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Porg

This article details a subject that is considered canon.

For other uses, seePorg.

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Sources

A Different Approach,Life Lessons,Spark of the Resistance,Ghosts of Kashyyyk, Part 1,Ghosts of Kashyyyk, Part 2,Ghosts of Kashyyyk, Part 3,Pirate's Price,Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy

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Porg

Biological classification

Designation

Non-sentient^[1]

Classification

Avian^[2]

Physical characteristics

Average height

18^[3] to 26centimeters^[4]

Feather color

Brown^[2]
Gray^[2]
White^[2]
Orange(males)^[5]

Eye color

Brown^[2]

Sociocultural characteristics

Homeworld

Ahch-To^[2]

Habitat

Coastal,^[2] Islands, Openseas^[3]

Diet

Fish^[3]

"They're from Ahch-To. Luke called them porgs. They're adorable."

―Rey, toPoe Dameron^[6]

Porgs were anon-sentient species ofsea-dwelling beaklessbird. They werenative to theplanet Ahch-To, whereJedi Master Luke Skywalker made hisexile in theyears prior to theBattle of Crait.

Biology and appearance[]

Porgs were aspecies ofnon-sentient birds.^[1] They were stocky in nature, with two short wings, flat, beakless faces, and two webbed feet.^[2] They could also run quite swiftly on the ground and were good at maneuvering into small spaces.^[7]

Porgs weresexually dimorphic; males were slightly larger than females,^[8] and males also had orange plumage around the eyes.^[5] Theireyes had brown irises and black pupils with stereoscopic vision;^[9] their telescopic eyes helped them catchfish.^[3] Porgs of both sexes were covered in dense feathers, with white coloration on the body and face, and gray to brown on the wings and back.^[9] Their coloration gave them strong natural camouflaging abilities.^[10] They were much lighter than they looked, thanks to a thick outer layer of waterproof feathers with a fluffy underlayer for warmth, and they favored colder environments.^[7]

Porgs apparently understood certain linguistic terms. When they overheardRey refer toChewbacca as "Chewie," they mistook it to be the wordchewy, leading them to wonder whether Chewbacca would serve as herfood.^[10]

Behavior[]

"Puffy, my good luck charm! You look hungry."

―Hondo Ohnaka^[11]

The hypercurious, cliff-dwelling creatures were found throughout the islands of theplanet Ahch-To.^[3] Their young, called "porglets,"^[9] were hatched as pairs.^[3] Porgs exhibited a roosting behavior and built nests along the island cliffs.^[2] They would collect soft things to make nests and were drawn to shiny objects.^[12] The nests were made usinghair, fiber, or grass, and decorated with shiny objects they had acquired. The mother and father tended to the nest.^[7] Porgs were capable of performing controlled dives into thesea, where they fetched fish tofeed on or pass on to their otherwise-helpless offspring;^[9] they also huntedcrustaceans.^[7]

Porgs lovedwater, both to drink and to play in, and they also loved tasting new things. Both wild and domesticated porgs were unusually smitten by human objects. They were also fascinated by shiny objects. If their curiosity ran unchecked, they could wreak havoc. Their calls ranged from burbles to squeaks to song. They crooned a special song when they were pleased. Despite their curious nature, they could be completely silent when necessary and could be shy if they felt threatened. Porgs enjoyed being petted and scratched, especially behind theirears. A group of porgs was called a "murder."^[7]

History[]

"When did this old rattletrap become a birdcage?"

―Leia Organa, commenting on the infestation of porgs in theMillennium Falcon^[13]

Hey look its a lightsaber — Porgs found shiny objects very fascinating.

Porgs evolved from seabirds on Ahch-To.^[14] Considered quite tasty by some species, they were sometimeshunted by the residentLanai as well as visitors to Ahch-To.^[3] At thetime of theFirst Order-Resistance War, whenJedi Master Luke Skywalker threwhis lightsaber off a cliff, two porgs investigated the weapon. The birds nearly activated the weapon, before they were scared off by Rey. Shortly afterwards, another porg watched in curiosity from its nest as theJedi Master spearfished from an island cliff.^[2] Rey found the porgs to be helpful to herJedi training after she usedthe Force to catch one in midair in order to retrieve thelightsaber it had snatched. Finding that the porg's flock was visibly fascinated by her power, Rey promised them all "a turn."^[15] While staying on Ahch-To, theWookiee Chewbacca roasted two porgs for supper. A few of the birds stared at him before he could take a bite, but Chewbacca scared them off.^[2] When Chewbacca landed on Ahch-To, he considered porgs as a tasty treat, but found it hard to kill the winged creatures when the pack turned their sad eyes on him.^[16]

