‘It’s a little hand puppet’: The last ‘Star Wars’ character we ever expected to return is coming to Disney Plus this December after 40 years

How deep does your Star Wars knowledge go? Does it extend to the television series Ewoks on ABC from 1985 to 1987? How about the TV movie Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure from 1984?

Or does it go even farther than that? Maybe to that movie’s sequel, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor from 1985? If you said yes to all of this, then we have some pretty cool news for you. For everyone else, hold tight as we dive into the depths of somewhat niche Star Wars lore.

As we get more and more shows (for better or for worse) based on the farthest corners the Star Wars universe, such as Ahsoka, Andor and The Mandalorian, it’s inevitable that even the smallest crevices will receive their time in the spotlight. In this case, that distinction falls to the Teek. Who are the Teek? You’re about to find out.

In a roundtable interview with Empire, the director of one of the Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes, David Lowery, shared that the little known creatures would make an appearance in his episode. If you’re not aware, Skeleton Crew is like a Stranger Things meets Star Wars coming-of age-tale that’s getting lots of early buzz. It set to premiere on Disney Plus in December 2024.

So who are they? The Teek are a speedy native species of the Forest Moon of Endor. The one Teek we met in Battle for Endor was playful, mischievous, and the companion of a stranded human scout named Noa Briqualon. That Teek is also named Teek, so he was exactly what he said on the tin.

He would become friends with the movie’s protagonist, a little girl named Cindel Towani and her Ewok friend Wicket Wystri Warrick. After Towani was kidnapped, Teek used his speed to help rescue her from Terak’s warriors.

While he didn’t get to escape with the humans on their spaceship, he did eventually settle in at Bright Tree Village. What’s great about the Teek’s return is that they will appear in the same spirit as in 1985. That’s right, the Teek will return as puppets, not CGI.

“I was most excited about having hand puppets on set,” Lowery said. “It’s the most ancient technology being used with the most cutting-edge technology, simultaneously. That combination was absolutely magical.”

Lowery shared that Teek was “just a hand puppet in the middle of this crazy set. The cognitive dissonance of seeing those two things together, live in front of you, is absolutely incredible.” That’s music to the ears of old school Star Wars fans, for sure.

Here’s the official synopsis for the show:

“Skeleton Crew” follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy, crossing paths with the likes of Jod Na Nawood, the mysterious character played by [Jude] Law. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

We’re probably going to get more and more cool details like this as the release date for Skeleton Crew inches closer, but right now there’s reason to be optimistic. This sounds like the type of show that might just hit all the right notes for a Star Wars fan of any age.