DZ - Denizen of the Empire - Tusken Raider

501st Legion Krayt Clan: http://www.kraytclan.com.

For help with this costume, please contact: DZ-6894

"Covered from head-to-foot in tattered rags and robes, Tusken Raiders -- or Sand People as they are also known -- brandish a deadly bladed club known as a gaderffii. They also carry projectile rifles with which to shoot at passing vehicles. The male of the species tend to be the aggressors. Females can be distinguished by their elaborate jeweled masks with eyeslits and torso-covering sand-shrouds. Tusken children wear unisex cowls and simple cloaks."

There are three Tusken Raider options available for membership of the 501st Legion. In the prequel trilogy we see both male and female Tuskens. In the original trilogy we only see males. There are several differences between the males from the two periods.

Select which type of Tusken costume you are interested in:

Prequel Male

An prequel trilogy male Tusken Raider costume MUST have:

• Mask: A fully wrapped head of similar design matching Episode I or II. It must include all of the following
:
• Cloth wrapping and leather or simulated leather must be used. No latex masks will be accepted.
• Must have nine (9) metal or simulated metal detail pieces:
• 2 eye stalks: Straight or tapered toward the front with 2 slots cut into the underside of each piece
• 4 head spikes: Must have slight taper
• 2 blood spitters (cheek tusks)
• 1 nose piece: Must have 2 vertical slots
• Screening or tinted lenses must be used so eyes and mouth are not visible from the outside of mask.
• Neck Wrap: Sand-coloured fabric of similar design matching prequel era movie costume. Must hide any skin visible between mask and robe.
• Robe: An inner robe made of a textured, sand-colored fabric reaching within 2-3 inches of the floor. This Inner robe is worn underneath the bandolier(s). Robes and mask should conceal all skin around neck.
• Hands and arms: Sand-coloured cloth or leather gloves with cloth wrappings start at the palm and continue up the arm until concealed within robes. Wraps should conceal all skin on the arms.
• Footwear: Boots or shoes, covered with cloth wrappings. These continue up the leg until concealed within the robe. The wrappings should cover the boot / shoes and conceal all skin or street clothes between the footwear and the robe.
• Bandoliers: At least one (1) must be worn across the chest or around the waist. Must be of Swedish, British 1903 pattern, Martini Henry, WW2 era design, or similar recreations, and matching the style in the movie.
• Weapon: Must have at least one of the following:
• Gaderffii (gaffi stick): Of similar design to the styles used in Episode II.
• Sniper rifle: Of similar design to the styles used in Episode I.

A male Tusken Raider costume SHOULD have:

• Waist Sash: A 6-7 inch "girth belt" that ties in the back made of similar fabric to the robes. No excess should hang from the knotting or attachment. This would run under any waist bandolier.

A male Tusken Raider costume MAY have:

• Outer Robe: Very loose fitting outer robe made of a similar textured, sand-colored fabric. This is worn over the bandolier(s) and inner robe and reaches at least the bottom of the inner robe. Should extend along the arm to the wrist.
• Bandolier: Maximum of three. 2 crossing the chest in an “X” formation with a third over your waist. Must meet earlier stated bandolier requirements.

Prequel Female

A prequel trilogy female Tusken Raider costume MUST have:

• Mask: The Tusken female’s mask must look screen accurate and be made from a material sturdy enough to hold up to wear. The mask consists of the forehead portion with 3 “jewels” on it, the visor with wire mesh to conceal the eyes, the nose/cheek area with 4 divots in it and the “bib” with 9 links each with an oval in the center and one long piece at the bottom, 5 bones in the center, a half circle at the end of the bones. The mask should be a golden bronze color with hints of green in it as bronze naturally becomes greenish over time
• Shawl / Burka: The shawl must be made from a sand-colored material (lighter in color than the dress) such as monk’s cloth or other textured fabric. It should be weathered (coloured) with areas that are darker in places as the shawl progresses downward. The shawl is made in layers that go straight across the front of the body and then angle downwards to a point in the back. The shawl should end below the knees. The shawl should also be somewhat formfitting. The wearer should be able to lift their arms but still have the shawl close to the body.
• Dress / Inner Robe: The dress should be made from a lighter weight material than the shawl and should be full-skirted. The dress can be short-sleeved or long-sleeved (see note on arm wraps).
• Gloves: Tan/mustard colored gloves made of either cotton or leather, but not satin or velvet
• Bracelets: Half-bracelets, bronze in colour, with tribal type designs on them.
• Arm wraps: The arms must be wrapped up to the elbow. If the individual has a short-sleeved dress they must be certain that no skin is viewable. Gauze or muslin is recommended.
• Footwear: Shoes or boots must be covered in stripes of cloth that has been weathered. The wraps must continue up the legs and ensure that no skin is visible. Gauze or muslin is recommended.
• Bag / Purse: The Tusken Raider female's purse must be made of a sturdy leather or leather like material similar to that seen in Episode II. It can be rectangle or a long "half" oval. It must have a half circle bone or bone like clasp in the front.
• Belt/Sash: Under the purse should be a cloth belt/sash made from gauze or another material slightly different in color from the dress.

