Abednedo

The Abednedos, a humanoid and sentient species, originated from the planet also known as Abednedo, situated in the Colonies sector of the galaxy. As a mammalian race, their coloration spanned from brown, cream, gray, orange, pink, to tan, with brown-skinned individuals often displaying mottled gray patterns. Distinctive features included thin, fleshy nostrils and black eyes set within protruding sockets on their elongated heads. They also possessed wattles, or facial tendrils, which were remnants of sensory organs used by their ancestors for underground navigation in darkness. Hair growth was possible above their eyes and on the sides and back of their heads, with colors ranging from blonde, brown, gray, to white. Their arms terminated in five digits, while their legs ended in three. Notably, the scavenger "Crusher" Roodown stood out as significantly larger than other known Abednedo individuals.

Known for their sociable nature and intelligence, the Abednedos were commonly seen throughout the galaxy due to their curiosity, acceptance of other species, and linguistic abilities. Many Abednedos were proficient in both understanding and speaking Basic. Their native language, Abednedish, possessed its own unique writing system. As a colonial species, they had expanded and adapted to thrive on numerous worlds.

Abednedos were firm advocates for the New Republic.

The Abednedos evolved from a subterranean precursor species. These early ancestors constructed interconnected tunnel networks, or warrens, forming vast cathedral-like structures that housed tens of thousands of family units.

Eventually, this precursor species evolved into the Abednedos, who then began to inhabit the surface of their planet. There, they constructed numerous cities that spread across Abednedo's landscape. While these cities provided endless amusement and fascination for the Abednedos, outsiders often perceived them as chaotic due to the abundance of ornamental spires, flagpoles, and vibrantly colored carvings.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, the Empire occupied Abednedo because of their allegiance to the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and the planet was subject to a climate disruption array. Consequently, they later chose to become part of the New Republic. After the Resistance was established by General Leia Organa, the Abednedo were among Organa's earliest supporters, with several Abednedos, including C'ai Threnalli, eventually joining the Resistance.

Abednedos were a common presence throughout the galaxy, working in various fields, such as freight crew members, soldiers, bureaucrats, and slicers.

Some Abednedo served within the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Shortly before the Battle of Endor, Antrot, a male Abednedo and technical specialist, participated in Operation Yellow Moon, a mission led by Leia Organa. This mission involved placing hyper-transceivers in the Corva sector to divert the Galactic Empire's attention from the Alliance Fleet assembling over Sullust for an assault on the second Death Star at Endor. During the operation, Antrot died in a suicide attack, causing significant damage to the Imperial ship Shieldmaiden. Another Abednedo is known to have served in the Alliance, being present at a briefing regarding efforts to stop Operation: Cinder, an Imperial contingency plan created after his death by Emperor Sheev Palpatine. Awls Ooteek was another rebellion member.

Similarly, a minimum of three Abednedos became members of the Resistance, including Ello Asty, who was previously a member of the New Republic's precision air team. Asty perished during the Battle of Starkiller Base. Other Abednedos who joined the Resistance included technician Oddy Muva and pilot C'ai Threnalli.

Abednedo occasionally pursued careers in politics. In the year 5 ABY, Bushar was an Abednedo senator who served in the Galactic Senate of the New Republic. Twenty-nine years later, Brasmon Kee represented Abednedo within the New Republic. He was killed by the Starkiller Base superweapon during the Hosnian Cataclysm.

Some members of the species turned to crime and thuggery. Arno Xan was a thief who amassed a collection of stolen Imperial armors, which he sometimes wore. Toomata Wree, also known as Tooms, was a male Abednedo in the employ of Surat Nuat on the planet Akiva. Shortly after the Battle of Endor, Wree, along with fellow henchmen Makarial Gravin and Herf, attempted to recover goods stolen by spare parts shop owner Temmin Wexley from Surat's transport ship. However, they were incapacitated by Wexley's reprogrammed B1-series battle droid, Mister Bones. Dazur Dar was a member of the Data Seekers, a group of espionage experts who sought to uncover mysteries about the Anoat sector's ancient history. Marn Kel was another member of the Data Seekers who used his expert piloting skills to extract operatives from dangerous situations.

Sowa Chuan, a female Abednedo, worked as a servant for Agent Terex of the First Order Security Bureau. Durm Bormo was a male Abednedo scout. He worked with a team of adventurers on Jakku to discover the secrets of a crashed New Republic corvette.

Roodown, nicknamed "Crusher" Roodown, was a scavenger on the planet Jakku. His employer, the junk dealer Unkar Plutt, suspected him of selling salvage to a rival buyer, leading Unkar's thugs to sever his arms. He was noticeably larger than typical Abednedos. Ilco Munica was a member of the Church of the Force residing in the village of Tuanul, also on Jakku. Munica was killed by the First Order during their attack on Tuanul, as they searched for former explorer Lor San Tekka and his map to Luke Skywalker.

Creature concept designer Jake Lunt Davies conceived the Abednedo species for the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, with their initial appearance in the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens prelude series. Five Abednedos were featured in the film: Ilco Munica, "Crusher" Roodown, Ello Asty, Brasmon Kee, and C'ai Threnalli. With the exception of Roodown, all characters were portrayed by actors wearing costumes and animatronic masks. Paul Kasey](/article/paul_kasey) performed Ello Asty and Matthew Wood provided the voice. Asty's costume was also used for C'ai Threnalli. Ian Whyte portrayed Crusher Roodown. Dee Bradley Baker voiced Ilco Munica.

During the production of The Force Awakens, Ello Asty's name was chosen as a reference to the album Hello Nasty by the hip hop group Beastie Boys. The film's director, J.J. Abrams, a fan of the band, stated that the name was suggested by the creature department. He approved the name because of the Beastie Boys reference, having previously used their song "Sabotage" in Star Trek and "Body Movin'" in Star Trek Into Darkness. Furthermore, it served as a phonetic reference to his television show Lost.

Pablo Hidalgo, a member of the Lucasfilm Ltd. Story Group and author of Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary, adopted this trend by naming all other Abednedo appearing in The Visual Dictionary after Beastie Boys references: Roodown likely references the song "Root Down," Munica's name references the album Ill Communication, and Brasmon Kee's name references the song "Brass Monkey." Other authors later adopted this naming convention. In the Marvel Comics series Star Wars: Poe Dameron, Sowa Chuan and Oddy Muva are likely named after the songs So What'cha Want and Body Movin', respectively. In Chuck Wendig's Aftermath: Empire's End, Awls Ooteek's name evokes the album Paul's Boutique. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Slowen Lo, voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is yet another reference to the Beastie Boys, specifically their song Slow And Low from the album Licensed to Ill. Finally, in "Teach / Corrupt," the sixth episode of The Acolyte, Senator Isedwa Chuwant also refers to a phrase in the Beastie Boys song, So What'cha Want.

The name Abednedo itself is a reference to the song "Shadrach" from Paul's Boutique, which at a certain point namedrops the Biblical character Abednego.