The Kwa were an ancient species from the Outer Rim planet of Dathomir. During the Pre-Republic era, they were responsible for constructing the Infinity Gates and the Star Temples. These Infinity Gates, which facilitated near-instantaneous travel across interstellar distances, were permanently installed within the Star Temples.
These beings stood at a height of three meters and walked on two legs. They were saurians with cobalt-blue skin and possessed telepathic abilities. Their physiology also allowed them to achieve extraordinary running speeds.
Dathomir, a world in the Outer Rim, served as the Kwa's place of origin. However, some evidence hinted at an extra-galactic source. The Kwa are credited with the invention of the Infinity Gates, which provided the means for instantaneous travel across interstellar distances. Based on a Celestial design, these could also function as superweapons known as the [Infinity Wave]. The Star Temples, massive pyramidal structures, housed these gates.
This technology allowed them to establish a regional domain called the Kwa holdings, which evolved into a galactic power hundreds of thousands of years before the rise of the Galactic Republic. By 100,000 BBY, they coexisted in the galaxy with various other species such as the Celestials, Gree, Sharu, Columi, Killiks, Taung, and Humans. Around this time, the Infinity Wave's potential as a weapon led to border disputes with the Gree Empire. During this period, the Kwa, along with the Gree and Killiks, served the Celestials, contributing to the construction of incredible technological marvels.
The Kwa used their Infinity Gates to travel to Lehon, where they encountered the primitive Rakata. Recognizing the Rakata's strong connection to the Force, the Kwa uplifted them, similar to what they had done on other worlds. This involved sharing their knowledge of the Force and providing them with advanced technology. However, the Kwa soon realized their error, as they failed to comprehend the Rakata's inherently dark nature, driven by conquest and destruction. With the emergence of the Rakatan Infinite Empire, the Kwa's influence in galactic affairs began to diminish.
Eventually, the Rakata sought control over the Infinity Gates, a secret the Kwa refused to share. This sparked a conflict between the two civilizations, with the Kwa battling their former pupils on Lehon to destroy the planet's Infinity Gate. Subsequently, the Kwa began destroying or disabling the gates on other planets as they retreated from the Rakata's aggression. Ultimately, the Kwa withdrew to their homeworld of Dathomir, although some remained on worlds like Tython. After securing the Infinity Gates and Star Temples, they appointed guardians, namely giant whuffa worms with tough hides and remarkable speed, to safeguard the Temples.
While the Infinite Empire eliminated the majority of the Kwa throughout the galaxy, the original inhabitants of Dathomir eventually evolved—or rather, devolved—into the Kwi. According to the Nightsisters, the Kwa's use of the Infinity Gates created unnatural voids and wounds on Dathomir, which prompted the Spirits to summon the Infinite Empire to the planet. Their arrival devastated the Kwa, transforming them into a primitive, animalistic state through the Spirits' intervention.
Centuries later, many of the Kwa's descendants were killed by the Nightsisters upon discovering the Gate. The remaining Kwi sought refuge in the desert, where they formed tribes, including the Blue Desert People and the Blue Mountain People.