The Star Wars franchise is full of fascinating animals that equally aid and annoy the sentient beings around them. There are animals that look very much like the creatures of the real world, and those that look like dinosaurs and other beings that once navigated the Earth but have since gone extinct. And then there are creatures, like the Krayt dragon, that are outright monsters whose only purpose is to die at the hands of heroes.
Some animals are exclusive to certain planets and moons, while others are found in quite a few regions of the universe. Some, like the womp rat, even find a way into the Star Wars vernacular as both an affectionate term and an object of annoyance.
10 Mynock
Mynocks are basically electric vampires in that they suck electricity out of whatever source they can find. It makes sense, therefore, that their appearance is much like that of real-life bats. They fly in groups and are prone to migrate from one place to another – nevermind the vacuum of deep space.
The first time we come across the pesky animals is in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, where the flying menace annoy Han Solo, Leia and Chewie by going after the wires of the Millennium Falcon.
9 Stone Mite
Like termites that devour and ruin wooden objects and structures, the Stone Mites latch on to spaceships and even buildings and destroy the metallic elements of the structures. These pests are found nearly everywhere, or at least in Tatooine, Coruscant, and Naboo.
Their look has some similarities with that of scorpions, although they are most likely not naturally existing animals but the result of some genetic engineering, most likely by Arkanian scientists. They are quite powerful, with strong jaws that can cut through wires and metal, and saliva that is acidic in nature.
8 Porg
Before Grogu dominated the discussion on adorable Star Wars creatures, Porgs, for a while, were celebrated for their cute appearance and comical nature. They were seen first in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, on the planet Ahch-To, keeping Luke Skywalker company on his self-imposed exile.
These creatures were a nod to the puffins that inhabit Skellig Michael, the Irish island where the scenes for Ahch-To were filmed. Much like the puffin, the Porgs feed on fish and occupy nearly every piece of available land. A few made a nest inside the Millennium Falcon, and one was even present inside the cockpit and annoyed Chewie.
7 Womp Rat
Anyone in the world of Star Wars who has ever lived on Tatooine, even for a short amount of time, will have known about the existence of womp rats and even come across a few of them during their stay. Luke and Anakin both come across quite a few of them during their childhood on the planet.
They are largely pests, but some also function as pets for a smaller section of the population. They are of three kinds: those that occupied Beggar's Canyon; those that habited the Jundland Wastes; and those that were swamp womp rats.
6 Eopie
The sandy terrains of the desert planet Tatooine have seen a lot of action over the course of Star Wars films and associated shows and comics. It has birthed heroes and villains has gone through periods of quiet peace and loud trouble. Throughout it all, the Eopies (Tatooine’s version of camels) have walked the sand dunes and transported people and goods all over the planet.
It’s not a perfect animal, though. It’s prone to flatulence, especially when it’s carrying extremely heavy objects. And it also has severe periods of stubbornness and mood swings. It’s also not just a native of Tatooine but is also an inhabitant of the planets Saleucami and Batuu, and the moon Zardossa Stix.
5 Loth-cat
In “The Sanctuary” episode of The Mandalorian, as the adorable Grogu walked around the planet Sorgan with Din Djarin, he got the shock of his life to see a Loth-cat, a snarling one at that, under a table. Though fluffy and soft in appearance, it had sharp teeth and a scary disposition and made Grogu very uncomfortable.
Like the cats of our world, the Loth-cats prey on small animals like Loth-rats, and have very sharp claws that are capable of inflicting painful scratches when cornered. Most are feral, but if the owner is patient then they can also be domesticated into pets.
4 Worrt
It’s easy to see the inspiration behind the Tatooine natives, the Worrts. With its frog and toad-like appearance, it’s one of the more familiar animals that populate the world of Star Wars. Even the way they consume their food is the same—using its ribbon-like tongue to catch insects in its trap. It’s for this reason that Jabba the Hutt installed a few near his palace, as witnessed in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, to help control the pest population.
Other characters have had plenty of uses for the Worrts too. The pilot Taka Jamoreesa had one that they called Korrg, and the merchant/ storyteller Bobbajo had one named J'Rrosch.
3 Vulptex
In recent years, Vulptices have become famous for their help during a very important moment in Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. The foxy animals, with their bright crystalline demeanor, had been sharing their space in Criat’s caves with members of the Rebel Alliance when Kylo Ren and the First Order began attacking them. The Vulptices scuffled away to safety while one of them guided the Rebels out of the caves into open space.
But that is not all there is to the Vulptices. As comic books and reference guides reveal, the fox-like creatures are intelligent, live in packs, and are also aware of magnetic fields.
2 Ysalamiri
Going just by their appearance, the Ysalamiri (of the planet Myrkr) looks like just another member of the lizard family. They look like they could very well fit into the real world. But it’s not their look that makes them special. No, their special status comes from their ability to fight anyone who uses the Force. Basically, the lizard-like animal turns the Jedi, or anyone else using the Force, into an ordinary person devoid of powers.
It’s for this very reason that Grand Admiral Thrawn uses the Ysalamiri to fight Jedis like Joruus C'baoth and even Luke Skywalker.
1 Bantha
With horns shaped like that of rams and an overall appearance like that of a very furry elephant or a woolly mammoth, the Bantha are one of the more recognizable animals from Star Wars. Unlike most other animals who are either puppets or a work of CGI, the Bantha (at least in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) was portrayed by a real animal, an elephant called Mardji.
Banthas are seen all over the planet of Tatooine. They roam in gentle herds, going about their work, and they help the sentient beings—the humans and the Tusken Raiders—in carrying goods and people across the sandy lands.