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Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: parents, pronouns, children, siblings, partners, families, feathers and unrecognized parameters: era
- "Chewbacca here is first mate on a ship that might suit us."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi
Chewbacca, known affectionately to his friends as Chewie, was a sexy warrior, smuggler, and resistance fighter who fought in the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, and the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance. He hailed from the planet Kashyyyk and became a Wookiee military leader. During the Clone Wars, he was captured by Trandoshan slavers and held captive on Wasskah, but he worked with a fellow captive, Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano, to escape. He later commanded Wookiee forces during the Battle of Kashyyyk alongside the Grand Army of the Republic, led by Jedi Master Yoda. During the battle, one of the last ones of the war, Yoda's clone troopers received Order 66 from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and, with the help of Chewbacca, Yoda escaped Kashyyyk and the destruction of the Jedi Order.
In the years that followed, during the rule of the Galactic Empire, Chewbacca became a smuggler and the co-pilot of Captain Han Solo aboard the Millennium Falcon. They worked in the employ of crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure until Solo was forced to dump a shipment of spice to avoid trouble with the Empire, at which point a bounty was placed on their heads. Soon thereafter, Chewbacca and Solo were hired by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to ferry him, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2 to Alderaan on a mission vital to the survival of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. After finding Alderaan was destroyed, the group was brought aboard the Death Star, where they helped Princess Leia Organa escape from captivity and return to the Rebel base on Yavin 4. Though Chewbacca and Solo initially chose to leave Yavin 4 and not join the Rebellion, they ended up fighting in the Battle of Yavin and were instrumental in Skywalker's destruction of the Death Star, a major victory for the Rebellion.
Throughout the war, Chewbacca and Solo fought the Empire in a number of engagements, including an assault on Cymoon 1 and the battle on Vrogas Vas. Along with Princess Organa and C-3PO, they escaped from Echo Base on the planet Hoth after the Empire tracked the Rebel Alliance there. The group sought refuge with Lando Calrissian, an old friend of Solo's, on Cloud City, but Calrissian betrayed them and turned them over to Darth Vader, the Emperor's chief enforcer, after his city was threatened. Solo was frozen in carbonite and Calrissian helped the others escape, but they were too late to save the frozen Solo from being taken by Boba Fett to Jabba the Hutt. Chewbacca and Calrissian set off to find Solo and located him in Jabba's Palace on Tatooine, where Chewbacca and his friends saved Solo and destroyed Jabba. Shortly thereafter, they fought in the Battle of Endor, where Chewbacca helped destroy the shield generator and allowed the Alliance Fleet to destroy the Death Star II. The Emperor was killed aboard the battle station, delivering a crippling blow to the Empire.
After Endor and the rise of the New Republic, Chewbacca and Solo fought to liberate Kashyyyk from the Empire. When the war finally came to a close, Chewbacca returned home to Kashyyyk with his family. After Solo's son Ben, turned to the dark side and destroyed Skywalker's new generation of Jedi, Chewbacca reunited with his old friend and the two spent many years as smugglers once more. They lost the Millennium Falcon and ended up smuggling aboard a ship called the Eravana, but they eventually found the Falcon and, with it, stowaways named Rey, Finn, and the droid BB-8. The droid had part of a map that led to the exiled Luke Skywalker, so the group brought the map to the Resistance that opposed the First Order, which had risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire. Chewbacca soon fought in the assault to destroy Starkiller Base, a devastating First Order superweapon, a conflict in which Solo lost his life at the hands of his son. After the base was destroyed, Chewbacca joined Rey in traveling to the planet Ahch-To, where she found Luke Skywalker
Biography
Early life
A Wookiee male, Chewbacca hailed from Kashyyyk,[11] a peaceful planet in which he was born one hundred and eighty years before the Clone Wars.[12] He was married to a female named Malla, and had a family to support,[13] including a son named Lumpawaroo.[14]
The Clone Wars
- "It's a Wookie!"
- ―Ahsoka Tano on first seeing Chewbacca
Chewbacca hides alongside Ahsoka Tano.
During the galaxy-spanning conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists, Chewbacca was captured by a Trandoshan hunting guild led by Garnac; taken to Island Four on Wasskah to be their prey, his transport was attacked by a trio of Jedi apprentices—the Padawan Ahsoka Tano and the younglings Jinx and O-Mer, also prey of the Trandoshans.[15]
Chewbacca escaped from the wreckage and followed the trio (with whom he communicated with thanks to Tano's understanding of Shyriiwook) to their hideout. Using his technical expertise and parts from the crashed transport, he constructed a transmitter to contact his people on his nearby homeworld; however, it seemingly failed and an impatient Jinx, supported by O-Mer, decided to lure down and hijack a hunting pod and take the base ship. As persuaded by Tano, Chewbacca joined in their endeavor and raided the Trandoshan base, only to be joined by a Wookiee relief force led by General Tarfful—who had received Chewbacca's transmission—as well as bounty hunters Sugi and Seripas. Once all the Trandoshans had been killed, Chewbacca and the Wookiees accompanied the young Jedi to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where they parted ways.[15]
Clone Commander Gree, Yoda and Chewbacca on Kashyyyk.
During the last days of the war, Chewbacca was a major player in the Battle of Kashyyyk, overseeing the confrontation between the Grand Army of the Republic and the invading Separatist Droid Army alongside Tarfful and Jedi General Yoda, as well as Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. Following the implementation of Order 66, Chewbacca and Tarfful witnessed the assassination attempt on Yoda by Commander Gree and his aide; he helped the Jedi Grand Master elude the clone troopers and escape from the planet.[1]
Rise of the Empire
Chewbacca is enslaved along with several other Wookiees.
Following the reorganization of the Republic into the Galactic Empire, Chewbacca saw his people sent to work as slaves,[12] or as miners in places such as Kessel,[16] or made to serve as science experiments.[9] At some point, Chewbacca and several other Wookiees were captured and enslaved by several Trandoshan slavers.[17] Like them, he was forced into slavery, working to cut the wroshyr trees in order to feed the Imperial army.[9] At some point, Chewbacca was freed from slavery by Han Solo and swore a life debt to him.[18] He thought Solo to be a "fast-talker, smug, even arrogant" man, until the Corellian proved him wrong with his hidden depths when the two of them fled to the Outer Rim to survive amidst bounty hunters, pirates, and fellow smugglers, trying to scratch out a living wage working for the Hutts.[12] Chewbacca eventually became Solo's co-pilot and the first mate of the Millennium Falcon,[3] the YT-1300 light freighter he won from Lando Calrissian in a game of sabacc.[19]
Galactic Civil War
Death Star rescue
- "It's okay to care about them. They need our help."
