- "We got a couple unruly rontos that could use a steady hand. Can you handle that?"
- ―Cobb Vanth, to Malakili
Rontos were four-legged saurian herbivores native to the desert world of Tatooine. Skittish yet gentle and strong, they were the favored pack animals and mounts of the indigenous Jawas.
Biology and appearance
A ronto was a huge saurian of imposing size and appearance. Standing on four legs, rontos had small eyes,[2] pointed ears, and beak-like mouths.[4]
Although well-suited to desert environments such as their indigenous homeworld of Tatooine, rontos required a great deal of water to survive. They shed heat through their skin, and the flap-like folds framing their faces, which they extended to cover their eyes during sandstorms.[2] Their great strength and hardiness made them ideal mounts.[5]
Behavior
Although possessing an imposing size and appearance, rontos were skittish and easily startled. Easily domesticated, rontos were utilized by the Jawas as beasts of burden to haul cargo to and from trading posts, as well as mounts. These animals were loyal to their masters,[2] and were both gentle and strong.[1]
Rontos in the galaxy
- "If you can help us with the rontos, maybe the Hutt, you've got a place at Freetown. How's that sound, friend?"
- ―Cobb Vanth, to Malakili
Rontos were popular among the Jawas of Tatooine,[6] and became the favored pack animal of the species,[1] which domesticated them as mounts and beasts of burden to carry cargo between trading posts.[2] These rontos were seen making routine journeys to and from the desert planet's settlements, swaying under the weight of cargo or Jawa passengers.[1] Rontos were seen in Mos Espa[7] and were a common sight in Mos Eisley, where many were ridden by the spaceport's citizens. On one occasion during Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi's trip to the city, a reckless rider startled a ronto into rearing up and unseating his Jawa passengers,[8] leaving one dangling from the reigns.[4]
Grakkus the Hutt kept a menagerie of beasts in his palace on Nar Shaddaa, holding a ronto among his caged creatures at the time of Luke Skywalker's encounter with the crime lord during the Galactic Civil War.[9][10]
During the early months of the New Republic, Cobb Vanth and Issa-Or owned two unruly rontos which required the steady hand of a beastmaster, and offered the job to Malakili after saving the former rancor tamer from the Red Key Raiders. Malakili accepted in exchange for payment and a homestead in Freetown.[11]
During the war between the First Order and the Resistance, ronto meat was used to make ronto wraps and Ronto Morning Wraps, a dish served at Ronto Roasters in Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu.[12]
Behind the scenes
The ronto was created for the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope,[13] and was designed by artist TyRuben Ellingson, who modeled his concepts after elephants, rhinos, and dinosaurs.[14] Industrial Light & Magic modified the Brachiosaurus model from Jurassic Park to create the ronto, and its animators referred to the creature as "Bronto" throughout production. George Lucas dropped the "b" from the nickname when asked what the creature was to be called.[13]
Appearances
- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Star Wars Rebels — "Blood Sisters" (Mentioned only)
- Bounty Hunt
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (First appearance) (Introduced in Special Edition)
- Star Wars: A New Hope junior novelization
- "The Secrets of Long Snoot" — From a Certain Point of View (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars 10
- "Tooth and Claw" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (Mentioned only)
- Aftermath: Life Debt (Mentioned only)
- C-3PO Does NOT Like Sand!
- Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire (As food)
- Galaxy's Edge 1 (As food)
- A Crash of Fate (Mentioned only)
- Template:SWGECite (as food)
- Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker (Hide)
Sources
- ronto in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Ultimate Star Wars
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- 6 Fascinating Behind-the-Scenes Concepts from the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Creatures of Marvel's Star Wars Comics, Part 1 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Complete Locations
- Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 37 (Databank A-Z: Luggabeast–Malakili)
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
- Star Wars: Alien Archive
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
- Every Creature in the Star Wars Movies | Star Wars By the Numbers on the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel (backup link)
- The Star Wars Book
- "Tatooine" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Ronto in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ronto in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 ronto in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- ↑ Star Wars: Complete Locations
- ↑ Star Wars 10
- ↑ The Creatures of Marvel's Star Wars Comics, Part 1 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Aftermath: Life Debt
- ↑ Template:SWGECite
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 ronto in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 6 Fascinating Behind-the-Scenes Concepts from the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition on StarWars.com (backup link)