Creatures and Aliens in ESB

Creatures and Aliens

Opee Sea Killer
This bizarre creature possesses a peculiar mixture of characteristics found in a range of diverse sea creatures, including crustacean-like armor and razor-sharp teeth. The opee lies in wait, clinging motionless in rocky crags and enticing prey with a colorful head lure. Capable of extraordinary underwater speeds, it uses a combination of swimming legs and hydro-jet propulsion to aggressively attack. When the prey is near enough, the opee captures its quarry with a long, sticky tongue. The first conceptual designs of the opee sea killer depicted a creature that was, essentially, a huge tooth-filled jaw grafted onto a body that was a combination of a fish and a crab. Later sketches of the underwater predator introduced the mammalian characteristics, a longer body and a fin-like tail, although the final version reverted back to a fish/crab/lobster tybrid design.

Space Slug
Worm-like creatures growing as large as 900 meters, space slugs inhabit deep caverns on larger asteroids near the planet Hoth. It has long nbeen rumored that a space pirate planted the huge slugs as guardians for his hidden treasure and bases.The slugs are hardy, existing on virtually no atmosphere. Silicon-based life-forms, they live for long periods by breaking down rock and subsisting on mineral content. Space slugs are plagued by parasites known as mynocks, which they sometimes feed on. Space slug flesh has a number of commercial uses. The creatures reproduce through fission, splitting into two separate beings.

Taun Taun
Easily domesticated reptilian creatures insulated with gray-whie fur, Tauntauns are sometimes called "snow lizards."Wild tauntauns roam the frozen wastes of the ice planet Hoth, where theygraze on lichen. Although initially ornery, the spitting tauntaun can be tamed and ridden. The animals are used as mounts and pack animals by members of the Rebel Alliance when they venture out from Echo Base on Hoth. While their thick fur protects tauntauns from extreme temperatures, they can't survive Hoth's brutal nights and must seek shelter. During the day, several species of tauntaun herds can be seen running across the plains of ice and snow, with larger populations in the area of equatorial tundra.

Wampa
Native of the ice planet Hoth, the elusive, semi-legendary Wampa is a two to three meter tall carnivorous beast that leads a solitary existence for most of its life. Equipped with powerful claws and sharp teeth, the two-legged predator takes advantage of its white fur to hide in the snowy background of the frozen plains of Hoth, stalking its prey without being detected until it is too late. Wampas feed primarily on Tauntauns, but they must often cover more than a hundred kilometers across the barren landscape in order to find sustenance. Captured animals - or humanoids, as it occasionally happens - are stored, alive, in the Wampas' ice caves for later needs. Luke Skywalker encounters a Wampa during a patrol of the far perimeters of Echo Base, prior to the Battle of Hoth. Luke's injuries are considerable, and while his speedy recovery is due in part to his solid constitution, the excellent care provided by the medical droid Too-Onebee is crucial in getting Luke back in shape for his coming confrontation with the Empire.

Boss Nass
Boss Nass is the stern, authoritarian leader of Otoh Gunga, the large underwater city on Naboo. Always wary of contact with humans and other "outlanders," the ruler prefers to keep the Gungan culture isolated from his home planet's surface inhabitants. His distinctive green skin color differs from other Gungans, revealing his Ankura Gungan lineage. A fair but stubborn ruler, Boss Nass has grown large and prosperous in his advancing years. Natividad Design of Boss Nass actually evolved out of the basic design of Jar Jar Binks. This resemblance was evident in the early sketches of the Gungan leader, but the conceptualization evolved considerably, and as the number of sketches grew, so did the physique of the character. The final design depicted a stout, fleshy and imposing creature with a detectable difference in lineage from other Gungans seen in Episode I.

Chewbacca
Strong, fearless, and an able pilot and mechanic, Chewbacca the Wookiee makes a capable ally to his friends and to the Rebel Alliance. A loyal friend to Corellian smuggler Han Solo, Chewbacca is his co-pilot when Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and two droids come aboard the Millennium Falcon for a fateful trip to Alderaan. Chewbacca is a key part of the rescue plan for Princess Leia, acting as an 'alien prisoner,' allowing Han and Luke to infiltrate Detention Block AA-23 of the Death Star. It is also Chewie who persuades Han to go back to help Luke during his critical attack run on the Death Star's fatal exhaust port. It is later, during the events on Bespin that perhaps the greatest change takes place in Chewbacca. Roaring in rage as the Imperials began to lower Han into the carbon-freeze chamber, the Wookiee lashes out at the stormtroopers. It is Han himself who calms his friend and ends the berserker rage.

Jar Jar Binks
Long before galactic strife enveloped his native Naboo, Jar Jar Binks was exiled from the underwater city of Otoh Gunga. His main sin? Being clumsy in front of the head of his clan. An outcast, the Gungan bides his time in the Naboo swampland, surviving on raw shellfish or just about anything else that the murky ecosystem has to offer. Jar Jar's fate takes a twist when the hapless Gungan encounters a pair of Jedi as they elude enemy forces at the beginning of the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Although his bungling, haphazard mannerisms constantly land him in hot water, his good nature and loyalty somehow help him triumph in the end. Jar Jar Binks was the first character to be developed for Episode I, in part because of the prominence of his role in the movie. Conceptualization began with George Lucas' vision of a talking, feeling, walking, running, falling, fainting bundle of amphibious comic relief. Development of the character then continued for upwards of a year-and-a-half. During that time, design sketches evolved considerably, although the character's final body shape and gangly legs were there from the start. In many ways, the character's personality was absolutely vital to the design team's work throughout the development process.

Sebulba
Sebulba is an aboreal Dug from Malastare, a high-gravity planet in the Mid-Rim of the galaxy. On Malastare, gangly Dugs gain incredible strength and coordination swinging from tree to tree. This background has prepared Sebulba to be exceptionally well-suited to the dangerous sport of Podracing, although he relies heavily on unscrupulous tactics to reach the winner's circle. He has refined the acts of cheating, sabotage, and intimidation into a single murderous art, and delivers victory after victory on the rugged Outer Rim Podracing circuit. As with many other creatures in the Star Wars universe, Sebulba's ultimate design reflects elements 'borrowed' from creatures indigenous to our own galaxy. His body movements are decidedly arachnid-like, and his facial features resemble those of a camel. These characteristics, combined with the character's bad attitude and creepy sense of arrogance, make Sebulba one of the more fanciful new creatures developed for Episode I.

Yoda
By the time of the Battle of Naboo, Yoda was well into his 800's, making him the oldest member of the Jedi Council. He has visited hundreds of worlds on his own in his endeavor to understand and appreciate the infinitely variable nuances of the Force. The venerable Jedi Master is revered for his wisdom and insight, and prefers careful contemplation to rash action. A long-lived Jedi Master, Yoda was the conduit for the rebirth of the nearly-vanished Jedi Knights. For more than 800 years, the diminutive green being has trained Jedi Knights in the ways of the Force, but rarely has he faced such a challenge as the impetuous young Luke Skywalker. By the time Luke encounters him in the bogs of Dagobah, Yoda is nearly 900 years old and walks stooped over with the help of a gimer stick. He subsists on things that nature offer him, eating plants and fruits and fungi, and building his home of mud, sticks and stones. Yoda's path to Jedi wisdom seems simple, yet profound. He makes his students unlearn what they had been taught, helping them to tune in to the subtle world around them to learn its truths. "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge. Never for attack," he tells them. When Emperor Palpatine ordered his purge of the Jedi, Yoda went into hiding on Dagobah. He uses the Force and the planet's own natural defenses to discourage visitors. But he has kept watch on Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. After escaping almost certain death from a wampa ice creature on Hoth, Luke sees Ben Kenobi in a vision, telling him to go to the Dagobah system to continue his Jedi training with Yoda.

Yoda lectures young Skywalker about the Force while Luke performs rigorous physical and mental exercises. Yoda especially cautions him against the easy path of anger and the lure of the dark side of the Force. When ordered to undertake a particularly daunting task, Luke says he'll try. "No! Try not," Yoda says. "Do. Or do not. There is no try." Despite Yoda's plea, Luke leaves before his training is complete when he senses that his friends are in danger. By the time Luke returns, Yoda is close to becoming one with the Force. In Episode I, the Jedi order still had a powerful influence on galactic events. In this conceptual drawing, Iain McCaig experimented with a darker-colored Jedi robe, alluding to typical law-enforcement dress. He also thought it gave the diminutive Yoda a more powerful look.

External Links

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	Opee Sea Killer This bizarre creature possesses a peculiar mixture of characteristics found in a range of diverse sea creatures, including crustacean-like armor and razor-sharp teeth. The opee lies in wait, clinging motionless in rocky crags and enticing prey with a colorful head lure. Capable of extraordinary underwater speeds, it uses a combination of swimming legs and hydro-jet propulsion to aggressively attack. When the prey is near enough, the opee captures its quarry with a long, sticky tongue. The first conceptual designs of the opee sea killer depicted a creature that was, essentially, a huge tooth-filled jaw grafted onto a body that was a combination of a fish and a crab. Later sketches of the underwater predator introduced the mammalian characteristics, a longer body and a fin-like tail, although the final version reverted back to a fish/crab/lobster tybrid design.
	Space Slug Worm-like creatures growing as large as 900 meters, space slugs inhabit deep caverns on larger asteroids near the planet Hoth. It has long nbeen rumored that a space pirate planted the huge slugs as guardians for his hidden treasure and bases.The slugs are hardy, existing on virtually no atmosphere. Silicon-based life-forms, they live for long periods by breaking down rock and subsisting on mineral content. Space slugs are plagued by parasites known as mynocks, which they sometimes feed on. Space slug flesh has a number of commercial uses. The creatures reproduce through fission, splitting into two separate beings.
	Taun Taun Easily domesticated reptilian creatures insulated with gray-whie fur, Tauntauns are sometimes called "snow lizards."Wild tauntauns roam the frozen wastes of the ice planet Hoth, where theygraze on lichen. Although initially ornery, the spitting tauntaun can be tamed and ridden. The animals are used as mounts and pack animals by members of the Rebel Alliance when they venture out from Echo Base on Hoth. While their thick fur protects tauntauns from extreme temperatures, they can't survive Hoth's brutal nights and must seek shelter. During the day, several species of tauntaun herds can be seen running across the plains of ice and snow, with larger populations in the area of equatorial tundra.
	Wampa Native of the ice planet Hoth, the elusive, semi-legendary Wampa is a two to three meter tall carnivorous beast that leads a solitary existence for most of its life. Equipped with powerful claws and sharp teeth, the two-legged predator takes advantage of its white fur to hide in the snowy background of the frozen plains of Hoth, stalking its prey without being detected until it is too late. Wampas feed primarily on Tauntauns, but they must often cover more than a hundred kilometers across the barren landscape in order to find sustenance. Captured animals - or humanoids, as it occasionally happens - are stored, alive, in the Wampas' ice caves for later needs. Luke Skywalker encounters a Wampa during a patrol of the far perimeters of Echo Base, prior to the Battle of Hoth. Luke's injuries are considerable, and while his speedy recovery is due in part to his solid constitution, the excellent care provided by the medical droid Too-Onebee is crucial in getting Luke back in shape for his coming confrontation with the Empire.
	Boss Nass Boss Nass is the stern, authoritarian leader of Otoh Gunga, the large underwater city on Naboo. Always wary of contact with humans and other "outlanders," the ruler prefers to keep the Gungan culture isolated from his home planet's surface inhabitants. His distinctive green skin color differs from other Gungans, revealing his Ankura Gungan lineage. A fair but stubborn ruler, Boss Nass has grown large and prosperous in his advancing years. Natividad Design of Boss Nass actually evolved out of the basic design of Jar Jar Binks. This resemblance was evident in the early sketches of the Gungan leader, but the conceptualization evolved considerably, and as the number of sketches grew, so did the physique of the character. The final design depicted a stout, fleshy and imposing creature with a detectable difference in lineage from other Gungans seen in Episode I.
	Chewbacca Strong, fearless, and an able pilot and mechanic, Chewbacca the Wookiee makes a capable ally to his friends and to the Rebel Alliance. A loyal friend to Corellian smuggler Han Solo, Chewbacca is his co-pilot when Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and two droids come aboard the Millennium Falcon for a fateful trip to Alderaan. Chewbacca is a key part of the rescue plan for Princess Leia, acting as an 'alien prisoner,' allowing Han and Luke to infiltrate Detention Block AA-23 of the Death Star. It is also Chewie who persuades Han to go back to help Luke during his critical attack run on the Death Star's fatal exhaust port. It is later, during the events on Bespin that perhaps the greatest change takes place in Chewbacca. Roaring in rage as the Imperials began to lower Han into the carbon-freeze chamber, the Wookiee lashes out at the stormtroopers. It is Han himself who calms his friend and ends the berserker rage.
