Unidentified Dianoga

The title of this article is conjectural.

Although this article is based on official information from the Star Wars Legends continuity, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

This article is about the Dianoga aboard the first Death Star. You may be looking for the Dianoga on Bracca during Clone Force 99's mission on Bracca.

"There's something alive in here."

―Luke Skywalker^[1]

This Dianoga was a vicious creature that lived inside Garbage Compactor 3263827 aboard the Death Star.

Description[]

Like most dianoga, it was a carnivorous non-sentient creature that would eat anything it could find, but it would be quick to flee when presented with danger.

History[]

At unknown point prior to 1 BBY, this dianoga was known to have boarded the first Death Star. The dianoga made its home in the murky, polluted water of one of the space station's many garbage compactors, where it would spend the rest of its days eating the refuse of the Death Star's occupants.^[1]

Feeling the Squeeze — The Dianoga attempting to drown Luke Skywalker.

In 0 BBY, the creature's "nest" would be unintentionally infiltrated by a small party consisting of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa who were trying to escape from the Death Star. Skywalker glimpsed a thick, serpentlike body twist through the muck, though Solo dismissed him. Upon seeing them, the dianoga's eye quickly surveyed the four figures who appeared to be a tasty alternative to garbage. But the group proved persistent after dianoga attacked Skywalker, a young farmboy and aspiring Jedi who was yanked under the muck. A membraned tentacle was wrapped around Luke's head, and he thrashed and struggled against the creature's hold. Even after Han firing at the creature, the creature held Luke tight and pulled him under again. Luckily for them, the creature let go of Skywalker and disappeared, as it was scared away when the compactor walls activated. The dianoga itself had managed to burrow itself into the wall, and so was relatively safe inside the compactor.^[1]

However the creature's survival against the invaders would be short-lived, as soon after the incident, the dianoga was destroyed along with the rest of the Death Star by the very same young farmboy it had tried to drown.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

This creature, first appeared in the original 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the first installment of the Star Wars original trilogy.^[1]

In George Lucas' revised fourth draft of A New Hope, the Dianoga, was referred as "Dia Nogu". In the finished version of film, Lucas was reportedly less than impressed with the delivered Dianoga effect, having envisioned something bigger and more ominous.^[2]

Despite its brief appearance in the film, this Dianoga would continue to make regular appearances in future Star Wars media and merchandise in the many years that would follow. In Kenner Products' 1978 Death Star playset, the Dianoga was first identified as the "Death Star Trash Monster".^[3]