INFO: The Zabrak, also known as Iridonians (when referring to the Zabrak who came from Iridonia), were a humanoid species native to Iridonia, a planet located in the Mid Rim known for its inhospitable terrain and fierce predatory life. They were a race known for having a fierce sense of self-determination and an equally dominant need for independence.
RACE: Zabrak
HEIGHT: 1.8 Meters Tall
SKIN: Pale to dark brown, red and black, orange and yellow
DISTINCTION: Horns, facial tattoos
LANGUAGE: Zabraki
HOMEWORLD:Iridonia was the harsh homeworld of the Zabrak. Due to the harsh living conditions, the Zabrak were a hardy species. They took to flight and then space travel as soon as they could develop the technology, and by the time the Duros encountered them, they had already colonized five systems. Notable Iridonians include Darth Maul, Bao-Dur, Eeth Koth, Agen Kolar, Drell Kahmf, Kass Tod, Sirak, Maris Brood, and Jurgan Kalta.
As a Mid Rim world situated near important hyperspace lanes, Iridonia was one of the key worlds that connected the Outer Rim to the Inner Rim. As such, it was often one of the first planets to be pulled into a war. During the Old Sith Wars, the planet was the site of numerous battles.
The First Battle of Iridonia, fought during the Great Sith War, was a major victory for the Galactic Republic. It was a turning point in the war which gave the Republic Military and the Jedi Order momentum which would help them to eventually defeat their Sith adversaries.
Several of Iridonia's colonies along the Outer Rim were conquered by the Mandalorians during the initial stages of the Mandalorian Wars. After learning of the loss of their colonies, many Iridonians, including Bao-Dur, sought revenge by joining the Republic's war effort against the Mandalorian invaders. In the same year, 3,963 BBY, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders launched a major offensive against Iridonia. After a successful campaign, they occupied the planet for a number of months, but Iridonia was eventually liberated by the Republic Military.
Iridonia changed hands a number of times during the Jedi Civil War. The Sith Empire and the Republic fought fiercely over the planet, and both sides used it as a staging ground during the conflict. Due to the fact that Iridonia was occupied by the Sith at times, the eight Iridonian colonies became self sufficient. Following the war, they broke away and became independent worlds.
Around 1,002 BBY, the Brotherhood of Darkness operated a Sith academy on the world that trained Sith Acolytes and apprentices. The Sith also hired Zabrak mercenaries from the planet's high council.
After the Battle of Ruusan, the Zabrak established colonies on many far-flung worlds. The Zabrak of Iridonia maintained the most militant culture, and Zabrak youths from the colonies were often sent to the original homeworld for warrior training.
Palpatine visited Iridonia at some point between 54 BBY and 50 BBY and found the young Zabrak boy who would soon become his apprentice, the fearsome Darth Maul.
Kaysil Verwood became the first New Republic Senator of her people, representing not only Iridonia but all the Zabrak colonies. The Zabrak were founding members of the government, as Verwood attended the Galactic Caucus to form the new government.
When Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire was first established, Iridonia was amongst the first world to pledge its allegiance to the new Emperor. Since Zabraks were traditionally a species that produced many force-sensitives, Iridonia contributed more apprentices to the One Sith than any other world. However, despite the wishes of Iridonian government, several Zabrak colonies rebeled against the new Empire. Two such colonies were completely wiped out when Pellaeon-class Star Destroyers issued Base Delta Zero to reduce their planets to rubble. After the punishment the remaining five colonies surrendered to Imperial forces and one of them, Feldrona, was transformed into a prison planet and placed under tight Imperial control.
BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:Zabrak resembled Humans to some degree, but had a number of significant physical characteristics that set them apart from baseline Humanity. The most striking of these were a series of vestigial horns that crowned the heads of both males and females. These horns grew at puberty in varying patterns and signified that the time of their rite of passage was drawing near. The horns were one trait shared by the many Zabrak subspecies, which were divided by a number of physical characteristics that differed from subspecies to subspecies. These could include different skin tones (which included peachy white, yellow, red, tan, brown and black), horn patterns, hair growth (though it should be noted that Zabraks, unlike Humans, could not grow eyelashes or facial hair) and eye color (which have certain pigmentations that Humans lack, such as purple, yellow, red and orange).
