The latest issue of Marvel's Star Wars: Ewoks comic miniseries reintroduced an obscure alien species from the Star Wars Legends continuity, and fans will be both surprised and intrigued by the canon reintroduction of this obscure alien. Even if you are unfamiliar with the Raichling species, they are now officially a part of the current Star Wars canon, which means they should be featured in more stories as time goes by.
In the third issue of the Ewoks comic series, the Ewok known as Wicket and the group of Imperials and bounty hunters who have taken him hostage encounter a lake on the Forest Moon of Endor, which they need to cross. Wicket explains to the group that they could safely cross the lake with the aid of a Raichling, before the group instead builds a canoe to sail across the water.
In the Legends continuity, Raichlings are a gigantic species of snail-like aliens from the Forest Moon of Endor. They originally debuted in “Malani the Warrior,” a 1986 episode from the Ewoks TV series' second season, which started airing on ABC in 1985. In the episode, the Ewoks ride the Raichlings across a sea of mud, with Teebo serving as the language interpreter between the two species.
Although Raichlings did not physically appear in the third issue of Marvel’s Ewoks comic, the fact that Wicket recommends using them to cross the lake suggests that they will retain the same physical characteristics as their Legends counterparts and that they will also still be on friendly terms with the Ewoks. And since they were able to speak with Teebo in the native Raichling language, the Raichlings from the Legends continuity would also be classed as sentient beings as opposed to non-sentient or semi-sentient lifeforms. Although Raichlings are undeniably a very minor alien species within the broader Star Wars franchise, the fact that they have now been reintroduced into canon is still a pleasing development for Legends fans.
Written by Steve Orlando and penciled by Álvaro López and Laura Braga, the Ewoks comic miniseries takes place shortly after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, with the Rebels having recently left Endor. The plot of the series focuses on a conflict that arises between the native Ewoks and the aforementioned group of Imperials and bounty hunters, who arrive on the moon in search of hidden Imperial weaponry.
In addition to the Ewoks, other established species and creatures from Endor, including Duloks, Devil Serpents, Bordoks, a Condor Dragon, and a colossal Gorax, are all featured in the Marvel series. The first three issues of Ewoks were released towards the end of last year, with the final issue set to arrive on January 29, 2025. Marvel will then release a trade paperback edition collecting all four issues on July 8, 2025, so you might want to mark that date in your calendars.