I’ve always wondered what Jawas actually look like. They’ve been part of Star Wars since the very beginning, yet their faces have never been shown – not in the movies, shows, or even comics. But Aftermath, a canon novel by Chuck Wendig, finally gives us a solid clue. And it’s more revealing than anything we’ve had before.
The Line in Aftermath That Says a Lot
There’s a short but powerful scene in Aftermath where a character named Adwin Charu steps into a sandcrawler. It’s hot and packed with old tech, but what gets his attention is the smell.
“The odor hit him like a fist. A musky, animal smell. And suddenly he’s forced to wonder if each Jawa is just a fraternity of wet rats gathering together under brown robes and a black face veil.”
This is one of the clearest descriptions we’ve ever gotten about what Jawas might be under the robes. Musky. Animal-like. Possibly rodent in appearance. The “wet rats” comparison might not be a biological fact, but the way the moment is written tells us something real: Jawas are not clean, well-groomed beings. They’re closer to something small, hairy, and packed together in heat. Below is my own imagined vision of Jawas inspired by the novel:
The Fur Detail Is Canon
The fur part isn’t a guess – it’s confirmed in canon. In The Mandalorian, Peli Motto says she once dated a Jawa, and when she describes them, she clearly says:
“They’re quite furry.”
According to the official entry, Jawas are “furry humanoids” native to Tatooine. They’re about one meter tall, and their thick brown robes hide everything except their glowing eyes – which aren’t even their real eyes, but part of a face-covering veil.
Why They’re Always Covered
Jawas don’t just wear robes for style or secrecy. From the time they start walking, they wear moisture-regulated, insulated clothing to protect themselves from Tatooine’s extreme heat. As they grow, the robes get longer. Adult Jawas usually have five or six hems sewn into their robes to match their height.
Those glowing yellow or red “eyes” we see? They’re goggles built into a black face veil. It’s a design that hides their entire head and lets them survive in the desert. So even if you’re standing face to face with a Jawa, you still wouldn’t see their skin, fur, or face.
There’s another reason Jawas are so mysterious. Tatooine wasn’t always a desert. According to canon lore, Jawas and Tusken Raiders actually descended from the same species, known as the Kumumgah. After the planet was ruined by the Rakatan Infinite Empire, the Kumumgah evolved in different directions – one group becoming the Jawas, the other becoming Tuskens.
That’s why both species wear full-body coverings and avoid direct contact with outsiders. The evolution split made them culturally and physically different, but they still share the need to protect themselves from the brutal environment of Tatooine.