Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1.The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 "The Apostate" featured several fun Star Wars references, including a payoff for a 30-year-old name from the Legends continuity. Throughout its first two seasons, The Mandalorian skillfully took inspiration from all corners of the Star Wars franchise, including the old Expanded Universe that existed prior to Disney purchasing Lucasfilm. This has allowed The Mandalorian and its spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett, to tell brand-new stories and build off ideas established in older tales. One of these ideas can be seen on the now prosperous planet of Nevarro in The Mandalorian season 3 premiere.
Star Wars also has a history of creative names for its alien creatures, many of which fit with the creature's behavior. The Mon Calamari come from an aquatic world, womp rats are rodents that cause trouble for farmers on Tatooine, and the Tusken Raiders are commonly known as "sand people" for their commitment to living in the dangerous Dune Sea. At the same time, some alien creatures have names that don't seem to match their behavior, including a species that was first introduced in Return of the Jedi. However, The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 finally has this species live up to its name from Star Wars Legends.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Finally Shows Kowakian Monkey-Lizards... Acting Like Monkeys
While marveling at Nevarro's spaceport in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1, Grogu sees a group of Kowakian Monkey-Lizards that actually act like monkeys. First introduced through Salacious B. Crumb at Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi, Kowakian Monkey-Lizards have never fully had the chance to act as such since receiving their name in the Star Wars Legends continuity. They occasionally jump around and snatch things for their master, but that can also apply to other alien creatures in Star Wars. The Mandalorian, however, includes a scene that shows off Kowakian Monkey-Lizards as monkey-like creatures.
Grogu sees the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards up in a tree, swinging between branches and watching people with curiosity. This is about as close to actual monkeys as they could get, and while it's only a brief moment, it's nice to see the crew behind The Mandalorian pay attention to small details. If they're going to be called Kowakian Monkey-Lizards, then it's only logical that they would share traits with real-world monkeys, just like other Star Wars alien races with similar names. Beyond paying off a 30-year-old Legends name, the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards also serve another purpose in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1.
The Kowakian Monkey-Lizards Are A Symbol Of Nevarro's Prosperity
The Kowakian Monkey-Lizards are another way that The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 symbolizes how prosperous Nevarro has become since the pilot episode. In season 1, a Kowakian Monkey-Lizard was being roasted on a spit while another watched in a cage, knowing it would soon share the same fate. This was a horrifying detail that demonstrated how dingy and dangerous Nevarro was, especially since Salacious B. Crumb previously showed that Kowakian-Monkey Lizards are sentient creatures with names and their own language. Previous Star Wars TV shows may not have shown Kowakian Monkey-Lizards on equal footing with humanoids, but they were never treated like that.
Now, however, Nevarro's Kowakian Monkey-Lizards are loose and flourishing, with a whole group of them being present. Their brief appearance shows how Nevarro has changed, no longer a criminal hive but a welcoming spaceport where all creatures can feel welcome. Travelers are certainly more likely to feel at ease when even the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards get to run around and safely on the streets of Nevarro, a perfect symbol of the planet's newfound prosperity. The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 managed to pay off the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards' name from Star Wars Legends and use them as an effective plot device in only one short cameo.
New episodes of The Mandalorian release every Wednesday on Disney+.