Grebleips, an Asogian, held the position of senator representing his people in the Galactic Republic's governing body, the Galactic Senate. During a session of the Senate in 32 BBY, held within the Senate Building on the planet Coruscant, Grebleips was present when Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo appealed for assistance in response to the Trade Federation's invasion of her homeworld.
After Senators Lott Dod and Aks Moe deliberately delayed Amidala's plea, she made a call for a Vote of No Confidence targeting Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. This action caused considerable commotion within the Senate chamber. Grebleips, along with two other beings in his senatorial repulsorpod, stood up and raised their arms, mirroring the actions of many others who voiced their reactions to the vote. Grebleips possessed brown skin and, while present in the Senate Building, did not wear any clothing.
The character of Senator Grebleips initially materialized as a digitally created figure in the 1999 movie Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, part of the prequel trilogy. George Lucas incorporated the character as an homage to the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, directed by his friend Steven Spielberg. E.T. featured a child dressed as Yoda for Halloween, referencing The Empire Strikes Back. In E.T., the main character, an alien, sees Yoda and exclaims "Home!". This fueled speculation that E.T. was from the Star Wars galaxy and had encountered Yoda or his species.
Within the current Star Wars canon, the name Grebleips was first officially used in a 2019 episode of The Star Wars Show. The name's origin lies in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where author James Luceno created it for the 2001 novel Cloak of Deception. This was intended as a further tribute to Spielberg, as the name is simply Spielberg spelled in reverse.