We were amused by the Creatures that were introduced to in TLJ and we can’t wait to share our thoughts with you! We loved the funny moments loaded with them, the turning moments filled with them and just enjoyed the Creatures filling the movie throughout! We simply loved them. But as always in SW not everything is so plain simple and the Creatures did have their strikingly distinct characters – which, as you might have guessed, we are going to explore in this post alongside with what they might represent in greater scope of the film.

Porgs! Porgs everywhere! These seemingly silly roundish little bird-like creatures with enormous brown eyes are from the planet Ahch-To where Luke was spending his years in exile. Their distant from the rest of the world inhabitant where life running its natural course is very close to the character of

these creatures. It seems that they are accustomed to leading the convenient and cosy kindof lifestyle much like the Hobbits, but what is amazing is that they are not afraid to tag along in completely unfamiliar circumstances. They are shown to be extremely curious whether it is when examining the Anakin’s lightsabre or when they were eager to get on board of the Falcon. They are shown to be susceptible to all sorts of natural emotions, which they don’t shy to express. Who can forget the yelling Porg’s face when the Millenium Falcon was taking dangerous turns or their sad expression when Chewie wanted to eat one of their kin. Always lurking in the background these creatures were much reflective of the very circumstances that the main characters were in, not to mention that they are extremely cute!

Later on in the movie during the action part we were introduced to Fathiers. Fathiers are huge yet gracious four legged creatures with large muscular bodies resembling horses, flap eared with a very melancholic facial expression. They are shown to us being held in captivity, but even when freed by Rose and Finn they seem to just want to run away from all the horror they’ve experienced. They were leaping across all the barriers on their way just to escape from that hostile place towards their free-roaming life in the prairie. To me they symbolised freedom and harmony with nature. They seem to lead that kind of peaceful, free dwelling lifestyle and the principle of not harming anyone around. This feature of them is expressed, in my opinion, by first showing them in a very much contrasting environment in which they were captured and used as things to bet money on and for entertainment. It is also shown through their facial expressions when they look towards the endless grass they belong to. They express concern for what is happening around, yet they do not intervene. They are shown to be free and symbolic of what the future in the Galaxy could be for everyone.

During the very intense battle of the film we come across Vulptices – majestic white fox-like creatures with sharp pointy fur which was producing sounds akin to music. They are simply impossible not to notice. They were completely silent apart from that subtle tinkling made by their fur. When their yellow eyes lit up in the dark cave they seemed almost like elegant crystal chandeliers showing the way in the dark. But it is their mysterious and silent appearance that make them seem to be holding those mysteries about the nature that other characters forget in shadows and the grief of war struggles. Just like Loth Wolves in SW Rebels they are showing the path out in a situation that seemed inevitably doomed to everyone else in that cave. They are helping the oppressed species in time of greatest need. They symbolise that there is still something greater that exists and spreads beyond war – that balance, the Force that binds al the living things together. That greater deed that is happening in the Force through Luke is shadowed by the closed door from those being saved within the cave. Yet they are also shown the way to survive and that is why I think these creatures symbolise the connection with the Force that that all the living things possess.

Thala sirens are enormous creatures indigenous to the planet Ahch-To. They are fin-footed and have short and wide trunks instead of a mouth, very much resembling ant-eaters. With the colour comparable to the islands’ cliffs they almost blend in with the huge rocks. They are shown to be sitting in a somewhat thoughtful, but idle pose hanging their heads ever so slightly down. They are shown immobile – enjoying the sun by the sea rocks and seem lazy by not even reacting when Luke came to get some of their milk as a part of the daily routine he got accustomed to. I think that these creatures represent inertness or even procrastination. They symbolise those moments in which the characters think whether to do something instead of doing it – much like Luke when he is shown going about his daily island routine instead of facing Rey and dealing with the task that lies ahead.

As the added bonus, let us talk a bit about the creatures called Lanais. The representative caretakers of the island Ahch-To, Lanais – the amphibians on tiny bird-like feet dressed in clothes very much resembling nuns. They are depicted to be very much adherent to the old ways of life and are shown running their daily routine tasks of maintenance. They symbolise

traditions, the old ways of life that persist – those very things that Luke was holding on to when he closed off from the Force. They dislike the intrusion and do not appreciate disruption, however minor that Rey brings with her when visiting the island. They, almost comically are portrayed to be shocked when half of the house goes off. I believe that they very much symbolise the unease and impossibility of the old to adapt to the new. Just like the Jedi order was blinded by their traditions did not spot the evil rising amongst their reign, so is Luke shown to be holding on to the stories of the great Jedi order he failed to see restored in his lifetime. The solitude of the island intensifies that feeling indicating that the times lying ahead will need to see even greater changes for the survival of the oppressed in the Galaxy.