Tchuukthai

These reptilian quadrupeds presented a formidable appearance, resembling massive, powerful creatures. Their bodies were covered in thick, durable skin and armored plates that protected their heads, joints, and vital organs. Bony projections extended from their shoulders and jaws. They possessed large feet equipped with claws, widely spaced eyes, prominent nostrils, and sharp teeth. Coarse fur adorned their shoulders and backs. A fully grown Tchuukthai typically stood two meters tall at the shoulder, or three meters when standing upright. Their usual quadrupedal stance limited their ability to carry more than two kilograms in their hands, but they could bear significantly heavier loads on their backs, surpassing the capacity of some species. The species lived for over three centuries.

The language of the Tchuukthai, known as Tchuukthese, was composed of guttural sounds, primarily grunts and growls.

The Tchuukthai possessed a thoughtful and independent nature. While some preferred solitude, the species as a whole maintained a sense of secrecy. However, certain individuals demonstrated a genuine curiosity about encountering new species. Despite their slow tempers and aversion to conflict, Tchuukthai could fight with great intensity when sufficiently provoked. They sometimes reacted with irritation to the reactions of other species to their imposing appearance and size. Depending on their disposition, such reactions might instead evoke amusement.

Tchuukthai who associated with other species commonly wore clothing, while others within the species opted to remain unadorned.

Originating from a planet located deep within the Unknown Regions, the Tchuukthai were a rare species, resulting in limited and unreliable information about them and their world. Lacking a proper designation for the species, the Galactic Republic Bureau of Xenology arbitrarily named them Wharl, believing it to be the species' original name. For centuries, the Tchuukthai were largely regarded as mere beasts, with their intimidating appearance and grunting language reinforcing this perception. They were, in fact, content to allow this misconception to persist, safeguarding their true intelligence. Over several centuries, explorers rediscovered the Tchuukthai on multiple occasions, though most avoided contact with these seemingly dangerous creatures. Those who attempted to investigate further were met with aggressive snarls and intimidating displays.

The true intelligence of the Tchuukthai was only revealed when a Jedi Master encountered and befriended the Tchuukthai who would later be known as Thon. After learning much about the galaxy, the Tchuukthai wished to leave his homeworld but feared that his people would be exploited if their true nature became known. The Jedi pledged to protect the secret of the Tchuukthai, and their existence remained largely a matter of rumor throughout most of the galaxy, a situation that persisted into the New Republic era.

The beings known as Wharls identified the origin point of the Lugubraa as the Stratos Distribution.

Numerous famous love poems were created by Tchuukthai, though their translations into Basic often fell short.[source?] C-3PO once shared one of his favorite Tchuukthai love poems, considering it a beautiful masterpiece, and offered a translation to Han Solo when prompted. However, Solo stopped the droid from reciting the entire five hundred thousand lines of the epic.

After being befriended by a Jedi Master, the Tchuukthai who would become known as Thon left his homeworld and received training in the Jedi arts, eventually rising to the rank of Jedi Master around the time of the Great Sith War.[source?] For millennia, he remained the sole member of his species to venture beyond their homeworld into the wider galaxy. Thon used the name "Wharl" for his species, suggesting that it concealed the former name of his kind for reasons he preferred not to discuss, though he declined to comment on the Bureau of Xenology's use of the name as a species designation, and scientists ceased their inquiries to the recluse. He also refused to answer questions about his origins from fellow Jedi Masters on Ossus, and claimed that he was the last surviving member of his people. Following Thon's departure, it was speculated that other Tchuukthai might have left their world, potentially as pets or exhibits in zoos, though their existence remained largely a rumor throughout much of the galaxy.

• Bval [3]
• Drol [3]
• Gaarx [3]
• Huun [3]
• Nrak [3]
• Tkur [3]
• Zvod [3]

The initial mention of the Tchuukthai by that specific name occurred in The Courtship of Princess Leia in 1994, as a brief reference to Tchuukthai poetry. Prior to this, in the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi miniseries, the character Thon had appeared without a species designation. The Tales of the Jedi Companion identified him as a "Wharl" in 1996, suggesting that this name was "hiding" the species' original name. By this time, Daniel Wallace had already considered making Thon's species the Tchuukthai, and when Wallace authored The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons in 1998, he retconned the Wharls and Tchuukthai as being the same species.