in:Legends articles,Pages needing citation,Stubs,Occupations

Scout

<Scout

Edit

Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Canon version of this subject.

This article covers the Legends version of this subject.

For other uses, seeScout.

Help me,Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

This article is in need of referencing per Wookieepedia'ssourcing guidelines.

This article needs appropriate citations. Help usimprove this article by referencing valid resource material. Remove this notice when finished.

Hoth Scout TCG — ARebel Alliance scout onHoth

"Our scout ships have reached Dantooine. They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems."

―Siward Cass^[1]

Scouts, also known asexplorers orrangers, were individuals who charted newhyperspace routes and explored unknownplanets or unknown planetary areas as well as planets or planetary areas occupied by enemy forces, either working for a government, a corporation, or as an independent.

Most major governments, including theGalactic Republic,Galactic Empire and theNew Republic had their own scout services.

History[]

Jedi Civil War[]

In4000 BBY, government scouts were organized as theRepublic Astrogation Survey Team, a part of theScience and Culture Administration. Many scouts find themselves offering two major services during this era. One is reconnaissance—providing valuable intelligence to governments and other factions during volatile times. Fleet movements, shifting alliances, and covert corporate actions are all of interest to the right parties.^[2]

The other is the scout’s traditional role: exploring space and discovering new worlds. Despite ongoing warfare, colonization continues at a rapid pace. Many species seek habitable planets, and corporations are eager to pay for information on natural resources. Scouts are often commissioned to find such worlds for specific patrons.^[2]

A scout’s knowledge of remote regions makes their astrogation data highly valuable. Scout ships are frequently the last to chart certain routes, and their information is essential for both war fleets and colonization efforts. In uncharted space, reliable data is rare. For this reason, scouts are often hired to map safe paths ahead of major movements—risky missions, but exactly the kind of challenge many scouts live for.^[2]

Clone Wars[]

During theClone Wars, both the Republic andConfederacy send agents to far-flung worlds in search of resources, often relying on local guides to navigate the unfamiliar terrain. Scout heroes become embroiled in this conflict, working as guides, trackers, advanced scouts, bounty hunters, and even assassins. Major battles often take place on undeveloped worlds, where scouts' skills are invaluable. Without them, factions would struggle to navigate planets likeFelucia andSaleucami, key battlefields in the war.^[3]

While actual conscription is rare, many scouts are involuntarily pressed into service by occupying forces, though they are compensated. Some scouts willingly join one faction, while others don’t officially align until the war reaches their home planets. For scouts, working for either faction is seen as a way to earn credits and improve their standing with the eventual victors of the war.^[3]

Dark Times[]

After thedeclaration of the New Order, the traditional role of scouts as public explorers is sharply reduced. As the Empire tightens its grip on space travel and exploration, many independent scouts are forced to find new lines of work. Some enter the corporate sector, searching for resource-rich systems, while others restrict their focus to specific worlds. Meanwhile, Imperial scouts continue to explore, but solely in service of the Empire’s interests.^[4]

Extended missions are common, and some scouts return to find the Republic replaced by a vast and oppressive regime. Former employers may have disappeared—or been labeled enemies of the Empire—causing returning scouts to face suspicion from Imperial authorities.^[4]

With their knowledge of remote regions and survival expertise, scouts are often recruited for clandestine operations. Some become informants or spies for resistance cells, criminal organizations, or even the Empire itself.^[4]

Rebellion Era[]

During thereign of the Empire, scouting as an independent profession is largely absorbed by Imperial authority. The Imperial Survey Corps controls most space exploration, leaving many former freelancers unemployed or under strict oversight. On planets where scouts once thrived, Imperial scout troopers have taken over. While many scouts move into private contract work, skilled Human scouts are sometimes recruited into the Survey Corps, which pioneers hyperspace routes and catalogs planetary data to support the Empire’s vast logistical operations.^[5]

TheImperial Survey Corps was much more tightly controlled than itsGalactic Republic predecessor. TheHumanocentric biases of the Empire, the ISC's new emphasis on finding worlds for the Empire to ruthlessly exploit and conquer, and attempts to recruit scouts into theImperial Starfleet led many scouts to join theAlliance to Restore the Republic. The companyLardanis Survival Systems made equipment specifically for explorers.

Though the Empire relies on its own scouts, others across the galaxy still need their expertise—especially the Rebel Alliance. With the Empire dominating known routes, scouts are hired to chart new hyperspace paths off the grid. The Alliance pays well for exclusive access to such routes, which help evade blockades and ambushes.^[5]

Scouts also help locate hidden base sites. The Rebellion often recruits local scouts familiar with their homeworlds or hires others to search remote, uncharted planets. Even after bases are built, scouts remain crucial for surviving harsh environments, reducing risks to Rebel personnel and improving long-term sustainability.^[5]

New Republic[]

TheNew Republic formed its ownscout service soon after its formation, with the goal of rejuvenating exploration ofWild Space and theUnknown Regions and undoing some of the damage the ISC had done.

Second Imperial Civil War[]

Scouts were in high demand during this period. TheAlliance Remnant relied on them to locate resources and conduct reconnaissance on Imperial targets.Emperor Fel’s forces needed scouts for similar reasons in their war against theSith-backedEmpire. Both sides often competed for the same objectives. The Sith, meanwhile, used scouts to hunt their enemies—Emperor Fel, the Alliance Remnant, defectors, and especially the remaining Jedi.^[6]

Some scouts served within the military, while others operated in covert roles. As allegiances shifted, double agents became crucial tools. They were especially problematic between the Sith Empire and Fel’s loyalists, whose tactics were nearly identical. The Galactic Alliance also used double agents to secure food, medicine, ships, and intelligence.^[6]

Double agents were found not just in political and military circles, but also in the criminal underworld, where crime lords paid off rivals’ underlings for an advantage.^[6]

Many scouts began as bounty hunters, tracking people and organizations rather than terrain. With so many bounties on Jedi, Imperial Knights, Fel’s forces, Alliance members, and criminals, it became a thriving career on the galaxy’s fringes.^[6]

This article is astub. You can help Wookieepedia byexpanding it.

Behind the scenes[]

The "Laconic Scout" was one of the original twenty-four character templates used by theStar Wars: The Roleplaying Game, first published in thefirst edition rulebook.^[7]

The scout is a starting class inStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The scout is also a heroic class in theStar Wars Roleplaying Game. Prior to the New Game Enhancements of2005, scouts were a trainable profession in theMMORPGStar Wars Galaxies. However, following their removal as a playable profession, scouts still existed in the form of variousNon-Player Characters (NPCs).