- ―Chewbacca, to Han Solo
Chewbacca and Solo negotiate passage fees with Kenobi and Skywalker in Chalmun's Cantina.
During one of their smuggling attempts at the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Millennium Falcon was boarded and the two lost the cargo that they were hauling for their usual employer, Jabba the Hutt. The two found themselves in Chalmun's Cantina on Tatooine, where Chewbacca was approached by Ben Kenobi, who was searching for passage for himself, Luke Skywalker and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO to Alderaan. Promised 2,000 credits in advance and an additional 15,000 upon arrival at Alderaan, Solo and Chewbacca agreed to the commission, escaping from Imperial vessels as they left Tatooine.[3]
During the hyperspace journey, while Kenobi trained Skywalker in the use of the Force, Chewbacca played a game of dejarik with R2-D2, who made a move that Chewbacca disliked. C-3PO advised that the move was technically fair, and even chided Chewbacca, at which point Solo advised them not to anger the Wookiee because of his species' tendency to pull arms out of their sockets, promting the two droids to surrender.[3]
Chewbacca, Solo and Organa, shortly before they jump into a garbage chute.
Upon the Falcon's exit from hyperspace, the group found themselves in a meteor storm produced by the destruction of the planet by the Imperial Death Star superweapon. The group were soon caught by the tractor beam of the battle station which was still looming in the system, but managed to evade capture by hiding in the Falcon's smuggling compartments. While Kenobi set out to disable the station's tractor beam in order to allow them to escape, Skywalker was told by R2-D2 that Princess Leia Organa was being held in Detention Block AA-23, her execution scheduled. They set out to rescue her, with Chewbacca posing as a prisoner of stormtrooper-disguised Skywalker and Solo. Despite encountering trouble, Chewbacca and the others managed to escape from the Death Star—except for Kenobi, who had died in a duel with Darth Vader. The Falcon soon arrived to Yavin 4, landing on Rebellion's secret base, just as the Death Star closed in on the moon.[3]
Yavin 4
- "What're you looking at? I know what I'm doing."
- ―Han Solo to Chewbacca
Skywalker was hopeful that Chewbacca and Solo would join the Rebellion, but Solo was more concerned with receiving his payment in order to pay his debt to Jabba. Though Chewbacca growled in dissatisfaction at this course of action, the two departed, seemingly leaving the Rebel Alliance on its own to deal with the Death Star. They would return just in time to protect Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin from Vader's TIE Advanced x1, allowing the young pilot to destroy the massive battle station by firing a proton torpedo into its exhaust port.[3]
Chewbacca lets out a triumphant howl after Skywalker and Solo are awarded medals.
Back on Yavin 4, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were both awarded medals by Organa, while Chewbacca howled in delight during the ceremony.[3] The time for celebration was soon over, for Organa asked the Rebels to take a moment of silence to honor and remember all those who had died when Alderaan was destroyed, whereas General Dodonna announced their need to evacuate Yavin since the Empire was aware of their location.[20] Chewbacca would be also awarded a medal,[12][13] and shared a moment of banter between Organa and Solo, just before they parted ways.[20]
Cyrkon
- "You two play fast and loose."
"It's worked so far." - ―Caluan Ematt, on Chewbacca and Han Solo's tactics
However, before they could depart for Tatooine to pay Jabba, Organa would ask Solo to run an errand for the Rebellion, which Chewbacca convinced him to accept—to rescue Lieutenant Caluan Ematt from Cyrkon. On the Falcon, the two made their way to the planet, only to find themselves confronted by the Vehement, which they avoided with a false IFF transponder, and landed in Motok. There, they were immediately attacked by some of Jabba's bounty hunters, including Captivator, which prompted Solo to accuse them of being "Rebels" and set them against ISB Commander Alecia Beck's garrison.[12]
Chewbacca slipped away with Solo to the Miss Fortune cantina, where they found their old friend Delia Leighton, to whom they asked about Ematt's location. After she told them their destination and the password, Chewbacca and Solo rented a V-40 and went into a hotel, where they met Ematt, but were attacked by the bounty hunters again, as Leighton had revealed their location to save Curtis's life. However, they escaped and made their way to the Falcon, only to be ambushed by Beck and more than forty stoormtroopers.[12]
Chewbacca, Solo and Ematt confronted by Alecia Beck.
Forced to surrender, Chewbacca, Solo and Ematt were taken into custody, with Beck focusing on Ematt and leaving Chewbacca and Solo to the stormtroopers. Unbeknownst to the Imperials, Solo noticed the Miss Fortune making their way to save them, but with the magnetic field activated, it would be pointless. Once aware of Solo's intentions, Chewbacca pretended to be angry at Solo and shoved him, sending him flying into a trooper to grab his E-11 blaster rifle and destroy the field generators, flooding the hangar with Cyrkon's toxic gases. Soon enough, the Miss Fortune opened fire at the Imperials, and Chewbacca made his way to the Falcon to start the engines while Solo helped Ematt and recovered their weapons.[12]
Soon in Cyrkon's orbit along with the Miss Fortune, they found themselves against the Vehement and eight TIE fighters. They engaged the starfighters, defeating several of them, until the Miss Fortune's took a hit that damaged its navicomputer; Chewbacca saw Solo's nobler side when he decided to cover the 1550-LEX space yacht to make a run for Cyrkon's atmosphere just as the Vehement's tractor beam advanced towards them. They resisted the beam by entering the planet's atmosphere themselves, while Leighton fled, and approached Motok in a dead-engine glide, daring Beck into catching the Falcon at the price of destroying the city with the tractor beam and turning Cyrkon against the Empire. As she desisted, the Falcon began its fall to the ground and the two pilots manually restarted the engines, just in time to avoid crashing into the city and escape.[12]
Andelm IV
Sometime later, he was on an important solo mission to deliver a box, when the flight stabilizer of his ship malfunctioned. Forced to crash-land on Andelm IV, Chewbacca went to a city to obtain a replacement and engaged a Besalisk vendor. Their deal was interrupted by a fugitive young girl, Zarro, who tried to sell her stolen speeder bike. The Besalisk, however, refused and tried to betray her to the planet's crime lord, Jaum. Chewbacca stopped him, though, by having the Besalisk sell him the stabilizer. However, he did not have enough credits to buy it. Subsequently, he went to a cantina and played sabacc, successfully doubling his credits. Chewbacca then noticed the girl from before, and helped her hide from Jaum's men.[21]
