Summary
- George Lucas based the behavior of the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi on Viet Cong guerilla fighters and the Miwok Native American tribe.
- The physical appearance of Ewoks were modeled after Lucas’ dog, a Brussels Griffon.
- Lucas initially planned for the final battle of Return of the Jedi to be fought by Wookiees, but switched to Ewoks because he wanted them to be a more primitive species.
Ewoks are some of the most well-known creatures to come out of the Star Wars universe and George Lucas used some interesting inspiration when it came to their development. Ewoks made their Star Wars debut in Return of the Jedi, but since then, they’ve starred in Star Wars movies, shows, books, and comics in both canon and Legends. They’re far from the most important alien race in Star Wars, but Ewoks have become mainstays of the franchise. Part of the reason they’ve endured so long is because of how unique they are, which begs the question of how George Lucas came up with the idea for Ewoks.
Ewoks have had a controversial history in Star Wars. When they first debuted, many viewers considered their appearance to be overly cute and cuddly, which doesn’t mesh well with the tone of the rest of the movie. They also took issue with the fact that Ewoks were able to best the far more technologically advanced stormtroopers using only rocks and spears to help the Rebel Alliance win the Battle of Endor. Despite the animosity towards them, though, they’ve managed to remain a staple of the franchise. That endurance mirrors the Ewoks themselves, and the very inspiration for the species.
Star Wars: 11 Things Only Die-Hard Fans Know About Endor
Featured prominently in Return of the Jedi as the site of the Empire’s defeat, die-hard Star Wars fans know there’s so much to Endor than Ewoks.
What Inspired George Lucas To Create Ewoks In Star Wars
Lucas Was Inspired By The Viet Cong, A Native American Tribe, & His Dog
Most Star Wars fans would agree that Ewoks possess adorable features that closely resemble teddy bears. Stuffed animals weren’t the inspiration when creating the species, however, since Lucas modeled Ewoks after one of his dogs. With the help of make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, Lucas developed the Ewok from an image of the Brussels Griffon, a toy dog breed. The facial structure, big eyes, and short ears of Ewoks closely match that of the dog breed. Despite the physical inspiration, they went through several changes before Lucas settled on a final design.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
- Release Date
- May 25, 1983
- Cast
- Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , James Earl Jones , Billy Dee Williams , Ian McDiarmid , Peter Mayhew , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , David Prowse , Frank Oz , Sebastian Shaw , Alec Guinness
- Runtime
- 131 Minutes
As for the behavior of the Ewoks in Star Wars, Lucas took inspiration from Viet Cong guerrillas. He took note of the guerillas when they fought American soldiers during the Vietnam War and mirrored their actions with Ewoks and their attack on the Empire. Ewoks used fighting styles that relied on improvised weapons like spears, knives, battering rams, and catapults. Aside from the Viet Cong, Lucas also credited the Miwok, a Native American tribe, as an influence on their creation. The Miwok tribe called the Redwood forest their home, and it just so happened to be the site for filming the Endor scenes.
The Ewoks Replaced Lucas’ Original Plan To Use Wookiees
Lucas Decided To Create A New Species Because He Wanted Them To Be Primitive
Lucas always intended to have a primitive species help take down the Empire during the third act in Return of the Jedi. During early development of the film, the Star Wars creator considered using Wookiees and their homeworld of Kashyyk instead of Ewoks and Endor. Lucas then simply switched the syllables in “Wookiee” to create what would become the Ewoks. Along with the name, Wookiees also partially inspired Ewoks’ furry appearance, even though they’re significantly smaller than Chewbacca’s species.
Part of the reason Lucas shifted away from using Kashyyk as the final battleground in Return of the Jedi is because of how much Wookiees had changed over time. Because of Chewbacca’s characterization in the original trilogy, he didn’t believe Wookiees could be considered primitive anymore, and so decided to create Ewoks instead. Indeed, Wookiees continue to become a fleshed out species and culture. The prequel trilogy added complex context to them through the invasion of Kashyyk, and newer Star Wars projects are continuing to put them into new roles, with Wookiee Jedi even coming to live-action soon in The Acolyte.
Ewoks have had a controversial history in Star Wars, to say the least, but they also represent a great part of the franchise. Inspirations like the Viet Cong and Miwok tribe showed how Lucas and other creators could draw from unlikely sources. Likewise, the fact that he changed his original plan to use Kashyyk proved that Star Wars isn’t set in stone, and that previous plans don’t define the future of the franchise. George Lucas may no longer be directly involved with Star Wars, but the franchise will hopefully continue to emulate the way he created Ewoks in the future.
