The Star Wars franchise is known for its wide array of aliens and creatures. Among these are dangerous monsters, intent on killing humanoids who wander too close to their natural habitat, and in some cases, these beasts are held captive and used for the personal entertainment of sinister crime lords or blood-thirsty crowds.
Throughout the movies and numerous television series that make up the enormous, rugged galaxy far, far away, the main characters have encountered these dangerous creatures on desolate planets, in arena-style battles, and even deep in space. Most of them are pretty terrifying to have to face.
Wampa
First seen in The Empire Strikes Back, these large, furry mammals were native to the ice planet Hoth. Upon a routine patrol around the rebel base, Luke Skywalker encounters one of these nasty creatures when he's taken by surprise and knocked unconscious.
Later, Luke awakens to find himself hanging upside down in the Wampa's cave, his tauntaun is being eaten, and the rebel commander was next on the menu. With the use of The Force and his lightsaber, Luke narrowly escapes, leaving the Wampa with one less arm as he goes.
Rancor
Kept as a pet in Jabbas Place in Return of the Jedi, the Rancor is a reptilian predator native to the planet Dathomir. Jabba took pleasure in feeding the monster subordinates whenever one got out of line.
When Luke Skywalker points a blaster at Jabba following failed negotiations for the carbonite encased Han Solo, the gangster releases a trap door that sends Luke and a Gamorian guard into the pit of the vicious Rancor. The creature quickly devours the guard and sets its sights on Luke, only to be defeated by the resourceful Jedi.
Rathtar
Rolling balls of mayhem, these monsters were brought to the big screen in The Force Awakens. With several slashing tentacles and mouths full of jagged teeth, Han Solo and Chewbacca brought three of the beasts aboard their freighter for delivery to a client.
Their mission goes slightly off course when they find the Millennium Falcon with Rey, Finn, and BB8 on board. When members of two separate crime syndicates board and the Rathtars are set loose, chaos ensues until the heroes are able to escape on The Falcon.
Acklay, Nexu, and Reek
A trio of creatures in Attack of the Clones, these nasties are released to carry out the execution of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Padmé Amidala in an arena on Geonosis. The acklay is a reptilian creature with six pinchers and a mouth full of needle-like teeth. Nexu are feline animals with wide, toothy mouths, four eyes, and a mane of quills around their heads.
Finally, the Reek is a large mammal with three horns and a broad, muscular body. together, they were a dangerous threat to the two Jedi and the Republic senator, peasing the crowd of the arena before more Jedi showed up to put an end to the fun.
Krykna
Seen first in Rebels, in The Mandalorian "Chapter 10: The Passenger" these spider-like creatures attack Din Djarin and The Child on the ice planet Maldo Kreis. After being confronted by New Republic X-Wings, Din attempts an escape that leads to a crash landing. As he works to repair The Razorcrest, his passenger wanders off to a hot spring surrounded by several small pods that grab the attention of Grogu.
The pods hatch to reveal scuttling, baby krykna, who look to make a meal of the intruders. The situation is made much worse when their giant, angry mother shows up to help in the chase. It takes the New Republic pilots to save the day.
Zillo Beast
First appearing in the Clone Wars animated series, the enormous Zillo beast was thought to be extinct before a battle on the planet Malastare between the Republic and the Separatists army awakened one that had lain dormant.
Rendered unconscious and brought to Coruscant for study, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine hoped to use the creature's thick armored scales to aid the Republic in the war. However, the Zillo beast awoke enraged and the Republic Army was forced to kill it to end its rampage through the planet-wide city. But, not before Palpatine had it cloned.
Sando
Spotted in The Phantom Menace, the seas of Naboo were teeming with all manner of terrifying lifeforms, though none were as massive and feared as the sando aqua monster. As Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jar Jar Binks travel through the planet core, they're attacked by an opee sea killer, a fearsome predator in its own right.
The trio only escapes when a sando appears and makes a meal out of the opee. The sando's incredible size dwarfs all other creatures in the core.
Sarlacc
When Jabba the Hutt sentences Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca to death in Return of the Jedi, Han doesn't think death by Sarlacc is such a bad way to go, until he finds out a slow, one thousand year digestion is part of the process.
Located in The Dune Seas on Tatooine, the Sarlacc makes its home buried deep within the sand. Its large, open mouth is lined with several rows of sharp teeth and its many tentacles pull its prey to a chomping tongue. One of its victims included the feared bounty hunter, Boba Fett, who somehow managed to survive.
Exogorth
Also known as the space slug, this creature seen in The Empire Strikes Back was so large it housed an entire ecosystem within its body. On the run from Darth Vader and his fleet of Star Destroyers, Han Solo and Leia Organa are forced into an asteroid field near Hoth and land inside what they believe to be a cave.
While making repairs to the Falcon, a group of mynocks begin to feed on the ship's power supply. When Han and the others investigate, they soon realize their hiding place is no cave. The heroes make a narrow escape as the Exogorth takes on last, lunging bite at its prey.
Krayt Dragon
Seen in all its glory in The Mandalorian "Chapter 9: The Marshal," the krayt dragon was an enormous reptile that terrorized a small town on Tatooine. Known to burrow underground and feed on jawas, Tusken raiders, and banthas, these incredible beasts were also capable of spitting acidic venom when threatened, which could dissolve an enemy on contact.
With the help of Cobb Vance and a small army made up of townsfolk and sand people, Din Djarin allows himself to be swallowed by the beast, along with a bantha covered in explosives, and is able to destroy the krayt dragon from the inside.