Star Wars: Twi’lek article and discussion

I am a Star Wars fan of the original trilogy, the Special Edition versions of the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, legends, the expanded universe and fanon made content for the fans by the fans.

My passion is the Twi’lek Species. Oola was my favourite character in the original trilogy out of all the female characters. I was also interested in Rystall Sant in the Special Edition on Return of Jedi. The more eye-catching an alien is, the more you want to know about them.

I tend to like minor and background characters more than the main cast because they’re normal civilians going about their jobs or caught in a bad situation. I like to imagine what their home life is like, who their friends are, where they born, whether their culture and religion play a big part in their lifestyle or not, etc.

Oola was the catalyst who made me very interested in Twi’lek culture and customs. You’d think the second most common species after human would get more respect and culture building. But nope, they’re treated like second citizens almost everywhere except within the fanon.

I’d would to share my opinions on Twi’lek so if you have any questions, ask.

Anyway I created an article about finding the origins of Twi’lek character names, to see how many are real names in baby name dictionary’s and how many are fictional made up for fantasy sake.
I’m doing them in three different sections - 1. Feminine names, 2. Masculine names and 3. Clan names.

So far I’ve only written and completed feminine names so far.

Below is a list of feminine twi'lek first names from the Twi’lek Lexicon (do a Google search there are a few different sites that have it) highlighting their origin and meaning on our dear blue planet compared to what they mean on Ryloth or within Twi'lek Society in the wider Galaxy. Before you start you should know that there’s no unisex names.

Aayla (Arabic name) meaning: “The Moon's Light” (Twi'leki meaning: "Mist or Smoke")

Alema (Hawaiian) meaning: “Soul, Spirit” (Twi'leki meaning: “Protector")

Ann (Latin name) meaning: “Grace” (Twi'leki meaning: "Moon")

Aola (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "flower"

Astraal (Twi'lek name by spelling) pronounced as Astral meaning: “related to the stars” (Twi'leki meaning: unknown - hasn't been added to lexicon)

Ayy (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "star"

Daesha (Latin name) meaning: “stubborn determination” (Twi'leki meaning: "Female Ruler")

Dia (Spanish name)meaning: “Day” (Twi'leki meaning: "Ice")

Feen (Made up Twi'lek name) referred to a sweet fruit grown on Ryloth.

Gida (Nanai Masculine name) meaning: "spear" (Twi'leki meaning: "female warrior")

Giza (Sorbian and Hungarian name) meaning: Sorbian short form of Gizela and Hungarian short form of Gizella. (Twi'leki meaning: "needle" or "stiletto")

Hera (Greek name) meaning: “Queen” (Twi'leki meaning: unknown - hasn't been added to lexicon)

Hirani (Japanese Surname) meaning: ‘flat (or peaceful) field’; a common topographic and habitational name throughout Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. One daimyō family descended from the ancient Kiyowara clan. (Twi’leki first name meaning “exceedingly beautiful”)

Jiljoo (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "gem"

Koyi (Made Up Twi'lek name) meaning: "Serpent"

Lunae (Made up Twi'lek name by spelling) pronounced as Luna meaning: “The Moon” (Twi'leki meaning: unknown - hasn't been added to lexicon)

Lyn (English name) meaning: “Pretty” (Twi'leki meaning: "Snow")

Miela (Esperanto name) meaning: “Honey Sweet” (The closest match in the lexicon is: Mala referred to the mythical figure Mala, who was the mother of Nolaa in the fanon written version of Twi’lek religion)

Nabrina (Rare American name) meaning unknown (Twi'leki meaning:"beast of burden")

Nima (Arabic) meaning: “Blessing” (Twi'leki meaning:”Gift”)

Nolaa (Made up Twi'lek name) referred to the mythical figure Nolaa, who was the daughter of Mala. 

Numa (Arabic name) meaning: “Beautiful and Pleasant” (Twi'leki meaning: "Sister")

Oola (Arabic) meaning: First, Foremost (Twi'leki meaning: "Water")

Palakwi (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "lizard"

Pampy (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "Jewel"

Poy (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "wing or wings"

Seela (Finnish name) meaning: a Finnish form of Sela (Twi'leki meaning: "dancer")

Seku (African Masculine name) but I couldn’t find a meaning (Twi'leki meaning:"memory")

Shakka (Made up Twi’lek name) meaning: "Lightning"

Shiri (Hebrew Name) meaning: "my song" (Twi'leki meaning: "singer")

Sienn (Made up Twi'lek name by spelling) meaning: “Maiden” (The closest match on Planet Earth is Sienna - Italian name meaning: Reddish Brown)

