Chewbacca/Legends

"Can somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way?"

- Princess Leia

Chewbacca  (or "Chewie") was a Wookiee from Kashyyyk and co-pilot of Han Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon. He was the son of Attichitcuk, the husband of Mallatobuck, and the father of Lumpawaroo. Chewbacca carried with him the name of an ancient Wookiee hero, the great Bacca, first of the great chieftains of Kashyyyk, and the creator of a sword that denoted leadership among the Wookiees. This name placed Chewbacca in a noble lineage, which was further supported by his role in the Battle of Kashyyyk. Later on Chewbacca proved worthy of the name when he died heroically in the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Chewbacca was a wise, sophisticated being of great strength and loyalty. He was also a skilled mechanic. Chewbacca, like many Wookiees, was able to understand Basic, but he could not speak it due to his species's vocal structure. He instead spoke Shyriiwook, the main Wookiee language, composed largely of growls and grunts, to his Human companions who typically replied in Basic.

Early life (c. 200 BBY to 19 BBY)
"Solo's no ordinary criminal or he wouldn't have a Wookiee for his companion, nor would just any Wookiee be found roving the galaxy in his company. Chewbacca is an individual of some note, too, I think."

- Obi Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker.



Chewbacca was born on Kashyyyk circa 200 BBY, the son of Attichitcuk. During his early years Chewbacca lived on Kashyyyk, but unlike many other Wookiees who rarely left the planet's lush forests, Chewbacca was consumed by an overpowering sense of adventure and exploration. Chewie's first travels were to the remote and dangerous lower levels of Kashyyyk's immense forests, the Shadowlands. It was not long before his travels took him far from the confines of his green homeworld. His heart, however, remained on Kashyyyk, and Chewie would always try to make it home for the holidays.

When Chewie was in his younger days, before he had reached 100 years of age, he was well known for his skill at navigating the tall Wroshyr trees and his skill with a hydrospanner. Chewbacca spent some time repairing vehicles with his friends, including the Wookiee Dryanta. Chewbacca first met his future wife Mallatobuck, as a younger male but was unaware of the young wookiee's feelings toward him. Malla was shy and hid all hints of her true feelings, even going so far as to not show appreciation when Chewbacca once saved her from Trandoshan slavers. However, Chewbacca's cousin Jowdrrl was friends with Malla and helped to slowly create a relationship between the two. Unfortunately, their blossoming relationship hit a snag when the Wookiee Tojjevvuk began to fight for Malla's affection. Chewbacca was eventually forced into an honor duel with Tojjevvuk for Malla's hand, but Tojjevvuk brought dishonor on the duel by using his claws, forbidden for a Wookiee. However, Chewie's expertise in navigating the Wroshyr trees proved to be Tojjevvuk's downfall, and a timed tackle by Chewbacca sent Tojjevvuk into a plummet into the Shadowlands where he was killed by the dangerous creatures of Kashyyyk.

As he reached adulthood, Chewbacca married Mallatobuck and fathered a son named Lumpawarrump. He lived with his family in Rwookrrorro. Chewie and his father were responsible for the creation of many villages on Kashyyyk in the decades before the Battle of Naboo and both of them participated in the colonization of Alaris Prime, where they faced the Trade Federation for control of the moon. Notably, during this time Chewbacca had his first recorded encounter with Jedi&mdash;as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been assigned by the Galactic Republic to end the conflict on Alaris Prime. Under Jinn's tutelage, Chewbacca was able to successfully lead the colony to military and economic success.

Clone Wars
"Good bye Tarfful. Good bye Chewbacca. Miss you I will."

