Horrific Star Wars Theory Makes Return Of The Jedi's Ending So Much Darker
The Star Wars franchise has had its share of dark moments throughout the decades, Return of the Jedi included. Many horrible things have been shown and inferred in the Star Wars movies and TV shows. Theories have long since started discussing some of these darker moments in the franchise, but this one takes the cake. It’s morbid and dreary, and it makes a lot of sense.
A theory regarding the fates of the stormtroopers in Return of the Jedi has re-started the discussion of what happened to them at the movie’s end. Any troopers who were alive likely either surrendered or kept fighting for the Empire, as seen in Star Wars Battlefront II‘s story surrounding Operation Cinder – but it has never been confirmed what became of the troopers who died on Endor. What this theory states makes the ending of the movie way darker.
What Happened To The Stormtroopers The Ewoks Killed?
Something very, very awful
In Return of the Jedi, after the battle of Endor, the rebels are partying with the rest of the galaxy after the destruction of the second Death Star. Stormtrooper helmets are being used as drums by the Ewoks… but with no bodies on screen. It can easily be assumed that they just took the helmets off the corpses of troopers. However, according to this theory, the Ewoks did even more than that. As mortifying as it is, this theory makes sense.
The theory suggests that the Ewoks took the corpses of the stormtroopers they killed and ate them. This wild theory creates a surprisingly dark moment at the end of the movie. The tone throughout the sequence is one of happiness and joy over the defeat of the evil Imperial order; t o then have hints of the Ewoks eating their prisoners is pretty mindblowing. However, in the grand scheme of things, this justifies why there aren’t any bodies at the end of the movie, aside from the morbidity.
Return Of The Jedi Does Hint The Ewoks Cook Their Prisoners
What else could have happened to the bodies?
In Return of the Jedi, there are bonfires scattered all over the village as a great feast is about to begin – and that feast could have been trooper meat. As horrible a possibility as this may be, it would make sense for the Ewoks to use what meat they had available to them at the end of the battle. They’re a species that makes excellent use of their environment and the limited resources available to them. How else would they be able to feed an entire village, plus the humans, for dinner? Though, hopefully, none of them ate the meat.
The
Family Guy
season 9 parody of
Return of the Jedi
, “It’s a Trap,” tackled this theory head-on. In the ending, Ewoks are shown killing survivors of the Battle of Endor and cooking the bodies.
While this theory may have become parodied by media, a recent revelation in a Star Wars book provides insight into this. More specifically, it goes into depth on how the Empire believed the Rebel Alliance treated its prisoners. Apparently, they were horrified by their treatment of prisoners, which is saying something.
Star Wars Has Hinted This Is A Major Reason The Empire Kept Fighting
They were scared of being taken prisoner
According to Dr Chris Kempshall’s The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, the Empire believed this was how the Rebellion would treat prisoners upon capture – not that the Imperials were humane in their treatment of prisoners by any means. Whether this was truth or propaganda created by the Imperials to villainize the Rebellion, it clearly took. This mindset helps explain why so many Imperials were vehemently against the rebels and their success, apart from the obvious.
Purchase Dr Chris Kempshall’s The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire on Amazon
Having the Rebellion be viewed as an organization that eats its prisoners upon capture would certainly drive soldiers to fight the hardest they possibly could, e nough so that they would rather die than be captured. It would also create a black mark on the Rebellion that would probably go too far. As for the Ewoks, they definitely ate the troopers on Endor.
This dark theory has been a talking point amongst audiences for many years. Among all the Star Wars theories out there, this one likely has the most merit. This talking point has been accepted by many as what happened. Still, the recent revelation in Kempshall’s book adds a little extra depth into why the Imperial troops fought so hard and why their hatred of the Rebellion was so intense. Still, if it is indeed the case that the Ewoks ate the corpses of the dead troopers in Return of the Jedi, that would be pretty morbid, even for Star Wars.
