Star Wars: 6 Things To Know About Durge

Highlights

• Durge, the masked warrior, harbors a deep hatred for Mandalorians due to a traumatic past.
• Durge is a Gen’Dai, a unique and little-known species with regenerative tentacles and longevity.
• Durge’s nearly indestructible nature and epic battles have made him a formidable opponent, even surviving encounters with the Jedi.

The Star Wars galaxy is home to many colorful characters, locked in a battle between good and evil. Sitting in the middle are the bounty hunters, who will take any job as long as it pays well. The franchise’s many iconic bounty hunters range from the legendary Mandalorian Boba Fett, to more obscure characters like Zuckuss and Aurra Sing.

One of the more unique and iconic bounty hunters from the era of the Clone Wars was a masked warrior named Durge. He has had a long history in the lore of Star Wars, both past and present, and is one of the more dangerous foes the Jedi have faced. Here are some of the more interesting factoids about this menacing warrior.

6 He Hates Mandalorians

His Vendetta Is His Reason For Fighting

In the non-Disney timeline, a major reason Durge joins the Clone Wars is so that he could slay the clones of Jango Fett, a Mandalorian. Durge has a long history with the Mandalorians, which has led to his rage against them.

He did not always hate them, though. He was once trained by a Mandalorian named Jiang. After a Mandalorian clan loyal to their enemy mortally wounded Jiang, Durge swore vengeance on the race. He even killed the ruler of Mandalore one hundred years before the battle of Naboo. The Mandalorians subsequently captured and tortured him, driving him towards insanity. Durge had to go into hiding for 100 years to regenerate and heal the damage done to his body.

5 He Is A Gen’Dai

He Represents One Of Star Wars’ Most Obscure Species

Durge is a Gen’Dai, a once peaceful species whose home planet was destroyed. Now they roam the galaxy, often taking up jobs as bounty hunters, with Durge being just one of them. One other member of their species, Raylann, shows up in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and butts heads with Cal Kestis.

The Gen’Dai species is recognized by their purple skin and orange eyes, as well as their mass of regenerative tentacles, encased in the armor they wear. Their nervous system, which is distributed throughout their bodies, gives them keen reflexes as well. Members of their species can live for thousands of years, though they do tend to become more mentally unstable with time.

4 He Is Nearly Indestructible

Durge Has Cheated Death Many Times

The regenerative abilities of the Gen’Dai species make Durge nearly indestructible. The only sure way to kill one is to sever their heads from their neck and destroy them. His enhanced battle armor from the original Expanded Universe, called Legends by Disney, makes him even tougher to face.

Durge has survived many encounters in the non-Disney lore, including squaring off with the Jedi, and even General Grievous. He also survived torture at the hands of Mandalorians. It took Anakin Skywalker launching him into a star to seemingly finish him off for good.

3 He Fought Obi-Wan Kenobi

They Had One Of The Most Epic Clone Wars Battles

Across continuities, Durge has faced off against many foes. These would include multiple Jedi, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, not just in the comics, but also in Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars microseries, now under Disney’s Legends label.

In Star Wars: Clone Wars, Durge is sent by Dooku to defend a droid factory on the planet Muunilinst. Here, fans got to witness his almost supernatural abilities, when Kenobi pierces his stomach with his lightsaber, only for Durge to laugh it off. Even after cutting him in half and dismembering him, Durge pulls himself back together. He would return soon after, free from his armor, where he engulfs Obi-Wan, who destroys him from the inside.

2 Disney Brought Him Back In Doctor Aphra

A New Continuity Means Durge Cheats Death Once Again

In 2014, Lucasfilm announced the creation of the Lucasfilm Story Group, which would create a new Star Wars continuity separate from already created lore. For a long time, Durge was not a part of this new era, until the character was resurrected in Marvel’s Doctor Aphra #20.

In this story, he runs into Aphra and smuggler Sanna Starros in pursuit of a bounty. They have to team up in order to fend off the alien parasites on the ship, only for Aphra to jettison both the parasites and Durge out of the air lock. He would survive this, and play a major role in the Marvel Comics story line War of the Bounty Hunters.

1 Durge Lead to the Creation Of Cad Bane

Another Bounty Hunter Owes His Existence To Durge

Durge was a powerhouse in the pre-Disney Expanded Universe. He destroyed everything in his path, and he was a challenge for the Jedi to take on. While Durge didn’t make it to Dave Filoni’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, he did lead to the creation of another iconic bounty hunter in his own right: Cad Bane.

Durge was going to be redesigned for a Season 1 story, except he would be mostly humanoid with his more fantastical abilities stripped. That design would evolve into a new character with a design inspired more by World War II soldiers. Star Wars creator George Lucas would suggest a spaghetti Western-inspired design, ultimately culminating in the gun-slinging member of the Duros species. He would become a fan favorite, even jumping to live-action in The Book of Boba Fett.