Meftian

Last Updated: 11/8/2024

Name: Meftian

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Beast/Alternative

Homeworld: Mefti

Coloration: Blue, Gray, & White

Biology: The Meftians were a fur-covered sentient humanoid species who possessed some rather striking features. Being bipedal in nature, they possessed two legs and two arms ending in four-fingered hands, with skin that was either white, gray, or pale blue in coloration. From the neck down, this skin was covered almost entirely in a layer of thick, black or dark brown fur, cloaking them in an almost clothing-like pattern. Starting part way up their neck, their skin was much more exposed, with females possessing no facial hair, while males heads covered instead in a thin layer of long, wispy, white or light or dark gray hair, primarily around their chin and cheeks, forming a beard-like growth. Meftians had almost skull-like faces, with sharp, angular, dark cheekbones, wide mouths with dark gray lips, a pair of small, sunken eyes with beady black pupils and blue or gray irises and/or sclera, and exposed, vertical nostril slits situated exactly between them. They also had bony protrusions on the outsides of their eyes, pronounced brows, and bald craniums, though they lacked any visible ears or aural openings. The species had the capacity to speak Galactic Basic Standard.

Lore: The Meftians hailed from the world Mefti, nestled within the part of the galaxy known as the “Colonies” found between the Core Worlds and the Inner Rim. We currently know little about Mefti, including whether or not it was a true planet, though we at least know it was located along the somewhat popular Shwuy Exchange Hyperspace Trade Route, and we can assume it boasted a relatively cold climate given how the Meftians evolved. The species had been discovered sometime prior to the Galactic Civil War, popping up from time-to-time through the subsequent years, though they never seemed to be very common on any given world other than their own. At least one member of the species allied themselves with the rogue Rebel Alliance cell known as the “Partisans,” though it’s unclear whether or not this was due to personal conviction or a species-wide disapproval of the Imperial regime as a whole.

Continuity: The Meftians are a species exclusive to Star Wars Canon, created for the 2016 film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and appearing here and there across media afterwards.

Unexplored: The Meftians fall into the middle of the spectrum of species introduced in the live action Disney Star Wars films, where they do have both an established name and homeworld, with a handful of appearances across the greater franchise, but don’t have any stories or media with dedicated lore regarding their greater existence as a whole. At this rate, it’s really only a matter of waiting, but in the meantime, we can pose a number of questions that, if answered by these eventual appearances, would help us understand this unique looking species far better than we do currently. Some of these questions include: When did the Meftians first develop sentience, what is or was their homeworld like that would facilitate such an appearance, and what sort of non-sentient creature might they have evolved from?

Did members of other races view the Meftians as strange or unsettling given their appearance, or were they considered fairly standard as far as the galaxy was concerned? When was the species first discovered, and by whom? Were they ever members of the Galactic Republic or any other major group, government, or power? Did they have any known allies, and were they involved in any major events or conflicts? Were the Meftians as a whole opposed to the Empire, potentially siding with various Rebel factions, or were individuals such as Partisan Kullbee Sperado outliers, with the species being indifferent or even pro-Empire during the Galactic Civil War? What happened to the species afterwards, and is there anything interesting they might be able to get up to in the future of the Star Wars universe? Aside from addressing these questions, as always, I also have to mention that it would be beneficial to consider our usual list of general worldbuilding concepts which can be found at the end of this section of most smaller articles on this site.

Additional Notes: I like the Meftians (or Skullbeards as they were aptly originally referred to on Rogue One’s set); they have one of the more unique, “not-quite-so-fleshy” designs to come out of the 2010s Disney films. Their appearance is quite striking, it’s just a shame they’re almost always relegated to passing, background roles, with the “Guardians of the Whills” (plus manga adaptation) probably featuring them the most prominently. They’re still lacking a little “oomf-factor” in the lore department, but I suspect that’s more of a temporary problem than anything, so I’ll continue to keep my eye out for them across the various pieces of Star Wars media to be released in the future. I think there’s some great potential here, both for a stereotypical gruff-looking pirate-type character, as well as a more misunderstood wholesome archetype hidden behind a disturbing exterior. Only time will tell if we’ll truly see these ideas come to fruition, but I’m definitely hopeful, especially if it turns out official creators or skimming my articles for ideas in their future works!

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