- Yoda

However, for all of Chewie's success, rivalries between different Wookiee families continued to plague Kashyyyk. Tvrrdko, the father of Tojjevvuk continued to seek revenge for the death of his son, but waited for the ideal moment. During the Clone Wars, Chewbacca had come into another honor duel with the family of Hronk. The source of the feud between the two families is unknown, but the arrival of Clone Troopers broke the fight up, leaving the fight to be resolved at a later time. The clones and their Jedi Generals recruited many of the Wookiees, and Chewbacca became a leading member of the Wookiee resistance to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. He was a major player in the Battle of Kashyyyk, overseeing the confrontation between the Grand Army of the Republic's 41st Elite Corps and the invading droid forces alongside Tarfful and Jedi General Yoda. It was Chewbacca, along with Tarfful, who accompanied Jedi General Quinlan Vos in the charge against the enemy.

Following the implementation of Order 66, Chewbacca helped Yoda elude the Clone Troopers and escape from the planet.



Shortly after the Battle of Kashyyyk, Chewbacca was called upon by a former trader and Wookiee representative, Cudgel, to aid a small band of renegade Jedi led by Olee Starstone in their search for any other survivors after Order 66. The rescue operation proved unsuccessful, however, as the Empire tracked the fleeing Jedi to Kashyyyk and began their assault to capture them. The Wookiees, still haunted by the aftermath from their battle with the Separatists only a month before, resumed fighting to defend their homes from the Imperial onslaught. The tide had been turned over to the Empire with the unexpected arrival of Darth Vader, who wasted no time in slaughtering whatever stood in his path between himself and the missing Jedi.

Vader ordered one of the orbiting Star Destroyers to bombard Kashyyyk with repetitive turbolaser fire, laying waste to the surrounding cities while he searched for the remaining fugitives. In an attempt to help his comrades escape, Roan Shryne, one of the remaining Jedi who had earlier encountered Vader during the execution of Order 66, faced off with Vader alone while the others attempted to flee. Chewbacca assisted in the escape of Olee, a small group of smugglers, and several of those wounded in battle. After the fall and enslavement of Kashyyyk to the Galactic Empire, Chewie resolved to become a crew member aboard the Drunk Dancer along with Olee, and aided his new-found friends in sabotaging the Empire's efforts at any given opportunity, claiming he would be "more helpful to Kashyyyk as a fugitive, not a captive."

Life under the Empire (19 BBY to 4 ABY)


However, even the mighty Chewbacca was not immune to failures, and he soon became another captive of Trandoshan slavers. Tvrrdko, still bitter over his son's death, betrayed Chewbacca and sold him to the Trandoshan slaver Ssoh. Ssoh had devised a method of transporting Wookiees safely without fear of them escaping. The trandoshan made sure to mix different Wookiee clans in the holding cells so that their vendettas would keep each other from escaping. When Chewbacca was thrown in Ssoh's holding cell, several Wookiee families including the Puurrgerr, Grrobahrr, and Chevappa clans immediately began to question his allegiances. Chewbacca had become disgusted with the Wookiee rivalries and how they had kept the Wookiees trapped in slavery. In an impassioned speech, Chewbacca convinced the other Wookiees that it was better to die a free Wookiee than be concerned about honor as a slave. With help from the now allied Wookiees, Chewie fashioned a fusioncutter, cut open their prison, and took over the ship. Ssoh became the only Trandoshan to live after a hand-to-hand battle with Chewbacca after the enraged Wookiee ripped his arms and his legs out of their sockets.

Following the recent turn of events, Chewbacca often attempted freeing Wookiees slaves who had been captured by either the Empire or Trandoshan slavers. On one such endeavor, he became involved in a botched slave transfer between a Trandoshan crew and an Imperial commander named Nyklas. Chewbacca orchestrated the escape of close to all of the slaves which consisted mostly of Wookiee children, but in the process had his ship come under fire by Imperial TIE Fighters led by Lieutenant Han Solo. Nyklas was infuriated at the loss of the Wookiee slaves and ordered Solo to kill the Wookiee (who had been rendered unconscious by the firefight). Solo refused, inciting Nyklas's fury, but the commander eventually calmed enough to realize Chewie's value as a slave. The Wookiee children happened to be members of Tvrrdko's clan, and the Wookiee leader ended up cancelling the feud between their two families. Nyklas worked Chewie unmercifully, taking great pleasure in whipping the demoralized Wookiee. However, Nyklas did not count on anymore interventions by Solo, and the young lieutenant saved Chewbacca from being whipped to death. The two escaped from Imperial influence with a small bounty on their heads, and Solo was drummed out of Imperial service. "Chewie", as Solo affectionately called him, became the Corellian's close companion as a smuggler, standing beside him until his death, partly out of friendship, and partly as a result of his life debt to Solo.

