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Twi'lek

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Twi'lek

Biological classification

Physical characteristics

Skin color

Black^[4]
Blue^[5]
Gray^[6]
Green^[7]
Olive^[8]
Orange^[9]
Pale^[7]
Pink^[10]
Purple^[11]
Red^[12]
Teal^[13]
White^[14]
Yellow^[15]

Eye color

Black^[7]
Blue^[10]
Brown^[16]
Green^[17]
Hazel^[18]
Orange^[9]
Pink^[7]
Purple^[9]
Red^[7]
Yellow^[18]

Distinctions

Lekku^[19]

Sociocultural characteristics

Point of origin

Ryloth^[19]

Habitat

Desert or wastelands^[20]

Language

Twi'leki^[21]

"There are lots of Twi'leks in the galaxy."

―Lourna Dee^[22]

Twi'leks, sometimes referred toxenophobically astail-heads orTwi, occasionally referred to asRylothians, were a tallnear-human species whose most striking feature was a pair of long appendages protruding from their skulls, calledlekku. Theyhailed from theplanet ofRyloth, in theOuter Rim Territories, andfemale Twi'leks were often exported offworld asslaves. Twi'leks were considered one of the most common species in thegalaxy, with its members easily able to blend into a crowd without drawing attention, as opposed to rarer, more prominent species, likeTogrutas. Somearmies used this to their advantage, employing Twi'leks asundercover agents.

Biology and appearance[]

Twi'leks were aspecies of tallhumanoids whose skin spanned a vast array ofcolors,^[19] including white,^[14] orange,^[9] yellow,^[15] green,^[7] pink,^[10] blue,^[5] purple,^[11] black, gray,^[6] and red.^[12] Their most distinctive feature was the pair of prehensile appendages that sprouted from the crown or base of their skulls,^[19] known aslekku, or head-tails. Although Twi'leks normally had two lek,^[1] some individuals had four.^[5] Super sensitive lek could grab and hold objects and react to the slightest touch. A damaged lekku could cause serious harm to a Twi'lek's health.^[1]

The species had twosexes, male and female. While most males typically hadears with lobes resembling those ofhumans, some males had cone-shaped hearing organs located in the same place on the head,^[6] a trait customarily found in the females of the same species.^[23] Although Twi'leks naturally had bluntteeth,^[24] males typically sharpened them to points.^[25]

Twi'leks were usually thin,^[19] although corpulent individuals were known to exist.^[26] Under normal circumstances, they generally had a higher bodytemperature than other humanoid species.^[12] They had even higher body temperatures when in fear.^[27]

Twi'leks and humans could breed to create ahybrid of the two species: shortly after thedeath ofKanan Jarrus,Hera Syndulla gave birth to theirson, who appeared mostly human but inherited his mother's green pigment in his hair and ears. He was born after theliberation of Lothal, in which Syndulla lived to participate.^[28]

Society and culture[]

The Twi'leks had alanguage of their own, calledTwi'leki, which combined verbal sounds and an elaborate, subtle sign language using their lekku. Twi'lek's lekku could be moved to create gestures with meanings such as hello or goodbye. For example, both lekku tips crossed twice meant, "I love you."^[1] Twi'leks were capable of speakingGalactic Basic Standard, many with a noticeable accent; although it was possible for some to lose this accent if away from Ryloth for an extended period of time, it could still resurface. For example, Hera Syndulla lapsed back into the common Twi'leki accent during an argument with her father and also used it consciously when passing herself off as a slave.^[24]^[29]

Mynock Cloud City andMynock Coronet City were spicydishes made frommynocks that were popular with Twi'leks,^[1] as well as a dish known asfried mynock.^[30] Twi'leks wereeaten bygutkurrs,^[1] viciousinsect carnivores^[20] that used their sharp, curvedclaws to snare their prey.^[1] An integral part of Twi'lek culture and the familial clan was theKalikori, an heirloom based down through the generations, each of which would add to the totem. The Kalikori was only of value to the family from which it came from and was worthless to outsiders, who had no connection to that familial line.^[29] On the Twi'lekhomeworld Ryloth, Twi'leks celebrated the holiday calledLongest Night when each of theplanet's threemoons were at their lowest phase. During the holiday, many would remain inside with their families as the populated hemisphere of the planet was covered in darkness.^[31]

History[]

Clone Wars[]

"If we're here to free the tail-heads, the least they can do is get out of our way."

