From the Dathomir witches to Luke's spine-chilling run-in with the wampa on Hoth, the Halloween spirit is alive in the Star Wars universe. Creature design has always been a high point of the franchise, making it the perfect way to celebrate as the holiday approaches.
Here are 7 creepy-crawly creatures from the galaxy far, far away.
1. Geonosian Brain Worm
Brain worms are creepy enough slithering around, but just wait until they inflect someone. With the capacity to control the actions of anyone they infect, these parasites turn friends into enemies...and zombies! They also have the unsettling habit of popping out of the mouths of their victims as they attack a new host. These creepy creatures are what make The Clone Wars episode "Brain Invaders" perfect to watch for Halloween!
2. Dianoga
The creature from the Black Lagoon better watch out! Lurking in junkyards and trash compactors across the galaxy is the mysterious dianoga. With their seven tentacles, dianoga are known to snatch unsuspecting prey from the water, including former moisture farmers from Tatooine. A single eye peeking up from the depths may be the only clue that a terrifying fight for your life is ahead.
3. Abersyn Symbiote
Fans of the Doctor Aphra comics will recognize these parasites. Abersyn symbiotes feed on brainstems and have a connection to the Force that allows them to drain Force energy from their victims. They may look like pink ticks, but there is something very vampiric about the symbiotes. Their intelligence and ability to work as a team allowed them to take over an entire civilization.
4. Kouhun
The centipede-like kouhuns are best known for their appearance in the attempted murder of Senator Padme Amidala. Their stingers can deliver deadly venom to their victims, and they have the terrifying tendency to hunt in packs. They use body heat to track their prey and often hunt creatures much bigger than themselves. They are so sneaky, and their venom works so quickly that they have become a favorite tool for assassins.
5. Krykna
Although they are quite large, the krykna still show off their creepy-crawly qualities. The scuttling white spiders with bulbous heads have mouths full of teeth. Their predatory behavior soon caused problems for the rebels of Chopper Base in Star Wars Rebels when they began capturing prey in cocoons. They react aggressively towards negative emotions, and their skin is resistant to blaster bolts, making them formidable foes. A similar creature, the knobby white ice spider, attacked Din Djarin and Grogu in the ice caverns of Maldo Kreis. The fearsome swarm of spiders nearly overpowered the Mandalorian himself.
6. Ysalamir
This one's for my Star Wars Legends friends out there! These lizard-like creatures will give Jedi nightmares because they have the power to repel the Force. If they are congregated together, the ysalamiri can create a large neutral region, reducing the Force's energy so much that Force-sensitive people cannot access it. The four-eyed lizards were a useful weapon of Grand Admiral Thrawn in Heir to the Empire, but they may yet terrorize Jedi in canon someday, too.
7. Fyrnock
Fyrnocks thrive in darkness. Their glowing eyes watch their prey from the darkness as they stalk closer. Their sharp teeth and claws are scary on their own, but when they hunt in large groups, they are almost impossible to overcome. However, like vampires, their fatal flaw is their fear of the sun, which burns their skin.