Bardottan

Biological Traits and Physical Appearance

Bardottans were sentient beings who walked upright on two legs and had slender, saurian bodies. Defining characteristics of this species included an elongated, curved neck marked with noticeable wrinkles, and short legs that bent backward, allowing them to walk on small feet with three toes. Some Bardottans had four fingers on each hand, while others had three. While some members of the species had long tails, others did not possess this feature. Mature Bardottans typically ranged in height from approximately one to two meters. Their primary mode of movement involved hopping from one location to another.

The Bardottan's neck curved forward, positioning the small head directly in line with the body. Their eyes, located on the sides of the head, displayed a range of colors including red, orange, yellow, and white, with some individuals exhibiting a blue sclera. These eyes were framed by heavy, baggy wrinkles and a fleshy growth beneath each one. A narrow, dagger-like snout protruded forward, containing white, peg-shaped teeth and pink gums. A fleshy, lumpy crest rose from the area of the head between the eyes. This crest was bulbous towards the front of the head, diminishing to two raised bumps along the top of the cranium before extending to a point at the back of the head. Additional patterns of bumps and crevices covered the sides of the skull.

The wrinkled skin of Bardottans exhibited shades of green, yellow, gray, and brown. While some of these dinosaur-like beings had skin of a uniform color, others displayed distinctive markings. For instance, an individual might have had a primary skin tone with a different color around the eyes, lips, front of the neck, belly, and in the form of stripes and mottling.

Societal Structure and Cultural Norms

The Bardottans originated from Bardotta, a planet situated within the Colonies region. Their homeworld was renowned for its monasteries, centers of learning, and ancient relics. Having cultivated a society with a rich Force-tradition early in their history, the Bardottans were, in their earliest history, warlike demon worshippers, led by the Frangawl in worshipping Malmourral. With the rise of the Dagoyan culture, the Frangawl religion was outlawed, and the Dagoyan practices emphasizing peace, meditation, and contemplation became deeply ingrained in Bardottan culture. The Dagoyan Order represented the religious facets of the Bardottans, while the Bahk-tov Council and the Monarch of Bardotta oversaw the government. All education on the planet was conducted in Dagoyan schools, although adherence to the tradition was not obligatory. Valuing knowledge and spiritual devotion, Bardottans were scholarly and reserved when it came to outsiders and sharing their knowledge. All Bardottans were proud and independent, feeling shame when forced to ask for assistance. Cities on Bardotta were clustered around different academic and religious studies, studying in their own fields and sharing with other cities if asked. The right to education was earned through intense study and devotion, never handed out freely.

Most Bardottans encountered in the galaxy hailed from Phu, a world famous for its thriving gaming industry. The Bardottans of Phu were commonly referred to as Phuii, both by outsiders and among themselves. Phuii were capable of utilizing technology that met galaxy-standard specifications. A preferred style of attire among several members of the species consisted of coveralls with horizontal straps that left the shoulders and upper chest exposed. A Bardottan could use its beak to peck at an opponent in combat.

The symbol of the planet Phu was an orange crescent with a loop between its two points, set against a green field; the podracer Mars Guo flew this flag at the Boonta Eve Classic podrace of 32 BBY. Members of the species were capable of speaking Basic and Huttese. Phuii names typically consisted of two parts. In some cases, the two elements were entirely separate, as seen in names like Nep Chung, Mars Guo, and Ares Nune. Others combined the two parts with a hyphen, forming names such as Chros-Fillik.

Historical Context

The early history of the Bardottan people was marked by violence and warfare. Under the rule of the Frangawl, the tribes of Bardotta engaged in constant conflict, drawing strength from pain and torture. As the rival school of thought, known as Dagoyan, gained influence, they gradually dismantled the Frangawl way of life, promoting strength through intellectual pursuits and the arts. By banning the Frangawl tradition and converting their temples and holy sites into palaces and meditative retreats, the Dagoyans gained complete control over Bardottan culture and established themselves at the reigning force on Bardotta. Under the leadership of the Bahk-tov Council, the planet elected a monarch who governed with the assistance of the Dagoyan Masters and the High Seneschal.

Following a brief period of expansion into the wider galaxy, Bardottans colonized several worlds, most notably Phu. The Phuii first encountered visitors from another planet sometime between 5000 BBY and 3000 BBY. However, their world remained outside the regions of space that were fully integrated into the broader galaxy until at least the Clone Wars, which concluded in 19 BBY.

