Ewok

The Ewoks are sentient furred bipeds native to the moon of Endor. They are curious individuals that stand about one meter tall. Although extremely skilled in forest survival and the construction of primitive technology like gliders and catapults, the Ewoks have yet to progress past stone-level technology. They are quick learners, however, when exposed to advanced technology with simple mechanical processes and concepts.

Most Ewoks live high among the trees of Endor's forests, in villages built between the closely spaced trees. Ewoks venture to the forest floor to hunt, and set traps to catch various prey.

For the forest dwellers, the surrounding giant trees play an important cultural role. These hunter-gatherers are a deeply spiritual people. They believe themselves to be descendants of the Great Tree, a sacred tree in the forests.

The tribal structure of the Ewoks has a Council of Elders ruling over them, and the Council is headed by the Chief. A medicine man also lives in the Ewok village, a keeper of mystical lore, and a healer to the injured.

When the Empire began operations on the moon of Endor, they dismissed the primitive species as harmless. Imperial operations were situated around the area near the Ewok village led by Chief Chirpa. Princess Leia Organa, part of a Rebel strike team, befriended the Ewok Wicket W. Warrick, a scout from said village.

These Ewoks also erroneously worshipped the protocol droid C-3PO, thinking he was their god. Threepio told the Council of Elders the adventures of the Rebel heroes Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. The Ewoks accepted the Rebels into their tribe, and allied themselves to their cause. The Ewoks helped in the ground battle to destroy the Imperial shield generator on the forest floor, and their primitive weapons felled the stormtroopers and the scout walkers of the Empire. This assist paved the way to victory at the Battle of Endor. Later that night, the Ewoks held a huge celebration that could be heard throughout the forest.

The Ewoks believe the lifetrees of the forest contain the spirits of their elders. For each Ewok birth, a counterpart "soul tree" or birth-tree is planted. The tree and the Ewok are forever spiritually connected. An Ewok chooses a secret "tree name" that only he and his birth-tree share. The Ewoks believe themselves able to communicate with the surrounding nature, whether it is talking to animals, or hearing the call of the trees.

Ewok spiritualism has a wide pantheon of gods and spirits. The foremost being the Great Tree, a sacred tree from which all life springs. From the Great Tree comes the Great Spirit, an omniscient god which watches over the forest. Other deities include Brother Sky, Father Forest and Mother Land, entities that control the natural elements of the Ewoks' surroundings. It is said that a skilled Ewok magician or shaman can call upon these spirits for favors and miracles. On the other side of the spectrum is the Night Spirit, an evil entity feared by the Ewoks.

The supernatural plays a big role in everyday Ewok life, from the legends of the Tree of Light said to control the life energy of the Endor forests, to the god-like beings that control Endor's seasons through the mystical Season Scepter.

Family life is important to the Ewok society. Families often live together for life, with children rarely traveling far from their parents. Ewok courting rituals are as equally primitive as their technology. Unmarried Ewok males spend a contemplative time living alone in the forest, building their own home near the main village trees.

Unmarried female Ewoks then leave courting gifts of food, clothing, crafts or weaponry. If the male Ewok chooses to settle down, he then enlarges his home, making room for the new family. Once the home is completed, the male Ewok announces his choice of mate, and the chosen female has the option to refuse the male and the home he has built.

Young Ewoks are called Woklings, and are afforded few rights. It is at this stage that Ewoks learn the many rituals and legends that will serve as moral guides in their lives. Then, when an adolescent Ewok comes of age, she attends the Festival of the Hoods. This marks the transition from Wokling to Ewok.

After the Battle of Endor, there was a brief war that erupted between the Ewoks and the Lahsbees. This war was orchestrated by the Hiromi, in an attempt to cause dispute and dissension in the ranks of the Alliance. It was the first real war in which the Ewoks were involved in decades. There was a time, long ago, when Ewoks would war among each other.

The Alliance eventually moved off Endor, becoming the New Republic. The Ewoks continued with their lives. The Republic left a semi-permanent trading post and landing platform near one of the Ewok villages.

The Ewoks find their origins in the original Star Wars drafts, when tribes of Wookiees united to repel the technologically superior Imperials from their forest world. As Star Wars developed, writer George Lucas pared down the number of Wookiees to one, Chewbacca, and established him as a sophisticated being able to operate advanced machinery. When he was able to realize a massive ground battle of primitives versus an advanced foe, Lucas transformed the Wookiees into Ewoks.

Initially, the Endor moon was going to be shown as having two indigenous species -- the Ewoks and the Yuzzums. Although ILM's creature department produced a single Yuzzum, the creature design proved too costly to replicate in large numbers. That sole Yuzzum ended up as a rifle-toting background character in Jabba's palace.

The Ewok costumes were five-piece affairs with sculpted heads. Return of the Jedi's Assistant Production Manager Patricia Carr was responsible for most of the Ewok casting in London. "We only got four or five applications from the Job Center. Then some reporter from the Sun newspaper put the story on page 3 under the picture of the nude, and suddenly we had phone calls from all over the country. About 120 people applied, and we soon had all the people we needed under 4 feet 2 inches tall. Up until then we had thought that Kenny Baker -- R2-D2 -- was the shortest man in Britain. Later on we began asking for even smaller performers so that the Ewok children would look more natural. At that point we had to tell those people more than 4 feet 6 inches tall that they were now too tall. They said on the phones that they had never been told they were too tall in all their lives!"

Following the success of Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks would return in two made-for-television movies: Caravan of Courage: The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. The Ewoks would also star in two seasons' worth of half-hour animated adventures, and their own comic series from Marvel Comics' Star imprint.