’Tis the season of Star Wars hype, and nothing has fans more hyped than this panicky little penguin thing from the new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
This little guy is called a porg. They’re officially “the Star Wars version of puffins,” and if that weren’t adorable enough, their babies are called “porglets,” they’re inquisitive, and apparently make great pets.
The Star Wars marketing machine has been teasing the cuteness of porgs for months, most notably through this short animated clip featuring a porg-napped BB-8:
We can’t blame BB-8 for losing his head over the porgs too. #StarWarsBlips pic.twitter.com/MHLEfKTQol
— Star Wars (@starwars) August 23, 2017
But it wasn’t until Disney unveiled the trailer for The Last Jedi Monday night that fans got to see the porg in all its skittish terrified glory, as it apparently stands in for Han Solo (sniffle) as Chewie’s newest companion on the Millennium Falcon.
In the history of the Star Wars franchise, cute little guys (most notably the Ewoks) have not fared so well in the eyes of fans who see their cuteness as a distraction. But since the advent of BB-8 in The Force Awakens, there seems to have been a decided turn in favor of small, mildly anthropomorphic companions as integral parts of the Star Wars universe. And it helps that they’re just so gosh darn cute.
#PORGS #art #porg #thelastjedi #starwars #starwarsfan #sketches #chewbacca #ewoks #ewok #hoojib #hoojibs #myart #artisttwitter pic.twitter.com/ASXvF8l7jp
— Halley J Eveland (@halleyjeveland) September 24, 2017
How much do fans love the porg? SO MUCH.
If even one Porg dies, I will fucking burn the Star Wars franchise to the ground pic.twitter.com/0l7a2BtFsG
— ☕netw3rk (@netw3rk) October 10, 2017
#TheLastJedi trailer literally could have just been the porg and I would have bought tickets pic.twitter.com/9dhL2LLiLa
— Ash (@smile_kid_amc) October 10, 2017
Fixed the new Star Wars poster pic.twitter.com/yeKlHfhUyO
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) October 10, 2017
The @StarWars fandom rn pic.twitter.com/FsXMhijw7U
— Scream Porg (@GenePark) October 10, 2017
Just go ahead and give me the Chewy and Porg buddy cop film announcement already. #TheLastJedi pic.twitter.com/HbVPZVrLUb
— Brandon Fitzgerald (@BrandonFitzy) October 10, 2017
When you realize #TheLastJedi is really just about Porgs. pic.twitter.com/P61tXvTixO
— Bad Father Han Solo (@BadFatherHan) October 10, 2017
The porg instantly served as a way for fans to express their thoughts and feelings on the franchise itself, often with hilarious results.
My favorite thing about the LAST JEDI trailer is all the new Pokémon pic.twitter.com/SFlHREWWwb
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) October 10, 2017
FINN IS DATING POE pic.twitter.com/kbuET52bb5
— Marc (@MarcSnetiker) October 10, 2017
When you’re 7 parsecs into the Kessel Run and you realize you left the oven on pic.twitter.com/1XlOtwIfQ0
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) October 10, 2017
But of course, like any good meme, it crosses over well with other jokes.
WHERE IS MY SZECHUAN SAUCE pic.twitter.com/FbqIKrOuBM
— spooky sparks (@kyliesparks) October 10, 2017
“Wait, you’re telling me he STILL hasn’t finished The Winds of Winter?” pic.twitter.com/cvj0SGnNqb
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) October 10, 2017
Porg Some Sugar On Me pic.twitter.com/zM0gMfq87u
— John Cohen (@JohnCohen1) October 10, 2017
A stunning catch by Cody Bellinger! pic.twitter.com/dyOEopT5fK
— The Ringer (@ringer) October 10, 2017
Sorry. pic.twitter.com/RqtYd7GjwD
— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) October 10, 2017
Okay, so not everything about the porg is inherently cute. But that doesn’t change the very good odds that people will be lining up for stuffed porgs and other porg-centric merchandise this holiday season — and that’s the real power of Star Wars:
Everyone hating on Porgs now remember how you mocked them when it’s December and you can’t find the Porg toy your kid wants for Christmas.
— Bill Kuchman (@billkuchman) October 10, 2017
Ah, yes. The marketing awakens.
