The Lizard Warriors were a species of sentient reptilian beings inhabiting a desert area on the Forest Moon of Endor. These creatures possessed green scales, complemented by yellow undersides and a line of yellow spikes extending along their spines. Their physical forms were largely humanoid, with the notable exception of a lengthy tail. Lizard Warrior society placed a high value on both combat skills and proficiency in hunting, and they used totem poles to delineate the boundaries of their territory.
Prior to 3 ABY, an Ewok, Graak, found himself banished to the Valley of the Lizard Warriors. By imparting his advanced martial arts knowledge to the reptilians, he ascended to the position of their leader. Graak established a new system that emphasized strength and combat abilities above all else. In 3 ABY, the Lizard Warriors apprehended two Ewoks, Teebo and Wicket W. Warrick, who had trespassed into their territory, and designated them as prey in a community-wide hunt. However, when Joddar, Graak's chief warrior, was rescued by the pair, he pledged to guide them safely out of the valley. Graak's attempts to thwart their departure led Joddar to overthrow him and assume leadership over his people. The following year, a Lizard Warrior named Dracos served as a representative for his people within the Alliance to Restore the Republic at Bright Tree Village, the settlement of the tribe of Ewoks that aided the Alliance in defeating the Galactic Empire. Dracos underwent military training for a time under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker, a Jedi Knight and member of the Alliance.
The Lizard Warriors were sentient reptiles with a bipedal stance, exhibiting a largely humanoid structure. A notable exception was their long tail, thick at the base and tapering towards the end. This tail would typically drag along the ground when the reptilians were walking or standing, but would extend straight back when they were running. Due to their short legs and a somewhat hunched posture, members of this species generally stood at a height exceeding 1.2 meters, making them slightly taller than an Ewok. Their length, from head to tail, was approximately twice their height, reaching around 2.4 meters. Despite this, some Lizard Warriors could stand taller than the average Human when fully upright. Their hands and feet were equipped with sharp claws, featuring four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. Their bodies were covered in green scales, complemented by a yellow underbelly. However, their scaly covering offered minimal protection against punctures from hazards such as burr balls. While many Lizard Warriors displayed a row of yellow spikes running from the top of their head to the tip of their tail, others had two isolated spikes near the back of their head. Additionally, each elbow featured a single spike.
The head of a Lizard Warrior was dominated by a long, pointed snout filled with sharp teeth. At the tip of this snout were two nostril holes, and within the mouth lay a red tongue. A pair of narrow eyes, either yellow or brown, were positioned on the sides of the head, flanking the base of the snout. At least some Ewoks found the appearance of the Lizard Warriors unappealing.
A community of Lizard Warriors resided in a desert valley located on the Forest Moon of Endor, maintaining a secluded existence with minimal interaction with other species. Their territory, known as the Valley of the Lizard Warriors, was situated several days' travel away from the forests of Happy Grove. Consequently, the Ewoks of Bright Tree Village possessed limited knowledge of this species. However, it is known that Endor's Lizard Warriors communicated using Ewokese.
The Lizard Warriors possessed a culture centered around martial prowess, placing a high value on both warfare and hunting. Hunting was not merely a means of survival but also a form of recreation. They engaged in combat using relatively rudimentary weaponry, including recurve bows, wooden [arrows](/article/arrow-legends], and throwing spears tipped with stone. Nevertheless, some Lizard Warriors had access to more advanced weaponry, such as metal spearheads and swords. Their limited attire primarily served a military purpose, consisting of a quiver for carrying arrows or a belt for holding a sword.
The most skilled warrior held leadership over the species, irrespective of their origin. Notably, in 3 ABY, an Ewok named Graak led the Lizard Warriors of Endor. They adhered to a strict code of honor, compelling them to uphold their promises and reciprocate acts of kindness.
The Lizard Warriors were fiercely territorial, marking their boundaries with totem poles: intricately carved wooden posts adorned with items such as cloth, crossed sticks, feathers, bird wings, and skulls. Upon detecting intruders in their territory, they would ambush them from behind rocks and brush. These warriors employed a specialized capturing stick, consisting of a wooden pole with a looped cord, to ensnare trespassers. They dwelled within caves, the entrances of which were often strewn with bones, and had access to items such as bowls, fruits, and containers of liquid.
