Ewoks are a fictional species of bipeds in the
Star Wars universe. In the series, they are a species of
teddy-bear-like
hunter-gatherers that inhabit the
forest moon of Endor. The Ewoks live in various tree-huts and primitive dwellings. They first appeared in the film
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983). They have since been featured in two
made-for-television films,
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, as well as an
animated series and several books and games.
George Lucas created the Ewoks because he wanted
Return of the Jedi to feature a tribe of some primitive creatures that bring down the technological Empire. He had originally intended the scenes to be set on the
Wookiee home planet, but as the film series evolved, the
Wookiees became technologically skilled. Lucas designed a new species instead, and says his approach was simple: Wookiees are tall, so he made Ewoks short.
[1] The Ewok are named after the
Miwok, a Native American tribe, indigenous to the
Redwood forest in which the
Endor scenes were filmed for
Return of the Jedi, near the San Rafael location of Lucas'
Skywalker Ranch. The name also is a pun on the syllables of Wookiee in reverse order.
[2] In the film, the name "Ewok" is never actually spoken, but it appears in both the script and the closing credits.
As presented in the films, Ewoks appear as stocky,
sapient bipeds which stand about one meter tall. They have flat faces, are completely covered in fur, and have large jewel-like eyes. Both their fur and their eyes come in a variety of earth-tones, primarily brown, white, grey, gold, and black. Despite their small size, Ewoks are strong; in the climactic battle scene of
Return of the Jedi, they are shown physically overpowering and once even throwing
Imperial Stormtroopers, though this detail is not consistent throughout the film. Ewoks live high among the trees of their home moon's forests, in villages built on platforms between the closely spaced trees.
An "Ewokese" language was created for the films by
Return of the Jedi’s
sound designer Ben Burtt. On the commentary track for the DVD of
Return of the Jedi, Burtt explains that the language is based on
Kalmyk, a language spoken by the
Kalmyk people of
Russia. Burtt heard the language in a
documentary and liked its sound, which seems very alien to
Western ears. After some research, he identified an 80-year old Kalmyk
refugee. Burtt recorded her telling folk stories in her native language, and then used the recordings as a basis for sounds that became the Ewok language and were performed by voice actors who imitated the old woman's voice in different styles. For the scene in which
C-3PO speaks Ewokese, actor
Anthony Daniels worked with Burtt and invented words, based on the Kalmyk recordings.
The Ewoks are involved in a large portion of the final installment in Lucas' original
Star Wars trilogy. When the
Empire begins operations on the moon of Endor, prior to the events depicted in the film, it ignores the primitive Ewoks.
Princess Leia Organa, part of a Rebel strike team, then befriends the Ewok
Wicket W. Warrick, a scout from said village, and is taken to meet the other Ewoks. The rest of the strike team are accidentally trapped by Ewoks and brought to the village.
The Ewoks worship the protocol droid
C-3PO, thinking he is a
god due to his shininess and gold coverings and a later display of power arranged by
Luke Skywalker through
The Force. C-3PO tells the Council of Elders the adventures of the Rebel heroes Skywalker, Princess Leia, and
Han Solo. The Ewoks accept the Rebels into their tribe and ally themselves to their cause. They then help in the ground battle to destroy the Imperial shield generator on the forest floor, and their primitive weapons fell the
Imperial Stormtroopers and the
AT-ST walkers of the Empire. This assistance paves the way to victory at the Battle of Endor. Later that night, the Ewoks are shown holding a huge celebration.
The word
ewok is not mentioned anywhere in the movie except the end titles, nor are any individuals (such as Wicket or Paploo) referred to by name.
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