Daimlo

Last Updated: 12/5/2023

Name: Daimlo

Humanoid: No

Classification: Beast (Equine)/Dwarf

Homeworld: Daimla

Coloration: Gray, Green, Tan, or Pink

Biology: Daimlo were a strange amalgamation of a creature, consisting of many seemingly different parts that made up the short creature as a whole. They only stood around 1.2 meters in height, and were very thick and stalky. They were generally fairly muscular, especially for their size, but those muscles were often misshapen into resembling body fat or lumps. Their skin was thick, and was a dark gray at some points, while a light tan or pink at others.

Daimlo had small feet with three hoof-like toes. Their knees were inverted, and their legs were much thinner in proportion to the rest of their bodies. They also had small tails protruding from their rear. Their arms were muscular, and they possessed four massive fingernails or claws. The Daimlo has a very bizarre and confusing head. It was long and horse-like, with a small mouth at the end sporting a distinctive two rows of teeth. Their eyes were set on the sides of their heads, giving them a small blind spot in their vision, and it often gave them a reverse cross-eyed appearance. The eyes themselves were small and set into the head, being white or yellow with red pupils. They had two horns extruding from the side of their heads that were often a yellow or green color, and they took on an incredibly unique shape. The horns seemed to grow in a wavy, twisted pattern, similar to that of a root, and they lacked any form of symmetry.

They also had a massive boney ridge protruding from where a nose would be (which they seemingly lacked) known as a “boneplate,” which was incredibly durable, protecting the brain and expanding as it covered the top of their head and gave way to a massive head of hair growing from the back of their cranium. This hair was often brown, but could be black, blonde, or green as well. Because of this strange physiology, the Daimlo were actually incredibly strong, intimidating, and dangerous for a creature of their size.

(It seemed as though Daimlo were unable to process or speak Basic, and instead communicated via their native language of Daimlos. They could, however, speak Huttese as well, so it is possible they could speak Basic but just chose not to for whatever reason.)

Lore: Not much is known about the Daimlo aside from one strange tradition their species held. They took games very seriously, and held a year long coming of age competition for each generation of their young. During this competition, the Daimlo would ram their heads and horns together in an attempt to knock their opponents down or unconscious. Many young Daimlo died from this ceremony, as it did last for an entire Daimla year. Any survivors of the event were deemed adults, however, the winner was considered a hero amongst their entire people.

They were integrated into the galaxy in one way or another, although it does not seem that they were aligned with either the Republic or the Separatists. Instead, they have a very strange and mysterious relationships with the Hutts. This relationship probably meant that the Daimlo was most likely part of the galaxy’s vast criminal network, and their location along the Corellia Trade Route and the Hydian Way meant that they were at an extreme strategic advantage for pirate activity.

The Daimlo did boast at least one major corporation, known as Daimlo Engineering. They designed and produced many different kinds of Podracers, including the famous Banshee line and the state of the art Banshee-11. These Podracers were sold to both the Daimlo people as well as the Hutts.

Legends/Canon: Daimlo only exist within Star Wars Legends. They were cut from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, never making it last the concept art stage, but were later included in the game Star Wars: Racer Revenge.

Unexplored: So I think the biggest question is, “what isn’t unexplored?” There’s actually more information than the average throwaway species, but still not a lot of relevant cultural background data. Since they are non-canon, you can technically take them wherever you want within the new Canon. However, what little information exists about them does actually fit fairly well into the current Canon, so if you want to roll with that, then here are some things to look into.

First off, with a face much scarier than even that of the Iktotchi, were they discriminated against or made fun of because of their general appearance? If so, how did they deal with that, as it would appear they enjoy violent acts? What is their coming of age ritual like, what are some of the rules, and how on Daimla does it go on for an entire year? As of now we know of one Daimlo Podracer, but with an entire corporation and factory line dedicated to them, are there more Daimlo Podracer pilots out there? And does Daimlo Engineering create any other products like landspeeders or ships?

Of course, if you want to ask more serious questions, you can always start with exploring their politics, culture, religions, and other traditions. Does their economy revolve around corporations similar to Daimlo Engineering, or is it reliant upon the Hutts and their crime empire? How did they get roped in with the Hutts in the first place? Was it intentional, or is it due to some history of being conquered by the ancient, expansive Hutt Empire? Did they get dragged into the Clone Wars, or were they able to remain neutral? Were they at odds with the Empire during the Galactic Civil War, or did they remain under the protection of the crime syndicates? How did they react to other eras, like the Old Republic or the Resistance?

Additional Notes: Their design is definitely unique, but I can’t say it’s especially appealing, as is the case with many of the Podracer pilots. Still, with a link to the Hutts and an apparent neutrality during the Clone Wars, I suppose there is just a little bit of potential there. It’s not a lot, since this truly is just a throwaway species that will almost assuredly never see the light of day in any Star Wars media again. But maybe you’re the one who can give them another chance in your next Star Wars work? With the right amount of characterization, you may just be able to pull it off, despite their bizarre visage!

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