(or '''Chewie''') (c. 200
BBY - c. 25
ABY ), a
Fictional Character of the ''
Star Wars ''
Universe , is a 2.3
M (7.5
Ft ) tall
Wookiee and co-pilot of
Han Solo 's ship, the ''
Millennium Falcon ''. Chewbacca is the son of
Attichitcuk , the husband of
Mallatobuck , and the father of
Lumpawarrump .
Wise and sophisticated, he has a great deal of technological savvy. Chewbacca is known for his great strength and loyalty. While Chewie is perfectly able to understand the galactic-standard language
Basic , he is unable to speak it due to his species' vocal structure. He communicates in his native language,
Shyriiwook , while Solo always speaks to Chewie in Basic. Chewbacca was played by actor
Peter Mayhew in the ''Star Wars'' movies.
Before meeting Solo, Chewie was a major player in the ''), and he and Wookiee General
Tarfful were responsible for
Yoda 's escape when Emperor
Palpatine ordered the
Clone Troopers to turn on the
Jedi (see
Order 66 ).
Chewbacca undertook a Wookiee ".''
In the
Expanded Universe comic book entitled simply ''Chewbacca'', Imperial Navy Officer Han Solo was ordered to destroy a drifting shuttle full of Wookiee Slaves, including Chewbacca. Solo refused to do so, and set the Wookiees free. Solo was discharged from the Imperial Navy for this act. Chewbacca tracked down Solo and from the time Solo saved his life, up to Chewbacca's death on the planet of Sernpidal, the two were nearly inseparable.
However, in the Expanded Universe
The Han Solo Trilogy , a scheduled rendezvous with a slaving vessel revealed that an adult Wookiee, Chewbacca, had overwhelmed the crew and released the Wookiee children that were to be sold. Leading a TIE fighter squadron, Solo boarded the damaged ship and found a barely conscious Chewbacca in the pilot's seat. Commander Nyklas ordered the young lieutenant to skin the Wookiee; Solo refused to do so. Solo later lost his lieutenant's commission and was dishonorably discharged. In this way Chewbacca owed a life-debt to his rescuer, and from then on the two were inseparable.
Initially, Princess Leia did not like Chewbacca, calling him a "walking carpet." But eventually she almost became as close a friend to Chewbacca as Han Solo (mirroring Han's own initial resistance to Chewbacca's loyalty, which was also replaced by a deep and abiding friendship). Chewbacca was very close to Han and Leia's children, becoming an uncle of sorts to the three children.
Chewbacca plays a major role in Episodes ''III'', ''IV'', ''V'', and ''VI'' of the ''Star Wars'' films. In ''Episode III'', Chewbacca, along with
Tarfful , fight in the
Clone Wars when their planet is invaded. They also help to get Yoda to safety. In Episodes IV, V, and VI, Chewbacca accompanies Han Solo and
The Rebel Alliance in helping to defeat the
Galactic Empire .
The
1978 television program ''
The Star Wars Holiday Special '' introduces Chewbacca's family of
Malla ,
Itchy , and
Lumpy . They live together on
Kashyyyk , the Wookiee homeworld, where Chewbacca visits them on
Life Day with other major characters. His family also appears in some Star Wars books, most notably ''
The Wookiee Storybook '', ''
The Black Fleet Crisis '' trilogy by
Michael P. Kube-McDowell (wherein Lumpy undergoes his
Rite Of Passage and chooses the adult name Lumpawaroo (Waroo)), and ''
Rebel Dawn '' by
A. C. Crispin . The latter also introduces other family members, including a sister named
Kallabow and cousins named
Dryanta and
Jowdrrl .
Chewbacca also plays an important role In the
1999 novel ''
Vector Prime '' by
R.A. Salvatore (the first in the ''
New Jedi Order '' series). However, the story is Chewbacca's final adventure, since the Wookiee actually dies. The event occurs when Chewbacca sacrifices his own life to save that of Han's son
Anakin from a collision between the planet
Sernpidal and one of its moons. The collision is caused by a
Yuuzhan Vong weapon placed on the planet that draws the moon to its fatefull collision with Sernpidal. Afterward, the other core ''Star Wars'' characters are emotionally crushed by the loss, and Han Solo even seeks refuge for a time among alcohol and the stars. A rift also opens between Han and his son Anakin, as he holds the boy responsible for Chewie's death.
Lumpawaroo and
Lowbacca (Chewie's nephew, who trained with Han's twin children at Luke Skywalker's
Jedi Academy ) offered to assume Chewbacca's life debt to Han; Han eventually persuaded them otherwise.
- In naming Chewbacca, George Lucas is said to have borrowed the russian word собака (Sobaka), which means dog, to name this dog-like character.
- The fact that Chewbacca apparently does not receive a medal in the concluding ceremony in '''' ( Ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster , credited to George Lucas ), Leia ''did'' give Chewbacca a medal, but she had to strain to do so.
- An actor appearing in a Wookiee costume threw out the ceremonial first pitch in a Red Sox - Blue Jays game on September 29, 2005.
- Rock band DVDA featuring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone has written a song titled ''Chewbacca''. The song aired during the credits of an episode of South Park that drew heavily from Star Wars.
- The band Supernova also made a song called ''Chewbacca'' that appeared on the Clerks Soundtrack, and also appeared in the movie itself.
