The Exodeenians, a sentient species originating from the planet known as Exodeen, possessed a unique physiology. Their bodies were characterized by six arms, six legs, and six rows of teeth. Around 22,000 BBY, during the Expansion Era, they became part of the Galactic Republic. Later, during the Mandalorian Wars, their star system fell under the control of the Mandalorians. Subsequently, the Sith Empire held dominion over it during the Jedi Civil War. After these wars, the Exodeenians rejoined the Republic and subsequently aligned with its successor, the Galactic Empire. By 6 ABY, despite some Exodeenians serving in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Exodeen itself was an Imperial fortress world.
Not long after, in 7 ABY, Exodeen became a member of the New Republic, with representation in the Senate by Exodeenian M'yet Luure and two others. Luure successfully advocated for the inclusion of former Imperial officials in the Senate. This benefited the Exodeenian R'yet Coome, who became the junior senator representing Exodeen. Coome, as part of a political group made up of former Imperials, nearly orchestrated a vote of no confidence against President Leia Organa Solo following the detonation of bombs within the Senate chamber. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Exodeenian homeworld fell to the invaders from beyond the galactic boundaries.
Originating from the planet Exodeen, the Exodeenians were a non-humanoid and sentient species. Their physical attributes included six arms, six legs, and a lengthy tail, which posed challenges when using standard chairs designed for bipedal beings, like those in the Imperial Senate Building. Additionally, they possessed six uneven rows of teeth. Some Humans, such as Leia Organa Solo, struggled to distinguish individual Exodeenians visually. While they could communicate in Galactic Basic Standard, their voices had a unique sound due to being filtered through their six sets of teeth.
The Exodeenians had developed a complex system of etiquette, influenced by their six-armed anatomy. For example, touching an Exodeenian's first arm signaled a request to stop talking, while touching the second arm was interpreted as a challenge to a fight. Some non-Exodeenians were familiar with these customs, including Senator Meido from Adin. Other Exodeenian behaviors included resting their lower hands on their secondary hips or grooming their six arms.
A popular dish among the Exodeenians was Exodeenian pasta, which was also available at Smuggler's Run in the asteroid belt.
The Exodeenians evolved on the world of Exodeen, situated in the Slice region of the Colonies. Its location on the Brentaal-Denon Route, which later became part of the Hydian Way—the only super-hyperroute stretching across the entire galaxy—was strategically significant. Furthermore, a hyperlane connected the Hydian Way to the Quellor Run, branching off towards Quellor. The Exodeenians joined the Galactic Republic around 22,000 BBY, during the Expansionist Era.
In 3962 BBY, when the Mandalorians invaded the Republic, the Exodeen system, including the Exodeenian homeworld, fell to the invaders as part of their successful push into the Core Worlds, which only stopped after they captured Duro. The Republic, then under the leadership of Jedi Knights Revan and Malak, reversed the Mandalorian gains and ultimately defeated them at the Battle of Malachor V in 3960 BBY. However, this conflict led Revan and Malak to embrace the dark side of the Force, and within a year, they led a Sith Empire in an invasion of the Republic. This Empire achieved numerous victories, controlling large portions of the Outer Rim and Mid Rim, as well as specific regions closer to the core, including the Exodeenian homeworld. The Republic defeated the Sith Empire in 3951 BBY, after which it gradually began to reclaim its lost territories.
During the New Sith Wars of 1000 BBY and the Clone Wars of 20 BBY, Exodeen remained within Republic space.
Following the Clone Wars, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine established the Galactic Empire, which the Exodeenians joined. However, the Empire's humanocentrism led to Exodeen being considered insignificant due to its non-humanoid population. While some Exodeenians held minor positions in the Empire, others, like M'yet Luure, served in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, a resistance movement seeking to overthrow what they viewed as an illegitimate Empire. The Empire heavily fortified Exodeen, designating it as an Imperial fortress world by 6 ABY. Despite the New Republic, the Alliance's successor, gaining control of much of the surrounding core regions, Exodeen remained under Imperial control until 8 ABY.
By 9 ABY, Exodeen had changed allegiance and joined the New Republic. As of 17 ABY, they had three senators representing them in the New Republic Senate. Luure, a former member of the Alliance, was the senior senator and held considerable influence among his colleagues. He strongly advocated for allowing former Imperial bureaucrats to serve in the New Republic Senate, successfully persuading the Senate against opposition from figures like Leia Organa Solo. This policy change enabled fellow Exodeenian R'yet Coome to become the junior senator from Exodeen, despite his previous employment by the Empire in a minor capacity.
During the first Senate meeting with newly appointed former Imperials, explosions from bombs placed inside many senators' protocol droids rocked the Senate Building. The explosions killed numerous planetary representatives, including Luure and the secondary senator from Exodeen. Only junior senator Coome survived from the Exodeenian delegation. Two days after the explosion, President Organa Solo convened an informal meeting of the surviving senators, informing them about the investigation's progress. At this meeting, Coome, along with Meido of Adin and Wwebyls of Yn, formed a faction of junior senators and passed a motion for a second, independent investigation into the explosion's cause. Coome was later elected to the Inner Council of the Senate. At a Council meeting hastily called by Senator Meido to destabilize Organa Solo, Meido accused Organa Solo's husband, Han Solo, of being responsible for the bombs, based on their report's preliminary findings. Coome then called for a warrant to be issued for Solo's arrest.
Coome, Meido, and Wwebyls leaked their findings to the broader Senate in an attempt to pass a vote of no confidence in Organa Solo's leadership. However, the day before the vote, Kueller, a former Jedi trainee and the ruler of Almania, threatened Organa Solo personally. He claimed responsibility for the Senate bombing and demanded that she transfer control of the Republic to him. To force her compliance, Kueller held Organa Solo's brother, Luke Skywalker, hostage. Organa Solo resigned her position to nullify his leverage, rendering the vote irrelevant. After Organa Solo helped defeat Kueller, Coome and his faction withdrew their opposition, allowing Organa Solo to be reinstated as President of the Republic.
Later, in 25 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong, an extra-galactic species, invaded the New Republic. They conquered significant parts of the galaxy, capturing Exodeen during an advance into the Core. They controlled the Exodeenian homeworld until at least 62:4 GrS, but their invasion was ultimately defeated in 29 ABY. Over a century later, Exodeen became part of Darth Krayt's Sith Empire.
In 0 ABY, shortly after the Battle of Yavin, an Exodeenian was present in the support tent for podracers on Muunilinst. Also in the tent were Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a Phlog named Haari Ikreme Beeerd. When Beeerd mocked Luke Skywalker's podracing skills, a brawl broke out. During the fight, the Exodeenian threw a six-armed punch at Solo, who dodged it by jumping away.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch created the Exodeenians for her novel The New Rebellion, which was published by Bantam Spectra in 1996. They were mentioned in several reference books before another Exodeenian appeared in Alex Wheeler's young adult novel Rebel Force: Target, published by Scholastic in 2008. The Essential Atlas, written by Dan Wallace and Jason Fry and published in 2009, provided a location for their homeworld, Exodeen, and included historical maps that provided additional background information about the Exodeenians.