―Boil —

Link ▶️(file info)^[13]

Twi'leks skin spanned a vast array of color

The homeworld of the Twi'leks was Ryloth, aplanet of harsh extremes situated in theOuter Rim Territories. That world was part of theGalactic Republic, a democratic union thatgoverned most ofthe galaxy. During theClone Wars, Ryloth was occupied by theConfederacy of Independent Systems. Unsatisfied with the tyrannical rule of the Confederacy, aTwi'lek Resistance movement arose, led byCham Syndulla, tocombat the Separatists. This movement was publicly backed and actively assisted by the Galactic Republic. Working with theGrand Army of the Republic and theJedi Order, the Twi'lek Resistance managed to expel Separatist forces underWat Tambor.^[9] The Republic then annexed Ryloth.^[25]

Imperial protectorate[]

Following the end of the Clone Wars, the Republic was transformed into theGalactic Empire, and Ryloth was annexed by the Empire.^[32] The planet became an Imperialprotectorate, and the Twi'leks living on Ryloth were subjected to Imperial rule. While Ryloth was nominally independent and was still represented bySenator Orn Free Taa in theGalactic Senate, real power lay in the hands of the ImperialMoff Delian Mors.^[25]

About five years after the establishment of the Empire, Cham reorganized the Twi'lek Resistance as theFree Ryloth Movement in order to expel the Empire from Ryloth. While most of the Free Ryloth resistance fighters were Twi'leks, it included a number of non-Twi'leks such asColonel Belkor Dray. The Free Ryloth resistance consisted of hundreds of fighters, a network of informants andspies, and staged raids which led to the deaths of dozens of Imperial personnel. AfterDarth Vader killed one of Cham's lieutenants,Pok, and his comrades after the theft of an Imperial freighter from theYaga Minor shipyards, Cham decided to shift from half-hearted measures towards taking full action against the Empire.^[25]

Emperor Palpatine conspired to lure the Free Ryloth rebels into a trap by organizing a visit to Ryloth with Darth Vader and arranging for information on the trip to be leaked to the Ryloth rebels. Cham seized the opportunity to kill the twoSith Lords and fragment the Empire. The two Sith Lords traveled to Ryloth in theImperial Star DestroyerPerilous. Cham's rebels attacked thePerilous with space mines,vulture droids, and rebels disguised as rescue crew. However, Vader and the Emperor managed to escape to Ryloth. Following a prolonged pursuit, the Free Ryloth rebels tried to close in on the two Sith Lords in a remote village. Imperial forces under Moff Delian however arrived at the village and routed the rebels. Cham and his surviving comrades fled to resume their struggle.^[25]

Cham's daughter, Hera Syndulla, became a key leader in the rebellion against the Empire and led her ownrebel cell. She believed that Ryloth's freedom was linked to the rebellion. Hera disagreed with Cham's exclusive focus on Ryloth, and the two parted company. Three years before theBattle of Yavin, the Empire used aQuasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier to bomb Ryloth. Despite their differences, Cham and Hera's rebel cells joined forces tosteal the cruiser-carrier for thePhoenix Cell. As a result, ties were established between the Free Ryloth movement and the wider rebellion.^[24]

