Wistie

Wistie
Biological classification
Designation	Sentient
Physical characteristics
Skin color	Orange
Distinctions	Tiny glowing beings
Sociocultural characteristics
Homeworld	Forest Moon of Endor
Habitat	Forest

"Watch out! Wisties!"

―An Imperial stormtrooper

Wisties, also known as fire sprites or firefolk, were a small, radiant, sentient species native to the Forest Moon of Endor. Like the Ewoks, with whom they shared their homeworld, the fairy-like flying Wisties were fierce defenders of their forests, and the two species were allies. Ewoks sometimes used pouches full of Wisties as a weapon against intruders, such as Imperial stormtroopers. They threw the pouches in the direction of a target; on impact, the sprites emerged and attacked the invaders.

Biology and appearance

"Firefolk! Get away from them!"

―An Imperial stormtrooper, under attack by Wisties emerged from an Ewok's pouch

A pair of Wisties

Wisties, also referred to as fire sprites or firefolk, were a tiny, orange-skinned, fairy-like, sentient species native to the Forest Moon of Endor. Bearing resemblance to a human sillouette, the unique creatures possessed a head, torso, two legs, and two arms, with the latter ending in three-fingered hands. While the phosphorescent fire sprites were the size of a bat, they appeared as moving flames. Their wings enabled them to fly, which they did while making buzzing, squeaking sounds.

Society and culture

"Fire sprites incoming!"

―An Imperial stormtrooper being burned by Wisties

Maintaining good relations with the Ewoks, Wisties lived in the Endor forests and were fierce defenders of their home. They were capable of burning enemies by touching them.

History

«Gah! Get away, will you! Shoo. Shoo.»
«What are you doing, Chirpa? Stop fooling around.»
«It's these stupid Wisties. Makrit should do something about them.»

―Chirpa and Ra-Lee, in Ewokese

Ewoks used pouches full of Wisties as a weapon against invaders.

By 0 BBY, the Ewoks Chirpa and Ra-Lee went hunting boar-wolves in the Endor forests. During the hunt, Chirpa was annoyed by a pair of Wisties flying around him. Viewing them as a nuisance, he shooed the Wisties away and stated that Makrit, shaman of their Ewok tribe, should do something about the creatures.

When the Forest Moon was later occupied by the Galactic Empire during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Wisties and Ewoks joined forces to defend their shared homeworld against Imperial stormtroopers. In battle, Ewoks sometimes used pouches full of Wisties as a weapon, throwing them in the direction of a target. Upon impact, the sprites emerged as swarms, both disrupting and burning the target.

Wisties were also the subject of the term "Wistie tale," which referred to a made-up story. As a young Ewok, Wicket Wystri Warrick believed that the legendary creature Kroolok was a Wistie tale fabricated to scare woklings.

Behind the scenes

"I wanted the Ewoks to have a ranged, non-lethal way to damage and disperse a group of enemies. I asked Lucasfilm if we could have something made by the shaman, like a pouch of herbs or powder. [Lucasfilm's suggestion to include Wisties instead] was a perfect fit, so a lot of credit to the team at Lucasfilm for solving that gameplay need."

―Manuel Llanes, game design director at EA DICE

Wisties were first mentioned in the new Star Wars canon in the "Guide to the Galaxy" section of the Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon magazine's thirty-eighth issue, published by De Agostini around September 23, 2015. The creatures later made their first canonical appearance in Star Wars Battlefront II's "Ewok Hunt" game mode, released on April 18, 2018. They were originally introduced in the 1984 made-for-TV movie Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, which is now considered a part of the Star Wars Legends continuity.

Imperial stormtroopers under attack by Wisties in Star Wars Battlefront II

The suggestion to include Wisties in Star Wars Battlefront II came from Lucasfilm in order to solve the gameplay need for Ewok abilities, which was originally considered to be a pouch of herbs or powder made by the shaman. The game mode depicts stormtroopers being hunted by Ewoks in the Endor forests on the night after the Battle of Endor, trying to survive until their extraction by an Imperial shuttle.

The ability to throw Wistie pouches was also made available for the "Ewok Hunter," a reinforcement unit for the Rebel Alliance, which was added to the game with a later update. Star Wars Battlefront II additionally features in-game challenges called "Thleek siz" and "Firefolk attack," which require throwing fifteen Wistie pouches as an Ewok and defeating fifty enemies using Wistie pouches, respectively. According to the Legends reference book Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide, the name for the former challenge means "Throw fire" in Ewokese.

Appearances

• Star Wars Battlefront II (DLC) (First appearance)
• Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle 4 (In flashback(s))
• "The Kroolok"—Life Day Treasury (Mentioned only)

Sources

• Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 38 (Guide to the Galaxy: Sentient Species of Endor) (First mentioned)
• Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II Night on Endor Update on Electronic Arts' official website (backup link)
• The Hunt is on: It's Ewoks versus Stormtroopers in Star Wars Battlefront II's New Mode on StarWars.com (backup link)
• 5 Tips to Survive Star Wars Battlefront II's Ewok Hunt…as an Ewok on StarWars.com (backup link)
• How a Painful Encounter with a Stack of Books Inspired Ewok Hunt on Electronic Arts' official website (backup link)
• Exploring the Locations of Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II: Endor on Electronic Arts' official website (backup link)
• Top Five Reasons to Play Ewok Hunt on October 23 on Electronic Arts' official website (backup link)
• Star Wars Battlefront 2: The Age of Rebellion – Community Update on the official Electronic Arts Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
• "Geonosis and Other Outer Rim Planets" – Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references

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