KILLER BUGS
In Attack of the Clones, small, silent, deadly arthropods, kouhuns are extremely poisonous creatures employed by assassins who don't want to be traced. Their mouthparts inject a fast-acting nerve-poison to kill their prey. Their tail-mounted stinger delivers a painful, but non-lethal, venom. Assassins employing kouhuns typically starve them in advance of their deadly assignments.
While there are no kouhuns in this galaxy, earth is home to Assassin Bugs. The average annual number of deaths between 2000-2002 by assassin bugs in Central and South America is a whopping 16,000! The insects attack at night and feed on the blood of their victims. They're also known as "kissing bugs" because they often latch onto the victims' lips, eyelids or ears.
EXTREME WEATHER
Which is deadlier -- extreme cold (Hoth) or heat (Tatooine)? Cold! The average annual deaths in the United States between 1999 and 2001 were 646 from excessive natural cold versus 398 from heat.
RACING
In The Phantom Menace young Anakin Skywalker's shiny blue and silver Podracer was boasted to be the fastest ever to compete in the Boonta Eve Classic. Many of Anakin's competitors risk life and multiple limbs for the prize. But what are the risks of real-life race car drivers on this planet? Of the 219 professional athlete fatalities reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics between 1992-2002, 37 percent resulted from motor racing.
DEATH STICKS
When Elan Sleazebaggano offered to sell Obi-Wan Kenobi some death sticks in Attack of the Clones, the Jedi Master did Elan a favor by mind tricking him into rethinking his life. Death sticks are treated Ixetal cilona extract that offer euphoria in exchange for a shortened life. Here on earth, cigarettes (often nicknamed death sticks) may not offer euphoria, but they sure will shorten your life. Arsenic and other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes kill 440,000 out of 2.4 million people annually in the United States.
MURDER
The deadly attack on the Jedi Temple carried out by Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith was not only unexpected, but also horrifying considering his victims knew and trusted him. Sadly in real life, in 3 out of every 4 murders, the victim is a friend, loved one or acquaintance of the killer.
CHILDBIRTH DEATH
After giving birth to twin babies Luke and Leia, Padmé Amidala died. The medical droids at Polis Massa could not determine the cause of her death. Statistically, women are 15 more times likely to die from a car accident than pregnancy.
VOLCANOES
Located in the Outer Rim, the tiny planet of Mustafar is a fiery world where lava is mined like a precious natural resource. As Obi-Wan and Anakin fiercely dueled with lightsabers above the burning lava, it was only a matter of time before one of them fell in and was severely burned by the lava flow.
On our planet, various volcanoes have been known to spew deadly hot rocks at a distance of 20 miles, whereas ash and fumes can cover 100 miles or more. The deadliest volcano, which hit Tambora, Indonesia in April 1815, killed 92,000 people. Only 10,000 died in the initial eruption -- the rest starved to death from the famine that occurred from the destruction of their farm land.
PHOBIAS RELEVANT TO STAR WARS
Apotemnophobia: Fear of persons with amputations
Pnigerophobia: Fear of choking
Mechanophobia: Fear of machines
Tomophobia: Fear of surgery
Hylophobia: Fear of forests
Chionophobia: Fear of snow
Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
Keraunophobia: Fear of lightning and thunder
Meteorophobia: Fear of meteors
Lockiophobia: Fear of childbirth
Tocophobia: Fear of pregnancy
Dikephobia: Fear of justice
Necrophobia: Fear of death