Bonded to Solo, Chewbacca accompanied him on several misadventures. On one such, the Wookiee was captured and taken to Stars' End, a hidden Corporate Sector prison, where he was quickly rescued. The years went on as Chewbacca accompanied Solo on treasure hunts and spice runs. One run was notable because, in the Millennium Falcon, the two made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. The next attempt was less successful, resulting in the dumping of a spice shipment due to pursuing Imperials. On this same mission Chewie became reunited with Hronk who had become an Imperial slave on Formos. Chewie's attitude towards honor duels had changed, and he ended up saving the Wookiee from captivity ending the feud between their families. Unfortunately, this was the only thing that went right, as the undelivered shipment landed Han with a heavy bounty on his head placed by the notorious Jabba the Hutt, the crime lord who owned the shipment.

After a string of unsuccessful smuggling ventures in the Corporate Sector Authority, Chewbacca and Han left the sector as they soon realize they weren't cut out for legimate work. Nearly broke, the two accepted a job carrying valuble cargo for ten thousand credits. Unfortunately, the cargo turned out to be slaves, in which the Corporate Sector was suspected of being involved. Receiving help from Bollux and Blue Max Chewie and Han managed to track down the recipients of the cargo. Shortly afterwards, Chewie and Han again found themselves on the brink of being broke. Chewie along with Bollux abd Blue accompanied Han to the university world of Rudrig to locate the lost treasure of Xim the Despot. On Rudig, Chewie and Han struck a deal with master gunman Gallandro. Though they found the treasure Gallandro was killed by hidden blasters during a duel with Solo. Little did they know Chewie and Han would encounter his daughter, Anja Gallandro, nearly two decades later.

Galactic Civil War
"What made you come back, Han?" "Oh, the Wookiee here got stubborn about it."

- Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.



It was Chewbacca that Obi-Wan Kenobi spoke to in Chalmun's Cantina when in search of transportation to Alderaan. It is not known whether the Wookiee recognized Kenobi from their time on Alaris Prime or if Chewbacca's friendship with Yoda during the Clone Wars influenced the decision to help the Jedi. Regardless, Chewbacca introduced the aged Jedi Master and his young companion to Han Solo and soon the pair bought passage on the Falcon.

Chewbacca participated in Leia Organa's rescue from the Death Star and the subsequent Battle of Yavin. Princess Leia initially disliked Chewbacca as much as she disdained Han and called him a "walking carpet," but the friendship between the two grew over time.

Shortly before the skirmish on Kashyyyk, Chewbacca returned to duty in the Rebel Alliance. While on Yavin 4, Solo and Chewbacca discovered an unauthorized transmission emanating from the jungle around the Massassi base. They eventually found an Imperial spy amongst the Rebels and successfully stopped him.

