Summary
- Ortolans, resembling elephants, may play a major role in Star Wars through the new character Neel in Skeleton Crew.
- Max Rebo, the only significant Ortolan character so far, is known for his jizz music in Return of the Jedi.
- Star Wars' evolution includes developing non-human species like Ortolans.
Star Wars' movies and TV shows, the trailer revealed a creature that looks familiar.
Specifically, the trailer showed that one of the children lost in the galaxy is a small elephant-like creature that was highly reminiscent of the Ortolan species seen in the original Star Wars trilogy. While Ortolans might not be one of Star Wars' major species, they have played a role in the franchise before. Here's everything Star Wars has revealed about Ortolans thus far.
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Ortolans' Origin In Star Wars Explained
Ortolans, as shown in both Return of the Jedi and, presumably, Skeleton Crew, are blue alien creatures who bear a striking resemblance to elephants. They have long, floppy ears and a long trunk, giving them their elephant-like appearance. Their bodies are also a vibrant blue color and tend to be somewhat stout, and they have large black eyes.
The species comes from the planet Orto, a frigid Outer Rim world requiring the Ortolans to maintain their stout body types. Little else is known about the homeworld of the Ortolans, and canon has been somewhat inconsistent in the species' representation as well. In fact, at times, Ortolans have also been shown without arms. Beyond that, any understanding of Ortolans in Star Wars primarily comes from the franchise's most prominent Ortolan character thus far: Max Rebo.
Max Rebo Is The Most Famous Ortolan In Star Wars
So far in Star Wars, the only truly prominent Ortolan character has been Max Rebo, the musician in Return of the Jedi and The Book of Boba Fett, who played the franchise's well-known (for better or worse) "jizz music." In Return of the Jedi, Max Rebo was introduced as a Jizz-wailer working for Jabba the Hutt, leading the Max Rebo Band. Sadly, Max Rebo's role in that movie is perhaps the most memorable because it was his music that was interrupted by Jabba's slave, Oola, being dropped in the rancor pit to die.
Somewhat surprisingly, Max Rebo made a second appearance in the Star Wars franchise in The Book of Boba Fett, proving he survived the attack on Jabba and his lackeys in the original trilogy. Just as he was in Return of the Jedi, in this show, Max Rebo was a musician. However, after Jabba was killed, Rebo moved on to playing at Garsa’s Sanctuary in Mos Espa.
Neel Might Be Star Wars' First Major Ortolan Character
Little is currently known about Skeleton Crew, although the recently released trailer revealed quite a bit more. For one, it was confirmed that Skeleton Crew really will be a coming-of-age story featuring children lost in the galaxy. The group of children will also be ed by Jude Law's character, Jod Na Nawood, a Force-sensitive human who the children believe to be a Jedi (although that isn't confirmed). However, the children's identities remain largely a mystery.
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For that reason, it isn't clear whether Skeleton Crew's Neel really is an Ortolan. He certainly fits the description; his blue skin, long trunk, and black eyes all align with what has been seen of Ortolans in Star Wars canon. Nevertheless, his species has yet to be confirmed.
If Neel is an Ortolan, he would be the first major character of this species in Star Wars.
However, if Neel is an Ortolan, he would be the first major character of this species in Star Wars. This would be an interesting update for the franchise and in keeping with recent Star Wars movies and TV shows. In fact, the franchise's recent shows in particular have been all about innovation, introducing new planets, new groups of Force-s, and new characters. This would also be part of Star Wars' constant expansion of non-human species. As just one example, the franchise has come a long way from George Lucas insisting Wookiees can't be Jedi.
Skeleton Crew will certainly prove interesting, whether Neel is an Ortolan or not. The show is truly bringing about an original story, as this type of coming-of-age narrative hasn't yet happened in the franchise. Yet, it would be particularly exciting for this Star Wars species to be developed further. Indeed, Ortolans might finally become a prominent species in Star Wars in Star Wars: The Skeleton Crew.
