The Porporites were a species of cetacean originating from the Porpor system. Shortly after the Great Hyperspace War, they made initial contact with the Galactic Republic and subsequently developed an addiction to the newly discovered ryll spice. This substance drove them into a state of violent madness, leading them to assault various other worlds. Despite the Republic's efforts to subdue them, they resisted until their ultimate extinction at the hands of the Ganks in 4800 BBY, marking the beginning of the events known as the Gank Massacres.
The Porporites' homeworld was the Porpor system, which lies within the Grohl sector and is near the Naps Fral Cluster in the Outer Rim Territories. Their introduction to the Galactic Republic occurred not long after the conclusion of the Great Hyperspace War in 4,990 BBY. At some later time, ryll spice was discovered on the planet of Ryloth. The Neimoidian species secured exclusive distribution rights and subsequently introduced the spice to the Porporites. This drug triggered homicidal tendencies in the Porporites, resulting in widespread addiction throughout their population. This formerly peaceful species transformed into violent aggressors, initiating attacks on other planets. In response to the waves of enraged Porporites, the Republic sought aid from the Jedi Order. The Jedi intervened, fighting alongside newly deployed Juggernaut war droids, but they achieved limited success in pacifying the Porporites.
Various factions, including concerned species neighboring the Porpor system, reacted to this danger by employing Gank mercenaries, also known as Gank Killers, to defend them and eliminate the Porporites. In 4800 BBY, the Ganks exterminated the entire Porporite species, only to then escalate the conflict into a full-scale war against the Republic. This war, later remembered as the Gank Massacres, was eventually suppressed by the Jedi Order.
The New Essential Chronology, a publication by the New Republic's Historical Council under the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, released in 36 ABY, contained information regarding the Porporites. The book elaborated on the species' involvement during the Gank Massacres, notably the ryll spice incident.
The Porporites were initially referenced in The New Essential Chronology, written by Daniel Wallace and Kevin J. Anderson and published in 2005. Furthermore, the Porporites were mentioned in the Codex of Star Wars: The Old Republic, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) developed by BioWare. The Codex entry about the Porporites became accessible when the player character obtained a datacron on Nar Shaddaa.