Star Wars: Ewoks—Shadows of Endor

Star Wars: Ewoks&mdash;Shadows of Endor is a trade paperback published by Dark Horse Comics. It was released on October 9, 2013.

Publisher's summary
''Until now, the Ewoks had been able to ignore the arrival of the Empire’s stormtroopers on Endor. But when they discover their rivals, the Duloks, have been enslaved and a legendary beast has been awakened, the Ewoks realize they may have to prepare for war—as soon as they figure out how to survive the beast!''

* Leads directly into the events of Return of the Jedi!

* Ties into the beloved Ewoks TV series and movies!

Plot summary
Teebo and Latara are spending some time together on a cliff when they hear noise from below. A Condor dragon grabbed Wicket and is about to take off, as Kneesaa and Paploo are arguing with a group of Duloks, who have apparently set them a trap. Teebo gets on the hang glider, jumps on the beast's leg and attacks it with his stone axe, causing it to crash down. Once the other Ewoks have arrived, Chief Chirpa decides to punish Wicket for having engaged with Duloks and putting himself and his daughter in great danger.

A couple of days later, Wicket is serving his punishment, helping out Chukha-Trok clean some trees infected with fungus. They're interrupted by a large explosion coming from the Dulok swamp, and the Ewok woodsman thinks that they should not get involved but determines that they should stop what they were doing and head back home. Meanwhile, a badly injured Dulok, his right arm cut off, arrives at Bright Tree Village and is immediately captured by the guards. He's taken to Chief Chirpa, where he introduces himself as Agluk and claims that Skull Ones have destroyed the Dulok Swamp, enslaved Gorneesh's tribe and awakened the Griagh. The Ewok leader dismisses the story as false and orders his men to cage Agluk.

Kneesaa, who was present during interrogation, heads out afterwards. She, Wicket and Paploo then free Agluk from the cage and put put a rope around his neck, after he claimed that he can take them to where the Dulok swamp was and where the Griagh was spotted. As they're about to leave, Logray comes along and stops Paploo with one of his spells. Wicket and Kneesa continue on their own and bump into Teebo and Latara. Teebo asks them why they are hanging around with Duloks, to which Wicket answers "he's our prisoner!" Kneesaa reminds her friend that she is his princess and commands him to accompany her and Wicket. Latara also offers to join the journey. Teebo proposes that the group could merely scout out the area.

Upon nearing the Dulok swamp, Agluk prompts the Ewoks to climb a tree. From the top of the tree, they see the enslaved Duloks at the center of a vast construction site, where Renz orders the stormtroopers to execute a group of handcuffed Duloks. While the group does not understand a word, Agluk urges the Ewoks to free his tribesmen. Wicket determines that nobody should be chained up, not even Duloks, while Teebo remains largely suspicious.

Meanwhile, as Paploo is being interrogated by Chief Chirpa (who believes that his daughter was kidnapped by a Dulok), Logray takes him away, pulling his ear.

As the group of young Ewoks enter a cave with Agluk, he gives Kneesaa a light with a struggling Wistie inside. The princess mutters that he's a beast and the group follows him through the underground maze, where Wicket spots some bones and skulls on the ground. Suddenly, Agluk demands that they be quiet and fires a blaster. A rumble is heard in the distance. Logray and Paploo encounter some stormtroopers sitting by the river, and the shaman holds up the Sunstar and chants. A large wave rises from the river, scaring the intruders. The two Ewoks then continue their trip up the nearby hill, as Logray announces that they're to speak to Charal. Paploo claims that he's not scared of her, and he's told that he should be. Logray introduced an apparently confused Paploo as his apprentice and fills the witch in on Agluk's claims. While she is not surprised about arrival of the Galactic Empire (whom she calls "offworlders"), she does not believe the Griagh exists. She queries Logray about the Sunstar and once she touches it, she becomes possessed by its power and has a vision of Darth Vader and stormtroopers. She claims that she must have the gem and a wizard duel ensues between her and Logray. Paploo stabs her in the hip, she pushes him away, and he's left to fight reanimated Dulok skeletons coming out of the soil. Attacked by vines with thorns, Logray drops the Sunstar. As Charal is about to run away with it, Paploo manages to reach his slingshot, and he fires at the witch's ring, turning her into a raven. The powerful gem is in Logray's hands again, but he notices that it's weak from the battle. Agluk falls asleep with a blaster in his hands. Teebo suggests cracking him in the skull until he gives up the key to the lantern where the Wistie Zrani is held captive. Latara prohibits him to, fearing for his life, but Wicket goes ahead and manages to reach the key with his spear. Agluk wakes up and starts shooting in Wicket's direction. Teebo runs to save his friend and Kneesaa manages to free Zrani, who is determined to get them out. As Wicket manages to trip Agluk, the Griagh emerges and devours him. Wicket and Teebo attack the beast, but they cannot beat it and they join the girls and Zrani on the way out of the cave. Latara worries that Teebo might have fallen a victim to the beast, but as he turns up, he says that the Griagh retreated on its own. The group decides to warn the village.

Logray and Paploo, also on their way home, run into a group of stormtroopers who are about to execute a group of Duloks. As the Imperial soldiers are about to capture them, Kneesa, Wicket, Teebo, and Latara surprise them from the top of a nearby cliff and a battle is inevitable. Latara manages to steal a blaster and starts shooting, to Paploo's surprise, as Wicket frees the Duloks. Suddenly, the Griagh breaks out of the hill and a couple of Duloks and stormtroopers perish. Latara is wounded by a stormtrooper, and, as Teebo rushes to save her, one of the beast's heads trips him, but she manages to recover quickly and shoot again.

Seeing that the battle cannot be won otherwise, Logray prompts Kneesaa to help him get to the nearby ridge and asks her to hold his hand, as the Sunstar needs as much energy as possible. He says a prayer to the Golden One and throws the gem in one of the Griagh's mouths. The Wistie Zrani, recovered from her captivity, appears out of nowhere and jumps on the gem, thus giving it more energy. The Sunstar explodes, destroying the Griagh in the process. The stormtroopers retreat, as Chief Chirpa and a group of his scouts arrive on ponies. Wicket casually greets him, as smoke is still coming from the hole remaining after Griagh, and some dead Duloks and stormtroopers are seen lying nearby. That evening, at the Bright Tree Village square, Chief Chirpa tells the Ewoks that Endor has been invaded and that the Duloks have scattered. He tells them that the Sunstar is gone, but that the Golden One is watching over them. He then invites Teebo to join him and the former shaman apprentice is appointed to the status of a warrior and presented with the Sacred Horn of the Soul Trees. He promises to remain strong and loyal to his fellow Ewoks. The Ewok chief then presents a flame which is to burn forever in the memory of brave Wistie Zrani, and the tribe starts celebrating both honors.

Eight months later, as he's hiding from stormtroopers, Wicket spots an unconscious Princess Leia and pokes him with his spear. As she comes round, she tells him to cut it out.

Development
The publisher's summary on the official Dark Horse Comics website originally called the Ewoks' rivals "the Agluks." Some members of the Jedi Council Forums were surprised that this never-before-mentioned species was taking the place of the Ewoks' traditional rivals, the Duloks, a species that had notably appeared in the Star Wars: Ewoks animated series. The final version identified them as the Duloks, which author Zack Giallongo later stated was the original intention.

Continuity
Eight months pass between the main story of Shadows of Endor and its epilogue, which shows a scene from Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Zack Giallongo claims the two made-for-TV films, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, take place during these eight months, but Wicket learns some rudimentary Basic in the Ewok films, and he knows none in Return of the Jedi.