Star Wars' Darkest Ewoks Theory May Explain Leia's Return Of The Jedi Dress

When moviegoers went to see "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" in theaters in 1983, they were treated to a mixed bag of a film. On one hand, the feature is dark and emotional, with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — now a Jedi Knight — risking his life to free his father, Darth Vader (Sebastian Shaw, David Prowse, and James Earl Jones) from the clutches of the dark side and the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid, who enjoyed the role the most in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith). Meanwhile, a bunch of teddy bear-like creatures called Ewoks run around on Endor and provide some comedic relief, befriending Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). They gift her a dress while she stays in their village, which has raised some eyebrows regarding how sweet the Ewoks really are.

Considering that the Ewoks are much smaller than the average human, one has to wonder where this dress came from. While one could guess that they made it specifically for Leia, how could they do such a thing so fast? This is where a theory from "Star Wars" fans such as Redditor u/premeddit comes in. They consider the possibility that perhaps the Ewoks once killed and ate a woman Leia's size, leaving them with her belongings to spare. After she proved herself a close friend of Wicket W. Warrick (Warwick Davis), they decided to let her live and offered her a new outfit.

This theory seems extreme at first — until you consider just how extreme the dietary habits of Ewoks truly are.

Though it's something that many "Star Wars" fans tend to gloss over, it's clearly demonstrated in "Return of the Jedi" that the Ewoks have no qualms about eating human beings. For instance, upon being captured, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), various Rebel soldiers, and the Wookiee Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) are taken to the Ewok village. Once there, the Ewoks make very obvious preparations to cook and eat them. Thankfully, Luke's mastery of the Force and their belief that C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) is some kind of god prevents their dinnertime demise.

As if that wasn't evidence enough, by the end of the Battle of Endor and the second Death Star's destruction, it's heavily implied that the Ewoks actually went through with eating humans. The Ewoks and Rebels celebrate the fall of the Empire on the forest moon, with campfires and music galore. There are also several empty Imperial trooper helmets present, which the Ewoks use as instruments. Their bodies are never shown, so many "Star Wars" fans have come to the conclusion that these troopers were eaten off-screen — hence their leftover armor. Could this also be a hint at the origin of Princess Leia's dress?

Ewoks are the unsung heroes of the "Star Wars" franchise and, clearly, are not to be trifled with. Not only will they risk life and limb to topple a fascist regime, but they'll happily munch on their enemies in the aftermath, too.