Ewok Village

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Endor

• 

From the Movies

As you enter the darkened canopy of Endor's primeval forests, you may hear the rhythmic beating of tribal drums emanating from high above. This is the domain of the native Ewoks, diminutive arboreal beings who call Endor their home. Though they have yet to master advanced technology, they have nonetheless erected impressive villages high within the Endor trees.

The Ewoks use a combination of rope ladders, swinging vines, and wooden catwalks to ascend to their lofty homes. There, carved into the living trees are simple huts with thatched roofs and animal skin curtains for doors. The largest huts are reserved for such Ewok potentates as the chief, the medicine man, and the Council of Elders.

From the Expanded Universe

Bright Tree Village was located near a patch of forest known as Happy Grove, near a cluster of sacred sunberry trees that the Ewoks fiercely protected. During the time of the Empire, Bright Tree was ruled by the wise Chief Chirpa and his Council of Elders. Though many Ewoks trained as warriors, there has not been a war amongst the Ewoks for centuries. Most of the day-to-day life of Bright Tree Village concerned the growing and cultivating of foods for the winter months, the fending off of dangerous creatures and thieving Duloks, and the exploration of Ewok spiritual life.

The dim-witted Duloks, under the command of King Gorneesh, coveted the foods and medicinal treasures held high in the Endor trees. The bungling beings often tried to steal Ewok crops rather than go to the trouble of growing their own. Time and again the Ewoks were able to defend themselves.

Other threats to Bright Tree Village included the evil Tulgah witch Morag, who held a personal vendetta against the village's shaman, Logray. She would often use her dark arts to plague the village with magical assailants, but Logray's power defended the Ewoks.

After the Battle of Endor, when Bright Tree Village and the surrounding forests became the temporary home of the Alliance of Free Planets, the Ewoks had to contend with a myriad of alien cultures visiting their world. The insectoid Hiromi hatched an ill-conceived scheme to seed a civil war among the Ewoks and the tiny Lahsbees, but the Alliance was able to intervene.

Now that galactic attention has shifted elsewhere, Endor and Bright Tree Village continues a quiet existence in isolation. The village is now jointly ruled by Kneesaa, daughter of the late Chief Chirpa, and her husband, Wicket W. Warrick.

Behind the Scenes

In Return of the Jedi's rough draft, the Ewoks weren't tree-dwellers, but rather troglodytes, living in a complex village built within an underground cavern.

The Ewok village was realized through an elaborate set at EMI-Elstree Studios. Both live and artificial trees surrounded the set, which was enveloped by a 360-degree cyclorama painted to match the skies shot on location. To properly place the Ewok village high in the trees, artists Mike Pangrazio and Chris Evans extended the scenery with detailed matte paintings.