Roonan

Last Updated: 04/07/2026

Name: Roonan

Classification: Humanoid/Alternative

Homeworld: Roona

Coloration: Blue, Gray, or Green

Biology: Roonans possess the same general frame as most humanoids, though with a diminished height and weight, generally standing a head shorter than the average Human, though they could, on occasion, grow as tall as 2 meters. They were a lean species, with thin legs and arms but usually disproportionately large hands and heads. These hands seemed almost amphibian-like, being wide and flat, with pointed tips to their fingers though lacking visible nails, despite the species not actually being amphibious in nature. Roonans also possessed hairless skin that was commonly smooth, though occasionally had a slightly bumpy, almost wrinkled texture, ranging in coloration from gray to blue to green, with the less-smooth-skinned individuals showcasing dark mottled spots.

The species had bulbous heads, with rounded craniums and distinctive, symmetrical ridges covering their head, usually extending outward horizontally from a central crevice running up and over the top of their head, or from their “nasal bridge” which connected to a circular patch of skin surrounding their mouths, with the largest ridges on the tops of their heads and foreheads, while the smallest extended from the sides of their eyes and cheeks. Despite this bridge in the middle of their face, Roonans actually lack a traditional nose or any sort of nostril cavities. They did, however, have small protrusions on the sides of their heads that may have housed aural cavities, though these are also not visible from the outset. Their mouths were covered by large lips, being naturally downturned, and housing white teeth that were generally small and flat, outside of two very sharp canines on their bottom jaws.

One of the Roonans’ most distinctive traits were their massive eyes, which were slanted at and angle and flanked by large eyelids. These eye were usually chrome, silver, or blue in coloration, possessing a glossy or sometimes even reflective sheen almost resembling the appearance of an oil slick. Their eyes were described as being “amygdaloid” in nature, though what this exactly meant has yet to be expanded upon. The species had the capacity to speak Galactic Basic Standard, seeming to possibly even adopted it as their primary language due to their extensive involvement with the Galactic Republic, unfortunately, preventing us from knowing anything about their native tongue(s). They also had the capacity to be Force Sensitive, and were generally believed to be a rather athletic species, specializing in speed and nimbleness. The species may have naturally possessed an acute need for order and cleanliness, potentially a result of enlarged brains housed within their large skulls.

Lore: The Roonans hailed from the planet Roona, located along the “Corellian Trade Spine” hyperspace route and housed within the Roona System of the Bes Ber Bikade System in the “Western Reaches” of the galaxy’s “Expansion Region.” In-universe, they were characterized primarily by their desire for order, commonly valuing the pursuit of perfection over most things. Errors, mistakes, and/or discrepancies presented to them were considered offensive and unpleasant, viewing those who made slight mistakes as dishonorable. Due to these tendencies, the Roonans actually excelled at a number of careers, being perceived as diligent and trustworthy employees or merchants. This also made them prominent players in the field of politics, and they quickly became influential members of the Galactic Republic following their introduction into the Republic Senate. In fact, they were instrumental in the removal of Chancellor Valorum from office in 32 BBY and were fiercely loyal to the subsequent Republic Chancellor, Palpatine, viewing the order he upheld with great respect. Their homeworld, Roona, actually managed to remain in the favor of the Empire, even up until 2 BBY, though by then they were represented by Senator Den Gane, a non-Roonan, though potentially a non-blood relative of Senator Edcel Bar Gane, the Roonan who helped oust Finis Valorum.

Continuity: Not a whole lot changed between the Legends and Canon iterations of the Roonans, aside from, I guess, green Roonans not being made Canon yet from what I’m aware, and the status of Roona after 19 BBY and their support of the Empire being more ambiguous in Legends.

Unexplored: Most of Roonan lore, such as their culture and society, actually remains unexplored and unexplained, and its not even entirely understood whether their love for “perfection” is biological or just strictly engrained societally. When were they first discovered, was it by the Galactic Republic, and how long did it take for them to become major players among the Senate? Were they prominent across the Republic in general, such as in trade or military might? Or was their influence solely due to their drive for bureaucratic perfection? How did Roonans living of of their homeworld cope with a galaxy of imperfection, did they grow bitter, constantly full of disgust and longing to be elsewhere, or could they fairly easily adapt, at least enough to function on an adequate level? Were interpersonal relationships hard for them with non-Roonans? Did non-Roonans view them as difficult, stuck up, or annoying to be around, or was the galaxy so acclimated to such varying degrees of societal norms that it generally wasn’t an issue? And revisiting a concept from above, what was their homeworld like (as we’ve never actually seen or learned much about it)?

Was it common for Roonans to be actively sought out by corporations as employees, were they ever taken advantage of or, instead, were they known for potentially being high earners? Did Roonan merchants have galactic reputations for possessing some of the best wares, and did that further influence their relationships with non-Roonans as mentioned above, for better or for worse? What did the general Roonan population think of their senators’ support of Palpatine and later the Galactic Empire, who were notoriously xenophobic against non-Humans? Did they generally side with their representatives as the Empire might have shown them extra favor in an attempt to keep their political support, or were they more commonly opposed to the beliefs of their leaders, viewing them as corrupt and attempting to rebel when possible? If they stayed loyal to the Empire until the end, is it possible they were ostracized or even not allowed into the New Republic’s Senate, and what happened to Roona after the collapse of the Empire in general, did they become home to an Imperial Remnant faction/Imperial Warlord?

Going back a bit, why were they represented by what appeared to be a non-Roonan shortly before the Battle of Yavin? Was Den Gane someone who maybe married into Edcel Bar Gane’s family, or maybe an adopted child? Or is it possible Den Gane’s “species” was actually a previously unknown Roonan subspecies? Heaven forbid, is it just a redisgn/retcon of the Roonan appearance? Or is there some other explanation, as the possibilities are nearly limitless I suppose? On top of the more specific questions presented above, we also have our usual checklist of generic worldbuilding traits that species benefit from having established, including but not limited to: evolution history, architecture, languages, religions, philosophies, habits, practices, diets, exports, economy, civilizations, expansions, technologies, alliances, rivalries, etc. For being one of the more prominent prequel species, the Roonans really do remain surprisingly sparse in established information, so the more we learn, the easier it’ll be to further write about them in the future!

Additional Notes: The Roonans were actually originally based off of an unused Jedi design for “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” (by the ever talented Terryl Whitlatch), similarly to Patrolians, Ensel, etc. However, while species like the Patrolians kept their same general design, the Roonans were changed a bit substantially in appearance. Interestingly, I could actually see the original art being adapted 1:1 into an entirely separate (but maybe related) species, though if not, I’m very much okay with that as well. Much more recently, a Senator for Roona was introduced in “Andor” Season 2 who was seemingly not a Roonan? Despite sharing a surname with an established Roonan character, their design differs so drastically that you can’t even just chalk it up to artistic differences/interpretation. As addressed above, this opens up a lot of questions with not many answers, but I’m anxious to see how they eventually justify it in-universe, so I’ll make sure to update this article when they do!

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