The Tocoyans were a sentient species that were native to the desert planet of Tocoya, situated within the Ktilac Regions of the Inner Rim. Each member of this species possessed wrinkled skin, a humanoid upper body, two [arms](/article/limb/legends], and a hairless, dome-shaped head. This head featured two sizable, pointed ears, a curved snout, two small eyes, and a wide mouth at the end of the snout that contained four white teeth.
Being one of the three species inhabiting the Ktilac Regions, the Tocoyans shared a similar culture with their galactic neighbors, namely the Ktilacs and the Murachaun. Each of these species held dominion over sixty-three systems within their respective area of the galaxy. The Tocoyans, like their allies, also held strong beliefs regarding the sanctity of the Ktilac Regions; therefore, any Tocoyan found outside this territory was considered a religious outcast, with no possibility of returning. Despite this, some members of the species did venture out into the wider galaxy. For instance, Neb Dulo paid a visit to the court of Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure at some point during the Galactic Civil War.
Tocoyans exhibited a humanoid form, at least from the waist upwards, featuring a torso, two arms, a neck, and a head. They were sentient beings, characterized by a hairless cranium that was generally dome-shaped, tapering to a pointed projection at the top and towards the front. When viewed from the rear, the head displayed three distinct sections. The leftmost and rightmost sections were rounded and convex, while the central section was recessed; this middle portion was roughly triangular in shape, starting from a point near the top of the skull and widening until it met the neck.
The front of the neck was marked by a collection of skin folds and flaps, including a wattle-like cluster of wrinkles hanging from the center. Above this, the face was dominated by a beak-like snout. This muzzle had the shape of a half-cylinder, with a rounded top and a flat bottom. Strips of flesh bordered the snout on either side of the mouth, extending downwards as finger-like projections that curved forward and down. The mouth itself was small and circular, with two prominent, flat, white teeth visible in both the upper and lower jaws. The interior of the mouth had a reddish-pink hue. A pair of small, pink or white eyes were positioned on either side of the snout. These eyes were shaped like half-circles with flat tops and rounded bottoms, surrounded by eyelashes. The forehead, which started between these eyes, displayed a noticeable indentation where the two halves of the skull joined. Two large, triangular ears extended back from the top of the head, reaching approximately halfway down the neck.
The Tocoyans had wrinkled skin, exhibiting a variety of patterns. For instance, one individual displayed blue-gray skin with pink areas in recessed parts of the flesh, such as the upper neck, the upper snout, and the back of the head. In contrast, another individual had a uniformly pale skin tone. However, both of these Tocoyans had pink skin on the inner surfaces of their ears.
The Tocoyans shared a common culture with the Ktilacs and the Murachauns, who were the other two sentient species inhabiting the Ktilac Regions within the Inner Rim. These three species considered themselves to be in a symbiotic relationship, depending on and assisting one another. Like their Ktilac and Murachaun counterparts, the Tocoyans regarded the Ktilac Regions as sacred space. Those who strayed beyond its boundaries were seen as heretics, no longer welcome within the region. It's worth noting that at least one Tocoyan possessed a strong natural inclination to protect and defend others.
The Tocoyans governed sixty-three star systems within the Ktilac Regions, which was the same number controlled by each of their Ktilac and Murachaun allies. These three territories formed a united confederation, with borders closed to outsiders. However, the associated species maintained three worlds that permitted visitors from other regions under specific conditions: Daedalon, Tun Wala, and Vob.
The desert planet Tocoya served as the point of origin for the Tocoyans. This species made contact with their galactic neighbors, namely the Ktilacs and the Murachaun, leading to the establishment of a shared government. This alliance eventually expanded, encompassing sixty-three star systems for each species. With the passage of time, a shared culture emerged among these three groups.
Sometime between 25,000 and 5000 BBY, visitors from the wider galaxy first entered Tocoyan territory. This region became a part of the Inner Rim, situated on or near the Perlemian Trade Route as part of the Slice. The Tocoyans' cooperative existence with their Ktilac and Murachaun neighbors endured through various periods of galactic history. During the New Sith Wars from 1004 to 1000 BBY, the region remained either unaligned or contested. Almost 1,000 years later, the area remained within the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. The Tocoyans maintained their alliance with the other species of the Ktilac Regions throughout the reigns of the Galactic Empire, the New Republic, and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. By 137 ABY, the region had fallen within territory considered part of Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire.
According to Tocoyan religious doctrine, any member of the species who ventured beyond the confines of the Ktilac Regions was deemed an apostate, forever exiled from the area and forced to live among other species. Despite this, Tocoyans did disperse to worlds beyond their native region. One such individual was Neb Dulo, a Tocoyan who abandoned Tocoya and became a member of Jabba the Hutt's court at the crime lord's palace on Tatooine during the Galactic Civil War. Dulo adhered to a religion called Davrilat, which venerated harmonics. Another Tocoyan was living on Hurd's Moon in 4 ABY. This Tocoyan, along with a group of other street toughs, attempted to extort a toll from the Human replica droid Guri as she tried to pass by. However, the droid quickly defeated them.
The Tocoyan species originated from the Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) creature shop during the production of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, intended for potential inclusion in the Jabba's Palace sequences of the 1983 film. Although ILM's design reached the maquette stage, the alien was never developed into a costume for use by one of the film's extras.
Based on ILM's discarded alien design, the species made its first appearance in Shadows of the Empire: Evolution 1, which was the first issue of the Shadows of the Empire: Evolution comic series. This comic was written by Steve Perry, illustrated by Ron Randall, and released on February 11, 1998. The reference book titled The Essential Atlas, authored by Jason Fry and Daniel Wallace and published in 2009, formally named the species.