The massiff represented a species of reptilian predators that posed a threat; they were located across [desert](/article/desert] planets, notably both Tatooine and Geonosis. These massiffs were tamed to fulfill roles as sentries and guards, with the Tusken Raiders of Tatooine being one group that utilized them.
The massiff was a four-legged creature, short and stocky, characterized by a line of spines running along its arched back. A reptile's age could be determined by the size of these spines, which served as a defensive adaptation. In addition to these spines, which provided an additional layer of protection, these creatures possessed armored hides. Massiffs, being native to desert regions, were growling hunters with a bite that was both strong and dangerous. Their mouths had the ability to open extremely wide, revealing a set of long, dagger-like teeth. The creature possessed large eyes that were adapted for excellent vision at night and in low-light conditions. A typical massiff stood approximately one meter tall, and this species could be found on various worlds, generally in desert-like environments such as Tatooine, Geonosis, and also Florrum.
Massiffs were frequently domesticated and put through training to serve as sentries and guards. The Tusken Raiders, Weequay pirates, and even the clone troopers who made up the Grand Army of the Republic all employed massiffs as guard animals. During the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars], ARF troopers would train massiffs to be trackers. A particular massiff, known as Grizzer, was used by the clone trooper sergeant who had the nickname "Hound." Grizzer's purpose was to track the Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano on Coruscant after she escaped the Republic military base.
Following the Clone Wars, the Imperial Military also made use of massiffs. On Daro, a planet that housed a clandestine Imperial base dedicated to training the initial recruits of stormtroopers, massiffs were deployed to track the clone commando Gregor after he deserted and attempted to flee. During one point in the pursuit, Gregor found himself surrounded by the creatures as he secretly placed a rescue beacon within the woods; however, he managed to escape them, only to be later captured and imprisoned in Cellblock 25. As Gregor was rescued by the deserters of Clone Force 99, more of the creatures were deployed, and they were with the soldiers who captured the squad leader named "Hunter" after he became separated from the group and fell down the side of the mountain where the base was hidden. Later, three clone troopers were using a massiff to patrol the shipyard on Coruscant. When Clone Force 99 was attempting to reach Vice Admiral Rampart's Venator-class Star Destroyer, Echo observed the massiff and the troopers, and he informed the other clones that there was not sufficient cover for them to cross without being detected.
During the Imperial Era on the planet Niamos, it was against the law to walk a massiff without a leash, and anyone who did so would face prosecution. After bounty hunter Boba Fett made his escape from inside the sarlacc within the Great Pit of Carkoon, he was taken captive by a Tusken Raider tribe. They used a massiff to watch over Fett and another prisoner. Fett tried to escape, and he knocked out the massiff during the attempt and used its teeth to sever the ropes that were holding him. The massiff regained consciousness and gave chase to the bounty hunter, tackling him to the ground and enabling his recapture. The massiff later went with one of the tribe's younglings as the youngling led Fett and the Rodian to dig for black melons. During this process, they awakened a sand beast that was buried beneath the sand. The massiff, in an effort to defend the youngling, attacked the creature but was struck and rendered unconscious.
In 9 ABY, Din Djarin, the Mandalorian bounty hunter, encountered a group of massiffs on Tatooine. While his companion Cobb Vanth became anxious, Djarin started to communicate with the massiffs, calmly allowing one to approach him before petting it and meeting with the Tusken Raider tribe that accompanied them.
The massiff's origins can be traced back to a concept design for the orray. In particular, the massiff took the aggressive and threatening look of the early orray concepts. The massiff was considered too menacing to be a simple pack animal, so it was changed to a dog-sized lizard that would attack Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis in a scene that was removed from Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Following the removal of this scene, the massiffs were moved to Tatooine, where they took the place of a creature design originally called a faybo as guard dogs for the Tusken Raiders.