The Star Wars universe is filled to the brim with creative and fascinating creatures. From the adorable Ewok to the terrifying Wampa to the smelly Tauntaun, the Star Wars film have certainly introduced some of the most memorable creatures ever brought to life on film. With THE LAST JEDI around the corner, you can bet that Lucasfilm will be introducing even more brand new creatures into the Star Wars canon and boy, did they deliver. Let's meet the Porgs and the Caretakers, shall we?

The Porgs Are The Galaxy's New Cutest Creatures

As a part of the giant Star Wars coverage from Entertainment Weekly recently, we have received some intriguing information about some of the new creatures that will appear in The Last Jedi. As you can see above, the Porgs might be the cutest Star Wars creatures we have ever seen.

These adorable, wide-eyed creatures are native to the newly-introduced planet of Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker has been hiding. The creatures have furry, flapping wings and their size might remind you of a puffin. In fact, The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson revealed that puffins were the real-life inspiration for the Porgs:

If you go to Skellig at the right time of year, it’s just covered in puffins, and they’re the most adorable things in the world. So when I was first scouting there, I saw these guys, and I was like, 'Oh, these are part of the island.' And so the Porgs are in that realm. While some could argue that the Porgs have been thrown into the film to sell toys, it's clear that their cuteness will serve a purpose in this film, even if it's just for comedic relief, especially since The Last Jedi looks to be a much darker installment than The Force Awakens.

Even if they are just in the film to be cute, it's not difficult to see how they'd emerge as a fan-favorite. Similar to the ultra-cute Minions in Despicable Me or even the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, the Porgs will most likely have some very adorable moments that will catch the attention of younger Star Wars fans.

The Force-Sensitive Caretakers May Not Be As Cute, But They're Important If you aren't sold on the Porgs yet, they aren't the only creatures residing on Ahch-To. As a matter of fact, there's another never-before-seen creature that we will meet as well: the Caretakers. These creatures have lived on the island of Ahch-To for thousands of years. Also, they are completely practical in design as they are brought to life by a person inside the costume, operating them. Johnson explained a little bit about the Caretakers:

“They’re kind of these sort of fish-bird type aliens who live on the island, Johnson says. They’ve been there for thousands of years, and they essentially keep up the structures on the island. They’re all female, and I wanted them to feel like a remote sort of little nunnery. [...] They’re these big matronly creatures, but they have these little skinny little bird feet. They were really fun to work with on set.”

Johnson also explained that the Caretakers are actually able to communicate with Luke Skywalker by the means of "a blubbery sort of Scottish fish talk." What makes the story even more interesting is that they aren't the biggest fan of the Jedi either as the Caretakers merely "tolerate" his presence on Ahch-To. It makes sense: if their sole purpose is to take care of the island and the most precious thing on it — the first Jedi Temple — then it's understandable the Caretakers would be peeved with Luke, who would most likely want to explore the temple and the island when he arrives.

In the end, it looks like the Porgs and the Caretakers will give their human counterparts a run for their money in STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Ridiculously cute but potentially pivotal to the film's plot, there's definitely more than meets the eye when it comes to these new Star Wars creatures.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is in theaters December 15, 2017.

[Source:EW]