Gungan

The **Gungans** were a sentient, amphibious humanoid race native to the terrestrial planet known as Naboo. Prior to the Invasion of Naboo, an event that took place in 32 BBY, the Gungans were a largely isolationist society. They were able to combine machinery with biology. They lived in large bubble-like domes under water. Gungans had strong leg muscles for swimming and were aided by their long fin-like ears. Their somewhat lanky arms ended in four-fingered hands, and their feet had three stubby toes each. Females tended to be slightly smaller with sleeker faces. They often tied their long ears back.

The long Gungan face had a tough yet flexible bill for burrowing and rooting out food. They also had long muscular tongues with which they scooped mollusks and lesser amphibians from the Naboo swamps. Their teeth were quite large and very blunt capable of cracking through shellfish. Their large nostrils completely sealed for underwater travel.

While most spacefarers would dismiss Gungans as primitives, they developed an advanced, albeit unique, technology. They grew the basic structures of buildings, vehicles and technology and adorned them with artistic flourishes and organic lines. This gave Gungan technology a very fluid, non-rectilinear look.

The power source for Gungan technology was a mysterious blue-white energy "goo" that was mined in the depths of Naboo's oceans. The viscous plasmic material formed the basis of Gungan weaponry as well.

The Gungans had mastered energy field technology for a number of uses. Their underwater cities employed hydrostatic fields to create large bubbles of atmosphere within which they dwell. Similarly, Gungan ground troops carried portable frames which generate a protective energy field capable of deflecting blaster fire. In large-scale combat, giant Gungan shield generators could create an immense umbrella of protective shield energy that could stop laser bolts and physical objects with great kinetic energy.

Despite mastering this bizarre technology, Gungans still employed beasts of burden for transportation. Their most common mount was the kaadu, a wingless reptavian which Gungans adorned with feathers and rode into combat. Other favored Gungan mounts included the large, stubborn falumpaset. For truly heavy loads, the Gungans domesticated the fambaa, a nine-meter tall, quadrupedal amphibian.

The Gungans maintained a large standing-armed force called the Gungan Grand Army. This huge collection of foot soldiers carried cestas, electropoles, and atlatls capable of hurling plasmic energy spheres (or boomers, as Gungans called them). Gungan catapults hurled even larger boomers over great distances.

The Gungans were ruled by a Boss and his Rep Council from the High Tower Board Room of Otoh Gunga. The Gungans had an uneasy relationship with the Naboo, the human colonists on the planet. Many Naboo looked down upon the Gungans, thinking them as primitive. The Gungans in turn tried to avoid any contact with the surface-dwellers.

Individuals were called a Gung (eg. Militiagung).

## Characteristics

The Gungans were separated into two races: the lanky orange, yellow or red-skinned **Otolla** race, and the heavier green-skinned **Ankura** race. However, they all exhibited many of the same basic physical traits.

Starting life as tadpoles, Gungans developed into tall beings with extremely flexible cartilaginous skeletons. Strong leg muscles allowed for powerful and quick frog-kick style swimming through water as well as a remarkable jumping ability while on land. Fin-like ears (called haillu) also aided them in swimming, as well as expressing emotions like aggression, friendship, and fear. They had partially retractable eyestalks with nictitating membranes when underwater. They also possessed a unique mucus creating organ that helped when being underwater which they use to stop water from entering their nasal passages and mouth. Green eyes were unusual amongst Gungans.

Expressive faces and long bills with flaring nostrils were signatures of Gungan physiology. Lengthy muscular tongues and large blunt teeth allowed them to eat lesser amphibians, while a layer of tough skin on the head allowed for burrowing. They had 4 stomachs, to better digest shells and vegetation. A Gungan's arms ended in four digits, and their feet had three stubby toes, both unlike that of a human. Females were smaller with sleeker faces and tended to tie their ears back. Females Gungans with light-colored ear flaps were considered very attractive by male Gungans, while the ones with dark-colored haillu were thought of as 'boyish'. As male Gungans aged, some, like Roos Tarpals, developed prominent whiskers. Both sexes had a lifespan of roughly 65 galactic standard years.

Gungans had nostrils that sealed when they entered the water. They also boasted very strong compound lungs, allowing them to both hold their breath for extended periods of time, breathe underwater, and withstand the pressure of deep water, along with well-padded kneecaps and powerful calves and legs for increased swimming speed. However, because they were so well-adapted to their watery environment, their skin dried easily in hot and arid climates, which Jar Jar Binks experienced during his visit to Tatooine.

The Gungans appeared to be related to the Glurrgs, whom they used as a worker caste in their society.

Gungans were detailed in the Republic Xenosociological Database, under Subdirectory ORT831-23,794,928/1N.

## History

After the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the Gungans and the Humans of Naboo banded together once more to oust the Imperial presence from their world, reclaiming the world as free for both species. As a result, the species began traveling in much larger numbers, across Naboo and the galaxy. Following the Battle of Endor, the Gungans confirmed the presence of typhoon-strength storms all over Naboo. These storms were created by several climate disruption array satellites deployed by the *Imperial*-class Star Destroyer *Torment* as part of Operation: Cinder, a secret Imperial plan to scour Naboo and several worlds. Before the Imperials could render Naboo uninhabitable, a New Republic fleet arrived and destroyed the Imperial forces; saving the planet.

Around the year 9 ABY, during a mission to rescue the Twi'lek Qin from a New Republic Correctional Transport, the criminal Migs Mayfeld mocked his associate Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter and follower of the Way of the Mandalore who was not allowed to remove his helmet. Using an affectation in his voice, Mayfeld sarcastically guessed that Djarin was actually an embarrassed Gungan who refused to show his face.