Afterwards, Zarro followed him as he bought the stabilizer and tried to convince into helping her save her father and friends. Unable to delay his mission, Chewbacca repaired his ship, and changed his mind to leave the planet when Zarro mentioned her people had been enslaved by Jaum. Unknown to Chewie and Zarro, Jaum was planning to export the Andelm beetle larvae to the Empire to be processed into Dedlanite, a substance used in the manufacture of blasters.[21] To maximise profits, Jaum also planned to sell his slave workforce to the Empire.[17]
The following day, Zarro devised a plan to infiltrate Jaum's mine. She got Chewbacca to search for an open air vent for the slave miners to escape. Meanwhile, Zarro infiltrated the mine by allowing herself to be recaptured. Her plan was to locate a hollowed part of the mine. Keeping in touch by transmitter, Zarro told Chewie to find an open air vent. While struggling through the tunnel, the Wookiee was haunted by memories of his enslavement at the hands of the Trandoshans. Zarro's escape plan encountered a problem when she was caught by Jaum and his men. After the miners including Zarro's father Arrax objected to Jaum's plan, the gangster ordered his men to execute the miners.[17]
Before Jaum's guards could carry out their execution, Chewie snuck up behind them and overpowered them with his bowcaster. After meeting Zarro's father, Chewie joined forces with the miners to fight their way out of the mine. He refashioned a rod from a broken-down GNK-series power droid and used it to disable a wheeled battle droid. Shortly later, the Wookiee knocked out one of Jaum's henchmen with the derelict GNK power droid. Chewie eventually found his way to the mine's loading bay, which was full of crates of Andelm beetle larvae. However, Jaum's Shistavanen enforcer Tyvak fired on the incendiary larvae with his blaster, igniting an explosion that created a cave-in.[17]
Despite Tyvak's efforts, Chewie and his friends managed to survive the explosion. Part of the Wookiee's left leg was scorched by fire but Zarro managed to douse it. Chewie and his friends then narrowly escaped a swarm of Andelm beetles. Chewie managed to used his bowcaster to collapse a girder, temporarily delaying the swarm but denying the miners their only way out in the process. While heading to regroup with the other miners in a different section of the mine, Chewie encountered the guard he had knocked out with the GNK power droid. Upon recognizing the guard, he dropped the heavy droid chassis on the man, leaving him behind.[22]
While the miners discussed a way of digging themselves out of the mine, Chewie came up with the idea of climbing out vertically through a sinkhole. While skeptical of the Wookiee's chance of success, the miners and Zarro agreed to support his plan. With much effort, Chewie managed to climb through the roots of a dead tree and topple it, creating a pit large enough for all the miners to climb up. Chewie then lowered a rope for all the miners to evacuate. Once everyone had reached the surface, Chewie and Zarro departed under the pretext of repairing his A-wing starfighter.[22]
In truth, Zarro was planning to stop Jaum and the Empire from taking over Andelm IV. Enlisting Chewie's support, they traveled to the planet's spaceport. There, they found a bunker that was inhabited by her blind friend Sevox and his protocol droid I-7, who served as the "eyes" of the former. After examining Sevox's junkshop, Chewbacca came up with a plan to sabotage Jaum's plot to export Dedlanite to the Empire.[22] this plan involved fitting a decrepit R5 repair droid with explosives. Sevox thought Chewie and Zarro's plan had little chance of success but nonetheless agreed to drop them off at the spaceport. He also offered his bunker as a hiding place for Zarro and her friend.[23]
After shooing away a group of child beggars, Chewie and Jaum infiltrated the spaceport disguised as Jaum's new war droid and a hooded alien. They soon discovered that the spaceport was being occupied by several stormtroopers, Scout troopers, and an AT-ST walker. Shortly later, they found Jaum supervising several stormtroopers who were loading crates of dedlanite into an Imperial landing craft. When Jaum demanded that Zarro take off her helmet, Chewie opened fire on the gangster and his stormtroopers. After running out of ammunition, he took out the stormtroopers in hand to hand combat.[23]
While Chewie exchanged fire with Jaum, Zarro managed to bring the rigged R5 droid "Boomer" aboard the shuttle. Chewie then fought with Tyvak but was trapped by the AT-ST walker. The Wookiee however activated a nearby engine which burned Tyvak alive and knocked out the Imperial walker's right cannon, causing it to topple to the ground. Meanwhile, Jaum managed to escape aboard the landing craft with the dedlanite and "Boomer." The two were overjoyed their plot had succeeded. However, their elation was short-lived and they were soon arrested by scout troopers reporting to the Imperial Commander Kai, the same officer who was interested in Jaum's dedlanite deal.[23]
Per Commander Kai's orders, Chewie and Zarro were transported up to Kai's Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit above Andelm IV. On the way up, Chewie and Zarro managed to overpower their stormtrooper captors aboard the Imperial shuttle. After landing, Chewie knocked out an Imperial RA-7 protocol droid that Kai had sent to negotiate their surrender. After knocking out the remaining stormtroopers clinging to his body, Kai agreed to listen to Zarro.[24]
Zarro made up a story that Jaum was a fraudster who had come to scam Kai. She also claimed that he was a rebel spy and that he did not have a mining operation. To back up her story, Zarro told him that Jaum's "droid" "Boomer" was rigged with explosives. Shortly later, Jaum arrived carrying samples of dedlanite. Shortly later, Boomer exploded, destroying the landing craft and damaging the Star Destroyer's force-field. In the meantime, Chewie and Zarro managed to escape on a TIE/sa bomber. Despite Zarro accidentally activating a thermal detonator which destroyed the ship's left-wing, they managed to crash-land the bomber on Andelm IV.[24]
While Chewie turned down Zarro's request to stay behind with her people, he still gave her a hug and awarded her a gold medallion he had received for his services during the Battle of Yavin. After departing as friends, Chewie traveled on his A-wing to his homeworld of Kashyyyk. There, he returned to his village for a family reunion and awarded his child a bandolier. Shortly later, Chewie departed aboard the Millennium Falcon. Meanwhile, Jaum was imprisoned by Commander Kai, who was disgusted by Jaum's greed and his alleged scam. He had the gangster tortured by his IT-O Interrogator.[24]
Cymoon 1
- "Chewie, stand down! Do not fire! You take a shot at Darth Vader and the whole factory will be on alert!"
"Are you crazy? Chewbacca if you have a shot at Vader I order you to take it! Forget about us! Killing him is more important! Do you hear me Chewie? Take the shot! Now!" - ―Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa
Chewbacca watches the team from the vantage point.
