Elespad

Last Updated: 11/29/2023

Name: Elespad

Humanoid: No

Classification: Beast (Pachyderm)

Homeworld: Unknown

Coloration: Orange or Brown

Biology: This was a small elephant-like sentient species observed to be living within the Star Wars universe. They were a diminutive species, standing anywhere from .9 to 1.7 meters in height when fully grown. They had orangish-brown leathery skin that was wrinkled and seemingly covered in a layer of fine hairs. This species had two legs and two arms, with four or five-fingered hands and small but sharp fingernails.

Elespads had bulbous heads that sported large, floppy ears with darkened underbellies, white eyes with black pupils, a small mouth with two white tusks, one extending from either edge of their lower jaw, and a short pachydermoid-like trunk. This truck possessed multiple segments with grooves that ran all the way around. It grew thinner towards the tip and ended with one or two nostril openings. It is believed that Elespads could pronounce Galactic Basic, and they seemingly thrived in hot, dry, sandy environments with little food or water.

Lore: Little is known about Elespads, aside from the fact that they were small, simple people who always wore flowing cloaks and were known for commonly being thieves and criminals. All known instances are found residing in small communities on the planet Tatooine, although this was not their planet of origin. At some point they had formed some sort of connection with the infamous shapeshifter Sasori Vader, although during an event in which the well known droid R2-D2 was stolen by Vader, a number of shady Elespads attempted to intercept Luke Skywalker but they were promptly defeated.

Legends/Canon: The Elespads are technically relegated to Star Wars Legends, although given their only real appearance coming from the “Star Wars 1987” video game, they may not have even existed in any of the mainline Legends continuities.

Unexplored: There is a lot about the Elespads we just never learned, and should they ever make their way into official Canon in the state they are in currently, there are certain concepts that need to be explored much further in-depth. For starters, why were so many found on Tatooine? What drew them there and was it possibly similar to their own homeworld? On that note, what was the name of the Elespad’s planet of origin, and where was it located? Was there some sort of mass exodus event that caused them to spread out across the galaxy to other worlds like Tatooine, or were those individuals outliers who were there for a different reason?

When did the Elespads first develop sentience, and what sort of creature did evolve from? What sort of unique technologies, arts, architectures, music, or fashion did the Elespads contribute to the galaxy? Did they possess any sort of galactic alliances, and what sort of political and governmental systems did they possess? What fueled the Elespads economy and did they produce any sort of natural exports? What sort of societal structure did the Elepads have, and what unique aspects of their culture really stood out? Why were so many Elespads thieves, and was it an ingrained cultural practice/tradition, or just something that was related to Tatooine’s Elespad’s population?

What sort of religions and/or philosophies did the Elespads possess, and how did that influence the overall trajectory of the species? What sort of major events happened in Elespad history? What happened to them during different eras of the universe, especially those prior to and following the Galactic Civil War? What sort of unique language(s) did the Elespads have, and could they produce any interesting noises utilizing their trunks, potentially contributing to their native tongue? How easily was it for them to pronounce Galactic Basic? And finally, what sort of unique anatomical or biological traits do they possess? What range of variation in appearance could they have, regarding color, height, and/or features, and what would they look like in different styles such as 3D animation or live action?

Additional Notes: While this isn’t the most interesting anthropomorphic pachydermoid in the Star Wars universe, it is one of the first, and their existence is definitely in a unique spot. I’d be interested to see how they could be incorporated into the current Canon universe, and I will definitely be on the lookout for them, especially in future printed or written media such as stuff from The High Republic!

Additional Images: