Rock Wizard

"What can he do? He's just a rock."

- Bondo

The Rock Wizard was a powerful wizard who lived on the forest moon of Endor. He resided in a large fortress that towered over a fair stretch of land. A tribe of Ewoks known as the Jindas took up residence under the Rock Wizard's fortress, and he allowed them to farm the land, using their beasts of burden to till the soil. In return, the Jinda tribe fed the wizard, bringing him Ewok delicacies to sample. The Rock Wizard valued his people and protected them from outside threats. The Jindas in turn were content to call the Rock Wizard's land their home, satisfied with the friendship they had struck with the wizard. However, this friendship abruptly ended during one of the Rock Wizard's meals. While eating an Ewok dish, one of the Rock Wizard's teeth became dislodged from his mouth. This event caused the wizard terrible pain, and he immediately suspected the Jindas of trying to poison him. Using his formidable powers, he drove the Jindas from the land, chasing them with large boulders.

The Jindas were forced to stay on the move. If they attempted to remain in a location for too long, the boulders would rise up from the ground and attack them, until the Jindas continued their travels. During one of these encounters, the boulders chased the Jindas to another Ewok tribe located in Bright Tree Village. To repay the Jindas for an earlier act of kindness, the Ewok Shaman Logray and his apprentice Teebo decided to help stop the curse. Using their powers, the two Ewoks led the forest animals in tying up the boulders with long lengths of rope, fastening them to the ground. However, the Rock Wizard sensed that his powers were being blocked, and he arrived at the village determined to punish those that had helped the Jindas. The wizard began to attack the village but stopped when he noticed a familiar rock tied around the Ewok Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka's neck. The Rock Wizard's tooth had been scavenged by traders and sold as a lucky token. The wizard demanded his tooth back, replacing it in his mouth. The replaced tooth cured the wizard's pain, and he immediately forgave the Jindas, requesting that they return to their home under his fortress.

Early life
"Above us lived this wizard of rock. All we did was feed him, he protected our lot. It was a good relationship. This Rock Wizard loved Jinda cuisine. Twas the best he ever tasted; the best he'd ever seen. One day he came a stormin' off his rock. Said we tried to poison him with our sot. A foolish idea, we did no such thing, but he sent us from our homeland just the same. He cast a spell to keep us on the move. If we ever returned or fell into a groove, the rocks would rise up, like they did today, and chase us all around till we made our way. So that's our tale of regret and despair, and that's the reason why we can't stay here."

- Bondo



The Rock Wizard was an individual that had found himself on the forest moon of Endor. He was a powerful wizard, and was able to manipulate the environment, causing large gulches to open on the surface of the planet. The Rock Wizard was well known for his powers, and other magical beings on Endor were familiar with his reputation. At some point before 4 ABY, the Rock Wizard had constructed a massive fortress which he used as his headquarters. The structure was positioned in a location free from trees, and the fortress dominated the landscape. In the plains surrounding his home, a tribe of Ewoks known as the Jindas resided, farming the soil with their beasts of burden. The Rock Wizard tolerated the Jindas and watched over them, protecting them from any outside threats.

To repay the Rock Wizard for his kindness, the Jindas fed the wizard, preparing feasts for their benefactor. The Rock Wizard greatly enjoyed the Ewok dishes, valuing the Jinda meals above all others. The friendship between the Jindas and the Rock Wizard continued to grow, with each providing a service for the other. However, the ambivalence that the Rock Wizard held towards his charges eventually disintegrated. During one of the Rock Wizard's Jinda prepared meals, the Jinda leader Bondo, accompanied by several other Ewoks including Trebla and Chituhr, presented the Rock Wizard with a Jinda dessert, and then stood back to watch him enjoy the dish. However, the response was not what the Jinda's expected. As the wizard consumed the dessert, one of his lower teeth became dislodged from his mouth, causing him great pain. In agony, the Rock Wizard placed the blame solely on the Jindas, accusing them of trying to poison him.

The Rock Wizard chased the Jindas out of his fortress and off the land, using his powers to summon heavy boulders which attacked the Jindas. The Rock Wizard placed a curse on the Ewok tribe, forcing them to stay on the move. If they tried to settle down in a new place, the boulders summoned by the wizard would attack them until they packed up and continued their travels. To prevent attacks from the Rock Wizard, the Jindas were careful not to stay in one place for too long, usually leaving a location after one night. The Jindas constant traveling eventually gave them a reputation as aimless wanderers, and they were looked down upon by other species that resided on Endor. To make up for their lack of a stable home, the Jindas took up an occupation as entertainers, relying on gifts from their audience to maintain their nomadic lifestyle.



Interference at Bright Tree Village
"It's the curse. We're surrounded. Run for your lives!"

- Trebla

As the Jindas continued their never ending journey, the Rock Wizard's tooth became lost. It was eventually found by a group of fearsome traders, who brought the tooth to their fellow trader, Mooth. The tooth was kept in Mooth's shop where he advertised it as a very lucky stone and kept it on a string. Never knowing that the stone was actually a tooth, Mooth sold the "lucky stone" to Wicket W. Warrick in exchange for a bag of monmon seeds. Although Wicket's purchase was derided by his fellow Ewoks, as they saw the stone as "just a rock", Wicket gave the stone necklace to his sweetheart, Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka, who was thankful for the gift.

