There are plenty of new creatures that have been added to the Star Wars cinematic universe that we can’t wait to meet. And the length of time we have to wait is shrinking by the hour – The Last Jedi hits screens in a matter of days. Some of these critters we’ve heard lots about – porgs most prominently. But never mind those fluffy little puffin-like creatures. And never mind the elegant-looking vulptex. What about the incredible space horse? It’s adorbs!
It’s Not Called a Space Horse
Glimpsed in behind-the-scenes footage released at D23, and then again on the Star Wars Show, space horses – or fathiers to give them their proper name – are a horse-type animal used for competitive racing. They look like giant baby farm animals with the cutest puppy-dog eyes. The footage shows one in a stable.
However, they’re apparently not treated very well by the wealthy residents of Canto Bight, the casino city where they’re kept as racing stock. Neal Scanlan, who heads up Lucasfilm’s creature workshop, told Empire magazine: “They’re racing creatures, with bets placed upon them, and are subjected to slightly cruel treatment.”
He also said that “fathiers have the power and majestic quality that one might find in a male lion and also beauty in their equine aspects”.
The fathier appears as a CG creature in wide shots, but the team created an actual tangible to-scale version for Finn’s first encounter “so it was able to look over the stable door” and actor John Boyega “could touch and act with it.”
According to makingstarwars.net, Finn and new character Rose Tico liberate a fathier which they flee on after running into trouble. It’s odds-on, then, that we can look forward to some serious fathier action in the new film. As for falling in love with this adorable fella, that’s a dead cert.
The Last Jedi is released in the UK on December 14 and in the US on December 15.