Verpine/Legends

"They're supposed to be geniuses at fixing and reassembling high-tech devices."

- Luke Skywalker

Verpine were a mantid race from the Roche asteroid belt. Verpine were well known for their technical aptitude, exemplified by the starship manufacturer Slayn & Korpil, which built the famous V-19 Torrent starfighter for the Galactic Republic and the B-wing starfighter for the Rebel Alliance. Verpine also possessed keen vision that could pick out microscopic details, the natural ability to sense and transmit radio waves to communicate with other Verpine in Verpine language, and a hardened carapace.

Verpine came in two types -- intelligent, hermaphroditic Verpine and unintelligent worker drones. At the time of their entrance into galactic society, only five percent of Verpine were intelligent, but the demands of technological civilization caused the Verpine to restructure their society. After the change, egg-laying Verpine used a special enzyme to ensure all eggs laid developed into intelligent Verpine. Any drones needed by a Verpine hive were produced via cloning.



Han Solo and Chewbacca befriended a Verpine priest of the Sacred Way on Aduba-3 after rescuing the clergyman from an angry mob. Years later, Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Lobot worked with a Verpine slicer named Moegid on an ill-fated mission to recover a copy of the Caamas Document from Bastion. Zraii, Rogue Squadron's mechanic, was also a Verpine.

During the Swarm War, some Verpine who were addicted to the Gorog Nest's black membrosia acted on the side of the Killiks, including procuring B-Wings and Verpine shatterguns for the Killik forces. The Killiks attempted to invade the Verpine homeworld and overthrow their government. The attempt was foiled by the actions of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker and Jacen Solo.

Behind the scenes


The insectoid priest Han Solo met in Marvel Star Wars 7 was not identified by species, though Solo referred to him as an "Insect-guy" and a "Buggie". The retcon identifying the priest as a Verpine was established in Star Wars Gamer 4.

This character has a yellow-green exoskeleton and large green eyes, but no visible antennae. The priest was also addressed as "Pera", meaning "Father" in High Galactic, even though other material refers to Verpines as hermaphrodites. This may be explained by the Verpine assuming a male role when interacting with other species, much like some Hutts.

It is possible that "Buggie" is a common nickname for Verpines &mdash; possibly a derogatory one, since Solo used the more respectful "Pera" when addressing the priest directly. According to Leia Organa Solo in The Joiner King, Solo had been uncomfortable with insectoid species since his encounter with Kamarians (as seen in Han Solo's Revenge).