"The Ewoks are fierce warriors. The top of the food chain on a savage planet!" "Okay, first of all, they live on a moon, not a planet. Second of all—"
―A Whill and another Whill
Ewoks were a diminutive species of furry bipeds native to the forest moon of Endor. They were most notable for helping the Rebel Alliance defeat the forces of the Galactic Empire at the Battle of Endor, allowing the shield generator there to be destroyed, and in turn, the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station. Ewoks were individuals that stood about one meter tall. They used spears, slings, and knives as weapons; they also used hang gliders as vehicles. Although skilled in forest survival and the construction of primitive technology, the Ewoks had yet to progress past stone-level technology when discovered by the Empire. They were quick learners, however, when exposed to advanced technology with simple mechanical processes and concepts.
Ewoks were sentient humanoids, averaging about one meter in height. Omnivorous, they were covered in fur from head to toe, with brown and black as the most common colors. Most Ewoks had solid-colored fur, though a few sported stripes. Ewoks had large, bright eyes, small humanoid noses, and hands that possessed two fingers and an opposable thumb. Despite their small size, Ewoks were physically strong enough to overpower combat-trained humans.
Despite their primitive technology and their isolated homeworld, Ewoks were not totally unknown in the wider galaxy; during the Clone Wars, "Ewok Jerky" was sold at Power Sliders, a diner on the planet Abafar.
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Ewoks had reached a level of civilization where they engaged in religious, artistic, medical, and even political activities, and spoke in their own native tongue of Ewokese. Nevertheless, they still focused most of their energies on the daily provision of food. They had acquired knowledge of pottery, hunting, the construction of complex wooden structures and the creation of fire. While most of their lives would be spent in the treetops, several members of the tribe would be required to venture out on the forest floor to forage for berries, gather herbs, and hunt. During warm summer months, some Ewoks stayed in fishing villages or hunting and farming lodges on the forest floor. Utilizing ponies and bordoks to haul loads of supplies between settlements, they nonetheless kept their guard up for ferocious predators and other sentient creatures such as the Yuzzums. Ewoks lived high among the trees of the forest moon of Endor, in villages built between the closely spaced trees. The canopies of the great trees were filled with watchers who could alert the tribe of approaching gorax or condor dragons, and could use gliders to patrol the lands beyond their local village. Bachelors, on the other hand, often lived on the ground and kept watch for even greater dangers such as Duloks, who often emerged from the swamps to prey on Ewoks and lantern birds. The Ewoks were a deeply spiritual people. They revered the surrounding giant trees and believed themselves to be descendants of the "Great Tree," a sacred tree in the forests. The conifer trees where Ewoks lived were also fire resistant, and served as a natural insect repellent. An Ewok village during the Battle of Endor, with Alliance-borrowed uplink stations in the walkways The basic design of a tree village had a "Central Village" of thatched-roof huts on the primary limbs. These huts were high enough above the ground to be out of reach of predators. Suspended bridges connected the gaps between trees, adjoining distant huts. Knotted rope ladders allowed access up or down. Food, kindling, and other provisions would be kept under the floor of the Ewoks' houses, while woven sleeping mats and furs were stored in the lofts above. Hoods, capes, and tools hung on the walls. In Ewok society, the most important people were the chief, the medicine man, and the Council of Elders, with a different council leading each individual Ewok tribe. The Ewoks enjoyed singing and playing music during celebrations, festivals, and rituals. During the Ewok and Rebel celebration after the destruction of the Death Star II, one Ewok in Bright Tree Village used a series of Imperial stormtrooper and naval trooper helmets as drums, producing a variety of tones. The Ewoks used a variety of weapons that included nets, knives, stone spears, slingshots, bows, arrows, wooden battering rams, rolling logs, and catapults. During the Battle of Endor, they threw large rocks at stormtroopers, used ropes to dismount scout troopers from their speeder bikes, and tripped and crushed the larger AT-STs with logs. Notable hunters slit the throats of Imperial officers with their knives. In addition, they were at least familiar with the movements of walkers, as evidenced by two of the Ewoks piloting an AT-ST alongside Chewbacca shortly after hijacking it.