Sinya (Russian name) meaning: Short form or diminutive of Aksinya and Yeverosinya (Twi'leki Meaning: "darkness")

Supi (Finnish Masculine name) meaning: Lover or Fiancé (The closest match to Supi in the lexicon is Supisy, meaning: "Mysterious Female")

Talik (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "Destiny"

Tann (German Masculine name) meaning: Pine Tree or denoted forests anywhere (Twi'leki meaning:"Hope")

Teeubo (Made up Twi'lek name) meaning: "Treasure"

Xiaan (Made up Twi’lek name)** meaning: 'Spider" (The Twi'lek lexicon has misspelt it as Xian)

Thank you for posting your Twi'lek article! It's really well done and like I said to you before, it's very comprehensive and I'm learning so much. I always liked Oola and thought her fate was especially tragic so it's nice to understand her culture more and what led to her unfortunate demise thanks to fans like you filling in the blanks.

Are Twi'leks really the second most common species in SW after humans?

I didn't realize Ann was a name that existed in SW. It seems very human and ordinary for a Twi'lek to have unless it is pronounced differently. I like the names Aayla, Astraal, Daesha, Dia, Hera, Hirani, Lunae, Nima, Nolaa, Seela, Sinya, Supi, and Xiaan the most.

It's interesting that Shiri, Nima, & Gida aren't too far off from the country of origin's meaning and the Twi'lek meaning! And it's interesting that Ayy means "star" in Twi'lek, but Astraal also means "relating to the stars."

jeangreyforever wrote:

Are Twi'leks really the second most common species in SW after humans?

To be honest I'm not 100% sure. But I thought I had read that somewhere. They're certainly the most popular species in the Star Wars Universe and among the fans.
I found a great video last night about Twi'leks - combining legends, the expanded universe and the new canon to explain their history, biology, goverment and culture, it's about thirty minutes long but it's worth it. It explains why they're popular and everywhere. I really want to share it here but I can't because new members can't send links for 7 days.

Others believe they share the spot with Rodians and Zabraks.

blackcauldron85 wrote:

It's interesting that Shiri, Nima, & Gida aren't too far off from the country of origin's meaning and the Twi'lek meaning!  And it's interesting that Ayy means "star" in Twi'lek, but Astraal also means "relating to the stars."

Actually I was trying to get across was Astraal by spelling doesn't appear in any baby name dictionary. But Astral does and it means "related to the stars." The Twi'leki meaning is unknown because the name hasn't been added to the list.

I wanted to include Astraal in the article. There's a character named Astraal Vao, she is Shado Vao's sibling from the Star Wars Legacy comics. She was a missionary and a bodyguard for a Princess.

AuroraJasmine wrote:

jeangreyforever wrote:

Are Twi'leks really the second most common species in SW after humans?

To be honest I'm not 100% sure. But I thought I had read that somewhere. They're certainly the most popular species in the Star Wars Universe and among the fans.
I found a great video last night about Twi'leks - combining legends, the expanded universe and the new canon to explain their history, biology, goverment and culture, it's about thirty minutes long but it's worth it. It explains why they're popular and everywhere. I really want to share it here but I can't because new members can't send links for 7 days.

Others believe they share the spot with Rodians and Zabraks.

It definitely sounds plausible to me because Twi'leks are some of the only alien races that appear in all the trilogies and multimedia shows.

Yeah the inability to post links for 7 days is really annoying and I still have that restriction on me. Definitely feel free to share it after your 7 days are up!

I think Twi'leks have more presence than Rodians and Zabraks. I feel like I don't see too many Rodians (but maybe that's because they all look alike) and Zabraks I definitely don't think are the most populated species after humans since they didn't even exist in the OT and there's like only two in the PT.

jeangreyforever wrote:

Yeah the inability to post links for 7 days is really annoying and I still have that restriction on me. Definitely feel free to share it after your 7 days are up!

Yep with a few other links I want you to see which I'll pm to you when I can (Anime Disney dolls are done!).

AuroraJasmine wrote:

jeangreyforever wrote:

Yeah the inability to post links for 7 days is really annoying and I still have that restriction on me. Definitely feel free to share it after your 7 days are up!

Yep with a few other links I want you to see which I'll pm to you when I can (Anime Disney dolls are done!).

Looking forward to that especially the Anime Disney dolls!

This is the video I was talking about.

Twi’lek Species COMPLETE Breakdown (History, Bio, Culture) by MetaNerdz Lore

He made a few mistakes and missed out something though.

Thank you, it seems like a very comprehensive history of the canon material (and I presume some of the fan additions). When I get more time, I'll watch it fully.

