- "He says this may hurt a bit."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Anakin Skywalker
Bruise-leech crawlers, alternatively known as Nelvaan bruise-leech crawlers, were leech-like creatures native to the Outer Rim planet of Nelvaan. Orvos, shaman of Rokrul village on Nelvaan, covered Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker's chest with bruise-leech crawlers as part of a ritual before sending him off to destroy a nearby Techno Union laboratory. The leeches caused pain as they crawled over Skywalker's torso and left behind blue trails.
Contents
Biology and appearance[edit | edit source]
Native to the Outer Rim world of Nelvaan, bruise-leech crawlers, sometimes referred to as "Nelvaan bruise-leech crawlers,"[3] were annelids that were reddish-brown in color, with some having little black patches of fur toward their back ends. They had a circular mouth that was lined with teeth and two protrusions directly behind the head. The crawlers were capable of leaving a blue trail behind them as they moved.[2]
Behavior[edit | edit source]
When placed on someone's body, the crawlers could make intricate rectangular designs out of the blue trails they left behind.[2]
History[edit | edit source]

The crawlers leave a blue design on Anakin Skywalker's torso.
- "Is this really necessary?"
"It's part of their ritual. You must be respectful." - ―Skywalker questions Kenobi over the necessity of the crawlers
In the year 19 BBY,[4] Orvos, the shaman of the Nelvaanian village of Rokrul, used bruise-leech crawlers in a ceremony to prepare the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker for his journey to destroy a nearby laboratory operated by the Techno Union that used a siphon generator which had plunged the world into an ice age. The crawlers proceeded to create a rectangular design across Skywalker's torso with the blue trails they left behind as they moved slowly, causing the Jedi much pain.[2]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
The bruise-leech crawlers made their first and only appearance in the twenty-third chapter of the animated television microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars,[2] which aired on March 23, 2005.[5] The species was then named in the Nelvaanian StarWars.com Databank entry.[6]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 23" (First appearance)
Sources[edit | edit source]
"Jawa's Corner"—Star Wars Insider 94
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Nelvaanian in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link) (First identified as bruise-leech crawler)
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 95 ("bruise-leech crawler")
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9
Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 23"
- ↑
"Jawa's Corner"—Star Wars Insider 94
- ↑ The New Essential Chronology
- ↑
Star Wars: Clone Wars - Season 2, Episode 3: Chapter XXIII at TV.com (backup link)
- ↑
Nelvaanian in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)