With the premiere of Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures, the Star Wars franchise highlights the cuteness of creatures across the franchise. Even the host, SF-R3, also known as Aree, is adorably friend-shaped. However, Aree's cuteness is not the only reason he makes a particularly good host for the series. Because Aree is a droid, he is in much less danger from the creatures he reports on, and his documentarian career can span over centuries.
Aree is designed to be as endearing as the creatures he encounters. Aree was built and programmed by the Galactic Society of Creature Enthusiasts to go on missions to study animals throughout the galaxy, a role that he takes very seriously. Aree focuses on befriending the creatures he studies, and in the series' trailer, he states, "With a keen eye and unshakable determination, a friendship is forged. And chin scritches are a big help, aren't they?" Aree refers to the audience as "enthusiasts" as well, a move that highlights his own enthusiasm for his work. This joy for discovery increases the sense of wonder throughout the series, even as Aree answers some of the sillier creature questions through his missions.
Aree also is designed to be adorable and childlike. He is rather short, and his body is the size of a small child. For size reference, in "Porgs,"Â Aree is shown to be not much larger than the Porgs themselves. Therefore, even though Aree is not a child himself, he is on a child's eye level. This choice in design might make him more relatable for the kids in the audience, giving them a child's eye view of the galaxy through the lens of a droid.
While Aree is adorable, his encounters with creatures are much less dangerous precisely because he is a droid. Even if he is attacked by the creatures he studies, Aree can easily be repaired. Therefore, wayward documentary subjects do not present the threat of mortal peril. In multiple episodes, Aree is placed in peril. For example, In "Porgs," he is chased by a Batuuan Braga Bear, also referred to as "Batuu's apex predator" in the episode description. In "Blurrg," Aree crashes his speeder bike into a Blurrg enclosure, but he is not any worse for wear. In future episodes, he also will be reporting on wampas and the nexu. However, these adventures are framed as more comical than scary for even the youngest creature enthusiasts in the audience.
The choice of a droid for the show's host is also particularly smart because the canonical Star Wars timeline currently spans multiple centuries, from the Old Republic era to the Skywalker Saga. Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures' first season will cover at least one creature that is mainly featured in the High Republic era: the charhound. Because Aree is a droid that can live for a long time, the show can presumably feature episodes that take place during multiple time periods. The micro-series' anthology style and creature of the week format mean that episodes can skip around to different eras if necessary.
Thus, Aree is the perfect host to spotlight the diversity of wildlife in a galaxy far, far away, particularly because he is a droid. Using Aree as the host allows Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures to be cozy viewing for all ages that can span multiple time periods. There are only twelve episodes planned for this first season. However, the Star Wars galaxy has enough creatures to fuel multiple seasons for the creature enthusiasts among Star Wars fans with Aree guiding them along the way.