Chewbacca took part in an assault on Weapons Factory Alpha, on the moon Cymoon 1, alongside the usual team—Solo, Organa, Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2—, with Solo posing as the envoy of Jabba the Hutt to enter the factory, Skywalker and Organa disguised as his bodyguards, along with R2-D2. Separately, Chewbacca and C-3PO landed the Falcon in the refuse fields surrounding the factory, with the latter going to a vantage point to observe through the scope of his sniper rifle how Solo engaged Overseer Aggadeen and entered the facilities.[6]
Unexpectedly, though, Darth Vader arrived on a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, and Chewbacca contacted Solo, telling him to stand down, for firing on the Sith Lord would put the entire moon on alert, but Organa gave the order to take the shot. Chewbacca consented and fired, but Vader sensed danger and deflected the first shot with his lightsaber. He continued shooting, but the Sith Lord had lifted two stormtroopers into the air using the Force and used them as human shields, only for him to topple the building Chewbacca was perched upon. Though it collapsed, the Wookiee escaped from the wreckage. Now being hunted down, Chewbacca lost contact with the team as he made his way to the Falcon.[6]
Chewbacca unleashes his rage against the intruding aliens.
When he arrived, he discovered C-3PO in pieces strapped and the freighter being dismantled by tentacled aliens. Angered, Chewbacca chased the scavenger away, recovered the protocol droid and made contact with Solo, who along Organa had hijacked an AT-AT and were escaping from Vader. Despite the lengthy time he needed to fix the ship, Chewbacca repaired enough of the Falcon's damage to pilot it to the team's position, where he extracted them and many of the slaves Skywalker had freed. As they began their retreat from Cymoon 1, Organa took over the controls instead of a delirious Solo, so that Chewbacca could repair the hyperdrive, which he managed to do, so that Organa could make the jump into lightspeed and escape a blockade of Star Destroyers.[25]
Nar Shaddaa
Within two days, the Millennium Falcon rendezvoused with the Alliance Fleet, where Solo was treated for his injuries and Chewbacca and Solo went on to better repair the Falcon on an Alliance Nebulon-B frigate, when the Corellian noted that it had been a miracle that the ship had flown with Chewbacca's rushed repairs, prompting an annoyed reply from the Wookiee, while they strived to repair the Falcon.[26]
The need for new parts prompted Solo to go on a mission with Organa, leaving Chewbacca behind with the freighter.[27] However, when he heard that Skywalker had been captured by Grakkus the Hutt on Nar Shaddaa, he volunteered for the rescue mission before Chancellor Mon Mothma, and Generals Jan Dodonna and Gial Ackbar of the Alliance High Command. Taking C-3PO with him,[28] Chewbacca took the Falcon to the moon, wherein the droid did the talking, and the Wookiee used more violent means to interrogate the criminals in search of Skywalker. It would be a Zabrak bartender who told them of Skywalker's location on Grakkus's palace and his direction, and Chewbacca and C-3PO set out to Skywalker's encounter.[29]
Hoth
- "Laugh it up, fuzzball!"
- ―Han Solo, in response to Chewbacca laughing at him
Chewbacca captured by a wampa.
Now full-fledged members of the Rebel Alliance, and following a dangerous run-in with bounty hunter on Ord Mantell, Chewbacca accompanied Solo to Hoth, for they had been assigned to the newly-established Echo Base, where Chewbacca would be effecting repairs on the Millennium Falcon to pay their debt to Jabba once and for all.[19]
While at Echo Base, Chewbacca was assigned to digging corridors by Organa. On one of these assingments, Chewbacca dug into a cave occupied by a wampa. The beast captured him and held him hostage. After not checking in, Leia and Artoo started looking for him. They found a scared Chewbacca clutched in the hands of the sleeping wampa. Organa's attempted rescue of Chewbacca ended with the wampa waking up. The wookiee ran to repair the door, which led to the uncovered cave with Artoo, while Leia acted as a distraction. At the last minute, Chewbacca finished his job on the door, and with Organa back inside, he closed it and trapped the woken beast in the cave.[30]
Chewbacca while on Hoth.
Chewbacca's repairs on the Falcon were when Solo had to venture outside during Hoth's night to rescue Skywalker. Soon afterwards, Chewbacca and Solo destroyed an Imperial probe droid, but could not prevent it from transmitting information back to the Empire, revealing the location of the hidden Rebel base. The Empire consequently launched an all-out assault on the planet, forcing Chewbacca, Solo, Organa and C-3PO to flee on the Millennium Falcon.[19]
However, with the Falcon's damaged hyperdrive, they were unable to leave the system and escape the Imperial blockade, which prompted Solo to pilot the ship into a nearby asteroid field, hoping that the Imperials would be unwilling to follow them there. Evading several pursuing TIE fighters, they landed the ship inside a cave of a large asteroid, where they hoped to hide from Imperial forces and complete repairs. While waiting inside the cavern, Chewbacca continued to repair the freighter until mynocks attacked it; soon, they realized the cave was in fact the inside of a space slug, forcing them to flee. The Falcon was subsequently attacked by the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, but with a maneuver devised by Solo, they were able to avoid the vessel and fled to Cloud City on the gas giant Bespin, where they would request help from Calrissian, an old acquaintenance of Han's. Unbeknownst to them, they were followed by the bounty hunter Boba Fett.[19]
Cloud City
- "Chewie, this won't help me! Save your strength, there'll be another time! The princess—you have to take care of her! Do ya hear me, huh?"
- ―Han Solo
Upon arrival to Cloud City, the group was welcomed by Calrissian, and spent a few days until the Falcon was repaired. However, they grew increasingly suspicious, especially after C-3PO disappeared. Chewbacca took on task of finding the missing protocol droid, eventually rescuing him from a junk pile. After a scuffle with some Ugnaught workers, he brought the droid back to Organa and Solo, when Calrissian invited them to enjoy some refreshments. In truth, it was a meeting with Darth Vader, who had arrived to Cloud City before the Rebel team did and forced Calrissian into a deal to have them imprisoned.[19]
Chewbacca chokes Lando Calrissian for betraying the group.
Separated from the others, Chewbacca began to partially reassemble C-3PO, when Solo was escorted back by stormtroopers, having been tortured by Vader, with Organa. They were eventually brought to Calrissian's carbon-freezing facilities where Solo was to be frozen in carbonite to test it before Skywalker arrived, for Vader desired to encase Skywalker in carbonite and present him to the Emperor. Though Chewbacca tried to fight, wanting to protect his old friend, Solo calmed him down, asking him to save his strength for another day. The Wookiee then relented and allowed himself to be placed in stuncuffs as Solo was marched off and frozen.[19]
As Chewbacca and Organa being escorted to Vader's ship, Calrissian, who was growing increasingly dissatisfied with Vader's deal, betrayed the Sith Lord and freed the two. Chewbacca, though, was not quick to trust him and reacted violently, choking him. The princess was able to calm him enough for Calrissian to inform them that Boba Fett was about to leave Cloud City carrying the carbonite-frozen Solo. Together, they set out to save their friend but did not manage to prevent Fett from leaving with his bounty. The team then boarded the Falcon to escape the city, briefly returning to save Skywalker, who had fought and lost a duel on Cloud City with the Sith Lord. Subsequently, the group made their escape back to the Alliance Fleet, where they parted ways—Organa, Skywalker and the droids remained with the fleet, whereas Chewbacca and Calrissian set out to find Fett and Jabba to rescue Solo.[19]
Solo's rescue
- Leia: «I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee.»
- C-3PO: "Oh, no! Chewbacca!"
- Jabba: «At last we have the mighty Chewbacca.»
- ―Chewbacca is delivered to Jabba[src]
Aware of Solo's location on Jabba's Palace, the team gradually infiltrated the fortress to rescue the Corellian: First, Calrissian infiltrated as a guard, then the droids as Skywalker's "gift", then Leia Organa posing as the bounty hunter Boushh with Chewbacca as her quarry; she convinced Jabba with a thermal detonator, so the Hutt had Chewbacca imprisoned.[8]
That night, Organa freed Solo from his encasement at the cost of her freedom, for Jabba had caught her red-handed, and whereas the princess was to remain at the Hutt's side, Solo was thrown in a cell together with Chewbacca, who gave him a passionate embrace, happy to reunite with his old friend, and told him that Skywalker would free them with the skills he had learned as a Jedi Knight.[8]
Han, Luke and Chewie are sentenced to death by Jabba the Hutt.
Skywalker did indeed arrive and requested an audience with Jabba by influencing the crime lord's major-domus Bib Fortuna. After Skywalker was pit against Jabba's rancor and defeated it, the enraged Hutt ordered the execution of Chewbacca, Solo and Skywalker by casting them into the Great Pit of Carkoon in the Dune Sea, to be devoured by the sarlacc that resided there. Brought to the pit in a skiff, Skywalker recovered his new lightsaber and freed Chewbacca and Solo from their bonds. However, one of Jabba's staff fired at them, injuring Chewbacca, and leaving the near-blind Solo to rescue Calrissian from falling into the pit. While Organa assassinated Jabba himself, the group went on to slay the rest of the Hutt's henchmen, before destroying the crime lord's sail barge and returning to the Rebel Fleet aboard the Falcon.[8]
Endor
- "Keep your distance, Chewie, but don't look like you're keeping your distance. […] I don't know – fly casual."
- ―Han to Chewbacca during the mission to Endor.
On the meeting to debrief the Alliance on the plan to destroy the second Death Star, Chewbacca volunteered for a mission to destroy the shield generator on the forest moon of Endor, intent on following Solo, newly-appointed General of the Alliance. Joined by Organa, Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2, the strike team approached the moon aboard the captured Imperial shuttle Tydirium, with Chewbacca piloting the ship. As the team waited to be cleared to land by the Star Dreadnought Executor which was overseeing the blockade of the moon, Solo urged the Wookiee to "fly casual", landing only after they were granted access by Darth Vader.[8]
The rebels worked with Ewoks to topple the Empire.
On the moon, they advanced through the forest and encountered Imperial scouts, to whom Solo accidentally reveal their position. Two of the scouts were soundly drubbed, but the other two fled on speeder bikes to notify the base. They were stopped by Organa and Skywalker, who were separated, prompting Chewbacca, Solo, the droids and Skywalker to search for her while the rest of the Rebel team made their way to the generator, to rendezvous with them the next morning.[8]
During their search, Chewbacca came across a dead animal on a stake, which proved irresistible bait to him. He pulled at it, springing a trap that ensnared the entire group, thus resulting in the team being captured by Ewoks. Chewbacca was forced to surrender his bowcaster and was tied to a large pole, whereas C-3PO was treated like a deity, and the group was transported to Bright Tree Village to become part of the banquet in C-3PO's honor. However, Skywalker tricked the Ewoks into thinking C-3PO had unleashed his "magic" by levitating him with the Force, which prompted the Ewoks to release them at once. Later that night, after C-3PO's retelling of the events of Yavin and Cloud City, Chief Chirpa declared them all part of their tribe, with one Ewok giving Chewbacca an enthusiastic hug.[8]
With the tribe's help, they reached the shield generator the next morning, and Wicket told them about a secret door at the back of the facility. Chewbacca accompanied the others and successfully entered the Imperial base. However, Emperor Palpatine was aware of their plans, as were the Imperial forces stationed at the moon, who swiftly captured them as the assault against the Death Star above began. A surprise attack by the Ewoks, however, scattered the Imperial troops, distracting them long enough for Organa and Solo to take positions at the base's door, and for Chewbacca to steal an AT-ST with the help of two Ewoks. Using the commandeered walker, they reached the generator's back entrance, where Solo boarded the Imperial transport to broadcast a message to the generator's personnel while posing as an Imperial officer, thereby tricking the installation's crew into opening the door.[8]
Chewbacca and his companions celebrating the Rebel victory at Endor
Thanks to the success of Han Solo's ploy, the Rebel forces, Chewbacca among them, stormed the bunker, detonating explosive charges and disabling the shield generator, allowing Calrissian, Nien Nunb and Wedge Antilles to destroy the Death Star above. Chewbacca looked to the sky and cheered as he witnessed the final destruction of the battle station and, later that night, he celebrated at Bright Tree Village over a bonfire; Chewbacca danced in triumph along with his friends, old and new.[8] During the celebration, Calrissian told Solo and Chewbacca that the Falcon's sensor dish had been lost during the struggle, when Shara Bey asked him about the Pathfinders' location, to reunite with her husband, Kes Dameron.[31]
Shattering the Empire
Following the Battle of Endor, Chewbacca would join Han and their rebel companions in the Rebel Alliance's struggle against the remnants of the Empire. The morning after, he would take part in the assault on an Imperial holdout on far side of Endor, the Rebels hitting the base hard and fast, and entering to find their computers with data that signaled the war was not over yet.[31]
Twenty days or so later,[32] Chewbacca participated alongside Solo, C-3PO, Kes Dameron, Sakas and other Rebel troops on a raid on an ISB black site at the Wretch of Tayron. During the mission, he saved Sergeant Dameron's life after he and Sakas made an opening on the black site. Chewbacca also fetched C-3PO, who had fallen behind, to enter the facility and slice its computers. The group then became aware of the concurrent Operation: Cinder and contacted Calrissian to deploy the Alliance Fleet so as to successfully aid the besieged Naboo.[7]
New Republic
Return to Kashyyyk
False starts
- "C'mon, Chewie. Set new coordinates. It's time to get you home."
- ―Han Solo
Now agents of the New Republic, just as Wedge Antilles set out on a reconnaissance mission that took him to Akiva, Chewbacca and Solo went on their own mission to find the Empire's supply lines, during which they visited several planets, including Ord Mantell, Ando Prime, Kara-bin and finally Dasoor. However, Chewbacca was forced to remain on the Falcon, while Solo investigated on his own; having grown bored, he got to messing around with the ship's navigation system, trying to chase down a glitch that had been screwing up the hyperspace drive. Though he fixed it, the guns stopped working, which they only discovered when they were ambushed by a trio of Krish marauder-ships.[9]
However, as they reached Dasoor, Imra contacted the duo and informed them that they had a window of opportunity—Kashyyyk, still in the Empire's thrall, would have its blockade temporarily lifted for a few days, before its ships were replaced. Seeing Chewbacca's anxiety, Solo told Imra to gather any underworld scoundrel who owed him a favor, anyone who hated the Empire, and others in the false promise that they would obtain full pardons from the Republic, whereas Chewbacca was tasked to contact the Wookiee mercenaries, among them Roshyk, Hrrgn, and Kirratha.[9]
When Han's wife Leia learned about Han Solo's hastily-improvised plan, she tried to advice her husband and Chewie not to trust Imra. However, Han and Chewie were determined to proceed with their campaign to liberate Kashyyyk. Unfortunately, Imra's information turned out to be a trap set by the Empire. While Chewbacca attempted to board a gunship captained by Kirratha, they were attacked by two Star Destroyers and several TIE fighters. The Imperials shot out Kirratha's engines, leaving Chewie and Kirratha stranded in space. Han managed to escape but Chewbacca was captured and locked inside the automated Imperial prison Ashmead's Lock in the jungles of Kashyyyk. Solo traveled through Wild Space on the Millennium Falcon in attempt to find a way to free his friend.[33]
Escaping Ashmead's Lock
Later, Solo discovered that Ashmead's Lock had been designed by the Siniteen architect Golas Aram, who resided on a secluded compound in the planet Irudiru. Han was joined by a team of rebels consisting of the New Republic starfighter pilot Norra Wexley, her son Temmin Wexley, his battle droid Mister Bones, the former Imperial loyalty officer Sinjir Rath Velus, the Zabrak bounty hunter Jas Emari, and the New Republic soldier Jom Barell. Norra and her team had been sent by Pricness Leia to rescue Han. Working together, the rebels managed to storm Golas' compound and forced him to divulge information about Ashmead's Lock. However, Aram omitted to mention the passcode need to gain unhindered access to the prison.[33]
Following a struggle with Ashmead Lock's computer system SOL-GDA, Solo and Jas managed to disable the prison's power generator, which was fueled by the prisoners who were held in stasis. Solo managed to free Chewbacca and a hundred other prisoners including Norra's husband and Temmin's father Brentin Lore Wexley. Following an emotional reunion, Chewbacca stayed behind with Solo, Sinjir, Jas, and Jom while Norra, Temmin, and Mister Bones returned with the other liberated prisoners to the New Republic capital of Chandrila.[33]
Liberation of Kashyyyk
For the next month, Han and Chewie organized a campaign to hunt down Grand Moff Lozen Tolruck, the governor of Kashyyyk. Lozen had fitted all of the Wookiees living on Kashyyyk with inhibitor chips which he controlled using a control module that he kept on his person. In order to defeat Grand Moff Tolruck, Chewie and his rebel allies devoted their time to finding Tolruck's island fortress. Jas also recruited more Wookiee exiles and smugglers for their planned uprising. During this time, Jom was captured and imprisoned by Tolruck.[33]
While Chewie, Han, and the rest of the team infiltrated Camp Sardo, Sinjir infiltrated Tolruck's palace disguised as an Imperial officer. Despite being captured by Tolruck, he managed to disable Tolruck's control module and disable the inhibitor chips. This set off a mass Wookiee uprising all over Kashyyyk. Meanwhile, Chewie and his team fought off a Low-altitude Imperial transport while Jas destroyed Camp Sardo's deflector shield generator. With the aid of Han's rebel forces, the Wookiees managed to overwhelm the meager Imperial garrison on Kashyyyk.[33]
After Grand Moff Tolruck summoned the three orbiting Imperial Star Destroyers to bombard Kashyyyk, Chewie and his fellow rebels helped usher the liberated Wookiees into underground shelters. In response, Chewbacca along with Han, Sinjir, and Jom Barell traveled aboard the Star Destroyer Dominion. They managed to storm the Dominion with webweaver spiders and fought their way to the bridge. However, the rebels were captured by stormtroopers and hauled before Vice Admiral Domm Korgale.[33]
Before Korgale could deal with the prisoners, New Republic reinforcements arrived in the form of Princess Leia aboard the Millennium Falcon, Captain Wedge Antilles and his Phantom Squadron, and Fleet Admiral Ackbar's flagship Home One. Chewbacca and his allies managed to break free from their captors and seize control of the Dominion. They then used the Dominion's cannons to destroy the nearby Vitiator. As a result, the remaining Imperial Star Destroyer Neutralizer capitulated to the New Republic. Following the liberation of Kashyyyk, Chewbacca stayed behind to reunite with his family at the insistence of Han Solo. Solo then left on the Millennium Falcon to look after his wife and his unborn son Ben Solo.[33]
Reunion with Waroo
In the successive months, Chewbacca took part in mopping up operations against the remaining Imperial holdouts on Kashyyyk. While accompanying Greybok and several New Republic soldiers on one such operation, they stumbled upon Commandant Dessard and several Imperial soldiers preparing to execute an escaped Wookiee slave who turned out to be Chewbacca's son Lumpawaroo. The Wookiees and New Republic soldiers killed Dessard's men and took the officer prisoner. Chewie personally restrained Dessard by stepping over the commandant and placing a tree-trunk led on his back, forcing him to the ground. Chewbacca then experienced an emotional reunion with his lost son, who had been forced to work at a child labor camp on the slopes of Mount Arayakyak.[14]
Peaceful retirement
- "No. No! You have to stay here. We fought like hell for this and now…this is yours. Okay? All yours. This is home. You got people here and I want you to find them. You hear me? That's my last demand. No arguments."
- ―Han Solo to Chewbacca after liberating Kashyyyk
Once Kashyyyk was freed from the Imperials, Chewbacca returned to his homeworld and reestablished connections with his family.[34] He settled back into a peaceful domestic life on his homeworld but kept in touch with his old friend Han Solo, who had become the business owner of a shipping company and the manager of a series of prestigious piloting championships known as the Five Sabers. Chewbacca had infrequent contact with Solo's wife Leia Organa, who had become a leading Populist senator in the New Republic's Galactic Senate. Following the Napkin Bombing, Chewbacca sent a message via hologram to Senator Organa to wish her good recovery. After revelations about Leia's true parentage as the daughter of Darth Vader destroyed her political career, Chewie along with other former Rebel Alliance veterans like Ackbar, Nunb, Calrissian, and Mothma sent messages of supported to the embattled senator.[35]
Despite his peaceful retirement, Chewbacca decided to join him when Han Solo resumed his smuggling activities. Fortunately, the strong familial bonds and the extended lifespan of the Wookiees allowed him to spend decades away from his people.[34]
Smuggler's Run
Confrontation with bounty hunters in the Serendipity.
Chewbacca and Solo continued their partnership. Chewbacca would keep an eye out for him, including one time during which Solo engaged a trio of bounty hunters—Strater, Hove, and Rigger—sent to capture him on the Serendipity cantina, and told them about their mission to Cyrkon before they realized who he was. Once they were aware of Solo's identity, Chewbacca sneaked behind them and took hold of Rigger, only to send him flying to the Serendipity's door and knock Strater out with a punch, while Solo disarmed Bobbie. Then, the Corellian told them to warn their possible employers (Gannis Ducain, the Irving Boys, the Guavians, etc.) that they were not afraid of them, before saying goodbye to Leighton and leaving the bar together.[12]
Cold war
Recovering the Millennium Falcon
Han and Chewie are reunited with the Millennium Falcon once again
- "Chewie, we're home."
- ―Han Solo upon entering the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca after recapturing the freighter
At some point during the 30 years after the Battle of Endor, the Millennium Falcon was stolen from Han and Chewbacca[36], at the age of 234[37], and they were using a Baleen-class heavy freighter, the Eravana, for their smuggling operations.[36] They eventually recovered the Falcon using their freighter's tractor beam after it was found floating in space not too far from the planet Jakku. Upon boarding their old vessel, Han and Chewie went about inspecting their ship and found the Jakku scavenger Rey and the defecting stormtrooper Finn hiding, who Han assumed were the thieves that had stolen the Falcon. When Rey and Finn explained that they were going to take a droid named BB-8 to the Resistance as he had a map that would reveal Luke's location, Han and Chewie agreed to help them.
Chewbacca and Han are confronted by two criminal factions aboard the Eravana.
Unfortunately, their freighter was boarded by two notorious criminal factions, the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub, that had hired Solo on previous jobs, jobs which he had failed to complete. Not wanting Rey and Finn to be involved, Han placed both of them in the lower corridors of the freighter while he and Chewie went to meet with the criminals, with BB-8 accompanying them. The smuggler tried but failed to convince both parties that he would fix things eventually, with the Guavian Death Gang negotiator, Bala-Tik recognizing the BB-8 astromech droid from a First Order bounty placed on it. They demanded that Han hand over the droid and any stowaways he might have on board. As the scuffle continued, Rey accidentally released three rathtars. Han, Chewie, Finn, Rey, and BB-8 managed to escape the gangs and jumped into hyperspace in the Falcon, though Chewie was injured from a blaster shot during the escape.
Confronting the First Order
Chewbacca accompanied Han, Rey, Finn, and BB-8 to meet with Maz. After the First Order was tipped off that BB-8 was with them, they attacked Maz's castle. During the fighting at the castle, despite killing multiple stormtroopers, Han, Chewbacca, and Finn were captured by the First Order. However, the Resistance had also been tipped off, and Resistance T-70 X-wing fighters led by Poe Dameron arrived to fight the First Order. A fierce dogfight ensued and resulted in the destruction of many First Order TIEs and the deaths of many stormtroopers from X-wing strafing runs. Ren ordered the First Order to pull out, saying they had what they came for. As the battle raged on above the castle, the remaining First Order troops boarded their ships and retreated, taking the captured and unconscious Rey along with them. Despite the First Order being driven off, Han witnessed Kylo Ren carrying Rey away. The remaining Falcon crew then rendezvoused with the Resistance at their home base.[38] There Chewbacca's wounds were treated by Resistance doctor, Major Harter Kalonia.[37]
As Starkiller Base prepared to wipe out the world of D'Qar, the site of the Resistance's headquarters, the Resistance planned an attack of their own. Finn had given them the Base's blueprints, which revealed a critical weak point -a thermal oscillator- that, if destroyed, would eliminate the Base. However, they would need to do it before the base fully charged its weapon.
Chewbacca with Han and Finn, en route to Starkiller Base.
Han Solo piloted the Falcon to Starkiller Base accompanied by Chewbacca and Finn. Their objective was to disable the shields and allow the X-Wing squadron to strike, although Finn's main objective was to rescue Rey. Flying through the shields at lightspeed, the Falcon landed roughly on the edge of a cliff. Han, Chewbacca, and Finn snuck into the main base and captured Captain Phasma, who they forced to disable the shields before disposing her in a garbage chute. They reunited with Rey, who had already escaped on her own. With the shields down, Blue Squadron and Red Squadron led by Poe Dameron commenced their assault. They fired on the base's weakpoint, but failed to destroy it as the First Order sent TIE Fighters to stage a counterattack and throw the Resistance into chaos.
Seeing this, Han, Chewbacca, Finn, and Rey tried to create an opening by planting thermal detonators inside the base. Han then confronted his son, Kylo Ren, named Ben Solo at birth, on a bridge over a large pit, pleading with his son to reject Snoke and return to the light side of the Force. Ben, removing his mask and seeming almost regretful, handed his lightsaber to Solo, and asked for his father's help, in which Solo replied that he would do anything for him. Ben then thrust his weapon through Han's chest. Witnessed by Rey, Finn, and Chewbacca, Han stroked his son's face for the last time, before falling to his death. Howling in fury, Chewbacca fired on Ren with his bowcaster, while Finn and Rey also fired on Ren and the surrounding stormtroopers. Chewbacca managed to land a hit on Ren's waist with his bowcaster, injuring him, but Ren managed to chase them out of the base. Chewbacca then detonated the charges, allowing Poe to fly in and destroy the base's weak point thirty seconds before it drained the sun to charge the superweapon. This caused a chain reaction to go off, which destroyed the base and leveled the entire planet's terrain.
Following the confrontation with Kylo Ren, who was overpowered and wounded by Rey, Chewbacca arrived with the Millennium Falcon to rescue the scavenger and Finn, who was severely wounded by Ren. They and the remainder of the Resistance fleet managed to escape Starkiller Base as it erupted into a star, and entered hyperspace to return to D'Qar.
The Resistance celebrated their victory while Leia, Chewbacca, and Rey mourned Han's death. R2-D2 suddenly awoke and revealed that he held the map to Luke's location, with the only piece of the map missing being the one BB-8 was given by Poe. Together they completed the map and revealed the location of the planet on which Luke Skywalker was hiding. Using this, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and Rey flew aboard the Falcon to Ahch-To, where Luke was exiled.[38]
Time on Ahch-To
After Rey tried and failed to recruit Luke Skywalker, Chewie greeted his old ally aboard the Millennium Falcon, with Luke growing unnerved upon learning of Han Solo's demise. Later that evening, Chewie caught and roasted two porgs for dinner, but relented when their brethren approached him, watching sadly.[39]
During the Battle of Crait between the remaining forces of the Resistance and a First Order invasion army, Chewbacca piloted the Millennium Falcon, using it to lure the Order's TIE fighters away from a force of Resistance ski speeders. After the battle, he landed the ship and used it to evacuate the surviving members of the Resistance.[39]
Personality and traits
Chewbacca crushes a stormtrooper under his foot
- "Always thinking with your stomach."
- ―Han Solo to Chewbacca
Known for his great strength, bravery and loyalty, Chewbacca often served as Solo's conscience in their smuggling endeavors,[13] which made people trust him more than they did Solo.[12] However, he was also known for his stubbornness and dislike of losing.[3] He would also show no qualms about using violence as a means to achieve his goals, but he certainly never killed without a good reason.[29]
As a Wookiee, Chewbacca knew passion and thus, the Rebellion, and would have stood with them from the beginning, if not for Solo and the Falcon; he would not abandon them as he was bound to both, as they were to him.[12] Few people knew that he had a mushy heart under his warrior exterior.[13] Sometimes, when he was bored, he would "mess around" with the Falcon's navigation system.[9]
When his friend Han Solo briefly went missing while conducting a night time search and rescue mission on the planet Hoth, Chewbacca was visibly upset and worried while he awaited Solo's return. Later, when Solo was to be encased in carbonite in Cloud City, he tried to fight to save him despite the presence of the Sith Lord Darth Vader and an Imperial security detail.[19]
Chewbacca's desire to free his family and people led him to take part in Han Solo's campaign to liberate Kashyyyk from Imperial rule. He came up with the idea of using webweaver spiders to storm the Star Destroyer Dominion.[33] Chewbacca loved his wife Malla and son Lumpawaroo, who had been separated from him by the Empire. He and his son experienced an emotional reunion during the liberation of Kashyyyk.[14]
Skills and abilities
Chewbacca was a skilled marksman with his custom bowcaster
Besides the characteristic strength of his species, Chewbacca possessed exceptional skills in piloting as well as mechanic repairs, from his experience of piloting the Millennium Falcon, of which he had a great understanding of the temperamental nature of its systems.[12] Although not particularly meticulous, Chewbacca's technical skill allowed him to understand the inner workings of a great number of devices, including droids[19] and transmitters, being able to build one out of a wrecked starship.[15]
Like many of his people, Chewbacca preferred their native bowcaster as his personal weapon. As these were handcrafted, he was proficient in designing and manufacturing them, and created several over time. The latest known bowcaster that he crafted was during the Imperial era. It was an unconventional design, as he had used the frame and power pack of a stormtrooper blaster.[40]
Behind the scenes
- "I sat down on one of the sofas, waiting for George. Door opened, and George walked in with Gary behind him. So, naturally, what did I do? I'm raised in England. Soon as someone comes in through the door, I stand up. George goes "Hmm…". Virtually turned to Gary, and said 'I think we've found him'."
- ―Peter Mayhew, about his audition
Early Chewbacca concept art.
Chewbacca first appeared in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. He had a major role in both of the subsequent films of the original trilogy, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and also appeared in the prequel film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. He was portrayed in all films by Peter Mayhew, who also reprised the role for Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens[41] and its sequel, Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi.[42] Finnish basketball coach and insurance salesman Joonas Suotamo doubled as Chewbacca for some of the more physical scenes in The Force Awakens, due to Mayhew's advanced age.[43]
In the non-canon crossover Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars, Chewbacca is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
Chewbacca was a major character in many stories of the Expanded Universe, the continuity now known as Star Wars Legends, but was killed off in the novel The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime.[44] Chewbacca's death in this publication was marked as Number One in the 2005 article 20 Most Memorable Moments of the Expanded Universe, published in the Star Wars Insider official magazine.[45] On April 25, 2014, the Expanded Universe was declared non-canon as a whole, with the only elements considered canon being the original and prequel films, the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the film that launched it, and most material released after that date.[46] George Lucas placed off-limits the possibility to use Chewbacca in The Clone Wars when writer Henry Gilroy was writing the show bible,[47] though he later appeared in the third season episode "Wookiee Hunt."
John Schoenherr's illustration (left) and Ralph McQuarrie's Chewbacca concept art (right)
He was based on Indiana, an Alaskan malamute dog owned by George Lucas in the 1970s. There were many early versions of Chewbacca's appearance (including one concept art that eventually became the basis of the Lasat). His final appearance in the movie is based on a 1976 piece of concept art by Ralph McQuarrie, which in turn was based on an illustration by John Schoenherr for George R.R. Martin's novelette "And Seven Times Never Kill a Man", published in the July 1975 issue of Analog. The Schoenherr illustration also includes a weapon that became an inspiration for Chewbacca's bowcaster.[48]
For his appearances in the original trilogy, the Chewie suit, designed by Stuart Freeborn, was made out of knitted mohair (made from goat and rabbit hair) and yak hair. It would later be used and retouched during the making of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace for Senator Yarua. For his appearance in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Chewbacca was completely remade, with newer, more efficient and cost-effective materials. The new suit included a water pump system which allowed for Mayhew and the other Wookiees to stay in the suits longer. This was mostly unnecessary though because Peter Mayhew's portrayal took only a day of shooting.
The parts making up the Chewbacca costume.
The memorable voice of Chewbacca was designed by Ben Burtt, sound designer for all seven films. He mixed together various animal growls for different emotions, including those of walruses, bears, tigers, camels and badgers. The most prominent of these voices was a black bear named Tarik, who died of congestive heart failure in 1994.
Appearances
Non-canon appearances
- Disney Infinity 3.0
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
- William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge: Star Wars Part the Third
- William Shakespeare's Star Wars
- William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back
- William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return
- Star Wars Epic Yarns: A New Hope
- Star Wars: Battle Pod (Voice only)
- Star Wars Epic Yarns: The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi
LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Mission to Mos Eisley"- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Flight of the Falcon"
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Gambit on Geonosis"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises — "The Trouble with Rathtars"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
- Star Wars Blips — "The Chase"
- Star Wars Blips — "Stowaway"
