Star Wars fans are all about baby Yodas these days, but long ago…in a galaxy far far away…there were other cute critters who tugged on the heartstrings of audiences everywhere. The Ewoks. And now the official Star Wars twitter account has provided some adorable context to the furry inhabitants of the forest moon of Endor.
It turns out that Baby Ewoks are known as Woklings, and when they get older they receive a hood to wear which makes them a full member of the tribe. The Ewoks and Endor, of course, were pivotal to the plot of 1983’s Return of the Jedi as it was the setting of the final defeat of the still-in-construction second Death Star. The redwood forests of Northern California were used for Endor.
The Ewoks were a controversial addition to the third movie in the original trilogy, with some fans considering them to be annoying teddy bears. But for those who were children at the time of the original trilogy’s release, they were very popular, with Ewok merchandise becoming much sought after.
The victory celebration that takes place amongst the Ewok’s tree-top dwellings set to John Williams’ lovely and lively music is a memorable end to the original trilogy, leaving not a dry eye in the house.
Despite Return of the Jedi not having as good a reputation as A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back, plenty of memorable moments happen – such as the deaths of Yoda and Darth Vader, and the revelation that Luke and Princess Leia are twin siblings.
The success of Grogu AKA Baby Yoda does suggest that Star Wars could easily milk some material out of the Woklings, as we now know the Baby Ewoks are called. Expect a spin-off series on Disney Plus any day now.
In the meantime, check out our guide to the best Star Wars ships and the best Star Wars droids.