The Kroot appear to be the ideal noble savages, an ideal that existed during the period of colonialism. The noble savage is the romantic concept of man unencumbered by civilization, in this state man is essentially good. This seems to be a good fit for them when you consider how they abandoned most of the tech they gained through the Orks.

Another good source for them is the movie Predator. In it you find an alien that hunts the jungle to collect trophies, the ultimate big game hunter. Now let’s look at the similarities between the Kroot and Predators. The spines/hairs on its head are the most notable. They are both tall, wearing little armour while facially there is even a little resemblance. Most notable both have a preference for close combat weapons.

The name Kroot is another name for Garuda. This is a bird like humanoid associated with Vishnu. Another image of the birdman can be seen in the Tengu from Japan. These fit in with the eastern feel to the Tau and Kroot. Take into account Anghkor Prok. His name reminds one of the temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Looking at pictures of it will give you a feel for how Pech looks.

Where do you find an explanation for eating dead enemies; history, where else. There are several example of cannibalism as part of the culture in human history. The Aztecs and Easter Islanders being two examples. Better examples, and an explanation for the Kroot view of this eating habit, are found with the Celts and Maori. Both saw the consumption of a dead enemy as a way to gain part of their essence. For the Kroot this is the assimilation of the best parts of their genetic material.

The character Anghkor Prok is named after a “bull krootox sitting intricately on its haunches”. He has a vision about Ork warriors falling out of the sky before a battle. He forces then go on to thrash the Orks. This story comes to us from Sitting Bull’s victory at Little Big Horn. Unlike history the Kroot are eventually successful.