Here are all the best Ewok moments on ‘Star Wars’. You’re welcome.
We feel a bit like Paul Revere right now, because we want to take to the streets to yell that “the Ewoks are (allegedly) coming! The Ewoks are (allegedly) coming!”
It’s less than a month until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuts to conquer the holiday box office, as the conclusion to a nine-film, the decade-spanning saga will (hopefully) be resolved. The trailers have all been delightfully vague, giving us only tantalizing clues as to what to expect (spoiler alert: there will be lightsabers.)
From what we can gather, Emperor Palpatine is somehow a key player in the story, despite being repeatedly struck by force lightning in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Princess Leia will have key scenes, despite the heartbreaking passing of Carrie Fisher in 2016.
But there is also (maybe) another crucial return, that will bring joy and irritation to the hearts of many. Anyone born before 1975 and/or a salty, no-fun-having Scrooge will not embrace the news, but it seems that the Ewoks are coming back to Star Wars.
We, personally, are thrilled, as the Ewok community has given us gift after gift since their debut in 1983. As such, here are some of our favorite moments in Ewok lore.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
You know how in Saturday Night Fever, there is a slow reveal of John Travolta’s character in the opening credits set to The BeeGee’s “Saturday Night Fever?” It is widely considered one of the best opening film sequences of all time, but it pales in comparison to the majesty of the Ewok’s first appearance in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
To set the scene: Princess Leia has fallen from her speeder on the forest moon of Endor. She is unconscious, in a foreign, frightening new landscape, with enemies tailing her at every turn. Suddenly, the viewer sees something moving toward her with Bigfoot energy. It has enormous furry feet, like a vengeful Hobbit, and a spear.
It creeps ever closer until the camera pans up to reveal the cutest thing that has ever existed on film (save for the introduction of Baby Yoda in Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian).
The introduction of Wicket Widget Warrick (Warwick Davis) is the greatest plot twist in the history of film, and we are including the ending of Citizen Kane, All the Usual Suspects, and anything M. Night Shyamalan has ever done on that list.
Beyond that, the introduction of the Ewoks in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi gave a powerful message–no matter how cute something is, it can still destroy you and everything you love, so best try not to invade it’s home and take its property.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Not that many people remember Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, because it is a terrible, terrible film. It is terrible. Some might think that would be fun to watch, in an ironic sort of way, but they are mistaken. It is really, really horrible.
Wilford Brimley is there, as is Wicket, and the plot reads like something that was generated from a computer program, despite the fact that it came out in 1985.
Said plot features elements of Star Wars but without any of the cool lightsaber battles or Han Solo: marauders raid an Ewok village and take a power supply they think possesses magical properties. Wicket helps a tragic orphan boy escape from an evil witch, and they befriend Wilford Brimley in an attempt to help save the village.
The movie would be completely unwatchable, even for the most diehard Star Wars fans, but it is on this list solely for the Ewok content that we love and deserve. Wicket is adorable, the other Ewoks are adorable, and Wilford Brimley is there!
10 out of ironic 10: Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a must-watch.
Ewoks the television series (1985)
A lot of the time, animating characters make them cuter. Sadly, that is not the case for Ewoks, as their cuteness is based entirely on their cuddly, teddy-bear levels of fuzziness.
However, “Battle for the Sunstar,” which aired as the series’s penultimate episode, featured the Ewoks leaving the forest moon of Endor for an Imperial Star Destroyer.
This is a huge leap forward for their evolutionary process. As far as we can tell, they have no natural predators or enemies. They have just gained warp technology and access to a Star Destroyer, and we are honestly surprised why J.J. Abrams spent so much time portraying the First Order as a serious threat when the Ewoks are coming to kill us all.
Let that be a lesson to us all: the Ewoks are the true powerhouse of the Star Wars mythos, and we hope they gain their proper dues when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuts on December 20.
