The elusive Krayt Dragons have been part of Star Wars from the beginning. Although they have rarely appeared onscreen, Krayt Dragons became a major part of a very important world to the franchise: the desert planet Tattooine, where Luke Skywalker first began his journey. Concept art for the creature was drawn by Ralph McQuarrie for the original 1977 film A New Hope. The final movie references them twice. C-3PO walks past the skeleton of one while trying to navigate the Dune Sea, and later, Obi-Wan imitates a Krayt Dragon's call to scare off a group of Tusken Raiders.
Although McQuarrie's design was never actually used in the movie, it would form the basis for the creature's appearances in later media. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic included a Krayt Dragon in its Tattooine level. More recently The Mandalorian, probably inspired by Knights of the Old Republic, featured a much larger version of the monster in its Season 2 premiere. Krayt Dragons are even iconic enough that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga included a boss fight with one as a side quest. However, since they don't appear often in the films, there's a lot that most fans don't know about these creatures.
5 There Are Multiple Types Of Krayt Dragons
Krayt dragons are dangerous creatures, but the label actually encompasses two very different species, one more dangerous than the other. Longtime Star Wars fans are probably more familiar with the Canyon Krayt Dragon, a massive creature that walks on four legs resembling something between a lizard and a dragon. They typically grew to around 40 meters long and were a common predator on Tattooine that specialized in hunting womp rats, as well as any jawas, Tusken raiders, or anything else that got in its way. Some fans may remember running into a canyon Krayt Dragon at the end of the Tattooine level in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which had to be slain in order to access the star map in its lair.
But as imposing as the Canyon Krayt might seem, it pales in comparison to the Greater Krayt Dragon. This is the kind seen in The Mandalorian Season 2, and the skeletal remains of one were briefly visible in A New Hope. Greater Krayt Dragons are over twice as big as Canyon Krayts, being able to grow to around 100 meters. They have a plesiosaur-like body with a long neck and tail. Unlike Canyon Krayts, which can walk on four legs, Greater Krayts have ten legs that act like flippers, allowing the creature to "swim" and burrow in sand. These creatures were big enough to be capable of eating an entire Sarlaac. Fortunately, they are extremely rare.
Finally, there is a third type of Krayt Dragon created through selective breeding: the Krell Dragon. These are much smaller than Canyon or Greater Krayts, but they are quite ferocious in their own right. Krell Dragons are often kept as pets by unscrupulous characters like crime bosses and practitioners of the dark side, who enjoy putting them into fights or using them as a way of executing prisoners.
4 They Are Extremely Valuable To Hunters
Unsurprisingly, the massive size and ferocity of a Krayt Dragon makes facing it an appealing challenge to a lot of hunters. Surviving an encounter with one is an impressive feat in itself, but actually killing one is only even remotely possible for the best hunters. Most prefer to avoid them all together, to the point where any podracer unlucky enough to crash into the Laguna Caves during the Boonta Eve Classic is left to die, simply because rescue teams were unwilling to go near a Krayt Dragon's lair. Meanwhile, killing a Krayt Dragon is a rite of passage for the Sandpeople, who have a custom of leaving their children in the desert and only letting them back into the tribe upon their success.
In addition to the challenge of hunting one, the creatures are valued because the digestive processes of Krayt Dragons were able to produce pearls. Some hunters view these pearls as the ultimate trophy, and they are a symbol of status for Tusken Raiders. They are also extremely valuable and can be sold for exorbitant prices. Additionally, Krayt Dragon pearls are compatible with lightsabers. A Jedi or Sith who successfully kills a Krayt Dragon and retrieves a pearl could use it to make their lightsaber far more powerful than any regular kyber crystal could.
3 They Eat Rocks
Gastroliths are rocks found in the digestive systems of living organisms, usually caused by intentional swallowing. There are a number of real-life species that do this. Some parrots swallow clay to help them digest poisonous fruit, as the toxins are absorbed by the clay. Other species like ostriches, crocodiles, and sea lions also swallow whole rocks. Gastroliths can have a variety of functions, but the most common use is to aid in digestion. The species in question usually uses the rocks as a way to help break down food.
This same behavior is exhibited by Krayt Dragons. Their sharp teeth make it hard to properly chew any prey they catch. Instead, they rip prey into chunks, or swallow it whole if it's small enough. Rocks help grind the food into smaller pieces that can more easily pass through the body. This is also what produces the famous pearls, which are usually formed by the rocks constantly moving and bashing into each other over an extended period of time.
2 They Might Be Descended From A Strange Alien Race
Though not confirmed for certain, it is theorized that Krayt Dragons came from a species called Duinuogwuin, also known as "star dragons." This was an enigmatic race that had become the subject of legends throughout the galaxy. Not very much was known about them, due to their reclusiveness.
Though Duinuogwuin were generally understood to be intelligent, their confusing biology had a flaw by which some offspring were born unintelligent and feral. The theory here is that the Krayt Dragons originated from a group of such offspring that were left on Tattooine. Of course, this is unconfirmed and there is no real way to verify it given how little is known of the Star Dragons and their reluctance to share information.
1 There May Be A Krayt Graveyard
Krayt Dragons have an extremely long lifespan, but they seem to have a sense of when they are reaching the end and have an instinct to go somewhere to die. The exact location is less certain, and the danger of investigating has made a lot of people less than enthusiastic about finding out. But even if there is little interest in pursuing an actual tangible answer, curiosity has arisen among the locals of Tattooine, inspiring a few myths and legends of a supposed "Krayt Graveyard."
If the place exists, it would be a goldmine for fortune seekers. The amount of pearls one could find would be unimaginable. Of course, it would also be incredibly dangerous, but the potential fortune to be obtained has inspired some efforts to find it. The Krayt Graveyard made an appearance in Star Wars Galaxies, but its canonical status in either timeline is unclear.