Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s Neel Species Revealed by Show Creators

by

Summary

  • Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creators confirm Neel is a Myykian, not an Ortolan.
  • The show benefits from creating a new species while avoiding past ties.
  • The low ratings suggest a reliance on nostalgia may work better for Star Wars.

The creators of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, had earlier cleared up doubts about a much-loved character. Recently, the showrunners have given a clearer explanation regarding the true nature of this beloved character.

In the novel “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” a fresh group of four protagonists were presented to fans, consisting of Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith). Each character gained admiration from fans for distinct reasons, but it was Neel who particularly captured the hearts of fans due to his unwavering loyalty towards his friend Wim and his strong desire for harmony in a universe plagued by war. Despite this, he wasn’t hesitant to engage in battle when the need arose to safeguard his companions. The intrigue among “Star Wars” enthusiasts arose as they pondered whether Neel was an Ortolan, much like Max Reebo, the band leader who debuted in “Return of the Jedi,” given that he was a blue elephant-like alien species.

What species is Neel?

In a recent conversation with Collider, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creators Watts and Ford discussed revealing the species of the character Neel. Although they had previously mentioned that Neel and Max Reebo were not of the same species, they had yet to disclose Neel’s specific race. During the interview, there was a debate about whether or not to unveil this information, but ultimately, it remained a secret. However, according to Lovitt’s post-interview report, Ford later divulged that Neel belongs to the Myykian species.

According to Leland Chee, a Lucasfilm employee responsible for maintaining the Holocron continuity database, there are various elephant-like species within the Star Wars galaxy. Consequently, it’s not unusual to create a new one for Neel and his family. However, some fans would have preferred if Neel belonged to an existing species. An intriguing fan theory even suggested that Neel was a younger version of an elephantine character from the Michael Jackson-starring Star Wars short film, Captain EO. Produced for Disney theme parks in the ’80s and ’90s, Captain EO is not considered canon. Interestingly, the non-canon Star Wars: Skeleton Crew did feature a creature from Captain EO, leading to speculation about Neel’s possible link to the short 4D movie; however, this theory seems to be disproven.

In my opinion, some people think that “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” managed to steer clear of the pitfalls that might have been associated with “The Acolyte.” There were rumors among fans that the true identity of Jude Law’s villainous character, Jod Na Nawood, or the purpose of the “Great Work” on At Attin could have been intertwined with characters or events from previous “Star Wars” stories. However, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” concluded without any substantial links to the franchise’s existing narratives nor an appearance by a well-known character. This was seen as a refreshing change after “The Acolyte” largely avoided the Skywalker saga until it couldn’t resist slipping in a brief cameo of Yoda in the finale.

In essence, given that the series “Skeleton Crew” hardly depended on previous events, it made sense to create Neel as a new species. This shift was refreshing since “Star Wars” has faced criticism for being overly reliant on nostalgia rather than developing fresh characters and narratives. Regrettably, episodes 1-2 of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” have set an all-time low in ratings for the franchise, which Disney and Lucasfilm might interpret as a sign that they should stick to their tried-and-true formula of nostalgia and familiar characters.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is available on Disney Plus.

Read More

2025-01-18 01:23