Meet The Force-Sensitive Nuns Of The Last Jedi

The latest Star Wars movie is expected to take a deep dive into the lore of the Force and those who have worshipped it for thousands of years.

The first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi revealed ancient Jedi texts in a primitive temple. Now we get to see the keepers of the old relics as they’ll be featured in the new movie.

The Caretakers are anthropomorphic, amphibious “fish-bird type aliens” in garb that looks similar to a nun’s. They’ve lived on Ahch-To for thousands of years, director Rian Johnson told Entertainment Weekly, and essentially maintain the ancient temples so they don’t fall to ruin.

“They’re all female, and I wanted them to feel like a remote sort of little nunnery,” Johnson said. “Neal Scanlan’s crew designed them, and costume designer Michael Kaplan made these working clothes that also reflected sort of a nun-like, spartan sort of existence.”

The director said although Luke Skywalker lives among them, they merely “tolerate” his presence and can communicate with him via “a blubbery sort of Scottish fish talk.”

Given that Ahch-To’s surface is mostly covered in water, Johnson posits that the creatures were drawn to the Force-sensitive area and evolved to become the Caretakers.

“You get the sense they did at some point or maybe they occasionally do [return to the sea,] but when we see them, they’re land creatures,” Johnson said. “They’re these big matronly creatures, but they have these little skinny little bird feet. They were really fun to work with on set.”

We’ll likely learn more about these creatures and their connection to the ancient Jedi order when Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters December 15th.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The film will deal with Luke training Rey to become a, and possibly the last, Jedi. Meanwhile, the Resistance, including Poe Dameron and First Order defector Finn, continues to fight against the First Order, led by General Hux, while Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Side follower Kylo Ren continue their mysterious plot.