Several days after the battle, he and Han stole Sith treasure from a Massassi temple, against Chewie's wishes. A short while after, Chewbacca and Han left for the celebration of Life Day on Kashyyyk. It served as a short break between the periodical fighting. But peace didn't last long for the pair. Not long after they departed Tatooine for Kashyyyk, they found themselves once again being chased by the Empire. Fleeing to lightspeed, they went on their way. However, the Empire had apparently traced their route to Kashyyyk, which they rightfully suspected to be a harbor for rebels. Upon learning of this, Darth Vader ordered a blockade and search of the planet. A group of Imperial officers entered Chewbacca's home, terrorizing his family and wrecking the house. They looked for any sign of rebel activity. However, after a while, Chewie's son, who then went by the name Lumpawarrump, devised a plan. He used his mini-transmitter, which he had received as a Life Day present from Saun Dann, to send out a voice message through the Imperial airwaves &mdash; which changed the sound of Lumpy's voice. He gave the command of "return to base," which the officers in the home picked up on their receivers. They complied, with the exception of the stormtrooper known as B-4711, who was ordered by a superior to stay behind in order to temporarily watch the house for rebel activity. However, the trooper soon learned of Lumpy's trick, and pursued him through the house, out onto the balcony, where Han and Chewie had just arrived. Chewie roared as Han managed to kill the trooper. That night, the group, along with the other Wookiees on Kashyyyk, celebrated an uninterrupted Life Day.

On another occasion, Chewie and Han came into the possession of some valuable glowing Tandgor gems, that Solo claimed will pay off debts and mod the Millennium Falcon. They stopped on an unknown an planet to get fuel for the Millenium Falcon.

After landing on the planet, Solo and Chewbacca encountered several groaning skeletal figures; The undead. Chewbacca was able to fight them off and made a hasty retreat back to the Falcon only to find the fuel line has been severed by someone. Arming themselves, the two-man crew of the Falcon headed back and come face to face with a local and her baby who explained to the two  that the crew of a 'Great Interplanetary  Ark' perished after their ship crashed in the planet's fog. They are compelled to wander the planet as corpses, terrorizing the locals every night.

Using the Tandgor Gems to lay down lines, Han formed a makeshift runway that managed to dissolve the fog. A ghostly apparition of the ship that crashed long ago used it to land, easing the spirits of the perished crew. The living dead would no longer terrorize the planets residents. Han and Chewie left the planet out of pocket, but were rewarded with enough fuel to last them the rest of their journey.

Now officially a member of the Rebel Alliance. chewie and his friends embarked on several missions in oder to insure its survival. On one occasion Chewbacca accompanied Luke to Krake's Planet to find information on Shira Brie. They infiltrated the Krake Data Vault – a facility built from the mass of a giant Mind Spider. Once they recorded the information Chewie uses the Falcon's deflector screens to destroy the military outpost.

Crisis at Bespin
"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

While with the Rebel Alliance on the Ice Planet of Hoth, Chewbacca was busy repairing the Falcon. Unfortunately, Chewbacca was unable to finish his work due to the Imperial invasion of Echo Base and so the Falcon was forced to take off with Han Solo, Princess Leia, and C-3PO while in disrepair and so while on the run from the Imperial Fleet, the Falcon set down in an asteroid cavern for repairs.

When the cavern was discovered to be a giant slug, the Falcon made its escape to Bespin. On Bespin, the group met with Lando Calrissian. When C-3PO was blasted apart and gone missing, Chewbacca sent himself off with the task of finding the missing protocol droid. Chewbacca eventually found him in a junk pile and after a scuffle with some Ugnaught workers, brought him back to Princess Leia and Han Solo.



However, Chewbacca did not have the time to repair C-3PO. They were all captured by Darth Vader. During their capture, Chewbacca was sealed in a room with high-pitch alarms going off, subduing him and calming him. C-3PO's parts were brought in and Chewbacca began rebuilding the droid. When all but his legs were reattached with head on backwards, Chewie, Leia and Han were brought to the carbonite freezing chamber with C-3PO hanging from a pack on Chewbacca's back. Han Solo was to be frozen as test for Luke Skywalker. Before he was frozen, Chewbacca threw several Stormtroopers off the platform but was quickly cuffed. Han entrusted Chewbacca with taking care of Leia. With a loud howl, Han Solo was frozen alive, but in hibernation.

