Roonan

Last Updated: 12/6/2023

Name: Roonan

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Near-Human

Homeworld: Roona

Coloration: Blue, Gray, or Green

Biology: Roonan had the same general shape and anatomy of most humanoid species, albeit, much shorter and leaner in stature. Their body was covered in fleshy ridges, and their hands almost resembles those of amphibians, although they were not amphibious in nature. Their hands were also usually considered unnaturally wide, and their fingers were normally all the exact same size, instead of ascending/descending in length like most humanoid hands.

Their eyes were particularly interesting, as they were usually large, and a reflective cobalt, chrome, or silver color. They were incredibly large and bulbous, and were considered to be amygdaloid in nature. It is unclear how this affected their eye sight. They also had very small teeth most likely used for grinding, and favored Galactic Basic Standard above their native language, due to how involved with other worlds they had become.

Lore: The Roonan race as a whole was considered to posses an acute form of OCD, and they valued perfection and order among anything else. Errors, mistakes, or discrepancies were consider most unpleasant and offensive, often bringing dishonor to whoever was responsible for the mistake.

They valued politics, and played a large hand within the senate of the Galactic Republic long before the Clone Wars. They were instrumental in the removal of Chancellor Valorum from office, and were strictly loyal to Chancellor Palpatine and his leadership (although it’s not clear what their reaction was to the Republic’s restructure into the Galactic Empire). Those who weren’t involved in politics often became merchants, and owned successful markets and malls all across the galaxy.

Legends/Canon: Nothing much has changed between the two iterations of the Star Wars Canon, aside from the possible lack of green Roonans I suppose. While it hasn’t been strictly stated, it appears that all Roonans canonically have only been blue or gray.

Unexplored: Most of Roonan culture remains unexplored, and it is not entirely confirmed whether their love for perfection is biologically engrained or passed along socially. But we do not know how Roonans out in a galaxy of imperfection would cope, whether they would become bitter and long for home, or whether they would adapt and get over it. Their interest in politics has been explored fairly deeply, but their interest in mercantile is a lot less fleshed out. Exploring Roonan merchants and their “perfect” wares and products could be interesting as well.

Questions regarding this species worth exploring include: When was the species first discovered, introduced out among the galaxy, and brought into the Republic? How long did it take for the Roonans to become a political superpower, and just how much influence did they truly hold? Did the cause the Roonans and Roona to suffer at the hands of enemies of the Republic, such as the Nihil or the Confederacy of Independent Systems? What happened to the species after the collapse of the Republic, did they continue to be prominent supporters of the Empire among the Imperial Senate, or were they quashed and oppressed for their previous allegiances? Exploring these specifics, as well as the usual list of worldbuilding traits I reiterate, will help to give us a much better understanding of this already classic species!

Additional Notes: The Roonans were actually originally based off of an unused Jedi design for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, similarly to Patrolians, Ensel, etc. However, while species like the Patrolians kept their same general design, the Roonans were changed quite substantially in appearance. As a homage to these early concepts, the Jedi, Halsey, was later added to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Halsey displayed a great deal of flexibility and agility for his shot demeanor, and it is unknown whether this is a trait shared among all Roonan or not. Unfortunately, it will probably not be explored much further, as Halsey met his untimely end only moments after being introduced.

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