	Jar Jar Binks Long before galactic strife enveloped his native Naboo, Jar Jar Binks was exiled from the underwater city of Otoh Gunga. His main sin? Being clumsy in front of the head of his clan. An outcast, the Gungan bides his time in the Naboo swampland, surviving on raw shellfish or just about anything else that the murky ecosystem has to offer. Jar Jar's fate takes a twist when the hapless Gungan encounters a pair of Jedi as they elude enemy forces at the beginning of the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Although his bungling, haphazard mannerisms constantly land him in hot water, his good nature and loyalty somehow help him triumph in the end. Jar Jar Binks was the first character to be developed for Episode I, in part because of the prominence of his role in the movie. Conceptualization began with George Lucas' vision of a talking, feeling, walking, running, falling, fainting bundle of amphibious comic relief. Development of the character then continued for upwards of a year-and-a-half. During that time, design sketches evolved considerably, although the character's final body shape and gangly legs were there from the start. In many ways, the character's personality was absolutely vital to the design team's work throughout the development process.
	Sebulba Sebulba is an aboreal Dug from Malastare, a high-gravity planet in the Mid-Rim of the galaxy. On Malastare, gangly Dugs gain incredible strength and coordination swinging from tree to tree. This background has prepared Sebulba to be exceptionally well-suited to the dangerous sport of Podracing, although he relies heavily on unscrupulous tactics to reach the winner's circle. He has refined the acts of cheating, sabotage, and intimidation into a single murderous art, and delivers victory after victory on the rugged Outer Rim Podracing circuit. As with many other creatures in the Star Wars universe, Sebulba's ultimate design reflects elements 'borrowed' from creatures indigenous to our own galaxy. His body movements are decidedly arachnid-like, and his facial features resemble those of a camel. These characteristics, combined with the character's bad attitude and creepy sense of arrogance, make Sebulba one of the more fanciful new creatures developed for Episode I.
	Yoda By the time of the Battle of Naboo, Yoda was well into his 800's, making him the oldest member of the Jedi Council. He has visited hundreds of worlds on his own in his endeavor to understand and appreciate the infinitely variable nuances of the Force. The venerable Jedi Master is revered for his wisdom and insight, and prefers careful contemplation to rash action. A long-lived Jedi Master, Yoda was the conduit for the rebirth of the nearly-vanished Jedi Knights. For more than 800 years, the diminutive green being has trained Jedi Knights in the ways of the Force, but rarely has he faced such a challenge as the impetuous young Luke Skywalker. By the time Luke encounters him in the bogs of Dagobah, Yoda is nearly 900 years old and walks stooped over with the help of a gimer stick. He subsists on things that nature offer him, eating plants and fruits and fungi, and building his home of mud, sticks and stones. Yoda's path to Jedi wisdom seems simple, yet profound. He makes his students unlearn what they had been taught, helping them to tune in to the subtle world around them to learn its truths. "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge. Never for attack," he tells them. When Emperor Palpatine ordered his purge of the Jedi, Yoda went into hiding on Dagobah. He uses the Force and the planet's own natural defenses to discourage visitors. But he has kept watch on Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. After escaping almost certain death from a wampa ice creature on Hoth, Luke sees Ben Kenobi in a vision, telling him to go to the Dagobah system to continue his Jedi training with Yoda. Yoda lectures young Skywalker about the Force while Luke performs rigorous physical and mental exercises. Yoda especially cautions him against the easy path of anger and the lure of the dark side of the Force. When ordered to undertake a particularly daunting task, Luke says he'll try. "No! Try not," Yoda says. "Do. Or do not. There is no try." Despite Yoda's plea, Luke leaves before his training is complete when he senses that his friends are in danger. By the time Luke returns, Yoda is close to becoming one with the Force. In Episode I, the Jedi order still had a powerful influence on galactic events. In this conceptual drawing, Iain McCaig experimented with a darker-colored Jedi robe, alluding to typical law-enforcement dress. He also thought it gave the diminutive Yoda a more powerful look.