8 times real animals appeared in Star Wars movies

The Star Wars franchise is known for introducing viewers to countless strange and exotic alien creatures, but you may not be aware that plenty of real-life animals also appear in the Star Wars movies. This list highlights five examples of real animals that showed up in Star Wars films, and you might be surprised to learn that so many creatures from our world also exist in the galaxy far, far away.

1. An elephant was used to portray the Banthas in A New Hope

A female Indian elephant named Mardji was used to play two Banthas in A New Hope, which explains why the movements and mannerisms of the Banthas seemed so genuine and lifelike. Mardji wore a furry bodysuit and a light headpiece when filming occurred. Since the Banthas are never shown particularly closely throughout the film, you really will think that you are looking at alien creatures instead of a real Earth animal whenever they appear onscreen. Banthas are arguably the most recognizable non-sentient creatures in the Star Wars galaxy, and the loveable Mardji certainly did a fantastic job of bringing them to life. Mardji sadly died in 1995, and her contributions to the Star Wars franchise will never be overlooked.

2. A monitor lizard was seen in The Empire Strikes Back

When Luke Skywalker enters the Dark Side Cave in The Empire Strikes Back, a monitor lizard known as an Asian water monitor can be seen inside the cave. The reptile seems startled by Luke’s sudden appearance in his home, as it abruptly jerks its head in his general direction as soon as he enters the cave. In the Star Wars universe, this species of lizard is known as a sleen, and it was known for carrying deadly oral bacteria, which made its bites fatal. Since the Asian water monitor is the second largest species of lizard in the world, Luke could certainly have found himself in a tight spot if it decided to attack him.

3. Snakes also appeared in The Empire Strikes Back

Various real-life species of snakes showed up on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. Firstly, one was seen slithering across Luke’s belongings as he tended to R2-D2, which Luke did not seem to notice. Another snake was seen on the table in Yoda’s hut before Luke pushed it away and grabbed the bowl it had been crawling across, which he then filled with several helpings of Yoda’s stew. Clearly, hygiene is not valued very highly on Dagobah.

A snake was also present in Dark Side Cave as Luke battled the manifestation of Darth Vader, and Luke was later shown pulling a snake out of one of his X-Wing’s power generators before he left the swamp planet. In canon, these snakes have been identified as Dagobah Pythons and Vine snakes, and they are both key elements of Dagobah’s ecosystem. They were depicted on set by an assortment of South American king snakes, a python named Peter, and an African boa constrictor named Basel, which were provided to the production by a company called Animal Actors. And fans will certainly never forget seeing these predatory reptiles slithering across the screen in one of the best Star Wars movies of all time.

4. Emperor Palpatine was played by a chimpanzee in The Empire Strikes Back (yes, really)

When the Holographic image of Emperor Palpatine’s face was shown in the original theatrical version of The Empire Strikes Back, a chimpanzee's eyes were superimposed over the masked face of actress Elaine Baker in the film test and then later Marjorie Eaton in the final film in an effort to make the Emperor seem less human and more sinister. Although chimpanzees have not been confirmed to canonically exist in the Star Wars galaxy, the fact that one of the franchise’s most feared villains originally had the eyes of a chimpanzee is a bizarre fact that will always mystify fans.

5. Rats were spotted in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

You will no doubt be familiar with the idiom that every person will also be within five meters of a rat at any given time, so it probably will no surprise you to learn that the pervasive rodents are also prevalent in the Star Wars galaxy. Actual rats can be seen clinging to a grating within the walls of Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi, and their appearance in the film will probably mortify fans who suffer from Musophobia. Jabba was clearly too busy serving as one of the galaxy’s most feared crime lords to worry about hiring an exterminator, which probably explains why his palatial home was infested with the disease-carrying rodents.

6. An iguana appeared in Return of the Jedi

Chief Chirpa serves as the head of Bright Tree Village on the Forest Moon of Endor, but he thankfully does not have to make all the hard decisions on his own. When he appears in Return of the Jedi, Chirpa is shown with an iguana clinging to his chest in several shots, with the loyal reptile serving as his trusted advisor. Since the sentience level of iguanas in the Star Wars galaxy has never been established, it remains unclear how much useful advice the lizard provided to Chirpa. The Ewok chieftain nonetheless still seemed to value his iguana companion as a loyal friend and colleague.

7. Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor both featured real animals

Released on US televisions in 1984 and theatrically in some overseas territories the following year, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure was absolutely filled with real-life animals, with goats, chickens, llamas, ferrets, rabbits, and horses all showing up. This was no doubt because the now Legends continuity Caravan of Courage had a significantly lower budget than the other Star Wars movies, so the production had no choice but to use real animals instead of designing dozens of costly stand-in creatures. Although Caravan of Courage did feature some impressive alien lifeforms, the vast majority of creatures in the film were depicted using real animals, which made the Forest Moon of Endor seem just a little bit closer to home.

The similarly Legends continuity 1985 sequel, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor also featured horses, and it introduced the witch known as Charal, who had the ability to transform into a raven. She remains trapped in this form at the end, and a real raven was clearly used to depict Charal in her bird form by the production team. Charal was later retroactively confirmed to be a Nightsister, who explains how she became so proficient at wielding the supernatural. Therefore, anyone who plans to visit the Forest Moon of Endor should keep in mind that a raven with clearly malicious intentions also calls the lush ecosystem its home.

8. Ducks showed up in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones

As the Bongo containing Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jar Jar Binks rises to the surface of Theed's Solleu River on the world of Naboo in The Phantom Menace, the vessel disturbs an assortment of ducks that had been peacefully swimming along the surface. The startled birds quickly fly away. Ducks are also shown moving through a river on Naboo in Attack of the Clones, making them a staple of the Prequel Trilogy.