Deliah Blue tattooing a black skull on Cade Skywalker's arm.
- "Please tell me that all that stuff will wash out of your hair."
"It will. But the tattoos are permanent."
"Tattoos?" - Myri Antilles startling her father
A tattoo was a permanent insertion of ink[1][2] or pigments[3][4] below the skin using a sharp needle[1]. A number of beings had tattoos, normally for cosmetic reasons or as part of their culture or an organization.
Tattooing was also used as a common identification or branding of slaves. One example was the slave trade planet Orvax IV. The Togorian Mezgraf, a former slave of this planet, had his slaver's mark on his right shoulder, still visible through his white fur, and would often wear a long-sleeved jacket to cover it.[5]
A tattooist, or tattoo artist, was a person who drew tattoos on people's skin as a job. Notable examples were Bojam Rees, who made a living as a tattooist on Starstation 12,[6] and the male Lafrarian Nuyu, a tattoo artist and body decorator who ran a small shop on StarForge Station[7]. The Blue Sector of Corellia's capital Coronet hosted a high proportion of tattoo parlors.[8][9]
During the Clone Wars, under the direction of the Jedi, clone troopers were encouraged to adopt nicknames for themselves, get tattoos and customize their armor and even their hairstyles.[10]
"Tatooine Tattoo" was shipjacker slang for "price on your head" (Jabba the Hutt level).[11] Tattoos could be concealed with synthskin.[12]
A'mari
Edit
The A'mari were the former ruling clan of Malano III. They were marked with a black tattoo across their neck.[13]
AquellansEdit
The planet Aquella was notable for the Human males' ritual tattooing and dyeing on their bodies upon reaching adulthood.[14] A combination of permanent dye and micro-tattooing was applied during rite of passage ceremonies, and the resulting purplish-green skin made them look like a race of Near-Humans.[15]
Bk'trugh clanEdit
The Bk'trugh clan was a Gamorrean clan whose members could be recognized by a tattoo on their arms.[16]
The Blood Carver Ko Vakier with tattoos on his nose flaps.
Blood CarversEdit
The Blood Carvers sported tribal tattoos along the ridge of their nose flaps.[17]
Bomu ClanEdit
- "I know the clan. Bomu family. I recognize the facial tattoos."
- Reen Irana
The Bomu Clan was an extended family of Rodian mercenaries. Each member was marked with a tattoo of the clan's family symbol as soon as she or he was old enough to hold a blaster carbine.[18]
BosphsEdit
The Bosph stood out from other tattooed cultures by their unusual motif: star maps. The first Bosphs were nomads, and would often tattoo themselves with maps and star charts for navigation. This tradition is still practiced by high-ranking officials and many non-ranking Bosphs. When the species was discovered by scouts several decades before the Battle of Yavin, the Bosphs who took to the stars developed the tradition further by having their skin adorned with intricate star maps, which often depicted star systems and planets not yet discovered by even professional scouts.[19]
DantariEdit
Seven years after the Battle of Endor, refugees from Eol Sha made a new home on Dantooine, the homeworld of the Dantari, only to be wiped out by Imperial Admiral Daala. To the primitive Dantari, the arrival of Daala's forces was an event of unprecedented awe, and they began incorporating Imperial symbology into their belief systems. As part the new tradition, the Dantari tattooed themselves with Imperial symbols; Imperial crests, AT-ATs, blaster rifles, and in the case of the truly brave, full body depictions of stormtrooper armor.[17]
DuhmaEdit
The Duhma species identified themselves through their tribal tattoos of a unique pattern. The former Imperial Colonel Abal Karda had his face tattooed with their symbol, as part of a disguise to avoid being captured for the bounty placed on his head.[6]
EbraniteEdit
The Ebranite social structures were based on family and clan units. Each clan, or thilda, had a unique identifying insignia. This insignia was a source of pride and honor, and any insult directed to the clan insignia was viewed as an insult to the clan itself, and to each and every clan member of that clan. Every Ebranite had their clan's insignia tattooed on the uppermost left arm at birth, and remained loyal to their respective clans until death.
