Star Wars’ vast universe contains a ten of thousands of planets. On these worlds live various creatures, from the smallest critters to large fierce predators. There are also the cute ones who are lovable and adored by fans.
With the return of Loth-cats in live action through the Ahsoka series, it’s an excellent time to swoon over these fuzzballs and their friends. Be careful, though. Just because they’re cute doesn’t mean they’re not deadly! Meet the cutest creatures in Star Wars.
1. Loth-cat and Tooka
Tooka and Loth-cats are the same, as their location determines their name. Loth-cats are a subspecies of the Tooka, only found on Lothal, featured heavily in Star Wars Rebels. If they’re not on Lothal, they are Tooka cats, as seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Dave Filoni created these felines in honor of his deceased cat, Tuuk.
2. Bantha
Banthas and the Tusken Raiders go hand in hand as they are the loyal steeds of these indigenous people of Tatooine. A bantha calf and its rider bond when they are young and are lifelong companions. The herd animal is significant to the Tuskens and part of many traditions. When two Tuskens are married, their banthas become companions too. If a Tusken dies, the bantha joins them in death. Banthas are vital to the Tusken way of life, as detailed in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian.
3. Tauntaun
As the only creature on this list to inspire a sleeping bag, fans have loved tauntauns ever since The Empire Strikes Back. These noble steeds allowed the Rebel Alliance to work on Hoth, as their terrain vehicles often broke down in the cold. If not for the tauntaun and Han Solo’s quick thinking, Luke Skywalker would have died.
4. Puffer Pigs
The Star Wars Rebels creators crafted many critters for the series, like the previously mentioned Loth-cat to the tibidees, who have a unique origin for their name. By far the most unusual creature is the puffer pig. This creature became an instant fan favorite, appearing beside Lando Calrissian in the season one episode “Idiots Array.” Whether it’s in its usual form or blown up when startled, the puffer pig has stuck with fans, and fans can find official merchandise of the critter at Star Wars: Galaxy Edge.
5. Purrgil
Purrgil are one of the most intriguing creatures in the Star Wars universe. Fans quickly dubbed their first appearance “filler,” only for Rebels creator Dave Filoni to get the last laugh. In the show’s finale, the Purrgil heed Ezra Bridger’s call, whisking away the Star Destroyer with the Jedi and Grand Admiral Thrawn on it to an unknown location in hyperspace. These whale-like creatures come in various colors, from gray to purple, and they are gorgeous when they begin to glow before jumping into hyperspace.
6. Anooba
The first of many good dog-like creatures who are very good space puppies is the Anooba. On the surface, they appear fierce, often used as guard dogs throughout The Clone Wars. The series introduced a particular anooba, Marrok, who was the pet and companion to the bounty hunter, Embo. Marrok assisted the hunter, cornering and chasing down targets. However, the cutest moments are when Marrok is simply a pet, like fetching Embo’s hat and bringing his master ball probe droids with his tail waggling in delight at every moment.
7. Convor
Convorees are another addition from Dave Filoni, named after his wife and author, E. Anne Convery. Ahsoka Tano connected spiritually to them, and fans often see convorees in her presence after the Mortis Arc of The Clone Wars. During the arc, Ahsoka died, but the personification of the Light Side of the Force, named the Daughter, resurrected her. Revealed in Star Wars Rebels is a convor named Morai, who has the same color scheme as the Daughter and acts as a guide for Ahsoka. Fans still discover the depth of lore about these bird-like creatures, but they are a fascinating addition to Star Wars mythos.
8. Fathier
The Fathiers played a vital role in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, thematically tied to Finn and Rose Tico’s mission to Canto Bight. They symbolize innocence tied down by corruption, which makes it fitting when Rose frees these adorable steeds. While a more recent addition, perhaps there is more mythos to the creatures as fans can spot an image of them in the World Between Worlds during Star Wars Rebels.
9. Gorg
Originally in live-action, gorgs weren’t very cute as they are food for many sentient species. The frogs usually hung dead in the background or crammed in Jabba the Hutt’s mouth. This appearance held until Star Wars Resistance when the gorg received an updated look.
The main gorg character was Bitey, the aggressive pet of Orka and Flix, the owners of the Office of Acquisitions. Bitey’s personality was big for such a little guy as he often assaulted customers and helped Kazuda Xiono stop a First Order plan. This design for the gorgs has continued into other shows like the webseries Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures and merchandise at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
10. Kath Hounds
Kath hounds might have huge teeth, but the creatures were normally docile unless provoked. However, that didn’t stop people from training the Kath hounds to be guard beasts. A genetically modified version of the critter called Salky Hounds was popular on Coruscant. These points are all the Legends lore, but some of this has changed in the current canon. Kath hounds aren’t as cuddly; in fact, they’re dangerous hunters with vicious natures. It’s a shame because they have those big cow-like noses that look like they need a good pet.
