Kaleesh

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"The Kaleesh are not known for their mercy."

―Grievous^[6]

The Kaleesh were a sentient species from the Wild Space world of Kalee. The most notorious member of the species, General Grievous, fought as the Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies during the Clone Wars.

Biology and appearance[]

A species of red-skinned^[1] humanoid^[3] reptilians^[2] from the planet Kalee^[5] in Wild Space,^[7] the Kaleesh had two yellow eyes with slit pupils.^[1] Although all of their facial features were reminiscent of bats, such as their elongated ears and flat noses,^[3] a tusks protruded from their upper jaws,^[4] with shorter ones protruding from their chins^[8] but they usually wore masks^[3] to hide their faces.^[9] The Kaleesh had a keen sense of smell.^[6] They had long thin arms that ended in four-fingered claws that extended from their hands with two opposable thumbs,^[8] they were digitigrades,^[4] walking on their toes rather than their entire feet,^[9] and they possessed a brain,^[10] a heart, and lungs.^[11] Their internal organs were extremely flammable.^[1]^[12]

Society and culture[]

The Kaleesh were known for their lack of mercy.^[6] Returning with spoils of war, the Kaleesh freely appropriate the goods of the conquered.^[13] Amongst the warriors of Kaleesh, it was traditional to wear fearsome masks carved from the skulls and bones of either a Mumuu^[14] or Erkush,^[15] with karabbac blood used as war paint lines above their eyes.^[14] Kaleesh would not tolerate someone who wore a similar mask just for effect.^[16] The Kaleesh wore cloaks and head wraps. They used weaponry like swords, shields^[4] and Czerka Outland rifle.^[17]

History[]

On the planet of Guiteica, Kaleesh warlords took roggwarts with them as trophies from the Bitthævrian.^[18]

At one point before the Clone Wars, the Kaleesh fought a war against the insectoid Yam'rii from the planet Huk. The Galactic Republic supported the Yam'rii^[19] in their catastrophic intervention in a conflict between the two species.^[14] As a result of the Republic and Jedi siding with the Yam'rii, hundreds of thousands of Kaleeshs starved to death.^[17]

Kaleesh in the galaxy[]

"I met a Kaleesh on my travels who bragged of a revered warrior. He supposedly had cybernetic implants for enhanced combat!"

―An artist learns of Grievous^[9]

One of the species' most well-known members was General Grievous, who was also regarded as its most infamous.^[9] His mostly cybernetic body eliminated most resemblance to other Kaleesh.^[20] As the Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Army, he fought in the Clone Wars^[21] until he was killed by Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Battle of Utapau.^[1] The Delphidian pirate Sidon Ithano wore a Kaleesh mask^[22] stolen from the Kaleesh^[23] and then painted it red.^[24]