Dathomirians, who are also known as Dathomirian Zabraks and, in a cultural context, as Dathomiri, represented a subspecies of Zabrak. Their homeworld was the planet Peridea, situated in a galaxy far, far away. On Peridea, the Dathomiri people built a civilization that came to be known as the Witch Kingdom of the Dathmiri, and they mastered the art of riding the purrgil. These creatures possessed the unique ability to survive in the vacuum of space and to navigate through hyperspace. Despite the eventual collapse of their kingdom, some Dathomiri managed to traverse the intergalactic void into the known galaxy, where they successfully resettled on a new planet called Dathomir. Over time, the stories of Peridea and its galaxy faded into mere fairytales among the Jedi, and the map leading to the Pathway to Peridea remained hidden for an extended period within a stronghold located on the planet Arcana.
The Dathomiri were famous for their use of magick, a particular application of the Force that involved manipulating magical ichor, a substance unique to Dathomir. During the Clone Wars, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, a group of Dathomiri witches who wielded magick, were under the leadership of Mother Talzin. Her son, Maul, was trained to be the Sith apprentice of the Dark Lord Darth Sidious. Additionally, the Dathomirian Asajj Ventress became an acolyte of Dooku, who replaced Maul as Sidious' apprentice, and she led the Separatists. A significant portion of the Dathomiri species was eradicated during the war, due to Talzin incurring the wrath of the Sith.
By the Galactic Civil War, the few known survivors of the Nightsister clan included the Dathomirians Shelish, [Yenna](/article/yenna], Jerserra, and Merrin, along with the human Morgan Elsbeth. However, it was known that other Dathomiri witch clans had also survived. Later, in the New Republic Era, the Great Mothers, three Dathomirians, were discovered on Peridea, providing concrete evidence of the former Dathmiri kingdom since most of its people had left.
Dathomirians were a Zabrak subspecies who originally lived on Peridea and then on Dathomir. Dathomiri exhibited noticeable differences between genders. Female Dathomiri typically had skin that was white, blue, or gray, and their hair varied. Male Dathomiri usually had orange or yellow skin, though some had red skin. A key physical difference was that male Dathomirians had horns, while females did not.
Dathomiri often adorned their bodies with tattoos that indicated their tribal affiliations. Male Zabraks, especially those belonging to the Nightbrothers, naturally had stripes, which they enhanced with tattoos. In contrast, the females, particularly the Nightsisters, had more subtle tattoos that stood out against their pale skin. These tattoos were created using the mushling plant. The pods of the mushling were boiled down to create a yellow paste, which was then combined with various pigments, such as clay and ash, to produce a range of colors.
Many Dathomiri possessed Force-sensitive abilities, especially the witches residing on their home planet. While some male Dathomiri had basic Force abilities, others, like Savage Opress and Maul, were exceptionally skilled at manipulating the Force due to their extensive training.
Dathomirians were known to be secretive and kept many dark secrets. Female Dathomiri lived as witches. Their society followed a matriarchal structure, with the Nightsisters holding a dominant position. The leaders of the Nightsisters were referred to as Mother. Nightsisters were particularly adept at using dark side magick and voodoo, which granted them abilities such as raising the dead or rendering someone invisible.
Some female Dathomirians lived in clans, while others did not belong to any clan. Dathomir was home to various witch clans, including the Nightsisters, the Nardithi Nightsisters, the Blue Coral Divers Clan, the Singing Mountain, the Howling Crag, and the Mountain Clan.
When females sought to choose a mate, they participated in a ritual known as the Selection. Males would undergo harsh trials to prove their worth. The male who emerged victorious would become the Nightsister's mate and servant.
Males, especially the Nightbrothers, occupied a subordinate role in society and lived separately from the females. They lived a tribal, violent, and brutal existence. Following the Battle of Dathomir, the Nightsister Merrin made the Nightbrothers her servants.
