A quick question about Trandoshans...

Just something l've been thinking about lately. We only hear of villainous Trandoshans like Bossk, Cradossk, Pekt, and Krussk but with the exception of Lissarkh, Plo Koon's apprentice, there are no positive Trandoshan characters. Is it just based on their species' traditions that they are always depicted as bounty hunters and other unsavory figures?

I know that Trandoshans are notorious as slavers and bounty hunters, but it would be completely unbelievable to depict one as a "hero" figure? What are your thoughts on this issue?

 

I'm fond of Zayne Carrick's Trando buddy Slyssk, who owes a life debt to Gryph. Yes, he's a ship thief, but he's just so darned happy when he realizes somebody wants to save his life (and later when he meets up with Zayne after a long absence) that he's nigh-impossible not to love.

 

Slyssk may have a shot, though he was the runt of the nest.

Some species are just like that, it seems.

 

Next thing you know they'll start wanting Anzati Jedi... Oh wait!

 

Sish Sadeet.

 

My major objection to Star Wars is that every species seems to have a stereotype except for those awful, meddlesome humans D:<

Barabels are like Trandoshans with tails, except Saba Sebatyne is a positive role model (I think she should of been a Trandoshan instead of making two almost identical reptilian species).

 

Barabels have been around for far longer than Saba.

 

Whoops, my mistake, although I think Trandoshans have been around longer than Barabels?

 

Plus, they do have a healthy respect for the Jedi, even the non-Saba Barabels.

Probably. I'm not sure we had any Barabels back in 1980.

 

And Saurins have been around longer then either.

 

I think they're in the Episode V novelization, if Wookieepedia is right (and Barabels appeared in a later Bantam Novel).

 

You're talking about Trandoshans, right?

And, yes, it appears that the first Barabel showed up in Dark Force Rising, a Bantam novel.

 

I feel the same way.

 

Nope.

Barabels appeared in "Domain of Evil" for WEG, a year before Dark Force Rising was published.

 

Right. Whatever. The point is, Trandos were around a decade before Barabels. Mystery solved.

 

Portha from Rogue Squadron was a background support.

It's not there fault. When people write they worship a scorekeeper deity and earn points during their lifetime like a Nintendo game, it's hard to take the hide pelts seriously. Stomp nine Hans and the tenth nets you a 1-UP?

 

Barabels were in the revised version of Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races. As far as I know, that means they were also in the original version, since I don't think any new species were added for the revision.

Also as far as I know, though Bossk was around since ESB, the name and traits of the Trandoshan species itself dates back only as far as Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, which was released the same year as GG4.

At any rate, there are no shortage of reptilian species, some of which (Gektls, Tiss'shar) predate even Bossk.

 

I'm always glad to see Star Wars breaking the "this is an evil species" rule. "Good Trandoshans," are nice, I was ecstatic when we finally saw Weequay that weren't villains. If you can't tell, I've always had a soft spot for the Weequay.

 

What is it about their dried-up faces that interests you, LastOneStanding? Their pheromonal correspondance?

 

Hehe, I love the Essential Guide entry on them about the topknots. Star by Star (or Recovery) refers to them as resembling friendlier Yuuzhan Vong. I have a soft spot for the fugly aliens (can't all be Aayla Secura, I say).

 

Thank the HEAVENS for this thread being posted! It's given me a source of hope for my intentions on using a Trandoshan as a heroic character for my signature-advertised fan fiction project.

To me, the SW universe is supposed to represent beings of ALL species being capable of good and evil, and certain species "pigeonholes" for "evil" never sat 100% well with me. (Well... Not counting the Hutts, but the day someone can show me a heroic Hutt is the day I'll eat one of my tennis shoes. LOL) But STILL, if we were to look at the actions of one character as indicative of a species, I'd have utter contempt for the Bothans, from those earlier Fey'la appearances. The same goes for Twi'lek's, because of that cursed Bib Fortuna!

 

They just have a certain "Je ne sais quoi." They are the coolest looking of all the sail barge aliens, and the Weequay story from "Tales From Jabba's Palace" further endeared them to me. Gotta love a species that believes their god talks to them through basically a "Magic 8 Ball."

Jhoram Bey, from the Legacy comics is also pretty kick ass.

On another note, I'd like to see a "good Ubese" sometime.

 

When was that?

 

Not heroic, exactly, but the Hutt in TotJ: Golden Age of the Sith was a nice guy. And the one in Planet of Twilight was supposedly a Jedi, so I suppose he must have been good at some point...