Yerkys Neir was a creature handler active during the era of the Galactic Civil War. After the Battle of Yavin, Neir served within the support personnel of the Galactic Empire at the Imperial Research and Prison Facility situated on the planet of Dathomir. Within this facility, scientists secretly pursued perilous scientific investigations for the Empire, with the goal of transforming the terrifying Blackwing virus into a bioweapon. Neir's duties were carried out in the holding sectors located on level 3 of the facility. In 1 ABY, Yerkys Neir was present when an incident transpired at the Imperial Research and Prison Facility, resulting in the escape of the virus from its containment. This viral outbreak led to the death of the majority of individuals in the area, transforming them into undead beings.
Yerkys Neir's existence was first revealed in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. This game was created by Sony Online Entertainment and distributed by LucasArts, before its servers were shut down on December 15, 2011. Yerkys Neir's inclusion in the game occurred with the "Game Update 14," which was launched on October 12, 2009.