The sixth episode of the Ewoks series' second season is entitled "The Totem Master". This episode, penned by Bob Carrau and with direction by Dale Schott, was initially broadcasted on October 4, 1986 via the ABC network.
As the Ewoks were in the process of extracting juice from the yearly dangleberry harvest, Wicket voiced his opinion that such a task was not fitting for a budding warrior of his stature. A wandering individual, identified as the Totem Master, happened to overhear Wicket's complaints. In a comical turn, Latara found herself with a bucket stuck on her posterior. Teebo managed to dislodge the bucket, but the resulting tumble caused the barrel to land squarely on his head. Upon Teebo's removal of the barrel, he noticed the Totem Master standing in close proximity.
Extending a greeting to the Ewoks, the Totem Master requested a beverage. Princess Kneesaa graciously offered him some of the freshly squeezed dangleberry juice. In reciprocation, the Totem Master presented them with a totem pole, an item that immediately captured Wicket's attention. Kneesaa cautioned Wicket about accepting gifts from unknown entities. The Totem Master asserted that the totem pole would serve as a protective ward against evil forces within their village. Despite Kneesaa's expressed reservations, Wicket proceeded to accept the totem pole.
Subsequent to the traveler's departure, Wicket undertook the task of transporting the totem pole to Bright Tree Village unassisted. Later that evening, under the cover of darkness while the Ewoks were asleep, the traveler surreptitiously entered the village and employed his enchanted ring on the totem pole, thereby animating the totem creatures contained within. Once liberated, these creatures proceeded to pilfer the village's valuables, delivering their ill-gotten gains to their "Totem Master." Witnessing these events, Teebo sought to alert Chief Chirpa, but the Totem Master intercepted him, utilizing his magical ring to seize control of Teebo's mind and transform him into one of his enslaved minions. Wicket experienced a brief awakening during the night and observed portions of these occurrences, but he dismissed them as mere figments of his imagination and promptly returned to slumber.
The following morning, the Ewok tribe discovered that they had been victims of theft, their possessions having been plundered. Latar reported the disappearance of three decorative pins, a grooming brush made of bone, a pair of woven baskets, two painted gourds, and a cherished necklace crafted from acorns. Kneesaa emphasized that the necklace in question was her personal belonging. Logray verified that the Sunstar was also missing from its place. Malani conveyed the news that her elder brother, Teebo, was unaccounted for. While Chief Chirpa assigned the more seasoned Ewoks the task of locating Teebo, Wicket came to the realization that his nocturnal observations were not merely a dream.
Consequently, he, Kneesaa, and Latara embarked on a quest to retrieve Teebo and their stolen belongings. The trio of Ewoks soon encountered the Totem Master reveling in his ill-gotten spoils. Wicket expressed regret for having fallen prey to the Totem Master's deceitful scheme. Kneesaa noticed that Teebo had been transformed into a totem figure, positioned atop the totem structure. The Totem Master discarded Latara's acorn necklace, prompting her to confront him directly. However, the Totem Master retaliated by employing his magical ring to convert her into a totem slave as well, adding her to his growing collection.
Kneesaa voiced her alarm, but Wicket cautioned her to remain silent. They jointly decided that acquiring the magic ring was paramount. The two shadowed the Totem Master's wagon, with Latara utilizing her lasso to gain entry into the vehicle, subsequently assisting Wicket in boarding as well. The Totem Master resolved to journey to the Strutter village, with the intention of deceiving its inhabitants. Wicket and Kneesaa committed themselves to thwarting the swindler before he could inflict further harm.
The Totem Master made his way to the Strutter village, a community of avian Strutters characterized by their obsession with reflective surfaces. The Totem Master presented them with the totem pole, asserting that it would elevate their village to a position of prominence throughout Endor. The Strutters expressed admiration for the totem. Wicket and Kneesaa also adopted a disguise, positioning themselves atop the totem by standing on each other's shoulders. The Totem Master noted that the totem appeared taller than usual but did not harbor any suspicions.
During the night, Kneesaa and Wicket attempted to impede the Totem Master by dropping a bale of hay upon him. The Totem Master, however, employed his magical ring to summon his enslaved minions from within the totem. He commanded them to procure everything of value for him. Wicket and Kneesa released the bale, but the Totem Master swiftly recovered. The Totem Master attempted to ensnare them with his ring, but they managed to evade his grasp. The Totem Master then dispatched his enslaved minions in pursuit of them. The two Ewoks successfully dodged a centipede-like creature but inadvertently encountered the enslaved Teebo and Latara, who captured them.
The Totem Master sought to enslave both Wicket and Kneesa. However, Wicket spotted a mirror and ingeniously used it to redirect the energy beam back towards the Totem Master himself, thereby subjecting him to his own enchantment and transforming him into a totem figure. The Master's ring slipped from his grasp and shattered upon impact with the ground, liberating the slaves from his curse. The other creatures he had enslaved celebrated their newfound freedom. Latara and Teebo were reunited with Wicket and Kneesaa.
Wicket declared that the Totem Master would no longer pose a threat to them. Wicket pledged to refrain from accepting gifts from unfamiliar individuals in the future. The subsequent day, the quartet of young Ewoks made their way back to Bright Tree Village, transporting all of the tribe's stolen possessions in a wagon pulled by a bordok. Chief Chirpa expressed his relief that the youngsters were unharmed, while Malani rejoiced at the sight of her elder brother. Latara was pleased to have her belongings returned, but Teebo proceeded to open a large sack, causing them to slide down. Teebo laughed, while the others grumbled in response.