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The title of this article is conjectural.

Although this article is based on official information from the Star Wars Legends continuity, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

A triumph ceremony in honor of the Wookiee hero Chewbacca was held on his homeworld of Kashyyyk in 0 ABY. It was organized by the Alliance to Restore the Republic with the intention of recognizing Chewbacca's influential role in their decisive victory against the Galactic Empire and its Death Star battlestation at the Battle of Yavin.

History[]

Chewie-What is a Wookiee

Chewbacca, a hero of Yavin, was honored on his own planet.

In 0 BBY,[3] the Alliance to Restore the Republic destroyed the first Death Star—a moon-sized battlestation which was meant to be the ultimate weapon in the Galactic Empire's arsenal—at the Battle of Yavin. Following the victory over the Empire, a ceremony in honor of the Heroes of Yavin was held at the Great Temple on Yavin 4. Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan awarded the heroes of the day the Medal of Bravery, the highest military honor the Alliance gave.[4] Although he did receive his own medal in private after the official ceremony,[5] the Wookiee Chewbacca didn't place any meaning in it, as members of his species did not care for tangible awards.[1]

However, members of the Alliance did not wish to appear ungrateful toward one of its new figureheads. In order to officially recognize Chewbacca's contribution to the victory at Yavin, a large delegation of Alliance officers was sent to the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, where a huge celebration was held[1] in 0 ABY.[3] Fellow heroes Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo all attended this event, which brought honor to Chewbacca and his entire species.[1]

Behind the scenes[]

"According to interviews conducted shortly after the release of A New Hope, George Lucas maintained that the Rebels had participated in a celebration on Chewbacca's homeworld in lieu of an actual medal."
―Daniel Wallace[6]
Chewie medal

Chewbacca receives his Medal of Bravery in private.

This celebation on Kashyyyk was first mentioned in a 1977 interview, in which Star Wars creator George Lucas explained why Chewbacca did not receive his own medal at the end of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.[1] This feast on the Wookiee planet was only mentioned in the interview, but never made any real appearance in narration in any form of Star Wars media. However, the existence of the Kashyyyk celebration was confirmed in the 1998 CD-ROM Star Wars: Behind the Magic.[1]

In the 1980 short comic The Day after the Death Star!, Chewbacca did receive the Medal of Bravery in private on Yavin 4, at the insistence of both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.[5] However, this fact does not contradict the existence of the Kashyyyk celebration, and the declarations coming directly from Lucas are considered the highest level of canonicity.[7] The present article thus considers both events canon.

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Star Wars: Behind the Magic
  2. The Essential Atlas states that the Battle of Yavin occurred in year 35, which is the zero point of the BBY/ABY year-notation system, so the difference between the calendar based on the Battle of Yavin and the Great ReSynchronization's year-notation system is thirty-five years. This date is derived from simple math based upon other confirmed dates.
  3. 3.0 3.1 The New Essential Chronology
  4. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
  5. 5.0 5.1 "The Day after the Death Star!" — Star Wars Weekly 97
  6. SWInsider "May The Facts Be With You: Part Two: #51-100" — Star Wars Insider 95
  7. StarWarsDotComBlogsLogoStacked Keeper of the Holocron's BlogLeland Chee's StarWars.com Blog (backup link)
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