The Star Wars Universe has been home to some of the most adorable creatures in the galaxy. They leave their memorable mark on every film they appear in, and Star Wars fans look forward to new installments specifically to see what new aliens will be used to broaden the galaxy far, far away. Recently, the Star Wars franchise has branched out into live-action television with The Mandalorian on Disney+ and revealed one of the most charming critters yet; a baby Yoda!
No one knows exactly what species Yoda is, but we’ve seen another one of his kind (also a Jedi) in the Star Wars prequels. While the origin of the bat-eared baby remains a mystery, lets look at 10 other creatures that are even more adorable than he is!
BABY EWOKS
By design, Ewoks are pretty adorable. George Lucas made the diminutive dwellers of the Forest Moon of Endor to be primitive so that their defeat of the technologically superior Galactic Empire would be more scathing. Their tribes consist of hunter-gatherers and warriors, and it seems they practice some sort of mystical spiritualism guided by tribal shaman.
We first see their offspring in Return of the Jedi, when Han, Luke, Chewie, and C-3PO are captured and brought to their village while attempting to locate an Imperial bunker. Ewok babies are pint-sized versions of the teddy-bear looking adults, before the comical buckteeth set in, and are easily frightened by C-3PO’s epic stories.
PORGS
These curious little space puffins live on Ahch-To, where they regularly pester Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and any other newcomer to the island. Small avian creatures designed to be a cross between a puffin, a seal, and a pug dog, porgs became an instant hit when they were introduced in The Last Jedi.
Porgs are highly inquisitive, and the trait often overrides their more fearful nature. While at first they may come off as bashful or skittish, such as when they first encountered Chewbacca and Rey, they soon became curious about the Resistance fighters. They took particular interest in Rey’s lightsaber, as well as the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon while Chewie attempted repairs. Several nested in its cargo hold, and at least one fancies himself Chewie’s co-pilot now.
BB-8
The adorably gutsy droid BB-8, first introduced in The Force Awakens, has become the proud mascot for the Disney sequel trilogy since he first rolled into view. BB-8 was Poe Dameron’s droid, and shared a relationship with him much like Luke Skywalker and R2-D2, until they were separated on Jakku.
BB-8 eventually found a new surrogate owner in Rey, a scavenger girl who found him roaming the desert alone. He held the key to locating the missing Luke Skywalker, and was instrumental in getting Rey to join the Resistance and by proxy, train under Master Skywalker when BB-8 provided his location.
ICE FOXES
The Battle of Crait was certainly an exciting part of The Last Jedi. It erupted when the last remnants of the Resistance fleet took refuge on the planet’s surface in an old base that was used by the Rebel Alliance. When the Resistance fighters entered the base, they encountered the mysterious and beautiful ice foxes, also known as vulptices.
Based on the enigmatic arctic foxes found on Earth, these crystalline canids couldn’t always be seen, but they could be heard, due to the tinkling nature of the ice-like bristles that helped protect them from savage predators. Their beauty was only matched by their resourcefulness as they helped the Resistance fighters find a way out of the base when it was walled up.
R2-D2
One of the most famous faces in the entire Star Wars Saga, R2-D2 is the heroic little astromech droid that has been responsible for saving the day in countless Star Wars films. He came to the rescue when Queen Amidala’s ship was damaged during her escape from Naboo in The Phantom Menace, and he regularly saved Anakin and Obi-Wan during their exploits in the Clone Wars.
After the prequel trilogy, R2-D2 valiantly kept the plans to the Death Star safeguarded until the Rebel Alliance could use them to destroy the Empire’s greatest superweapon. Currently in Disney’s sequel trilogy, he’s a prominent member of the Resistance in the struggle against the First Order.
CONVOREES
This avian creature was first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, found throughout the galaxy in forest and jungle planets such as Wasskah, Mallachor, and Takodana. Owl-like in appearance, they have brown and gold plumage that helps them be concealed in foliage, and a prehensile tail perfect for grabbing onto tree branches.
Convorees work together with partners to take on predators, often grabbing them with their flexible tails, flying high over a canopy, and then dropping them to the ground below. During the Clone Wars, they were often kept and sold as exotic pets.
D-O
Fans of Star Wars looking forward to The Rise of Skywalker have been able to catch a glimpse of a new droid before the film hits theaters in December. The little fella’s name is D-O, and he’s been cobbled together from spare parts by Babu Frik (who’s also very adorable!), an Anzellan who worked as a droidsmith for smugglers and spice runners.
While we won’t know D-O’s full backstory until Rise of Skywalker is released, we know he befriends BB-8 after the Battle of Crait. In trailers for the film, D-O can be seen trying to keep up with BB-8 as he rolls to the rescue of his Resistance friends in another daring engagement against the First Order.
LOTH-CATS
Who knew such a cute critter could be found in the Outer Rim. Scampering amidst the grasslands of the planet Lothal, Loth-cats are members of the tooka family and are known for being able hunters and scavengers. Their main source of food are the Loth-rats that also dwell on the planet.
Loth-cats could be temperamental and fiercely territorial when they appeared in Star Wars Rebels, but throughout the series they also showed signs of being very affectionate and friendly towards individuals that gained their trust. They’ve also been known to be captured and sold as pets at the Creature Stall at Black Spire Outpost.
MINI MOUSE DROID
Chances are if you’ve looked closely at any Imperial facility throughout the Star Wars Saga, you’ve seen the “mouse droids” scurrying along the corridors. Known professionally as an MSE-6-series repair droid, they may look small in stature compared to most droids but their skills are mighty.
Did you know they have an even smaller version? The MSE-4-series was first glimpsed in Revenge of the Sith, used for labor and repair functions by the Confederacy of Independent Systems on Mustafar. When the Old Republic fell to the Empire, they became useful in the Imperial Navy for leading stormtroopers through the labyrinthian corridors of the Death Star.
FATHIERS
First introduced as the sorrowful looking creatures used for racing on the gambling planet Canto Bight, these majestic and spirited creatures deserved a better life. Fortunately they were freed by Rose and Finn when they were looking for the code breaker, and they took out their revenge on the gamblers that forced them into servitude.
Ben Morris, creative director at Lucasfilm has said the fathiers were a combination of horses, dogs, cats, and lions. Besides being used as racing animals, these gentle giants were also forced into being beasts of burden, and were treated atrociously if they didn’t perform.
