Ewok

Ewoks were intelligent humanoid beings, with an average height of approximately one meter. As omnivores, their bodies were entirely covered in fur, with brown and black being the most prevalent fur colors. While the majority of Ewoks possessed solid-colored fur, some exhibited striped patterns. They had large, expressive eyes, small, human-like noses, and hands equipped with two fingers and an opposable thumb. Despite their diminutive stature, Ewoks possessed sufficient physical strength to overpower humans trained in combat. Furthermore, they had the ability to see in darkness and could utilize their heightened senses to detect concealed enemies.

When the Galactic Empire initiated operations on the moon of Endor with an occupation, they demolished an Ewok village to construct a shield generator complex. This action forced the surviving Ewoks to relocate to a nearby village known as Bright Tree Village, which was under the leadership of Chief Chirpa. Princess Leia Organa, who was part of a Rebel strike force, encountered and befriended Wicket W. Warrick. Following their meeting, Organa and Warrick witnessed a confrontation between a pair of Imperial stormtroopers and two other Ewoks. The Rebel princess and Ewok successfully defeated the two soldiers.

Organa was subsequently taken to the Ewok village as an honored guest. However, in the meantime, another group of Ewoks captured her fellow rebels, including Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Han Solo, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Upon seeing the protocol droid C-3PO, the Ewoks recognized him as the Golden One, a figure they believed had brought balance to Endor millennia in the past. Despite the objections of Wicket and Organa, the Ewok shaman Logray attempted to sacrifice them as a feast in honor of C-3PO. However, Skywalker's use of the Force to make C-3PO levitate, coupled with the droid's warnings, ultimately changed Chief Chirpa's mind.

That evening, C-3PO recounted the adventures of the Rebel heroes to the Bright Tree's Council of Elders. The Ewoks welcomed the Rebels into their tribe and formed an alliance with them. Numerous Ewok tribes participated in the ground battle to destroy the Imperial shield generator on the forest floor. Their primitive weaponry proved effective against the stormtroopers and the scout walkers of the Empire, although they suffered significant casualties from Imperial blaster fire. Their assistance was instrumental in the destruction of the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station and the Rebel victory at the Battle of Endor. According to legend, this marked the first time in generations that the Ewoks had engaged in combat. Later that night, the Ewoks held a grand celebration that resonated throughout the forest.

An Ewok Civil War erupted, which led to C-3PO and New Republic Captain Jaxxon T. Tumperakki traveling to Endor on a diplomatic mission to resolve the conflict. By two years following the Battle of Endor, many Ewoks had transitioned into caf farmers. Furthermore, at least one Ewok, Peekpa, had secured employment with the New Republic as a slicer.

During a galaxy-wide uprising against the First Order, Endor was among the planets that rose up. Warrick and his son, Pommet Warrick, witnessed the destruction of a First Order Resurgent-class Star Destroyer through the use of a Holdo maneuver.

Despite their rudimentary technology and isolated homeworld, Ewoks were not entirely unknown throughout the broader galaxy. During the Clone Wars, "Ewok Jerky" was available for purchase at Power Sliders, a diner located on the planet Abafar. Additionally, some Ewoks were known to have ventured beyond their homeworld and were sighted in various parts of the galaxy even before the Clone Wars.

As a form of compensation for their role in saving Endor, some Ewoks volunteered to travel off-world to assist Rebel veterans in their recovery, collaborating with Doctor Arsad as "therapy Ewoks." These therapy Ewoks were offered to individuals who had endured the horrors of war, such as witnessing tragic events, and required assistance in their healing process. Those who found this option unappealing were sometimes provided with a therapy droid instead.

By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Ewoks had evolved into a civilization that engaged in religious, artistic, medical, and even political pursuits, communicating through their native language of Ewokese. Nevertheless, their primary focus remained on the daily acquisition of food. They had acquired expertise in pottery, hunting, the construction of elaborate wooden structures, and the creation of fire. While the majority of their lives were spent in the treetops, certain members of the tribe were required to venture onto the forest floor to forage for berries, gather herbs, and hunt. During the warmer summer months, some Ewoks resided in fishing villages or hunting and farming lodges situated on the forest floor. They utilized ponies and bordoks to transport supplies between settlements, while remaining vigilant against formidable predators and other sentient beings, such as the Yuzzums. Living in harmony with nature, Ewoks dwelled high among the trees of the forest moon of Endor, in villages constructed amidst the closely spaced trees. The canopies of the towering trees were populated by watchers who could alert the tribe to approaching gorax or condor dragons, and who could employ gliders to patrol the areas beyond their immediate village. Bachelors, conversely, often lived on the ground, maintaining watch for even greater threats, such as Duloks, who frequently emerged from the swamps to prey on Ewoks and lantern birds.

