The Mudhorn In Star Wars Explained
The "Star Wars" franchise is no stranger to out-of-this-world life forms. Indeed, the menagerie of alien creatures in the series seems nearly endless; each new planet we're introduced to has its own unique flora and fauna, and very often, those creatures end up being a major part of the story as a whole. Who can forget Luke's famous battle against the rancor? Or the sacrifice of Han Solo's tauntaun?
That said, there is perhaps no entry in the "Star Wars" franchise that emphasizes the danger of these alien monsters more than "The Mandalorian." The series follows bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) as he hops across planets seeking bounty work and attempts to protect the mysterious alien child known as Grogu. Throughout his journey, he is also tasked with hunting a multitude of alien monsters, including a giant spider-like creature called a krykna and a massive sandworm called a krayt dragon. However, his first (and perhaps most famous) battle was with the infamous mudhorn, a beast that nearly killed the bounty hunter had it not been for Grogu's interference.
Din Djarin should probably have just left the poor beast alone
First appearing in "The Mandalorian," mudhorns are massive horned animals native to the desert planet Arvala-7 and have a coat of wooly fur that is often covered in dirt and mud — hence their name (via Wookiepedia). Their horns are enormous. Thick as a tree trunk and nearly as tall as Din Djarin himself, a single thrust means certain death. When they're not roaming the desert, they seek shelter in caves and lay eggs that share their strange furry coat.
In Season 1, Episode 2, "The Child," Din Djarin is forced to battle one when a group of Jawas ask him to retrieve one of these eggs, which they consider a delicacy. Djarin takes a thorough beating and seems to be on the brink of death when Grogu uses the Force to lift the beast into the air, rendering it harmless. Djarin kills it after it falls down and later takes a mudhorn skull as the sigil of his clan.
The mudhorn is definitely a formidable foe, though it seems unfortunate that Djarin ever had to fight it in the first place. The poor thing was simply minding its own business in that cave, watching over its eggs, and Djarin ran in and killed it just to pay off some Jawas. Perhaps in the future, Djarin will think twice before attacking one.