Ronto

"We got a couple unruly rontos that could use a steady hand. Can you handle that?"

―Cobb Vanth, to Malakili^[5]

Rontos were four-legged saurian herbivores native to the desert world of Tatooine. Skittish yet gentle and strong, they were the favored pack animals and mounts of the indigenous Jawas.

Biology and appearance

Enraged Ronto-Suns-of-Fortune — An enraged ronto rears up on his hind legs

A ronto was a huge saurian of imposing size and appearance. Standing on four legs, rontos had small eyes,^[2] pointed ears, and beak-like mouths.^[6] Rontos had excellent hearing and a superb sense of smell. They had poor eyesight, so they were startled by sudden movement.^[7]

Although well-suited to desert environments such as their indigenous homeworld of Tatooine, rontos required a great deal of water to survive. They shed heat through their skin, and the flap-like folds framing their faces, which they extended to cover their eyes during sandstorms.^[2] Their great strength and hardiness made them ideal mounts.^[8]

Behavior

Although possessing an imposing size and appearance, rontos were skittish and easily startled. Easily domesticated, rontos were utilized by the Jawas as beasts of burden to haul cargo to and from trading posts, as well as mounts. These animals were loyal to their masters,^[2] and were both gentle and strong.^[9]

Rontos in the galaxy

"If you can help us with the rontos, maybe the Hutt, you've got a place at Freetown. How's that sound, friend?"

―Cobb Vanth, to Malakili^[5]

Ronto in Mos Eisley — A ronto in the streets of Mos Eisley

Rontos were popular among the Jawas of Tatooine,^[10] and became the favored pack animal of the species,^[9] which domesticated them as mounts and beasts of burden to carry cargo between trading posts.^[2] These rontos were seen making routine journeys to and from the desert planet's settlements, swaying under the weight of cargo or Jawa passengers.^[9] Rontos were seen in Mos Espa^[11] and were a common sight in Mos Eisley, where many were ridden by the spaceport's citizens. On one occasion during Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi's trip to the city, a reckless rider startled a ronto into rearing up and unseating his Jawa passengers,^[12] leaving one dangling from the reigns.^[6]

Grakkus the Hutt kept a menagerie of beasts in his palace on Nar Shaddaa, holding a ronto among his caged creatures at the time of Luke Skywalker's encounter with the crime lord during the Galactic Civil War.^[13]^[14]

During the early months of the New Republic, Cobb Vanth and Issa-Or owned two unruly rontos which required the steady hand of a beastmaster, and offered the job to Malakili after saving the former rancor tamer from the Red Key Raiders. Malakili accepted in exchange for payment and a homestead in Freetown.^[5]

During the war between the First Order and the Resistance, ronto meat was used to make Ronto Wraps and Ronto Morning Wraps, a dish served at Ronto Roasters in Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu.^[15]

The term "pronto-ronto" was an adverb that meant promptly, quickly.^[16]

Behind the scenes

The ronto was created for the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope,^[17] and was designed by artist TyRuben Ellingson, who modeled his concepts after elephants, rhinos, and dinosaurs.^[18] Industrial Light & Magic modified the Brachiosaurus model from Jurassic Park to create the ronto, and its animators referred to the creature as "Bronto" throughout production. George Lucas dropped the "b" from the nickname when asked what the creature was to be called.^[17]