The Lizard Warriors of Endor established their settlement in a desert valley, making their homes within caves. At some point, they encountered the native Ewoks of the moon, who subsequently named their territory the Valley of the Lizard Warriors in reference to its reptilian inhabitants. Eventually, the warrior Joddar rose to a position of leadership within their society.
Years prior to 3 ABY, Graak, a one-eyed Ewok, entered the territory of the Lizard Warriors. He had been banished from his home, Bright Tree Village, by the village chief, Chirpa. After showcasing his combat prowess and pledging to train the Lizard Warriors in his techniques, Joddar relinquished his leadership position, allowing Graak to take over with Joddar serving as his second-in-command. Under Graak's leadership, the Lizard Warriors embraced a philosophy centered on the survival of the fittest.
In 3 ABY, the Lizard Warriors discovered two Ewoks—Teebo and Wicket W. Warrick—wandering through their territory. They ambushed and captured the trespassers, bringing them back to their caves. Graak presented the Ewoks with a proposition: if they could successfully reach the edge of the Valley of the Lizard Warriors while remaining alive, they would be granted their freedom. However, they would have to evade the Lizard Warriors, who would be hunting them for sport.
Several lower-ranking warriors pursued and confronted the Ewoks, but their targets managed to survive. Joddar eventually joined the hunt, tracking the Ewoks to a swamp located at the edge of the valley. Before he could eliminate them, however, Joddar found himself under attack by an Endorian swamp beast. Warrick drove the beast away by launching a beehive at it, and then pulled Joddar from the swamp, saving the Lizard Warrior's life in an act of unexpected mercy.
Perplexed by this act, Joddar expressed his gratitude and pledged his loyalty to the Ewoks. They requested only to be guided to the edge of the swamp and out of Lizard Warrior territory, a request that Joddar readily fulfilled. However, Graak arrived on the scene and refused to allow the Ewoks to leave. When he attacked and nearly killed Warrick, Joddar intervened and stopped him. Joddar rejected Graak's claims of supremacy, explaining that the Ewoks had taught him compassion, a concept that Graak could not comprehend. He then ousted Graak from his leadership position and reassumed control of his people. Joddar and his Lizard Warriors parted ways with the Ewoks on amicable terms, while Graak severed all ties with his former followers and ventured alone into the desert.
During the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the Alliance to Restore the Republic achieved victory over the forces of the Galactic Empire, largely due to the assistance of a tribe of Ewok allies on Endor. The Lizard Warriors dispatched a representative named Dracos to join the Alliance forces gathered at the Ewok settlement of Bright Tree Village. Dracos was present when the Alliance leaders established the Alliance of Free Planets. Admiral Gial Ackbar subsequently assigned Dracos to train alongside other Alliance recruits under the guidance of Luke Skywalker, a Jedi Knight and Commander. Dracos and the other recruits hoped to eventually harness the Force and become Jedi. However, Skywalker, still haunted by the memories of his father, Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side, limited their training to basic marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and meditation techniques.
Writer Dave Manak and illustrator Warren Kremer were the creators who first presented the Lizard Warriors as adversaries to the Ewok characters in Ewoks 4. This comic book was released by Marvel Comics in November of 1985. The character of Dracos, who made an appearance in Marvel Comics' Star Wars (1977) 92 later that same year, was identified as a member of this species in the article titled "The Forgotten War: The Nagai and the Tofs," penned by James McFadden and published on the Hyperspace website in 2009.
The narrative in Valley of Evil suggests that the Valley of the Lizard Warriors was their original homeland, implying that they were native to the Forest Moon. However, later sources indicate that they originated from another, unidentified planet. For example, the roleplaying supplement Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds identifies only Ewoks and Yuzzums as native to Endor, while the article titled "Castaways of Endor" adds only Duloks to this list. According to these sources and the roleplaying article "Endor and the Moddell Sector," the majority of the sentient species inhabiting the Forest Moon were survivors of shipwrecks caused by the massive gravity shadow and shield of space debris surrounding the main planet.