The etobi were a species of quadrupedal creature native to Pasaana, a desert [planet](/article/planet]; these non-sentient animals served as mounts for the inhabitants. The local Aki-Aki species, who are sentient, crafted toys and decorative items resembling the etobi, highlighting their four eyes, a pair of mandible pincers, and an elongated neck. These creatures also functioned as mounts and pack animals on Tatooine, another desert planet, where Rey Skywalker, a Jedi, encountered an elder accompanied by a saddled etobi near the Lars homestead in 35 ABY.
Etobi were quadruped animals, distinguished by their hooved feet, long necks, and non-sentient nature, showing similarities to both the eopie and the giraffe. Their bodies were covered in fur, featuring a darker orange topcoat with striking black stripes, providing effective camouflage within their desert environment.
The lighter, white fur on their undersides served as countershading, blending with the sky to protect them from predators viewing from below. An etobi's head was characterized by four black eyes encircled by white markings, two furred ears, and a pair of black mandible pincers used for grasping food and for defense.
Originating from the planet [Pasaana](/article/pasaana], etobi served as mounts for the local population. The Aki-Aki, who are sentient, created etobi-themed toys and decorations for their younglings, reflecting their cultural values. During the Aki-Aki Festival of the Ancestors in 35 ABY, hand-painted wood carvings, busts, and full statues of etobi were available, symbolizing the species' belief that the children were their future.
Later in that year, on Tatooine, a human elder was seen near the ruined [Lars homestead](/article/lars_homestead] with a saddled etobi, which were also used as mounts and pack animals there. Upon encountering Rey Skywalker, a Jedi, the elder inquired about her name. Assuming they were headed to a trading post, Skywalker identified herself, after which the elder departed with the etobi. Ardis San Tekka, the Director of Creature Cartography at the Galactic Society of Creature Enthusiasts, later included an illustrated entry about etobi in her journal.
The etobi made its debut in Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, a film from the sequel trilogy released on December 20, 2019. Jake Lunt Davies created several concept art pieces for the film, including "Fen Stilts 1B," which depicted the creatures with curled trunks and elongated ears in a marsh setting, initially planned as the Aki-Aki's habitat. Davies envisioned that the creatures' long legs, height, and trunks would enable them to navigate the swampy environment more effectively.
This design, featuring similar trunks, also appeared alongside Aki-Aki in a desert setting in Davies' "Elephantine Alien 17" design, exploring a potential evolutionary link between the two species. At the request of director J.J. Abrams, the trunks were replaced with mandible pincers in Davies' head study, "Giraffes 09," although the creatures retained the longer ears. These ears were later shortened to avoid confusion with the long-eared fathiers from the 2017 film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi.
A sculpt of the creature with shortened ears was created and subsequently painted by Davies for the concept art "Giraffes 12 Smaller Ears," although Davies expressed regret over the ear modification. Abrams was sufficiently impressed with the creatures that three were fabricated for the film shoot, although only one made it into the final cut. While not explicitly identified in the film, the "etobi" designation first appeared on labels for the Aki-Aki carvings in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, a reference book by Pablo Hidalgo released concurrently with the film.