Hanar

The hanar are a species resembling Earth's jellyfish and are one of the few non-bipedal Citadel races. Hanar are known for their intense politeness when speaking, and their strong religious beliefs regarding the Protheans, whom they refer to as "the Enkindlers".

Biology
The hanar 'stand' slightly taller than a human, although most of their height is in their long tentacles which have three fingers at the base. However the invertebrate, water-native hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs that use mass effect fields. Their limbs can grip tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each.

It is not known if hanar have more than one gender, or are asexual (as some jellyfish species are). Despite evolving in water, hanar also appear able to breathe air, or use technological means to enable this.

Culture
The hanar homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, many hanar worship them, calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language.

The hanar communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence - which other species need machine assistance to translate (though many drell apply genetic modification to their eyes in order to perceive higher frequency flashes which allows them to understand the hanar)- and speak with scrupulous precision and excessive politeness. Most hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species.

The hanar have two names, a 'face name' and a 'soul name'. The face name is used as a general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close friends and relations, and tend to be poetic. For example, a Hanar known for its cynicism may take the name that means "Illuminates the Folly of the Dancers." Hanar never refer to themselves in the first person with someone they know on a face name basis: to do so is considered egotistical. Instead they refer to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it."

Economy
Few hanar are willing to deal with other species. Economic contacts are limited to a handful of trade stations on their borders. Due to this self-imposed isolation and the unique physiology of the race, their economy is small and isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Few standard technologies (designed for bipedal and fingered species) are available in their space, and they produce very few goods that are usable by others. However, in Mass Effect: Revelation, Edan Had'dah had a liking for hanar-produced liquors.

Political Factors
The hanar government is known as the Illuminated Primacy. Other races sometimes see the hanar as elitist snobs because of their intolerance for 'incorrect' speech (and occasionally refer to them derisively as 'jellies'). The hanar are also known to become vocal if their religious rights appear threatened in any way, which occasionally causes clashes with other Citadel races. A hanar on the Presidium steadfastly defends its right to preach about the Enkindlers even when a C-Sec officer asks it to leave, and Commander Shepard hears a news story on the Citadel about the hanar blockading a Prothean ruin being excavated by the salarians.

If the hanar have an embassy on the Citadel, it is not accessible in the game. According to gossip between a salarian and a turian in the Council Chambers, the hanar are considered likely prospects for a Council seat in the near future, though what great deed the hanar did for the Council to warrant consideration is not revealed.

Notable Hanar

 * Delanynder
 * Opold
 * The Preaching Hanar

Hanar Worlds

 * Kahje - Homeworld
 * Belan

Trivia

 * In the French version, the hanar are called "hanari".
 * On the Citadel, the games merchant mentions Asari-Hanar porn games. A reference towards the Hentai genre of PC games.
 * On Illium, there is a advertisment for a movie featuring Blasto: The Jellyfish. It is apperently about a hanar agent much like Dirty Harry that has "a gun in every tentacle". The name Blasto comes from a old playstation game featuring Captain Blasto fighting hordes of aliens on the planet Uranus.