Arakurth

Arakurth were a type of gigantic worm with three claw-like teeth protruding from their mouth. They were native to the green gas cloud of the Typhonic Nebula. In 35 ABY, the pilot Poe Dameron hyperspace skipped the YT-1300 light freighter known as the Millennium Falcon into the nebula's Megafauna Chasm and encountered an arakurth. The Falcon managed to avoid the worm, but two First Order TIE/wi Interceptors pursuing the freighter collided with the creature.

Biology and appearance

Arakurth were a type of monstrous^[1] space^[2] worm native to the green gas cloud of the Typhonic Nebula in the Mid Rim. Measuring over four hundred meters (1,312 feet) in length, the gigantic creatures had a chasmic,^[1] tooth-rimmed^[3] maw with three larger, claw-like teeth protruding from it with equal, triangular spacing. Their skin was brown and roughly textured with bumps with folds around the mouth.^[1]

History

Arakurth dwelt in^[1] the atmosphere^[5] of the nebula's Megafauna Chasm and posed a great threat to any starship that trespassed there, almost guaranteeing death to anyone who sighted one. Rumors spread about the gigantic worms patrolling the chasm, which was how the area earned its name.^[1]

In 35 ABY,^[6] the pilot Poe Dameron hyperspace skipped the Millennium Falcon, a Resistance YT-1300 light freighter, into an arakurth's vicinity in the chasm while being pursued by two First Order TIE/wi Interceptors.^[4] The worm opened its maw directly in their path in order to ingest them, but just before the ship was devoured,^[2] Dameron turned and skipped again as, within the Falcon's cockpit, the Trodatome Klaud screamed at the looming monster. The two TIE fighters failed to avoid the arakurth, colliding with its open mouth^[4] and ramming down its gullet^[3] before exploding. The worm then roared and dove deeper into the gas.^[4]

Behind the scenes

An arakurth first appeared in the 2019 sequel trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker. The creature was not identified in the film,^[4] but received a name in the 2024 reference book Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy.^[1]

In the 2022 non-canon video game LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, an arakurth appears during the Episode IX portion of the game in a scene^[7] matching the events of the film.^[4] After the Falcon jumps, however, it is depicted as arriving in several more locations than in the film, with the freighter facing into a large creature's mouth similarly to that of the arakurth in each. The creatures are an exogorth, a sarlacc, and a rathtar.^[7]

Appearances

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• Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker (First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition (and audiobook)
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: A Junior Novel (and audiobook)

Non-canon appearances

• William Shakespeare's The Merry Rise of Skywalker: Star Wars Part the Ninth
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Sources

• Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition — Hotshots and Aces II Reinforcements Pack Card: Poe Dameron — Scavenged YT-1300 (Picture only)
• Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy (First identified as arakurth)

Notes and references