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'Chewbacca' (or 'Chewie') is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe. He is portrayed by Peter Mayhew in the films '', '', '', and ''.
A towering Wookiee, he is best known as the co-pilot of Han Solo's ship, the ''Millennium Falcon'' in Episodes ''III'', ''IV'', ''V'', and ''VI'' of the ''Star Wars'' films.
In ''Episode III'', Chewbacca, along with Tarfful, fights in the Clone Wars when their planet, Kashyyyk, is invaded. They also help to get Jedi Master Yoda to safety.
In ''Episode IV'', Chewbacca and Han Solo accept a charter to take Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 to the planet Alderaan. When they find that the planet has been destroyed by the Death Star, however, the two mercenaries are drawn into the Rebel Alliance. In Episodes ''V'' and ''VI'', they become important figures in the Alliance, and eventually help the Rebels defeat the Galactic Empire.

Contents

The Expanded Universe

Death

Trivia

Popular Culture

See also

References

External links

The Expanded Universe

The 1978 television program ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' introduces Chewbacca's family: Mallatobuck, Attichitcuk, and Lumpawarrump. They live together on Kashyyyk. His family also appears in some ''Star Wars'' books, most notably ''The Wookiee Storybook'', ''The Black Fleet Crisis'' trilogy by Michael P. Kube-McDowell, 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. The ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' was filmed with a low budget, and consisted of a frame story in which Han and Chewie must prevent Darth Vader from spoiling Life Day, and get home to be with Chewie's family. ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas publicly disowned the film shortly after release.
Although Chewbacca notably was not awarded a medal with the other heroes at the end of , in 1981 Marvel Comics published ''Marvel Illustrated Books Star Wars 1'', which includes an alternate version of the same scene in which he does receive one, and which is currently officially part of the canon of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
The novel ''Rebel Dawn'' explains that Chewie and Solo first meet when Solo, a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, finds him unconscious aboard a slave ship. Solo's commanding officer orders him to skin Chewie, but Solo refuses and rescues the helpless prisoner. Upon regaining consciousness, Chewie swears a "life-debt" to Solo, and the two become business partners and best friends.
In '', Chewie appears briefly at the Mos Eisley spaceport as an NPC, assisting Jaden Korr in disabling the tractor beams holding both the ''Millennium Falcon'' and the Raven's Claw captive.
In the book ''Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Heirs of the Force'', Chewbacca has a nephew named Lowbacca, who goes to the Jedi Academy.http://kimskorner.zed1.net/albums/Answers/chewbacca.jpg
http://kimskorner.zed1.net/albums/Answers/chewbacca.jpg

Death

The 1999 novel ''Vector Prime'' by R.A. Salvatore (the first in the ''New Jedi Order'' series) marks Chewbacca's final appearance in the ''Star Wars'' universe. Chewbacca sacrifices his own life to save that of Solo's son Anakin from a collision between the planet Sernpidal and one of its moons. Afterward, the other core ''Star Wars'' characters are emotionally crushed by the loss, and Solo sinks into alcoholism and depression.
Lumpawaroo and Lowbacca offer to assume Chewbacca's life debt to Solo; he eventually persuades them otherwise.
Lucasfilm followed ''Vector Prime'' with a four-issue comic book titled ''Star Wars: Chewbacca'', in which C-3PO and R2-D2 travel the galaxy to collect the stories of beings who knew or met the Wookiee, and the full scope of the his life and adventures is finally revealed.

Trivia

★ Chewbacca's physical appearance and personality was based on George Lucas's Alaskan Malamute, Indiana (who would later provide the name for another Lucasfilm character, Indiana Jones).

★ According to IMDb trivia, Chewbacca's voice "is a combination of several animals, including bears, badgers, walruses, cats and camels."[1]

★ In the original storyboard for ''Return of the Jedi'', Chewbacca was killed by Boba Fett. Chewie was to block a shot aimed for Luke onboard a desert skiff. This scene was scratched shortly after it was written.

★ "Chewie" is phonetically identical to "Chuy", a shortening of the common Mexican proper name Jesus.

Popular Culture

★ Supernova's song "Chewbacca" (which appeared in the ''Clerks'' soundtrack during the "Death Star Independent Contractor" scene) is inspired by the character. It also includes lines taken directly from ''Return of the Jedi'' ("Chewie...is that you?").

★ Chewbacca gives title to the song "Chewbacca's Blues" by Qwentin. The band defines the song as a "deep look into the character's inner self".

★ Mexican Indie Rock band Niña has a song titled "Chubaca tiene un secreto" (Chubaca has a secret) Chubaca is the phonetic of Chewbacca. The song is about a boy who's told that his girlfriend was seen at the movie theater with another man.

★ Liquid Tension Experiment's second album has a song titled "Chewbacca". Like all Liquid Tension Experiment songs, it is an instrumental.

★ Chewbacca is one of the few fictional characters to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Movie Awards. Furthermore, since fans complained that he should have received a medal with Luke and Han at the end of ''A New Hope'', the award was presented as a medal and bestowed by Carrie Fisher. Peter Mayhew, the actor who played him, has voiced this concern as well, but is also quick to note that Chewbacca does get the last line in the film as compensation.

★ Chewbacca made an appearance in Sony's Media Conference at E3 2007 to show off the new Star Wars PSP and to promote Star Wars:Battlefront:Renegade Squadron

★ In the Family Guy episode Blind Ambition, Chewbacca is seen walking with Peter to receive a medal from the Mayor for saving the life of a bartender in parody of Episode 4's ending, along with C3PO and R2-D2.

★ Also in the upcoming ''Family Guy'' episode Blue Harvest (Family Guy), Chewbacca will be portrayed by Brian Griffin.

★ In one episode of Fairly Oddparents, Cosmo is listing names that people called Timmy due to his large teeth, and after Jorgen left, Cosmo continued the list by yelling "Chewbacca!"

See also

★ Chewbacca defense

★ Wookiee

References

External links

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★ Databank entry on Chewbacca on ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' Website

★ Site detailing Chewbacca's appearance in ''The Star Wars Holiday Special''.

★ I am Chewbacca - a song by DVDA (South Park creators' band)