Khil

Last Updated: 02/13/2026

Name: Khil

Classification: Near-Human/Alternative

Homeworld: Belnar

Coloration: Green or Gray

Biology: Khil were a near-Human species originating from the swampy, water world of Belnar. They stood approximately the same height as the average Human, with the same general body shape, height, weight, and build, their biology supposedly even close enough to baseline Humans to allow them to mate. Khil also often lived longer than the average Human or Human-adjacent species, with average lifespans seemingly longer than 100 years, although the exact extent remains unknown. Khil generally had variations of green skin, and their bodies were hairless. They had noses akin to that of a Human’s, as well as pointed ears, though they did not have traditional “mouths.” Instead, they had a series of tentacles hanging from where other species’ upper lips would be all the way down to their neck, known as the “Hullepi.” The Hullepi were hollow, with holes at the tips that were used for both breathing and vocalization, making their voices sound very fluty and melodic. They also used these tendrils to intake sustenance. While they could process most foods as long as they were broken down, they preferred to submerge themselves in the swamps of Belnar to absorb nutrients from the surrounding water and algae. Surprisingly, they had the ability to vocalize Galactic Basic, although they preferred to use their native language, Khilese.

Lore: The Khil were known for prioritizing both hard work and ambition above all else, attempting to become the best at whatever craft they set their minds to. Because of this, they were incredibly versatile and were hired in a multitude of positions all across the galaxy, including as musicians, tour guides, engineers, inventors, pilots, scientists, entrepreneurs, politicians, and farmers. They generally hated downtime or laziness, which found them sometimes coming off as arrogant or unpleasant to non-Khil species who were just trying to enjoy their lives. While Khil were not considered “aquatic” or “amphibious,” they still loved to live in marshlands, as that was where they most commonly derived nutrients in their very scarce downtime. Wherever they went, they would create small biomes similar to that of Belnar that they would call their homes. These swamps were known to be very beautiful, and often became tourist attractions on any world where they were created.

Khil preferred to live in smaller communities, and thus quickly spread out from Belnar, colonizing dozens of other worlds that they also called home. Because of this, the Khil preferred to be called “citizens of the galaxy” instead of being associated with any specific “homeworld.” They were incredibly territorial about their colonies, and knew how to put up a fight should someone try and claim their marshlands for their own. Because they were so technologically advanced and able to integrate almost any outside form of technology into their own, they quickly gained many technological defenses and weapons that helped them keep their staked-out claims.

Despite this, they somehow did have a certain charm to them. Despite their sometimes gruff demeanors, in reality they were very hard and humble workers, and if you were to push past their driven and arrogant facades, you would find a species who love what they did, no matter how hard the task was. Khil loved to meet new people and try new things, (as long as those people and things didn’t want to take their colonies away from them) and they could be a very welcoming and hospitable species under the right circumstances. They really did base their existence around serving the galaxy through labor, no matter the cost.

The Khil were among the first alien species to join the Galactic Republic, contributing their warriors to serve the Republic thousands of years before the Clone Wars, as well as being some of the most important political anchors and strategic military leaders in the early days, even giving way to some powerful Jedi. They supported the Republic for tens of thousands of years, up until the end of the Clone Wars and the close of the Republic era, though their involvement and voice slowly diminished over time due to the dispersing of their people from Belnar and slowly growing idealistic divide.

When the Empire rose to power, the Khil were initially very strong supporters, appreciating all of the hard work and effort they believed was put into the new system. However, the Empire took advantage of this support and appointed an Imperial governor to each of their prominent colonies, including Belnar. They didn’t outwardly oppose this oppression at first, but began to conspire with Khil authority figures on how to protest the takeovers. On one of their colonies, Merakai, a group of Khil began publicly protesting the construction of Imperial facilities being built, which led to the massacre of the gathered crowd. After this moment, many Khil flocked to the Rebel Alliance, and they were one of the very first species to join the New Republic as well.

Continuity: Khil only exist in Legends at the moment, although their homeworld, Belnar, has been canonized, so there’s still hope! The one thing that cannot be added even if it does transition, however, is their inclusion in the battle against the Yuuzhan Vong. They helped the New Republic battle the otherworldly invaders, deploying a multitude of troops and technologies. Unfortunately, their efforts were ultimately in vain it seems and its unsure how many even survived.

Unexplored: The Khil have been explored fairly thoroughly in Legends. However, since they have yet to be added into the current Canon, it is up in the air what details will be left intact and which ones they’ll want to omit or replace. Still, we can only wonder about their various worldbuilding traits should they make the jump with little or no lore in the beginning. The “citizens of the galaxy” bit makes them a bit harder to characterize as a whole, again, if they even decide that’s still a thing. But regardless, there are elements we could learn more about across continuities, such as hearing exactly what their voices sound like, learn whether or not they could produce hybrid offspring with other species such as Humans, and on that note, explore if they had any other relationships with species such as the Quarrens or other tentacle-faced sentients.

Additional Notes: This species actually has some incredibly near lore, always working behind the scenes as “citizens of the galaxy.” It’s been over 10 years of Disney Star Wars now as of the most recent update to this article and they still have not yet been added into Canon, unfortunately being neglected in the “The High Republic” multimedia initiative unlike so many other previously EU-exclusive species, so I wouldn’t hold my breath on seeing them in-continuity any time soon.. The Khil were seemingly just a fun attempt by old Legends writers to add humanoid “Cthulhus” to the galaxy, and while I like the design, it is similar enough to the much more popular Quarren species that they may need some sort of slight redesign before being reintroduced into Canon. Overall, I really enjoy this species and I want to see it a lot more, so if Disney’s slow to do it, then fan creators, get to creating!

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