Tuk'ata/Legends

"Gigantic creatures. Triple rows of teeth, six inch claws, and three horns. They can move on four legs or two, and have two winglike extensions--not functional wings, but poisonous stingers. Very fast."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi, just before seeing a pack of tuk'ata on Korriban.

The Force-sensitive tuk'ata, or Sith hounds, were used for thousands of years to guard the tombs of the Dark Lords of the Sith on Korriban.

Biology and appearance
Sith hounds were oversized beasts that were bred to be both fearless and relentless where they were tasked with guarding the Sith tombs on Korriban. Their distinctive characteristics included sharp horns, long claws and savage teeth. Tuk'ata were unusually intelligent and were even able to communicate with one another through means unknown. It was claimed that originally the species were non-violent grazing animals before being corrupted by Sith alchemy experiments that awakened latent parts of their brain which transformed them into unnatural abominations. On occasion, random mutations produce some tuk'ata that were able to live for centuries and grew to immense proportions.

Tuk'ata nobilis: A pair of tuk'ata tamed by the Jedi Beast Master Kanzhei Opli three centuries before the rise of the Galactic Empire and given to the Jedi Temple of Vaklin, they distinguished from the original pack for their Blue eyes in comparison with the dark-sided red eyes of a normal tuk'ata. The only two specimens were killed by Darth Vader in 19 BBY.

History
"A creature from another age, a Tuk'ata. The Sith placed them here long ago to guard their tombs. They still perform this task."

- Luke Skywalker describing a tuk'ata

Considering that many were sealed inside the tombs themselves, some believe that they were immortal or drew nourishment from the Force itself, the latter part of which is likely true. It is also possible that they survived by feeding on small vermin or other creatures that infested the tombs as decay and time created new openings in the stone walls. They were fearless guardians and would kill anything that entered the tombs. While on Korriban, Exar Kun was forced to fight several hounds as a test. Revan managed to kill one and take a Sith holocron from its belly. There where also some tuk'ata in Tulak Hord's tomb, where the tuk'ata mother lived. By the time of the Cold War, the valley was flooding with new and more vicious races of tuk'ata and many Sith both students and Lords, including Lord Renning, were interested in their biology which made them force-sensitive. Darth Bane had to deal with them in the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban. Approximately a thousand years later, a Jedi strike team made up of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Siri Tachi, Soara Antana, Ry-Gaul, and their respective apprentices faced a pack of Tuk'ata when entering a tomb. Tol Skorr, the Dark Jedi servant of Count Dooku, would be injured by one that had grown to a monstrous size and would face it years later when he and Quinlan Vos attempted to raid a Sith tomb.

Another large tuk'ata was seen on Yavin 4 guarding a cave. It was confronted by the Solo children, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin, along with Lowbacca, and Finn Galfridian. It was initially hostile, but retreated back into its cave after Jacen Solo helped heal it. When Luke Skywalker, Ben Skywalker, Jaina Solo, and Vestara Khai went to Korriban to search for the Lost Tribe of Sith they were attacked by a large group of tuk'ata, but before they could attack Vestara communicated with them through the Sith language and told them not to attack. In 138 ABY Darth Nihl used the Force to bend an attacking tuk'ata's will to his own, however it was shortly killed by Darth Talon.

The tuk'ata were at least semi-sentient, and could speak the Sith language.

Behind the scenes
The tuk'ata were first seen in Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith 3: Descent to the Dark Side but would go unnamed until the publication of Daniel Wallace's The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith 3: Descent to the Dark Side
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Jedi Quest: The Final Showdown
 * Boba Fett: Maze of Deception
 * Star Wars: Republic 63: Striking from the Shadows
 * Star Wars: Republic: The Dreadnaughts of Rendili
 * Star Wars: Invasion 2: Refugees, Part 2
 * Fate of the Jedi: Ascension
 * Star Wars: Legacy: Broken
 * Star Wars: Legacy 48: Extremes, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Legacy 49: Extremes, Part 2