Veknoid

Last Updated: 2/6/2024

Name: Veknoid (Velkoid)

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Beast (Canine)

Homeworld: Moonus Mandel

Coloration: Brown and Tan

Biology: The Veknoids were a diminutive, bipedal canine-like species that are seen occasionally throughout the Star Wars galaxy. Instances could stand anywhere from 1.2 to 1.8 meters in height, although they usually averaged out at around 1.5 meters tall when fully mature. They also had slightly hunched backs, and usually stood with their knees bent, lending to the idea that they were much shorter than they truly were. Veknoids were surprisingly muscular despite their often rounded shape. Their squat legs sported especially prominent musculature due to supporting their disproportionately large upper bodies. Veknoids had three massive toes on each foot, although they had four fingers per hand, each appendage displaying thick, black nails. They also had a long, muscular tail that ended in a rounded tip or occasionally a tuft of hair..

Veknoids were brown in coloration, with darker shades on their back and head, while their skin grew substantially lighter around their lower jaw, stomach, and the inside of their arms and legs. They also possessed a thin layer of fine hairs all across their body which were completely invisible to the naked eye unless inspected very closely, often giving the illusion that Veknoids had shiny, wrinkled, hairless skin. They had massive jaws with a prominent underbite. Their lower jaw sported two sets of large, pointed “fangs” that rested outside of the lips when their mouth was closed. The outside set of fangs were somewhat smaller than the inside set, and their upper jaw lacked teeth in the spots adjacent to both sets. The rest of their teeth on both their upper and lower jaws were wide and flat, and the Veknoids possessed an incredible bite force. 

Veknoids had oblong heads that were wide near the jaw but grew skinnier towards the top. The skin on their faces was especially wrinkled, often appearing as though it hung loosely to their skull. They had flat noses with elongated nostril openings. They also had bulging eyes that completely hid their eyelids when fully opened. These eyes were primarily white, with small black pupils that lacked any evident iris. They were believed to have naturally enhanced eyesight, although they were also prone to blindness. On top of their head was situated two long and winding growths that are referred to as both “horns” and “ears.” It is speculated that the boney base of these growths was the true horn, while the floppy skin at the ends housed their ears, despite no aural cavity being visible on any side of the flaps. The purpose of these horns, whether truly sensory or not, has yet to be revealed. Veknoids could pronounce Galactic Basic.

Lore: Little was ever revealed about the Veknoid species as a whole, and most of what we know came from only a few individuals. Still, we have received small bits of Veknoid lore here and there, which does help us to piece together a better picture of this collective species. For starters, the Veknoids were not always members of the Galactic Republic or represented in the Senate, seemingly joining and leaving potentially multiple times throughout their history. Their homeworld of Moonus Mandel was located within Bothan space, and the Veknoids had a close relationship with the Bothan species. They were, however, conquered by Mandalorians during the Mandalorian Civil War, and remained oppressed by Clan Vizsla and the budding Death Watch until the years leading up to the Clone Wars. During the Clone Wars, they made sure all factions knew that they were independent, and they seemingly went untouched, although we don’t know what happened to Moonus Mandel after.

The Veknoids were discovered seemingly sometime during the late Old Republic era or potentially shortly after it concluded. They were also referred to as the “Velkoids” sometime in their past, and that may have actually been their original name prior to their discovery, the greater galaxy later collectively referring to them as Veknoids whether due to convenience or simply just mishearing Velkoid. The Veknoids were a very traditional species with a lot of moralistic laws and strict regulations. We know they honored many cultural rituals, and were completely monogamous in their relationships, engaging in arranged marriages. They also had a booming population that engaged in popular intergalactic sports such as podracing, raising a local celebrity in the form of pilot Teemto Pagailes during the years leading up to the Clone Wars. Aside from attending sporting events, however, Veknoids seemingly rarely left their homeworld, adopting semi-isolationist ideologies.

Legends/Canon: The Veknoids are Canon due to their appearance in “Star Wars: Episode ! – The Phantom Menace,” although all of their aforementioned lore (aside from the podracing stuff, BUT including their “Velkoid” origins) is still exclusive to Star Wars Legends.

Unexplored: Within the confines of Canon, the Veknoids are ripe for exploration, and even with what was established in Legends, there was a lot left unestablished. Exploring concepts like their evolutionary history, rate of societal and cultural progress, development of a planetary economy and in-demand exports, languages and interactions with offworlders, philosophies and religious beliefs, and even involvement with intergalactic politics and wars will help really establish the Veknoids as a fleshed out species. It would also benefit them to answer a few more specific questions such as what was their relationship with the Republic and Bothans over the years, what were their horn/ears for, did they have a low baseline midichlorian count, were they oppressed by the Empire, why were they viewed as isolationists, and were had they been introduced into the greater galaxy by the time of the High Republic era?

Additional Notes: If you couldn’t tell from some of their other articles, I love the creative designs introduced via all of the podracer pilots in “The Phantom Menace” and the Veknoids are no different! I’m really hoping to see them pop up more in future media, whether through an animated series, media from The High Republic, or even a Canon iteration of the beloved blind Legends Jedi Master Zao!

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