The Truth Behind The Mandalorian's Tusken Raider Sign Language

Kotsur sat down with an interview for The Daily Moth, during which he spoke at length about his passion for Star Wars, being a fan since he was eight years old. It was a dream come true for him to be cast on The Mandalorian, and he said that it even said in the script that the Tusken Raiders were to use sign language. Kotsur was brought on not just to play one of the aliens, but also to develop a language for the Raiders to use. According to the actor, he wanted to make a form of communication that was entirely its own. 

"I did research on the culture and environment of Tusken Raiders. I researched on the desert called 'sand people.' That is what Luke Skywalker calls them — 'sand people.' Anyway, my goal was to avoid ASL. I made sure it became Tusken Sign Language based on their culture and environment," Kotsur explained.

It's great to hear the commitment to building out this universe even more while simultaneously adding representation for underrepresented groups. Kotsur even shared how to say "Mandalorian" in TSL, which is based on the sign for "Helmet" and then the hand shape for the letter "M."

Finally, Kotsur shared what he wanted to tell the Deaf community: "I hope that you keep telling Disney+ that you want to see more sign language. I hope that the producers keep an open mind because this is just the beginning." 

Star Wars opens up a world where anything can happen and where everyone should feel like they belong. Hopefully, this inclusion encourages those behind the scenes to keep adding actors and characters with disabilities so that more communities can be represented.