The Nazren were an alien race native to the planet Nizon. Standing nearly as tall as a Wookiee, the average Nazren was a hulking humanoid distinguished by its dust-brown skin and intimidating appearance. Their flat faces lacked a nose, and a line of short knobs runs from the back of the head and down the spine. However, despite their appearances, most Nazren were not warlike in nature, and were quite even-tempered. Family was of utmost importance to the Nazren, who lived in large clans that included individuals of 300 or more years in age. Each member of the clan had an equal voice in the clan's activities. These clans were nomadic in nature, but tended to remain tight-knit groups as they foraged for food and water.
Despite their nature, Nazren were believed to have once been capable of corruption and combat, in the era before Nizon was struck by a comet or other extra-planetary object. Nizon, it was said, was once a lush paradise, and the ancient Nazren lived in relative ease. Over time, legends told of a fall into decadence that preceded the impact of the comet. This impact rendered Nizon a wasteland, and decimated the Nazren population. With their numbers reduced and their homeworld in ruins, the surviving Nazren were forced to return to a more tenuous existence, but this helped to thin out their numbers and encourage further evolution of the species.
After many millennia of relative peace, the Nazren people were sold into slavery by the Empire, during the early years of the New Order, when the Empire arrived to mine the planet Nizon of its natural ores. Trandoshan slavers were allowed to raid the planet for slaves, who were later sold to Darga the Hutt in exchange for Tibanna gas. This continued until a group of freelance agents, who were working for Senator Bail Organa and the exiled Jedi Master Denia, discovered the Empire's plans and helped the Nazren fight back and reclaim their homeworld. This enslavement, while obviously painful to the Nazren, had two distant benefits to their race. It thinned out their numbers, and the movement of tribes to different labor camps served to stir up the Nazren gene pool. Eventually, they became a stronger and more diverse people.