Yesterday saw the unveiling of the first playable species to be featured in Star Wars: The Old Republic: the Rattataki. You might be asking yourself, "Rattawhatti?" even if you've seen all the movies and read a few of the Expanded Universe books. The Rattataki are a race of bald-headed alabaster skinned humanoids whose most notable example is Asajj Ventress from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
For Star Wars fans, I'd argue this is a fairly odd and obscure choice to include in the game as a playable race and it has given me some pause, as I can't think of any reason to include the race other than to tie-in to the new-ish Clone Wars series and film, however, that is neither here nor there, so let's take a look at some of the races we'd like to see in Star Wars: The Old Republic and examine their likelihood of appearing within the game.
Barabel
The Barabel are cold-blooded reptilian species hailing from the planet Barab I. One of the Barabel's most distinctive features are their scales, which are strong enough on their own to deflect some blaster fire. The Barabel make excellent hunters and trackers, and also hold a deep respect for the Jedi, however, the event that fostered this respect did not occur until well beyond the time period Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in.
Why we like them: There are simply few things more fearsome than a pissed off Barabel, and if The Old Republic features racial abilities I'd love to be able to shrug off blaster fire now and then much to the surprise of my enemy.
Likelihood of making it in: Not likely. Barabel are a bit too similar to the Trandoshan as a reptilian species in many ways, and are much more obscure.
Cathar
The Cathar are a humanoid catlike species (surprise, surprise!) from the planet Cathar. Their population was driven nearly to extinction following a battle with the Mandalorians known as the Battle of Cathar . While tempermental, the Cathar possessed high moral values and a strong sense of loyalty, and lived in a clan-based society.
Why we like them: Given their strong moral values, distinct cat-like look (every MMO needs catgirls, come on!), and their tendency to become Jedi we think they'd be a great fir.
Likelihood of making it in: Very likely. Not only do they fit the timeline well, they are much more humanoid than say the Barabel, and would be easier from an art perspective to implement. More importantly, Juhani from the original Knights of the Old Republic was a main character who traveled with Revan and is easily recognizable by fans of the franchise.
Chiss
The Chiss are a blue-skinned almost demon-looking humanoid species with bright red glowing eyes that hail from the Chiss Ascendancy, a small portion of the galaxy located just inside the Unknown Regions, putting them even beyond the Outer Rim territories. They are an incredibly disciplined race, possessing a calm and cool demeanor, even in the heat of battle, and are known for having an exceptional military. However, due to their isolationist nature they were rarely seen, and only really came into the forefront following the fall of the Galactic Empire when everyone's favorite blue-skinned badass Grand Admiral Thrawn (Mith'raw'nuruodo for you nerds out there!) ascended to power while the Empire was in disarray.
Why we like them: Frankly, they just plain look cool, and Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of the most recognizable and beloved Expanded Universe characters out there. Plus, they already look pretty snazzy in a uniform.
Likelihood of making it in: Not likely. As we mentioned earlier, the Chiss were incredibly isolationist, and it's not even certain whether or not they appeared in the known regions much at all during the timeline The Old Republic is set in. However, I do recall seeing quite a few of them as NPCs in Star Wars Galaxies, so anything is possible! We're certainly pulling for 'em.
Defel
The Defel are a small wolf-like species from the planet Af'El. The Defel have the distinct ability to naturally view the ultraviolet wavelength due to the fact their homeworld of Af'El lacked a ozone layer and orbited an ultraviolet star. However, exposure to other wavelengths often has a blinding effect and so most Defel are seen wearing special visors when off-world. Since they can see exceptionally well in the dark, the Defel were often sought after as assassins or thieves throughout the galaxy.
Why we like them: Given their natural inclination towards stealth, they'd make great Smugglers or Imperial Agents, we're also feeling nostalgic for the Teen Wolf films.
Likelihood of making it in: Possible, but not too likely. The Defel have the advantage of not being a purely Expanded Universe race, as one makes a brief appearance during the Mos Eisley cantina scene in A New Hope, but other than that they are fairly obscure.
