- "I…I can get proof. It was a beetle. From her own planet. From Parnassos. Its bite causes the victim to liquefy. That's why the med droid couldn't identify it. They never saw the beetle, just its bite and the effects of its venom."
- ―Cardinal, to Armitage Hux
Parnassos beetle was a species of golden-colored, poisonous beetle native to the planet Parnassos. It's venom had the capability to liquefy a victim's insides completely. Captain Phasma used one of these beetles to kill Brendol Hux.[1]
Biology and appearance[]
The Parnassos beetle had a gold carapace, horns, and a sharp, pointed proboscis. Its golden-colored body surface gave off a reflection similar to a rainbow's colors. The bite of this beetle was likely to leave the victim with a red wound which itched. However, the beetle's bite also injected a venom into its victim, which would lead to extreme swelling and a fever in due time. Within days, the victim would feel so ill they would be unable to move. Eventually, their entire body would liquefy from within and abruptly externally dissolve, spewing water and viscera into the local area.[1]
Behavior and environment[]
The Parnassos beetle was attracted to moisture of any kind including water, sweat, and blood. Although typically found underground, when moisture hit the surface of nearby sand, the beetles would emerge from the ground by the thousands. Within a short period of time all available moisture was devoured by the beetles and they would then return underground, leaving cone-shaped mounds.[1]
It lived in colonies under the grey desert sands of Parnassos. The beetles were generally considered to be selective creatures both to their own kind and similar insectoid species, such as the Gand. When a beetle was harmed to where they bled, the beetles became cannibals, devouring all liquids within their fellow beetle, leaving only the exoskeleton behind.[1]
History[]
While descending a mountain, one of Phasma's warriors, Carr, was bitten in the finger by a Parnassos beetle. Over the next few days, Carr's condition deteriorated, causing him to swell up. Carr eventually liquefied and exploded, spewing water and leaving behind only shriveled organs and translucent bones. This attracted a horde of Parnassos beetles, which feasted on his remains.[1]
Due to the venomous and dangerous nature of the Parnassos beetles, some Parnassian tribes including a group of marauders riding lizard sleds carried the beetles in carved wooden boxes to be used as a weapon on unsuspecting enemies. These marauders fought with Phasma and First Order General Brendol Hux's group, who were traveling to Hux's downed starship.[1]
With the approval of Hux's son Armitage Hux, Phasma assassinated Brendol Hux using a Parnassos beetle. The beetle bit Hux on the neck. Over the next several days, Hux swelled up before disintegrating in a bacta tank, showing the same symptoms that had killed Carr. Hux's sickness was unknown to the First Order's medical droids, who classified it as an "unknown malady." The older Hux's death remained a closely guarded First Order secret.[1]
After the Resistance spy Vi Moradi revealed the truth about Hux's death to the stormtrooper captain Cardinal, she passed a beetle in a plastoid case to the stormtrooper. Cardinal intended to present this beetle as evidence to the younger Hux and senior First Order officers at an assembly. This beetle was later killed when Phasma crushed it during a confrontation with Cardinal in the simulator room.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
The Parnassos beetle first appeared in Delilah S. Dawson's 2017 novel Phasma, which chronicles the origins of the eponymous character. The novel was produced as part of the multimedia series Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi prior to the release of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi on December 15, 2017.
Appearances[]
- Phasma (First appearance, simultaneous with Phasma audiobook)
- Phasma audiobook
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Timelines (First identified as Parnassos beetle)