Sentience
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- "If I ask? Then I think. And... as there are only two things that think... I must be one. Or the other."
- ―The Scourge[1]

A group of sentients from various species (and a droid), witness theHosnian Cataclysm throughsub-hyperspace, fromTakodana Castle onTakodana
Sentience was the quality of self-awareness, abstract thinking, and higher reasoning. Sentients possessed a personality, feeling emotionally as well as thinking intelligently.[2] Sentientspecies ofthe galaxy numbered in the tens of thousands, with3PO-series protocol droids being programmed to recognize more than 30,000 of them.[3] The number of individual people in the galaxy was numbered in the millions of billions. Some sentient species includedhumans,[4]Ewoks,[5]Patitites,[6]Gungans,[7] andGeonosians.[8]
Non-sentient organics of the animal kingdom were variously referred to as "creatures"[9][10] or "beasts."[11][12] There also existed creatures that appeared to have emerging sentience, such as theZillo Beast andPurrgil, being known assemi-sentient.[13][14] Thesoul of thevaractyl beast was considered simpler and purer than that of a sentient. Despite this, the creature was still intelligent in its own way.[3]Droids were also capable of being sentient,[15][16] although as with organic beings,[17] some droids, such as0-0-0[18] andEV-9D9, took pleasure in inflicting pain upon others.[19]
Behavior[]
The majority of sentientspecies dwelt on land, where frequentrain sustains lushforests, gardens, andgrassy plains, although many species also inhabited dry ecosystems and rocky habitats. These species ability to adapt to survive on these harsherworlds made them better equipped to adapt offworld as well. Certain sentient species preferred to be immersed in liquids, and lived on worlds covered in water but could survive in airy environments without need for anybreathing apparatus orenvironmental suits.[20]
Sentient rights[]
Under the laws of theGalactic Republic, sentient beings could not be used asslaves. However, slavery thrived on certain remote planets, such asTatooine,[22] and was considered a profitable trade among theZygerrians.[23] Droids were commonly treated as property and inferior to organic sentients,[21] and most droids were afforded programming that did not allow them to harm organic sentient beings, with notable exceptions such aspolice droids[24] andbattle droids.[25] Despite their programming, mechanical beings developed personality quirks and eventually sentience; however, this was suppressed throughmemory wipes, a process opposed by those in support ofdroid rights, who advocated for sentient rights for droids and raised the point of theGalactic Empire'sGalactic Constitution declaring that all sentients were equal, and that slavery and forced servitude was outlawed.[2] TheSecond Revelation was made up of sentient droids.[16]
Sentience and the Force[]

Jar Jar Binks was a victim of being manipulated by Darth Sidious.
With his sentience,Darth Sidious manipulated unwittingsenators of theGalactic Senate such asJar Jar Binks to grant himsupreme authority,[25] although by the will ofthe Force, Sidious wasdeposed by theson ofthe Chosen One,[19] who wasconceived by themidi-chlorians—organisms that formed a symbiotic relationship with organic beings and communicated to them the Force's will;[22] the foundation of life and what connects and maintains the symbiotic relationship between theLiving Force—the energy of all life—and theCosmic Force, which bound all things inthe galaxy.[26]
Behind the scenes[]
InStar Warscanon, sentience encompasses[2] bothsentience andsapience in the real-world.[27][28]
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
Thisin-universe list is incomplete. You can help Wookieepedia byexpanding it. |
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LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Test"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Kyber Saber Crystal Chase"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Maker of Zoh"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Showdown on Hoth"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Duel of Destiny"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Kyber Saber"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A New Home"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Trouble on Tibalt"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Tower of Alistan Nor"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Embersteel Blade"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Storms of Taul"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return to the Wheel"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Lost Crystals of Qalydon"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Pit and the Pinnacle"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Flight of the Arrowhead"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A Perilous Rescue"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Escape from Coruscant"
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Free Fall"
Sources[]
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Notes and references[]
- ↑1.01.1Dark Droids 1
- ↑2.02.12.2Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor
- ↑3.03.1Master & Apprentice
- ↑"Through the Turbulence" —Stories of Jedi and Sith
- ↑
Ewoks in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
Patitites in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
Naboo in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
Geonosis in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
rancor in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
tauntaun in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
ruping in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
nexu in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
Zillo Beast in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑Star Wars: Build Your Own X-Wing 56Starfighter Aces: Ezra Bridger — A Force to Reckon With
- ↑Star Wars: Episode IXThe Rise of Skywalker
- ↑16.016.1
Uncover theDark Droids Crossover Event in Marvel's September 2023Star Wars Comics – Exclusive Preview onStarWars.com(backup link) - ↑Star Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi
- ↑Doctor Aphra (2016) 40
- ↑19.019.1Star Wars: Complete Locations
- ↑Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- ↑21.021.1
Star Wars Rebels — "Droids in Distress" - ↑22.022.1Star Wars: Episode IThe Phantom Menace
- ↑
Zygerrians in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑
police droid in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct) - ↑25.025.1Star Wars: Episode IIAttack of the Clones
- ↑
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Destiny" - ↑
Sentience onwww.merriam-webster.com (backup link archived onAugust 6,2020) - ↑
Sapience onwww.merriam-webster.com (backup link archived onJune 10,2020)
External links[]
- Related categories:
- Sentient species
- Related Categories:
- Sentient species





















