Gergilla

Last Updated: 1/31/2024

Name: Gergilla

Humanoid: No

Classification: Giant/Beast (Simian)

Homeworld: Vadran

Coloration: Purple, Pink, and Tan

Biology: The Gergillas were the perfect example of a species who had seemingly just crossed the threshold into being considered sentient, comparable to the likes of the Dianoga (from at least one source). This species stood around 2.5 meters tall once mature, with a hunched stance and massive build. They were a rounded species, with many folds around their neck, sagging breasts with barely visible nipples, and a bulging yet taught belly, however, the species was naturally incredibly muscular and their strength was intense, able to rip apart buildings, lift boulders, and crush solid stone with their bare hands.

Gergilla skin was thick and coarse, with a texture seemingly similar to that of real life elephants. They were primarily purple, with tan bellies, although they have been seen sporting a few color patterns so far, including having tan inner thighs, palms, under arms, chins, and circles around their eyes, with the switch from tan to purple skin on the arms, legs, and stomach not being a gradient, but more of a splash, or almost interlocking lobes of color. Others had tan only on their stomachs, which ended abruptly under the top portion of their deep purple chest, although they also had pinkish patches on their backs, shoulders, and foreheads, also with a “splashed” border.

Gergillas had two thick stubby legs, with rounded, three-toed feet, again drawing similarities with features possessed by elephants. The skin above their toes is wrinkled, as are their kneecaps, although given how short their legs were, their knees were barely visible. Gergilla arms on the other hand were disproportionately long, their hands reaching the ground when fully stooped in their naturally hunched posture. They had wide, three-fingered hands with tiny fingernails. They also had a defined ridge between their bicep and their shoulder. The species’ backs were almost “armored,” with thick calloused skin that was a stark contrast to their much smoother fronts. There are four hardened downward-facing lobes extending periodically down the center of their backs, the uppermost being the largest and the bottom forming a pseudo-tail.

A Gergilla’s head was situated out in front of their bodies, the top of their head rising not much higher than the arch of their backs. The wrinkles on their neck continued up the back of their head, often extending over to the area between the species eyes. Gergillas had deep-set cheek pockets and little visible chins. Their mouths were thin and downturned naturally, although they could be opened to quite an extreme extent. They had blueish gray gums, bright purple, bumpy tongues, and usually only nine yellowed teeth in their mouths. On their upper jaw they had two small, flat teeth flanked by long, sharp fangs. On the bottom they had three small teeth between their fangs instead of two, the lower fangs sometimes being slightly longer and usually resting on the outside of the lips when the Gergillas’ mouths were fully closed.

Gergillas had no visible nostrils nor aural cavities, and it is currently unclear how they hear or breathe. Their eyes were large, although usually squinted, with white sclera, with thin purple irises, and naturally wide black pupils that undergo an extreme level of miosis, shrinking and dilating to indicate their emotion, much like eyes found on felines. They had a protective mound of skin surrounding their eyes, and despite the arrangement format of their face, Gergillas could be quite expressive.

We know the species could eat vegetables, and may have been herbivorous in nature, however, given their large fangs, it’s more likely that the species was omnivorous instead. They had a strong bite force, and would curiously chomp at objects they could not understand, including synthetic lights or holograms. The species had not yet developed a spoken language, only able to grunt and roar, although they were naturally empathic and could communicate using hand signals and arm movements to a limited degree. They were on the cusp of having a defined, complex communication system, however, given how rudimentary and oftentimes erratic their signs could be, communicating with the species was still considered quite the challenge.

The species were known for their reputation as misunderstood gentle giants, being both curious and quite friendly. They were not afraid of strangers, and enjoyed helping others in return. When their affection was reciprocated they could form strong bonds, and the longer they remained with someone not of their species, the easier it became for them to communicate, or even comprehend other languages to a limited extent. Gergillas enjoyed physical contact with others, could and would not only let, but encourage others to ride on their backs, and enjoyed hugs or other forms of firm embraces. While they could walk on just their hind legs in a bipedal manner, they still seemed much more comfortable knuckle-walking gorilla-style.

Gergillas were surprisingly quick, able to cover large distances at a galloping speed. They were also fairly nimble despite their extreme weight, and were decent climbers, able to brace for falls from high distances with little effort. Still, they were also a clumsy species, waving their arms around uncoordinatedly when upset, and often tripping over themselves when trying to rush. Despite usually being gentle, they could also grow flustered when they weren’t able to understand complex concepts, and would throw childlike tantrums that could be quite destructive. Still, the species rarely if ever intentionally went out of their way to harm other beings (except possibly when hunting for food), although there was at least one way to bring out their more animalistic sides.

