Star Wars: The Cat-Like Tooka Creatures Explained
Contains spoilers for The Mandalorian "Chapter 13: The Jedi"
In The Mandalorian "Chapter 13: The Jedi," the fifth episode of season 2, Mando (Pedro Pascal) and The Child travel to the planet of Corvus in search of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), previously a Padawan of Anakin Skywalker and a fighter skilled with lightsabers. While there, the duo run into a few obstacles in the form of the Magistrate (Diana Lee Inosanto) and her sidekick Lang (Michael Biehn).
During a skirmish between Lang, his soldiers, and Ahsoka, audiences can get a few glimpses of a small creature found throughout the galaxy called a tooka. In "Chapter 13: The Jedi," one tooka scavenges through piles of trash in the streets, distracting Lang and the others as they listen closely for Ahsoka. These creatures actually made an appearance on The Mandalorian back in the fourth episode of season 1, "Chapter 4: The Sanctuary." As Mando and The Child meander through a small farming village, The Child is drawn in by the cute appearance of one of these cat-like creatures and approaches, earning a surprise snarl that warns him off.
Turns out that tookas have been in the Star Wars universe for quite a while, appearing multiple times in both of the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, but this is the first time they've appeared in a live-action Star Wars property.
Tooka cats are found across the galaxy as pets and pest-hunters
So what exactly are tookas? Well, they're not that different from the small feline creatures commonly known as cats on our planet. Tookas are actually classified as cats, though they have some key differences. Physically, tookas have more claw-like paws, very tall ears, along with bigger mouths and lots of sharp fangs. They can come in a variety of colors, from purple to yellow and anything in between, and are usually striped. The most common subspecies is the Loth-cat.
Tookas have a carnivorous diet, which makes them great at hunting annoying pests, but they are also known to be loving pets. Along with that, they are said to really like milk and are clearly popular with families across the universe, as there are stuffed animals made to look like tookas, called tooka dolls. Apparently, the creatures were named after Dave Filoni's cat who passed, Tuuk. Filoni, who has a habit for naming creatures after important people and animals in his life, has written and directed several The Mandalorian episodes, including "Chapter 13: The Jedi." He also created and wrote for Star Wars Resistance and Star Wars Rebels, and was a part of the writing team for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
On The Mandalorian alone, Mando and The Child have now encountered tookas on both the planet Sorgan and Corvus, and the creatures make further appearances on Coruscant, Tatooine, and many others in other Star Wars properties. Here's hoping the cute tooka cats continue to appear on The Mandalorian and beyond.