Nikto/Legends

The Nikto were a reptilian humanoid species from the planet Kintan in the Si'Klaata Cluster with many subspecies.

Biology and appearance


The Nikto species featured five distinct mutated sub-species due to a massive radiation from a dying nearby star M'dweshuu, which sped up the rate of mutation so that traits that normally took millions of years to occur instead took only thousands of years. The five sub-species inhabited different geographic areas of Kintan, developing unique adaptations to suit the different environments on the planet.

The varying appearance of the Nikto sub-species caused confusion amongst those who were unfamiliar with the Nikto, but all Nikto had certain similarities; leathery skin, sometimes covered with spikes or horns, as well as eyes that included a protective membrane to shield against Kintan's harsh environment. Lacking the musculature required for complex facial expressions, Nikto were often underestimated in assessments of their intelligence due to their 'staring' eyes and 'blank' expressions.

While each subspecies of the Nikto was physically distinct and originated from different parts of Kintan, Nikto from different subspecies could easily interbreed. 93% of the offspring from such unions ended up with the characteristics of only one parent's race, with the rest combining the traits of two subspecies.

Kajain'sa'Nikto


The most common subspecies, the Kajain'sa'Nikto or "Red Nikto", adapted to survive in the Wannschok, or "Endless Wastes", a desert region on Kintan. They had a series of forehead ridges and small facial horns surrounding their eyes and on the chin. Their noses were covered with a movable flap of skin and a semi-permeable membrane which allowed the Nikto to breathe without ingesting sand and grit. The Kajain'sa'Nikto also had a pair of breathing tubes on each side of the neck with openings covered by similar membranes. These membranes also trapped exhaled water vapor and sent it back into their system. Their equivalent of smiling was flattening their mouth flaps.

Most Morgukai warriors were of this race.

Kadas'sa'Nikto


Kadas'sa'Nikto, or "Green Nikto," originated in the milder climatic regions of Kintan, such as the forests and the seacoasts. Their scaly faces had small facial horns surrounding the eyes and on the chin. Their main distinguishing feature was the long climbing claws on their hands, which could also be used in combat.

Esral'sa'Nikto
Esral'sa'Nikto, or "Mountain Nikto", adapted to the variable climate of the mountains of Kintan. They had large facial fins which were used for heat regulation. These fins also improved the Esral'sa'Nikto's hearing. Their skin was blue-gray, and they had neither horns nor breathing tubes, though they did have a covered nose similar to the Kajain'sa'Nikto.

Gluss'sa'Nikto
Gluss'sa'Nikto, or "Pale Nikto", came from the Gluss'elta Islands of Kintan, causing them to be natural sailors. They had white-gray skin, eye-horns like the Kadas'sa'Nikto, and fins similar to those of the Esral'sa'Nikto, but smaller. Xenobiologists believed the first Gluss'sa'Nikto to have been born of a Kadas'sa'Nikto who mated with an Esral'sa'Nikto.

M'shento'su'Nikto


M'shento'su'Nikto, or "Southern Nikto", had no horns, a covered nose, and several pairs of breathing tubes. These tubes were larger than those of the Kajain'sa'Nikto, and also acted as primitive ultrasonic sensory organs. Their skin color varied from white to yellow or orange.

Society and culture
Early in their development, tensions between the sub-species erupted into four bloody wars, although as their civilizations advanced, conquering the dangerous mutated flora and fauna of Kintan united them.

Cult of M'dweshuu
Nikto civilization gradually developed to a pre-star travel level, when they gained an understanding of M'dweshuu's influence on their species and their world. Numerous cults and secret societies developed in praise of M'dweshuu, offering sacrifice through bloodshed. The most prominent of these was the Cult of M'dweshuu, which rose and fell several times through its history. Another secret society was the Morgukai.

Allegiance to the Hutts


Around 25,130 BBY, the Nikto were discovered by the Hutts during a high point in the Cult of M'dweshuu's reign of fear. The Hutts, led by Churabba the Hutt, crushed the cult, and the Nikto offered their allegiance to the Hutts in return. Shortly thereafter, the Nikto fought alongside other newly discovered Hutt-aligned species like the Klatooinians and the Vodrans against the forces of Xim the Despot during the Hutt-Xim conflict. Their fierce combat skills proved crucial at the Third Battle of Vontor when Xim the Despot was defeated.

Firmly placed under the control of the Hutts by the Treaty of Vontor, the Nikto served as bodyguards and soldiers for almost 25,000 years, and had limited independent involvement in most galactic events as a result. As late as 4 ABY, Jabba Desilijic Tiure had many Niktos in his crime organization as foot soldiers and bodyguards.

Days of the Old Republic
During the time of the Jedi Civil War, the rank-and-file membership of the Black Vulkars swoop gang on Taris was composed largely of Kadas'sa'Nikto.

The Jedi Order contained at least six Nikto during the waning days of the Galactic Republic including Fi-Ek Sirch, Bhat Jul, Ausar Auset, J'oopi Shé, Ma'kis'shaalas, and Ima-Gun Di.

Under the Empire
During the Galactic Civil War many Kajain'sa'Nikto and Kadas'sa'Nikto worked for Jabba Desilijic Tiure on Tatooine and took advantage of his demise in 4 ABY to become free beings.

The Yuuzhan Vong War and the Legacy era
In 26 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong conquered Kintan. Over the course of the Vong occupation, 75% of the planet's Nikto population were either killed or enslaved (more often the former, due to the combative nature of the Nikto people). The remaining 25% either went into hiding in Kintan's more inhospitable areas or fled the planet altogether. The population began increasing after the war, eventually returning to prewar levels.

Behind the scenes
The names Nikto and Klaatu is a reference to Klaatu barada nikto, a famous quote from the classic science-fiction film The Day The Earth Stood Still. The same quote was the source of the character names Klaatu, Barada, and the name of Barada's species, the Klatooinians.

In Darksaber, they are called Niktus.

Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic mistakenly identifies the Kadas'sa'Nikto as the "Klaatu", implying they were a different species than the Nikto.

In Russian and Polish the word "Nikto" means "Nobody".

In Star Wars: Roleplaying Game published by Wizards of the Coast, Gluss'sa'Niktos have specific rules for a natural armor and hold breath. However, the Gluss'sa'Niktos in the adventure A Mon Alone are listed with an unexplained feature, really ugly, instead of the previously-mentioned ones.

Non-canon appearances

 * Force Fiction
 * Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
 * The Revenge of Tag & Bink

Notes and references
Nikto Niktowie Nikto