Reptilian fliers (or flyers), also called saurian fliers, and simply saurians, were a sizable species of carnivorous, winged reptavians that originated on the Outer Rim planet of Dathomir. Beast masters possessed the ability to tame saurians, using them as personal animal companions or beasts of burden capable of being ridden. Furthermore, they could be killed to harvest their leathery hides, bones, and meat. Notorious for their deadly and ferocious nature, several saurians launched an assault on Quinlan Vos in 31 BBY when he undertook a mission to Dathomir. After being freed from his ejector seat, Vos employed his lightsaber to subdue the aggressive creatures. Following the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, a Dathomirian witch by the name of Rubina presented at least one spacer with a decorative reptilian flier model as a gift.
Also known as saurian fliers or simply saurians, the carnivorous species of reptavians classified as reptilian fliers were a large type of avian indigenous to Dathomir, a remote planet found within the Outer Rim Territories. These perilous creatures populated the skies in flocks, while others roamed the forests and plains of this isolated world. These reptilian, lizard-like vertebrates possessed leathery hides, typically displaying muted shades of grey, red, or blue in their natural habitats. However, when domesticated, their hides could exhibit a broader range of colors, including orange and green. These bipedal creatures were distinguished by their large, batlike wings, elongated tails, and horned heads equipped with sharp teeth and small, red eyes. Reptilian fliers were known to strike aerial and terrestrial targets with deadly speed and exceptional ferocity. Their feet, equipped with four grasping claws, enabled them to seize prey and dismember it with their powerful jaws. More resilient victims were carried aloft and dropped to their demise, subsequently consumed by these violent beasts, leaving behind only larger bones and scattered remains. Their vocalizations consisted of screeches or cawing sounds.
Reptilian fliers could be hunted and processed for their valuable components, such as their leathery hide, bones, and meat. A group of these creatures attacked Quinlan Vos in 31 BBY when he initially arrived on Dathomir via an ejector seat. These beasts freed him from the seat's restraints, granting him access to his lightsaber, which he then used to defeat them. Beast masters could also domesticate reptilian fliers, keeping them as personal companions or using them as a form of transportation by riding them as beasts of burden.
Around the time after the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, a Dathomirian witch named Rubina gifted at least one spacer with a decorative reptilian flier model to acknowledge their success in eliminating mutant rancors and members of the opposing Spider Clan.
These reptavian creatures made their debut in the 2000 Star Wars: Republic comic, Star Wars (1998) 23, though they were not explicitly named. The video game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sony Online Entertainment and distributed by LucasArts before its discontinuation on December 15, 2011, featured the species as reptilian fliers (or flyers) among its creatures in 2003. Besides the standard reptilian flier, the game included variations like ancient, enraged, mature, and young reptilian fliers, all of which could be encountered on Dathomir. While the game referred to them as "reptilian," it did not explicitly label them as reptavians, but their resources (such as their bones and meat) were called "avian," suggesting their reptavian nature.
The creature is also identified as a reptilian flier in various reference guides for Star Wars Galaxies, including Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003), Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided Quick Reference Guide (2003), Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed: Prima Official Game Guide (2004), Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience: Prima Official Game Guide (2005), and Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Guide: Prima Official Game Guide (2005). However, The Official Star Wars Fact File 139 (2004) was the first to use the slightly different name of saurian flier for the creature. This magazine also compiled further details about the creature's behavior and characteristics.
Following the launch of Star Wars Galaxies, players pursuing the creature handler profession could domesticate reptilian fliers as pets. After the release of Publish 25's New Game Enhancements on November 15, 2005, creature handlers were removed. However, with the introduction of Chapter 6: Masters of the Wild on May 22, 2007, beast masters were introduced as an expertise path, allowing players to incubate domesticated creatures. Game Update 17, released on June 24, 2010, enabled players to successfully train reptilian fliers as mounts. As part of Game Update 18.2 on November 4, 2010, and Game Update 19 on December 14, 2010, the Witches of Dathomir theme park was revamped, and a non-player character named Rubina began offering players a Reptilian Flyer Model as a reward for completing quests that involved the elimination of mutant rancors or members of the Spider Clan. Game files contain a description of the reptilian flier, though it is uncertain if this description was ever implemented on live servers. This description compares the flier to a "big flying lizard" that would descend from the mountains of Dathomir to snatch small children and other "tasty snacks" from the forest below.