Although inaccurately called cannibals by some, Ewoks are most definitely carnivorous. Star Wars canon has established that Ewoks do eat humans several times. And there is even a loose reference to them eating stormtroopers in what is now the Legends continuity.
First introduced in Return of the Jedi, they are quick to start roasting Han Solo for a feast. And if they would eat Han and Luke, why wouldn’t the Ewoks eat stormtroopers too? Stormtroopers are humans, after all. So, if you plan to visit the forest moon of Endor, maybe learn how to avoid man-eating Ewoks.
Do Ewoks Eat Stormtroopers?
Yes, there are several Star Wars canon references to Ewoks eating stormtroopers. Today, it is established canon that Ewoks eat humans, whether they are Imperial stormtroopers or Rebel Alliance officers.
Here are the main stories, both canon and Legends, that support Ewoks easting humans and stormtroopers:
Return of the Jedi
The Ewoks are first introduced in the 1983 canon Star Wars film Return of the Jedi. Although fans often call the Ewoks cute and cuddly, they have a darker side than most people forget about.
While we never actually see Ewoks eating humans, the implication could not be more clear. After capturing the Rebels, they have Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker tied to spits.
Han is placed above a barbecue pit, with several Ewoks trying to start a fire.
After a brief conversation with the Ewok Logray, C-3PO says, “I’m rather embarrassed, General Solo, but it appears you are to be the main course at a banquet in my honor.”
Out of curiosity, when planning a feast in honor of your golden deity, what sides go best with a scruffy scoundrel like Solo?
While it is never explicitly stated they also eat stormtroopers, it’s basically semantics at that point. If they have no qualms about roasting Han alive, what would stop them from doing the same to captured stormtroopers?
“Apocalypse Endor” in Star Wars Tales 14
The comic short story “Apocalypse Endor” from the 2002 comic book Star Wars Tales 14 references Ewoks eating stormtroopers. Originally canon and now part of the Legends universe, it is presented as a frame story. That is a story within a story.
While sitting at a bar some years after the war, a former Imperial stormtrooper talks about his time on Endor. He explains that the Ewoks tormented and attacked them regularly.
One specific tale mentions a fellow stormtrooper, Kovacs, who when out to kill the Ewoks at night. However, Kovacs disappeared.
The trooper then says, “We found what was left of Kovacs a few days later. They’d done things to him.”
After a pause, he adds, “Figured they wanted to… take his spirit into themselves.”
Although debatable, the idea of the Ewoks taking his spirit sounds suspiciously like they ate him.
Near the end of his story, the trooper mentions surrendering to the Rebels rather than the Ewoks. Again questionable, but choosing the Rebels definitely supports the idea that the Ewoks could eat him.
Shattered Empire 1
Shattered Empire is a canon Star Wars comic series from 2015 that depicted events between the Original Trilogy and the then-forthcoming Sequel Trilogy.
The first book in the series, Shattered Empire 1, includes a sequence set during the victory celebration on Endor. One of the panels has a bunch of speech bubbles from various unnamed characters.
One bubble reads, “…is this? I don’t even know what I’m eating. I’ll have ANOTHER…”
While not explicitly clear, this definitely feels like a tongue-in-cheek reference to Ewoks eating stormtroopers. And possibly cannibalism if a human rebel is eating them too.
Star Wars: Aftermath
One of the more definitive examples that Ewoks eat stormtroopers comes from the 2015 canon novel Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig.
The novel includes a flashback from the point of view of ex-Imperial loyalty officer Sinjir Rath Velus. Sinjir staggers through the forest, surveying the destruction and taking note of the bodies.
The passage reads:
Some of them are faceless, nameless. To him, at least. But others, he knows. Or knew. There—the fresh-faced officer, Cerk Lormin. Good kid. Eager to please. Joined the Empire because it’s what you did. Not a true believer, not by a long stretch. Not far from him: Captain Blevins. Definitely a true believer. A froth-mouthed braggart and bully, too. His face is a mask of blood. Sinjir is glad that one is dead. Nearby, a young woman: He knows her face from the mess, but not her name, and the insignia rank on her chest has been covered in blood. Whoever she was, she’s nobody now. Mulch for the forest. Food for the native Ewoks. Just stardust and nothing.
