Geonosians are a species of humanoid insects native to the planet of Geonosis, in the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Superweapons builders, they were responsible for the creation of the battle droids used in the Battle of Naboo and in the Clone Wars. They were also responsible for the creation of the schematics for the Death Star.
Background[]
The Geonosians lived in hives ruled by queens in enormous spires on the planet's surface and were divided into castes, with some like warriors having wings with which they could fly. Though the Geonosian queens ruled the hives, the public leader for the Geonosians was a male named Poggle the Lesser, an Archduke who served alongside the queen Karina the Great. Karina the Great was unique in that she utilized brain worms to control her followers, with her abilities being so strong that she could even control undead followers and even Jedi infected with her brain worms.
They were first commissioned by the Neimoideans to create Battle Droids for the Trade Federation, which would be used in the Battle of Naboo. As such, the battle droids greatly resembled their creators. Following this, the Geonosians under the leadership of Poggle the Lesser joined, supported and helped create a new droid army for the Separatists of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As such, they were active participants in the Clone Wars. The Battle of Geonosis was the start of this; when a second battle broke out, they would again fight, though they were defeated and their planet blockaded.
During the Second Battle of Geonosis, a team led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker encountered the Geonosian Queen Karina the Great, who was sheltering Poggle the Lesser and had captured Luminara Unduli. In the struggle that followed, Poggle was captured and Karina was killed, though her brain worms nearly infected Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee in the aftermath. After, Poggle the Lesser served time as a Republic prisoner until his eventual escape to rejoin the Separatists.
At the end of the Clone Wars, as Palpatine initiated the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Dark Lord of the Sith sent Anakin Skywalker to kill the Separatist leaders as part of his transformation into Darth Vader. Among these victims was Poggle the Lesser, cut in half as the newly risen Sith Lord eliminated the pawns in Palpatine's grand scheme. All of Poggle's droid forces were shut down.
Appearances[]
Star Wars Rebels[]
After the rise of the Empire, the Geonosians were forced into slave labor, helping to build the Death Star over Geonosis. Afterwards, to keep the project secret, the Imperials wiped out most of the Geonosians with chemical bombs, effectively sterilizing Geonosis. Only a few survived.
Unbeknownst to the Empire, at least two others survived; one male geonosian given the name of Klik-Klak by Ezra Bridger, and the last Geonosian queen egg he guarded. After encountering Ezra, Saw Gerrera and the crew of the Ghost, Klik-Klak was allowed to escape deeper into Geonosis' subterranean tunnels, where he and the egg would be safe from the Empire and be able to rebuild the Geonosian race.
In Printed Media[]
As revealed in Marvel Comics' Star Wars: Darth Vader series, the egg from Ghosts of Geonosis eventually hatched into a queen, but was rendered sterile. This Geonosian queen, labelling herself as the new Karina the Great, took up residence in a hidden droid factory where she produced BX droid commandos. Darth Vader personally raided the factory, wounding the queen and taking the entire factory. Vader left the queen alive however as punishment, as she was the last of her kind and thus was truly alone.
Trivia[]
- Geonosians were originally inspired by the original concept art of the Neimoideans, who were based off the Battle Droids seen first in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
- They do not speak the Basic language for the most part. Only Karina the Great seemed able or willing to speak Basic, as when she addressed Obi-Wan and Anakin directly.
- As revealed by Dave Filoni, the egg Klik-Klak was guarding from Ghosts of Geonosis hatched into the queen seen in the Marvel Comics series Darth Vader.
- If the Geonosian queen seen in the Darth Vader comics was indeed the last of her kind, then it is likely that Geonosians have been rendered extinct as of the events between The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