Dont eat our friends — A group of porgs watching Chewbacca roast dead porgs

Unable to acquire a patch ofblue moss for their young twins, a couple of porgs snatched wiring of the same color from theMillennium Falcon, hindering repairs that were being performed by Chewbacca andR2-D2. Following the porgs to theirnest, Chewbacca tried to barter the blue wiring for ablanket but was declined. Soon realizing the plight of the porgs, Chewbacca was convinced by R2 to brave strong winds in order to harvest the moss from the hightree. Grateful for his assistance, the parents returned the wiring to Chewbacca, marking his first amicable relationship with porgs.^[17]

Later, at least four porgs found their way aboard theMillennium Falcon and made a nest.One of them accompanied Chewbacca during theBattle of Crait.^[2] Despite having an initial antagonism with the porgs, Chewbacca grew to like them and became their friend.^[10]^[18] These stowaways eventually managed to spread their species far from the borders of their home planet.^[19]

Porg mania — Porgs wreaking havoc aboard theMillennium Falcon, indicating that their curiosity was running unchecked.

Boarding theMillennium Falcon,General Leia Organa observed a number of the creatures roosting aboard the vessel, prompting her to ask Chewbacca when the ship had become a birdcage.^[13]

Among the porgs which resided on theMillennium Falcon were the Porg Stowaway,^[2]Puffy, andSnappy.^[20]

In34 ABY,^[21] porgs were imported to the planetBatuu and sold as pets in theCreature Stall atBlack Spire Outpost.^[22] According to author and explorerEloc Throno, porgs were brought to Batuu when alight freighter arrived in thespacesport.^[23]Oga's Cantina served a deep orange-coloredfruity beverage from Ahch-To called aCliff Dweller in mugs carved to look like porgs.^[24]

In35 ABY, a pair of porgs watched asRey attempted to destroyKylo Ren's TIE whisper andher lightsaber on Ahch-To.^[25]

Behind the scenes[]

"…porgs are cute. You fall into those deep, soulful eyes. I think a lot of people are going to want a porg as a pet."

―Pablo Hidalgo^[26]

Porg D23 behind the scenes — A porg inThe Last Jedi behind the scenes footage from D23

Porgs were designed for the2017 filmStar Wars: Episode VIIIThe Last Jedi. They were conceived by writer/directorRian Johnson, who created them to digitally cover up the vast numbers of real-lifepuffins present onSkellig Michael, the filming site for Ahch-To.^[27] According to creature concept designerJake Lunt Davies, Johnson "was looking at how can he work with [the puffins]. You can't remove them. You physically can't get rid of them. And digitally removing them is an issue and a lot of work, so let's just roll with it, play with it. And so I think he thought, 'Well, that's great, let's have our own indigenous species.^[28] Porgs were first revealed in behind-the-scenes footage fromThe Last Jedi at the D23 Expo inJuly 2017.^[29] They were officially named in aStarWars.com interview withLucasfilm Story Group creative executivePablo Hidalgo.^[26] Along with fellow Story Group memberLeland Chee, Hidalgo rationalized that the birds seen flying on Ahch-To at the end ofStar Wars: Episode VIIThe Force Awakens were also porgs,retroactively establishing that their first appearance was in that film.^[5]

Cliff Dweller in a Porg — A souvenir porg mug comes with the purchase of a Cliff Dweller at Oga's Cantina.

During the concept stage ofThe Last Jedi, creature designerJake Lunt Davies explored a variety of influences, drawing ideas from birds, bats, flying squirrels, and aquatic creatures such as seals, otters, and beavers. The design approved by Johnson was based on a seal combined with a pug, akin to aquatic, flightless penguins.^[27] Porgs were created using a variety of effects including puppets and CGI.^[26] About fifteen porgs were built, each for a specific moment in the film,^[27] a group of painted models, animatronic pieces, and 1 "hero" model.^[30] The creatures' squawks were made using a manipulation of a combination of recordings of doves, chickens, and turkeys.^[31] The recordings were pitched to create the birds' unique sounds. Additionally,Skywalker Sound team memberRen Klyce sampled imitations of a turkey call performed by an intern namedNick Doctor to further develop the sound of the porgs.^[32] WhenILM created the CG porgs, they took care to match the movements made by on-set puppeteers.^[30] Concept art for the film revealed that, in the scene where porgs investigate Skywalker's lightsaber, it was considered that one of them would have activated the weapon just as another was looking down the shaft, killing it.^[27]

At the theme park attractionStar Wars: Galaxy's Edge, porg items are sold at theout-of-universe Creature Stall.^[22] Souvenir porg mugs are included with the purchase of a Cliff Dweller at Oga's Cantina.^[24]