Bardottans, a proud and independent people recognized across the galaxy for their mysticism, spiritual focus, art, and music, were a sentient species of scaled reptiles originating from the planet Bardotta.
These sentient reptiles, known as Bardottans, possessed a slender build. Their lower limbs featured a backward bend, terminating in feet with three toes. Short forearms ended in a thumb and three fingers. Bardottans had lengthy, flexible necks that could pivot freely, supporting a pointed skull characterized by a beak-like snout. While males lacked hair, females displayed thick, feather-like fibers covering their heads.
Nostrils were positioned differently among Bardottans; some had them near their snouts, while others had them on crests located between their eyes. Skin color varied widely, encompassing greens, grays, oranges, reds, and blues. Some Bardottans exhibited mottled, striped, or spotted skin patterns with unique color combinations. Eye color also differed among individuals, but all shared black irises. Height was the most variable trait, with some Bardottans reaching a meter in height at full maturity, while others exceeded two meters.
Located in mountainous regions, Bardottans constructed their palaces on mountaintops, which served as their natural habitat. Early in their history, they cultivated a society deeply rooted in Force-tradition. Initially, Bardottans were warlike demon worshippers, with the Frangawl Cult leading the veneration of Malmourral. However, the rise of the Dagoyan Order led to the banning of the Frangawl religion. The Dagoyan practices, emphasizing peace, meditation, and contemplation, became ingrained in Bardottan culture. The Dagoyan Order handled religious matters, while the Bahk-tov Council and the Monarch of Bardotta oversaw the government. Education was exclusively provided in Dagoyan schools, though adherence to their beliefs was not compulsory. Bardottans valued knowledge and spiritual devotion, displaying scholarly tendencies and insularity towards outsiders when it came to sharing their knowledge.
Pride and independence were defining traits of all Bardottans, who felt ashamed when needing to request assistance. Cities on Bardotta were organized around distinct academic and religious disciplines, with each city focusing on its specific field and sharing knowledge with others only when asked. The privilege of education was earned through rigorous study and dedication, never freely given.
The Bardottan people's early history was marked by violence and warfare. The tribes of Bardotta, under the rule of the Frangawl, engaged in constant battles for supremacy, deriving strength from pain and torture. As the opposing Dagoyan philosophy gained traction, they gradually dismantled the Frangawl way of life, promoting strength through intellectual and artistic pursuits. The Dagoyans banned the Frangawl tradition, transforming their temples and holy sites into palaces and meditative retreats, thereby establishing complete dominance over Bardottan culture. Under the guidance of the Bahk-tov Council, the planet elected a monarch who governed in collaboration with the Dagoyan Masters and the High Seneschal.
During a brief period of expansion into the wider galaxy, Bardottans established settlements on several worlds, most notably Phu. The inhabitants of Phu and other colonies generally maintained their cultural practices of meditation and peacefulness, though they were less secretive with their knowledge compared to their counterparts on Bardotta. Frangawl sympathizers also spread throughout the galaxy, seeking to revive their ancient traditions and recruiting members from other species, such as the Ming Po and Zygerrians of Zardossa Stix. During this expansionist phase, the Jedi Order began to recruit Bardottan children, leading the Dagoyan Masters to accuse the Jedi of abduction and acts of war. Consequently, the induction of children from Bardotta into the Jedi Order was halted, although other colonies did not impose such restrictions.
During the Clone Wars, the reigning Queen Julia and High Seneschal Peteen faced a crisis when the Dathomirian Nightsister Mother Talzin allied with Frangawl sympathizers on Bardotta and Zardossa Stix to overthrow the Bahk-tov Council. Unbeknownst to the Council and the Queen, Peteen was secretly the leader of the cult and had orchestrated the abduction of several prominent Dagoyan Masters to be sacrificed to the demon Malmourral. The sacrifice occurred within an ancient Frangawl Temple located beneath the Bardottan Royal Palace, where the abducted masters were thrown into the gaping maw of a statue of Malmourral, and their Force energy was extracted into small orb-like devices. Joseph, a Dagoyan Master, was among the hostages.
The Queen sought assistance from the Galactic Republic, requesting the aid of the Gungan Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks. The Jedi, concerned about the kidnappings, dispatched Jedi master Mace Windu. Upon arriving on Bardotta, they were greeted by Peteen and the guardsman Savatte. Despite sensing a pervasive darkness on the planet, Windu could not pinpoint its source. Eventually, Julia herself was abducted. Windu, Binks, and Savatte tracked her to the underground caves beneath the government temple, where Binks was also kidnapped. Savatte departed to seek help, while Windu used a comlink to track Binks. Meanwhile, a Dagoyan Master was sacrificed and harvested by Peteen. Binks was later freed, and together with Windu, they defeated the cultists and rescued the remaining masters, including Joseph. However, Peteen escaped to Zardossa Stix with Julia. Windu and Binks pursued them, and after several encounters with cultists and Mother Talzin, Peteen was killed, Talzin retreated, and Julia was rescued.
Despite their insular and secretive nature, some Bardottans ventured offworld in pursuit of greater knowledge. These individuals often gravitated towards academia and cultures that valued history and the free exchange of knowledge. While Bardottans were generally reserved, those residing in their colony worlds, such as Phu, did not adhere to this particular cultural norm.
Mars Guo, a renowned podracer pilot hailing from Phu, participated in a Boonta Eve Classic Podracer race on Tatooine. Guo performed well initially, securing second place during the second lap. However, the leading competitor, the Dug Sebulba, sabotaged Guo's engine by throwing an object into its intake, causing Guo's Podracer to crash in the sandy desert. Sebulba later crashed in the same area towards the end of the third lap. A Bardottan taxi driver resided on Lothal five years prior to the Battle of Yavin.