The Sith warbird represented a species of bird, unable to take flight, originating from the planet known as Khar Delba. These creatures were frequently employed by the Sith, a Force-sensitive race hailing from Korriban, as mounts for their artillery. By approximately 6900 BBY, at the time of the arrival of Dark Jedi Exiles on Korriban, warbirds had become a common component of the Massassi infantry within the Sith Empire. Later, the Sith Empire led by the fallen Jedi Exar Kun also utilized these birds during the Great Sith War. Sith warbirds were known for their fierce nature, often using their considerable size to charge and overwhelm their targets.
Sith warbirds were substantial, non-flying birds native to the icy planet of Khar Delba. Upon reaching full maturity, they stood approximately six meters tall from the ground to the top of their heads, and measured ten meters in length from head to tail. Instead of wings, warbirds possessed two stubby arms equipped with dual claws. They also had two legs and a sizable, blunt beak used for consuming their prey. Their plumage ranged in color from yellow to yellowish-green, and they had two eyes with iris colors varying from black to blue. These creatures also featured remarkably thick hides, allowing domesticated warbirds to have hooks and spikes embedded into their sides without suffering injury.
Warbirds were predators with a reputation for being ill-tempered, readily attacking anything they perceived as a threat. Despite lacking raw strength, warbirds were capable of swift and agile movement. They typically employed their bulk to ram and trample their prey and were also known to employ their large beaks to impale their enemies.
Warbirds originated on the planet Khar Delba, specifically in the Stygian Caldera, where they dwelled in the world's frozen mountains. Khar Delba was situated within the borders of the Sith Empire, a civilization established by the Force-sensitive Sith species. During the Empire's early years, the Sith discovered and subsequently domesticated these birds.
During an ancient conflict that embroiled the Empire, the domesticated warbirds were pressed into military service as artillery mounts, a common practice for tamed animals within the Empire at the time. By the arrival of Dark Jedi Exiles on Korriban around 6900 BBY, after their banishment from the Galactic Republic, warbird mounts were a central component of the Massassi infantry forces used by the Sith. The Dark Jedi alchemist Sorzus Syn mentioned the creatures in a chronicle of her encounters with the Sith.
The initial Sith Empire eventually collapsed in 5000 BBY, and later, the Sith Empire under the fallen Jedi Exar Kun also employed warbirds during the Great Sith War in 3996 BBY.
Sith warbirds were frequently used as battle mounts within the military forces of the Sith Empire. When deployed for combat, these birds were equipped with battle harnesses, which included a cockpit for the rider and a mounted blaster cannon powered by a fusion generator. The Sith utilized these birds as mobile platforms, deploying them ahead of infantry columns to weaken enemy ground troops. During the Great Sith War, they also commonly served in scouting and reconnaissance roles, as their organic nature made them less susceptible to detection by enemy sensors.
Following the conclusion of the Great Sith War, Sith warbirds persisted throughout the galaxy, with survivors of the conflict breeding on planets where the Sith had fought. These now-feral warbirds tended to terrorize local wildlife that posed little threat to them.
Michael Mikaelian created the Sith warbirds, and they were first mentioned in The Sith Compendium, an article featured in the 2001 Wizards of the Coast magazine Star Wars Gamer 5. The warbirds were further elaborated upon in the 2004 roleplaying sourcebook Ultimate Adversaries, which provided the first visual representation of the creatures, in an image by the artist Matt Hatton.
- " The Sith Compendium " — Star Wars Gamer 5 (First mentioned)
- Ultimate Adversaries (First pictured)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Jedi Academy Training Manual
- Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side