Another of the traits that made Zabrak instantly recognizable were their facial tattoos, which were made up of thin lines received during their rite of passage. These could symbolize many things, including but not limited to family lineage, place of birth, or even a design that reflected their individual personalities.
CULTURE AND HISTORY:Zabrak were often seen by most other species as being single-minded, an observation that was not terribly incorrect. This single-minded determination came from the fact that they were a race with a strong sense of self-assuredness, confident that they were able to accomplish any task that they set out to do. However, this did not lead a Zabrak to develop a sense of prideful superiority towards others, though there was often the occasional competition between colonies. This was not seen as a negative, however, for the Zabraks believed that the various experiences of the different colonies only served to add values to the race's overall value to the galaxy.
Zabrak were proud, strong, and confident beings. They believed that nothing was truly impossible, and strove to prove skeptics wrong at every turn. Some Zabraks carried themselves with an air of superiority, frequently discussing the achievements of their people with pride that could border on arrogance. As warriors or adventurers, Zabrak tended to be dedicated, intense, and extremely focused.
Zabrak from Iridonia were considered to be more war-like than Zabrak from their colony worlds, most likely due to the rugged terrain that made up their home world. As such, they developed a highly physical style of martial arts, which were a requirement for young Zabrak to learn. It was not uncommon for Zabrak from Iridonia to be among the best hand-to-hand fighters and weaponsmiths in the galaxy. Zabrak from colony worlds also shared that drive for excellence, but encouraged their children to express it in other ways. It was thus not surprising to see that the Zabrak met with success in many fields, ranging from medicine to entertainment.
Zabrak would commonly take their names from animals native to Iridonia, with many Zabrak families named after the Bukk. Many Zabrak males were named after the Blok, Lok, and Zur. Many Zabrak females were known to take their names from the Triz.
As one of the earliest spacefaring species in the galaxy, the Zabrak played a major role in Galactic affairs. Like the early Humans, the Zabrak established many colonies outside their home system early in their history, such as on the planet Iridia. The Elomin species was believed by some xenoarchaeologists to be descended from Zabrak colonists who settled Elom in the distant past. By the time the Zabrak encountered the Republic, they had a total of eight colonies in five systems.
Long ago, the Sith had made contacts with the high council of Iridonia in order to hire the services of their most talented mercenaries. This influence remained with the Zabrak people long after the Sith were thought to be wiped out at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, though it remained more closely associated with the Zabrak of Iridonia than the Zabrak of their colony worlds.
Eeth Koth and Agen Kolar were two Zabrak that served on the Jedi High Council in the period leading up to the fall of the Galactic Republic. Koth was a noteworthy addition to the Jedi Order in that he was born on Nar Shaddaa instead of Iridonia or one of the colony worlds and was taken as a Youngling at the relatively advanced age of four. The mental and physical disciplines of his natural Zabrak heritage, along with his potential, allowed him to be an exception to the rule that required Jedi initiates to be taken in at infancy. Both Koth and Kolar were killed during the Clone Wars, Koth at the Battle of Geonosis and Kolar during an attempt to arrest Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, recently revealed to have been Darth Sidious.
In the time following the formation of the Galactic Empire, the natural strong-willed nature of the Zabrak people allowed them to resist Imperial occupation. This defiant spirit continued in the face of various actions that the Empire took against them, including garrisoning all of their worlds, destroying their industrial base, and raising taxes that drove them to near poverty. Following the defeat of the Empire at the Battle of Endor, the Zabrak race united as one and joined the fledgling New Republic, determined to never again be put under the oppression they had suffered during the height of the New Order.
