Gloovan

When Padawan Bell Zettifar blew the Cloudship out from under a Nihil raider at the Cyclor Shipyards, the marauder he killed was Sarn Starbreaker, a Gloovan who had risen to the rank of Cloud under the Tempest Runner Pan Eyta. Gloovans are hulking, purple-skinned humanoids from the Outer Rim who turn up again and again in the galaxy's criminal corners, almost always on the wrong end of a Jedi's saber. They first walked into Star Wars during the High Republic Era, and most of what the wider galaxy knows about them it learned from pirates, gangsters, and bounty hunters.

A Gloovan stands roughly two meters tall and is built like a loading droid, broad-shouldered and slabbed with muscle. Their hairless hide is a deep, dark purple, rumpled all over with bumps, lumps, and heavy folds that give it an almost stony texture. The face is the part nobody forgets: a wide, gaping mouth set with sparse but razor-edged teeth, a broad flat nose with cavernous nostrils, and pale blue eyes whose pupils are so small and dark that the stare can read as blank. They have no visible ears, which suggests recessed or otherwise unusual hearing, and despite that toothy mouth they speak Galactic Basic clearly.

Their homeworld is Gloon, also called Gloova, a hot and humid planet in the Gloon system out in the Kessel sector of the Outer Rim Territories. That is close to the whole of the canonical record on the place. No published source describes its biomes, its history, or whatever societies the Gloovans built there before some of them drifted offworld, so a frame built like a Gloovan's reads as the kind of thing a heavy, sweltering world would forge, but that is inference, not lore. (Assumption: the link between their build and Gloova's climate is reasoning from physiology, not stated in canon.)

What canon does give us is a roster of Gloovans on the move, and nearly all of it is criminal. Muglan Tarantyne was a Nihil pirate who rode with Lourna Dee's Tempest after the assault on the prison ship Restitution; she married fellow Gloovan Straan Valgar, a crime boss who ran a small mob out of the Port Hunavon station, and the pair set up a base in the jungles of Lanjer. Generations later, during the Galactic Civil War, the gangster Scram led his own Scram Gang, and the bounty hunter Glunge lined up a laser-sniper shot on Han Solo at a swoop race on Rion before Luke Skywalker stopped him. The pattern is real, but it is also a selection effect: the galaxy remembers the Gloovans who shot at heroes and forgets whoever stayed home on Gloova.

Because so little of their culture has been put on the page, a Gloovan player character is closer to a blank slate than most species in the catalog, and that is an opening rather than a gap. The obvious read is the enforcer or the pirate the canon keeps showing, but the same kit supports a Gloovan who walked away from that life, or one whose loyalty to a crew is the most honest thing about them.

In SWURPG the Gloovan plays exactly like its physique promises: a front-line bruiser. The +2 STR and +2 CON make a durable melee fighter or bodyguard, the −2 DEX keeps it slow and heavy-footed, and Natural Armor (+1 AC) layers thick hide over whatever it wears. Low-Light Vision suits a species from dim, humid jungle and lets it operate in the half-dark where this kind of work usually happens. Bulky Figure (Disadvantage on Stealth) is the honest cost of all that mass — a Gloovan does not sneak. Honor Bound (Disadvantage on Deception) leans the species toward the straight-talking warrior, which is a fine archetype but sits oddly against a canon roster made almost entirely of pirates, gangsters, and bounty hunters; treat it as a design choice about how SWURPG wants Gloovans played rather than something canon supports.

Gloovans are large, heavily built humanoids, typically standing around two meters tall with broad shoulders and thick musculature. Their skin is a deep, dark purple, completely hairless, and characterized by pronounced bumps, lumps, and folds that create a rugged, almost stone-like texture. This dermal toughness likely contributes to their resilience in combat, allowing them to withstand blunt impacts and harsh conditions more effectively than many humanoid Species. Their physiology conveys a sense of raw power even when they are at rest.

Their facial features are particularly distinctive: a massive, gaping mouth lined with sparse but razor-sharp teeth; a wide, flat nose with large nostrils; and striking light-blue eyes that often appear pupil-less. On closer inspection, their pupils are simply very small and dark, creating an unsettling, glassy stare. Notably, Gloovans lack any visible ears or external auditory structures, suggesting either recessed aural openings or an alternative form of sound reception. Despite these unusual features, they are fully capable of speaking Galactic Basic with surprising clarity.

Their limbs are thick and powerful, with large hands suited for heavy lifting or combat. Their posture tends toward a slightly forward lean, giving them an imposing silhouette. Clothing worn by Gloovans varies widely across appearances, but many favor armored vests, heavy belts, and durable fabrics that complement their rugged build. Their overall appearance makes them instantly recognizable—and often intimidating—to other Species.

Very little is known about traditional Gloovan society or customs, as no canonical material has yet explored their culture on Gloova. Most Gloovans encountered in the galaxy appear in criminal or high-conflict contexts, creating the illusion that aggression or brutality defines their Species. However, the limited glimpses of their behavior paint a far more nuanced picture. Many demonstrate fierce loyalty, emotional intelligence, and a capacity to form deep bonds with their allies, suggesting a cultural foundation built on commitment and interpersonal strength rather than mere violence.

From what little can be observed, Gloovans appear to value strength—not only physical might, but also resolve, leadership, and personal conviction. Their readiness to serve under charismatic figures such as Pan Eyta or Lourna Dee hints at a cultural tendency toward hierarchical loyalty. At the same time, examples like Muglan Tarantyne reveal that Gloovans can balance aggression with cunning, compassion, and long-term dedication. These traits imply a Species capable of both intense destructive force and surprising emotional depth.

As adventurers, Gloovans embody narrative themes of misunderstood strength, personal redemption, and the discovery of identity beyond stereotypes. Their intimidating appearance makes them natural front-line warriors, bodyguards, or enforcers, but their emotional range opens doors to richer character arcs involving loyalty, moral choice, and the tension between reputation and reality.