While being escorted to Darth Vader's shuttle by Imperial stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Leia and Lando were freed from their captors by Bespin Security Guards led by Lobot. Released from his bindings, Chewbacca grabbed hold of Lando's throat and began to strangle him. Leia was able to get the location of Han Solo's frozen body to the East Platform. Chewbacca let go of Lando and left him gasping for breath on the floor with C-3PO apologizing for the Wookiee's behavior as Chewie and Leia rushed off.

However, Leia and Chewbacca arrived at the platform just as Boba Fett made off with Han Solo. With that, a pursuit ensued in the Cloud City corridors with stormtroopers. Joined by R2-D2, Leia, Lando, and Chewbacca eventually made their way back to the Millennium Falcon. When escaping the city, Leia received a telepathic call for help from Luke and commanded Chewbacca to turn the ship around. After rescuing Luke, the Falcon left the planet behind. While attempting to escape the Executor over Bespin, the supposed repaired hyperdrive failed and Chewbacca was once again forced to fix it. However, R2-D2 quickly activated it and the Falcon escaped to the Rebellion rendezvous point. Chewbacca and Lando would then start their search for Boba Fett and Han Solo.

Rescue of Han Solo
Chewbacca took Han's order to take care of Leia very seriously. When not helping Lando with the search for Han, he served as Leia's bodyguard. When she attempted to negotiate with the criminal super-organization Black Sun for their aid in determining who had placed a bounty on Luke Skywalker, he accompanied her to Coruscant. In order to get past Imperial security, he was disguised as the Wookiee bounty hunter Snoova, and Leia took on the identity of Boushh. From there the two became guests of Black Sun's leader, the Falleen Prince Xizor. Chewbacca, already suspicious of the crimelord, was outraged when Xizor attempted to seduce Leia. Fortunately, Chewbacca was able to remove Leia from the influence of Xizor's mind-affecting pheromones. Leia distracted Xizor long enough to allow Chewbacca to escape with the information that Xizor was in fact the one behind the bounty on Skywalker.



Chewbacca was able to meet up with Luke, and together they formed a rescue party, along with Lando and Dash Rendar. They were able to break into Xizor's palace through the sewers and freed Leia, escaping on the Millennium Falcon and destroying Xizor's palace in the process, crippling Black Sun.

Having learned that Boba Fett had finally delivered Han to Jabba the Hutt, Luke hatched a plan that involved infiltrating various members of the party into Jabba's palace. Chewbacca was inserted when Leia, again posing as Boushh, took the Wookiee to Jabba as a prisoner. After thermal detonator-assisted price negotiations, Chewbacca was surrendered to Jabba and placed in a dungeon cell. When Leia failed to escape after freeing Han from the carbonite, Han was placed in the same cell. The two prisoners were soon taken out of their cells—for execution. Luke's killing of the Rancor had so enraged Jabba that he ordered that Luke, Han, and Chewbacca be fed to the Sarlacc in the Great Pit of Carkoon. However, Luke's planning allowed him to recover his lightsaber, and together with Lando, who was disguised as one of Jabba's thugs, they turned the execution into a battle. Chewbacca protected Han, who was still blind as an effect of the hibernation sickness he had acquired while in the carbonite. When Lando was knocked into the Great Pit, Chewbacca anchored Han as the smuggler leaned over the side of their skiff and rescued his old friend.

Endor
"Keep your distance... but don't look like you're keeping your distance. I don't know, fly casual."

- Han to Chewbacca during the mission to Endor.



After the battle was over and Jabba killed, all the heroes, with the exception of Luke, reported to the Rebel fleet over Sullust. There the Rebels formed a battle plan to destroy the Second Death Star over Endor. Only during the briefing did Chewbacca become aware that Han, now a general, had volunteered to lead the ground assault on the shield generator protecting the Death Star. Chewbacca swiftly volunteered to join his group of commandos.