APPEARANCES:Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 7: Flashpoint, Part 1 (As a Mandalorian)
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 32: Vindication, Part 1
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Mentioned only)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
Jedi vs. Sith (Possible appearance)
Darth Bane: Rule of Two (Appears in holocron) (Belia Darzu shape shifting)
"Heart of Darkness" - Star Wars Tales 16
"Yaddle's Tale: The One Below" - Star Wars Tales 5
The Monster (Mentioned only)
Nameless
Jedi Council: Acts of War
Darth Maul: Saboteur
Cloak of Deception
Star Wars: Darth Maul
"Marked" - Star Wars Tales 24
Episode I Adventures 3: The Fury of Darth Maul
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
"Single Cell" - Star Wars Tales 7 (Mentioned only)
Star Wars: Obi-Wan
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel (First appearance)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace junior novel
Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Appears in flashback(s))
"Oblivion's Kiss"
Star Wars Republic: Outlander
Nomad
Star Wars Republic: Emissaries to Malastare
Star Wars Republic: The Hunt for Aurra Sing
Star Wars Republic: The Stark Hyperspace War (Appears in flashback(s))
Star Wars Republic: The Devaronian Version (Appears in flashback(s))
Star Wars Republic: Rite of Passage
Jedi Quest comic (Vision to Anakin Skywalker)
Star Wars: Zam Wesell
Coruscant Restricts Immigration—HoloNet News Vol. 531 51
Mid Rim Worlds Open Ports to Refugees—HoloNet News Vol. 531 52
RRM Fundraiser a Huge Success—HoloNet News Vol. 531 53
Dooku Spotted in Gree Enclave—HoloNet News Vol. 531 54
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones / comic
The Lesson
Star Wars Republic 53: Blast Radius
Jedi: Shaak Ti
Star Wars Republic 54: Double Blind
Jedi: Count Dooku
Star Wars Republic: The Battle of Jabiim
The Clone Wars: Act on Instinct
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Grievous Intrigue"
Star Wars Republic 61: Dead Ends
Star Wars Republic 62: No Man's Land (Cover only)
Star Wars Republic: Show of Force
MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
"MedStar: Intermezzo" - Star Wars Insider 83
MedStar II: Jedi Healer (Mentioned only)
Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 21"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volume 1: Shipyards of Doom
Star Wars: General Grievous
Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 22"
Star Wars: Obsession
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / comic / junior novel
Star Wars Dark Times: The Path to Nowhere
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Star Wars Dark Times: Parallels
Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows
The Force Unleashed novel
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed comic (Appears in flashback(s))
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance
"Resurrection" - Star Wars Tales 9
Death Star (Mentioned only)
Perfect Evil
Oh!! Jawajawa
Rebel Force: Renegade
Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy
Star Wars Rebellion: The Ahakista Gambit
Walking the Path That's Given
Pearls in the Sand
Star Wars Galaxies – An Empire Divided
Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine
"Phantom Menaces" - Star Wars Tales 17
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Legacy 8: Allies
Star Wars Legacy: Broken
Star Wars Legacy: Trust Issues
Star Wars Legacy: Ghosts
Star Wars Legacy: The Hidden Temple
Star Wars Legacy 35: Storms, Part 2
Star Wars Legacy 38: Tatooine, Part 2
Star Wars Legacy 39: Tatooine, Part 3 (Vision to Cade Skywalker)
SOURCES:Star Wars: Episode I toy line
Star Wars: Power of the Jedi
Alien Anthology
The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
Ultimate Alien Anthology
"Rogues Gallery: Fringers" - Star Wars Gamer 7 (Picture only)
The Official Star Wars Fact File 96 (German Edition - ZAB1-2, Zabrak)
Behind the Threat: The Sith, Part 1: Portrayal on Wizards.com (article)
The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Champions of the Force (Card: In the Crosshairs) (Picture only)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Squadrons Over Corellia (Card: Force Clarity) (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – The Shadow Syndicate (Card: Rebel Sympathizer) (Picture only)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – The Shadow Syndicate (Card: Smuggler's Delight) (Picture only)
The Essential Atlas
Maris Brood in the Databank
Agen Kolar in the Databank
Eeth Koth in the Databank
Darth Maul in the Databank
I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.
