Sarlacc Vs. Sandworm: Star Wars Vs. Dune Monster

Fictional sci-fi movies are not short on monsters that are literally out of this world. Of course, we also aren’t short on movies that come with sandy planets with different sand monsters. Two of those movies are Star Wars, with its Sarlacc, and Dune, with its Sandworm. But which between the two monsters is the stronger one?

The Sandworm in Dune is by far the superior monster. Not only is the Dune monster a lot bigger than the Sarlacc, but it is also much more mobile. Since the Sarlacc doesn’t move and stays stationary, that makes it an easy target for a Sandworm that can even eat the Sarlacc whole.

As much as Star Wars fans would like to stand by one of the most iconic monsters in the entire franchise, there is no way in the world that it can stand up to the sheer size and mobility of Dune’s Sandworm. But for you to understand more about what these two monsters can do, let’s look at their individual characteristics.

Biology

The Sarlacc has always been one of the biggest monsters ever seen in any of the Star Wars films and is one of the most iconic ones at that. A typical adult Sarlacc can grow up to 100 meters long. Meanwhile, it grows appendages that sprout out of its body and tentacles that are close to its mouth so that it can use these tentacles to ensnare any possible prey that walks close to a Sarlacc pit.

Meanwhile, the Sandworm in Dune is many times bigger than a Sarlacc. While Sarlaccs are already big at 100 meters, Sandworms can grow up to 450 meters, with unconfirmed reports that they can grow as big as 700 meters to a kilometer long. That means that Sandworms are more than four times bigger than Sarlaccs. Meanwhile, Sandworms have strong exoskeletons that are thick and hard to puncture due to the sheer size of these worm-like creatures.

Due to the sheer size difference between the Sarlacc and the Sandworm, the Dune monster takes this round quite easily.

Points: Sarlacc 0, Sandworm 1

Behavior

The Sarlacc is kind of like a carnivorous plant in the sense that it stays stationary throughout its entire adulthood. Adult Sarlaccs burrow deep into the sand and then keep their mouths revealed as they try to ensnare anything that gets too close to its pit. On the other hand, the younger Sarlacc’s are more mobile because they can move through the sand to hunt their prey. But the point here is that Sarlaccs don’t tend to move and are usually just stationary.

Sandworms are mobile hunters that actively move through the sands and use their sensitivity to sound to locate their prey. On top of that, Sandworms move through the sand at a rapid pace, such that their speed is very unusual for creatures of their size. Their size, sensitivity to sound, and speed make the Sandworms as fearsome as they are in the entire Dune universe.

There is no way in the universe that a stationary hunter like the Sarlacc can contend with how active and fast a Sandworm is. One simple move from a Sarlacc will alert a nearby Sandworm, as the Dune monster can easily swallow the Star Wars beast whole.

Points: Sarlacc 0, Sandworm 2

Abilities

Sarlaccs are stationary hunters throughout their entire adult lives and are capable of forming pits in the places where they are burrowed. Throughout that time, the Sarlacc waits for anything that accidentally or unwittingly walks close to its pit so that it will use its tentacles to ensnare it and eat it whole. Once the Sarlacc swallows its prey, it can allow the prey to digest slowly for up to a thousand years, while the lack of nutrition is what ultimately kills whatever is in the Sarlacc’s stomach.

Not much is known about the Sandworm’s abilities except for the fact that these creatures are so large and so mobile that they can easily hunt anything in the sand dunes. On top of that, Sandworms are very sensitive to sound and can hear things that are several miles away. Meanwhile, when Sandworms break out of the sand, the sheer force is enough to create lightning in the sky. 

Even though the Sarlacc has more abilities than the Sandworm, the Dune monster has the sheer brute force and sound sensitivity on its side. And the fact that lightning can form in the sky when a Sandworm surfaces from the sand is enough to make it a very fearsome creature that no one should ever try to face head-on.

Points: Sarlacc 0, Sandworm 3

Weaknesses

One of the advantages that a Sarlacc has is that it is very hard to kill despite being as stationary as it is, as its only known predator in Tatooine is the apex monster called the Krayt Dragon. Other than that, Sarlaccs are incredibly durable and can survive a big explosion close to their mouth, albeit they might get injured in the process. Being stationary will allow anything just as big or even bigger to eat it. However, arguably the biggest weakness that a Sarlacc has is the fact that it swallows its prey whole, and a well-armed prey like Boba Fett can break out of its insides and kill it in the process.

The Sandworm, as big and as sturdy as it is, should be the harder monster to kill when it comes to conventional standards. However, the Sandworm does have a weird weakness in the sense that exposure to water will easily kill this monster. Even a small amount of water will be enough to kill it, and that is what will allow anyone to stand a chance against it despite the sheer size advantage that the Sandworm has.

If it were a conventional one-on-one fight, the Sarlacc wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the Sandworm’s weaknesses. However, if you are talking about which one should be easier to kill, the Sandworm might be it as long as you have enough water that should be able to activate the monster’s weakness. So, due to the weird weakness that the Sandworm has, we’ll give this one to the Sarlacc.

Points: Sarlacc 1, Sandworm 3

Sarlacc vs. Sandworm: Who Would Win?

Even though the Sandworm does have a weird weakness, it would be nearly impossible for the Sarlacc to beat this legendary beast. As such, due to the sheer size and mobility that the Dune monster possesses, there is no way in the universe that a Sarlacc can beat it. In fact, the Sandworm is so big and so fast that it could easily swallow a Sarlacc whole in an instant.