Star Wars’ Most Powerful Character Never Made It to Live-Action

A galaxy far, far away is home to all kinds of colorful characters. While the Jedi and Sith get all the attention because they have incredible abilities, there are just as many characters who don’t wield a lightsaber that have plenty to offer the Star Wars franchise. Chewbacca and Han Solo are integral to destroying both Death Stars, as well as Starkiller Base, while Boba Fett becomes the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy without moving anything with his mind. None of them have what it takes to cause problems for the strongest characters in Star Wars, but there’s another non-Force-user that can pick up the slack.

Despite not being a big-screen movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars features plenty of major moments. While most of them involve Emperor Palpatine’s Separatist forces making a move against the Jedi, there’s one threat that even makes the Dark Lord of the Sith do a double-take. It shows up in Season 2 of The Clone Wars and strikes fear in anyone who crosses its path.

The Zillo Beast Teaches the Republic a Lesson in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Republic is struggling to acquire all the resources it needs during the Clone Wars, so it sends Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu to Malastare to obtain fuel. The Separatist army is waiting for them, and even with their Clone soldiers, they’re severely outmatched. To even the playing field, Palpatine suggests dropping electro-proton bombs that will shut down all the droids. They work like a charm, but their power awakens a creature living under the surface of the planet: the Zillo Beast. The giant reptile-like creature begins going on a rampage, and the Dug suggests using the fuel to kill it. It turns out that Zillo Beasts used to rule the planet, but when the Dug started siphoning fuel, the creatures began dropping dead.

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The Jedi are apprehensive about killing an endangered species, and Anakin even suggests that its armor may be useful to the Republic army. Palpatine demands that the monster be brought to Coruscant for study, despite Windu having concerns. The politician gets what he wants, and orders Doctor Sionver Boll to kill the creature upon its arrival. However, as soon as Boll releases some of the gas, the creature breaks free and tries to go after Palpatine, knowing he’s the one trying to end its life. The Zillo Beast not only shows off its strength but also its intelligence by locating the Senate building and attempting to kill Palpatine, who escapes by the skin of his teeth. It takes numerous Jedi to distract the beast long enough to allow gunships to release gas and finish it off. Coruscant is safe once again, but Palpatine isn’t done with the Zillo Beast.

The Zillo Beast Has Real Beef With the Dark Side

The Empire’s scientists successfully clone the Zillo Beast and send it to Mount Tantiss. Another clone, Omega, finds herself in the same facility and releases the creature to distract the Imperials while she and her friends escape. Around the same time, Darth Vader, the Sith Lord formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, engages in battle with the Benathy, an alien species that has no problem confronting the galaxy’s bully. They don’t defeat the Empire, but they do send Darth Vader running with his tail between his legs. The method they use to defeat the Dark Side user remains a mystery for years until Kylo Ren makes up for his grandfather’s loss in the Age of Resistance – Kylo Ren comic book.

When the First Order goes up against the Benathy, they hope to come to a peaceful resolution. However, Ren doesn’t want to hold hands and sing “Kumbaya,” so he decides to face the “god” that the Benathy worship, which turns out to be a Zillo Beast that makes quick work of the First Order’s ship. Wanting to make his grandfather proud, Ren jumps into the creature’s mouth and uses his lightsaber to tear it apart from the inside. The tactic proves effective and forces the Benathy to pledge their allegiance to the First Order. Despite losing in the end, beating Vader and forcing Ren to make a risky move proves just how formidable the Zillo Beast is.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is streaming on Disney+.

Do you think the Zillo Beast is the most powerful character in Star Wars? Would you like to see the creature appear in live-action? Let us know in the comments below!