- [The dinghy driver speaking]
"This wee ferryman will take will take you to the port." - ―SM-33, to the Skeleton Crew
A male Teek dinghy driver worked as a ferryman at Starport Borgo during the New Republic Era. By operating a space dinghy that docked with incoming starships, it provided new arrivals with transportation to the landing platform on the asteroid.
Around 9 ABY, the dinghy driver offered its service to the young members of the Skeleton Crew. They paid it with an Old Republic credit, a valuable currency it eagerly accepted before scurrying off excitedly. Later, the children planned to use the ferryman's services once again, but the deal fell through when Brutus's pirate crew captured them. However, after their escape, the driver still ferried the younglings back to their starship.
Biography
First ferrying service to the Skeleton Crew
- "I think it wants payment."
- ―KB, about the dinghy driver
The dinghy driver around 9 ABY
A male Teek worked as a ferryman[1] at Starport Borgo during the New Republic Era.[2] The driver operated a plastic-roofed space dinghy that utilized a dedicated suction tube[3] to dock with incoming starships and transport new arrivals to the landing platform on the pirate asteroid. It steered the vehicle from a side-mounted pilot's dome, holding onto a control stick.[2]
Around 9 ABY,[4] the ferryman docked with the pirate starship[2] Onyx Cinder[5] and invited[2] the Skeleton Crew[6] younglings Fern, KB, Neel, and Wim aboard. At the suggestion of their droid SM-33, the children boarded the Teek's dinghy and traveled with it to the port. After dropping off the children, the Teek jumped on Fern's back, speaking in its language while holding out its hand. Despite not understanding its speech, KB figured out that the man wanted payment for its ferrying service. Therefore, Wim handed the driver an Old Republic credit that his father had given him for lunch money. Since that currency was widely considered valuable,[2] the Teek ran off excitedly[3] with the coin it had received.[2]
The coin, the crash, and the comeback ride
- "Wim, Wim, pay him."
- ―Fern urges Wim to pay the dinghy driver
The dinghy driver subsequently stopped by a noodle bar, the same place that Neel and Wim were visiting. The man climbed onto the counter and spotted Wim paying with Old Republic credits again. The Teek jumped back down just as the fry cook got into a fight over the valuable coin with a greasy patron, onto whose shoulder the ferryman shortly scrambled in order to watch as the boys excused themselves for possessing the long-defunct currency. Wim and Neel claimed to hail from At Attin, a mysterious planet dismissed as a myth in pirate lore. When a scuffle was about to break out, Wim up-handed his bowl of noodles onto the grill to flame it up before he and Neel dashed out of the noodle bar together.[2]
The dinghy driver beside a greasy patron
Some time later, the younglings returned to the dinghy, having escaped a group of pirates[2] and thugs[3] who had been chasing them after the skirmish in the noodle bar. Fern told Wim to pay the man again, but the communication was hindered by the ferryman speaking his non-Basic language. Although the boy delved into his socket to provide the currency, the transaction was not finished, as Brutus's pirate crew arrived for the younglings in the meantime. After Captain Brutus incapacitated SM-33, the children argued with[2] him[3] before finally being arrested pending further interrogation.[2] While they were subsequently confined in a brig, the younglings joined forces with[7] former pirate[8] Silvo to escape and enlisted the dinghy driver's help to return to their ship. As the ferryman piloted its dinghy, the passengers discussed the state of the younglings' ship, with Silvo finding it hard to believe it was as much of a wreck as they claimed.[7]
Personality and traits
The ferryman was a blue-eyed Teek with light-brown skin and a scruffy appearance, with pointed ears and scraggly white hair covering most of its face and limbs. Small[2] and agile,[3] it had a habit of jumping onto others' shoulders for a better view or for communication purposes.[2] When excited, it moved hurriedly with short, quick steps.[3] It spoke the Teek language and continued using it even when faced with a communication barrier.[2]
Equipment
During its time piloting the dinghy, the driver wore a brown, long-sleeved shirt with gray patches, as well as a pair of matching pants and open-toe sandals. In addition, it possessed a wrench.[2]
Behind the scenes
- "I think you wanted the Teek, and then I made him look really rough because the Teeks are really fluffy."
"Yeah, the Teeks we know from Battle for Endor is [sic] well taken care of."
"Yeah, and this is more like a Teek that's fallen on hard times, so it was a lot skinnier and a lot of his fur has fallen out." - ―Jon Watts and Christopher Ford
"Taxi Alien" by Aaron McBride, concept art of the dinghy driver
The driver was first mentioned in a StarWars.com article published on November 1, 2024,[10] before making its debut in "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier," the second episode of the Disney+ live-action series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,[2] which aired on December 2, 2024.[11] Based on concept art by Aaron McBride,[12] the ferryman was a handpuppet-controlled creation[13] by Legacy Effects,[14] digitally untouched[13] except for its animated hand gestures, according to ILM Animation Supervisor Shawn Kelly.[15][16] Nevertheless, a single shot used a digital animation: although the puppet depicted the Teek asking for payment, a "Texas Switch" technique cut the focus to an animated model as it scurried away.[17] For the "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier" director David Lowery, seeing on screen the same, un-retouched puppet that he had previously seen on the set was a "cognitive dissonance."[13] During a charity livestream with the 501st Legion[18]—a fan organization of cosplay enthusiasts[19]—actor Sam Witwer revealed that he might have voiced the character,[18] which sound designer[2] David W. Collins later confirmed.[20]
The dinghy driver puppet by Legacy Effects
The dinghy driver was the first individual to be pictured within the current Star Wars canon of the Teek species, which was originally created for[1] the 1985 film[21] Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.[1] The presence of a Teek character in the series was the idea of the showrunner Jon Watts, while the other showrunner, Christopher Ford, contributed to its portrayal by making it look "rough."[9] As the duo first began working on the Teek, The Battle for Endor was not yet available on streaming, as it was not added to Disney+[22] until April 2, 2021.[23] Therefore, they received a copy of the film though an internal file sharing system.[22] Accounting for the discrepancies between the Ewoks and Skeleton Crew depictions of the species, Watts compared the ferryman to a person who had "fallen on hard times," which would explain it being thinner and less hairy than other Teeks.[9]
In 2025, Aaron McBride's pictures of the Teek,[12] labeled as "Taxi Alien",[24] were nominated for a Concept Art Award in the "Live Action Creature Art" category. On that occasion, McBride mentioned watching Ewoks: The Battle for Endor on a VHS tape in his childhood.[12] Although they made it to the final, the pictures of Teek did not win in their category, losing to McBride's concept art of "blind bats" from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2.[24]
Appearances
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier" (First appearance)- Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — "Very Interesting, As an Astrogation Problem"
Sources
- With Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Jon Watts and Chris Ford are Ready for Their Own Pirate Adventure on StarWars.com (backup link) (First mentioned)
- "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier" Episode Guide | Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on StarWars.com (backup link)
- This Week! in Star Wars Dispatch: Skeleton Crew Has Arrived! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Skeleton Crew | Official Clip | Now Streaming on Disney+ on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Skeleton Crew | Creatures & Droids | Now Streaming on Disney+ on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Welcome to the Worlds of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew: An Interview with Doug Chiang and Oliver Scholl on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Skeleton Crew | Creatures and Droids | Disney+ on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- The Inside Story of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's Creature Effects on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's Monkey Island-Inspired Poster Art on StarWars.com (backup link) (Picture only)
- 2025 Topps Chrome Star Wars Card: #32 - Dinghy Driver (backup link)
- Dinghy driver in the Databank (backup link)