A device had been specifically designed sometime in the past to subdue the species and bend them to the will of others. It consisted of a convoluted helmet-like implant with an antennae as well as other plate components which appeared to be surgically connected to the Gergillas’ brain, as well as a number of nodes drilled into the species’ shoulders, and tight-fitting, heavy cuffs attached to both their wrists and ankles. A controller was used to command equipped Gergillas, as well as prod them with electric shocks. Their mind seems scrambled, losing sight of past relationships, and they are robbed of their agency, becoming subservient and violent, constantly in pain. The eyes of a Gergilla affected by this device become a solid, glowing red for some reason, although it was possible to safely remove the device and return the Gergillas to their original, docile state.

Lore: Because of their burgeoning sentience, there isn’t a whole lot that can be said about the species as of yet, at least outside of how the galaxy generally viewed them, as it’s hard to glean their thoughts or perspectives at the moment. Given that the line between high end semi-sentience and low end sentience is so blurred, there were many in the galaxy who still viewed the Gergillas as nothing more than friendly, intelligent animals, and technically, they weren’t exactly wrong, although the discussion regarding their awareness was a lot more nuanced than many would bother to consider. They obviously weren’t advanced enough to warrant dedicated representation on the Republic Senate, nor would they have been involved in any politics or decision-making regarding their homeworld, as was the case with other similar species like the Wampas or Kowakian Monkey Lizards.

Gergillas occasionally formed “parnerships/allyships” with other individuals, leaving Vadran to travel the galaxy and experience so many things they never could have even previously comprehended, although these Gergilla “associates” were often still referred to using the title “pet” by others. Of course, there was a dedicated effort to weaponize the species at some point in time as well, and we have no idea how many Gergillas may have been trafficked off of their homeworld to act as beasts of burden, brutish guards, violent gladiators, or just slave labor. At least one full set of Gergilla-controlling gear ended up in the hands of collector, occultist, and war profiteer Baron Yasto Attsmun sometime prior to 34 ABY. Still, around and prior to this time, efforts were made to study the species and increase methods of communication, with droids from the “Galactic Society of Creature Enthusiasts’ coming into contact with the species at some point and already possessing fairly detailed knowledge regarding them.

Legends/Canon: The Gergillas and their homeworld were introduced within the current Canon.

Unexplored: We both know so much and so little about the Gergillas at the same time, so they’ve been set up in a unique place for exploration. Of course, we have to look further into the nature of sapience and sentience (usually wrapped up into just the “sentient” classification within Star Wars) and where this species would fall exactly on the spectrum. At what point would a species truly be considered a “people?” What other signs of sentience might the species be developing, such as unique philosophies or pseudo-religious practices, trading and assigning arbitrary value to objects, a desire to learn new things and experience new sights, or evolving social and political hierarchies? How complex was their form of communication, and were there any signs that there was a blossoming verbal language forming among the Gergillas?

Who would have gone out of their way to develop such technology just to command one species? On that note, what did the various components of the device do, how painful and difficult was it to install (and in turn remove), and how or why did it turn the species eyes a solid red? Exploring some of the ideas above will help establish the species more than the usual “worldbuilding traits” I list in a species’ unexplored section, as many of those concepts literally can not even be considered as of yet. Of course, showcasing different Gergillas, including females, young, or just any other colorations or body patterns will help authors and artists alike better relay this species in their own visual or written works!

Additional Notes: I REALLY like the Gergillas, although I did encounter some confusion regarding them at first. I firmly believe that the YouTube short that revealed their homeworld stated it was “Vodran” in the subtitles, a well established planet in the Star Wars universe which was home to both the Vodran and Dianoga species. That led me to writing a lot about their potential connection to these established elements when I initially wrote this article, although a few months later I learned it was actually Vadran, not Vodran, a fact that was confirmed when I went back to check the aforementioned video. I’m fairly confident it was just a typo that was later corrected after it led to confusion, but that did mean I had to come back to this article and delete paragraphs of information speaking about the history of Vodran and the relationships the Gergillas may have had with what I then believed to be their peers…

That incident aside, while I have not yet played the VR experience that introduced us to the species, “Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – ‘Last Call,’” I do technically have access to it and will definitely get around to it someday. I was also very excited that they got highlighted in the surprisingly informative children’s animated series, “Star Wars: Galaxy of Creatures,” on StarWarsKids.com and YouTube (again, the one that I’m pretty sure originally contained a fairly big inaccuracy), and I do encourage you to check it out if you want to see more about the species’ mannerisms and such! In fact, the first row of images below come from the short spotlighting them, while the second row features the TftGE in-depth character model taken straight from “2K Valencia” Character Artist Fernando Estrela’s ArtStation portfolio, which is also worth a visit! (And the third row comes straight from the VR experience itself!)

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