The Ciasi were a species of sentient beings that resembled rodents, possessing distinctive features like elongated, sharp ears and slender, trunk-like noses. Often exhibiting gray-colored skin, some Ciasi individuals developed prominent tusks. A notable Ciasi was the lean Podracer, Slide Paramita, who competed in Podraces throughout the galaxy around 32 BBY.
The Ciasi were a species of sentient creatures that walked on two legs and bore a resemblance to rodents. They had slender bodies and a posture that made them appear to be perpetually leaning forward due to a slight curve in their backs.
Their rather thin limbs supported them, featuring double-jointed legs that ended in three delicate toes; the Ciasi stood on these toes rather than the entire flat surface of their feet. The Ciasi's lengthy, thin arms concluded in hands with four stout digits—three fingers and a stubby thumb. Thin, tapering tails extended from their rears, held slightly elevated above the ground.
Their faces were characterized by long, slender, trunk-like noses featuring two nostrils at the tip. The mouths were situated beneath the trunk, from which sharp, pointed tusks could emerge. Ciasi possessed round, beady eyes; some, like Slide Paramita, had black eyes. Paramita also displayed grayish-brown colorerd skin. Additionally, Ciasi had tall, pointed ears that protruded from the tops of their heads.
The Ciasi evolved at an unknown location in the galaxy, and members of the species were observed within the galactic community as early as 32 BBY, during the final decades of the Galactic Republic.
At least one Ciasi, Slide Paramita, demonstrated considerable physical and mental athletic ability. By 32 BBY, Paramita had advanced to the intergalactic Podracing circuits, where he excelled in ice racing, gaining recognition on the icy planet of Ando Prime. Paramita achieved success on an invitational course known as the Ando Prime Centrum, and also on a drag racing course located on the same planet. However, Paramita was known for being an easily provoked elitist Podracer. Paramita was also capable of speaking Huttese.
The Ciasi species initially surfaced through Slide Paramita in concept artwork and preliminary scripts for the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace as a Podracer pilot, who, along with his entire species, originated from the planet Tund. Ultimately, he was removed from the script, although Tund remained the homeworld of another Podracer pilot, Ben Quadinaros. Paramita, like other discarded Podracers, made his first official appearance in the 1999 Nintendo 64 video game Star Wars Episode I: Racer.
The name Ciasi was first publicly revealed in a 2006 Star Wars: Blogs article entitled "Alien species concepts that became part of the SW universe," authored by Tim Veekhoven as part of his Source Blog series. The blog detailed several Podracer pilots who were omitted from the final script of the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, utilizing material that may have originated from early drafts of The Phantom Menace.
However, the species name was not initially considered canon due to the potential origin of the information from older, unfinalized material, and doubts regarding the information's overall authenticity. With the publication of The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia in 2008, the Ciasi were mentioned again within Slide Paramita's entry, thereby canonizing Paramita's species as described in the blog post.