The rock-lion, or Zalorian rock-lion, was a type of species that originated from the planet of Zaloriis. These rock-lions lived within the Fantain Mountains, a mountain range where they sought refuge among the rocks, finding protection from the harsh winds of the planet.
It was said that Basilisk war droids bore a resemblance to either an armored rock-lion or a hybrid of a rock-lion and a Karran beetle. After the death of Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan in 19 BBY, Jedi Master Kina Ha likened the responsibility of the Jedi to a rock-lion guarding a gate, prepared to sacrifice itself to safeguard others.
The first reference to rock-lions appeared in the Zaloriis databank entry within Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, a video game released by LucasArts in 2001. The complete identification of the species as the Zalorian rock-lion occurred in "The History of the Mandalorians," an article authored by Abel G. Peña. This article was featured in Star Wars Insider, specifically in the eightieth issue, which was released to subscribers and sold at newsstands during January of 2005.