Star Wars is still one of the premier franchises in the world, despite its recent setbacks. The reason that so many still yearn for stories set in a galaxy far, far away is that they believe that, one day, the magic from the original trilogy will return. There’s just something so special about the first three Star Wars movies. Of course, it all starts in Star Wars: A New Hope, which introduces countless characters and locations that continue to shape the franchise to this day. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back picks up the baton from there and full-on sprints with it, taking the story to new heights by dropping the biggest bombshell in cinema history.
All that greatness puts a lot of weight on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi‘s soldiers, as it has to stick the landing of all landings. While Episode VI does a fine job for the most part, one aspect of the film continues to spark debate 40 years later. However, Lucasfilm is done playing nice about the hate. In fact, it’s doubling down on the original trilogy’s worst moment and daring anyone to call it out.
A rebellion is only as good as its enemy, and the Empire is a dang good one. By taking control of both sides, Emperor Palpatine ensures that there is no one to challenge his ascent. He snuffs out any sign of trouble, even going as far as to blow up a planet just because some classified documents get out. And while the Empire suffers a major defeat at the end of A New Hope and loses the Death Star, it gets right back on its feet in the next movie and sends the rebels running after the Battle of Hoth. The Rebellion isn’t ready to strike back until about halfway through Return of the Jedi, when it learns the location of the second Death Star.
Han Solo leads a small team to the Forest Moon of Endor in hopes of destryoing the shield generator that protects the Empire’s superweapon. It takes almost no time for them to run intro trouble, but the Ewoks offer a helping hand to their non-furry friends. However, it turns out that the Ewoks do more than help; they completely overwhelm the Imperials, leading to an embarrasing defeat for the bad guys. Despite being cuddly, the Ewoks are controversial figures in Star Wars because they’re sort of an deus ex machina. Well, they get another chance to show off their skills in Star Wars’ newest show.
Since Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks have been on the back burner for the most part. Their role continues to be filled by other species, such as the Gungans. But the arrival of Lucasfilm’s anthonoloy series, Star Wars: Visions, opens the door for the creatures that call Endor home to have their cake and eat it, too, as all the stories are non-canon. In Season 3, Episode 1, “The Duel: Payback,” the Ronin finds himself between a rock and a hard place when the Grand Master, the leader of the Crusaders, a rogue band of Jedi, comes after him. He has to make allies and quick, and some of them look pretty familiar.
As the Crusaders make their final push, they meet resistance in the form of Ewoks, who set traps along a bridge. The warrirors dodge their obstacles as best they can, but it’s a losing effort because there are also Ewoks hiding in the water, ready to hit any targets that make it close to the other side. While the little troublemakers aren’t able to take out the Grand Master, they do most of the heavy lifting against the Crusaders, allowing the Ronin and his friends to focus on the real villain. The fight in “The Duel: Payback” isn’t for the fate of the galaxy, but don’t tell the Ewoks that because they only know one speed.
Star Wars: Visions is streaming on Disney+.
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