Bivall

Last Updated: 09/08/2025 (OUTDATED)

Name: Bivall

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Alternative/Aquatic/Diminutive

Homeworld: Protobranch

Coloration: White, Red, Pink, and/or Gray

Biology: Bivalls were a short, thin species described as being aquatic, or at least semi-aquatic in nature, although we’ve only ever observed them dwelling on dry land. They stood around 1.5 meters tall on average and were incredibly thin and bony, with smooth, hairless skin that could vary widely in coloration and patterns, but was usually some variation of pale pink, red, or gray. Some of their anatomy was similar to that of Humans or near-Human species, being bipedal with two legs and two arms, each hand ending in five digits. Their necks were long, and their oblong heads were somewhat reminiscent of real world “koi fish.” They had tall, segmented faces with small mouths, short, forward-curving eyestalks, and prominent head crests. Males also sometimes had thin, pointed lobed growing from their chins and upper lips, simulating facial hair. Bivalls had the capacity to pronounce Galactic Basic Standard with no issue, and its believed they possessed a high baseline intelligence.

Lore: Still not a whole lot is known about Bivall society, with the exception that many members of the species were wealthy and intelligent. Their homeworld of Protobranch is something of an enigma, and the name suggests the world may be quite unique compared to other planets in the galaxy, potentially with a lengthy scientific history. The Bivalls were strongly allied with the Galactic Republic (even as far back as the High Republic era), although many Bivall had long left their homeworld and taken up residence on a number of worlds across the galaxy, including ones under Separatist rule by the start of the Clone Wars, such as Onderon. Protobranch itself relied heavily on the sale of local real estate, as well as farming and the sale of grains, although it’s most profitable export was the rare and valuable healing substance known as “Bacta.” Protobranch was also ravaged by deadly solar storms at some point shortly prior to the collapse of the Republic, an event that would mark a turning point in the Bivalls’ history.

Continuity: The Bivalls existed prior to the established Canon, however, because they were only included in Star Wars: The Clone Wars up until the continuity divide around 2014-2015, all previously known information about them remained intact. In fact, in Canon, we get a little bit of additional information, including some Protobranch lore thanks to “Dooku: Jedi Lost” and some THR media.

Unexplored: There’s quite a bit left to be explored about the Bivalls, despite their somewhat consistent appearances throughout the franchise since their inception. This includes questions such as: When did the species first develop sentience, what sort of beings did they evolve from, and when did they first make contact with the outside galaxy? Did they develop their own spacefaring technology first, or were they discovered by offworlders, potentially explorers from the Galactic Republic? When did this take place, how did they view outsiders, and how advanced was their civilization by this point? Where does the name Protobranch come from? Was it given as an indicator of some future event by an ancient advanced race, maybe in the early universe by species like the Zeffonians, or even a bit later by traveling scientists such as the Arkanians? Or did they name their planet themselves for some yet-to-be-seen purpose? Potentially indicating they’ve colonized multiple worlds, with Protobranch maybe not even being their point of origin?

How influential was the species within the Galactic Republic? Did they hold significant political power due to their production of Bacta? How did that come to be, and did they have rivalries with other Bacta producers, or even pre-Bacta healing solution suppliers such as the Selkath and their Kolto? Did they ever form an strong enemies, and were they the targets of piracy or war? What happened to the species during the reign of the Galactic Empire, did they maintain their status due to the value of what they produced, or did the new government’s xenophobic policies force them out of their own industry, resulting in oppression and possible enslavement while Human Imperials took over their business and their world? Exploring these ideas, as well as their existence within future eras, and our usual list of generic worldbuilding concepts, would definitely do the Bivalls some good!

Additional Notes: Huh, apparently I originally published this article with the last three fields being completely empty. My apologies if you came to this article during its incomplete state, I have no idea why I did that like 2 years ago. Anyway, I really like the Bivalls, enough that I’ve included them in multiple of my fan stories! Their design is perfectly alien, and their lore continues to impress as they get expanded upon and become relatively important players within a pre-Empire universe. Can’t wait to see more, as I don’t believe we’ve explored the extent of their visual variety, so I’ll include more photos below as distinct members are introduced!

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