We rank the 50 Biggest WTF Moments in Star Wars History
By Josh Hill
38. The Ewoks Beat The Empire on Endor
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: Pinned back up against a wall, the Rebel forces on Endor are all but cooked when their attempt to blow up the child generator is foiled. Han Solo and the crew are captured by Imperial forces, but the tides shifts violently when the Ewoks show up to bail everyone out and take down the mighty Empire in an epic battle.
Why It’s Memorable: I mean — I’m not happy about this moment but it happened and it’s part of the lore of Star Wars. Unless Lawrence Kasdan ret-cons this in the new films, we will forever live in a galaxy that was saved by Ewoks. Stripping away our narcissism, this is one of the more memorable moments from our childhoods as the Empire was basically beaten by teddy bears and that’s a big deal.
Additionally, the battle scenes on Endor weren’t all cuddly and fuzzy. Lest we forget that tragic moment when an Ewok tries to wake his buddy up and he can’t. We questioned the meaning of life at that point, as there’s nothing more depressing than an Ewok snuff film, even if we pretend to hate the fact they were so critical in the story arc of Star Wars.
Next: 37. Han Saves Lando's Life