Tolanese

Last Updated: 8/20/2024

Name: Tolanese

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Near-Human

Homeworld: Tolan

Coloration: Unknown

Biology: The Tolanese are a mysterious species who have never been physically described and have only ever been depicted fully covered. What we know is that they were a humanoid species with the same general height, weight, build, and frame as the average Human, being bipedal with two arms, two legs, and one head. They possessed five-fingered hands, and their faces featured at least two eyes. We also know there were male and female members of the species, they were seemingly reproductively compatible with other near-Human species, and they had the capacity to speak Galactic Basic.

Lore: The Tolanese hailed from the planet Tolan, a world found within the midst of the “Colonies” region. They were most well-known for the Tolan Navy Shipyards found at the planet, which became major suppliers of the Galactic Empire during the Imperial era and Galactic Civil War. The Tolanese seemed to be supporters of the Imperial regime, potentially even allowed into their ranks due to being near-Human, though they were also considered relatively callous given what we’ve seen so far, generally having no qualms with concepts such as slavery. One member of the species, Var’Rotha Fin’Rotha, became an infamous bounty hunter. The Tolanese shared their homeworld with a decent population of Human settlers, and were known for wearing full-body robes and masks that obscured their entire bodies.

Continuity: The Tolanese currently only exist within Star Wars Legends.

Unexplored: Almost everything remains to be explored about this elusive species, and we need to start by addressing their appearance. Chances are, they may be an incredibly near-Human, if not Human-passing species, though we can’t say for sure so we do have to ask exactly what their anatomy and biology was like in-depth. Additionally, we need to look further into their seeming allegiance to the Empire. Was it because the Empire fueled their ship-building industries, increasing the wealth of Tolan’s population overall? And is it possible they supported the Empire in other ways, potentially due to a slaving industry that may have also supported the operation of their shipyards? Why didn’t we see more of the Tolanese within the galactic landscape (in-universe answers only, of course), and when were the species first discovered within the timeline of the galaxy? Alongside the more specific questions, broader concepts regarding the Tolanese should be fleshed out including their evolution, society, culture, governments, religions, philosophies, traditions, habits, and the many other ideas we commonly address in regards to unexplored species!

Additional Notes: What really is there to say about the Tolanese at the moment? I guess there is something slightly inherently interesting about a non-Human species that is in support of the Empire, and finding out the reason(s) why is always fairly fascinating, however, there’s so little to work with with this species at the moment that I find little reason not just to replace them with literally any other species in a story. That being said, that exact sentiment is what stops obscure species being fleshed out in favor of the common, popular ones, so maybe that’s reason enough to add and expand upon the Tolanese in your next project (whether you’re an official creator or simply a fan author or artist). With they and their homeworld having been mentioned across a total of four Legends sources, all rather sparingly, they are a candidate ripe for something, really anything more in the eventual future!

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