Two years before the Battle of Yavin, the Empire dispatched theChiss Grand Admiral Thrawn to deal with the Ryloth insurgency. By studying Twi'lek art, culture, philosophy, and history, Thrawn was able to devise successful tactics that led to the fall ofTann Province. The Free Ryloth movement lost many fighters, and Cham was forced to flee hisown home. Hera, Cham, and the other rebels then took part in anunsuccessful attempt to recover theSyndulla Kalikori, a family heirloom, from Thrawn. Despite failing to recover the object, the rebels escaped an attempt byCaptain Slavin to capture the rebels and Cham.^[29] Inspired by the Free Ryloth Movement andPhoenix Squadron, many Twi'leks decided to fight against the Empire and join theAlliance to Restore the Republic to see peace in their homeworld.^[33]

New Republic Era[]

In5 ABY,^[34] Ryloth was freed when Imperial forces on the planet abandoned their bases.^[35] After the rise of theFirst Order, many Twi'leks feared an occupation of Ryloth would be inevitable, so they swore allegiance toLeia Organa's Resistance,^[33] although theRyloth government itself remained independent from her movement. However, theRyloth Defense Authority arose as an unofficial faction on Ryloth dedicated to keeping the planet and its people safe. Shortly after theBattle of Crait, Resistance forces sought refugee on Ryloth with the RDA until they werediscovered.^[31]

Twi'leks in the galaxy[]

A yellow-skinned Twi'lek female server in . — A yellow-skinned Twi'lek female server inGarsa Fwip's Sanctuary.

Many Twi'leks were forced into a life ofslavery at the hands of the galaxy's wealthy and powerful.^[19] Other Twi'leks, however, found themselves in positions of power:Bib Fortuna served as themajordomo to thecrime lord Jabba theHutt fordecades,^[36]Aayla Secura andFinn Ertay wereJedi Knights of the Jedi Order,^[37] andSenator Orn Free Taa represented his homeworldRyloth in the Galactic Republic's Senate and later theImperial Senate.^[26] Due to their frequent use as slaves as well as their commonality in the galaxy, Twi'leks could move surreptitiously through places an army could not penetrate. Because of this, some found employment as undercover agents.^[38]

Cham Syndulla was a leader of the Twi'lek Resistance during the Clone Wars^[9] and later became the leader of the Free Ryloth movement.^[25] His daughter Hera Syndulla was the leader of the Spectres^[39] and was later promoted toPhoenix Leader in the Phoenix Squadron, eventually achieving the rank of General.^[40]^[41]

During the Battle of Ryloth, theclone trooper Boil derogatorily referred to the Twi'lek people as "tail-heads" as^[13] he^[42] complained of them constantly being in the way of his duty.^[13] During theNew Republic Era, themercenary Migs Mayfeld derogatorily calledXi'an—who was a Twi'lek—a "crazy Twi" after she thew adagger at the chest of theNew Republic officer Lant Davan.^[43]

Behind the scenes[]

Hera Syndulla in Star Wars Rebels — Hera Syndulla inStar Wars Rebels

Twi'leks first appeared in the1983 filmStar Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi, directed byRichard Marquand.^[7] The name "Twi'lek" was not spoken in anyStar Wars film and was first mentioned by theStar Wars Legends 1987 West End Games publicationThe Star Wars Sourcebook.^[44] The name was brought back tocanon in the species'Databank entry.^[19]

The Twi'leks and their culture were more deeply explored in "Innocents of Ryloth" and "Liberty on Ryloth," episodes of thefirst season of theStar Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. During an interview with theAggressive Negotiations podcast,Clone Wars writerHenry Gilroy stated that the species was chosen for the show for several reasons, including their recognizable appearance to viewers and the show's ability to use pre-made human assets for their character models. Gilroy also stated that one of the show's goals with the Ryloth arc was to change the perception of Twi'leks among fans. Citing characters such as Aayla Secura andDarth Talon, Gilroy and fellowClone Wars writerDave Filoni felt that the species had too often been sexualized in their previous appearances, and so the two had discussions on how to portray the Twi'leks in a different light, leading to the development of characters like Cham Syndulla and, inStar Wars Rebels, his daughter, Hera.^[45]