Nexu / Legends Nexus were feline creatures native to the chilly forests of the Indona continent on the planet of Cholganna . Characteristics . There were other breeds of nexus on Cholganna ' s other continents , but only the forest nexu had an additional set of eyes able to view in infrared wavelength , which aided in their hunting of bark rat s and tree - climbing octopi . They were often exported and trained as security beasts , as used for patrolling on Malastare , or used in arena combat , as seen on Geonosis . Nexus were 4 . 5 meters long and generally 1 meter tall . The nexus appeared to be feline in nature , with claws which could slice a Human in half . They had quills along their back , and a long tail that in the wild allowed the nexu to swing from tree branch to tree branch . The tail also split into two equal sections for a better grip on the tree branch they were swinging from . They had extremely sharp instincts and reflexes , although they were known to tire easily , and often used swift movements to finish an enemy quickly , biting down and thrashing their head about to break their victim ' s neck . Cubs were born pure white . A particularly stealthy variety was the black nexu ; this species was also one of the rarest . History . Too vicious to be kept in zoos and difficult to train as watch - beast s , they were instead sought after for arena battles where their ferocity was much appreciated by spectators ( It was the most favored monster ) . This resulted in many big - game hunters making regular visits to Cholganna , hoping to capture a live nexu for export . Many hunters ended up dead however , when tracking prides of nexus , and as a result fees for live nexus often ranged up to half a million credits per animal . Buyers such as Senator Ask Aak of Malastare and Archduke Poggle the Lesser of Geonosis willingly paid such prices however , in order to add these magnificent creatures to their collections . In 32 BBY , after the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation , the bounty hunter Jango Fett faced many nexus on his visit to Malastare , during his hunt for Komari Vosa . A nexu was used during the attempted execution of Padmé Amidala prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars , and its actions could be considered typical of the species . It would climb towards its victim , strike , then return to the ground quickly , waiting to see if its enemy would strike back . It was an extremely aggressive creature , snapping , clawing and roaring in the general direction of Amidala . When a Geonosian guard attempted to direct it with a blast from his static pike , this only served to irritate the creature further and the guard was quickly devoured . An agile hunter that sacrificed bone mass for speed , a kick from Amidala knocked it down , weakening its tender body greatly . A reek , steered by Anakin Skywalker , finally rammed the stunned nexu , killing it instantly . After asking for a pet for years , Skywalker and Amidala ' s great - granddaughter Allana Solo was given a nexu cub in 43 ABY . This was after Leia Organa Solo killed the baby nexu ' s mother to save an Ithorian , who was under attack from the creature at the Coruscant Livestock Exchange and Exhibition . She named the baby cub Anji . By 130 ABY , wild nexus were a common and dangerous sight on Coruscant and tourists were advised to stay with their groups when sightseeing on the capital . The nexu were usually seen in areas of the planet still scarred by the Yuuzhan Vong war , a hundred years prior . Behind the scenes . The nexu seen in was nicknamed as " Bad Kitty " by the ILM animation team during production of the film . Art Department concept sculptor Robert Barnes developed the look of the nexu , after several early sketches depicted rather literal interpretations of a . By intermixing different species traits , like and even human characteristics , Barnes was able to develop an unsettlingly vicious design . In the non - canon comicbook " " , Jabba Desilijic Tiure has a pair of nexus that are later released by the protagonists , instead of his infamous rancor . These nexus ravage Jabba ' s throne room , and it is later remarked that a better choice for a pet would be something more stable — like a rancor , hinting that Jabba might have really had nexus prior to " Return of the Jedi " . However , since this story is an " alternate reality " , it is not considered canon .