Draedan

Last Updated: 8/2/2024

Name: Draedan

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Amphibious

Homeworld: Sesid

Coloration: Green, Silver, or Pink

Biology: Draedans were a bipedal humanoid species standing approximately 2 meters tall on average, though they could grow even taller, with two arms, as well as two long legs. Draedans were muscular, with slick, hairless skin that was usually a pale green in coloration, though it could also be silver or even occasionally pink. They had pointed, two-toed feet, as well as numerous fleshy spikes extending from the outer sides of their ankles and calves. Their torsos were long and toned, with large chests and wide torsos. They are often depicted having four-fingered hands, although they’ve occasionally been shown sporting five, each ending in sharpened points regardless of number.

Perched atop their short necks were rounded, almost piranha-like heads, with pronounced jaws and tall craniums. Each Draedan could have a distinct number of flat fins extending from the front of their face up and over or around their head, coming to a point at the back. They always had one fin directly on the top of their head, while the others were situated in symmetrical pairs running down the sides, meaning the number of fins was always odd (we’ve currently observed instances with anywhere from 3 to 9 of these fins), and they could sometimes be seen as far down as the neck. Draedans also had protruding brows, while the backs of their heads were surprisingly flat and smooth.

The otherwise angular heads featured a pair of solid crimson eyes which seemed to be reflective in nature and may have even possessed mild bioluminescence. They had a slightly pronounced nose ridge, though they sported no visible nostrils. It’s very possible the species had gills situated horizontally alongside the sides of their neck which allowed them to breathe both above and below water. One of the Draedans’ most prominent features were their massive mouths, with dozens of razor sharp teeth, often slightly disheveled and somewhat varying in size and length. All Draedans had visible underbites, with the teeth protruding from their lower jaw resting outside of their lower lip when their mouths were closed.

Draedans had an incredible bite force, their toothy mouths serving as a fantastic defense mechanism. Given their muscular frame, the species possessed immense physical strength as well, making them fantastic in hand-to-hand combat. Additionally, Draedans were proficient swimmers, able to live either on land or underwater indefinitely. From what we can tell, their eyes granted them enhanced sight in the deep, dark depths of their homeworld, Sesid’s, oceans. The species could clearly pronounce Galactic Basic Standard, though any information regarding their native tongue remains unknown. There’s also reason to believe Draedans survived almost exclusively on a diet of fish, reasonably revealing them to be carnivores. The species reproduced at an incredible rate, with a single family unit consisting of approximately 40 children considered to be small.

Lore: The Draedans were an aquatic species hailing from the Outer Rim world of Sesid, a watery world covered in sporadic islands that was historically considered a popular intergalactic vacation hotspot. Discovered some time during or prior to the High Republic era, the tourism industry on the world in the years leading up to the collapse of the Galactic Republic was booming, leading to many local Draedans becoming fairly wealthy, though the species seemingly never developed any political affiliations. Because of all of the wealth that was brought to the world, piracy also became a rather lucrative trade, and groups of seafaring Draedan raiders began forming all across Sesid’s surface. The terrains of the islands varied widely, with the beaches being the most popular for offworlders, the wet jungles home to many of the natives (though many lived below the surface among colorful coral reefs), and the volcanic islands remaining the most uninhabited. The planet was also home to a species of massive lily pads sprouting from the ocean seafloor that were large and durable enough to support structures or landing spacecraft.

Despite having a demeanor indicative of a dumb, brutish species, the Draedans were actually quite advanced and clever. They had developed advanced architecture, varied and complex political and law enforcement systems, and powerful militias with skilled warriors who could fight both on land and in the water. Their main limitation was the lack of diverse resources their world bore, which restricted what technologies they had access during times of slow trade with the outside galaxy. Still, they did have a few unique and valuable exports, including strong woods harvested from their jungles, as well as beautiful corals and shining gemstones mined from their oceans depths. Draedans seemingly wore little in the way of clothing, their soldiers only having simple armor and minimal weaponry as well. The species had some interactions with the Republic, though almost never accepted gifts, aid, or offers of official membership/representation on the Republic Senate. Still, they held no ill will towards the galactic government, and maintained peaceful relations.

Aside from monetary wealth, the size of one’s family was a huge indicator of power and status among the Draedans. The more children a family had, the higher their status was raised. Parents with less than approximately 50 children were seen as shamed, and extended families were so expansive that with each generation, it grew more and more difficult for an individual to travel anywhere on the planet and not encounter a sibling, cousin, or distant relative. This seemingly also increased the risk of inbreeding, though we’re not sure if they had any ill-effect on them overall or if they had long since adapted to bypass genetic issues for the sake of the species preservation. It was apparently fairly rare for Draedans to travel offworld or be seen out and among the galaxy, though it wasn’t impossible, especially after the Galactic Empire rose to power, with a number becoming smugglers, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and especially pirates.

At some point during their early reign, the Empire established a prominent pharmaceutical research facility on Sesid, not unlike the one found on Iakar, which attempted to utilize the various rare natural resources extracted from the world to advance Imperial medicine. An Imperial garrison was also established on the world, seemingly considerable in size, who began to oppress the local population as they resisted the newly initiated occupation. The tourism industry suffered considerably, and living conditions of the world became constricted enough that the governments and pirates seemingly all banded together in a united cause. Raiding parties were formed to combat Imperial forces, and not long after, the Draedan resistance was formed. Unfortunately, they were not strong enough to drive back the Imperials, and soon the fight to repel became a simple fight for survival.