11. Massiff
Massiffs are essentially big, sweet dogs inside the bodies of reptiles. They first appeared back during Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian has made the Massiff a favorite. They wiggle their behind when they get petted by Din Djarrin. They are the companions of the Tusken children in the desert of Tatooine. They have all the lovable qualities of dogs; they’re just a bit more scaley.
12. Nerf
Spawning out of Princess Leia's original insult at Han Solo, nerfs are the cows of Star Wars. People used nerfs for food and milk to produce dairy products like cheese. Nerf nuggets were a popular food, enough to where Hunter and Echo in The Bad Batch had an off-screen side mission delivering 50 cases of them. Their herders loved these gentle beasts; the nerfs were vital to the galaxy.
13. Varactyl
Boga appeared in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as the noble steed of Obi-Wan Kenobi as he battled the villainous General Grevious throughout the caves and underground networks of Utapau. Ben Burtt’s sound design for the film includes Boga’s excellent animal call. She’s present in one of the most vital parts of the film when Order 66 kicks off. Clone Commander Cody gets his orders and shoots down both Obi-Wan and Boga. The varactyl captured the hearts of fans and has claimed her place on this list.
14. Peko-peko
Peko-peko live in the swamps of Naboo. While their prominent beaks and clawed wings were notable, it was their vibrant tail plumage in shades of royal blue. While the current canon hasn’t seen much of the creatures since their debut in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, they have neat facts in Legends books as their feathers would used in creating sheath armor. In Theed’s Royal Palace on Naboo, there was a painting of Queen Padme Amidala holding a Peko-peko.
15. Tusk-Cat
While tuck-cats were brought back into the canon in the 2017 novel Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, almost all our knowledge about the lion-like creatures is from Legends works. These carnivores hunted in the grasslands of Naboo, forming small prides of their families after mating for life. While they were natural killers, people domesticated tusk-cats. Mounted tusk-cat riders were popular among farmers to protect their herds and also served as part of the Naboo military.
16. Raxshir
The raxshir made their Star Wars debut in Tales of the Jedi episode one, “Life and Death.” A raxshir hunts a toddler, Ahsoka Tano, and steals her from her mother, Pav-ti. The creature brings the child back to its layer. Before it can kill her, Ahsoka unknowingly connects to the beast through the Force and calms it. She lets it guide her home, riding on the beast’s back. This event is how the village chief Gantika knew that Ahsoka would become a Jedi.
17. Voorpak
Voorpaks are the pugs of Star Wars. They ride that fine line of being incredibly cute or horrifically gross. Their personalities allow Voorpaks to have their staying power, as seen in Star Wars Resistance with Buggles. Buggles was the pet of Torra Doza and found himself on a range of many adventures. His charm was his eager, puppy-like nature to follow his master around, even if that meant he was accidentally in the midst of a battle.
One fun fact is voorpaks were considered the favorite pet of Naboo royalty, a nod to the real-world British Queen Elizabeth and her love of corgis.
18. Ysalamiri
Grand Admiral Thrawn introduced the ysalamiri. These lizard-like creatures vitally contributed to Thrawn’s campaign in Legends material, first appearing in Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. Their ability to suppress the Force made Thrawn a threat when facing Luke Skywalker in the trilogy.
George Lucas wasn’t a fan of the ysalamiri, as they clashed with how he viewed the Force, so it’s no surprise they have yet to make a full return to canon. The closest the lizards have gotten are statues in Thrawn’s office in Star Wars Rebels, a nod to his Legends roots.
19. Porgs
The Last Jedi filmmakers might have created porgs out of necessity, but the creature has become one of the most popular. While filming the scenes on Ahch-To, there were far too many real-life puffins, and it would become costly to remove them all from the film digitally. The solution was to create their own Star Wars version of the creature. The reveal of the porgs online caused an almost Baby Yoda response, as they were some of the hottest toys and collectibles that year. Porgs stuck around, popping up in various projects since then, like Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Galactic Pals, and Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures.
20. Charhound
Charhounds, introduced during the High Republic era, are relatively new to Star Wars. The main character has been Ember, the loyal sidekick to Jedi Padawan Bell Zettifar. Ember is a delight in the books, adding to the argument that all Jedi need pets. She’s reliable and brave, diving into several battles at Bell’s side and blowing away the evil Nihil with her fire breath. She is such a good girl and a fan favorite critter among High Republic fans.
21. Loth-Wolves
Starting on Lothal and ending on Lothal, Loth-Wolves were mysterious creatures with deep ties to the Force. While some of the canines seemed like regular wolves, others held more mystical properties with spiritual connections to Jedi Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger. There seems more to the Loth-Wolves than meets the eye as their image appears on the Lothal door to the World Between Worlds, and they could somehow cross into the plain of hyperspace to travel to the other side of the planet in minutes. Thought to be once extinct, their appearance in Star Wars Rebels continues to indulge fans in speculation, especially when they were retroactively named in earlier shows like The Clone Wars during the Mortis Arc, now their first appearance. When the literal gods of the Light Side, Dark Side, and the Balance are tied to their image, there is still far more to learn about the Loth-Wolves.