Dwarfism was a medical or genetic condition that resulted in an adult height that was significantly below average. An individual with dwarfism was called a dwarf. The term "dwarf" was also inaccurately applied to species with naturally short average heights, or to miniature breeds within a species.
Within the galactic community, individuals with dwarfism sometimes faced prejudice, particularly in societies that valued height and physical strength, such as the Sanyassan civilization.
Dwarfism manifested when an individual's stature was considerably smaller than the average for their species's, often due to a developmental or congenital disorder. It stood in stark contrast to giantism, which involved an abnormal increase in size and height. Humans, Wookiees, and Sanyassans were among the species that could experience this condition. The Near-Human Bimms from the planet Bimmisaari, whose adult height ranged from 1.0 to 1.5 meters for both sexes, could easily be mistaken for Human dwarfs.
Social stigma sometimes led to psychological distress for those with dwarfism. The Sanyassan noble Yavid initially struggled within his homeworld's social structure because of his naturally small size. As a reaction to this constant disrespect, Yavid cultivated a forceful personality to earn respect among his peers.
On one occasion, the Imperial warlord Trioculus expressed disdain and scorn towards little people, although the Grand Moff Hissa cautioned him against underestimating opponents based on their size. Ironically, Trioculus himself suffered from a more unusual deformity, being a three-eyed mutant.
The term "dwarf" was often misapplied to describe smaller breeds within a species, such as the dwarf bantha and the dwarf varactyl, or even species where small size was typical—like the porcine Ugnaughts or the industrious Nords. The verb "to dwarf" also existed, meaning "to cause something to appear smaller or less significant." For example, the Twi'lek minstrel Gobi Glie once remarked: "But our foes have no legends; that's where we dwarf them."
During the final decades of the Galactic Republic, the one-meter tall actor Palleus Chuff primarily played villainous, scheming dwarfs, although he achieved fame for his exceptional portrayal of the diminutive Jedi Master Yoda in his self-penned play Jedi!.
Kadann, a Human and former Jedi Knight who embraced evil and rose to become the Supreme Prophet of the dark side, was born with dwarfism, reaching an adult height of only 1.3 meters. Following the Battle of Endor, Cronal, the former Director of Imperial Intelligence, established a "Church of the Dark Side" with a clergy of false Prophets, including the Near-Human Bimm Rajah Ubooki to impersonate the real Kadann. Mistaking the impostor for the genuine Kadann, both the Imperial forces and the Rebels referred to the Bimm agent as "the black-bearded dwarf".
Among the many forms he assumed, the shapeshifter Rokur Gepta occasionally adopted the appearance of what others described as "a malignant dwarf."
In reality, dwarfism (also referred to as "short stature") presents in diverse forms, some of which are inherited. The Little People of America (LPA) defines dwarfism as an adult height of 148 cm (4 feet 10 inches) or less.
Star Wars creator George Lucas frequently worked with little people throughout his career as a film director. At one point during the pre-production phase of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Lucas considered casting little people to play Luke Skywalker, as well as his uncle and aunt. In 1977, Lucas ultimately selected Kenny Baker to portray the droid R2-D2 in A New Hope. In 1983, for Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Lucas hired several actors of short stature to play the Ewoks from Endor, including Warwick Davis, Kevin Thompson, and Jack Purvis. Davis later played the title character in Willow, another Lucas film released in 1988. This film was notable for featuring more little people than any production in recent years and was widely praised for casting Warwick Davis in the leading role.
A small character known as Weazel appeared in the May 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, portrayed by Warwick Davis. Although he resembles a Human dwarf, Weazel's species has never been confirmed, and he could belong to a small species like the Bimms. However, Weazel's entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia describes him as "short and stocky" for his species.
According to the ambiguously canon article Prophets of the Dark Side: Villains for the Star Wars: New Republic Campaign, Part One, the real Prophet Kadann was 1.3 meters tall, while his apprentice Jedgar was 2.3 meters tall. However, a photograph of the two prophets together appeared in The Dark Side Sourcebook, and the height difference does not appear to be that significant.