A prequel trilogy female Tusken Raider costume SHOULD have:

• Shawl / Burka: The Tusken Raider female is seen on screen with the seams of the shawl facing in or facing out. (Please note the female near the fire has the seams facing in and the female near the hut has the seams facing out.)

A prequel trilogy female Tusken Raider costume MAY have:

• Shoes / Boots: The shoes or boots can be wrapped completely around the soles or with cut outs for safety or with the sole completely uncovered as long as the shoe looks like it is completely covered.
• Bracelets: Full bracelets are acceptable also.
• Papoose: Cloth wrapped Tusken Raider child carrier.
• Tusken Raider Child
• Gaderffii (gaffi stick): Of similar design to the styles used in Episode II.

Original Trilogy Male

An original trilogy male Tusken Raider costume MUST have:

• Mask: A fully wrapped head with the following features - sand-coloured cloth head wrappings, leather or leather-like muzzle, silver / aluminium detail pieces to include four tapered head spikes, two cylindrical eye cones with 2 slots cut into the underside of each, two cheek tusks (blood spitters), and one nose piece with 2 vertical slots in it. For the leather mouth wrappings, look in the surplus box at any cloth supplier, they willl often have leftover scraps thatare large enough and very cheap. Be careful when you wrap the mouth area, especially the inside - this is one of the hardest parts of the entire costume, so take your time.
• Neck coverings: Tusken males from A New Hope (ANH) wear a breather consisting of a small 3" to 4” leather wrapped cylinder with tapered metal gaskets on either end connecting to a silver tube, which runs around the neck, securing the piece to the wearer. A prequel Tusken should have a sand-coloured neck wrap made of fabric. It should hide the skin between the mask and the robe.
• Robe: An inner full-length robe made of a textured, sand-coloured fabric reaching within 2-3 inches of the floor. There's a great pattern on this website.
• Gloves and bindings: Sand-coloured cloth or leather gloves with cloth wrappings. The wrappings start at the palm and continue up the arm until concealed within robe. The wrappings should conceal all skin between the gloves and the robe.
• Footwear: Boots or shoes, covered with cloth wrappings. These continue up the leg until concealed within the robe. The wrappings should cover the boot / shoes and conceal all skin or street clothes between the footwear and the robe.

  Try to find coloured, heavier cloth for all the soft parts. You will never get the correct colour / feel if you use white bedsheets and then dye them.

• Bandoliers: The ANH tusken should have at least one bandolier; preferably one of these:
  • a) leather Henry Martini British .303 bandolier pattern
  • b) leather Lee Metford (Boer War era) British .303 bandolier pattern
  • c) leather Lee Enfield British .303 bandolier 1903 pattern
  A prequel Tusken may utilise the leather Swedish Mauser bandolier. Other leather WW2 era style bandoliers (or similar recreations) matching the styles in the movie may also be acceptable.

A male Tusken Raider costume SHOULD have:

• Outer robe: a very loose fitting and open outer robe made of a similar textured, sand-coloured fabric. This is worn over the bandolier(s) and inner robe and reaches at least the bottom of the inner robe. Should extend along the arm to the wrist.
• Sash: A 6" to 7” wide "girth belt" that ties in the back, made of similar fabric to the robes. No excess should hang from the knotting or attachment. This would run under any waist bandolier.
• Bandolier: A second bandolier, as listed in the bandoliers section
• Weapon: a Gaderffii (gaffi stick) of similar design to the styles used in ANH, or a sniper rifle of similar design to the styles used in ANH or The Phantom Menace.
• Mask: Screening or tinted lenses should be installed in the eye cones and muzzle so that eyes and mouth are not visible from the outside of the mask.
• Weathering: Tuskens should look very weather beaten. You can buy cloth dyes and paints but some simple tips are:
  • Dragging the cloth on a dirt road.
  • Hitting it with a saw, branches etc.
  • Mixing it round in an old barrel which has been used to burn unwanted wood and paper.
  • Strong coffee or tea.
  Use your imagination, and remember that if whatever you use for weathering smells - it doesn't matter, Tuskens are supposed to smell!

A male Tusken Raider costume MAY have:

• Bandolier: A third leather bandolier may be worn around the waist.
• Bag: A utility strap with an appropriate bag or pouches may substitute for the second bandolier.
• Miscellaneous items: Any other item that looks to be an appropriately odd and unidentifiable item that a nomadic dweller might use or carry.