space slug

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Unknown, but found in the Hoth asteroid field

• Size:
  10 meters long (average)

• Diet:
  omnivore

• 

From the Movies

Space slugs are colossal, worm-like creatures that reside within the furrows and craters of asteroids and airless planetoids. The slug's bizarre biology allows it to survive in the vacuum of space. Space slugs have been seen to grow up to 800 meters in length. The chaotic Hoth asteroid field is known to host such a massive specimen.

From the Expanded Universe

Silicon-based lifeforms, the typical space slug rarely exceeds 10 meters in length. They are most often found on asteroids, where they metabolize minerals through an intricate root system that taps into the rock. Their mouths are also lined with pointed teeth as space slugs feed on mynocks.

Space slugs are solitary creatures that reproduce through fission. Upon reaching a certain size, space slugs generally split into two smaller offspring. On occasion, though, this fission does not occur, and in their gravity-free native environment, slugs can grow to prodigious sizes.

Space slug flesh has a number of commercial uses. Their crystalline organs are used in a number of electronic devices and their immensely tough skin is used as a fine abrasive. Certain portions of space slug anatomy are refined and used by the cosmetics industry. As such, space slugs are actively hunted.

Behind the Scenes

The deep space Star Wars equivalent of a whale, the space slug was developed in sketches by Ralph McQuarrie and Nilo Rodis-Jamero. Jamero took extra care to ensure the proper scale when developing the creature's texture. The space slug was realized as a puppet 79 centimeters long and 28 centimeters in diameter. Industrial Light & Magic also constructed a large model of the inside of the creature's mouth.