The dagger thorn was a hand-held melee weapon of extended length and white hue, terminating in a sharp point. Its user would engage enemies at close quarters, attempting to pierce them with its tip, which secreted a poisonous sap potent enough to cause death to a Human target with just a minor wound. During the era of the Galactic Civil War, a species member of the Ultaarian Greenback race, equipped with a dagger thorn in each of his four hands, participated in the Big Game, a gladiatorial contest held on the Wheel, a space station. In the initial round, the warrior faced the Human smuggler Han Solo, who threw a power shield at the giant's feet. The four-armed combatant stumbled and impaled himself on one of his own dagger thorns; though the poison's effects were delayed, he perished during his attack.
Dagger thorns are depicted in Star Wars (1977) 20, a part of the Star Wars comic book series by Marvel, initially released in February of 1979. Archie Goodwin wrote the story, while Carmine Infantino and Bob Wiacek provided the illustrations.