Kerrakk

Last Updated: 12/29/2023

Name: Kerrakk

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Insectoid

Homeworld: Unknown

Coloration: Yellow, Tan, Brown, and/or Green

Biology: The Kerrakks were a sentient, bipedal, humanoid, insectoid alien species. They had the same general proportions as the average Human, although they often stood with a slightly more hunched posture. They species had dark green or greenish-brown skin that appeared to be smooth and hairless, possessing a noticeable sheen. They were relatively thin yet muscular, with many defined thews, as well as other lumps, lines, and spikes covering their body. Their tiny spines were primarily centered around their shins, forearms, and plate-like shoulders, although the only truly insectoid-like segmentation could be found on their faces. Kerakks had both four-clawed feet and hands, all sharp and seemingly a separate material than the rest of their body, with their feet having three forward facing “toes” while the fourth extended from their heels.

Kerrakks had rounded faces, with segmented portions manifesting via a central crease that ran up from the top of their mouths around and down the back of their heads, with smaller lines sprouting symmetrically outwards from this one in intervals. Kerrakks had two small, fleshy antennae-like growths sprouting from their foreheads. Their large, rounded eyes protruded from their faces, being glassy and shining yellow under certain lights. Their mouths were always agape thanks to their four pairs of teeth-like mandibles. There was one set of mandibles extending from each side of their rounded maws, the two upper ones being large yet squared off, the left and right pairs being the largest and very sharp, and the bottom being the smallest but still forming into points. Despite the shape of their mouths, Kerrakks could still pronounce Galactic Basic, although their words were often interspersed with clicking noises.

Lore: Little is known about the Kerrakks aside from the fact that a number of them known as the “Kerrakk Enforcers” were infamous seemingly galaxy-wide. This was apparently a relatively low-level criminal group operating out of Burnin Konn prior to the Empire’s Operation: Cinder, although the species was not native to this sparse mining colony. Blackmailing people in exchange for “protection,” the Enforcers were greedy and conniving. They were also fairly violent, although not incredibly difficult to defeat, their weak spots seeming to be their necks and heads. Every Kerrakk we have ever seen wore only purple robes with no apparent undergarments, also only wielding archaic melee weapons, although again, these were all members of one of the local Kerrakk Enforcer “hives,” which implies other hives could be found elsewhere as well.

Legends/Canon: The Kerrakks have only ever appeared once, specifically within a piece of Canon media, making them exclusive to the ongoing, mainline continuity.

Unexplored: Given their… limited appearance, the Kerrakks definitely require a lot of additional exploration to help distinguish them from the pile of other similar, fairly generic insectoid sentients who already exist within the Star Wars franchise, some of whom have been around for decades before the Kerrakks were even conceived. The following questions will help us better establish the Kerrakks, so without further ado, let’s dive in. First off, where did the Kerrakks come from, what was the name of their homeworld, where was it located, and what was its environment(s) like? When did the species first develop sentience, what did they evolve from, is it possible they are related to other insectoid species we already know, and when were they first discovered?

Did the collective Kerrakk race, presumably still centralized on their homeworld, ever form any meaningful allyships, such as joining the Galactic Republic? Or if they tend to lean towards more criminal lifestyles, were they possibly affiliated with the Hutts or integrated into the hierarchy beneath the Five Syndicates or the Pirate Nation? In fact, seeing as they were referred to as “enforcers,” were the Kerrakk Enforcers the muscle employed by other groups, or did they simply work for other higher roles within the Kerrak Hive(s)? How did they end up on Burnin Konn, and is it possible they were employed by the Mining Guild? What happened to the hive we observed following Operation: Cinder, and what were the other members of the species up to at the time? On that note, how big was the galactic population, and was it possible they were plentiful or potentially on the verge of extinction?

What did the galaxy think of the species overall, if anything? And did the Kerrakk Enforcers give the species a bad reputation, or is it possible they were so commonly lowlives that this reputation would be accurate? What was the species up to in other eras aside from the Galactic Civil War? Were they well known during the High Republic, and did their dynamics within the galaxy change following the Empire’s collapse? Finally, we also need to tackle some additional general worldbuilding traits to really make the species fleshed out and feel alive; these concepts including the Kerrakks’ early history, developments, governments, politics, economy, exports, arts, philosophies, religions, traditions, habits, cultural practices, conflicts, convictions, technologies, civilizations, architectures, familial systems, languages, and other similar elements!

Additional Notes: Yeah, there’s currently just not a lot here, although their link to Burnin Konn is fairly fascinating! I wouldn’t mind seeing the species get referenced in something again when discussing criminal syndicates throughout the galaxy, maybe even appearing as a low-level enemy in a project like Star Wars Outlaws.

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