Some Star Wars roles are loud.
Some are legendary.
And some are the kind you only fully appreciate when you grow up — when you realize how much of the original trilogy’s magic was built by real people in costumes, on real sets, doing real physical work to make the galaxy feel alive.
Today, Star Wars fans are saying goodbye to one of those people.
Michael Henbury — best known to Star Wars fans as Ewok Taboo in Return of the Jedi — has passed away at the age of 67.
Why this matters right now
It’s easy to focus on the “big names” when we talk about Star Wars history.
But Star Wars has always been bigger than its headliners.
The original trilogy wasn’t built only by stars, directors, or composers — it was built by the performers inside the masks and suits, the people who gave life to creatures and characters that became part of pop culture forever.
Michael Henbury was one of them.
And for many fans, the Ewoks are still one of the most memorable ingredients in the saga’s most emotional ending.
Michael Henbury’s Star Wars legacy: Ewok Taboo
Henbury appeared in Return of the Jedi as Ewok Taboo, one of the Endor warriors fighting alongside the Rebels during the Battle of Endor.
For anyone who grew up with the film, the Ewok sequences aren’t just “cute alien side characters.”
They’re the beating heart of Endor.
They’re the reminder that the Empire can be defeated — not only by Jedi and X-wings, but by communities, courage, and cleverness.
And every Ewok performer helped make those scenes work.
More than Star Wars: Labyrinth, Willow, and Harry Potter
What makes Henbury’s career particularly special is how often he popped up in fantasy classics — the kinds of films that shaped childhoods in the same way Star Wars did.
Fantha Tracks notes that his work includes Labyrinth, Willow, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
That’s a remarkable stretch of genre history right there:
- 80s fantasy cult icons
- classic Lucasfilm storytelling
- one of the biggest modern fantasy franchises ever made
Not everyone gets to leave fingerprints on multiple generations of fandom like that.
A performer remembered warmly by the community
The Fantha Tracks tribute makes one thing clear: Henbury wasn’t just respected for his on-screen work — he was warmly regarded across the fandom, with friends and colleagues sharing tributes after the news broke.
That matters.
Because in fan communities, reputation isn’t built by credit lists.
It’s built by how you treat people — at conventions, on sets, and in the quiet moments when cameras aren’t rolling.
A farewell to a piece of the saga
Michael Henbury may not have been a household name in the way some Star Wars actors are.
But he was part of something bigger: the physical, handcrafted era of filmmaking that made the galaxy far, far away feel real.
And when Star Wars fans watch Return of the Jedi again — when we return to Endor, to that final victory, to the fires and the drums and the celebration — Taboo will still be there.
A small figure in the frame.
But an unforgettable part of the story.
Rest in peace, Michael Henbury.
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