Sarlaccs, formidable carnivorous organisms, were native to Tatooine and various other planets scattered across the galaxy. They shared evolutionary origins with species such as the rathtar, blixus, and vixus. A particular sarlacc, known as the "almighty Sarlacc", resided within the Great Pit of Carkoon, a sandy depression situated in Tatooine's Dune Sea. It was a prized possession and method of execution for Jabba the Hutt.
Sarlaccs were present on planets like Felucia, I'vorcia Prime, Pasaana, Tatooine, and Vodran. Their life cycle began as spores, facilitating their dispersal over vast distances. When a male and a female encountered each other, the smaller male would act as a parasite, consuming the female and reducing her size while simultaneously growing himself. Once the male reached the original size of the female, he would explode, releasing countless spores into the air and atmosphere.
Upon reaching maturity after a period of 30,000 years, sarlaccs would bury themselves approximately 100 meters beneath the surface, preying on unfortunate creatures and humanoids that stumbled into their mouths. Victims would succumb to toxic fumes, dying from either suffocation or the effects of the creature's acid, or a combination of both. Jabba the Hutt claimed that prey were digested over millennia due to the sarlacc's weak stomach acid. Boba Fett, during his escape, noticed the remains of a stormtrooper, likely from a search party from years prior. Despite the weak acid, it still managed to dissolve holes in the stormtrooper's armor and scar Boba Fett after only a few hours.
Reaching a height of one hundred meters, its entire form remained hidden beneath the sand, with the exception of its enormous mouth and beaked tongue. The organism possessed two mouths, with the second situated deep within its cavernous body. Numerous appendages extended from its buried body, and it contained multiple stomachs. Prey was swallowed whole, and the mouth was lined with rows of hundreds of spear-shaped teeth, preventing escape. Sarlaccs exhibited considerable resilience, as evidenced by the "almighty Sarlacc" surviving internal injuries inflicted by Boba Fett as he tore and burned his way out of its stomach. This particular sarlacc survived for at least five more years after these injuries, before Fennec Shand killed it using a seismic charge dropped from Slave I.
The krayt dragon was a predator of the sarlacc. Tusken Raiders believed that krayt dragons were capable of consuming sarlaccs alive, subsequently inhabiting the resulting cavity, only emerging when hungry or disturbed. Following the death of a sarlacc, its remains were rapidly scavenged, primarily because a pristine tooth from the second mouth fetched a high price on the black market.
Xenobiologists debated whether the sarlacc was an animal or an unusual carnivorous plant, but its dangerous nature deterred extensive study. The sarlacc shared a common ancestor with the rathtar, blixus, and vixus, all of which possessed a large maw, tentacles, and a ravenous appetite. Each species, native to different worlds, adapted uniquely to become a formidable hunter in its specific environment, with the sarlacc evolving into the largest and least mobile of its kin.
A sarlacc was referenced on a bill displayed in the Power Sliders diner during the Clone Wars.
Kay Vess, a criminal seeking to enhance the firepower of her starship, struck a bargain with Jawas on Tatooine to acquire a tooth from the second mouth of a sarlacc, a valuable commodity on the black market.
After Luke Skywalker killed Jabba's rancor Pateesa as part of his rescue of Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, Jabba, enraged, ordered their execution by feeding them to the almighty sarlacc. Luke warned that this would be the last mistake that Jabba would ever make, but Jabba, unimpressed, had the group escorted out. Upon arrival at the Great Pit of Carkoon, Skywalker, utilizing his newly acquired skills as a Jedi Knight, rescued the group, resulting in several of Jabba's guards becoming victims of the sarlacc. Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, was also knocked into the sarlacc's mouth by Han Solo. The creature, unable to react quickly, sustained injuries when Jabba's sail barge, Khetanna, exploded.
Subsequently, Boba Fett regained consciousness within the sarlacc's stomach. Choking on its gases, he discovered the remains of a stormtrooper and connected the armor's oxygen tube to his helmet. Regaining his breath, Fett punched through the sarlacc's stomach and burned his way out using his armor's flamethrower, laboriously digging to the surface. However, the creature survived until 9 ABY, when Fennec Shand, a Master Assassin, killed it by dropping a seismic charge from Slave I into its maw.
Unkar Plutt, a junk dealer, advised Dathan that Pasaana would be a suitable location to lose Ochi of Bestoon, citing the Sarlaccs inhabiting the world as one of its many hazards. During the Cold War, a Resistance squad known as J-Squadron landed on Vodran and encountered a Sarlacc that attempted to consume them.
The sarlacc's sound in Return of the Jedi was created by combining alligator hisses with sounds of the Jedi crew's stomachs after consuming pizza.
Despite The Star Wars Book (2020) classifying them as non-sentient, the short story "My Mouth Never Closes" (2023) depicted them as sentient beings.