As Disney expands the official Star Wars canon with the new novel Aftermath: Life Debt, fans have learned a lot more about the relationship between Han Solo and Chewbacca, and what brought the unlikely pair together in the first place. But some smaller details about life in the Star Wars expanded universe have also been revealed, including a curious — and kind of hilariously perfect — bit of intel about the Ewoks.
io9 has parsed Chuck Wendig’s book for clues about the state of the galaxy in a post-Return of the Jedi, pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens world, and pointed out a curious reference to the Ewoks, those cuddly-in-a-creepy-way, mini bear-like creatures living on the moon of Endor. The key passage concerns a character named Dade, a Rebel commando who loses his leg during a battle with Imperial forces. Dade is fitted for a prosthetic and given a therapy droid, the BB-8-esque QT-9 (even the name is adorable), though he’s initially skeptical about having the droid for a companion, telling his doctor, Arsad, thanks but no thanks. And that’s when our friends the Ewoks come into play. Here’s the relevant passage, per io9:
Arsad smirks. “I could put you in for a therapy Ewok, instead. Some of the native Endor creatures have agreed to travel offworld to help veterans like you recuperate. As a matter of recompense for saving their home.”
“Oh, yeah, I don’t want one of those. They smell horrible.”
Now, full disclosure: While most Star Wars fans consider the introduction of the Ewoks one of the worst decisions George Lucas ever made (in a pre-prequels world, that is), I unabashedly love them. This may have something to do with me being a small child when I first saw the original trilogy, and also loving the creatures’ spinoff TV movies, but whatever — I stand by my affinity for the furry little guys. And if I were living in the Star Wars universe, and given the chance to own an Ewok as a therapy pet, you can bet your Yub-Nub-loving ass I’d be the first to sign up.
Sure, the Ewoks don’t start out as the friendliest folks in Jedi. And Dade is probably right that they smell horrible. But you can’t tell me you wouldn’t want a therapy Ewok, too. (Maybe you can.) However you feel about them, their new job is canon now. Fingers crossed that this makes its way into Episode VIII somehow.