The Ewoks possessed a profound spiritual connection. They held the surrounding giant trees in reverence and believed themselves to be descendants of the "Great Tree," a sacred tree within the forests. The legend of the Golden One spoke of a deity who enabled the Ewoks to live in light. Following the arrival of C-3PO and his rebel allies, who led the Ewoks into the Battle of Endor, the legend proclaimed that the Golden One had returned to answer their prayers. The conifer trees inhabited by Ewoks were also resistant to fire and served as a natural insect repellent.

The fundamental design of a tree village incorporated a "Central Village" consisting of thatched-roof huts situated on the primary limbs. These huts were elevated sufficiently above the ground to be beyond the reach of predators. Suspended bridges connected the gaps between trees, linking distant huts. Knotted rope ladders provided access for ascending or descending. Food, kindling, and other provisions were stored beneath the floor of the Ewoks' houses, while woven sleeping mats and furs were kept in the lofts above. Hoods, capes, and tools were hung on the walls.

Within Ewok society, the chief, the medicine man, and the Council of Elders held the most prominent positions, with each individual Ewok tribe being led by a distinct council.

The Ewoks found joy in singing and playing music during celebrations, festivals, and rituals. During the Ewok and Rebel celebration that followed the destruction of the Death Star II, one Ewok in Bright Tree Village utilized a collection of Imperial stormtrooper and naval trooper helmets as drums, producing a diverse range of tones.

The Ewoks employed a variety of weapons, including nets, knives, stone spears, slingshots, bows, arrows, wooden battering rams, rolling logs, and catapults. During the Battle of Endor, they hurled large rocks at stormtroopers, used ropes to dismount scout troopers from their speeder bikes, and tripped and crushed the larger AT-STs with logs. Skilled hunters were known to slit the throats of Imperial officers with their knives.

Furthermore, they possessed at least a basic understanding of the movements of walkers, as demonstrated by two Ewoks piloting an AT-ST alongside Chewbacca shortly after hijacking it.

George Lucas envisioned that a primitive race would overthrow the Empire in what was intended to be the final episode at the time. He initially considered using Wookiees, but ultimately decided against it because Chewbacca had already been established as technologically proficient. His solution was to create a new race called Ewoks, a name derived from "Wookiee" with the syllables reversed and modified to resemble the name of a Native American tribe, the Miwok.

In the audio commentary for the 2004 re-release of Return of the Jedi, as well as the documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, Lucas also cited the Viet Cong as the primary inspiration for the Ewoks, specifically their defeat of the Galactic Empire.

The Ewok masks were designed by Stuart Freeborn. During filming, the Ewok actors staged a strike, wearing t-shirts that read "REVENGE OF THE EWOKS." After their coach driver, who had permitted the actors to arrive on set early for their strike, arrived with an empty bus, the actors emerged from a hill, chanting "revenge." Margo Apostolos, who portrayed the Ewok warrior Tokkat in the film, recounted the moment as a memorable experience in Star Wars Insider, noting that their protest had startled the crew. The Ewoks are never explicitly named in the dialogue of Return of the Jedi; their name only appeared in the script directions, the novelization, the movie's credits, and supplementary spin-off and promotional materials.

Ewoks are featured in the 2017 video game, Star Wars Battlefront II. In multiplayer modes such as Galactic Assault and Co-op, Ewok hunters serve as the Rebel Alliance's infiltrator class and can be selected as playable characters. Battlefront II also includes a game mode called Ewok Hunt, in which a group of players are designated as Stormtroopers on Endor, while the remaining players become Ewoks. The Stormtroopers must defend themselves against the attacking Ewoks while awaiting the arrival of an evacuation shuttle.