When Star Wars was new, it changed movies forever when the door opened to the Mos Eisley cantina and there was a variety of alien races crammed in the space together. The Star Wars universe is a vast one already, made up of a myriad of planets and an even greater variety of races that inhabit them or travel between them.
There are so many different races in the Star Wars universe that it's hard to choose only a few that should get more attention. As the stories of the galaxy far, far away continue to expand and grow, adding more races and planets, so will our list.
7 The Gree
One of the most ancient races in the galaxy, the Gree were among some of the first interstellar travelers in the universe. They aren't humanoid, but a six-tentacled race of cephalopods with high foreheads.
The Gree was one of the few races to discover the planet Tython, an elusive location in the Deep Core that was only safe for Force-sensitive creatures. As the centuries went on, the Gree also discovered their Force powers and are thought to be the ones that constructed the Seeing Stones and what was thought to be the oldest Jedi Temple in the galaxy.
6 The Geonosians
An insectoid race from the planet Geonosis, this race is already famous for its manufacturing prowess. Not only are they accomplished engineers and designers, but they also build their projects on a grand scale, making them the first choice when someone in the galaxy needs a lot of something or one big something put together quickly.
The Geonosians were the race that made the battle droids for the Trade Federation in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and even developed the Death Star for the Empire in later years. If that doesn't justify giving them some more attention, consider their Queen can use a "brain worm" to ensure loyalty and subservience, even beyond death.
5 The Kwa
The planet Dathomir was a wedding gift in The Courtship of Princess Leia, a novel that's a part of the Star Wars expanded universe, and Han Solo intended for it to be the New Alderaan. What he found was a planet blocked by a cranky warlord that contained some hidden Jedi secrets and ancient ruins.
The Kwa were intelligent and artistic, creating stunning landmarks on the planet like an Infinity Gate and Star Temples during the peak of their civilization. What happened to this race is a mystery, but they didn't disappear entirely. By the time the Rebel Alliance was building the New Republic, their survivors had devolved into a barbaric race called the Kwi.
4 The Sith
The Sith might be an over-exposed race, which has led to the problem of a misunderstanding of what the Sith race actually is. The term "Sith" or "Sith Lord" also refers to a master of the Dark Side of the Force along with an actual race, but this is a figure of speech from a later time. The Sith Order is the historic arch-nemesis of the Jedi, and the source of virtually every villain in the franchise can be traced back to either the Sith race or its direct influence.
Called the Red Sith or Pureblood Sith depending on the era, they were native to the planet of Korriban and began using the Dark Side of the Force very early in their history. Several fallen Jedi also found sanctuary on Korriban earlier in the Sith's history, lending their knowledge of the Force along with their genetics to the Sith race.
3 The Myriad
One of the most ancient races of the galaxy, the Myriad are unique because they are part cybernetic, which is one of the reasons their original physical, organic form remains a mystery. They are often the race tasked with compiling, storing, and retrieving information, or gathering it.
The result is that the Myriad race has information on virtually everything. Because of the position of power, this affords them, they are one of the few races in the Star Trek universe allowed to exist in total neutrality, lending their talents and technology to everyone in the universe.
2 The Chiss
The Chiss have been getting more attention lately thanks to one of their most recognizable members, the villain Grand Admiral Thrawn. They're a distinctive group, easy to recognize, resembling humans in their form and features but with blue skin and red eyes that lack pupils. Csilla is their home world, and they speak a language called Cheunh,
Althuogh they have a reputation for serving the Empire, with not only Thrawn in this category but also a character named Sev'rance Tann, who was a Dark Acolyte serving under Count Dooku, this isn't always the case. There are plenty of Chiss bounty hunters and spies throughout the galaxy working for a variety of interests.
1 The Massassi
The imposing stone ruins that helped to hide the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars: A New Hope were built by the Massassi, an ancient warrior race that inhabited the moon Yavin 4. They were not originally from here, however, but were enslaved by the Sith and brought here as warriors and workers.
At first, the Massassi was very much like the Red Sith of old, a red-skinned humanoid race, but after a few generations of experiments and selective breeding made them into hunchbacked monsters. Despite what the Sith did to them, the Massassi worshipped them like gods, in particular the fearsome Naga Sadow. He sacrificed the entire race in an elaborate ritual that was intended to free his soul from his body as a way to escape from the Jedi, who were closing in on him.