Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian season 2, episode 1.
The Mandalorian season 2 featured an appearance by a beast known as the krayt dragon, including the legendary pearls found in the creature’s body. Star Wars has introduced several notable monsters since the franchise’s launch in 1977, but krayt dragons had only been alluded to until one wreaked havoc on Tatooine in season 2’s premiere, titled “The Marshal.” The krayt dragon finally made its live-action debut, and it was a memorable sequence of events as Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his new allies attempted to slay the beast.
“The Marshal” followed Din and the Child travel back to Tatooine searching for a rumored Mandalorian. Their intel took them to Mos Pelgo, a small mining community guarded by Marshal Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), a man wearing Mandalorian armor. In exchange for the armor, Din agreed to help Cobb kill a krayt dragon that resided in an abandoned Sarlacc pit. The pair team up with local Tusken Raiders since they too were being terrorized by the giant sand creature. Along with members of the mining community, the group succeeded in killing the krayt dragon.
The creature’s presence finally added more context to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s reference to a krayt dragon in A New Hope. In Legends, formerly known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, krayt dragons were more prominent, as was a valuable object found in their gizzards. In The Mandalorian, the Tusken Raiders salvaged meat from the dragon carcass before one of them was seen celebrating after finding a large pearl. This krayt dragon pearl was once said to be stones that the creatures would eat to help with digestion. Over time, the stone became rounded into a sphere, becoming more of a pearl-like object. The pearls were extremely valuable across the galaxy — and they also had a unique connection to lightsabers.
The Importance Of Krayt Dragon Pearls In Legends
In Legends, krayt dragon pearls were used in lightsabers since their refractive properties were similar to that of kyber crystals. After obtaining a pearl, it needed to be cleaned, prepared and installed properly in a lightsaber, which was a very difficult process. According to the 2019 sourcebook, Star Wars: Gadgets and Gear, krayt dragons had a history of ingesting stones that directly contained kyber crystals. Those pearly stones were also used in lightsabers, and the power source was known for emitting a very powerful blade.
Throughout the Star Wars universe, krayt dragon pearls were extremely rare, whether it was present in Legends or canon material. Claiming a pearl from the carcass of a slain dragon was a celebratory achievement. Obtaining the smooth stone resulted in a reward of up to a hundred thousand credits. To Tusken Raiders, the pearls were a sign of bravery and were often displayed as a trophy of sorts. It’s unclear what the Sand People in The Mandalorian intended to do with their krayt dragon pearl, but they were surely excited about their rare find.