Besalisk
The
Besalisks hail from planet Ojom, located in the “Deep Core” region of the
galaxy. The brightly-lit expanse known as the “Deep Core” was hard to navigate,
not well-mapped and largely unexplored- therefore the Besalisks did not have
representation in the Galactic Senate.
Ojom
was a cold, oceanic planet and Besalisks lived out their lives on floating
glaciers. Because of their harsh upbringings, Besalisks were seen as
hard-working, brave, and adventurous. Many were skilled warriors since they
sturdily built and could wield weapons in up to four arms.
Besalisks
were first designed for the film “Attack of the Clones” when George Lucas
pondered to his concept team, "Well, what would happen if you put this
guy's helmet and put it on this guy?" Dexter Jettster was the first
Besalisk introduced to fans, but fans of “The Clone Wars” would probably place
“Pong Krell”, the fallen Jedi, as fandom’s favorite Besalisk.
Togruta
The
Togruta species hailed from the planet Shili where they were hunted by giant
beasts such as the Akul. Shili was a planet of colorful grasslands, and the
Torguta evolved features to blend in with their surroundings. Among these
features were colorful skin tones, white facial pigments and stripes. Togruta
features also included heads-tails similar to those of Twi’leks. Another
adaptation that Torgruta sported were hollow-horns called Montrals which could
echolocate, giving the species a heightened sense of their surroundings
(similar to the functionality of Gotal horns).
Fans
first caught a glimpse of a Torguta in August of 2000, when StarWars.com ran a
series called “George Lucas Select”. Each week, the site would publish a new
photo from the set of “Episode II” supposedly selected by George Lucas himself.
A close-up of Shaak Ti’s face was the fifth entry in the series. Though Shaak
Ti was the first Togruta introduced to fans, Ahsoka Tano has become the most
popular Togruta character.
Clawdite
Long
ago a spike in solar activity bathed the planet Zolan in radiation. Many
species went extinct, but some were able to adapt to their new environment.
Among these were the Clawdite, whose new adaptations included the ability to
change their appearance. In their natural forms Clawdites resemble green
humanoid reptiles but Clawdites could use their mimic ability to take the form
of many sentient species including humans. Consequently, many Clawdites worked
as spies or bounty hunters.
When
Leeanna Walsman was hired to portray Zam Wesell in “Attack of the Clones” she
was unaware that her character was actually an alien. This was because the
concept of a shape-changing bounty hunter was not thought of until the movie
had started filming. The Clawdite form of Zam was accomplished in
post-production and is entirely CGI.
Nautolan
The
planet Glee Anselm was largely covered in oceans and swamps. The native
Nautolan race were amphibious. Infants were hatched from eggs and born in the
waters. Nautolans were legless and armless until they were a few years old.
Adults, however, were able to live their lives on land as well as under water.
Nautolans
had thick hides that were resistant to some blaster blows, they also had large
black unblinking eyes that could see in low light and in underwater conditions.
The most notable feature of Nautolans were the fourteen tentacles that adorned
their head. These tendrils contained olfactory organs which could sense the
emotions of others and were especially effective under water.
Nautolans
are notably named after Nautiloids, which were prehistoric marine cephalopods.
An example of a living species of Nautiloids is the Nautilus. The Nautilus is
also the fictional ship from Jules Verne's “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the
Sea”.
Geonosian
The
Geonosians were an insectoid species native to the rocky planet of Geonosis.
The species lived in hives and their society was based on a caste system. In
each hive, a queen laid eggs, while wingless worker drones carried out much of
the construction and labor. The winged warrior class was trained for battle.
Though
moving up through the caste system was rare, drones were able to accomplish
this by being successful in an arena battle. One drone, named Poggle the Lesser
was able to lead a successful revolution against his overlords with the aid of
Count Dooku.
Geonosians
would go on to aid the Empire in the construction of its Death Star
superweapon. However, once the Death Star’s hyperdrive was operational the
Imperials commited mass genocide against the Geonosians, effectively wiping out
the species. Only one queen was known to survive the extermination.
George
Lucas came up with the idea for Geonosians after a termite infestation of his
home. The design of the Geonosian species was originally meant for the
Nemoidians and B1 battle droids, although the Nemoidians final design resembles
the duros species. The unique sounds made by the Geonosians were accomplished
by mixing sounds of mating penguins and flying foxes.
