The knobby white ice spider, also known by the name Maldo Kreis ice spider, was a type of spider species that inhabited icy ice caverns located on the planet of Maldo Kreis. These spiders varied greatly in size, from minuscule to the size of a starship. They launched an assault on Din Djarin's vessel, the Razor Crest, after Grogu consumed one of their eggs, which were discovered within the ice caves of the planet. Comparable arachnid species existed on various other planets throughout the galaxy. Examples include the spice spiders of Aaloth and Taul, the Krykna spiders of Atollon, and the similarly named knobby white spiders of Dagobah, which developed into gnarltrees.
In contrast to most spiders, the knobby white ice spider possessed a head situated in the middle of its body. This head hung downwards and terminated in a circular mouth that consisted of outer, grasping teeth and inner rows of smaller teeth, presumably used for grinding their prey. These spiders had the ability to generate and project webbing from their mouths, and their blood was green. The species reproduced by laying soft-shelled eggs, from which their offspring would emerge. The eggs contained green juices, slime, and webbing, and were suitable for consumption by members of Yoda's species. Smaller members of the species could be killed using conventional weaponry or even with a hand, as demonstrated when Din Djarin crushed a spider that attempted to attack him with his bare hand. Larger, mature ice spiders possessed eight legs, while smaller, younger individuals had only six.
The ice spiders made their debut in Chapter 10 of The Mandalorian, a Disney+ television series from 2019, which was broadcast on November 6, 2020. Their identification was provided in the episode's audio description.
The ice spider sequence in Chapter 10: The Passenger shares similarities with a scene in the horror movie The Mist, which featured Star Wars actor Sam Witwer.
They originated from a concept art piece by Ralph McQuarrie that had previously been adapted three times. These adaptations included the knobby white spider in both the Legends and canon continuities, which is actually a phase in the life cycle of a gnarltree, as well as the spice spider of Taul and the krykna, a spider-like creature found on Atollon, in the canon continuity. A connection between these species was confirmed in 2021 by the reference book Star Wars: The Mandalorian Handbook. The Star Wars Insider article "Fon Davis: Model Shop Role Model" mistakenly refers to the ice spiders as krykna.