From the Expanded Universe
The Duros blazed some of the oldest trade routes and hyperspace lanes in the galaxy as they ventured into the unknown, millennia ago. This species achieved star travel before the founding of the Republic, and have almost entirely abandoned the soil of their homeworld to travel among the stars. They rank alongside the Corellians as the most seasoned space travelers in the galaxy. One of the Duros' earliest colonization efforts was on Neimoidia, and over the millennia, the Neimoidians became a genetically distinct offshoot of the Duros race.
The Duros homeworld of Duro has weathered millennia of neglect. As the Duros took to the stars, much of their planet became increasingly polluted. As Duros political power was transferred from ancient royal rulers to a wealthy coalition of interstellar shipping firms, all connection to ancestral roots were severed. The Duros people embarked on a bold era of expansion, choosing to live in orbital cities or far-flung colony worlds.
The temperate surface of Duro was converted into farmlands, and immense automated food factories processed comestibles to be shipped elsewhere. As these territories spread, it encroached on the habitats of endangered wildlife, resulting in the extinction of millions of Duro's indigenous animals.
When the Empire came into power and seized control of Duro, it began mining operations near the ancient Valley of Royalty. The Empire's unsound practices further spoiled the ecology of the planet, irradiating a vast stretch of land with toxic waste. Following the Battle of Endor, Duro was eventually liberated from Imperial rule, joining the New Republic and offering its shipyards to the growing government.
The repeated vilification of the Neimoidians following the Clone Wars led many of that species to abandon their heritage and pose as Duros. A major section of Nar Shaddaa became a refuge for Neimoidians in hiding.
Duros tend to be a calm, peaceful individuals and this aspect of their personalities enhances their acceptance in all parts of the galaxy. As individuals, they are extraordinarily dependable workers. Though often quiet and sometimes taciturn, when called upon they can be gifted storytellers, capable of retaining the interests of extremely diverse audiences for extended lengths of time.
Behind the Scenes
The Duros were designed by concept artist Ron Cobb for the cantina sequence in
A New Hope. His illustration of an enigmatic blue-skinned alien bears the cryptic footnote, "Nothing Known." The alien was produced as a slip-on mask, and nicknamed "Goggle-Eyes" by the crew. It didn't get the name Duros until 1989's
Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races.
During the pre-production of Episode I, the Neimoidians were originally going to be computer-generated and appear similar in shape to their battle droids, suggesting that the Neimoidians created the droids in their image. When realizing digital Neimoidians became impractical, Director George Lucas instead decided to make the Neimoidians animatronic masks. He referred the creature department to an original photo of the "Goggle-Eyes" alien from the cantina, and decided that's what a Neimoidian should look like.
Since the Duros already had a backstory, when the Neimoidian backstory was developed, the two aliens were tied together by a connected history.
