Fanclub EU Alien Diversity Appreciation Thread

Discussion in 'EU Community' started by gizkaspice, Dec 8, 2013.

Moderators: Bardan_Jusik, Sinrebirth
  1. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    First, I am a n00b. I don't know anything but I'm hoping a thread like this is okay? I haven't seen one before so forgive me if I'm doing anything wrong.

    Purpose: Aliens in SW don't seem to get any love..it's always about the humans. Here's a place to appreciate the diversity SW has to offer. Also...I'd like to familiarize myself with some of the more "exotic" alien species :p Here you can discuss:
    • your favorite species, where they appear (movies, books, comics?), and why you like them
    • Found an unidentified species described in a book? Shown in a comic? Post it here!
    • biology, culture, social customs, etc
    • what recent info is provided about them, etc. Anything else is fine, too.
    Rules: Be nice! Please try to stick to "alien" aliens--so no Twi'lek, Near-humans, Chiss, etc..They're too human-like....I mean, unless you really want to, but I want to reserve this place to the really "alien" aliens.

    Examples:
    1. Bivall (from the TCW..what happened to these guys anyways? Do they appear anywhere else?)
    2. Rakata (cannibalistic with infinite appetites...and they have eyes on the sides of their heads which is really creepy but they're my absolute favorite :p )
    3. Ongree: their heads are upside down which is even more creepy.
    4. H'nemthe: they love you n' kill you...at least the females do.
    5. Ishi Tib, Ewoks (because they are just freaky) Arcona, Hutts, Selkath, and this thing. What is this thing? Who knows.
    Okay, have fun kids.
  2. Robimus Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Jul 6, 2007
    star 5
    A few of my favorites are the Kaleesh, Mygeetans and Hutts.

    The Kaleesh themselves have such an interesting story. Victims of the Republic & the Jedi they suffered a genocide via starvation simply for not being a member world of the Republic. Under this particular story Qymaen jai Sheelal(General Grevious) had every right to hate the Jedi and want them destroyed.

    Later on the Kaleesh would seem to become members of the Imperial Remnant, with Kalee sitting right on the border of the Remnant's territory. We have seen them serving as stormtroopers in 137 ABY.
  3. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    Almost forgot about the Kaleesh---Unless you know, something of interest would be "The Eyes of Revolution" by Warren Fu, really great at depicting the Kaleesh and Grievous's shuttle crash backstory.
    The artwork is excellent and we get a nice view of life on Kalee (even though its sealife is all poisonous....apparently :p). I really love this story, not so much the other comics/depictions of them....however, we do get Kaleesh in TOR, which is pretty neat.
    Did not know about the stormtrooper bit--where is this shown?
  4. Robimus Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Jul 6, 2007
    star 5
  5. Mitth_Fisto Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 29, 2005
    star 5
    I like most aliens in SW, some of my favorites though would include Yuzzem, because they remind me of half my family from the Crystal Star novel. (Also is probably why I look like one :p )

    Also the Shi'ido, a race of shapeshifters that like to pretend to be rocks to observe visitors to their planet, you just know they have a different point of view from a more human perspective :D
    Ordo N-11 and BultarSwan like this.
  6. BultarSwan Founder: Grand Rapids, MI FF

    Member Since:
    Jul 5, 2003
    star 9
    I've played a Shi'ido. Very interesting species. They can take on any form and even carry things inside their own bodies, such as tools. Fascinating.
  7. Force Smuggler Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 2, 2012
    star 5
  8. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    Care to explain why? I find them strange in that they sort-of look like humans, but act really alien. And they cannot be sensed in the Force and aren't even from the galaxy. I really like their organic techno...although I'm sure they're worse than Rakata in pretty much every way :p
  9. Force Smuggler Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 2, 2012
    star 5
    The mystery of them. Where did they come from? Why could they not be sensed in the Force? How did they come up with their gods? Etc. Maraudering aliens out to conquer and destroy the entire galaxy. Amazing villains to replace the Empire. Nom Anor, Vua Rapuung, Nen Yim etc are all amazing characters, Love the idea of their tech.
    Shadow Trooper likes this.
  10. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    I feel this can be a good place to discuss those things if anyone else is interested because I personally would like to know about how their biology works and I like speculating things. I'm not too familiar with the Legacy era..do they appear there in the comics in any great detail?
  11. Force Smuggler Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 2, 2012
    star 5
    They have a couple appearances in the Legacy comics. They tried to fix the damage they did in the NJO but the Sith messed everything up.
  12. spicer Jedi Grand Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 14, 2012
    star 3
    One of my favorite alien species in SW are Trandoshans. I just like reptiles is all :p
    [IMG]

    T'surr: pretty cool looking, and menacing.

    [IMG]

    (the big blue guys)

    Whipids: Also very cool looking, and a member of that species happens to be one of my favorite SW characters - K'Kruhk

    [IMG]

    Nosaurians: another reptile species

    [IMG]
    Last edited by spicer, Dec 11, 2013
    Shadow Trooper likes this.
  13. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    Their belief in a "scorekeeper" goddess is very interesting, plus they can regenerate their limbs. They have that "old-sci-fi" reptile look that seems so classical. I'm going to say I also like Ssi-ruu because even though they look like theropod dinosaurs, they are still awesome.

    There isn't a lot of love for the reptile-like/amphibian aliens...I guess because most people naturally don't like reptiles/amphibians?
  14. Shadow Trooper Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Jul 18, 2013
    star 3
    I'm a huge reptile fan with the Trandoshans, Nosaurians and the Ssi-Ruu among my favorite alien species. The coolest looking has to be the Chistori though. Unfortunately they have very few appearances with Desann from Jedi Outcast and a Bounty Hunter from Dark Times being the only ones I have seen. I love Dark Times for using a lot of obscure species like the Chistori, and as far as diversity goes its probably one of the most representitve sources in the EU.
    Last edited by Shadow Trooper, Dec 11, 2013
    spicer likes this.
  15. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    I spotted a Rakata and Selkath in Blue Harvest---that was pretty random :p Although, it would also be nice if there were more obscure-species characters instead of most of them just being in the background.
    BultarSwan likes this.
  16. Mitth_Fisto Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 29, 2005
    star 5
    Ditto Gizkaspice, ditto.
  17. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    I would like to see a random Rakata try and adjust to modern galaxy life only to bankrupt buffets and attempt to eat its roommates until it's eventually arrested for breaking holoprojectors thinking that they're "Mind Traps" with imprisoned people that need rescuing.

    Because that would be highly amusing.

    :p
  18. Mitth_Fisto Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 29, 2005
    star 5
    [face_laugh]

    I like that thought, thank you.
  19. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2
    @Mitth_Fisto
    glad I made someone happy :p (not sure if that tag worked or not)

    Here is an interesting topic for people to discuss about EU aliens:

    DIVERSITY OF SEXUAL DIMORPHISM -- differences between males and females relating to size, appearance, behavior, etc. Unless the species is hermaphroditic (like Verpine or Hutt) this obviously doesn't apply. I was thinking of making this a separate topic in the Literature section, but I dunno--that place can get feisty pretty fast.

    Obviously there are some human-like aliens that get put on human secondary sex characteristics because it attracts a certain audience or to make the aliens more relate-able to us.
    What I don't like is when SW authors/artists get lazy and just always slap on breasts/long flowing hair/makeup/etc onto every alien and viola--it's a female! Likewise they just beef up the "male" to the extreme to make it "male." This confines the species to human gender stereotypes and projecting them onto aliens that are supposed to be alien doesn't make any sense.

    So here are some examples of sexual dimorphism done right (warning: image heavy..sort of):

    1) Nosaurians: females have smaller horns(Left), are slightly more slender than males(Right).
    [IMG]

    2) Selkath: This idea was introduced in the comics Dawn of the Jedi: females have head-tendrils; males do not.
    [IMG] [IMG]

    3) Rakata: Females tend to have more slender builds. Otherwise you can't tell them apart. Which one is the female in the image below do you think? If you get it right..you don't get eaten. :p
    [IMG]

    4) Kaminoans: males have a crest on their heads; females don't. It's so simple and it works.
    (as seen in AOTC)

    5) Devaronians: extreme dimorphism...even their behavior is different. Except in later comics the females lose the fur because....because?
    [IMG]

    So what do you people think? You like this kind of realistic creativity when it comes to certain aliens? Not original enough? Too confusing? Do you even care when it comes to telling them apart? Does it matter? What about Mon Calamari? :p Discuss.
  20. spicer Jedi Grand Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 14, 2012
    star 3
    I think that sexual dimorphism is a very logical approach to presenting aliens. However, I don't understand why some females from certain alien species are presented with breasts? Like Selkath and Mon Calamari; they don't appear mammalian to me.
    [IMG]

    I agree with the way Nosaurian females are presented-without breasts, as they should be, since they are reptiles.
  21. gizkaspice Jedi Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 27, 2013
    star 2

    Nosaurians: shows that the artist understands how real animal dimorphism can work in SW without taking shortcuts..I wonder why more comics don't take this approach?
    Selkath: That chest-piece is questionable, I agree. In DOTJ: Force Storm (Issue 5) when Xesh is brought to the Temple of Healing, the female Selkath who takes care of him doesn't have breasts, so...let's assume it's just an oddly drawn chest-piece in this image.
    Mon Calamari: To make them aesthetically pleasing to the audience, I suppose? I'm surprised she doesn't have makeup and hair because then it'll be hilarious :D

    And speaking of hair, the recent issue of DOTJ shows a female Rakata with hair, although I doubt it's real hair and more like a wig made from some unfortunate witch of Dathomir or maybe a Sith (the species) being used as a war-tropy or just part of the fashion because...hair isn't exactly edible for a carnivore species so it might as well be used for something. :p
    There are some female Rakata in DOTJ (in the background) that keep consistent with the dimorphism I mentioned, so putting hair on something that has none to begin with wouldn't make sense. Same with putting breasts on Selkath (and obviously there is no hope for Mon Calamari).
    Last edited by gizkaspice, Dec 17, 2013
    Shadow Trooper and spicer like this.
  22. spicer Jedi Grand Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 14, 2012
    star 3
    I agree with you. One complain I have, not just with SW aliens, but with aliens in other sci-fi franchises, is that most of the alien species aren't alien enough; they are too anthropomorphic. Sure there are aliens species in SW that are really alien looking and bizarre, and/or who have heavy influences from Earth species, but not humans.
  23. Mitth_Fisto Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Sep 29, 2005
    star 5
    Then let me share one of my favorites that I never can remember, the green form of life ;)

    http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ergesh

    Otherwise known as thriving sentient compost piles or hay stacks for their appearance :D
    gizkaspice and spicer like this.
  24. spicer Jedi Grand Master

    Member Since:
    Nov 14, 2012
    star 3
    Cool, I haven't heard about this species before.
  25. Gamiel Force Ghost

    Member Since:
    Dec 16, 2012
    star 5
    We also see a kwa with what looks like hair in Dawn of the Jedi
    [IMG]
    Last edited by Gamiel, Dec 18, 2013
    gizkaspice and spicer like this.
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