Mylayas were a large species resembling a cat-like primate, notable for their extendable ears. Residing in the dense forests of the planet Kashyyyk, these creatures were utilized as mounts by members of the Wookiee species. In the period between 19 BBY and 18 BBY, inhabitants of a Wookiee sanctuary employed a trio of mylayas to transport Clone Force 99 along with the Jedi Gungi back to their settlement. Subsequently, these mounts were deployed in combat against an Imperial convoy comprised of Trandoshans and clone troopers.
Mylayas were massive beasts, a type of cat-like simian characterized by their prominent, telescoping ears. These quadrupeds were covered in fur and possessed slender tails with a distinct tuft of fur at the tip. Their fur exhibited a range of hues, including red, green, or yellow in color, often adorned with darker stripes along their limbs. A lighter-colored beard framed their mouth, which featured dark gray lips and a pair of sharp teeth projecting from the lower jaw.
Furthermore, mylayas possessed two black eyes and a broad, flat nose. Their paws were equipped with three elongated, clawed toes, accompanied by a smaller, fourth toe situated towards the rear of the palm. These creatures were capable of carrying a Wookiee and two armored adult humans in a saddle secured on their backs, enabling them to traverse the trees of the forest planet Kashyyyk with agility, emitting chattering and shrieking sounds as they moved.
Wookiee warriors tamed the impressive mylayas, training them to transport riders across the vast forests. This allowed the Wookiees to move through their home terrain more quickly, scouting the dense forests for any intruders.
Sometime around 19 BBY or 18 BBY, Wookiees residing within a sanctuary on Kashyyyk utilized mylayas as mounts to navigate the forests. Following the liberation of a resident of the sanctuary from Galactic Empire captivity by clones belonging to Clone Force 99 and the Wookiee Jedi Gungi, the freed Wookiee returned riding a mylaya, accompanied by two other Wookiees similarly mounted. This trio subsequently transported the clones and Gungi back to the sanctuary, delivering them to the base of the treetop settlement before ascending higher into the sanctuary.
Deciding to assist the Wookiee villagers in their fight against an approaching Imperial convoy, Clone Force 99 orchestrated an ambush. Several Wookiees, paired on mylayas, positioned themselves in the branches above the convoy's intended path. As the clones initiated the attack from the undergrowth below, the mylayas descended, enabling their riders to engage the Imperial forces, which consisted of clone troopers and Trandoshans.
After a Wookiee was shot from the back of a mylaya standing atop a destroyed Armored Assault Tank, its rider aggressively charged further into the conflict. However, the Wookiees and their allies soon retreated, intending to draw the Imperials closer to a nearby netcaster nest. As they lured the Imperials deeper, one of the mylayas jumped onto another active tank and swiped the Trandoshan on its [turret](/article/turret] away through the air before leaping away again. Ultimately, the Imperials were defeated when the netcasters swarmed them as planned.
The mylaya, though unnamed at the time, made their debut in "Tribe," the sixth episode of the second season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which was broadcast on February 1, 2023. The creatures' identification was confirmed through official promotional materials associated with the show, released by Walt Disney Studios via Getty Images on the same day as the episode's airing.
Supervising director Dave Filoni initially conceived the creatures for an unfinished arc of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, which was set on Kashyyyk and written by Matt Michnovetz. George Lucas envisioned the Wookiees possessing knowledge of giant tree spirits that they could summon and ride. In response, Filoni sketched a Wookiee mounted on the creature that would later become the mylaya for Lucas's consideration.
Lucas expressed dissatisfaction with the creature's head in the original sketch. Consequently, Filoni covered it with a post-it note and drew a revised face, which Lucas approved. The original intent was for riding these creatures to symbolize the Wookiees' harmonious relationship with nature and to represent a religious practice for the species, who would have disliked riding the creatures into battle. Filoni initially unveiled the concept sketch for these creatures at Celebration Anaheim in 2015.