisoning him in the palace dungeons. Saato informed Dooku that the Jedi would no longer be a threat to their operation.
Saato and Anakin Skywalker duel on Tatooine.
Waking up in the palace's dungeons, Skywalker met and spoke with Ponchar about her intel. The two escaped and parted ways, before Skywalker stole a desert skiff to escape. However, Saato tailed Skywalker in her own skiff and shot at him using its laser cannon. After laserfire hit Skywalker's skiff, it crashed into the sand below and Saato situated her skiff next to the Great Pit of Carkoon, with intent to force the Jedi into the pit. As Skywalker approached, Saato ignited her two lightsaber shotos and dueled the Jedi, complementing him on his ability as described by Dooku. However, the Jedi was able to defeat and kill the witch.
In the second edition of his chronicle of galactic history known as The Essential Chronology, published to the HoloNet in 36 ABY, author and archivist emeritus of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances Historical Council Voren Na'al included many events of the Clone Wars which had not been present in his first edition. This included the beginning of Saato's partnership with Dooku and her death at the hands of Skywalker.
Like all Witches of Dathomir, Saato was Force-sensitive and exhibited several Force powers, such as the ability to use telekinesis to grip objects. She was also versed in lightsaber dueling and was a practitioner of Jar'Kai, a style of sword combat characterized by the use of two weapons. She often struck with her shotos in a whirlwinding manner, with focus on agility and acrobatics.
Saato wielded two red-bladed lightsaber shotos and wore a red outfit.
Saato first appeared in Star Wars: The New Droid Army.
Saato first appeared in the 2002 video game Star Wars: The New Droid Army, published by THQ. In the game, Anakin Skywalker, the player character, can kill Saato in two ways: by killing her through the use of his lightsaber or by pushing her into the Great Pit of Carkoon.
The article "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Nightsisters but Were Afraid to Ask," published in the one hundred twenty-second issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine on December 14, 2010, states that the Witches of Dathomir were made up of Humans and Dathomirians. It also establishes that Dathomirians are pale-skinned, and author Dave Wolverton's 1994 novel The Courtship of Princess Leia establishes the Human Witches of Dathomir with the same skin tone. As no source confirms Saato's species, and her skin tone is present in both groups, this article does not assume which species she is a part of.
- The Official Star Wars Fact File116
- The New Essential Chronology