Gand

Gand were an insectoid sentient species native to the planet Gand that breathed ammonia, forcing them to wear respirators to survive in oxygen-rich atmospheres. A notable member of this species was Zuckuss, a bounty hunter who was one of the first traditional findsmen to leave his homeworld.

Biology and appearance
Gand were a stocky, three-fingered, two-toed insectoid sentient species with brown skin whose heads featured a pair of large, silver compound eyes. As the atmosphere of their homeworld of Gand was composed of ammonia, they were required to wear respirators over their mouths in order to breath in oxygen-rich environments.

Society and culture
Some Gand were findsmen, a mystic tradition that dated back centuries on their fog-shrouded homeworld who were known for their uncanny tracking skills. The species spoke a language of the same name.

Gand in the galaxy
Originally from the planet of the same name located in the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories, a Gand inhabited Nar Shaddaa, which was nicknamed the "Smuggler's Moon," during the Galactic Civil War, and another served aboard the starship Espirion Multi. A male Gand bounty hunter known as Zuckuss was one of the first findsmen to leave their homeworld when the tradition dying out.

Behind the scenes
The Gand species first appeared in the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back as the then-unnamed species of the bounty hunter Zuckuss. Portrayed by actress Catherine Monroe, the character's features were designed by Ralph McQuarrie and John Mollo, and the mask was crafted by Stuart Freeborn. The compound eyes of the mask were constructed with bubble wrap packing material, while the costume itself consisted of the full-head mask and attached cylinders that were filled with colored water, and the actress was instructed to blow air into the cylinders in order to create bubbles.

Zuckuss's species was first identified as Gand in Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, a 1989 Star Wars Legends supplement written by Michael Stern for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. This name became canon when it was utilized in Zuckuss's entry in Ultimate Star Wars, a reference book co-written by Patricia Barr, Adam Bray, Daniel Wallace, and Ryder Windham that was released on April 28, 2015.

Appearances

 * Princess Leia, Part V
 * Star Wars 10: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon, Part III
 * Darth Vader 16: The Shu-Torun War, Part I
 * Star Wars: The Original Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
 * Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
 * The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?