Thrantas

I just noticed something recently. On Alderaan there are meant to be flying animals called Thrantas. They are huge and in Aldera City they carry around people on little carriages on their back.
Well in TPM, during the Battle of Naboo on the plains the Gungans were supposed to use "air whales," large flying beasts to battle with the Trade Federation STAPs. But the idea was soon scrapped.
Well I was thinking that the reason it may have been scrapped is because Lucas wanted to leave the idea for Episode 2 or 3 where a battle may take place on Alderaan. This would be because he could show us the Thrantas in action with warriors riding on top of them. What do you guys think?

I think it sounds great..I wish we could have seen some concept sketches of the air whales..

There were some in the Art of Episode 1 Book.

I doubt Thrantas would be used in fighting. The "whales" as you mentioned could be made to fight on Alderaan. I mean, Thrantas are like dogs and cats, they are domesticated, and using them to fight is like getting yourself a guardparakeet.

Well even so, I'm sure they may have different trained Thrantas in their stables. Some they may train for basic transport and others they may train for fighting.

Being a avian creature, Thrantas would be trained in hangars. 😛

Sorry I'm not too good with animals. Even so, I still think its a good possibility that we will be seeing them. Why else would Lucas have removed the Whales from the Gungan Battle when they would have looked so good fighting against the STAPs?

You already said that, don't restate yourself, it gets boring. <you are not going to respond to this>

You know...there were air whales in an anime series that used to be on MTV called The Maxx...

Then again, there is always the possibility that Lucas didn't like the idea of air whales anymore and abandoned the idea entirely. I wonder where these animals could play a role other than background creatures like the birds on Naboo.

queeq out

I don't know why he wouldn't like the idea. It would look great for an action scene. Just imagine thousands of them flying through the air with the Gungans firing weapons while riding them. It would be good, coz it would make a change from starships flying through the air and fighting.
Perhaps the Gungans will use Air Whales and the Trade Federation, who may take over Alderaan somehow, will use Thrantas and then there'd be a battle between the two. You could imagine the two animals snapping each other as they fly past each other. But then again, there COULD also be starships and STAPs involved in the battle too.
That would make a cool battle, I think. All this different people flying through the air on different vehicles and animals in a HUGE battle in the skies.

Oh no, not another Gungan battle and CGI deaths.

But then again, GL did it before.

queeq out

Well ok, maybe it would look like another Disney cartoon, but still, it wouldn't have to be a major battle. Just maybe something that pops up in the middle of the film for some sort of reason. Maybe with about the same sort of importance as the Bongo journey through the core. Action packed, but not anything too important to the storyline.

I don't know....They don't really sound like fierce battle animals to me... I don't want to see some other sad clumsy animal put into the middle of a battle..that would just be sad.

Well thrantas are quite slender and their eyes are white with no pupils, which I think looks pretty menacing. And as I've only seen concept art for the air whales I'm sure Lucasfilm art department / special effecs department could make them look a lot more aggresive than they previously looked.

Maybe the have very ferocious droppings they can let go over strategically situated enemy buildings.

queeq out

Why yes, of course. Can't forget their poop can we? Speaking of weaponry, the animals could carry a number of different weapons that the riders would use. Spears, blasters, thermal detonators, Gungan energy balls, boulders and that sort of thing.

So and where would these air whales live? Under water as well or do they just circle the skies? (I'm still not buying this though)
Maybe they are only carriers...

queeq out

queeq: That is exactly what I have been saying. Sorry but this whole "fighting" plot with the Thrantas just doesn't ring the bell with me, and I rather Lucas stick with the traditional domesticated terms for this species. I mean, we don't use cats, dogs, sheeps, boars, in advanced warfare, do we? I think not!

Maybe you're right, but its just a possibility to discuss. The reason we don't use cats and boars and sheep as warfare is basically because they are harmless to humans. But thrantas, large animals that can fly and carry humans, would make great use in a battle. Besides, perhaps people will sort of be forced to use them. Perhaps there are people already travelling on top of Thrantas and then a sudden invasion begins and they have no choice but to get out their blasters and fire at the enemy ship from the back of the thranta.