Nightbrothers commonly performed rites of passage, including covering their faces with thin, dark tattoos. The bravest Nightbrothers underwent another rite of passage, battling beasts known as chirodactyls. Those who faced these massive creatures and survived were considered worthy.
Nightbrothers practiced painting glyphs on hard rock surfaces using acid from hydraatis. They used it carefully to maintain accuracy and avoid self-inflicted harm. Master calligraphers, who held rare and highly valued positions within the society, were greatly respected for their skills.
The Nightbrothers valued power and honor, often engaging in combat in a combat arena to demonstrate their strength and win. While they were hostile to outsiders, individuals who proved their power could gain significant influence over the group, whether through respect or fear, and even rise to leadership and be worshiped.
On Peridea, a planet in another galaxy, there was an ancient civilization called the Witch Kingdom of the Dathmiri which eventually collapsed. Its existence became a matter of rumors and stories among the Jedi Order, a group of Force-sensitive guardians of peace. However, the Pathway to Peridea across the intergalactic void had been established from a henge on the planet Seatos. The reflex point required the use of a star map that was stored in a Nightsister stronghold on the planet Arcana.
The female Nightsisters were the most dominant clan on Dathomir. They used the Zabrak Nightbrothers as both mates and servants. Talzin, a mother, had three sons: Savage Opress, Feral, and Maul. Talzin lost Maul to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who took him as his apprentice. Later, to protect her clans, Talzin was forced to give Hal'Sted a child, Asajj Ventress.
After Ventress was betrayed by Count Dooku, Talzin and Ventress devised a plan to get revenge on Dooku. Talzin allowed her son, Savage, to become Dooku's apprentice with the intention of assassinating the Count. However, both Savage and Ventress failed. As a result, Sidious and Dooku ordered General Grievous to eliminate the Nightsisters. Only Ventress, Talzin, Shelish, [Yenna](/article/yenna], Jerserra, Morgan Elsbeth, and the young Merrin survived Grievous' attack. Savage, after discovering that his brother Maul was still alive, brought him back to Dathomir. There, Talzin restored Maul's mind, memories, and body, providing him with a new set of metal legs. Following Savage's death, Maul and his Shadow Collective allied with Brother Viscus and his Nightbrothers. However, the Nightbrother village was attacked, and only Maul managed to escape. The remaining Nightbrothers retreated to another village.
Demonstrating resilience, the Dathomirian Zabraks resisted the Galactic Empire's increasing efforts to control them. Instead of surrendering, many joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic, bravely fighting against their oppressors. Some served in the Alliance Military as Heavy Soldiers. However, a young Jerserra was discovered on a planet by a female Inquisitor of the Empire and taken away for secret training.
During the Empire era, the Nightsister Merrin, a survivor of the Battle of Dathomir, met Taron Malicos, a Jedi Master who had crashed on Dathomir after Order 66. Malicos, who fell to the dark side of the Force on Dathomir, manipulated Merrin to learn about their magick. When Cal Kestis, a former Jedi Padawan, visited Dathomir in search of the Tomb of Kujet, Merrin realized Malicos was deceiving her. She hesitated to fight alongside Kestis because all she knew was that an armored warrior wielding a lightsaber had killed her people. Kestis reassured her that he was on her side and shared his own story of past grief. After working together to defeat Malicos, Merrin joined Kestis' crew aboard the Stinger Mantis.
After the Empire's downfall and the establishment of the New Republic, the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth collaborated with the Dathomiri Great Mothers on Peridea. They worked with Thrawn, a stranded Imperial Grand Admiral, to reach Peridea using the Eye of Sion, an intergalactic vessel that could transport them through the intergalactic void. Their goal was to re-establish the Empire's control over the galaxy.
The Dathomirian Zabraks made their first appearance in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. They were featured in the 2017 video game Star Wars Battlefront II as playable skins for the Heavy classes of both the Rebellion and the Resistance.