Mon Mothma mentioned in Return of the Jedi that many Bothans died in gathering intel for the Rebellion. Given that one of the many Star Wars search results on NicheIQ is Bothan, we thought we’d jump into this topic. Also, this will be a bit of a mixed bag as there’s no confirmation that the Bothan species looks the same in canon as in legends.
So, let’s jump into this oddity of a topic.
What Did The Bothans Do For The Rebellion? – Canon
According to the canon Wookieepedia page, the Bothans were a spy network known for communicating with growls. They were the ones who got the intel about the second Death Star to the Rebellion. As Mon Mothma mentions, many of them died to get the information they had into safe hands.
The Bothans also handed the door code to the shield generator bunker on the Death Star II.
In Legends
In Legends, Bothans were rat-like creatures with long ears. Some even had long moustaches. They served the same purpose as in canon. However, canon doesn’t state whether they had any role during the Galactic Republic era.
According to the linked Wookieepediapage, the Bothans had been part of the Republic since 4000BBY. The species was well-known for its spynet technology and for being neutral regarding conflicts. The race also had written and spoken languages.
Another exciting aspect of the Bothans in Legends is that they played a large role in establishing the New Republic. However, in canon, it is unclear whether they played a role in restoring the Republic.