So, he obviously believes that the Ewoks will eat them. But it’s also worth noting all all three bodies he mentions are officers, not stormtroopers.
While this could confirm they eat stormtroopers, this also supports that Ewoks eat humans as well.
Forces of Destiny Episode “An Imperial Feast”
The only time we clearly see the Ewoks preparing to eat stormtroopers is in the canon mico-series Forces of Destiny.
Titled “An Imperial Feast” (Season 1, Episode 16), it shows several stormtroopers on spits. Reminiscent of the scene with Han Solo on a spit from Return of the Jedi, it shows the Ewoks ready to cook the troopers.
General Leia Organa gets involved, recruiting Han Solo and Chewbacca to get ratio sticks for the Ewoks. Leia wants to treat the Imperial prisoners with respect.
Unreleated to the eating habits of Ewoks, the episode also establishes that Hera Syndulla and Chopper were on Endor following the destruction of the Death Star II. Vanessa Marshall and Dave Filoni reprise their roles as Hera and Chopper, respectively, from Star Wars: Rebels.
Battlefront II: Night on Endor
The Night on Endor update to the canon Star Wars video game Battlefront II by DICE and EA introduced an Ewok Hunt play mode.
Up to 20 players can join, with two assigned as Ewoks and the rest as stormtroopers. The Ewoks have the kill the stormtrooper, after which that player becomes an Ewok.
The goal is to kill all the stormtroopers before an Imperial shuttle arrives to rescue the survivors.
The game does not explicitly mention eating stormtroopers. However, the game art does reinforce Ewoks as being more vicious than depicted in Return of the Jedi.
If anyone could eat humans, it is definitely these Ewoks!
How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks (and Other Galactic Survival Skills)
The last example that proves Ewoks eat humans is the in-universe reference guide How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks (and Other Galactic Survival Skills) by Christian Blauvelt.
Among the tips to avoiding being eaten by Ewoks are befriending them with protein crackers and having a droid made from precious metals. Perhaps not the most practical, the book once again confirms that Ewoks eat humans, stormtroopers, and probably anything else they can trap.
However, the book contains continuity errors that make it nearly impossible to place in the Star Wars timeline. Sections of the book imply that the Galactic Empire is still in power, but also includes the New Republic Senate.
Still, the tips it offers to avoid being eaten by an Ewok are canon.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Ewoks Eating Humans and Stormtroopers
Why Do Ewoks Eat Humans?
While it may seem weird that Ewoks eat humans, they are a primitive species that spends a large portion of their time hunting and gathering for food. With a large number of dead stormtroopers available following the Battle of Endor, it’s unreasonable to assume that they would waste that opportunity.
The same is largely true when they captured Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, and the droids early in Return of the Jedi. The Ewoks set a trap specifically designed to gather food. And as unsavory as we may find it, that is exactly what they got.
Are Ewoks Cannibals?
A few publications use the sensational, yet incorrect, term “cannibals” to describe the Ewoks.
And yet those articles only mention them eating stormtroopers or humans. So either they do not understand what cannibals are or they are being intentionally misleading.
The word cannibal is defined as humans that eat other humans. And Ewoks are most decidedly not humans.
For the sake of argument, let’s translate this phrase to a galaxy far, far away. An Ewok cannibal would eat other Ewoks, not humans.
So, no, Ewoks are absolutely not cannibals. They might eat humans, but there is no indication they eat other Ewoks.
Are Ewoks Eaten As Food?
In perhaps a strange twist, yes, Ewoks are also eaten by beings around the galaxy. As seen in The Clone Wars episode “Missing in Action” (Season 5, Episode 12), Power Sliders serves Ewok jerky.
Little is known about the dish, but the icon indicates it features strips of Ewok jerky meat in a bowl. This could be jerky added to a soup or even rehydrated jerky in a chili or stew.
And if Ewoks are turned into jerky, it seems reasonable that their meat is used in other dishes. However, none are known at this time.
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