Kaminoan
Kaminoans
were native to the ocean planet of Kamino. Though they evolved from ocean
creatures, they could not live in water. After the end of an ice age a Great
Flood wiped out much of Kaminoan culture. They were said to have survived the
flood because of their knowledge of genetics and cloning.
Kaminoans
were a tall and lanky species that could see in the ultra-violet spectrum.
Though the walls of Kamino facilities appeared white and bland to most beings,
they were actually painted in ultra-violet shades.
The
Kaminoan design is said to be inspired by the aliens from the film “Close
Encounters of the Third Kind”.
Ongree
The
Ongree were an amphibious species hailing from the watery world of Skustell.
Many beings of the galaxy considered the heads of the Ongree to be “upside
down” since the eyes of the species were lower than their mouths. This eye
placement, however, serve the species in an interesting way. Since their eyes
possessed the ability to view an object from multiple angles at once, the species
often saw situations from many different perspectives. As a consequence many
Ongree served as negotiators, politicians, and diplomats.
When
fans first saw blurry leaked images from “Attack of the Clones” in the months
before the film was released, they thought that the Ongree Jedi resembled
“Howard the Duck”, (a character from one of Lucas’ earlier films).
Vurk
The
reptilian Vurk species were native to the tropical planet of Sembla where they
lived a nomadic lifestyle. The Vurk were cold-blooded and did not always find
comfort away from the balmy environment of their homeworld. The Vurk were a
peaceful species and frequently on the move, living in many communities
throughout their lifetimes. Though many in the galaxy saw the Vurk as a
primitive race, the Vurk were actually very introspective and constantly
reevaluated their personal belief system.
The
Vurk were designed after the “duck-billed” dinosaur Parasaurolophus. The Vurk
Jedi Master, Coleman Trebor, was inserted into stock Jedi Council scenes from
the Phantom Menace in place of Yareal Poof.
Tusken Raider
Tusken
Raiders are a group of desert dwellers native to planet Tatooine. They lived in
nomadic clans who believed that the sparse water in the desert has been
promised to them alone. Moisture farmers, who stole the water from the ground,
were a direct threat to Tusken culture and it was for this reason that clans
would attack farmers.
Sand
People often carried Gaderffii sticks (or Gaffi sticks) as their primary
weapons. The pointed ends of these weapons were sometimes covered in sandbat
venom, which could paralyze victims.
It
isn’t clear whether Tusken Raiders are their own separate species or whether
they are what they are often purported to be- Sand People, (people
living amongst the sands). The Expanded Universe does list some humans who
lived among the Tuskens including Shared Hett, his wife, and his son A’Shared
Hett.
Though
the term “Tusken Raiders” was not used in the first “Star Wars” film, it was included
in some late drafts of the film script. Fans would have heard the term at least
as far back as a 1984 source book and by the release of the prequels even
casual fans would have heard the term. Some sources say that the Sand People
gained the moniker “Tusken Raiders” when they raided “Fort Tusken” 98 years
before the Battle of Yavin.
Interesting Fact: Sound designer Ben Burtt used donkey brays to create the strange war cries of the Tusken Raiders.
The Five Subspecies of Nikto
Interesting Fact: Sound designer Ben Burtt used donkey brays to create the strange war cries of the Tusken Raiders.
Star Wars Aliens
The Aliens of the Cantina
The Aliens of “The Empire Strikes Back"
The Aliens of Jabba’s Palace
The Aliens of Max Rebo’s Band
The Aliens of the Battle of Endor
Flipping Heads
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/09/flipping-heads.html
The Aliens of the Phantom Menace
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/10/aliens-of-phantom-menace.html
The Aliens of the Phantom Menace
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/10/aliens-of-phantom-menace.html
The Aliens of Attack of the Clones
The Aliens of Revenge of the Sith
Expanded Universe Aliens
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/12/10-species-from-old-expanded-universe.html
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/12/10-species-from-old-expanded-universe.html
Aliens of Podracing
Aliens of Ralph McQuarrie
Aliens of Rogue One
Aliens of The Last Jedi
Aliens of Solo
Aliens of Endor
The Most Obscure Aliens of the Original Trilogy
Aliens of the Mandalorian
Bonus Aliens
Aliens of Star Trek
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