Meanwhile, in a nearby part of the forest, the Jindas were relaxing by a stream. Bondo enjoyed the location, and neglected to leave after their usual one day of camp. Trebla warned his leader of the curse, but Bondo ignored the advice, deciding to stay another night. However, the warning proved true, and several boulders of the Rock Wizard rose up to attack the Jindas. Bondo quickly sounded a retreat, and the Jindas fled from the Rock Wizard's boulders. The Jindas' escape eventually led them to meet up with the Ewoks who had left Mooth's shop and been captured by Skandits. Having met the Ewoks sometime before, Bondo and his tribe helped the Ewoks escape, returning them to their home at Bright Tree Village.



Chief Chirpa was grateful to the Jindas for their help and allowed the group to stay at their village. However, the Jindas neglect to continue their travels meant that the Rock Wizard's boulders came upon them once again. Wishing to repay the Jindas for their help, the Ewoks sheltered the tribe in the heights of their treetop village, keeping them out of the reach of the Rock Wizard's attacks. However, the Jindas were stranded in the trees, unable to return to the forest floor, as the Rock Wizard's boulders waited for them on the ground. After Bondo explained the curse to the Ewok village, Shaman Logray agreed to help stop the boulders from chasing the Jindas. Taking his apprentice Teebo, the two Ewoks called upon the power of the Light Spirit, drawing several forest creatures to the location. The animals tethered the boulders to the ground with long lengths of rope. When the Jindas returned to the ground, they were unable to attack, nullifying the Rock Wizard's revenge.

Attack
"Stop, stop! Before you destroy us all!"

- Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka

As the Jindas celebrated Logray's triumph, the Ewok shaman urged caution, warning the Jindas that the Rock Wizard would not give up his desire for revenge so easily. Although Bondo ignored Logray's warnings, the land suddenly began to vibrate violently. The Rock Wizard arose from a crack in the land, demanding to know who had circumvented his curse on the Jindas. Logray confronted the powerful wizard, claiming that his actions against the Jindas had been misguided. However, this threw the Rock Wizard into a furious rage, and he attacked the village in response.

Manipulating the environment, the Rock Wizard threw rocks at Logray, knocking him aside. The Ewoks fled in terror as the wizard used his powers to tear columns of dirt from the ground, destroying an Ewok hut. However, the wizard was still in pain over his missing tooth, and he continued to wince in pain during his attack. Fearing for her people, the young Princess Kneesaa ran to the Rock Wizard, still with the lucky stone around her neck, and plead with the wizard to stop his assault. Gazing down at the small Ewok, the wizard immediately recognized his missing tooth. The Rock Wizard stopped his assault and begged the girl to return what was his. Once back in his possession, the wizard slipped the tooth back into its socket, stopping his agony immediately.



Reconciliation
Delighted that his pain had stopped, the Rock Wizard erupted into a hearty laugh, to the indignation of the Ewoks who barely escaped the Rock Wizard's attack. The Rock Wizard immediately realized that he had been wrong to blame the Jindas and apologized, declaring that they should return to their homeland below his fortress. Although still nervous over the wizard's previous attack, the group laughed off the encounter. To show that he held no ill will towards the Ewoks of Bright Tree Village, the Rock Wizard grabbed Wicket and Kneesaa in his hands, holding them gently as the Jindas celebrated their freedom from the curse.

Personality and traits
"I've heard of this wizard. He's always been a jolly sort. This sudden change in temperament, I don't quite understand."

- Logray

The Rock Wizard was an impulsive individual, taking drastic actions based on early assumptions. When the Rock Wizard lost his tooth, causing him great pain, he immediately assumed that the Jindas were responsible, exiling them from his land and continually chasing them with large boulders. When this assumption proved to be incorrect, and his thirst for revenge was proved unfounded, the Rock Wizard laughed off the misunderstanding, not appearing to feel any guilt for his actions.

The Rock Wizard was a massive being of mineral origins, easily towering over the small Ewoks, appearing to be four times their average height. The wizard used his massive height to intimidate the smaller Ewoks, making large gestures as he uprooted the terrain and destroyed an Ewok hut. When using his powers, especially in these rage-filled attacks, the Rock Wizard's eyes glowed a vibrant red. This aided his fearsome demeanor, making the Ewoks scatter in his presence. After replacing his tooth and stopping his pain, the Rock Wizard's eyes returned to their normal blue color.

Powers and abilities
"Who dares to fool with my magic!"

- Rock Wizard



The Rock Wizard was a powerful sorcerer, easily overwhelming the Shaman Logray, and facing down two Ewok tribes with no apparent trouble. Among the powers in the Rock Wizard's arsenal included telekinesis, as he was able to lift several boulders and use them to chase the Jindas. In his attack on Bright Tree Village, the wizard used this power to throw rocks at Logray and other Ewoks, knocking them aside.

The Rock Wizard also had the power to rip apart the land, creating great ravines. When the Rock Wizard attacked a hut in the village, he lifted up a great mound of dirt, creating a pillar of soil that flattened the Ewok house. The Ewoks in the hut were only barely able to escape before the structure was obliterated.

Behind the scenes
The Rock Wizard was created by Bob Carrau as the main antagonist in the seventh episode of the first season of Star Wars: Ewoks, The Curse of the Jindas. This was the second appearance of the Jindas, a group of entertainers that had appeared in the previous episode, The Travelling Jindas. In this episode, the Jindas were described as "aimless wanderers", but why they were constantly on the move was not explained. The Rock Wizard's appearance in this episode explained why the Jinda's never stayed very often in one place. Both the Jindas and the Rock Wizard did not appear again in the Ewoks cartoon, so it can be assumed that the Jindas did return to live under the Rock Wizard's fortress.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Ewoks
 * "The Curse of the Jindas"