At the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, Phu was located beyond the borders of any major planetary organization, such as the Galactic Republic or Confederacy of Independent Systems. Despite this isolation, the Phuii Jedi General Ares Nune was tasked with patrolling the Phu system for Separatist activity during a portion of the war. He came under attack from an unidentified enemy—the Separatist ship Malevolence—and his Star Destroyer, Laudable, lost its shields. He, along with his crew, perished in the attack. Another Phuii served the Confederacy during the conflict, holding the rank of lieutenant aboard a starship commanded by Commander Aviso.

The population of the Phu homeworld was estimated to be between 10 and 100 million around 25 ABY. By 137 ABY, the planet had fallen within the territory claimed by Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire.

Phuii Presence in the Galaxy

Despite the relative isolation of their homeworld from galactic events, Bardottans ventured from Bardotta to establish colonies on various other planets, most notably Phu, from which they integrated into the wider galaxy. At least a decade prior to 33 BBY, the Phuii Nep Chung had risen to the position of Vigo within the Black Sun criminal organization. Chung, accompanied by his Phuii bodyguard, attended a meeting of the Vigos at the fortress of Alexi Garyn on Ralltiir that year, where they discussed the assassinations of two other Vigos. When the assassin, a Zabrak Sith Lord named Darth Maul, arrived to kill the remaining Vigos, Chung's bodyguard, along with other enforcers, confronted him. Maul swiftly eliminated the bodyguards and proceeded into the chamber where Chung and the other Vigos were hiding, where he killed them.

Some members of the species found their calling in the high-octane sport of podracing. One such Phuii was Mars Guo, who began his career in the minor rim leagues. He had become a favorite in the Spice Mine Run of Mon Gazza, and he had just won the Baroonda Fire Mountain Rally when he moved up to the professional circuit with his entry into the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine in 32 BBY. Guo's slaves considered him a cruel master, and his colleagues regarded him as an egotistical braggart. This behavior led to trouble the night before the race, when Guo, after consuming too much alcohol, made advances towards Ann Gella, an enslaved Twi'lek masseuse owned by a rival podracer, Sebulba. During the race, the Dug sabotaged Guo's Collor Pondrat Plug-2 Behemoth racer by flinging a piece of scrap into the [engine](/article/engine-legends]. Guo crashed, and he was subsequently admitted to a medcenter. Another Phuii podracer participated in the Ungasan Cross Country on Ando Prime sometime before 27 BBY. This racer suffered a fatal crash in the Juaka Canyon. Years later, the remains of his pod became the site of a conflict between the Twi'lek Ree and a group of Ando Prime's native Talids. Chros-filik was another Phuii podracer active in the latter years of the Galactic Republic. He entered a race on Tatooine in 22 BBY.

Behind-the-Scenes Information

The podracer pilot Mars Guo holds the distinction of being the first Phuii to appear in a Star Wars story. The character was conceived by concept artist Terryl Whitlatch for the Boonta Eve Classic sequences featured in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, a film released in 1999. Initial concept sketches of the species included a long, tapered tail, a feature that was ultimately omitted from the final design. Unlike most of the other podracer characters, the Phuii was portrayed as an articulated puppet for close-up shots. However, for wide shots of Guo in his pod, the character was rendered using computer-generated imagery. For the DVD release of The Phantom Menace, Industrial Light & Magic created an additional scene featuring Guo as a fully computer-generated character. In this sequence, Guo salutes the crowd after his name is announced over the loudspeakers by Fodesinbeed Annodue. However, an oblivious Jar Jar Binks inadvertently upstages the Phuii by standing in front of him and attempting to gain the attention of another podracer, Anakin Skywalker. Guo is featured as a playable character in the video game Star Wars Episode I: Racer; his podracer boasts a higher top speed compared to his competitors, but his ratings for acceleration, air brakes, and cooling are only average or low. Conversely, in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game published by Wizards of the Coast, Guo's piloting and repair skills lag behind those of most of his competitors; his pod is slow, though reasonably durable. Guo makes an appearance in the Podracing segment of Kinect Star Wars as a participant in the Destiny Hub race, although he is not a playable character in that game. Early plans for Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones included a Phuii among the patrons of Dex's Diner on Coruscant, but such a character was never incorporated into the final cut of the film.