Summary
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hopeintroduced many characters that would become recognizable parts of the vast space franchise. They include iconic species, from Wookiees to Rodians and, of course, the heroes of the Rebellion and the villains of the Empire. However, the events of the firstStar Warsfilm could have been very different had it not been for the indigenous desert rodents of Tatooine.
Womp rats have been with the franchise since the beginning. Hailing from the same planet as Anakin and Luke, throwaway references and continuing nods up toThe Mandalorianhave entwined them with theSkywalker sagaand beyond, but what exactly are womp rats?
What Are Womp Rats In Star Wars?
I used to bull’s-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They’re not much bigger than two meters.
Luke Skywalker called on his experience hunting womp rats to give the Rebellion’s audacious plan to attack the first Death Star a crucial confidence boost. Like his father, Luke was a great pilot long before he knew of his connection to the Force. As harsh as fine-tuning his flying and shooting skills on packs of feral rodents seems, surviving on the desert planet of Tatooine wasn’t easy.
Womp rats were a persistent nuisance to moisture farmers like Luke’s uncle and aunt. In the planet’s harsh environment, the species had evolved to be large, durable, and resilient pests that plagued its humanoid neighbors. Womp rats were even recorded as swarming to attack humans, so the planet’s inhabitants had to take steps to control their numbers.
When preparing for what would become known as the pivotal battle of Yavin, the Corellian X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles suggests that hitting the thermal exhaust port of the Death Star would even be impossible for a computer. Fortunately, Luke’s pest control anecdote puts the Rebellion at ease, prompting General Dodonna to utter the immortal phrase, ‘Man your ships! And may the Force be with you!’
Luke’s reference to the life he’d not so long ago left behind took a more poignant turn when he later met Biggs Darklighter in the X-Wing hanger. For the two friends from Tatooine, targeting womp rats was a practical solution, as well as pilot training and sport.A deleted scene from the firstStar Warsfilmfilled in the pair’s friendship. It shows Luke running into Biggs while picking up power converters on Tatooine. When his friend tells him of his plan to switch allegiance from the Empire to the Rebellion, Luke sees no choice but to return to his uncle and aunt’s moisture farm.
When they next meet as pilots just about to take on the Empire, Biggs, who won’t survive the Death Star battle, movingly vouches for his young friend and says, ‘It’ll be like old times, Luke. They’ll never stop us.’
Have Womp Rats Been Seen In Star Wars?
Despite the franchise having returned to Tatooine many times, Womp Rats managed to avoid the spotlight for years. Fans had to make do with hunting them in T-16 Skyhoppers in games likeStar Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leaderor even taking on a Mutant Womprat as an end-of-level boss inSuper Star Wars.
These games weren’t alone in filling in the gaps after Luke’s description gave the rodents a starring role inStar Warslore. In a franchise fond of referencing itself, it’s no surprise theever-quotable Obi-Wanadded the phrase ’more than one way to skin a womp rat’ to the canon inThe Clone Warsepisode ‘Mystery of a Thousand Moons.’
Still, without a clear and official image, the creatures’ appearance was extrapolated from these references in what is now the mainly non-canonical expanded universe. In the non-continuity part of the franchise under the Legends banner,Star Warsartists often ran away with impressions of particularly menacing creatures.
Arguably, the rodents’ finest hour has come in recent years, thanks to Din Djarin. In Chapter 5 ofThe Book of Boba Fett, the Mandalorian saves engineer Peli Motto from a womp rat that has stolen into her hanger and attacked a BD. When Motto helps Mando rebuild an N1 Starfighter, the bounty hunter takes it for a spin over Mos Eisley and into Beggar’s Canyon, where he disturbs a dozing womp rat. It’s a fan-pleasing scene referencing A New Hope and Anakin’s podracing triumph inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. But it also suggests that Luke’s claim before the Battle of Yavin wasless impressive than it seemed- perhaps another one ofthose weaknesses that contributedto Luke’s downfall.
It’s unlikely that the womp rats will ever play a more significant role inStar Wars. But while there are undoubtedly kids honing their skills bulls-eyeing the rodents as the New Republic and then First Order rise, they will always fans will remember how their reputation was made. An excellent way to sum up the dimensions of a superweapon’s exhaust port and a connection to one of the most incredible bull’s-eyes in sci-fi.
