The Star Wars universe is massive, with over a hundred named and detailed planets and, on average, at least one alien species per planet, with numerous planets boasting handfuls. This expansive universe is ripe with alien personality.
Some fans have come to know and love species like Wookies and Ewoks. Some they've come to regard as villains, like Zabrak and Chiss. But there are many more alien species, even if they aren't a major presence in the Star Wars universe, that are downright terrifying. Maybe because of how they look, what they eat, how they speak, or how much they resemble a man pig.
This list is dedicated to the ten most terrifying alien species in the Star Wars universe. So let's dig in.
Gand
Not everyone is afraid of insects, but it's safe to say that just about everyone should be afraid of a five-foot insect. That's exactly what Gand are. They're giant flies. This is largely due to the respirator's they have to wear in oxygen-rich atmospheres since they breathe ammonia on their home planet of Gand.
Only one Gand is seen in the cinematic saga, and that is Zuckuss, one of the handful of bounty hunters that Darth Vader calls on to find Han Solo. Seeing Zuckuss confirms that insectoids are pretty terrifying, and definitely worthy of their spot on this list.
Clawdites
Clawdites are kind of a cheat, seeing as how they are shapeshifters and thus capable of looking like any humanoid that is close to their shape. But that is part of the terror that they thus employ. Especially when taken into account how effective they would be as bounty hunters.
Normally a reptilian race that already makes them scary enough, their true form as seen on screen for the first time when Zam Wessel was disposed of on Coruscant. If the idea of that reptile camouflaging itself to assassinate something isn't scary enough, the reptilian face certainly was.
Gammorean
Gammorean's played a pretty prominent role in Jabba's palace as his own personal guards. There are numerous traits that make the Gammoreans less than savory, all of which compile to paint a pretty terrifying portrait. They're essentially snotty wild boars with axes.
With sharp teeth protruding out of their jaws and horns popping out of their heads, these fierce warriors made excellent mercenaries because of their militaristic societal structure that makes them without a doubt one species of alien that no space traveler wanted to tangle with.
Grindalids
While male Grindalids look perfectly ordinary, females look like a ten-foot-tall centipede with an overwhelmingly negative countenance. Like something that should have been found in Labyrinth, hassling Jennifer Connelly.
The first Grindalid to appear on screen was in Solo: A Star Wars Story, harassing Han Solo and his gang. That's when fans got their first look at the numerous little wriggling arms, like a centipede. No doubt a female Grindalid isn't just terrifying, they're downright creepy.
Devaronian
Devaronians are essentially like every modern adaptation of Satan. Which, yes, is pretty terrifying. This alien species boasts red skin, pointed teeth, and two horns sprouting from their foreheads, just like nearly every rendering of a demon from the fires of hell.
Add to that, the fact that Devaronian's bleed black, have pointed ears and fingers, are immune to fire, and consumed sulfur as a sort of stimulant, then there's clearly a theme being developed here.
The only Devaronian to appear in the saga pops up when a lot of exotic aliens do—in the cantina on Tatooine.
Pau'an
While the Pau'an's of Utapau only come across as visually terrifying in the prequel trilogy, they got a fresh dollop of frightening in the Rebels animated series, when the Grand Inquisitor gave this otherwise tepid race a grand villain.
With rivets running down their faces, vivid red eye bags, pointed teeth, and a natural frown, this is one alien race that doesn't beg to be trifled with. They have the looks to be horror movie villains and with the addition of the Grand Inquisitor, they have the iconic villain to compliment a species full of scares.
Palliduvan
Sometimes, it's a species closeness to traditional humans that makes them the scariest. Such is the case with the Palliduvans, who boast a lot of similarities to humans, save for pale white skin, dark eye bags and horns sprouting from various parts of their heads.
The only widely known Palliduvan in the Star Wars universe is Aurra Sing, a renowned bounty hunter who trained the even more renowned bounty hunter Boba Fett. So, much like the Pau'ans, while the visual elements of this species are creepy enough, the deadliness that comes from known characters amplifies that effect.
Trandoshan
Trandoshan's have a lot of things adding to their fear factor. For instance, they are essentially lizard men from outer space, which has been the subject of so many horror/sci-fi movies over the decades. For whatever reason, reptilian humanoids are never exactly friendly with regular humans.
The other issue with Trandoshans is that they are ruthless bounty hunters who have managed to enslave the beloved Wookiees, who are known to be strong, upstanding "good guys." If Trandoshans can get through Wookiees, there's really no stopping them.
Dathomirian/Zabrak
The Dathomirian and Zabrak often get lumped into one, but across the board, there is a lot shared between these people, from the Nightsister witches to Darth Maul's Zabrak. One thing they all have in common is a propensity of evil and witchcraft, horns sprouting out of their heads, and a lot of facial tattoos.
Aside from harboring an army of the dead, the Nightsisters are a fearsome clan that can stand up even to the Jedi, as seen in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and the animated Clone Wars series. Factor in the fact that Darth Maul is arguably the scariest looking and one of the deadliest Sith of all time, and this cross-breed of human, Zabrak, and Dathomirian is nothing to be messed with.
Tusken Raiders
While the Tusken Raiders aren’t necessarily the scariest looking things (though they’re no slouches either), just remember that this trigger happy species has zero boundaries and they aren’t exactly looking to change that anytime soon.
Remember in The Phantom Menace when they took potshots at pod racers and Fode and Beed thought it was cute and funny? They were shooting to kill at a sporting event and no one could be bothered to do anything about it. Such is the culture of the Tusken Raiders.
All throughout the series, Tusken Raiders are wreaking havoc and devastation on all they come across. That reputation speaks for itself.