The current era of Star Wars has, at times, struggled to measure up to fans’ expectations, but that all changed when “The Mandalorian” aired. Though the Disney+ series is officially about the titular gunslinger played by Pedro Pascal, we all know that, truth be told, it has unequivocally become the Grogu show. From the end of Episode 1, when Din Djarin finds that his bounty is for the creature that would soon be fondly dubbed “Baby Yoda,” fans became obsessed. His cuteness and emotional connection to his surrogate father fire on all cylinders. And now, kids love their Grogu plushes as much as adults love their Grogu hoodies.
But how soon this tiny green goblin makes us forget about a similarly cute race of aliens that once inspired the ire of the fanbase. On a concept level, Grogu and the Ewoks have more in common than one might think. One of the main sources of humor and sometimes frustration is the fact that Grogu can’t speak Basic — yet. The inability to use the Star Wars form of English is something that the child shares with the Ewoks. This similarity leads to situations where both types of aliens must communicate in other ways. Meanwhile, Ewoks and Grogu are both small in stature, leading them to be helpful in ways that humans aren’t.
Perhaps Ewoks were just too early for their time. Now that Grogu is one of the most popular Star Wars characters, it’s surprisingly easy to imagine that — just as with the prequel trilogy — what was once hated could now become beloved. And that’s only fair, because Ewoks deserve their day in the sun.
