Top 10 Most Fascinating Star Wars Alien Species

It’s undeniable: George Lucas’ groundbreaking original Star Wars trilogy has profoundly influenced the Sci-Fi genre, reshaping its landscape entirely. Without it, countless films in the genre might look vastly different. After numerous rejections, Lucas finally secured support from 20th Century Fox, launching his ‘Space Opera’ to unprecedented success. This triumph allowed him to expand his vision into two more films, followed by a prequel trilogy that, while not as acclaimed, completed the saga. Star Wars’ massive success spawned a wealth of merchandise, including some of the most imaginative toys ever created. The films introduced a plethora of bizarre and captivating alien species from distant galaxies, with each movie highlighting a few standout creatures. This list celebrates the top ten aliens from the original trilogy, excluding main characters like Chewbacca. As a devoted fan, I’ve even named my children after characters from the series. Enjoy the journey through these iconic extraterrestrials!

10. Ewoks

Originating from Endor—or more precisely, its moon, also named Endor—the Ewoks are teddy bear-like creatures that play a pivotal role in aiding the Rebel Alliance. Despite their small stature, these resourceful beings wield primitive weapons and excel at guerrilla tactics. During the Battle of Endor, their bravery and sacrifices, including a heart-wrenching on-screen death, helped turn the tide against the Empire. However, their cuddly appearance and Muppet-like design have divided fans, with some embracing their charm and others dismissing them entirely.

A Little Bit of Trivia: Did you know that Endor was initially conceived as Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld? Due to budget limitations and script changes, the Ewoks replaced the Wookiees, and fans had to wait until the prequel trilogy to see Kashyyyk brought to life.

“And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!” Han Solo famously remarks as he cuts open a Tauntaun to save Luke Skywalker from freezing. Resembling a hybrid of a kangaroo, a T-Rex, and a ram, these creatures were indispensable to the Rebel Alliance on Hoth, serving as both pack animals and mounts. Adapted to extreme cold, Tauntauns were loyal, horse-like, and somewhat simple-minded. Their vulnerability is highlighted when one falls prey to a Wampa, a fearsome predator native to Hoth.

A Little Bit of Trivia: Did you know that Tauntauns were created using stop-motion animation for distant shots, while close-ups relied on hand puppets and costumed dummies? Interestingly, this contrasted with the use of real elephants as mounts for the Tusken Raiders in an earlier film.

Luke Skywalker nearly met his end early in his journey due to the tentacled menace known as the dianoga, or garbage squid. This creature, resembling a small aquatic dinosaur, features a tubular body and a single menacing eye perched on a stalk protruding from its snake-like neck. While they typically feast on food scraps in garbage compactors, they become aggressive when threatened, as Luke discovered firsthand.

A Little Bit of Trivia: Did you know that Meg Griffin, the often-mocked daughter from Family Guy, played the role of the Dianoga in their Star Wars parody, ‘Blue Harvest’?

These eerie brain-like creatures were spotted roaming aimlessly in Jabba’s Palace during the opening scenes of Return of the Jedi. The B’omarr Monks, part of a secretive religious sect, relocated to Tatooine, believing that severing all physical sensations would deepen their understanding of the universe and lead to enlightenment. To achieve this, they underwent a unique procedure to remove their brains, placing them in nutrient-rich jars. When mobility was required, their brains were transferred into specialized spider-like droids.

A Little Bit of Trivia: In LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, these speedy spider droids can be ridden as mounts if needed.

After narrowly evading a swarm of TIE-Fighters in a treacherous asteroid field, Han Solo and his crew sought refuge inside a massive asteroid. While the team rested or repaired the Millennium Falcon, bat-like creatures latched onto the ship’s hull, chewing through its power cables. Thanks to Han and Chewbacca’s quick action, the creatures were removed before they could cause serious damage.

A Little Bit of Trivia: Did you know the space slug, from which the heroes narrowly escaped, was slowly digesting the mynocks in its stomach? It functioned much like an extraterrestrial Venus Flytrap.

Hidden beneath the vast deserts of Tatooine, the Sarlacc is a terrifying predator. Only its beak and numerous tentacles peek above the sand, while its massive body lies buried below. This creature’s stomach is a labyrinth of chambers, where it traps its prey for thousands of years, slowly digesting them in agonizing torment.

A Little Bit of Trivia: While Boba Fett appeared to meet his end in the Sarlacc’s gaping maw, a post-film novel reveals that his Mandalorian armor saved him from digestion, allowing him to eventually escape.

While chasing R2-D2 and C-3PO across Tatooine’s deserts, Imperial Stormtroopers used Dewbacks as mounts to navigate the harsh terrain. These large, lizard-like creatures are cold-blooded, becoming sluggish during cooler nights and mornings. Dew accumulates on their backs, providing hydration at dawn, which inspired their name.

A Little Bit of Trivia: Dewbacks were chosen for the sandtroopers in Episode IV: A New Hope to add an organic, unexpected element to the desert search scene. However, the original Dewback prop wasn’t designed for movement, so it was used in the background. For the 1997 Special Edition, additional footage was shot in Yuma, Arizona, and CGI Dewbacks were added to enhance the scene.

The most well-known rancor belonged to Jabba the Hutt, who kept it in a pit beneath his palace to dispose of those who angered him. Malakili, a skilled beast tamer with a circus background, cared for the rancor and even developed a bond with it, sneaking it out for desert runs. He was heartbroken when Luke Skywalker killed the creature. Rancors are infamous for their ferocity, being little more than a mass of teeth and claws eager to devour anything in their path.

A Little Bit of Trivia: The word 'rancor' (or 'rancour' in Commonwealth English) translates to 'a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will; hatred; malice.'

The Ugnaughts were pig-like humanoids with upturned snouts and rounded bodies, standing shorter than the average human. Known for their industrious nature and loyalty, they also possessed a strong oral tradition. Resilient and long-lived, Ugnaughts could endure harsh conditions and lived up to two hundred years. On Cloud City, where they worked, some Ugnaughts found C-3PO after he was damaged by a Stormtrooper and tried to keep him away from Chewbacca.

A Little Bit of Trivia: Did you know that some of the actors who played Jawas in A New Hope were also cast as Ugnaughts and later as Ewoks? Among them was Warwick Davis, who went on to star in roles such as Willow, Professor Flitwick, and the Leprechaun.

“If I told you half the things I’ve heard about Jabba the Hutt, you’d probably short-circuit.” – C-3PO to R2-D2. Jabba Desilijic Tiure, widely known as Jabba the Hutt, was a infamous Hutt crime lord who ruled a vast criminal empire from his palace on Tatooine in the Outer Rim Territories. At his peak, he was among the galaxy’s most powerful crime bosses. Resembling a slug, Jabba had a bloated, worm-like body and relied on a hovering platform to move, as his stubby arms were barely functional. Despite his physical limitations, he was immune to Jedi Mind Tricks, much to Luke Skywalker’s frustration. His arrogance ultimately led to his demise when Leia, his enslaved captive, used the chain he bound her with to strangle him.

A Little Bit of Trivia: In the parody film Spaceballs, Jabba (and Pizza Hut) are humorously referenced as “Pizza the Hutt,” who makes a brief appearance early in the movie and is later mentioned as having literally eaten himself to death.