On the approach to the shield bunker, the Wookiee's lack of caution got the team into trouble. Seizing a hunk of meat tied to a stick, he unwittingly sprung a trap that got Han, Luke, the droids, and himself captured by Ewoks and taken back to their village. There, the team reuinited with Leia, who had been taken to the village after becoming lost. As a result of the Ewoks' belief that C-3P0 was a god, they were able to negotiate not only their freedom but the Ewoks' aid in the upcoming battle with the Empire.

During the terrestrial portion of the Battle of Endor, Chewbacca swung the tide of the battle when he and two native Ewoks hijacked an AT-ST and turned it against the Empire, helping the Alliance secure their victory on the forest moon.

Post Endor
Not long after the destruction of the Second Death Star, Chewbacca and Han Solo returned to Kashyyyk to liberate the Wookiee homeworld. Chewbacca was responsible for the reconstruction of Wookiee Government tree. Later, the noble Wookiee would deal with the treacherous Weebacca and free the slaves, including his father, imprisoned on the Avatar Orbital Platform.

Just after Han's marriage to Leia Organa in 8 ABY, Chewbacca and his son Lumpawarrump encountered trouble on Coruscant. While on Coruscant, Chewie pursued his son through the undercity of Coruscant after he caught burgulars stealing a datapad from Han and Leia. Lumapwarrump became captured and in the process of saving him, Malla was also captured. Shortly afterwards, Chewbacca and Lumpawarrump discovered that the burglars were planning to assassinate the New Republic's leaders. Determined to stop them, Chewie and his son infiltrated the enemies' base to find an advanced IT-3 interrogation droid attempting to brainwash Malla into believing that the Solos are a danger to her child. Enraged, Chewbacca attacked the burgulars and freed Mallotobuck.

Later that year, Chewie accompanied Han, Leia, and C-3PO to Tatooine on a mission to locate an Alderaanian moss painting—lost after the planet's destruction—has resurfaced on the black market. It concealed a code used to communicate with New Republic agents undercover within the Empire. As they pursued the painting they learned much about the man who became Darth Vader from the Kitster Banai and Wald, childhood friends of Anakin Skywalker. Forutunately, the painting was discovered and the code was destroyed.

Chewbacca remained with Han well after his marriage to Leia. In fact, when Leia was being hunted by the mysterious Noghri, Chewbacca brought the former Princess to his home planet of Kashyyyk. The plan didn't hold up long but Leia was able to make peace with one of her assailants.

Chewbacca's original life debt to Han now included Leia, her brother, and her children. In 9 ABY Chewie partcipated in the offensives against Admiral Thrawn and the deranged Dark Jedi clone, Joruus C'boath. Along with Han Chewbacca formed a coalition of smugglers for a last-ditch attack against the Empire, while Leia held the Alliance together and prepared for the birth of her Jedi twins. Fortunately Thrawn and his forces were defeated and C'boath was killed by Mara Jade, a former ally of the Empire.

A year after the birth of Han's third and youngest child, Anakin, Solo and Chewbacca are taken prisoner on the planet kessel and forced to work in the fathomless depths of a spice mine. On kessel the befriend a young boy named Kyp Durron. Chewie and Han broke away and flee desperately to a secret Imperial research laboratory surrounded by a cluster of black holes. In the laboratory they dicover the dreadful Sun Crusher. After being captured by Admiral Daala's forces, Chewbacca along with Han, Kyp, and Qwi Xux stole the Sun Crusher and escaped the Maw Installation. Unfortunately, Kyp stole the Suncrusher, destroying thousands of lives on the planet of Carida. Chewbacca and Han eventually caught up with and took the latter to the Coruscant where he was redeemed by Luke Skywalker.

As Luke began restoring Jedi Order and reversing the damages done by Darth Vader and the Emperor, Chewbacca and the Solos set out on their own mission to recover force-sensitive children. They began their search on the frozen world of Belsavis, as they heard rumors of Jedi living on the planet.

