Star Wars ComLINKS: Creatures - Banthas

Welcome to the eighth Star Wars ComLINKS! The purpose of this link up is to inspire fans to write/talk about various topics (which are assigned each month) pertaining to our favorite fandom. Each link up will take place on the second Wednesday of every month. You will be able to share a link to your Website, Blog, YouTube, Podcast, etc. on a widget below and also view other posts from fans.

The Topic for April is "Creatures" and begins today through April 27th!

There are many fascinating creatures within the Star Wars universe, from the enormous and furry Banthas to the petite and curiously cute Loth-cats. Which creature is your favorite? Is it their overall appearance? Their unique capabilities? Do you love it so much you'd have one as a pet if you could? These are just a few prompts to help you get started

GUIDELINES

1) Your Website, Blog, YouTube, Podcast, etc. does NOT have to be SW related.
2) Your entry must be family-friendly.
3) Please include a link to (or mention) "Star Wars ComLINKS" in your entry and don't forget to use the hashtag #starwarscomlinks when applicable!

An InLinkz Link-up

Honestly, I'm rubbish at choosing a favorite "anything". I love too many things, which many of you know by now. I browsed through several photos of different Star Wars creatures thinking I'd be forgetting about one of them but I just couldn't get the Banthas out of my head! I figured that was a sign that I favored them slightly more than others.

Though quite large and elephant-like at around six to nine feet tall, the Banthas have always been on my list of cute non-sentient creatures. You know, like all big and furry things are. I would also assume that they're quite huggable due to their peaceful nature. Which is actually ironic considering they have some sort of bond with the ruthless Tusken Raiders who use them as a means of transportation, carrying heavy loads, and in combat. Banthas are always found in large groups and are native to Tatooine, but are also bred on many other planets. The males are often larger than the females and are sometimes easier to spot since they typically can grow their horns out to two spirals. However, it is only the females who produce the blue milk, a refreshing drink with a sweet taste that is used as a plain drink or to make yogurt, ice cream, and butter.

I'm not a pet person by any means and I can't stand to be around hyper animals. But overall Banthas seem to be quite calm and content with life which is what I prefer in an animal. If I had a large enough land with the proper amount of living space a couple of Banthas would require, I definitely think I'd want to adopt them. As long as they were thoroughly bathed upon arriving. I would probably hire someone to do most of the necessary maintenance but I'd happily visit them each day and converse with them similar to how a parent speaks to her child, as silly as that sounds.

Banthas have been seen in the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and even in the The Clone Wars movie. So, I think it'd be really exciting to see them make an appearance in one of the upcoming Star War films. I keep imagining one specific Bantha with an adequate role whose owner is somewhat of a key character and isn't a Tusken Raider. That's not crazy, right?

(Photo via Blue Milk Special)

It's fascinating to me how creatures and characters alike can have such little screen time and yet fans are so enthralled by them. We study them, we have discussions about them, and we collect merchandise pertaining to that specific being. I'd actually really like to see a Bantha Funko Pop! made and some sort of really cute plush. Because I don't think I have any Bantha collectibles and that is just disheartening.

For more information about Banthas, I'd suggest reading From Concept to Screen: Banthas and the The Official Databank Entry.

Which creature from Star Wars is your favorite?