AuroraJasmine wrote:

This is the video I was talking about.

Twi’lek Species COMPLETE Breakdown (History, Bio, Culture) by MetaNerdz Lore

He made a few mistakes and missed out something though.

Finally got a chance to watch the video. It was very enlightening! I learned a lot more about the significance of colors (I never knew before that what color you are has some meaning, I thought that was just for lightsaber blade colors). I was also always curious about Bib Fortuna's style of arranging his lekku so now I have a better grasp of why his arrangement is so different from other Twi'leks. The history of the species isn't as dark as it was in the fanon material you've linked me to before, which makes sense since I don't think Disney would get that dark about slavery.

Ready for the next important video?
YouTube: 10,000 Years of Horror - Ryloth History Complete Breakdown (Canon & Legends) by MetaNerdz Lore

Thank you for this next video. I like how this video was designed like a travel guide to promote visiting Ryloth. Did that opening part come from a game like Star Wars Galaxies? I didn't know much about Ryloth previously besides reading about it in some of the new canon Star Wars novels where we hear about how harsh and unhospitable it is as a planet, but they didn't really dive into the planet's history. Bloodline is one of those novels so it was nice to see it referenced here. I wish I had paid more attention to that history when I was reading the book and its spiritual sequel Resistance Reborn. I had an inkling now about the dark history of the Twi'lek species and their homeworld but this was really revealing. I didn't know about all the vast criminal underbelly although that was alluded to in Resistance Reborn if I'm correct.

jeangreyforever wrote:

Thank you for this next video. I like how this video was designed like a travel guide to promote visiting Ryloth. Did that opening part come from a game like Star Wars Galaxies? I didn't know much about Ryloth previously besides reading about it in some of the new canon Star Wars novels where we hear about how harsh and unhospitable it is as a planet, but they didn't really dive into the planet's history. Bloodline is one of those novels so it was nice to see it referenced here. I wish I had paid more attention to that history when I was reading the book and its spiritual sequel Resistance Reborn. I had an inkling now about the dark history of the Twi'lek species and their homeworld but this was really revealing. I didn't know about all the vast criminal underbelly although that was alluded to in Resistance Reborn if I'm correct.

I don't what the game is.

To add on to this check this out: "In traditional Twi’lek society, women are expected to be subservient to men, and are often treated as afterthoughts or accessories. They are not considered particularly intelligent or capable, having value only to the degree that they please others. Twi’lek women were commonly sold into slavery, even by their own clans, to become dancers or companions." - Star Wars: The NEW Essential Guide to ALIEN SPECIES (2001)

AuroraJasmine wrote:

jeangreyforever wrote:

Thank you for this next video. I like how this video was designed like a travel guide to promote visiting Ryloth. Did that opening part come from a game like Star Wars Galaxies? I didn't know much about Ryloth previously besides reading about it in some of the new canon Star Wars novels where we hear about how harsh and unhospitable it is as a planet, but they didn't really dive into the planet's history. Bloodline is one of those novels so it was nice to see it referenced here. I wish I had paid more attention to that history when I was reading the book and its spiritual sequel Resistance Reborn. I had an inkling now about the dark history of the Twi'lek species and their homeworld but this was really revealing. I didn't know about all the vast criminal underbelly although that was alluded to in Resistance Reborn if I'm correct.

I don't what the game is.

To add on to this check this out: "In traditional Twi’lek society, women are expected to be subservient to men, and are often treated as afterthoughts or accessories. They are not considered particularly intelligent or capable, having value only to the degree that they please others. Twi’lek women were commonly sold into slavery, even by their own clans, to become dancers or companions." - Star Wars: The NEW Essential Guide to ALIEN SPECIES (2001)

It was an MMO that was released in the early 2000s that was fairly popular but I never played it myself.

I feel bad for the women in the Twi'lek species. And to think that what is canon is still less dark and frightening than the history in the fanon.

jeangreyforever wrote:

I feel bad for the women in the Twi'lek species. And to think that what is canon is still less dark and frightening than the history in the fanon.

I'm confused now. Can you quote which parts you found dark and frightening in the history of the fanon?

AuroraJasmine wrote:

jeangreyforever wrote:

I feel bad for the women in the Twi'lek species. And to think that what is canon is still less dark and frightening than the history in the fanon.

I'm confused now. Can you quote which parts you found dark and frightening in the history of the fanon?

Actually some of the stuff you featured in your Twi'lek quizzes I took. When I asked you if they were made from only canon material or also fanon material and you said it was a mix of both. The treatment of women and all the slavery for children and how dangerous the planet was was very disturbing. Especially how hard it is to get offworld.