Krayt dragon

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In the fictional Star Wars universe, the krayt dragon was a large carnivorous reptile native to Tatooine. A fierce hunter, the krayt dragon became an important part of indigenous cultures on Tatooine. The krayt dragon was thought by some xenobiologists to have descended from the Duinuogwuin (also known as Star Dragons). Although no substantial evidence was offered in support of a connection to the Duinuogwuin, the krayt dragon was a proven relative of the smaller kell dragon. In honor of the beast's sheer power and ferocity, the Jedi Order named the Djem So form of lightsaber combat "The Way of the Krayt Dragon." Due to the Krayt Dragon's fearsome reputation, Tyber Zann also used it as one of his symbols, with a large image of it being painted on the side of his personal flagship, the Aggressor-Class Destroyer Merciless.

When the summer mating season began, the terrifying howls of krayt dragons filled the canyons of Tatooine. The collection of frenzied, mating beasts scared even the mightiest Sandpeople away. Obi-Wan Kenobi mimicked a krayt dragon mating call when he scared the raiders away from Luke Skywalker. The original howling-roar was replaced in the 2004 DVD version of the original trilogy with a high-pitched whistling sound. The new sound has not been identified.

1 Characteristics & Species
2 Krayts in Tatooine Culture
3 Behind the scenes
4 Appearances
5 External links

[edit] Characteristics & Species

Artist renderings of the greater krayt dragon

The krayt dragon had a set of sharp teeth used for capturing prey, but relied on ingesting stones to grind the food through a series of gizzards into a digestible state. Food would be crushed by the stones tumbled in the gizzards by stomach muscles, grinding food into pulp and turning boulders into smooth stones. The resulting stones, known as dragon pearls, were a valuable commodity amongst jewelers. The pearls could also be shaped and tuned by Jedi to be used as focusing crystals in their lightsabers. Krayt Dragons instinctively went to the Krayt Graveyard when they were ready to die.

A Krayt Dragon in the deserts of Tatooine.

The canyon krayt was a common species of krayt dragon that lived in the rocky caves and canyons of Tatooine's desert ranges.

The greater krayt was a rarer, larger species of krayt dragon, known for its tremendous size and continual growth over time. Creatures of near legendary status, greater krayt dragons had ten legs, measured at least 100 meters from snout to tail tip and had the ability to move through or on Tatooine's desert sand. Greater krayt dragons attacked with their massive jaws or whiplike spike-tail, using their claws only to move through the sand.

In spite of its awesome power, the krayt dragon does have its weak and exploitable points. It has trouble resisting the allure of the prey of the Dune Sea, specifically the bantha. And it has difficulty discerning two-dimensional images. Therefore, a krayt will often attack the shadow of an opponent first. Finally, the krayt has a little-known weakness. The sinus cavity of the creature is the most vulnerable area, and a well placed shot could bore right through it and hit the brain, perhaps killing it instantly.

The krayt dragon can also secrete a lethal venom, either through its teeth or its spines. Although research is still cloudy at this point, the existence of this poison has been verified, as numerous underworld characters such as Bib Fortuna have admitted to using the substance to kill enemies.

[edit] Krayts in Tatooine Culture

C-3PO passes the spine and skull of a krayt dragon on Tatooine

The Sandpeople of Tatooine revered the krayt dragon as a powerful hunter and centered their primary maturity ritual on it. Adolescent males were abandoned in the Tatooine dune and only accepted back into their tribes as adults when they had slain a krayt dragon. Both the Sandpeople and Jawas placed the krayt dragon in the position of a powerful spirit, and believed that their bones possessed magic. Jawas brave enough to risk the acquisition of krayt dragon bones were held in high regard amongst their people.

[edit] Behind the scenes

Two Tusken Raiders attempt to slay a krayt dragon

During the filming of Return of the Jedi, a left over puppet from the film Dragonslayer, identified as a krayt dragon, was paired up with the Rancor marionnette and photographed together, as if in combat.

The artificial skeleton used for the movie was left there after filming and still lies in the Tunisian desert. During filming of Attack of the Clones, the site was visited by the crew and the skeleton was still found there. The skull used resembles that of a Diplodocus, a herbivorous dinosaur related to the Apatosaur.