A true-life ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ mystery – solved!
Heres the final installment… AStar Warswhodunit, finally answered.
EPISODE V: WHO KILLED CONSTABLE ZUVIO?
Credit: Lucasfilm
First off, maybe hes not actually dead.
How can you kill someone who barely exists?
Zuvio had a posse.
A. Breznican
The anticipation kept building: How would Constable Zuvio fit into the new saga?
The possibilities for this galactic denizen seemed endless.
But the questions remain, for one simple reason…
Constable Zuvio wasnt in the movie.
A. Breznican
Like, at all.
But redemption for the character is not far off.
A new book ofStar Warsfiction finally gives the lawman his moment in the scorching Jakku sun.
Entertainment Weekly decided to do our own investigation.
How did this obscure character begin?
What were the original plans for him?
And how did he disappear?
Yeah, hed heard of him.
In fact, he named him.
Visual effects artists are great at designing aliens, but historically speaking, theyre lousy at naming them.
These days, Lucasfilm enjoins members of the story group, like Hidalgo, to christen them.
Zuvio has a strong sense of justice and cannot be bribed, the guide states.
Despite a sinister appearance, hes actually a good guy.
You know, life is tough on Jakku, Hidalgo says with a laugh.
So even the good guys are rather harsh.
And … he actually found something!
I think theres like four frames of him.
Literally, Hidalgo says.
As fascination with Zuvio has built, a number of rumors have emerged.
But the truth is: no, that was never part of the story.
LAW DONT GO AROUND HERE, LAW DOG
You know, Constable Zuvio?
Face covered by a mask?
Eventually, it rang a bell.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…
I know who he is, Abrams said.
And each one of them had a name and a designation.
In every shot on Jakku we figured out where they would all go and what they would do.
So, he was a background character.
A piece of living scenery.
He never had a line of dialogue, no, Abrams says.
The character simply fell victim to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But how did Zuvio end up so prominent in the toys and other pre-release hype?
Abrams and Hidalgo both say the planning for those things happens months before the release.
And at that point Zuviocouldhave been in the movie.
He just got unlucky.
Abrams says there were plenty of other creatures and characters who only got a few moments of screen time.
Each one of whom will probably, eventually, get made into a figure, Abrams says.
This was just one that I guess didnt end up in the movie as they had hoped.
Hidalgo points out that theres a lot of precedence for this.
[Zuvio] fits in the great tradition of characters like Snaggletooth or Pruneface.
But now, redemption is on the horizon.
1, Landry Q. Walker has rescued Constable Zuvio from oblivion.
Zuvio is even on the cover of the book, front and center.
You cant miss him.
Um… so… one less on the aisles!
Constable Zuvio seems to take himself and what he does very seriously, the author says.
And you have to commit yourself.
Why not just leave Jakku if you have an opportunity?
Instead, Zuvio stays.
(Not that she needs help, as we know.)
Looking for him over and over again, Walker said.
While writing his Western, Walker had no idea he was becoming part of a mystery.
He really did look like he was geared up to be someone, you know?
Its funny because we have this perception, Well theres a toy, so hes got to be important.
For now, Zuvios tale has been told both in real life, and in the galactic realm.
That doesnt mean he survives, but finally, at long last, Zuvio lives.
