They’re cute. They’re destructive. They are Porgs and, on Ahch-To, they are absolutely everywhere. Turns out Porgs are secretly the real life Puffin, come see why!
Love ’em or hate ’em, Porgs garnered lots of attention since the Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer was first released. Since then, Porg mania struck. Creature Concept Designer Jake Lunt was interviewed by StarWars.com and discussed the origin story of the Porg.
According to Lunt, the initial inspiration for the Porg, and the Caretakers even, came from filming on Skellig Michael, an island in the Republic of Ireland. Skellig Michael was using as a stand in for Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker held his self-imposed exile. The island is also a wildlife preserve that is absolutely dotted everywhere with amazing birds…but most especially the puffin. While filming, the idea for creating indigenous species arose as a solution to the ever-present puffin. Puffins dotted most shots of filming, getting everywhere, and digitally removing them would be a chore. Transforming them, however, was an easier solution.
I probably got the porg within the first [few attempts]. I did about four or five pages of totally different sketches, and the porg was probably in one of those sketches. It was influenced by a seal and a pug dog and the puffin. The big eyes of a seal or the big eyes of a pug dog and the sort of funny, ugly face [of a pug].
Creating the Porg was not easy, however, as concept art went back and forth many times until the current appearance stuck. Many different concepts were used, from ugly to adorable, using avian forms as a guide. After the final form was chosen, the sculpts were created and painted in a variety of colors until the final figure was chosen. That was rendered into what we were first introduced to in the trailer and the behind the scenes preview.
So if it weren’t for puffins, we would not have porgs.
To read the entire interview, check out StarWars.com. See the porgs in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, now in theaters.
Should you ever be stranded on a deserted island full of porgs, be prepared. Read up on how to properly prepare them prior to your trip.
