Leektar

Leektar was an Ewok hailing from Red Bush Grove on the Forest Moon of Endor. Growing up in the shadow of his brother, Keoulkeech, Leektar struggled to match his kin in all aspects of his life. He would even risk his life to gain the upper hand over Keoulkeech, but it took the love of Chesea to dissuade him from his constant attempts. Leektar and Chesea married, and the latter gave birth to three woklings, but the former still clamored for a higher purpose. Praying to the Leaf Queen for the power to surpass his brother, his requests came true, albeit in a skewed fashion. Red Bush Grove was decimated by a fire, leaving Leektar, supposedly, as the sole survivor.

Laying those who had perished in the fire to rest, Leektar took a sabbatical, wandering the banks of the Yarlubb River, living off the land. In his journeys, he encountered stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire, who had come to Endor to establish a shield generator to protect their new superweapon, the Death Star II. Watching on as an Ewok scout team from Bright Tree Village encountered the stormtroopers, Leektar risked his life to save them from capture or death, by covering their retreat with skillful use of his bow. Returning to Bright Tree with the scouts, he told his tale to Chief Chirpa, who sympathetically bestowed upon him the title of Honorary Elder. Leektar served the elders of Bright Tree as an advisor, and his input was considered invaluable during the Battle of Endor. Following the decisive victory, Leektar discovered that his brother was still alive, resulting in a reunion with Keoulkeech.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Leektar grew up in Red Bush Grove, a small community south of the more prominent Ewok settlement, Bright Tree Village. Since wokling-hood, Leektar had constantly lived in the shadow of his brother, Keoulkeech. Keoulkeech excelled in almost every field, and set standards that Leektar found hard to maintain, or even reach. The older Ewok developed an affinity for the natural world, and his mastery of medicines and animals would prove invaluable to the Grove over the years. Meanwhile, Leektar decided to not play on his own strengths, but rather try and surpass Keoulkeech. As a result, the younger Ewok found himself constantly disappointed and depressed, even risking his life in the pursuit of supremacy.^[1]

His constant scheming and aspirations, however, did Leektar no good, and he was calmed upon meeting Chesea, another Ewok from the Grove. The two fell in love and were married, with Leektar seeming, to all outward appearances, content. Chesea bore three baby woklings, and she was able to convince Leektar that there were more important things to life than surpassing others. Leektar, however, secretly still held his jealousy of Keoulkeech, and continually yearned for a higher status amongst his tribe.^[1]

Praying to the Leaf Queen[]

Hoping to end the rivalry with Keoulkeech once and for all, Leektar used a wish plant to pray to the Leaf Queen, a goddess that controlled the season of autumn. He had hoped for an advantage over Keoulkeech in doing so, but the results were disastrous. A blast of lightning caused a fire that swept through Red Bush Grove, wiping out the entire settlement and its populace. Believing himself to be the sole survivor, Leektar identified the remnants of Keoulkeech's hut, took the mantle and trappings of a shaman for himself, and performed last rites for the Ewoks that had lost their lives in the blaze. The Soul Trees of the villagers had also been wiped out, and Leektar consecrated the ashes. With heavy guilt riding on his shoulders, Leektar set out on a journey to find a new village for himself.^[1]

Journey[]

In search of a new home, Leektar trudged along the banks of the Yarlubb River, into uncharted and unfamiliar territory. He survived by hunting small game, and come nightfall, he would sleep inside hollowed trees, safe from hungry predators. One day, he stumbled across a group of white-armored foreigners: Imperial stormtroopers, preparing to establish a base on Endor in order to provide a shield generator for the Death Star II superweapon. Leektar constantly observed the Imperials, gauging their strength, technology, and methodology.^[1]

He witnessed a scout party of fellow Ewoks from Bright Tree Village encounter the offworlders, but they were severely outmatched, and were forced to flee. As the stormtroopers gave chase, Leektar selflessly held them off with his bow, buying the scouts more time. He then departed, following the Ewoks back to their home of Bright Tree. Upon reaching the village, he recounted his life story to Chief Chirpa and the shaman Logray. Due to his willingness to help those in need at the possible expense of his own life, Chirpa made Leektar an Honorary Elder of Bright Tree.^[1]

Honorary Elder[]

Leektar3 — Leektar at Bright Tree Village.

Chirpa valued Leektar's counsel, and his insight served Bright Tree well during the Imperial incursion, and the subsequent Battle of Endor. Bright Tree, with the aid of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, routed the Galactic Empire in that battle, freeing the forest moon of the oppressive foreign presence. During the victory celebrations following the devastating conflict, Leektar displayed his musical skills by playing some form of percussion instrument. The decisive victory opened up the borders of Endor and Bright Tree to offworlders and outsiders, leading to a unification of disparate Ewok communities. During this process, Leektar was reunited with Keoulkeech, who had survived the Red Bush blaze. He had been spending his time in hiding, healing the forest that had suffered under the Imperial heel.^[1]^[2]

Personality and traits[]

Living constantly in the shadow of his brother, Keoulkeech, Leektar was an embittered individual, and dedicated his life to the pursuit of superiority. Symbolically, his Soul Tree was dwarfed by his brother, and he was not in tune with the nature of Endor as much as he could have been. He failed to accept the fact that he could not surpass his brother, and even risked his life, hoping for dominance. Even the love of his wife could not detract from his focus, and that focus would eventually lead to the deaths of his kin. Following the destruction of Red Bush Grove, Leektar sobered, becoming selfless and more attuned to the land. The "new" Leektar would go on to be valued by the Bright Tree elders, and he proved invaluable during the Imperial incursion.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

"I'm sorry Leektar: you didn't deserve what life dealt out to you."

―Arthur Papadam^[3]

The character of Leektar first appeared in Richard Marquand's Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, where he was shown to be an Ewok residing in Bright Tree Village. The character went unnamed until 2006, when his backstory was developed by Andrew Gilbertson and Arthur Papadam through the StarWars.com Hyperspace feature, "What's The Story?" Papadam's input focused more on the events of the character's life, whereas Gilbertson established the persona of Leektar.^[3]

The "Ewok Scout" miniature in Star Wars Miniatures: Imperial Entanglements was modeled on Leektar's appearance.

Leektar was portrayed in Return of the Jedi by actor Malcolm Dixon.^[4]