The Pyn'gani were a Near-Human sentient species from the Outer Rim planet Polus. To protect them from the extreme cold of their homeworld, their cities were shielded by heat generators. The Pyn'gani played a major role in developing the carbon-freezing process, and mining carbonite produced a large proportion of the income for Polus. One Pyn'gani was the reclusive Jedi Master Anno Wen-Chii, who lived around 1000 BBY.
The Pyn'gani were a Near-Human sentient species—a classification for species very similar to Humans, but which through any number of factors evolved unique adaptations to their environment. As such, the Pyn'gani were bipedal and closely resembled Humans but had a brown skin pigmentation. They adapted to tolerate the extreme cold of their homeworld.
Pyn'gani structures on Polus
The Pyn'gani were a reclusive species living on the planet Polus in the Outer Rim's Oricho sector. Polus was an arctic, mostly mountainous planet with one massive frozen ocean. The average daytime temperature was fifty degrees below freezing, with frequent blizzards and ice storms raging on the planet's surface. Pyn'gani lived in domed structures, and as masters of thermal dynamics, they shielded their cities and habitats with a network of heat generators and shield generators that protected them from Polus' extreme climate. In combat, the Pyn'gani used a carbonite gun, a blaster-styled weapon capable of incapacitating both biological and mechanical targets.
When the Pyn'gani ventured outside, they wore woolen coats—binding up their coat sleeves—with large hoods to protect them from the cold.
The Pyn'gani were native to Polus, a planet with contact with the wider galaxy from around 995 BBY. At this time, the Pyn'gani Anno Wen-Chii was a member of the Jedi Order and had attained the rank of Jedi Master. The reclusive Master brought his Padawan Nalia Adollu back to Polus that year, where both resided for a time hoping to learn more about how life evolved in the galaxy.
In 0 BBY, Polus was controlled by the Alliance to Restore the Republic, which was at war with the reigning galactic government, the Galactic Empire. By 3 ABY, the Zann Consortium, a criminal organization active in the galaxy, had raided the planet and enslaved the Pyn'gani, enlisting them in its militia.
By the time of the Galactic Empire, the Pyn'gani had played a major role in developing the carbonite freezing process used to store goods for long-term shipment. Mining the valuable metal was a major source of income for the species around 0 BBY.
The Pyn'gani first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Empire at War in 2006, and later appeared in an expansion to the game, Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, as well. The species was also mentioned in the game's corresponding guides, and received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. The first Pyn'gani individual to be mentioned was Anno-Wen Chii in the 2007 novel Darth Bane: Rule of Two.
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia