Species

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.10) of the game.

Any habitable world has the potential of developing different populations of intelligent beings that may, naturally or not, develop technologically. Sometimes, such beings reach a crucial point in their development that allows them access to FTL technology and, as a consequence, the ability to become full-fledged interstellar empires.

A species is distinct from an empire, as a population of any given species can in theory function as fully-fledged citizens of any given empire, however every empire will be assigned a specific founder species (designed through the empire creation screen) that is treated as the default in species rights and other mechanics. At first, every empire will be made up entirely of its original species but may eventually come to include other species through conquest, migration pacts, enlightening pre-FTL cultures, accepting refugees, or some events.

## Species identity

At galaxy generation species are divided into species class groups, parent species and sub-species.

Playable portraits are divided into twelve classes representing the basic commonalities of their biology as well as their closest analogues on Earth, including their morphology or physical form and structure, their developmental processes and their biochemical and physiological properties. The thirteenth Machine class is available either through constructing robot pops or by playing a Machine Intelligence and includes mechanical versions of each of the twelve biological classes. Some classes allow access to special traits or civics and/or are only available with DLC.

Species within the same class will be less affected by xenophobia and xenophilia, with the effect increasing if they share the same portrait. If two species are created during galaxy generation with the same portrait and name one will be considered the subspecies of the other.

A parent species is whichever subspecies can be considered the "default" that other subspecies can be derived from. A sub-species consists of a pop modification template created from the parent species or another sub-species, which can then be applied either through a modify species special project, through assimilation citizenship, or through pop construction. Subspecies are considered to be the same species for the purposes of xenophobia, xenophilia and species rights. All species templates will also remember the parent species' homeworld, with a +30% habitability bonus if not using the Lost Colony origin.

Each species will also be assigned a Nameset at empire creation, which can be chosen from a total of 57 options consisting of four sets for each of the thirteen species classes including Machine, two sets for Hive Minds, and United Nations of Earth, Commonwealth of Man, and Roman Empire sets for Humans. A nameset outlines the different pools of random names used for leaders, ships (disincluding ship prefixes), colonies, and fleets within an empire of that founder species, though leader names will also carry over to full citizenship pops in other empires as well as any synthetic worker pops within an empire.

The portrait of a species can be changed through pop modification if the  Genetic Resequencing technology is researched, but the nameset or species class cannot be changed. Some species do not allow changing portraits.

## List of species classes

Each species portrait available to start a new empire will belong to one of the following classes: Arthropoid (insect-like), Avian (bird-like), Fungoid (fungus-like), Humanoid (human-like), Mammalian (mammal-like), Molluscoid (invertebrates), Reptilian (reptile-like), Plantoid (part of the Plantoids Species Pack DLC), Lithoid (part of the Lithoids Species Pack DLC), Necroid (part of the Necroids Species Pack DLC), Aquatic (part of the Aquatics Species Pack DLC), Toxoid (part of the Toxoids Species Pack DLC) and Machine (part of the Synthetic Dawn DLC).

Each species can have traits and will have climate preference based on its homeworld.

The first ruler of every empire can be customized.

### Humanoid

The humanoid species class uses different models and voices for each gender. Some portraits feature hairstyle customization and their own diplomacy voices. *(Note: Humanoid shipset and city appearance are accessible only with  Humanoids species pack launched.)*

HumanHuman (Legacy)Humanoid #2Humanoid #3Humanoid #4Humanoid #5 Humanoid HP #1 Humanoid HP #2 Humanoid HP #6 Humanoid HP #7 Humanoid HP #8 Humanoid HP #9 Humanoid HP #10 Humanoid HP #11 Humanoid HP #12 Humanoid HP #13 Humanoid HP #14 Elf Humanoid HP #16

### Mammalian

Most mammalian portraits have a unique dialogue when targeted with a diplomacy insult.

Slender #5Massive #13Normal #10Massive #14Slender #4Normal #9Massive #11Normal #6Slender #3Massive #12Normal #7Massive #15Slender #2Normal #8Slender #1Massive #16Ketling / Racket Evil Porcupine #17

### Reptilian

Few portraits have their own diplomacy voices.

Slender #02Normal #10Massive #14Slender #03Normal #07Massive #12Normal #09Massive #11Normal #06Massive #13Slender #01Normal #08Slender #04Massive #15Slender #05 Gecko #16 Fairy Dragon #17

### Avian

Few portraits have their own diplomacy voices.

Slender #01Normal #08Massive #13Normal #10Massive #15Slender #04Normal #07Slender #05Normal #09Normal #06Massive #11Slender #03Massive #14Slender #02Massive #12Massive #16 Dinosaur Bird #17 Peacock Avian #18

Note: The Chirpy portrait (Massive #16) is available to those who login to their Paradox account while in-game.