In the past millennia, the Ebranite society was plagued with clan warfare, but as their society slowly evolved, many clans would cooperate for mutual advancement. It became increasingly more common to find several clans living together, and children were now given a new clan insignia symbolizing the unity of several clans.[17][20]
FalleenEdit
Some groups of Falleen had clan or loyalty tattoos on their bodies.[21]
GorothiteEdit
The Gorothite had several wattles beneath their chins, which they decorated with complex, helical tattoos of bright color. The tattoos denoted ancestry and status within their society, and also identified to which j'ber (a kind of clan or extended family) an individual belonged. Most Gorothite couldn't understand how offworlder could be insensitive to these fine gradations of status.[22]
Quinlan Vos with yellow Kiffar tattoos on his face and left arm.
GreeEdit
The Gree decorated their long foreheads with hieroglyphic tattoos which indicated rank and caste.[23]
KiffarEdit
- "My source tells me that she's about fifty, has a Kiffar facial tattoo, and flies a KDY assault ship that I think you'd recognize.""
- Goran Beviin, on Kiffar Ailyn Vel
The Mirialans and the Kiffar stood out from other Humans and Near-Humans by their tattoos.[24] The Kiffar believed that it is the mother who gives life, and the power of the Force flows through her to her children. As part of this belief, the tattoos of the Kiffar[24]known as qukuuf[25]signified their family heritage from their mothers.[24] Various patterns, designs and colors identify an individual's clan. Known colors were yellow, like the Jedi Master Quinlan Vos[26], green, like Kiffu Guardian Asanté Vos[26], purple, like Guardian Horsea[27], black, like bounty hunters Sintas and Ailyn Vel[28] and former Special Forces Republic trooper Larin Moxla[29], red, like Guardian Vanlin[27], and blue, like Jedi Padawan Shigar Konshi[29].
When an individual's mother was not a Kiffar, apparently the father's tattoos were taken on; this was the case of Korto Vos, the son of Quinlan Vos and Human mother Khaleen Hentz.[30]
MirialansEdit
- "Luminara, [we] have had a recent encounter with someone who bears markings similar to yours."
- Qui-Gon Jinn
Luminara Unduli with Mirialan tattoos on her face and knuckle joints.
The Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan Barriss Offee wore unique tattoos to signify that the Force had singled them out for greater destinies. Luminara's tattoos included her lower lip, her chin and the knuckle joints on her hands.[31] Her lower lip had a purplish-black color, and her chin was adorned with interlocking black diamond-shaped tattoos, while more intricate markings covered her knuckle joints.[34] Later, she had her upper lip tattooed as well, and her chin-tattoo was enlarged with more diamonds.[35]
Barriss' tattoos were not as detailed as her master's, but she knew that she would acquire more of them as she grew older. Her diamond-shaped tattoos[36] ran across her cheeks, the bridge of her nose, and the backs of her hands.[31] Her lips were the same dark color of the tattoos,[36] but it is uncertain whether they were tattooed as well, or were just make-up.
The male Mirialan pirate and mercenary Arwen Cohl was rushed from temple to temple with small diamond-shaped tattoos.[37]
The Mirialan smuggler Baasen Ray had tattoos on his chin and cheeks. He acquired a few more as he got older.[38]
NightbrothersEdit
Zabrak Nightbrothers
The Nightbrothers were a tribal group of Dathomirian (Zabrak-Human hybrids) men subservient to the Nightsisters of Dathomir.[39] Shortly after birth, a Nightbrother was subjected to an initiation ritual in which he was submerged in an oily bath, energized with spirit ichor conjured by the Nightsisters' use of magicks, and covered with tattoos[4] on their chests and faces.[40] Sometimes, the tattoos were applied to the Nightbrother's entire body - this was the case with the Sith Lord Darth Maul.[4] The Nightbrothers' tattoos marked them as the Nightsisters' kin and warriors,[40] and also showed which Nightbrother clan they belonged to.[41][40]
Maul was a member of the Nightbrothers before being taken by Darth Sidious to be trained as his apprentice.[39][4] Maul's tattoos, thought to be linked to the Sith,[39] actually came from the warrior culture of the Nightbrothers.[39][4] His entire body had been garishly and ceremonially tattooed in red and black pigments by his mother when he was less than a standard year of age (before he was taken by Sidious),[42] symbols which showed his Nightbrother heritage.[43] Later stripped of his black Nightbrother markings, Maul was left solely red-skinned.[44] Agonizing Sith Tatoos were applied personally by Darth Sidious in an attempt to cleanse Maul's mind.[44][45]Savage Opress also wore tattoos.[46]
