Star Wars 8 could be getting its own version of the Ewoks or, God forbid, Jar Jar

Star Wars having its own cuddly (and not so cuddly) creatures is a tradition up there with lightsaber battles and sarcastic droids. Everything from the Ewoks to *shudder* Jar Jar has made the Star Wars-verse a more wild and varied place – and now Star Wars 8 might be getting its own brand of alien animal action. Possible spoilers for Star Wars 8 follow…

MakingStarWars.net has the rumoured scoop on Luke Skywalker sharing his alone time on Aach-To (where Rey meets Luke at the end of The Force Awakens) with creatures that resemble “a bird mixed with a Gremlin”. Sources are even tossing the word ‘Furby’ around. That’s quite a combination. Just don’t go expecting any The Last Guardian-style adventures with Luke and his new bird-brained friends - Luke’s got his hands full with Rey.

One of the creatures sees itself as a “protector of the island(s) and, strangely, it allows Luke to inhabit the island but not Rey – who is going to have to do some impressive feats to impress Aach-To’s animal kingdom if rumours are to be believed. Possible spoiler: It involves fighting a giant sea monster. Oh boy.

There’s no confirmation yet on what they’ll be named, only that they look a little like puffins. We’ll soon find out if the bird is the word for Luke as more Star Wars 8 info is dropping in Spring.

Directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie, and Benicio del Toro, Star Wars: Episode 8 opens in cinemas on December 15, 2017.

Image: Lucasfilm/ILM

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.