I was just wondering to myself, where do these "new" species from SWTOR go by the time of the films? This comes down to a question of what factors determine which species we're exposed to in the course of the films?

To elaborate, we've met species like the Esh Kaa and the Evocii who (as far as I know) were introduced in this game. Please, enlighten me if I'm wrong. Furthermore, species like Miraluka and Chiss are nowhere to be found in the movies (more on that later). Why is this? Given their status in SWTOR, it's not unreasonable to assume that the Esh Kaa are contained to Belsavis and the Evocii are subject to a genocide at some point or another, but are there any canonical explanations?

Counterpoint- Perhaps the species we meet are a function of the locations we visit in the films. Besides Coruscant and a few of the battleground planets in Revenge of the Sith, I believe we mostly stick to the Outer Rim. Places like Tattooine, which is a cosmic stone's throw from Naboo as is Bespin from Hoth. Kamino's not even charted, and Hoth has no life forms to speak of. Each location has given us a few denizens and we've gotten a lot of diversity from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Jabba's Palace, the Podrace, and the Senate.

Watching the movies, you find that most species are given up entirely to a single representative member: Greedo, Plo Koon, Nein Nunb, Admiral Ackbar, Ponda Baba, etc. Others might be onscreen, but there's typically one "spokesperson" for any species other than human.

In some cases, this is made explicit by the lore: Yoda, or, arguably, the Chiss. Yoda's species is mysterious and basically extinct. The Chiss willfully withdrew from the Galaxy. What about the rest? Are non-human species rare? Do we have waves of extinction/genocide that periodically sweep the galaxy? Is there a strong isolationist streak among many species (The Voss)? What gives?

Or did groups like the Evocii and the Kiliks go the way of the Ewok?

Well, I guess

I was just wondering to myself, where do these "new" species from SWTOR go by the time of the films? This comes down to a question of what factors determine which species we're exposed to in the course of the films?

 

To elaborate, we've met species like the Esh Kaa and the Evocii who (as far as I know) were introduced in this game.

As far as I know, Evocii have existed before SWTOR in lore. They have always been subservient to the Hutts.

Please, enlighten me if I'm wrong. Furthermore, species like Miraluka and Chiss are nowhere to be found in the movies (more on that later). Why is this? Given their status in SWTOR, it's not unreasonable to assume that the Esh Kaa are contained to Belsavis and the Evocii are subject to a genocide at some point or another, but are there any canonical explanations?

Miraluka and Chiss are not in the movies because their species did not exist/were not added by Lucas into the films. Miraluka, as far as I am aware, were added in 2005 with Visas Marr (could be wrong though) and Chiss are simply allowing the Empire to use some of their Chiss population to keep an alliance between the Empire and the Ascendency so their location and people are still left relatively unknown and isolated.

Counterpoint- Perhaps the species we meet are a function of the locations we visit in the films. Besides Coruscant and a few of the battleground planets in Revenge of the Sith, I believe we mostly stick to the Outer Rim. Places like Tattooine, which is a cosmic stone's throw from Naboo as is Bespin from Hoth. Kamino's not even charted, and Hoth has no life forms to speak of. Each location has given us a few denizens and we've gotten a lot of diversity from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Jabba's Palace, the Podrace, and the Senate.

Its mostly because Star Wars lore expands beyond the movies. The aliens are not in the movies because no actor was dressed up for that species. In-universe wise, yes, there already was a bit of diversity in the Films for places that would have it, like the cantinas or the Senate chambers.

Watching the movies, you find that most species are given up entirely to a single representative member: Greedo, Plo Koon, Nein Nunb, Admiral Ackbar, Ponda Baba, etc. Others might be onscreen, but there's typically one "spokesperson" for any species other than human.

I am not sure what you are getting at here. Are you asking why some aliens are more predominant in the movies than others? Goes back to my last response: the characters were chosen as that species, nothing more.

