Meek

Last Updated: 1/31/2024

Name: Meek

Humanoid: No

Classification: Alternative/Dwarf

Homeworld: Unknown

Coloration: Orange or Brown

Biology: The Meek were a diminutive species with a rather odd appearance. They generally stood between .9 and 1.2 meters in height, with rounded squat bodies of a very irregular shape. Their short, stubby legs gave way to elongated bodies and neck-less heads. They had thin arms with what appear to be three-fingered hands, although they had no visible toes on their feet. Their bodies were varying shades of orange in coloration, although their surface texture was unclear, potentially covered in thin fur or simply bumpy skin. Their facial features only included small lipless mouths with white teeth, and three yellow eyes arranged in an arc with very small, black pupils. They lacked any sort of visible nostrils or aural cavities, although they did sport two extrasensory antennae on the top of their head. They did have the capacity to speak Galactic Basic, albeit with strange annunciations. 

Lore: From what we saw in their single appearance, the Meek were a very primitive species native to an unknown planet. They had rural villages consisting of only a few dozen Meek each scattered across the grassy planet, with what appeared to be mud buildings consisting of one room each. They had little to no technology, nor even mechanisms such as doors or windows. They wore no clothes and seemingly had very few possessions. Despite this, however, they had been exposed to the outside galaxy, adopting Galactic Basic as a spoken language, and knowing of the tales of other great species and organizations such as the Jedi.

The few valuables they did possess came in the form of “artifacts,” which were a variety of small blue stone trinkets covered in holes which served no apparent purpose. These items were centuries old, passed down through the generations among the village, and while it is unclear whether they held any worth outside of Meek society, they kept the items safely secured in chests and would offer them to outsiders as payment for completing dangerous and deadly tasks. One such task offered to none other than a young Lando Calrissian (who was posing as a Jedi at the time) was to ward off a Rancor that was terrorizing a local village. It was confirmed that the Rancor was not native, and had adapted to become a proficient swimmer, although why or how it got there remains a mystery.

The Meek were very… meek, and while fearful of outside forces, they were still very friendly with any offworlders who would occasionally find themselves on their homeworld. They considered themselves too small, weak, and disadvantaged to engage in combat, and appeared to possess nothing in the form of weaponry. It was also alluded to that the Meek were hunted or poached at some point in their past, but we know nothing else about that particular situation or why that would be. They were documented in galactic databases, although there is no mention of them being a part of the Galactic Republic/within Republic space, nor a part of any other faction or popular sector. 

Legends/Canon: The Meek only appear in a 2004 volume of Star Wars Tales, #20 to be precise, although the story that they appear in simply titled “Young Lando Calrissian” may have been created as early as 1999. While technically a part of Legends, it is unclear which continuity, if any, it belonged to as the nature of Star Wars Tales was freeform at best. Many of the short comics featured in Star Wars Tales #20 were written without any sense of continuity, were highly stylized, and were often contradictory or too completely bizarre in format or execution to ever be a part of the official timeline. Young Lando Calrissian was the most normal out of all of them, and doesn’t directly conflict with anything else in Legends, although its status as fully “within continuity” is still greatly debatable.

Unexplored: As mentioned above, the Meek may or may not have existed within the Star Wars universe, Legends or otherwise, as we know it. But some interesting groundwork and hints were laid during their brief eight pages worth of appearances and references. These include, what was the name (and location) of their homeworld? Why did they know of the Jedi’s existence, including the phrase “May the Force be with you?” How often had they been visited by outsiders? What was the purpose of their artifacts? When did the galaxy first discover and document them? Who had poached them, and for what reason? And how and why was a lone, mutated rancor found on their planet? There are lots of very specific questions here that I would love to see answered, although given their status, answers will most definitely never come.

Additional Notes: I kinda like the Meek! They’re definitely not the most creative or unique creatures around, but their design is fun and pleasant, and they left a memorable impact during their very brief appearance. As stated above, I do feel like there are unanswered questions intentionally left surrounding them, despite the clear indication that we’d never see them again. Still, they come from a very bizarre comic (where Lando also meets a bartender made purely of fire) within a very bizarre collection. What a time it was to be a Star Wars fan at the turn of the century!

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