In the spirit of Halloween, the vast universe of Star Wars monsters has been examined. From slithering beasts covered in tentacles to great creatures that traverse the watery depths, the galaxy certainly has many scares to offer. Here is a list of the top ten monsters scary enough to make you think twice about hopping into your space ship for parts unknown.
10. Krayt Dragon
Krayt dragons are ferocious reptiles native to Tatooine. While canyon krayts tend to be smaller, the great krayt dragon averages 147 feet long. Fearsome enough to scare off Tusken Raiders, these dragons live to be 100 years old and continue to grow throughout their lifespan without weakening. Their teeth and spines secrete venom. Despite being such formidable predators, they tend to have trouble with two dimensional images and often will attack shadows. They have stones in their stomach to aid in digestion, which at the end of the process become smooth stones called dragon pearls. These are high in value and have often been used as focusing crystals for Jedi lightsabers.
9. Rancor
Standing 16 feet tall and weighing nearly 4,000 pounds, rancors are found in many planets and environments. But they originated from Dathomir and were subsequently transported all over the galaxy. They are considered semi-sentient due to their decent level of intelligence. Their armored hides can withstand blaster fire and their eyes can see well in the dark. The Nightsisters were known to ride rancors into battle. The hide of these creatures is tough and sought after for armor. While rancors are usually found in the wild, they are associated in the underworld with being used as guards, pets, and status-symbols of powerful crime lords. We see a prime example of this in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi when Jabba the Hutt has a rancor he feeds his prisoners to.
8. Vixus
Seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, a vixus is a large creature that spreads its seven tentacles out along the ground in order to look like vines. Any prey that comes within grasp will get snared and drawn to the toothy mouth and three-pronged tongue. Native to the shadowy world of Umbara, vixus do not move and stay in the ground much like a plant. At full extension, its tentacles cover a 25 foot radius.
7. Dianoga
Despite only seeing a small glimpse of one in the trash compactor of Star Wars: A New Hope, dianoga are actually 15-30 feet in length. They have suckered tentacles, a singular eye stalk, and a fanged maw. They are scavengers that live in trash compactors, garbage pits, and sewers. Some have even been known to crawl out of toilets. They change color to match the food they are consuming, making them difficult to see. Dianoga self-fertilize and can grow in population wildly. They typically keep their large body underwater, only allowing their eye stalk to be visible.
6. Krykna
Seen in Star Wars: Rebels, krykna are spider-like creatures that stand seven feet tall. Living in the remote planet of Atollon, they are highly resistant to blaster bolts. They are sensitive to the emotions of others, attacking when feeling anything negative such as fear. This makes them very difficult to tame with the Force. They drag their prey into their underground hives and wrap them in web cocoons.
5. Fyrnock
Sounding like a story told to scare children, fyrnocks can only live in darkness and are hurt by sunlight. Other lights, such as flashlights or headlights from a space ship, do not affect them. Aggressive and dangerous, fyrnocks live and travel in packs and can see perfectly in the dark. They grow to be the size of a human, but the Queen is known to grow much larger.
4. The Gorog
Seen in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, the Gorog is a gargantuan, hunched beast possessing two hearts and four tusks. Strong enough to kill a rancor with one hand, not much is known about where the gorog came from or how many others there are. The only known specimen is in captivity in Cato Nemoidia being used in gladiator combat.
3. Sando Aqua Monster
There is a good reason to be afraid of the water. Growing to be over 600 feet long and living for 100 years, sando aqua monsters inhabit the oceans and lakes of Naboo. Heavily muscled, their huge mouths allow them to swallow most anything that crosses their path. Due to their large size, they must feed constantly. They are able to hide in the deep ocean depths. Because of this they are rarely seen and many regard them as a myth.
2. Geonosian Brain Worm
About six inches long, this parasite from Geonosis is capable of mind control. Hatching from yellow eggs, they are used by the Geonosian Queen to control the bodies of her dead minions, creating zombies. They are weak when outside the host, but the only way to get one to leave its host body is through extremely cold temperatures. These were first seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
1.Sarlacc
While potential victims can only see a teeth-lined cave in the ground, what actually lives below the surface is much larger and much more frightening. Sarlaccs are ten feet wide and 330 feet long with tentacles covering their bodies. Dangerous and carnivorous, as babies they float as spores and travel great distances until reaching maturity. Then they burrow their full body length below the ground and feed on victims that fall into their mouths. Once in its mouth, victims are paralyzed with neurotoxins that cause constant pain. Victims are digested while they are still conscious. Sarlaccs have many stomachs and a massive mouth with spear-like teeth. Since they have no eyes, sarlaccs rely on sensors to find prey. The “beak” in its mouth acts more like a tongue with a personal tentacle of its own. As victims are swallowed, sarlaccs can choose which stomach to send the meal to. It takes 1,000 years to fully digest a meal, which is fitting because sarlaccs live to be tens of thousands of years old.