Gloovan

Last Updated: 2/5/2024

Name: Gloovan

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Alternative

Homeworld: Unknown

Coloration: Purple

Biology: The Gloovans were a large, purple humanoid species known for a couple of distinctive traits. They were bipedal, with two arms and two legs, having a large, muscular build akin to the likes of the Skrilling or even a smaller Dowutin and standing at least 2 meters tall on average. Their hairless skin was dark purple, being thick in consistency and covered in numerous bumps, lumps, and wrinkles. Their eyes were commonly light blue, sometimes seemingly visibly lacking pupils, although it has been shown that they’re just miniscule black dots. They had massive, gaping mouths sparsely filled with razor sharp teeth. Their nose was very flat, showing off their large nostrils, and they seemingly had no visible ears or aural cavities. They also seemed to have the capacity to clearly pronounce Galactic Basic Standard.

Lore: The Gloovans appeared to have been a fairly common species found throughout the galaxy, although we still do not know where they originally hailed from. They seemed to have gained a reputation as being rather intimidating, brutish, and unsavory, although these ideas seemed to only be half true. The majority of Gloovans we’ve seen so far have been involved in some sort of criminal lifestyles, whether as crime bosses, Nihil raiders, or underworld hired muscles. However, we’ve also witnessed glimpses of their capacity for loyalty, intelligence, and compassion, which grants much needed nuance to a species with a fairly cloddish appearance.

Legends/Canon: The Gloovans are exclusive to Star Wars Canon, appearing quite often throughout the current continuity.

Unexplored: This is a species that, given the frequency of their appearances, is in dire need of some more in-depth, dedicated worldbuilding! So below are some questions that I would love to see answered sometime soon so that we can grant a better understanding of the species. As always, we need to start by simply asking, where did the Gloovans come from? What was the name of their homeworld, where was it located, and what was it environment(s) like? When did the species first develop sentience, what could they have possibly evolved from, when were they first discovered, and by whom? Did the Gloovans have any sort of galactic alliances, such as being members of the Republic, had they always remained independent, or is it possible they had made a number of enemies, being involved in various conflicts and wars? And was it fair to assume most Gloovans were like the ones we’ve observed so far, or were they outliers who left their homeworld to pursue lifestyles rooted in crime while the majority of their kind remained back and lived relatively quiet, normal lives instead? I firmly believe delving into some of these answers, as well as the usual list of generic worldbuilding concepts, will be incredibly beneficial for the Gloovans!

Additional Notes: My initial thoughts regarding the species remain “meatball Thanos,” although I’m happy they’ve overcome just that description and have really taken on a life of their own as of late. I do like the Gloovan design, and I’m always happy to see a new species revealed AND named in Canon, especially one explored throughout multiple eras, but there’s still a long way to go before they become anywhere near iconic!

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