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- "Take a look at all these Beldons."
"I think it's cute you study a planet's wildlife before we visit."
"If they make the Tibanna Gas the Empire needs, the Beldons are mission critical." - ―Del Meeko and Iden Versio
Beldons were a large species native to the gas giant Bespin. They lived in the planet's lower atmosphere and could be found in large herds.
Biology and appearance
They used the long tendrils on their bodies to gather atmospheric plankton and chemicals. These became tibanna gas, a valuable commodity that formed the basis of Bespin's economy, through a metabolic process.[2]
Beldons measured anywhere from 0.8 to 10 kilometers in width, and they had bodies filled with orange gas bladders that allowed them to float. These creatures used their fleshy fins for propulsion. They were preyed upon by velkers, and their remains often served as food for crab gliders.[2]
Behind the scenes
Beldons first appeared in Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, a Star Wars Legends reference book written by Jonatha Ariadne Caspian that was released in 1989 by West End Games. The species was confirmed to exist in Star Wars canon by the reference book Ultimate Star Wars, which was released in 2015.
Appearances
- Star Wars: Starfighter Missions
- Star Wars Battlefront II (First appearance)
- "Into the Clouds" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook)
Non-canon appearances
Sources
- Star Wars Helmet Collection: Stormtrooper Databank A-Z: Barada–Depa Billaba (First pictured)
- Ultimate Star Wars (First mentioned)
- Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy
- Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy