Chewbacca

This article is about a fictional character. For other uses, see Chewbacca (disambiguation).

Chewbacca
Star Wars character
First appearanceStar Wars (1977)
Created byGeorge Lucas
Portrayed by
In-universe information
SpeciesWookiee
GenderMale
OccupationCo-pilot and first mate on
Millennium Falcon [1]
AffiliationRebel Alliance
Resistance
Family
  • Mallatobuck (wife) [2]
  • Lumpawaroo (son) [3]
  • Others in Legends [c]
HomeworldKashyyyk

Chewbacca (/tʃuːˈbɑːkə/ choo-BAH-kə), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a Wookiee—a tall, hairy, highly intelligent species originating from the planet Kashyyyk.[4][5] He is 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall, and typically wears only a bandolier and a tool pouch.[1][6] He carries a bowcaster, a traditional Wookiee weapon, and he speaks the Wookiee language Shyriiwook.[7][8] He first appears in the original Star Wars film[d] as the loyal friend of the smuggler Han Solo. He is also the co-pilot of Han's starship, the Millennium Falcon.[1][9]

Chewbacca is portrayed by Peter Mayhew in the original film trilogy, the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), and Revenge of the Sith (2005).[10][9] Mayhew shares the Chewbacca role with his body double, Joonas Suotamo, in The Force Awakens (2015).[11] Following Mayhew's retirement in 2017, Suotamo took over the role, appearing in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).[12] Suotamo also plays Chewbacca in the standalone film Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).[13] Chewbacca also appears in animated series, novels, comics, and video games.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ a b c "Chewbacca". StarWars.com. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Morrison, Matt (May 14, 2018). "Exclusive: Here's Who That Other Wookiee Is in Solo: A Star Wars Story". ScreenRant. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  3. ^ Gallagher, Brian (February 21, 2017). "Chewbacca's Son in The Star Wars Holiday Special Is Officially Canon". MovieWeb. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Hidalgo & Sansweet 2008c, p. 333.
  5. ^ "Kashyyyk". StarWars.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Hidalgo & Sansweet 2008a, p. 122.
  7. ^ "Bowcaster". StarWars.com. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Romano, Nick (May 10, 2018). "Alden Ehrenreich had to learn Wookiee for 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Richwine, Lisa; Gorman, Steve (May 2, 2019). "Peter Mayhew, actor who played Chewbacca in 'Star Wars' movies, dies". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  10. ^ "Star Wars: Holiday Special". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Shanley, Patrick (February 21, 2017). "'Star Wars': New Chewbacca Actor Honors Peter Mayhew After Taking on the Role". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Liptak, Andrew (May 2, 2019). "Peter Mayhew, the actor who brought Chewbacca to life, has died". The Verge. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Breznican, Anthony (May 3, 2019). "Watch new Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo explain Peter Mayhew's influence". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 29, 2024.