Star Wars has a long and storied history of ‘funny little guys’. Most people will instantly think of the ewoks, but it goes back to the very start with R2-D2 and the Jawas. Since then we’ve had Babu Frik, Grogu, Ratts Tyerell, Turgle, BB-8, Porgs… but I think I’ve found a new favourite. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew gives us Neel, a fantastic little elephant boy.
‘Boy’ is the key word there – he is around 12 years old, and the same size as his human(-looking) classmate. He may well grow into a much bigger elephant dude, as we don’t know what his parents look like. However, the show runners have confirmed that Neel is not an ortolan, which is what Max Rebo is. In the vast array of possibilities, I suppose it’s not that surprising that two different alien races look like blue elephants with shiny black eyes, although as I type that it does start to seem more unlikely.
Neel Is Inspired By Max Rebo, But Not An Ortolan
I spoke to showrunner Christopher Ford about Neel, and I was less interested in ‘give me the name of this species’ than I was in why the show wanted to add something fresh to the gene pool. “We were trying to follow the process that the theoretical George Lucas would be doing, so the choices of the design of Neel were done for story purposes,” he tells me. “Our original inspiration was a Max Rebo type look. But we knew that we wanted him to have arms, needed more expressive eyes, so it was from a storytelling place and a character place. And then we felt free to create a new species. Because if you look at the breadth of diversity of alien species in the galaxy. There’s lots of other species that have trunks. But I was definitely a little nervous to be introducing anything new that becomes canon.”
I smiled and nodded at the time, but all I could think was ‘but Max Rebo does have arms’. He’s in a band, he’s playing a musical instrument when we see him. However, it turns out this is only half true. While some depictions of Rebo do show him with two arms and two legs (like Neel, and like humans, which may be a better touchstone for you), canonically those ‘arms’ we see on his puppet are supposed to be his feet.
It makes sense therefore to have Neel be something different. Only having two limbs would pose a lot of practical problems – a lot more editing needed in post, the character couldn’t climb a ladder or hold an object – and would make his design less appealing. As is, with his stunted trunk and slightly too large head, he looks like a cuddly toy wandering around the set.
Neel Is Perfect For Skeleton Crew
But crucially, he doesn’t feel that way. Porgs are cute, but they’re a pretty transparent merchandising opportunity. That’s not the case with Neel. He’s not my favourite little guy because he looks the most suited to a Funko Pop (though he definitely is) but because of the charm behind him. Skeleton Crew is a throwback adventure tale like the kind we used to see throughout the ’80s, and Neel fits this archetype perfectly.
In Stand By Me, he’s half Vern, half Gordie. In The Goonies, he’s Data. In The Monster Squad, he’s… wait, have any of you seen Monster Squad? He’s Patrick, anyway. If you are too young for those references, he is Dustin from Stranger Things or Eddie in It. Not quite the leader, but the most likeable and probably the smartest even if that doesn’t always come across. He’s not quite Data, not quite Eddie, not quite Gordie, and it’s the fact he finds his own way to be The Best Friend while still recognisably fitting the trope that makes him such an enjoyable character.
He’s not a funny little guy first and foremost. He’s a great character for the vibe Skeleton Crew is creating who just happens to be a funny little guy. This is the case with Star Wars’ most successful funny little guys, and the inverse is why Porgs and BB-8 feel a little hollow. Neel is essential for grounding Skeleton Crew as the sort of adventure that real kids could go on, even though he looks like if Stitch were an elephant.
If Skeleton Crew is a smash hit, I am sure there will be merch of Neel from floor to ceiling. The design does lend itself to that. But the character is so much bigger than being a funny little guy, and that should cement him as one of the best Star Wars has ever produced.
