Purrgil

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"When they glow like that..."
"They're about to jump into hyperspace!"

―Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren^[src]

Purrgil were a species of massive, whale-like creatures that lived in deep space, traveling from star system to star system. It was their natural ability to fly through hyperspace that inspired sentients to develop the hyperdrive technology. However, according to Hera Syndulla, most spacers considered purrgil a pest due to their habit of approaching and flying into starships near their flight paths, and for ships crashing into their swarms during hyperspace travel. Numerous spacer deaths could be attributed to purrgil-related incidents, leading most spacers to fire upon them on sight.

Biology and appearanceEdit

Purrgil were large creatures with a streamlined, torpedo-shaped body, and a horizontally flattened head with two cloudy eyes placed on the sides of it.^[3] They looked like a cross between a whale, a squid, and a stingray. They had four large hind tentacles, a single dorsal fin, and two side fins, all of which allowed them to move gracefully across the vacuum of realspace. The skin of purrgil was smooth-looking, and often a bluish purple color.^[1] Their large mouths were filled with egg-shaped, irregularly implanted teeth. Some specimens had slender, whisker-like organs near the mouth.^[3]

In order to breathe, these space-whales needed to inhale stores of a specific green gas, Clouzon-36. Once sufficiently provided with said gas, they could jump into hyperspace,^[1] an alternate dimension that could only be entered by traveling at lightspeed or faster.^[7]

BehaviorEdit

"The purrgil are dangerous. They wander into hyperspace lanes, crash into ships. I lost more than one friend that way."
"Well, maybe they don't realize they're putting people in danger. Maybe it's like Kanan says, you know. They just do what they do."

―Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger^[src]

Purrgil lived in groups called flocks^[8] or swarms that could count up to eight individuals. Such groups were led by a bigger specimen,^[3] referred to as a Purrgil King.^[5] Although they showed a certain degree of intelligence, the purrgil could unintentionally cause harm by crashing into starships, killing their occupants in the process.^[3]

HistoryEdit

"When I was young, I was told amazing stories of creatures that lived in the stars, traveled between the worlds. Old pilots said it was the purrgil who inspired us to jump from system to system. But I don't believe it."

―Hera Syndulla^[src]

Purrgil ready to jump — A swarm of purrgil ready to jump into hyperspace

Several millennia before the cold war,^[9] the purrgil's ability to travel through hyperspace inspired sentients to find their own way of entering that alternate dimension. After studying purrgil, sentient beings ended up inventing the hyperdrive.^[10]

Although few people actually witnessed their special ability to attain lightspeed, the purrgil became the stuff of legend for smugglers and pilots across the galaxy.^[1] However, due to their habit of unwittingly crashing into starships, the legendary space-whales came to be regarded as "a big, lumbering menace."^[3] Many purrgil were thus killed, with spacers puncturing them with hook-lashes while they bled to death, before bringing them up on deck.^[11]

The crew of the Ghost encountered a purrgil swarm while stealing fuel from the Mining Guild, witnessing their fabled capacity for hyperspeed firsthand.^[3]

In 0 BBY, dozens of purrgil were summoned by Ezra Bridger in order to aid in the liberation of Lothal. Many purrgil completely wiped out Thrawn's blockade of Lothal and damaged three Star Destroyers, including the Chimaera hovering above Lothal Capital City. They then wrapped their tentacles around the Star Destroyers, trapping both Thrawn and Bridger in a cold embrace, and then jumped to hyperspace, removing the Imperial threat from Lothal.^[6]