Chewbacca

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Chewbacca was inspired by George Lucas's Alaskan Malamute, Indiana, who served as his "co-pilot" in a car. The name derives from the Russian word "sobaka," meaning dog. Ralph McQuarrie's concept art drew inspiration from John Schoenherr's 1975 illustrations for Analog magazine. His voice was created by sound designer Ben Burtt using recordings of four bears, a badger, a lion, a seal, and a walrus. Peter Mayhew modeled his performance on animals observed in public zoos. In the original trilogy, costumes used yak hair, rabbit hair, and mohair; for The Force Awakens, suits utilized yak hair, Lycra, and a small amount of mohair. While the French version renamed him "Chiktaba" (nickname "Chico") and Italian versions use "Ciubecca" (nickname "Ciube"), his core identity remains rooted in his bond with Han Solo and his service as a co-pilot who has fought from Kashyyyk to Endor.

In Their Own Story

In Star Wars (1977), Chewbacca and Han smuggled Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Alderaan, only to find it destroyed. They rescued Princess Leia and saved Luke from Darth Vader during the Death Star battle. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980), after C-3PO was dismantled by a stormtrooper, Chewbacca saved him from being melted down, repairing him with R2-D2 to bond the two disliked characters. Before Han's carbonite freezing, he asked Chewbacca to protect Leia; they escaped Vader in the Falcon and turned back to rescue Luke. In Return of the Jedi (1983), Chewbacca infiltrated Jabba's palace disguised as a prisoner to free Han. On Endor, he commandeered an AT-ST walker to destroy the shield generator. Decades later, in The Force Awakens, he found the stolen Falcon and helped Finn, Rey, and BB-8 escape mercenaries. After Han's death at Kylo Ren's hands, Chewbacca shot Kylo and destroyed Starkiller Base with explosives, rescuing Rey and Finn before helping find Luke on Ahch-To.

Reader's Guide

Chewbacca serves as the Millennium Falcon's co-pilot, mechanic, and warrior. He is 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) tall in Star Wars, a height that led to Peter Mayhew's casting. His role spans from the Clone Wars on Kashyyyk—where he fought alongside Tarfful against Separatists and helped Yoda escape—to the sequel trilogy where he sets off explosives to destroy Starkiller Base. In Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Joonas Suotamo portrays Chewbacca meeting Han in a pit on Mimban; after Han proves he speaks Shyriiwook, they bond and escape Imperials together. On Kessel, he frees enslaved Wookiees and demonstrates his piloting skills during the Kessel Run. In The Rise of Skywalker (2019), he is mistakenly believed dead when Rey destroys a transport with Force lightning, only to be rescued later. He receives a medal from Maz Kanata near the film's end.

Did You Know?

• Chewbacca's name comes from the Russian word 'sobaka,' which means 'dog.'
• His voice is a mix of recordings from four bears, a badger, a lion, a seal, and a walrus.
• In 1997, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Movie Awards despite Roger Ebert calling his performance 'the worst' in The Empire Strikes Back re-release.
• The original costume was made from yak hair, rabbit hair, and mohair, while later suits added Lycra.
• In the French dub of the original film, his name was changed to 'Chiktaba' and his nickname became 'Chico.'