Star Wars has an extensive universe, with seemingly endless movies, television shows, and books providing a constant and classic stream of source material to enjoy. Along with that comes an extensive catalog of exciting sci-fi animals to learn about.
Here are the basics and some fun facts about ten fascinating Star Wars creatures!
- Loth-cat
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We’ll start with something that looks a little familiar. Loth-cats are, in essence, just big-headed and more troublesome versions of our own feline friends. The species has been included in the Star Wars shows The Mandalorian and Star Wars Rebels. They’re troublemakers, and when frightened or provoked will use their sharp teeth and claws to their advantage, but they can also be very friendly and make good pets. Plus, they’re adorable! You can’t stay mad at that face.
- Blurrg
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Blurrgs are… interesting, to say the least. They may basically be giant faces with tiny arms attached to them, but they are a popular mount among many Star Wars alien species, including Ewoks and Twi’leks. They have most recently been featured in The Mandalorian as the character Kuiil’s treasured companions.
- Tauntaun
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Tauntauns are big, furry mounts often used by the Rebellion to traverse the snowy planet of Hoth. They’re classified as a species of lizard, which makes more sense when you learn that there are 15 subspecies of tauntaun, some of which appear much more reptilian than their shaggy snowfaring cousins. The most famous scene involving a tauntaun depicts the fate of Luke’s unfortunate companion from The Empire Strikes Back that died so that Han and Luke could live. Its sacrifice is much appreciated.
- Rancor
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Rancors may be big, scary-looking monsters, but they deserve love too! The most popular inclusion of a rancor in Star Wars was in Return of the Jedi, when Jabba sent Luke down to the rancor pit to die. The young Jedi survived (of course) and killed the beast, who was mourned by the poor executioner who looked after it. Yes, maybe he would have eaten Luke, but he was loved. Jabba’s rancor, named Pateesa, was chained and used as a terrifying way for Jabba and his goons to get some entertainment, but even wild rancors are monstrous and deadly when approached. Anyone wanting to make friends with them needs to use extreme caution and have a will prepared.
- Sarlacc
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Sarlaccs are basically all mouth. With a maw at least ten feet wide and a body growing as much as 100 feet long, they are intimidating and voracious predators. They dig themselves down into the sand to hunt, their mouths gaping open, just waiting for an unfortunate meal to fall in, where (supposedly) it will be digested for one thousand years. Jabba the Hutt favored these beasts as well and tried to execute Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi by making him walk a plank into the mouth of a hungry sarlaac (this was actually intended as a punishment because Luke killed his rancor—Jabba’s philosophy seemed to be “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again”). Happily, Luke again avoided an unpleasant fate (but, and I’m sorry Boba Fett fans, the monster did still get lunch).
- Fathier
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Fathiers are as gentle as they are fast. They were featured in The Last Jedi and shown to be abused, used for racing and betting in the corrupt city of Canto Bight. Rose and Finn freed the herd in their escape from imprisonment, and they and the fathiers destroyed a significant amount of the Canto Bight’s casinos and finery along the way.
- Bantha
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Banthas look a bit like big yaks, and they are the mount of choice for the nomadic Tusken Raiders (or the Sandpeople, as they are also known) who treat their banthas with great respect. They are peaceful herd animals, slow-moving and calm. These animals are also the source of the blue milk that Luke Skywalker and his aunt and uncle drink in A New Hope.
- Dewback
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Dewbacks are wonderful. They are massive lizards, often used as mounts by sandtroopers. They were first seen in A New Hope, and recently, one was used as a mount in The Mandalorian. Originally, animatronics were used to bring them to life, but later, CGI dewbacks were added to the movie. They may be primarily used by the Empire, but these chunky boys deserve some recognition.
- Ysalamir
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Ysalamiri may be the most fascinating of all Star Wars animal species. They may just look like yellow iguanas, but they have a unique ability that makes them very valuable to those trying to avoid the Jedi and Sith alike—they repel the Force. That’s right. With a ysalamir on your shoulder, no Force-user would be able to sneak up on you. For that reason, characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Empire prize them highly for defense and, to a lesser degree, for companionship. They make agreeable pets, and no Jedi or Sith will be of much use in their vicinity (unless of course they just attack with their lightsaber, in which case you might want more than a lizard to defend you).
- Vulptex
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These beautiful foxlike creatures, dubbed “crystal critters” by Finn, were featured in The Last Jedi, found by the rebels taking shelter during the Battle of Crait. They are made up of beautiful crystalline gems that make chiming, clinking sounds when they move. They are highly social animals, and, while skittish, are curious and friendly towards humans.
There are, of course, regular animals in Star Wars that look just like the ones we’re familiar with, like frogs (such as the one baby Yoda munches in The Mandalorian) and cats (this one may be a stretch, but Pablo Hidalgo of Lucasfilms said that General Hux of the First Order has a ginger cat named Millicent with the hashtag #canon, so fans ran with it) but the creatures unique to Star Wars will always be a part of what makes it so special.
The Star Wars universe is massive, and there are plenty of amazing animals not on this list, from gorgeous orbaks to tiny porgs. Want to share your favorite Star Wars animal, or weigh in on one of these? You can @HerCampusUNCW on Twitter!
Gifs courtesy of giphy.com
Images from the Star Wars franchise from Wookieepedia and protected under Fair Use