Ahsoka’s Newest Critters Follow A Famous Piece Of George Lucas Advice – /Film

Ewoks, Wookiees, and Porgs, oh my! From the very beginning, “Star Wars” has never once shied away from the fact that its most marketable critters were created with, well, marketing in mind. In the decades since, newcomers to the franchise have picked up on this mindset and put their own spin on it — Grogu being the most obvious of the recent efforts, of course, but also extending to lovable (and very meme-friendly) additions like Babu Frik in “The Rise of Skywalker” or the Porgs in “The Last Jedi.” In episode 6 of “Ahsoka,” we’re introduced to two particularly adorable aliens: the Howler, which behaves like a cross between a horse and the dumbest/friendliest dog you’ve ever met, and the hermit crab-like Noti.

But if you ever wondered why this remains such an integral part of the brand, you need not look any further than George Lucas himself. In a now-famous interview, the mastermind spoke to Rolling Stone magazine for their July 21st, 1983 issue commemorating the release of “Return of the Jedi.” Among the many pearls of wisdom he dropped, perhaps his most salient point had to do with the controversial choice to include those cutesy teddy bears known as Ewoks in the trilogy-capper. When pressed on the decision, Lucas laughingly responded:

“Dare to be cute. The worst we could do is get criticized for it.”

As the interviewer went on to correctly predict, Lucas sure did receive his fair share of flak, yet that only makes it even more notable that this franchise touchstone has ultimately stood the test of time. “Ahsoka” creator Dave Filoni has all but worshipped at the altar of Lucas since he first began to play around in this sandbox. With the latest episode, he doubled down on the cuteness.