He was seen as an uncle-like figure by the Solo children and took care of them along with C-3PO and R2-D2 when Han and Leia were away. Chewbacca was known to protect the Solo children rather fiercely as though they were his own children. In 14 ABY he helped Leia rescue her children from Hethrir during the Empire Reborn movement.

Just before the Black Fleet crisis, Chewbacca went home to Kashyyyk to attend the coming of age of his son Lumpawarrump. When Chewbacca learned that Solo had been captured by the Yevethans, he disobeyed Leia's instructions and flew straight into the heart of enemy territory. Chewbacca staged a rescue from the Super Star Destroyer Pride of Yevetha with the help of his son and his cousins Jowdrrl, Shoran, and Dryanta. This served as a coming of age for Lumpawarrump, and he was renamed Lumpawaroo as he became an adult.

Around the time of the First Corellian Insurrection of 18 ABY, Chewbacca accompanied the Solo family family to Han's homeworld of Corellia where he and C-3PO looked after the twins and Anakin. He managed to save them and reunited the children with their parents.

Shortly afterwards, Chewbacca's nephew Lowbacca (Lowie) was discovered to be force-sensitive, a trait rare among the Wookiee species. He took Lowbacca, or Lowie, to Luke's Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 where he built Lowbacca a droid named Em Teedee. Lowie later befriended the Jaina and Jacen, who affectionally called him Lowie.

Yuuzhan Vong War


In 25 ABY, Chewbacca, Han Solo and his youngest son Anakin were sent by Lando Calrissian to pick up a shipment on Sernpidal. When they arrived, they discovered that the planet's moon Dobido was orbiting its host quickly, dropping closer to Sernpidal at regular intervals. Anakin calculated Dobido would collide with Sernpidal in seven hours. This event, unbeknownst to them, was a result of the Yuuzhan Vong tactic, Yo'gand's Core. Chewbacca and the Solos landed on Sernpidal and evacuated as many people as they could, managing to rescue millions of Sernpidalians, using both Millennium Falcon and various other available freighters. As the winds picked up, Anakin was knocked into the distance, causing Chewie to run after him. Chewie was able to bring Anakin to safety on the Falcon, but another blast of wind knocked him directly into the path of Dobido. Anakin, who had piloted the Falcon while his father stood on the entrance ramp hoping to lift Chewie up, flew from Sernpidal when he realized it was too late to save Chewie. The Wookiee stood in the moon's trajectory, howling defiantly, and was crushed to death with those Sernpidalians who could not escape. His death drove Han to a resentment of his son, Anakin, as well as turning to alcoholism. Han eventually recovered and forgave his son, but the death of his battle-brother and dearest companion would stick with him forever.

Honoring the legacy (25 ABY—)
"I will never be as good a servant as you or Chewie."

- Anakin Solo to Daeshara'cor on Chewbacca



After his death, Chewbacca became a legend on Kashyyyk, and the droid C-3PO recited his tale on occasions. His death solified not only Anakin's cause to fight in the war but the rest of his familly as well. With the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Lumpawaroo and Lowbacca, Chewbacca's son and nephew, vowed to take up his life debt to Han Solo. Chewbacca's family gave Han the first bowcaster that Chewie ever made as a gift to his long time friend and co-pilot. Han again visited the tree memorial of Chewbacca and stabbed Anakin Solo's lightsaber deep into the tree, so that anyone who would need it in the future could use it. To honor Chewie's life, C-3PO and R2-D2 decided to create a holo featuring the interviews of the people that knew him the most.

The Trandoshan, Bossk, had other thoughts. He couldn't help but to rub Chewbacca's death in Han Solo's face. Both ended up in a fistfight. In the end, Bossk got a broken snout. Wookiees would take pride in the fact that Chewbacca died honoring his life debt...as well as the fact that it took an entire moon to kill him.

Behind the scenes


Chewbacca was portrayed by Peter Mayhew in Episodes III to VI. He was based on Indiana, an Alaskan malamute dog owned by George Lucas in the 1970s, the name of whom would later provide Dr. Henry Jones Junior's adopted first name. 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 star in the suits longer. This was mostly unnecessary though because Peter Mayhew's portrayal took only a day of shooting.