In some cases, this is made explicit by the lore: Yoda, or, arguably, the Chiss. Yoda's species is mysterious and basically extinct. The Chiss willfully withdrew from the Galaxy. What about the rest? Are non-human species rare? Do we have waves of extinction/genocide that periodically sweep the galaxy? Is there a strong isolationist streak among many species (The Voss)? What gives?

Yoda's race is mysterious, not extinct. Lore leaves no implications on anything about them. Chiss part is true. Non-human species aren't rare but considering there are so many of them, meeting any single one of them would be likely. It goes back to the first response though, the characters made the species were simply chosen. In an IP where thousands of sentients exist with new ones being made by authors, writers, and artists each year, it becomes hard to "integrate" them as common characters in lore. Therefore, usually the first species to appear (the ones that we see in the movies) tend to be considered the most common because they were thought up "first" per say.

I would just argue its a matter how far certain aliens spread in the galaxy and how many they are in simple population. While humans arguably dominate the galactic population, Twi'leks and Rodians can be considered among the close follow-ups.

Or did groups like the Evocii and the Kiliks go the way of the Ewok?

 

Well, I guess

Kiliks have several hives and Alderaan is not their only planet. They survive Alderaan's destruction and exist throughout the galaxy.

Miralukans showed themselves in Golden Age of Sith comics, and they were published around 1996, so they older then KOTOR 2... same as Cathars were also appearing in Sith comics - one of them became Exar Kun's apprentice.

Other races - well, Esh-Kha:

Miraluka, as far as I am aware, were added in 2005 with Visas Marr (could be wrong though)

Miraluka are way older than KOTOR II. The oldest Miraluka I know is Darth Jerec from Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997 game)

I get all the real-world explanations of certain species not being conceived of at the time, but I was thinking of more in-universe and whether there were any major catastrophes. As I mentioned in the first post, I can perfectly well conceive of the idea that, well, those species just didn't happen to be on one of the ten planets we saw at one of the dozen times we went there in the films. I mean, if they weren't in the Cantina in A New Hope, then the rest of the movie was just spent on Tantive IV, the Death Star, and Yavin--so it'd be pretty easy to miss out on, say, the one Miraluka who was on the other side of Mos Eisley at the time.

Just wondering about them though--so nothing disastrous befell any of these here-today-gone-tomorrow species? Just missed 'em in the movies?

PS- What about the Rakata? Do they leave Lehon at all or re-emerge into the galaxy after being re-rediscovered by Revan? I seem to recall one in the Clone Wars arc about the Zilla Monster?

Miraluka are way older than KOTOR II. The oldest Miraluka I know is Darth Jerec from Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997 game)

Jerec was retconed to a Miraluka sometime after KotOR2 came out, IIRC. Before then, he was just a blind human.

And, as a dark Jedi recruited by Palpatine, he was never given a "Darth" title.

I get all the real-world explanations of certain species not being conceived of at the time, but I was thinking of more in-universe and whether there were any major catastrophes. As I mentioned in the first post, I can perfectly well conceive of the idea that, well, those species just didn't happen to be on one of the ten planets we saw at one of the dozen times we went there in the films. I mean, if they weren't in the Cantina in A New Hope, then the rest of the movie was just spent on Tantive IV, the Death Star, and Yavin--so it'd be pretty easy to miss out on, say, the one Miraluka who was on the other side of Mos Eisley at the time.

 

Just wondering about them though--so nothing disastrous befell any of these here-today-gone-tomorrow species? Just missed 'em in the movies?

 

PS- What about the Rakata? Do they leave Lehon at all or re-emerge into the galaxy after being re-rediscovered by Revan? I seem to recall one in the Clone Wars arc about the Zilla Monster?

There's more to Star Wars than just the movies and the movies only cover a small section of the actual universe. Just because a species doesn't show up in the movies doesn't mean they don't exist or were wiped out in some genocide. Usually if a species hasn't show up in a certain era, it's because a story hasn't been told about that particular species yet or there just happened to be no mention or appearance of said species yet.