Star Wars Jawas Hiding Shocking Secret?
I have exactly one Star Wars fan theory and it’s kind of bonkers. It is not a theory I wanted to have, but it came to me regardless, and now you have to know about it.
Jawas are Ewoks who have shamed themselves in the eyes of other Ewoks by embracing technology. Because they could not stop themselves from doing what was forbidden, they live in exile from Endor. Their cloaks and hoods are ritualistic, symbolizing the shame they will always carry, along with forcing them to hide their faces.
Peli Motto’s Dating History
My Jawas are Ewoks theory started brewing with The Book of Boba Fett. While discussing Jawas who had acquired rare parts for her, the mechanic Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) mentions to Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) that she dated a Jawa at one point.
“They’re quite furry,” she says. “Very furry.” Then she makes a strange face as if she were imitating a chipmunk or some kind of bucktoothed animal. Din Djarin shrugs, and Peli says, “Lotta issues.”
So we know Jawas are furry–does that necessarily mean they’re Ewoks? Of course not. But the moment got me thinking.
Being of the age that I actually saw the first Star Wars flick in the theater, I always simply assumed that Jawas were native to Tatooine. It was a surprise to me to see them in significant numbers on Jakku in The Force Awakens and Arvala-7 (where Din Djarin first finds Grogu) in The Mandalorian. I suppose that’s not so weird in a franchise where space travel is commonplace, but why would desert scavengers move from planet to planet?
“They’re quite furry. Very furry. Lotta issues”
-Peli Motto’s revealing words about Jawas
And why do they wear such thick robes and hoods if they’re furry? Every planet where Jawas live seems to be a hot, arid world.
Wookiees are also furry and we see them existing without any kind of special discomfort in similar climates. Chewbacca never seems to be particularly uncomfortable on Tatooine, and neither does Black Krrsantan, who–unlike Chewie–actually makes his home on the desert planet.
But neither of those Wookiees are dressed from head-to-toe in thick robes. In fact, like most Wookiees, they’re practically naked except for a few straps here and there.
Where Are The Ewoks?
Meanwhile, it occurred to me that, unlike Jawas, we hardly ever see Ewoks anywhere beyond Endor. Why not? They know about the existence of people with advanced technology.
They aid the Rebellion in the Battle of Endor and wind up capturing quite a bit of tech from the Empire, including helping Chewbacca commandeer an imperial scout walker.
Why wouldn’t Ewoks, in the age of the New Republic, start traveling to other worlds? You would think their aid would at least warrant an invitation to join the New Republic. Wouldn’t the hyperactive little teddy bears want to explore what’s out there?
It’s possible that, unlike the Jawas, the Ewoks see technology as some kind of magic or witchcraft. After all, they thought C3PO was literally a god. Engaging with that technology for brief periods might be seen as okay (like in order to fight the Empire), but perhaps embracing that technology and making it a part of their daily lives is forbidden.
It’s this, I’m theorizing, that makes a Jawa out of an Ewok. Some Ewoks simply cannot resist the pull of all the shiny tech and explosive lasers. But because they still respect their people’s beliefs, they shroud themselves in hooded robes to signify their shame.
And what do Jawas do? They scavenge and steal every machine — or machine parts — they can, which is precisely what an Ewok would do if they had left their homeland for nothing more than the allure of technology.
How accurate is my Jawas are Ewoks theory? Not remotely. It’s thinner than a slice of Swiss cheese and has twice as many holes.
But it’s mine, and I will treasure it like a shiny piece of droid garbage dug out of a sand dune, that I keep next to the picture I drew of the silly teddy bear family I abandoned. Who worship robot translators because they sit in magic chairs.
