Star Wars: Who Are The Kaminoans, Explained (2024)

Ever since Dexter Jettster met up with Obi-Wan Kenobi to discuss a curious dart from Jango Fett in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, audiences have been curious and mystified by the Kaminoans and their isolationist and high-tech species and planet. Even after seeing their planet and sleek facilities, the Kaminoans themselves, and the great secret operation of the Republic's clone army, their peoples and way of life continue to mystify rather than answer questions. However, through getting to know characters like Nala Se in The Bad Batch, and having some legends knowledge through books which still stand true to current canon, there is an intriguing amount to know about these tall and pale people from Kamino. The little that is known about their history is a fascinating insight into the people they became by the time they were involved in the Clone Wars.

Kaminoans began in a much more humble culture until climate and circumstance forced their people to progress quickly for their own survival. From their planet's great flooding to the development of cloning technology, the fragments of their history and culture were intriguing to delve into. Although initially coming from humble beginnings, the Kaminoans would grow to become intelligent, proud, and niche capitalists for the wealthy through their scientific superiority. How did the Kaminoans skyrocket from distant memory to mysterious infamy? Even though they were isolationists, did they expand their operations elsewhere? What bolstered their technological rise?

Kamino's Ice Age Advanced the Kaminoans

• The planet Kamino was first seen in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
• Kaminoans' large black eyes can see color on the ultraviolet color spectrum.

In the Kaminoans' earlier stages of development, they were mainly a land-based culture with some connections to the oceans. During this early time, Kamino was coming to the end of an ice age, which would significantly change the landscape and their way of life. Kamino's natural terrain wasn't sufficient to hold off the rising water levels, causing great flooding. In response to these dire circumstances, the early Kaminoans built on higher ground, and then quickly needed to progress those buildings into stilt-houses and high towers. This progress, out of necessity, turned their once simple wattle-and-daub houses into megalithic spires. Their architecture is especially unique in its interior since Kaminoans can see colors on the ultra-violet spectrum, so their seemingly-white walkways and rooms are quite colorful, just not to the human eye.

The Kaminoans' ingenuity in the face of a harsher climate didn't stop in their structural engineering prowess. They were able to preserve the formerly land-based plants and animals of the planet and help them adapt to their new climates through genetic engineering. Kaminoans also built sturdy and enclosed cities that could handle the intense storms and tsunamis of Kamino as well as farm, thrive, and house the land-based animals. Their complete privacy from the rest of the galaxy is not only because of their desire to keep to themselves, but geographically, Kamino is in a system just outside of the galaxy, in the area known as Wild Space. This remoteness helped them keep their cloning research and operations private, leaving them plenty of time to produce the clone army templated by Jango Fett's genome. This endeavor alone, alongside its long-term repercussions of the clone wars would sustain the Kaminoans for years.

Kaminoan's Culture of Self-Sustainability

• High-ranking Kaminoans could be identified by the length of the black cuffs on the sleeves of their tight clothing. The longer the cuff, the higher the rank.
• In legends, Kina Ha was a force-sensitive Kaminoan who was apparently the first of her kind to become a Jedi.

From self-contained storm-proof cities to massive cloning operations, the Kaminoans have always prided themselves in being the sole survivors, thrivers, and inventors. Within their culture, they were so perfection-focused because of their intense conditions and need to adapt that they became completely self-absorbed in their own studies of genetic engineering and cloning. Their genetic engineering also helped extend their life as well. In Star Wars legends, one Kaminoan by the name of Kina Ha was engineered to live extremely long to survive extensive hyperspace travel. They lived for 3,000 years. Although they were incredibly proud of their cloning and genetic engineering, they kept incredibly secret and their services as cloning contractors were merely whispers among the galaxy's underworld.

During their rise in technological prowess to survive Kamino's harsh climates, their culture of analysis and isolationist self-reliance made them confident in weathering the storm of their challenges without calling for the Republic's aid. They believed asking for Republic for help would mean colonization and a change in their culture. After all, they had weathered alone, they felt colonization by the Republic would dilute their progress as a species and people. However, that didn't prevent the Kaminoans from pursuing capitalistic ventures with high-paying clientele when it came to their cloning operations. From rich gangsters to infamous Jedi and Sith like Sifo-Dyas and Count Dooku, the Kaminoans delicately navigated the high-paying fringe trade of their cloning services to the wealthy. As recluse as they were, these business relationships would eventually catapult them into the center of Star Wars' space politics.

Kaminoans Outside of Kamino

• Star Wars canon also has a Kaminoan crime lord Kan Be, who was featured in the Poe Dameron comic in 2015.
• Mount Tantiss is on the planet Wayland. This is where the Emperor's storehouses as well as secret cloning experiments were being held.

Even in places as diverse as the capital planet of Coruscant, it has always been a rare site to see a Kaminoan outside of their homeworld. Once the Grand Army of the Republic was created by the Kaminoans, the Republic granted Kaminos recognition and a seat in the Senate. This seat would be filled by Halle Burtoni, a shrewd and stubborn senator who made sure Kamino's interests were aimed towards profiting from the war effort as much as possible. Once The Clone Wars came to an end and the Empire was rising, it became very clear that Kamino's influence was being made obsolete by the higher Moffs in the Imperial Navy, this would eventually lead to the eradication of Kamino and the Kaminoans' cloning operations. Although their own endeavors and way of life were all but destroyed, the Empire would keep some of the top Kaminoans responsible for cloning operations to use for their own secret cloning experiments. In The Bad Batch, it becomes known that the Kaminoans even had one more cloning facility external to Kamino long before the Empire ended it all.

During The Bad Batch Season 2, the team's delving into the Empire's secret cloning plots led them to an abandoned Kaminoan cloning facility on Bora Vio. It's said that when the Kaminoans abandoned the project they also left the clones they had made behind. These facilities were many steps above the usual Kaminoan architecture, literally, and floated in the gassy atmosphere of Bora Vio, perfectly hidden from prying eyes. During the rise of the Empire, Taun We and Prime Minister Lama Su, desperate to stay on the Empire's good side, attempted to capture Omega in an attempt to deliver her to the Empire's science division. However, their rendezvous with Cad Bane to retrieve Omega on Bora Vio was toppled by Fennec Shand, who was hired by the Kaminoan Nala Se, who was trying to keep Omega out of the Empire's clutches. Eventually, Nala Se would be put into Imperial custody and forced to conduct Imperial cloning experiments on Mount Tantiss.

Star Wars

The original trilogy depictsthe heroic development of Luke Skywalker as a Jedi and his fight against Palpatine's Galactic Empire alongside his sister, Leia. The prequels tell the tragic backstory of their father, Anakin, who is corrupted by Palpatine and becomes Darth Vader.

Created by

George Lucas

First Film

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Latest Film

Star Wars: Episode XI - The Rise of Skywalker

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Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Latest TV Show

Ahsoka

Upcoming TV Shows

Andor

First Episode Air Date

November 12, 2019

Cast

Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Hayden Christensen , Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Ian McDiarmid , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Rosario Dawson , Pedro Pascal

Spin-offs (Movies)

Rogue One , Solo: A Star Wars Story

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars , The Mandalorian , Ahsoka , Andor , Obi-Wan Kenobi , The Book of Boba Fett , Star Wars: The Bad Batch

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Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Princess Leia Organa , Din Djarin , Yoda , Grogu , Darth Vader , Emperor Palpatine , Rey Skywalker

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Science Fiction , Fantasy , Drama

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Dis

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Star Wars: Revelations