The memorable voice of Chewbacca was designed by Ben Burtt, sound designer for all six 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 sadly died of congestive heart failure in 1994.

In 1997, Chewbacca appeared on the MTV Movie Awards and, as recompense for not receiving a medal during the closing sequence of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, was given a medal by Carrie Fisher, who played Leia Organa throughout the original trilogy.

In the 1997 novel The Hutt Gambit, Chewbacca says that he hasn't seen Mallatobuck for 50 years (since 55 BBY). It is unknown why he hadn't found time to visit her before the Battle of Kashyyyk.

In 1999, Chewbacca became the first major character in the Star Wars films to be killed off in the Expanded Universe, when R.A. Salvatore's Vector Prime, the first entry in the New Jedi Order series, depicted him being crushed by Dobido, one of two moons of Sernpidal. This caused resentment among some fans despite the fact that the idea originated with Randy Stradley, well before Salvatore was even signed on to the series. If it weren't for the great honor and drama in which he died, it is quite possible that many fans would have boycotted the series until his death was retconned.

After Chewie's death, the second main movie character to be reported dead is Luke Skywalker; his death is not yet seen in any work, however he is seen as a Force ghost in ''Star Wars: Legacy.

Chewie's name is based on the Russian word for "dog," "собака" (Sobaka).

Chewbacca has made an impact on American culture also, often being referenced as a joke. A notable example of this is the South Park episode in which Johnnie Cochran uses the "Chewbacca defense."

In the Super Nintendo Super Star Wars games, Chewbacca is listed as being 8 feet tall, 200 years old and originating from the planet Kazhyyyk.

Appearances



 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Republic: The Hidden Enemy
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * The Hutt Gambit
 * Kessel Run
 * Routine
 * Han Solo at Stars' End
 * Han Solo's Revenge
 * Han Solo and the Lost Legacy
 * Rebel Dawn
 * This Crumb for Hire
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Smuggler's Blues
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Once Bitten
 * Star Wars Empire 13: What Sin Loyalty?
 * Imperial Spy
 * Death Star Pirates
 * Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina
 * The Day after the Death Star
 * The Rebel Thief
 * X-Wing Marks The Spot
 * Star Wars: Galaxies
 * Star Wars 3-D
 * Allegiance
 * The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot
 * The Star Wars Holiday Special
 * Planet of the Dead
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Thank the Maker!
 * Shadows of the Empire
 * Fortune, Fate, and the Natural History of the Sarlacc
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Tales from Jabba's Palace
 * The Truce at Bakura
 * A Wookiee Scorned
 * Marvel Star Wars
 * Shadows of the Empire: Evolution
 * The Glove of Darth Vader
 * Free Memory
 * Collapsing New Empires
 * X-wing: Solo Command
 * The Courtship of Princess Leia
 * A Forest Apart
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * Heir to the Empire
 * Dark Force Rising
 * The Last Command
 * Tall Tales
 * Dark Empire
 * Dark Empire II
 * Jedi Search
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * Children of the Jedi
 * Darksaber
 * Planet of Twilight
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * The Crystal Star
 * Before the Storm
 * Shield of Lies
 * Tyrant's Test
 * Ambush at Corellia
 * Assault at Selonia
 * Showdown at Centerpoint
 * Vision of the Future
 * Star Wars: Union
 * Junior Jedi Knights: Vader's Fortress
 * Young Jedi Knights: Crisis at Crystal Reef
 * Vector Prime
 * Chewbacca
 * Revenants
 * The Lost Lightsaber

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick
 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
 * The Rebel Club
 * The Emperor's Court
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Ghosts of Hoth
 * Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi
 * Into the Great Unknown
 * Return of the Ewok
 * Star Wars Muppet Show episode
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II