As the series evolved, so did Chewbacca, and the idea of Wookiees being primitive didn't quite fit anymore. So when Lucas had the chance to actually do the battle he planned in the first film, he changed the Wookiees for a smaller version: Ewoks.
His answer was to create a new race called Ewoks, which is "Wookiee" with the syllables reversed and altered to resemble the name of a Native American people, the Miwok.
He is a Wookiee—a tall, hairy, highly intelligent species originating from the fictional planet Kashyyyk. He first appears in the original film trilogy as the loyal friend of the smuggler Han Solo.
However, an older Star Wars RPG book, Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds, revealed the existence of a mysterious and unnamed Ewok Jedi Knight. Apparently, this Ewok at some point liberated its fellow Ewoks from enslavement by a group of alien Sanyassans, wielding a blue lightsaber and even wearing Jedi robes.
The Ewoks are sentient furred bipeds native to the moon of Endor. They are curious individuals that stand about one meter tall. They are extremely skilled in forest survival and the construction of primitive technology like gliders and catapults.
How WOOKIES are related to EWOKS - Star Wars Theories
Why were wookies changed to Ewoks?
As Wookiees were tall, Lucas wanted the new species short. Using the image of the Griffon Bruxellois, a dog breed which Lucas owned, the Ewok was developed by renowned make-up artist Stuart Freeborn. As presented in the films, Ewoks appear as stocky, sapient bipeds which stand about one metre tall.
In the early versions of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the second Death Star was to be built in orbit around Kashyyyk. The construction would be done by Wookiee laborers. George Lucas then decided to switch the Death Star's location to the forest moon of Endor and the Wookiees were replaced with Ewoks.
Romba weeps for his friend, Nanta. This once-unidentified Ewok was often referred to by fans as "Corpsey" because of his memorable death scene in Return of the Jedi.
Wicket was the first Ewok to appear on screen, encountering Princess Leia Organa after she survived her speeder bike chase, bringing her to his tree-top Ewok village, and making contact with the Rebel Alliance during the Battle of Endor.
Zephee was a female Ewok of Bright Tree Village on the forest moon of Endor. By the final years of the Imperial Period, she was the wife of Lumat and the mother of Latara, Nippet, and Wiley.
As the final act of Star Wars hinged on the Empire coming up against a simplistic civilization, symbolic of the underdog, Lucas instead "cut [the Wookiees] in half and called them Ewoks."
Language. The Jedi Master Yoda was the best-known member of a species whose true name is not recorded. Known in some sources simply as Yoda's species, this species of small carnivorous humanoids produced several well-known members of the Jedi Order during the time of the Galactic Republic.
No. Chewbacca is a Wookiee, from the planet Kashyyyk. While Kashyyyk was invaded in 19 BBY, and many Wookiees were enslaved, Chewbacca is not the last of his kind. Kashyyyk still has a population of 65 million.
The suggestion that Return of the Jedi's Ewoks ate Imperial Stormtroopers following the Battle of Endor is a popular joke among Star Wars fans, but both Legends and canon prove this gag's veracity.
Once a rare example of a Wookiee in the Jedi Order, Gungi is also among the few to survive Order 66. As a youngling, Gungi was temperamental and expressive.
A distress signal brought Tarfful and his most trusted warriors rushing to Chewbacca's help against the hated Trandoshans on the hunting grounds of Wasskah. Later, Tarfful and Chewbacca fought side by side with General Yoda on the battlegrounds of Kashyyyk.
The most famous Ewok is Wicket W. Warrick, first played by franchise staple Warrick Davis when he was only 11 years old. Wicket was the Ewok who came across and ultimately befriended Princess Leia after her speeder bike crash. (Wicket also appeared in The Rise of Skywalker with his son Pommet.)
In Star Wars Legends Leia was visited by the force ghost of her father Anakin Skywalker, the man who used to be Darth Vader. It wasn't a pleasant meeting as Leia was unable to forgive him for the things he'd done no matter how hard he begged, and it was the only time she saw him.
Some of the actors portraying Ewoks were children with dwarfism as well. The most featured Ewok is Wicket. He was portrayed by Warwick Davis, who was just 12 years old at the time of production.
Why haven't we seen them again? They weren't popular enough. See, before the prequels, the Ewoks were the part of Star Wars that people hated. Empire Strikes Back was more mature and adult, so a reminder to teens that Star Wars was still a kid's movie did not go over well.
But given the logical destruction the Death Star caused, it makes sense why the Forest Moon of Endor was spared. It would have been rather depressing to have the Ewoks' home meet the same fate as Kef Bir, and at least an explanation has been given for its existence.
In the ensuing battle, Nanta was fatally wounded by a shot from an All Terrain Scout Transport. The Ewok's friend Romba knelt beside his fallen comrade and hugged the dying Nanta.
No tongue or lip movement was required to speak Shyriiwook; the jaw was typically locked open, with sound emanating from the throat and back of the mouth. It was also incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for most Wookiees to learn to speak Basic.
Chewbacca's age remains the guideline, but since he's in his prime during all of his appearances, the species' average lifespan is a little trickier to determine. The 2015 canon reference book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know pegs their average life at approximately 400 years.