One of the largest rebel cells on Sesid, led by a pirate lord named Aurelant, had established contact with the Rebel Alliance, forming a loose allyship. During the Rebellion’s “Operation Yellow Moon” shortly before the critical Battle of Endor, a rebel contingent led by General Leia Organa visited Sesid in an attempt to link up with Aurelant in person to trade information and fuel a campaign of anti-Imperial misinformation. Only when they arrived, however, did they realize just how bad conditions on the world had become, the Draedan rebels resorting to guerilla warfare and covert strikes via submersible vehicles, arming themselves with stolen Imperial weaponry and armor. After a crucial operation, Aurelant’s crew would extract from the world alongside the other Rebels, temporarily leaving his world behind to ensure their movement persevered. The Empire would further crack down on Sesid, increasing their numbers and enslaving many of the people. Though no return or liberation has been documented, it is presumed this would take place sometime shortly following the Emperor’s “death,” with Aurelant becoming a figurehead who would lead his people to join the Alliance and possibly even the New Republic.

Continuity: So… the Draedan did originate in Star Wars Legends, debuting in 1995’s “Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens – Enemies and Allies,” where, through this book as well as the “Alien Encounters” sourcebook, they were fairly fleshed out. This is also where we learned about Sesid, their aquatic nature, and their interactions with the Galactic Empire, though that’s pretty much where the similarities between their original identity and the Canon iteration of the species end. One of the biggest differences between the two versions is their appearance, which is such a departure that I couldn’t justify including both in the “Biology” section above. That means that what’s stated there is pretty much exclusively in regards to their Canon depiction and anatomy. I will include an image of the original Draedans at the bottom of the article, but some of the distinctions are as follows:

Originally, the Draedans were a diminutive species, generally standing somewhere between 1.3 and 1.7 meters in height. While they could still be greenish, they were also sometimes seen with silver skin. On that note, their skin was much smoother, and the species overall was a lot less muscular. Instead of the various fins on their head, the species instead had one jagged fin that was almost hair-like in appearance, extending from the top of their head, down their back, and all the way to the tip of their tail. And yes, EU Draedans also had thin, elongated tails that were almost the same length as their bodies. They had much more rounded, Human-like faces, though they did possess three sets of frilled gill covers on each cheek, despite also having visible nostrils. They had webbed appendages, with four-fingered hands and three-toed feet. And they spent much more time underwater as opposed to their Canon counterparts, requiring continual moistness to survive on land and unable to withstand extreme temperatures due to their cold-blooded nature.

Their lore isn’t really all too different, which is why I was able to approximate them for the “Lore” portion of the article fairly easily. But creators definitely chose to focus on different aspects within each continuity, meaning they both definitely had different societal feels. The Imperial occupation went down slightly differently in Legends, meaning I could only include the Canon version of the event, with the Empire in the EU invading Sesid less to exclusively expand their pharmaceutical efforts but instead moreso to plunder it for profit given the many riches and valuable resources they boasted. The distinct Draedan countries were initially much more defined, and many of them made outright public declarations of support for the Rebel Alliance, while a few Draedan dictators supported their new overlords in return for weaponry. A semi-civil war broke out thanks to the manipulative efforts of Imperial Governor Arvel Trace, and the world became a breeding ground for piracy and smuggling, though the Imperial occupation eventually waned as the war carried on.

Unexplored: Between the two iterations of the Draedans, there’s actually not a whole lot left to be touched upon, at least compared to many other species who are only expanded upon within one continuity or the other. Still, there are at least a few things worth pointing out that are deserving of future expansion, especially now that we have a new and improved version within the current dynamic Canon! For starters, what is the nature of their origins? What sort of creatures did they evolve from, did they move from land into the water or vice-versa, and when was it that they first developed sentience? How long did it take for them to develop into the rich, tourist-friendly, pirate breeding species that we know them as during the “modern era,” and was it the Republic who first discovered them, or someone else? On that note, why did Sesid never join the Republic, and was it a unanimous decision, or was their political conflict between the various nations that caused them to simply never officially agree on membership?

What other elements established within the EU could and should make the jump into Canon, such as their cold-bloodedness, various island-based dictatorships, civil war and alliances with the Empire, or the involvement of specific characters like Governor Arvel Trace? What was the species up to during various other eras like the High Republic and Clone Wars? What did the average Draedan think of the tourists who constantly flocked to their homeworld? And did Sesid remain fairly clean and beautiful, and had it slowly fallen prey to litter and pollution given the stream of non-natives, as well as mining industries and pirate attacks? Finally, what happened to the species following the post-Aureland squeeze, were many Draedan slaves exported offworld before the Rebellion had a chance to return, and when was Sesid finally liberated? Did the remaining Draedan freedom fighters join the front lines leading up to the Battle of Jakku, and, of course, would they join the New Republic (and/or the Resistance) in the years and decades that followed? Exploring these answers, as well as the other various baseline worldbuilding traits we usually cover, will give us yet a greater understanding of their already pretty fleshed out race!

Additional Notes: I consider the Draedans to be the posterchildren when it comes to an EU-to-Canon glow-up! The original design wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was definitely one of the less-inspired species to come from its era, and the updated design was 100% an improvement. They now look cool, unique, brutal, and memorable, with equally interesting lore and a nice batch of illustrations that give us a much better understanding of the species’ identity than we ever had pre-2014. Of course, I’ve included the only decent picture we have of the old design among illustrations of the newer one below, though it should be pretty easy to distinguish which is which. But yeah, I hope we see more of the species soon, especially as members of the Rebellion, potentially even in other mediums like animation! (Edit: They have since appeared in the “The High Republic” multimedia event, so that’s something!)

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