Star Wars’ Eowks: Our Favorite Murder Teddy Bears
Whether or not they were made to sell toys, Ewoks are little guys who took down an absurd number of Imperials and that makes them heroes.
Ewoks have had a pretty controversial and contentious relationship with the Star Wars fandom. But the teddy bear creatures from the galaxy far far away have more than made their mark on the story. And somehow, have grown more and more loved and accepted since their introduction in the 80s.
What are Ewoks?
Ewoks are a fictional species of small, teddy-bear like creatures from the Star Wars universe. They first appear in Return of the Jedi in 1983 on the forest moon of Endor. Despite being adorable little guys, Ewoks have showed that they are smart, cunning, strategic, and more than willing to get a violent. When we first meet them they have captured and are trying to cook and eat Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. But by the end of the movie they have befriended the Rebels and are working with them to brutally defeat the Storm Troopers and Imperials unlucky to make it to their forest.
When they were first added to Star Wars, Ewoks were somewhat controversial. Many people hate their very existence. They were viewed as one of the weakest parts of the original series and only added as a way to appeal to young children and sell toys to them.
“Well, short help is better than no help at all.”
– Han Solo about the Ewoks
Like many once-unpopular pieces of Star Wars history, the Ewoks have grown to be fan-favorite creatures with many appearances outside of Return of the Jedi over the years. This includes another movie (almost) all their own as well as an animated television series.
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How Did They Come to Be?
The primary motivation for the Ewoks addition in Return was George Lucas wanting to feature a group of more privative creatures who would take down the technologically savvy Empire. Originally this was supposed to be the Wookiees and the Wookiee home world of Kashyyyk. but as the series was more fleshed out the Wookiees became more and more technological themselves, and Luca had to create a new species to fill this role.
The inspiration for Ewoks came from a few places, including the Miwok tribe who are indigenous to the redwood forest where much of Return was filmed. Their attack style was also influenced strongly by the guerrilla-style tactics used in the Vietnam War.
Ewok language is called ‘Ewokese’ and was created by sound designer Ben Burtt. His inspiration was Kalmyk, which is a Mongolic language spoken by the Kalmyk people in Russia. Ewokese also used some Nepalese and sped-up Tibetan words and phrases.
Ewoks In Film
Most well known are the Ewoks apperance in Return of the Jedi. Here they quickly befriend Princess Leia and terrorize the agents of the Empire with simple traps and tricks. After the battle of Endor, the Ewoks can be seen playing Storm Trooper helmets like drums. You may be tempted to ask what happened to the head those helmets were on, but I’d bet you don’t actually want to know.
Outside of this, there have been a few live-action Ewok sightings in the galaxy. Wicket and another Ewok can be briefly seen at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. And of course there’s 1984’s The Ewok Adventure and 1985’s Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. Both of these made-for-TV-movies featured Wicket and the rest of the Ewoks helping two human siblings as they try to find their parents after a starcruiser wreck.
And in Other Media
One of the most famous pieces of Ewok media may be the Ewoks animated TV series. It ran from 1985 to 1986 with two seasons and twenty six episodes and was… fine. Reviews at the time commented on the show’s unoriginality and unremarkableness, and unless you grew up with this and feel very nostalgic about it, Ewoks probably wouldn’t do much better with a more modern audience. It felt a lot like The Smurfs or Care Bears, but with less heart and more “maybe the kids will by toys now!”
Outside of their self-titled show, Ewoks have appeared in comics, other animated shows. While some of the comics have had tie-ins with their show, many appearances are short audience nods, or Easter Eggs.
Who are the Ewoks Based On?
Since the Wookiees are so tall, Lucas wanted to make the Ewoks much smaller and shorter. But he still wanted to keep them furry and model them after dogs. One of his own dogs, in fact. The Brussels Griffon breed of toy dog heavily inspired the final Ewok design with the big eyes and short ears. But between that initial design and the final design, there were a number of changes made.
Who Is the Most Famous Ewok?
Wicket is easily the most famous. He was featured heavily in Return of the Jedi and then again in Ewok Adventure, Battle for Endor, Forces of Destiny, and the Ewoks animated series to name a few. Other notable Ewoks include Teebo, Chief Chirpa, Logray, Palpoo, Nippet, and Lumat. But if you don’t recognize at least a few of those names, I wouldn’t blame you.
Is Chewbacca an Ewok?
No. Chewbacca is a Wookiee, that’s a different species from different home worlds. It’s a little like asking if a deer is a moose.
Yub nub, adventurers!
