The Tusken Raiders of Tatooine, who made their debut in the original Star Wars movie, are still shrouded in mystery today, but their secrets are slowly coming out. One aspect of George Lucas’ first Star Wars movie that really stood out was how intricately it built its universe. Tatooine, which Luke Skywalker identified as the planet furthest from the galaxy’s blazing centre, received extensive attention in the opening act, which gave it a tremendous amount of depth. However, no Star Wars film or television programme has ever included a Tusken Raider face, and many fans are still curious about what Tusken Raiders really look like.
The Tusken Raiders were especially enigmatic. These obviously dangerous desert tribesmen threatened Luke, but were chased away when Obi-Wan Kenobi intervened and cried out in a Krayt Dragon scream (as seen in Mandalorian season 2). Since then, Tatooine has been visited by Star Wars numerous times, most notably in George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, in which they caused the death of Anakin Skywalker’s mother. But in reality, they weren’t fully developed until recently, when the Disney+ series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett properly explored Tusken culture and history and treated them as actual, three-dimensional individuals.
Given that the oceans of Tatooine departed at some point during the evolution of the Tuskens, it is plausible to presume that their bulky garments and distinctive masks were initially some sort of survival strategy for tolerating the shifting climate. Over the centuries, their attire has evolved from functional to ceremonial, and, like Mandalorians, it is unlawful for a Tusken Raider to be seen without a mask unless in intimate settings, such as when they are with their significant others. When Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, the Tusken Raiders sans masks or goggles that had previously been shown in the Expanded Universe—notably in the 1997 video game Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II—were removed from the canon. Will Star Wars fans ever get to see a canon Tusken Raider face? What do Tusken Raiders look like?
How Star Wars Has Changed Tusken Raiders’ Culture In Modern Lore
The Tuskens were historically underdeveloped and perceived as inferior species in Star Wars because they were seen via the human inhabitants of Tatooine. This was most evident in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones when, in a fit of fury and grief following the passing of his mother, Anakin Skywalker massacred the Tuskens. Although this was undoubtedly portrayed as a milestone on Anakin’s journey to the dark side, considering his admission that he killed people—including women and children—like animals, it wasn’t given enough weight.
But in recent years, this conventional picture has undergone transformation. In season 2, one tribe agreed to a peace with Tatooine Marshal Cobb Vanth after being seen by Din Djarin using sign language to communicate with Tuskens in The Mandalorian. All of this set the stage for really studying Tusken culture and civilization and considering them as unique persons. This opening was used by The Book of Boba Fett to depict how Boba blended in with a different Tusken tribe in flashbacks. The desert savages from Star Wars are now one of their most fascinating and complicated races.
What Tusken Raiders Look Like Under Their Masks
Legends, the Disney-branded name for the previous Expanded Universe, is no longer canon. A Tusken Raider’s face has never been exposed in any Disney Star Wars, although the non-canon material did allow fans to see one without a mask. A masked Tusken Raider gang known as the Grave Tuskens appeared in Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. These exposed Tusken Raiders appeared to be feline-like felines with grey fur. According to sources, the Tuskens and Jawas are evolutionary cousins, and the Legends characterise the Jawas as having rodent-like characteristics (a trait introduced to canon during The Book of Boba Fett). Given that the Tusken Raiders and the hooded Jawas both evolved on Tatooine, it makes reasonable that the two would look alike. The only other time a Tusken was seen unmasked was in Star Wars: Republic #62, a comic book tale in which Anakin Skywalker had nightmare visions of a Tusken revealing a face like the Predator. This was probably simply a figment of his fevered imagination since Anakin isn’t thought to have ever glimpsed under a Tusken’s mask.
There has long been conjecture that Tuskens, like Mandalorians, are not a single race but rather a collection of races with a shared civilization. This hypothesis was reinforced by legends in Star Wars: Republic #59, where A’Sharad Hett, a Tusken Raider turned Jedi Master who subsequently evolved into the Sith Lord Darth Krayt, revealed his face to Anakin. Nevertheless, this was necessary for the “Tusken” to admit that he was indeed a human, just like Anakin. Sharad Hett, a human Jedi Knight who had assimilated with the Tuskens, and a human lady who had been kidnapped as a child and reared among them were the parents of A’Sharad Hett. The Book of Boba Fett stated that Boba Fett briefly joined a Tusken tribe, however this appeared to be exceedingly unusual in Tusken society and he never wore a mask. This information is canon. There can be different levels of initiation into Tusken culture, and Boba may have just never reached the stage where he received his mask.
Why Star Wars Should Never Show An Unmasked Tusken Raider
If the debate over programmes like Halo revealing Master Chief’s identity and Star Wars revealing Boba Fett’s identity proves anything, it’s that masked characters should stay that way. Since the era of Ancient Greek theatre, people have been attracted with masked characters. Every civilization uses some sort of mask; they provide mystique and frequently have important social connotations. Removing their masks would be disrespectful to their established customs and ways from fiction, as well as take away the element of mystery that has made the fictional species so beloved by viewers. The removal of the masks by Boba Fett and Din Djarin had consequences that extended beyond the Star Wars world due to how much the seemingly insignificant choice upset established canon.
The Book of Boba Fett went further into Tusken civilization than ever before yet wisely refrained from revealing their identity. When the Tusken Raiders are shown to be unmasked, nearly 50 years of speculation come to an end. Given that the Tusken’s masks are already recognisable at this point, there isn’t much that Disney and Lucasfilm could show behind the bandages and goggles that would feel like a worthwhile compensation. The Star Wars fandom has gained a reputation for opposing modifications that conflict with canon, as demonstrated when Disney unmasked Boba Fett to reveal Attack of the Clones Jango Fett actor Temuera Morrison. They also generally like their masked characters to stay masked. Because it takes away the mystique and intrigue that made Tusken Raiders essential to the Star Wars aesthetic in the first place, many people simply don’t want to know what an unmasked Tusken Raider looks like.
Why Tusken Raiders Wear Masks In Star Wars Stories
To combat the harsh Tatooine climate, Tusken garments and masks were first created. The goggles probably protect their delicate eyes from the terrible sandstorms on Tatooine, the famous Star Wars planet, while the mouth grills are intended to stop crucial moisture from leaving their bodies. The earliest children appear to be hidden from outsiders, and then they are ceremonially bandaged so it is safe for them to go out into Tatooine’s deserts, initially wearing simple robes and the traditional mask. Although the garb and masks started out as functional, they have now become central to Tusken culture. Tuskens develop physically as they age, therefore it’s likely there are multiple ceremonies where tribesmen wrap a growing Tusken in bandages and change their masks. Despite never receiving a mask, Boba Fett was dressed in Tusken attire, and the encounter had a mysterious feel to it.
It’s probable that different Tusken tribes have distinctive clothing and mask designs that give them a varied appearance. The Tusken tribe in The Book of Boba Fett was slightly different from those depicted in The Original Star Wars, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2. They wore tan robes and had comparable gear. Each had a distinctive appearance and could be distinguished from the others thanks to their various combinations of tan and black robes and bandages. One warrior sported a nearly all-black outfit, maybe a sign of their skill and expertise in battle, while others had odd wrapping around their shoulders or outer robes that resembled long skirts. The ornate clothing of the tribe leader most likely indicated their rank.
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