Nerfs represented a species of fur-bearing, non-sentient creatures. These animals were domesticated for the purpose of harvesting their milk, flesh, and skin. Their presence spanned numerous planets throughout the galaxy, ranging from Alderaan to Lothal. Despite their utility, the intense odor they emitted often led to their characterization as repulsive.
These quadrupeds possessed distinguishing features such as curved horns and coarse, curly brown hair that enveloped their bodies. Their strong scent, considered unpleasant by humans, was a notable trait. The sounds they made bore some resemblance to the language spoken by the Aqualish people. They had a scent gland count that was three times that of similar sized livestock, an adaption that allowed them to tell apart different herds. Their mouths featured dull teeth and an elongated pink tongue. Being herbivores, their diet consisted of grass and various herbaceous plants. Female members of this species were capable of producing milk.
Different breeds of nerfs existed, including one specific to Jaresh, and another found on Alderaan.
When experiencing fear, nerfs exhibited a tendency to shed and discharge a foul mucus from their nose and mouth. Young nerfs had a noted craving for salt.
The meat of nerfs was a component in several food preparations, such as nerf steaks, nerf stews, and nerf nuggets. Their milk also provided nutritional value. Furthermore, their hides could be processed into leather products. Those who made their living by herding nerfs were known as nerf herders.
The Junior Academy of Applied Sciences on Lothal kept a herd of nerfs. These animals were often bothered by bloodfly creatures in their fields. The Imperial Academy located on Arkanis utilized nerfs to maintain their lawns, but the academy sometimes lost salt-loving young nerfs to the dangerous creatures in Arkanis's oceans.
During the Galactic Civil War between the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and [Luke Skywalker](/article/luke_skywalker], heroes of the Alliance, transported a group of female Nerfs aboard Solo's freighter, the Millennium Falcon. These creatures were intended to alleviate food shortages for the inhabitants of Ibaar. However, while en route from Nar Shaddaa to Ibaar, the Millennium Falcon was intercepted by three Imperial TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. Later, not long before the Empire's attack on the Alliance base on Hoth, Princess Leia Organa famously referred to Han Solo as a "scruffy-looking nerf herder" during a moment of frustration.
A village on Zeffo was involved in the production of canvas items from nerf fur, as evidenced by the presence of numerous crates labeled with nerf fur and "Zeffo Exports - Canvas Products" written in Aurebesh.
The initial mention of nerfs occurred in the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, within a lengthy rebuke directed at Han Solo by Princess Leia, culminating in her "scruffy-looking nerf herder" insult. This memorable line inspired the formation of a music band in the 1990s, named Nerf Herder, renowned for composing the theme song for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.