Twi'lek/Legends

"Oh, yes. Wormheads. Twin tendrils off head. Females much yum-yum."

- Vilmarh Grahrk

Twi'leks (pronounced /'twiːlɛk/) were a tall humanoid species originating from the planet Ryloth. Their distinctive features included colorful skin, which varied in pigment from individual to individual, and a pair of shapely prehensile tentacles that grew from the base of their skulls. The tentacles were called lekku, or head-tails. Twi'leks possessed a fairly standard humanoid vocal structure and were capable of learning most alien languages; however, they usually preferred their native language of Twi'leki, which incorporated subtle movement of the lekku. The beauty of female Twi'leks was well known throughout the Galaxy, and as a result many were sold into slavery, becoming dancers or status symbols.

Physical appearance
The two most striking features of a Twi'lek were their brightly colored skin and set of head tails. The head tails, also called "tchun-tchin" or "lekku", protruded down the back of the skull and contained part of a Twi'lek-s brain. A Twi'lek's head tails served many purposes in their daily lives and culture, storing fat and being used as erogenous zones. The Twi'lek's native language of Twi'leki was spoken using a combination of words and subtle movements of the lekku.

A Twi'lek's head tails were highly sensitive, and grabbing them forcefully was so painful that it could easily incapacitate almost any Twi'lek. Sometimes damage to the head tails also caused lasting damage to the Twi'lek's brain.

Long or multiple lekku were considered great status symbols, and often went hand in hand with respect, influence and wealth. A Twi'lek's head tails could be likened to phallic symbols, and for both sexes larger lekku brought with them some indistinct positive connotations. There were instances of Twi'leks born with triple or even quadruple lekku, and such individuals were common in the aristocracy of Ryloth, but many thought this was likely caused by inbreeding rather than genetic superiority.

Their head tails were a source of great pride to Twi'leks, especially when confronted by other species. The name "tchun-tchin" actually referred to each lekku - 'tchun' being left leku while 'tchin' was the right. In casual conversation the Twi'leks would usually refer to their lekku as 'tchun' or 'tchin'.

The range of possible Twi'lek skin colors was extremely diverse, including green, orange, brown, yellow, blue, white, and purple - all in varying shades and hues. Twi'leks of these skin colors were referred to as Ryloth Twi'leks, with green being the most common color. Other types of Twi'leks included the particularly rare turquoise-skinned Twi'leks, known as Rutian Twi'leks, and the rarest red pigment of the Lethan Twi'leks, whose skin color was caused by a mutation of the genetic code.

A Twi'lek's skin tones varied with lineage, and each color alluded to the kind of worship practiced by the individual's ancestors. Though the Twi'leks all worshipped the same female mother deity, Kakka lekki, the manner in which she was worshipped varied by skin color. Traditionally, purple Twi'leks worshiped Kakka lekki through song, dance, and music, while orange and yellow Twi'leks worshiped with fire and simple pyrotechnics. Blue and white Twi'leks worshiped through study and appreciation of water. Brown and pink Twi'lek worshiped through manipulation of stone, and the green Twi'leks by meditation and contemplation.

Culture
The natural grace and exotic beauty of the Twi'leks made them a popular target among slave traders. Many Twi'leks actually encouraged the slave market their own planet. Some saw it as a chance to make money by kidnapping or selling orphaned children, while others saw slavery as a way of saving children from growing up in Ryloth's harsh environment. A number of Twi'leks believed that slavery was an efficient way to proliferate their species and preserve their culture, as the Twi'leks lacked their own means of inter-planetary travel. Regardless of how it came about, many Twi'leks lived as slaves or entertainers and were considered status symbols, especially the females of rarer skin hues - the Rutian and Lethan Twi'leks. Twi'leks that managed to escape from captivity usually turned to a life of thievery, with both genders making use of their powers of seduction.

While many Twi'leks lived their lives as merchants or even criminals, the race also had a proud and honorable warrior tradition. It was Twi'lek warriors who invented the Chir'daki, or Deathseed, starfighters that married the TIE fighter cockpit to the S-foils of the X-Wing fighter. During the Bacta War, Twi'lek warriors assisted Wedge Antilles in the fight against Ysanne Isard. The name "Twi'Lek" came from the term "leku", given to a Twi'lek's head tails. Most Twi'leks had two lekku - hence "Twi'Lek", or "two lekkued". Twi'leks spoke their own language of Twi'leki.

Government
Twi'lek society was divided into clans, with each clan having its own city. Each city had its own government, which was led by a five member head-clan. These five Twi'leks would lead the society in all matters until one member of the head-clan died. At that point the remaining members of the head-clan would be cast out into the barren landscape on the day-side of the planet, presumably to die, thus allowing the next generation to take over. If the next generation was not yet ready to claim their inherited positions, then a set of regents would be selected to rule until the proper time.

Twi'lek Names
Rather than having separate personal and clan names, a Twi'lek would have single name that combined these two elements. The personal portion of the name would be selected with the clan name in mind, often involving an intentional alteration of the words or a shift in the letters to change the meaning of the name as a whole. This change was meant to symbolize a way of togetherness. A Twi'lek's name would also be split into multiple parts if they were exiled as a criminal, as this was considered very dishonoring.

In some cases Twi'leks would combine the multiple-part name of a non-Twi'lek into a single name, often changing the pronunciation in the same way that they would alter their own given names and clan names. For example, Twi'leks often pronounced Wedge Antilles' name as Wedg'antilles so that his name meant Slayer of Stars&mdash;if a Twi'lek were to use the standard Basic pronunciation, it would mean something vile and profane in their own language.

An example of a true Twi'lek name would be Nawar'aven. This name would be split into two parts when used outside of the local culture, becoming Nawara Ven (the clan name in this case being Ven, but the name Nawara was selected with the intention of moving the last a into the second half of the name, thus changing the meaning).

Prominent Twi'leks

 * Aayla Secura
 * Alema Rar
 * Bib Fortuna
 * Jor Drakas
 * Mission Vao
 * Nawara Ven
 * Numa Rar
 * Nolaa Tarkona
 * Oola
 * Orn Free Taa
 * Tal'dira
 * Tol Sivron
 * Tott Doneeta
 * Ann Gella
 * Tann Gella
 * Yuthura Ban

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption
 * Shadows and Light
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Maul: Saboteur
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Republic: Twilight
 * Star Wars Republic: The Hunt for Aurra Sing
 * Star Wars Republic: Rite of Passage
 * Star Wars Republic: Darkness
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Tides of Terror
 * ''Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Jedi: Aayla Secura
 * Star Wars: Obsession
 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Young Jedi Knights
 * New Jedi Order