Lesser Nydaks, alternatively referred to simply as Nydaks, were predatory beings originating from the Outer Rim Territories planet of Dathomir. These carnivorous and intensely aggressive creatures utilized their robust arms to navigate Dathomir's diverse landscapes. The numerous Lesser Nydaks were under the dominion of the Nydak Alpha, a larger, more powerful variant. The native Nightbrother warriors held the Nydaks in great fear, labeling them as the "scourge of Dathomir." During a mission to Dathomir in 14 BBY, the Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis encountered several of these Nydaks.
Nydaks, also known as Lesser Nydaks, were semi-bipedal creatures native to the Outer Rim Territories planet of Dathomir. Their skin was a mix of beige and dark-gray, and they possessed black eyes separated by prominent nostrils. The creatures had two substantial tusks on either side of their [mouth](/article/mouth], with slightly protruding jaws. Nydaks displayed sharp spikes on their arms and backs, along with a smaller spike on the outer side of each foot. Their strong forelimbs enabled them to climb and traverse challenging terrains. They had six fingers and toes, each ending in a claw. Nydaks featured armor plating along their backs, terminating in a short tail. The Nydak Alpha, a distinct subtype of the Lesser Nydak, exhibited blue skin and a greater number of spikes compared to its lesser counterparts. They were both larger and more dominant than the typical Lesser Nydaks.
Within the Dathomirian ecosystem, Nydaks functioned as apex predators, with chirodactyls representing their only natural threat. Being carnivorous and exceptionally aggressive, they frequently employed their elongated, lean arms to initiate potent, rapid attacks. Their agility, combined with their specialized arms, allowed them to navigate terrain in unique ways, facilitating ambushes on their prey. When facing near-death circumstances, Nydaks would launch a final offensive against their target before succumbing.
Lesser Nydaks typically led solitary lives, rarely forming packs beyond their adolescent stage. They inhabited dens, such as those located in the Halls of the Nydak region, which was named after these creatures.
Dathomirian legends suggest that the Nightsisters, a coven of Dathomirian female witches indigenous to Dathomir, kept Nydaks as familiars. The Nightbrothers, Dathomirian male warriors subservient to the Nightsisters, harbored fear towards the Nydaks, referring to them as the "scourge of Dathomir." By 14 BBY, the Nydaks were hunted by the chirodactyl Gorgara, whom the Nightbrothers called "the winged daemon of the canyon." Before the massacre of the Nightsisters by General Grievous and his Separatist Droid Army in 20 BBY, the Nightsister Merrin had a pet bramble lynx named Teeno who had a fondness for Nydaks' blood.
In 14 BBY, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis visited Dathomir as part of a secret mission to rebuild the Jedi Order. Shortly after disembarking from the Stinger Mantis luxury yacht and briefly exploring Dathomir's landscape, Kestis noticed a Nydak on the cliffs above. He communicated to his droid, BD-1, his unfamiliarity with the creature and its seemingly hostile nature.
During a subsequent visit to Dathomir, the Jedi encountered more Nydaks, including one confined to a pit where rogue Nightbrothers were cast by their peers as an example, ultimately becoming prey for the creature. Later, between 12 BBY and 11 BBY, Kestis likened the experience of briefly staying somewhere after encountering trouble to ending up in a Nydak's den and remaining hidden.
By 14 BBY, the Haxion Brood crime syndicate had captured and detained several Nydaks from Dathomir within the holding cells of the asteroid space station Ordo Eris' Gelid Dungeon. These Nydaks were intended for use in gladiatorial combat within the Haxion Fight Pit. Shortly after Kestis's initial departure from Dathomir, he was captured by the Haxion Brood and imprisoned on Ordo Eris.
Nydaks made their debut appearance in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which was developed by Respawn Entertainment and launched on November 15, 2019. The concept art for the Nydaks was created by Jean-Francois Rey, who produced several distinct iterations of the creature. Rey's concepts depicted Nydaks with a greater abundance of spikes across their bodies, including on their backs, where they replaced the armor plating seen in the final version. The artist also experimented with the number of digits on the Nydaks, with some designs featuring a total of eight toes and fingers. One design positioned the eyes further apart, while another rendered them smaller and closer to the nostrils. Notably, none of these three designs included the tusks that are present in the final in-game model of the Nydaks. Vince Rizzi sculpted a version of the finished model. Rey and Rizzi's artworks were showcased in the game's artbook The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which was released on November 19, 2019.
In Fallen Order's 2023 sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the animations and behaviors of the Nydaks from the previous game were repurposed for the sutabans found on the moon Jedha. Similar to the Nydaks, the game also features a Sutaban subtype known as the Sutaban Alpha.