Chortose

Last Updated: 09/12/2025

Name: Chortose

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Diminutive/Beastite (Canine)

Homeworld: Chortose

Coloration: Brown, Gray, or Red

Biology: The Chortose were a canine species similar in appearance to the much more popular Bothans. In Star Wars Legends, they had the same general build and height as that of an average Human, however, in the current Canon, they are depicted as being somewhat smaller on average. Regardless, since their inception, they have also covered in a layer of thick fur. This fur was varying shades of reddish-brown or possibly gray, again, generally similar to that of a Bothan. They had large eyes that appeared to almost be bulging out of their heads. Their noses were wide and hairless, but they had distinctly long patches of hair resembling moustaches growing from their upper lip, as well as beard and eyebrow-like growths. Their ears were also long and somewhat mangled in appearance, and often couldn’t stand up straight, seemingly because of their weight. They could pronounce Galactic Basic, seemed to have a high baseline intelligence, and it is unclear how common it was for them to be Force Sensitive.

Lore: The Chortose were named after their homeworld, a relatively low traffic Outer Rim agricultural colony. From what we learned in EU, they were never formally a part of the Galactic Republic or Galactic Empire, and remained rather forgotten by much of the galaxy. The species itself was comprised of farmers and laborers, and seemed to be rather poor, often lacking proper education and resources. However, they were believed to be naturally intelligent, and were also usually skilled in mechanical engineering, even canonically creating custom “sprayer droids” to assist in farming. Every instance we’ve seen has been relatively jovial and welcoming, but they were rarely, if ever, seen outside of Chortose among the greater galaxy. During the High Republic, they were briefly invaded by the infamous raider group known as the Nihil, and while the attack was seemingly localized to one agricultural colony known as “Hub 42,” the Jedi Order still came to their aid, much to the locals’ surprise.

Continuity: The Chortose originated within the Star Wars expanded universe, being relegated to the obscure “Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters” source book, though they were eventually canonized (and first depicted in color) within media from the “The High Republic” multimedia initiative.

Unexplored: The Chortose lore still needs to be explored more in-depth, despite their current appearance in Canon. A deep dive into their economy and educational institutions (if any) would be a unique thing to expand upon. Do Chortose often travel offworld, or is there a reason they all remain relatively isolated? As of the Galactic Civil War, is it possible that there are very few of the species left, and that they are possibly on the brink of extinction? And what was the aftermath of their occupation by the Nihil? Having all of these things fleshed out would make the Chortose exponentially more interesting.

Additional Notes: If you’re just now reading this, I originally had a whole “Additional Notes” section talking about how it would be highly unlikely for the Chortose to ever make it into the Star Wars Canon just because of how unremarkable they were, but now here we are. This post has been edited quite a bit since their inclusion in “The High Republic (2021) #7,” so if it reads a little weird now, forgive me. Still, I was excited to see this come to fruition, and hope that they will now be made much more memorable over time thanks to their introduction into Canon. It’s super cool that we finally got to revisit their homeworld and actually got to see them in color for the very first time! Definitely take any notes section that mentions a particular species probably not making it into Canon with a grain of salt, because this situation really proves that any obscure Legends species is up for grabs, especially by creators who worked on The High Republic!

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