The Spalexians were a sentient race originating from the planetary body known as Spalex. During the time the Galactic Empire held power, they tried to extract thorilide from Spalex; however, the local population put up significant opposition. Ultimately, the Spalexians succeeded in driving the Empire away from their world.
The first appearance of a Spalexian, though its identity was unknown at the time, occurred in issue number seventeen of the Star Wars: Poe Dameron comic series. Charles Soule wrote it, Angel Unzueta drew it, and Marvel Comics released it on July 19, 2017. The Dorling Kindersley reference book Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy, which Dan Brooks, Megan Crouse, Amy Richau, Amy Ratcliffe, Brandon Wainerdi, Dan Zehr, and Kelly Knox wrote, later identified the species in 2024.