Yunu

Last Updated: 1/29/2024

Name: Yunu (Wild Men)

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Beast (Simian)

Homeworld: Arkinnea

Coloration: Black, Gray, Tan, Brown, and/or Orange

Biology: The Yunu were a large bipedal simian race of primitive sentients. They stood just over 2 meters tall on average, although they often walked with a sort of hunched posture. They had two arms and two legs, with four-fingered hands and three-toed feet, all possessing massive nails. The majority of the Yunu’s bodies were covered in a thick layer of fur that varied in color, often seen as being black, brown, orange, or tan, while their skin, which was only visible around their hands, feet, and faces, was usually tan or gray, and never the same color as their fur. The Yunu were incredibly muscular and strong, with massive forearms, as well as pronounced pectoral muscles and rounded yet firm stomachs.

Their ape-like faces were large and wrinkled, with bushy eyebrows, in addition to hair on the top of their head, their cheeks, and their chin, that was much longer than that found on the rest of their body. Their eyes were sunken into their face, hidden beneath their prominent brows, having white sclera and large white pupils. Their noses were large and angled, while their pointed ears extended out from the upper sides of their head. Yunu mouths were wide and full of sharp teeth, with both of their lower canine teeth usually resting on the outside of their lips when their mouths were closed.

Yunu were strong and mobile, having fairly durable skin that was at least thick enough to dampen the effects of a blaster bolt, but not completely stop them. The species seemed to possess reddish-pink blood. They had heightened senses, making them expert hunters, although to what degree their senses like smell and hearing were refined remains unclear. The Yunu were believed to have been omnivorous in nature, consuming the local wildlife as well as later cultivating farms. The Yunu possessed a crude language consisting of growls and roars, and while they could not pronounce Galactic Basic while we observed them, it seems they were on the verge of developing the ability to do so and could vaguely enunciate some words like “Jedi” (pronounced as “J’ehdai). It is highly likely the Yunu had incredibly long lifespans.

Lore: The Yunu, also sometimes referred to as “Wild Men” by outsiders, were a dwindling race of sapients still found residing on their homeworld of Arkinnea. They had existed for thousands of years, evidenced by their memories of a past interaction with an ancient contingent of the Jedi Order who had established a small outpost on Arkinnea that had long been abandoned and forgotten. While they were the original denizens of Arkinnea, settlers had colonized the world long ago. These Human inhabitants never made peace with the Yunu, and instead drove them deeper into Arkinnea’s forests, viewing them nothing more as mindless brutes. For some reason, the Yunu population seemed to diminish sharply, quite possibly due to being persecuted by the new “Arkinneans.”

Still, despite being sentient for quite some time, the Yunu apparently never progressed much in a societal sense. They were still rather primitive when they were re-encountered by the Jedi during the early Imperial era, not yet adopting the concept of clothing, having any precise method for communicating with non-Yunu, utilizing complex technologies, or even constructing any sort of abode, instead opting to live among crumbing Jedi ruins. During this period, we only observe them wearing a chain of small skulls across the top of their skulls and tying their hair up in ponytails, as well as wielding rudimentary wooden spears. They remained cautious and apprehensive as leading up to their run-in with a handful of Jedi survivors, they had no allies, and no one to turn to when they were in trouble.

During the first year of the Jedi Purge, a small group of fleeing younglings guided by two Jedi Masters, K’Kruhk and Zao, found themselves on Arkinnea, hoping to hide from the Empire after surviving Order 66. Unfortunately, the planet had suffered greatly at the hands of the CIS during the Clone Wars, making the Arkinnean settlers highly prejudiced against any offworlders, and especially those previously allied with the Separatists. When Arkinnea became a popular destination for both ex-Separatists and ex-Republic refugees, the local Arkinnea Militia decided it would be best to simply slaughter the outsiders, making the Jedi troupe prime subjects for execution. While being hunted by the militia, the Jedi came across a small group of Yunu, who were initially hostile towards them. Fortunately, some of the Jedi realized they were just scared and hurt, and used the Force to establish a connection and put them at ease.

This was when the Yunu revealed that had a long standing allegiance to the Jedi, revering the Force users and immediately offering their servitude. After fighting off the militia, who were subsequently detained by the Empire for technically bringing harm to Imperial citizens from among the offworlders they executed, the Yunu took the survivors back to their camp at Arkinnea’s old outpost. Fostering a new community (with a little help from a Jedi sympathizer within the Empire), the Jedi and Yunu fixed up the location, turning it into a liveable commune where the young Jedi could grow free of fear for years to come. The Jedi were also able to begin to teach the Yunu how to speak Basic, use technologies, fix structures, tame the local fauna, and establish crop fields. Sadly, we only ever saw five Yunu during this time, and it’s reasonable to believe they may have been the last of their kind, meaning their extinction was all but imminent.

Continuity: The Yunu only exist within Star Wars Legends.

Unexplored: Because we know the Yunu have always remained a fairly static species, we’re a bit more limited on the sort of worldbuilding concepts that can apply to them, but I still think there are at least a few questions we can pose. For starters, how long have the Yunu been sentient? We know the Jedi first arrived on Arkinnea sometime around the middle of the Old Republic era, but that’s a pretty broad time period, so when exactly might that first contact have been? What did the Yunu initially think of these offworlders, was it their first interaction with non-Yunu, and what caused them to revere the Jedi and want to serve them? Why did the Yunu not seemingly evolve much over the millennia, and when did the modern Arkinnean settlers first arrive? Was the Yunu’s lack of progress partially due to their elongated fight for survival against the planet’s new inhabitants, and was the militia formed as a direct response to the Yunu’s existence? Finally, how many Yunu remained by the time they first interacted with the Purge survivors, and is it possible those five we saw were the final remnant of their kind?

Additional Notes: While a bit of a basic design, I like the bigfoot-esque elements, and their inclusion within “Dark Times – Fire Carrier” was incredibly fun and wholesome. I’m honestly okay if we never see the species again, as their brief appearance left them with a happy, albeit haunting existence, where the last remaining members of their kind got the opportunity to help raise and care for a new generation of tough but kindhearted Jedi!

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