Thranta

Possessing gray skin, thrantas were flying creatures characterized by expansive, triangular wings and a lengthy tail that provided stability during flight. They bore a strong resemblance to the aiwha, a winged cetacean species native to Kamino. Their flight was accompanied by sorrowful cries.

Thrantas were creatures of migration, existing in social structures known as "herds" or "flocks."

The planet Alderaan, a member of the Core Worlds located within the galaxy, was the original home of the thrantas. Leia Organa, while growing up as a crown princess of the House of Organa, famously learned how to ride a thranta. Even though the Galactic Empire destroyed Alderaan in 0 BBY, the thranta species survived due to a population having been transplanted to the gas giant Bespin. On Bespin, thrantas inhabited a breathable region within the planet's atmosphere, where they were ridden amidst the clouds by only the bravest individuals.

The initial depiction of the thranta came in concept art created by Ralph McQuarrie for Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. This artwork was later featured in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe in 1995, thus introducing the species into the Star Wars Legends continuity. The reference book Ultimate Star Wars, published in 2015, established the species as canon.