Nekghoul

Nekghouls were a more evolved and intelligent strain of Rakghouls that had evolved in the ruins of Taris by the time of the Cold War, three centuries following the planet's destruction in 3,956 BBY. They were larger and much smarter than rakghouls, which suggested that they may have qualified as their own separate species, and they also stood upright, compared to the standard hunched stance of rakghouls. Nekghouls were also unable to infect or transform their victims.

What particularly set nekghouls apart from rakghouls was that they were sensitive to the Force, though they were untrained and their violent response to intruders made them lean more towards the dark side. They were capable of speech but had no known history or record of their origins. This led to some speculation on whether they were Jedi or Sith infected with the rakghoul plague or perhaps the result of mutation caused from radiation by Taris' shattered reactors.

Darth Gravus's attempts at destroying the Galactic Republic's reconstruction of Taris led to the uncovering of efforts made by Jedi Master Sulan in attempting to turn nekghouls to the light side of the Force.