We all know who the true heroes of the Star Wars galaxy are right? The furry friends we make along the way—the ones who sit next to our favorite pilots, who throw stones at Stormtroopers, and who, as it turns out, might have spent their lives protecting the Jedi Warial. Yes, we’re here to talk about the newest addition to the Star Wars cuddly canon, Porgs, and how they might just be the key to saving the galaxy in The Last Jedi!

First glimpsed in a magical behind-the-scenes featurette at D23, the Porgs are a seabird-like species native to the mystical island where Rey found Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. Though the details are sparse, we’ve established that they live on the planet of Ahch-To and may even be protectors of the very first Jedi Temple, where Luke’s been hiding all this time. So does that mean these puffin-esque pals could be Force-sensitive too? The definitely wouldn’t be the first Force sensitive creatures in the galaxy… but we’ll get into that later.

Historically, cute creatures have played a huge part in the battles between the Empire and the Rebellion, from the Tauntauns that Luke and the resistance rode on Hoth to the Ewoks of Endor, who almost singlehandedly crushed the Empire at the end of Return of the Jedi. So it would make a lot of sense for the Porgs to play a similar role to the one played by the much maligned space bears. Both Porgs and Ewoks have been given a bad rap, with fans claiming they’re nothing more than marketing ploys to sell toys, ignoring the fact that for many of us the more childlike and cutesy parts of Star Wars lore were our first entry into fandom.

So why are we so sure that these little guys might play a part in saving the galaxy? Well, that would be thanks to Rian Johnson’s brand new trailer for The Last Jedi. The trailer showed off many incredible sights, but the one that caught our imagination was that of a Porg seated next to Chewie in the Millennium Falcon, letting out a mighty war cry. We all know that Chewie is never far from the fray, so the fact that he sees the worth in these intergalactic penguins confirms to us that it’s pretty likely the Porgs will play a massive part in saving a galaxy far, far away.

So how could they play a part in saving the Star Wars universe? Well, we have a couple of ideas.

First off, Porgs would hardly be the first of their sort in the Star Wars universe to turn out to be Force-sensitive; in Expanded Universe and Legends lore, Snowfeathers are small flightless birds—pretty similar to Porgs, really—native to the ice planet of Ilum. This icy rock was one of the main sources for natural kyber crystals, and the Snowfeather birds who live there were connected to the Force, able to project illusions and make themselves seem more intimidating and fearsome than their small forms truly were.

Similarly, We recall the Taozin, giant centipede-like creatures who could shield themselves from Force users. Their skin would later be used by the Sith Inquisitors to craft Taozin nodules, which they used to make them invisible whilst on the hunt for rogue Jedi. (And we’d be remiss to forget that Senator Palpatine cloaked his evil ways using the massive power of dark side.) On the opposite side of the same coin, perhaps Luke has harnessed the energy of the fuzzy little protectors of Ahch-To and used it to hide himself. After all, neither the Resistance nor the massively powerful First Order were able to find him for years.

Or could it be that the Porgs enhance a Force user’s powers, acting almost like an amplifier for those who can use the ancient mystical magic? Well, if this were the case it would lean heavily into the idea that Luke has been tilting towards to the dark side of the Force. In the history of the galaxy there’ve been records of so called Sith Familiars, scavenger bird-like creatures created by the Sith to be the eyes and ears of whomever made them. The small creatures could also project a Force user’s power even when they weren’t by their side. Though it’s unlikely that Luke created the Porgs, he could’ve definitely harnessed their power as a way to utilize them in the wars to come. We hate to think of Luke turning to the dark side, but it’s not unlikely that during his exile he’s studied both sides of the Force and discovered secrets long since forgotten.

Then again, Force-sensitivity is hardly the only possible asset the Porgs may employ. If Star Wars history is any indication, the Porgs may be more resilient in battle than they appear. Even the cute and apparently primitive Ewoks were skilled fighters and tacticians, and fast learners who, when faced with advanced technology, played a huge part in beating the Empire. In the time leading up to A New Hope, the Resistance included members of many different alien species who looked less than threatening, including one of Saw Gerrera’s most destructive partisans, Weeteef Cyu-Bee from Talpini. Basically, underestimating the Porgs for being cute would be incredibly naïve.

How do you feel about these feathered friends? Sick of the cute and cuddly? Ready for even more practical creatures? Just sad that we won’t be returning to Endor this time around? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Disney, Lucasfilm

More on The Last Jedi!

• Might we see  Rey and Kylo Ren team up?
• Could Rey possible take a turn towards the Dark Side?
• Here’s EVERYTHING you missed in the The Last Jedi trailer

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