In the Homeworld series, the Bentusi are a race of space-faring technology traders, who help the Kushan in their quest to find Hiigara.

Overview

Calling themselves The Unbound, the Bentusi are a very ancient, wise race who do not claim any planet for themselves, instead opting to live exclusively among the stars. It would probably be impossible for the Bentusi to even survive outside of their ships, given that they are physically connected to them, as shown in "Homeworld: Cataclysm" (Refer to the picture on the right). The Bentusi are one of the three races to possess hyperspace cores, along with the Vaygr and Hiigarans.

Although the Bentusi are one of the most technologically advanced races in the Homeworld universe, they choose to remain peaceful unless their Motherships are attacked. This does not stop them from selling and trading powerful combat technology with other races, though. In the second game, the Bentusi, with their harbor-ship, Bentus, helped the Hiigarans repair the powerful Dreadnought Phase Cannon Array, but were attacked by the mysterious Progenitor Keepers. The Keepers proved to be extremely resilient, as they were virtually indestructible. The Bentus self-destructed to save the Hiigarans from their mysterious enemies, relinquishing the first Hyperspace Core, and imploring the Hiigarans to unite the trinity of the three cores.

"The Unbound"

This is the title the Bentusi give to themselves, indicating a sense of pride in the race's lack of a home planet or perhaps some other aspect. In Homeworld: Cataclysm it is hinted that Unbound may actually refer to freedom from organic restraints, perhaps contributing to a higher sense of being. They refer quite obviously (though out of context) to Karan S'jet who they call Unbound. Because of this, many fans believe that the term Unbound may possess more than one meaning and may mean more than the 'mere' ability to travel through space at faster-than-light speeds. It may also refer to how she was physically integrated into the Mothership, much like the Bentusi are with their ships, thus making the physical body one with the ship. When The Beast entity attempts to consume a Bentusi vessel in Homeworld: Cataclysm, the Bentusi self-destruct. They are completely disgusted and repulsed even to the point of fear by the Beast infection, refusing to be "bound".

Bentusi capabilities

The Bentusi also have an unparalleled array of information at their disposal, and in the original Homeworld sold a wide variety of technologies, such as the Ion Cannon to the Kushan exiles. They require resources (RU) in return for this technology. What the Bentusi do with the resources is unknown, but it can be assumed that repairs to their vessels (which are their bodies in a sense, due to their physical integration) are important to their survival.

The information that the Bentusi have could also extend to that of a Progenitor level, repairing the Dreadnaught's Phase Cannon Array after it was used successfully against a Vaygr attack fleet, but becoming irrepairably damaged after overloading the array and becoming unrepairable using normal Hiigaran technology. In Homeworld Cataclysm, the Bentusi helped repair the Kuun-Lan's Siege Cannon by providing plans for reinforced superconducting heat sinks, which enabled the cannon to fire repeatedly. In addition to that, the Bentusi traded with the Hiigarans, supplying them with Ion Beam weaponry.

Bentusi ships

Bentusi Exchange

Bentusi Cargo Barge

Super Acolyte

Bentus