Definition: The Witches of Dathomir, a.k.a. Dathomiri Witches or Force Witches, are an all-female organization of Force users from the planet Dathomir. Although they use the light side of the Force, they are one of many organizations distinct from the Jedi Order, having different philosophies and traditions. The Witches of Dathomir first appeared in The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton (1994), and recently played an important part in the Fate of the Jedi story arc.

In-universe: For thousands of years, the planet Dathomir was isolated from the rest of the galaxy. The Sith set up an academy on Dathomir around 1,000 BBY, but that too was soon forgotten. At one point, it may have been used as a penal colony. At any rate, by 600 BBY it had developed a primitive human culture, barely able to withstand the wild rancor population.

At that time, the Jedi Knight Allya arrived on Dathomir and began reshaping its society. Recognizing that the women of Dathomir were Force-sensitive and that the rancors could be subdued using the Force, she helped create a tribe of Amazonian warrior women who subjugated the male population.

After Allya's death, these Witches of Dathomir divided into various clans led by matriarchs. Dark side users were exiled; they eventually came together to form their own clan, the Nightsisters. Men were bought and sold as slaves -- or kidnapped from other tribes as mates. It wasn't until they encountered Luke Skywalker, around 8 ABY, that they realized men could have any Force potential.

After this new contact with the outside universe, the Witches of Dathomir soon decided to join the New Republic. They also exchanged knowledge with other Force organizations: Force Witches such as Tenel Ka Djo trained at Luke's Jedi Academy, while Jedi such as Jacen Solo trained under the Dathomiri.