The Big Picture
- Ahsoka, the newest Star Wars series, features two leading non-human characters, Hera Syndula and the titular Togruta character
- Togruta are easily identifiable by their unique appearance, including towering montrals, distinctive skin tones, and face markings. Montrals and lekku provide information about gender and age, and help with echolocation.
- Togruta have different cultures, with settlements on their home planet of Shili and the colony of Kiros. The Shili Togruta are naturalistic, while the Kiros colony focuses on art and beauty. Togruta values center around peace and life.
Star Wars has many different species, from the teddy bear-like Ewoks to the infamous Hutts. Each species has a unique world, history, and culture, but only so many can be explored in depth. The fact is, most of the leading characters in Star Wars are humans, limiting species diversity. Yet that is not the case of the newest series, Ahsoka, which has two leading non-human characters, the Twi’lek rebel, Hera Syndula (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and, of course, the Togruta title character (Rosario Dawson). Following the former padawan of Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Matt Lanter), the series focuses on Ahsoka Tano, who has been featured in several other stories over the years. But she is far from the only Togruta around. Jedi Master Shaak Ti (Tasia Valenza) also plays a memorable role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and appears in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones as well. Although the most widely known Togruta are Jedi, there are many members of the species throughout the galaxy.
The Togruta are humanoid, like many species, but they are easily identifiable by their unique appearance. With various settlements throughout the galaxy, there are a range of Togruta, but they are not as widespread as other species. Togruta are most commonly found on their home world of Shili or their settlement on Kiros. Ahsoka herself may have spent most of her childhood in the Jedi’s care, away from her people, but that doesn’t mean the Togruta societies haven’t been seen. In fact, both their home of Shili and the Kiros colony have appeared between The Clone Wars and Tales of the Jedi, providing a well-rounded knowledge of the Togruta people.
What Do Togruta Look Like in Star Wars?
Togruta are hard to miss with their towering montrals and distinctive skin tones. Ahsoka’s orange skin isn’t universal among Togruta, as they can be blue, purple, red, white, and yellow, in addition to orange. They each have unique face markings, which range from the small white pattern on Ahsoka’s face to the circles that cover most of Shaak Ti’s face. Though all are different, the look of Ahsoka’s parents in Tales of the Jedi suggests there is a level of family resemblance.
Yet, the Togruta’s most instantly recognizable feature is their montrals and lekku. Togruta have two cone-shaped montrals atop their heads and three headtails called lekku connected to the montrals, two of which frame either side of their faces while the third runs down their back. Montrals and lekku give a lot of information about Togruta, including the gender and age. Males’s montrals branch wider, while women tend to have longer lekku. As the montrals and lekku grow with age, their height and length can indicate how old a Togruta is. Though most of this can be gleaned from their appearances, Star Wars novels add information that isn’t on the surface. The reference book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know explains that montrals help Togruta sense movement through echolocation, providing the species with an extra sense. The novel Ahsoka adds that Togruta have two stomachs, further distinguishing them from humans.
Togruta Have Distinct and Separate Cultures in Star Wars
Togruta are not found in great numbers in cities, and yet, there are several settlements of the species. Hailing from the Expansion Region, Togruta are native to the planet Shili, yet they have a large colony on Kiros, another planet in the same region. Though these two societies of Togruta are drastically different, there are commonalities. For one thing, they have the same native language, Togruti. They also both settled in mountainous or elevated areas. The Togruta of Shili appears in the first episode of Tales of the Jedi, as it shows a baby Ahsoka and demonstrates the culture of the village where she was born. They have a tradition of taking a child on their first hunt at a year old, as the series shows Ahsoka’s experience. The Shili Togruta are a naturalistic community living in huts. Though Ahsoka’s father, Nak-il (Sunil Malhotra), isn’t dedicated to the traditions of their people, his wife, Pav-ti (Janina Gavankar), doesn’t want to anger the spirits, suggesting a religious aspect to these people. While Nak-il refers to the spirits as trees, Pav-il calls them ancestors, showing their reverence for nature. On their excursion, Pav-ti explains to Ahsoka the value of all life and the respect it deserves, demonstrating what these Togruta value.
The Kiros Togruta are slightly different from those on Shili. Not quite as naturalistic as the Shili society, the Kiros colony has its own focus. Appearing in Season 4 of The Clone Wars, Kiros is a colony focused on art and beauty to the point that the society has no warriors or weapons. The settlement is surrounded by picturesque scenery and filled with unique pointed buildings, much different from the simple Shili village — another example of the beauty valued by these Togruta.
Who Are Star Wars’ Most Notable Togruta?
Because the most prevalent Togruta are Jedi (or, in Ahsoka’s case, nearly a Jedi), the history of the culture isn’t explored thoroughly. But Ahsoka’s personal history is well documented, from her birth all the way to her adulthood in Ahsoka. Shaak Ti’s appearances are less thorough, but she also spends more time with the Jedi than the Togruta. Serving on the Jedi Council, Shaak Ti fought in the Clone Wars and assisted with the training of the Clone Troopers. Additionally, a Force-sensitive Togruta can be seen in Attack of the Clones as a youngling.
Another notable Togruta is Roshti (Corey Burton), the governor of Kiros during the Clone Wars, of which the species was present during the High Republic Era. Though peaceful, even the Kiros Togruta were not untouched by the Clone Wars. The Zygerrian slavers took hostages from them, destroying parts of their colony. Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan (James Arnold Taylor) saved the Togruta, but the incident led Governor Roshti to join the Republic. Several Togruta, including Ahsoka, were involved in the Rebellion, though their names are not mentioned. Overall, the Togruta seem to avoid major conflicts, likely because their values focus on peace or life, and neither lend themselves to violence. Ahsoka is a Togruta by birth, but her life experiences set her apart, making her more a Jedi than a member of her own culture.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
