If someone were to ask you about the many alien species of Star Wars, what exactly comes to mind? I’m guessing most Star Wars fans would think about Wookies or Ewoks, because of Chewie, of course, and Return of the Jedi. Heck, even people who aren’t Star Wars fans might mention the Wookies, because they saw that “big hairy guy who sat next to Han Solo on that one ship.” I get it, those are the most popular races, but let’s remember what Star Wars is. It’s not a fictional universe because it takes place on one world. The universe of Star Wars is a literal universe overflowing with different kinds of humans, droids, and exotic alien species. The original trilogy didn’t introduce many aliens, but the prequels made up for that. Some are sentient, others are civil, while others are hostile. Hey, what’s a universe without a little diversity?
In my opinion, the alien species that are the most interesting to me are the ones that are near-human. They reflect our best aspects, as well as our worst aspects, and despite their appearances, they are all very much human on the inside. Movie fans have seen this many times in any kind of science fiction movies and video games. Much like our own race, aliens in movies and video games have their good and bad members. They usually hate the humans in their universe, all while remaining ignorant to the fact that they aren’t very different from them. It’s an interesting concept, especially when we see it in our beloved Star Wars universe.
The Star Wars films have introduced many awesome aliens, but I think we should take a look at the ones who haven’t had the chance to make it to the big-screen. If you’re a fan of The Clone Wars series, you’ll probably remember some humanoid feline-like aliens with very pointy ears. These people are called the Zygerrians, a species of the Star Wars universe that made their mark in the comics and the Clone Wars seres. If fictional aliens reflect our own best and worst qualities, then the Zygerrians represent the worst of the worst of humanity. To put it short, they are the slavers of the Star Wars universe. Seriously, what’s worse than being a slaver?
In the comics, the Zygerrians gave Anakin and Ahsoka a lot of trouble in the Slaves of the Republic storyline. They proved to be a vile race, as they manage to capture them and temporarily turn them into slaves. This didn’t sit well with Anakin, who spent most of his childhood as a slave, and he fought back. This arc was so well done, that The Clone Wars series decided to adapt it in the fourth season. Now I’ll admit, I never read the comic, but I did watch all The Clone Wars episodes. This gave me some insight for a new species in the Star Wars universe that I haven’t seen before. My first impression of them is that they meant bad news, and I soon discovered why.
Their empire allied with Count Dooku and The Separatist for a specific purpose. It was all a combination of greed and a desire for power, but their reasons ran far deeper than I thought. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan were sent to the planet, Shili, to investigate the mysterious disappearances of the Togrutan people. Anakin noticed a Zygerrian commander and was instantly enraged by the mere sight of him. Ahsoka was unaware of this, but Obi-Wan revealed to her that Anakin and his mother were once slaves, and the Zygerrians were among the most prominent slavers in the galaxy. The history of the Zygerrians was explained even further when Obi-Wan had to negotiate with the Zygerrian commander. Of course, it soon became “aggressive negotiations” and Obi-Wan went toe to toe with the Zygerrian.
The hand-to-hand exchange was all a diversion, but it meant Obi-Wan had to take a beating. The Zygerrian commander, himself, had a heated grudge towards Obi-Wan and all the Jedi. He revealed that during the days of the Old Republic, the Zygerrian empire provided the galaxy with slave labor. Their empire prospered from their slavery enterprise, but that all came to an end when the Jedi challenged them. The Jedi defeated them and outlawed slavery, putting their empire to an end. As a result, the Zygerrians ran slavery auctions through the criminal underworld and aspired to reestablish their empire to its former glory. This was their endgame when they allied with the Separatist. They not only wanted to reclaim what they lost, but also see the Jedi fall.
The episodes where we got to see Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex, as slaves was out of the ordinary for The Clone Wars series, but in a good way. Seeing the Zygerrians in action almost made it feel like I was no longer watching a kid show, but something that reflected the darkest of times in human history. Their government was a monarchy, ruled over by a ruthless queen, who oversaw the cruel treatment of their slaves. They even used electro-whips to control their slaves, something that Obi-Wan had the misfortune of experiencing. The Zygerrians proved to be an arrogant and loathsome race, but their part in the Star Wars saga is interesting.
It’s because of their enmity towards the Jedi that makes them compelling antagonist. They were once a serious threat to the Jedi and were defeated, but that’s a conflict I’d like to see. If the next Star Wars movies take place during the days of the Old or High Republic, then that’s the perfect opportunity to have them make their live-action debut. How many times do we need the Jedi fight the Sith? In a time when the Jedi were in their prime, I think it would be only fitting if they battled the Zygerrian Empire when they were in their prime. Dave Filioni always pictured them as humanoid coyote people to embody their treacherous nature. If you ask me, that sounds like an awesome idea.
After years of focusing on the Skywalker story, it’s time Star Wars goes a different route. A movie about the High or Old Republic can should introduce new Jedi and new villains. The only old character I’d want to see is a younger Yoda hopping around like a basketball. If he and other Jedi led the charge against a Zygerrian slaver empire, it would make for one fine movie. It’s about time we see a new kind of villain that’s less Palpatine and more alien. Stay hopeful, Star Wars fans.
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