### Arthropoid

Few portraits have their own diplomacy voices.

Massive #14Normal #07Massive #12Normal #06Slender #01Massive #13Normal #08Slender #03Slender #05Normal #09Normal #10Massive #11Massive #15Arthropoid #19 Butterfly #18Arachnoid #16 Larvae #20 Shadowy Arthropoid #17

Note: The Arachnoid (#16) portrait is included only in the Nova Edition or the Galaxy Edition of Stellaris.

### Molluscoid

Few portraits have their own diplomacy voices.

Slender #03Normal #07Massive #13Slender #02Massive #14Slender #04Normal #08Slender #01Massive #11Massive #12Slender #05Normal #06Massive #15 Hydra / Xenomorph #16 Starfish #17 Snailien #18

### Fungoid

Few portraits have their own diplomacy voices.

Fungoid #02Fungoid #04Fungoid #03Fungoid #13Fungoid #12Fungoid #06Fungoid #15Fungoid #07Fungoid #01Fungoid #09Fungoid #11Fungoid #08Fungoid #14Fungoid #10 Fungoid Infected Mammalian #16 Prettyshroom #17

### Plantoid

The Homo Plantae portrait features hairstyle customization and different models for each gender.
*(Note: Plantoid shipset and city appearance are accessible only with  Plantoids species pack launched.)*

 Homo Plantae Plantoid #02 Plantoid #06 Plantoid #01 Plantoid #11 Plantoid #03 Plantoid #13 Plantoid #07 Plantoid #15 Plantoid #10 Plantoid #05 Plantoid #09 Plantoid #14 Plantoid #04 Plantoid #08 Plantoid #12 Hivemind (Baol)

### Lithoid

Most portraits have their own diplomacy voices. The Theian portrait features hairstyle customization and different models for each gender.

TheianGolem #01Lava #02Geode #03Angelic #04Mantis #05Symbiotic #06Pyrite #07Sedimentary #08Spider #09Spined #10Levitating #11Crystal #12Exo #13Snake #14Unicorn #15

### Necroid

Each portrait has its own diplomacy voice.

Mummalien #1Suited Corpse #2Overgrown #3Hologram #4Ascended #5Exoskeletoid #6Masked #7Connectoid #8Stasis Being #9Boneworshipper #10Death Worshipper #11Palien #12Feral Zombie #13Energy Being #14Skeletoid #15

### Aquatic

Some portraits of this species class feature different models for each gender. Each portrait has its own diplomacy voice.

Sneaky Jellyfish #1The Ancient One #2Crab-people #3Green Cutie #4Dolphinoid #5Squidman #6Coral-twins #7Slugman #8Shark-boi #9Deep Sea Creature #10Mobster-fish #11Science-squid #12Slime-boi #13Blueman #14Turtle-girl #15

### Toxoid

Some portraits of this species class feature different models for each gender. Each portrait has its own diplomacy voice.

Big Ooze #1The Merchant #2Tripple-head #3Frogboy #4Stinkbug #5The Diplomat #6Trumpet Alien #7Tiny Diver #8The Conch #9Corrosion #10Hyena Boy #11Space Kermit #12Capsule Alien #13Blax #14Pipeboi #15

### Machine

Machines are not a naturally evolved species but rather an artificial one that can be constructed with the required technology or if by starting as a machine empire. Each portrait has its own diplomacy voice. When an empire first creates robots they'll use the portrait that matches the creator species' class.

 Humanoid Mammalian Reptilian Avian Arthropoid Molluscoid Fungoid Plantoid Lithoid Reaper (Necroid) Aquatic ToxoidDefault

### Extradimensional

Extradimensional species are not selectable at empire creation and only appear as the Extradimensional Invaders crisis. However if the  Astral Planes DLC is installed extradimensional pops can be obtained by conquering the Formless or subjugating them and forming a  Migration Treaty.

UnbiddenAberrantVehement Formless

### Unplayable

The following species are not playable and will only appear as a crisis or enclave.

Prethoryn ScourgeContingency Custodian Bot Shroudwalker Salvager

## Species classes

Species classes are further grouped by species classes. Each of them can have different mechanics and even available traits.

## Specific text strings related to species class

When contacted, empires with a high opinion may compliment you while those with a low opinion may insult you. The flavor text depends on the ruler's species. Species that wear and do not wear clothes also have a special diplomatic insult with each other. Species class also determines the name of the pre-FTL world in the starting system of empires with the  Fear of the Dark origin.

In addition, many messages will use strings specific to species classes to refer to other things (e.g. organs and fossils).

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/RikardAslund/status/728482852711628800

**Game concepts**