The Mandalorian‘s second episode of season two should definitely come with a warning: do not watch if you’re afraid of bugs! A big portion of the adventure involves the Mandalorian, Baby Yoda, and their temporary passengers fleeing from a swarm of incredibly creepy spider-like creatures. Although these monsters are new to Star Wars, they’re visually inspired by art dating back to the era of the original trilogy.
Initially, eagle-eyed fans may have thought these spiders were Krykna, an alien species first seen in concept art for The Empire Strikes Back and later shown on the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak, however, debunked that theory on Twitter. In answer to a fan asking for clarity on whether the spiders on The Mandalorian were Krykna or something else, Szostak tweeted, “