In the Star Wars original trilogy there were dozens of eye catching aliens from Bith to Ugnaughts to Jabba the Hutt that captured audiences imagination. But let’s not forget all of the amazing creatures Epiosdes IV-VI gave Star Wars fans as well. They may not be able to talk and they may in fact want to eat you, but there’s a lot to love about the creatures both big and small in these films.
Even though some of these creatures only appeared for a few seconds on screen, they are the result of countless hours of work by screenwriters, concept artists, model makers, and visual artists. These creatures have backstories and in some cases fully formed histories. Many of this information can be found in Wookiepedia or the official Star Wars Data Bank.
These creatures are a vital part of bringing the Star Wars universe to life and helping to distinguish the character of different worlds and their inhabitants. They can also provide a sense of on-going continuity as many of these creatures made appearances in extended universe and new canon books and comics. Before a new round of Star Wars films hits theaters lets take a look back at the creatures from episodes 1-6 starting with Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope there are three creatures that are used as a form of transportation, two creatures added to the Special Edition, some colorful chess hologram creatures, and one scary under water predator.
Dewback
The dewback is a green lizard-like creature that stormtroops ride like a camel in the sandy desert world of Tatooine. In the original release dewbacks were large puppets that had very limited movement. During the special edition production several digital dewbacks were added to the scene where stormtroopers are looking for C-3PO and R2-D2. The documentary Anatomy of a Dewback shows all of the work that went into these new scenes.
Fun fact: Dewbacks start their days licking dew off . . . you guessed it . . . the backs of other dewbacks.
Best Scene: Seeing stormtroopers ride dewbacks in the dessert as they search for the occupants of the escape pod.
Scurrier
Not to be mistaken for the womprat, which is mentioned but never shown, the first of the creatures added to the special edition of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope were rodents named scurriers. As Luke and Obi-Wan enter Mos Eisley several scurriers can be seen hopping around. Scurriers were pests that fed on garbage – which I’m guessing was plentiful to find in Mos Eisley.
Fun fact: The computer generated model for the scurriers was based on the same one used for the velociraptor in Jurassic Park.
Best scene: Their only scene – getting out of the way of Luke’s landspeeder.
Ronto
Another creature missing entirely from the original release, the Ronto was also added digitally to the entrance of Mos Eisley sequence for the Special Edition. The Ronto was a large domesticated beast of burden, similar to the dewback used by the Jawas for transportation. Why such a small species chose a large and seemingly unwieldy animal as their transportation method of choice is anyone’s guess. Some have suggested the Jaws used their large size in part to ward off Tusken Raiders.
Fun fact: When female rontos are in heat they reportedly smell a lot like a Rodian.
Best Scene: A Jawa tries to control a spooked ronto who rears up onto its hind legs after getting spooked in a busy Mos Eisley street.
Bantha
Namesake of the first Star Wars fan newsletter, Bantha Tracks, the bantha is the silliest looking creature in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Essentially (and originally literally) a dressed up elephant, the bantha was the favored transportation option for the Tusken Raiders. Like the dewbacks, the banthas had a digital upgrade in the Special Edition and audiences were even treated to a bantha herd during one sequence.
Fun fact: The blue milk Luke’s Aunt Beru had in her Tatooine home was milk from a female bantha.
Best Scene: Nothing beats the scene where the Tusken Raider leaps onto the back of a bantha in hurry. Mostly because that bantha isn’t going anywhere fast.
Hologram Chess Creatures
En route to Alderaan the crew of the Millenium Falcon, specifically Chewbacca and R2-D2, play a bit of holographic chess. These creatures may only appear briefly, but they gave us one of the best pieces of advice ever given in the Star Wars universe. Let the Wookie win! The creatures who appear in the chess game are Mantellian Savrip, Grimtaash the Molator, Ghhhk, Houjix, Ng’ok, Kintan Strider, K’lor’slug, and Monnok.
Fun fact: Holochess is the proper name for a holographic chess match in the Star Wars universe.
Best scene: When one of the creatures picks up and throws down another sealing the win for the mighty Chewbacca.
Dianoga
Dianoga’s name might not be familiar to even hard core Star Wars fans, but its eyeball is hard to forget. Remember the snake-like creature that tries to drown Luke Skywalker in the Death Star trash compactor? That’s dianoga. Dianoga is the first threatening creature in the Star Wars universe and is a great example of a creature that produces chills by mostly remaining out of sight. What’s worse? Being smashed to death by trash or being choked by dianoga in a sea of trash? Hopefully no future Star Wars heroes find themselves in that situation.
Fun fact: The dianoga can grow as long as ten meters and has seven suckered tentacles.
Best Scene: The dianoga taking a look around the trash compactor with its frightful one eye.
But what about this guy?
While those long legs look like they might belong to a Star Wars creature, they in fact belong to a large bird-like sentient species known as a Quor’sav.
Up next in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back . . . the wampa, mynocks, a dragonsnake, and more!
Follow Amy on Twitter @amyrichau
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