NightsistersEdit
The Nightsisters of Dathomir had a tradition of facial tattooing. The markings announced to the galaxy what they were.[40] One example was a group of Nightsisters lead by matriarch Zalem. The coven had pale skin with black tattoos.[47] The Nightsister Robetheri wore reddish-brown tattoos on her bald head and face, which drastically altered her appearance.[48]
Sometimes, the markings on a Nightsister's face were not tattoos, but bruises. According a text written by Mother Talzin, channeling the magic of the Fanged God could burst minor blood vessels, raising telltale bruises on the cheeks and around the eyes.[40] Talzin's herself had such permanent bruises on her face as a result of the use of dark side powers.[49]
PantoransEdit
The blue-skinned Pantorans wore yellow tattoos on their faces.[50]
RattatakiEdit
The Rattataki were distinguished by their chalk-white skin, and facial tattoos.[33]
ScipioansEdit
Tattoos were mark of status on the planet Scipio. Rush Clovis, a Banking Clan member from Scipio, wore yellow tattoos on his forehead.[51]
SharuEdit
After the Mindharp of Sharu was activated, the life-energies of the Sharu were awakened from their computerized slumber, and the Toka, the species' temporary, primitive form, were restored to the Sharu. Many of the new Sharu had tattoos on their foreheads of the Mindharp or other Sharu symbols.[52]
SleheyroniEdit
Ziro the Hutt with the tattoos of the Hutts of Sleheyron on his head, back, arms and tail. He also had the symbol of Black Sun tattooed on his belly.
The wealthy Hutts of Sleheyron, a Hutt trade world, wore unique headdresses, jewelry and golden tattoos.[53]Ziro the Hutt got his tattoos during his younger days as a crime lord and smuggling boss on the planet.[54] His tattoos were inked by a Sleheyroni artist. He also had the symbol of his Black Sun faction tattooed on his belly.[51]
SullustansEdit
Each Sullustan's cranial markings and dew flaps were as unique to that individual as a retinal marker or fingerprints. Some Sullustans took this uniqueness a step further by adding ritual tattoos, reinforcing their individualism.[24] One example of a tattooed Sullustan was a Sullustan member of the Black Hole Gang during the Clone Wars.[55] In 0 BBY, Han Solo met a Sullustan in a cantina on Kiamurr, who had ornate tattoos on his dewflaps and ears.[56]
TarasinEdit
The Tarasin had a tattoo design unique to their species: A kir'ala tree with its long, weeping branches. Color-changing inks were reserved for marks of true honor.[57]
Tusken RaidersEdit
- "I marked myself to set myself apart. So that, under my outer face, I would not have to be...Human"
- A'Sharad Hett
Tusken Raiders wore ritual tattoos on their bodies.[58]A'Sharad Hett, a Human raised among Tuskens, wore the tattoos of his people[58] on his face[59] and shoulders[60]. The black markings were a way of identifing himself as not being human under his Tusken trappings.[59]
Nei Rin with Yuuzhan Vong tattoos.
Yuuzhan VongEdit
Among the Yuuzhan Vong, tattooing was part of a religious ritual of reshaping and disfiguration. Most Yuuzhan Vong bore severe disfigurements, scars and tattoos to more closely resemble their gods, which they fanatically worshiped.[61]
WrooniansEdit
The Near-Human, blue-skinned Wroonians[62] often wore ornate markings on their faces, but it is unclear how often these facial decorations were tattoos, instead of make-up or paint. The Wroonian woman Azoora had her forehead decorated with a yellow mark that matched her lips.[63]Chi Eekway Papanoida, the Pantoran senator of the Wroonian homeworld[64], whose skin color matched the Wroonians, wore black markings on her forehead, nose and chin.[65] The planet Saleucami was home to several offworld cultures, including Wroonians.[66] Among the Wroonian colonists, ornate facial markings appeared to be common. At least two colors, red and black, existed.[67]
ZabrakEdit
The Zabrak wore facial tattoos made up of thin lines that they received during their rite of passage, which takes place after their horns begin to grow at puberty. These facial marks could be symbolic of many things, like family lineage or where they came from, or could be a personal design of their own.[24] A Zabrak's ritual tattoos were unique to each Zabrak, and could represent any number of things in their life or culture.[33] The Sith Lord Darth Maul had his skin covered in black tattoos[24] from his Nightbrothers tribe.[39] It was unusual for a Zabrak to have no facial tattoos[68]; notable examples were Jedi Master Agen Kolar[69], Pol Haus, prefect in the Imperial Sector Police[68] and the Jedi Padawan Maris Brood[70].
Travelling is my life
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