Manticore was what was once thought to be an extinct animal. Its picture was in the Holographic Zoo of Extinct Animals, and remained there even after it was proven that the manticore was simply a mixed up jumble of bones from various different animals. It was likely that this was where the name of the Star Destroyer Manticore originated.
A manticore.
The manticore is the name of a creature originating in Persian myth, spread to the West via the Greeks. It possessed a red leonine body, a human head with three sharp rows of teeth, and a scorpion's tail capable of shooting venomous spines.
- The Illustrated Star Wars Universe
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Illustrated Companion
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia