The Gundark, a creature first mentioned by Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), makes its first on screen appearance. It was given big ears, based on Han's comment that Luke looked strong enough again "to pull the ears off a Gundark".
The sound and rotation of the Weequay pirate ship is evocative of 1950s-era ideas of UFOs, like those seen in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956). Retro-saucer ships have been part of the prequel concept art since Episode I - either as Trade Federation craft or most recently as Alderaanian vessels - but have not made it to the screen until now.
Jim Cummings's vocal performance of Hondo Ohnaka is patterned after the distinctive speaking style of actor Ricardo Montalban.
According to the book "Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Visual Guide Ultimate Battles", Hondo Ohnaka wears a Desevrar infantry helmet, a stolen Wroonian overcoat and Corellian pants. "The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia" adds that his boots are also Corellian made (and stolen as well) and his goggles are normally used for swoop-piloting.
Originally, there were going to be two Kowakian monkey-lizards as part of the pirate group: twin brothers Pikk and Pilf Mukmuk, but their characters were consolidated into Pilf.