Chewbacca
From Free net encyclopedia
Chewbacca (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.
Contents |
Biography
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.
Old Republic Era
Before meeting Solo, Chewie was a major player in the Battle of Kashyyyk (as seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith), 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).
The Empire Era
Chewbacca undertook a Wookiee "life debt" to Han Solo due to Solo saving his life at some point before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
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.
Appearances
The Films
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 Expanded Universe
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.
Trivia
- 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 A New Hope bothered many fans. This was corrected outside regular Star Wars continuity, after a fashion in 1997, when Chewbacca won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Movie Awards. Chewbacca, played by Peter Mayhew, appeared on stage to a standing ovation and was given a medal from Carrie Fisher. It should be noted that in the novelization of A New Hope (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. They proclaim this to be an anthem of freedom.
See also
External links
- The starwars.com Databank entry for Chewbacca
- Databank entry on Chewbacca on The Star Wars Holiday Special Website
- Site detailing Chewbacca's appearance in The Star Wars Holiday Special.ca:Chewbacca
da:Chewbacca de:Figuren aus Star Wars#Chewbacca es:Chewbacca fr:Chewbacca it:Chewbecca nl:Chewbacca ja:チューバッカ pl:Chewbacca pt:Chewbacca fi:Chewbacca sv:Chewbacca