Chewbacca's Most Iconic Scenes
From the forests of Kashyyyk to the salt flats of Crait, Chewbacca has certainly seen a lot. He’s been through the ringer and served in every major war in Star Wars film history yet still managed to come out on the other side. He may be a big walking carpet, but it didn’t take long for Chewbacca to become a fan favorite. This is due in no small part to the amazing acting skills of the late Peter Mayhew. Despite not being able to talk, he still finds a way to be endearing and emotive. Even under all that fur and makeup, Mayhew is able to elevate Chewbacca to new heights across several iconic scenes. Here’s just a few of the Wookiee warrior’s more epic moments.
The First Time Flying The Falcon
When we first meet Chewbacca in the Mos Eisley Cantina in A New Hope, it isn’t long before he’s back on the Millennium Falcon with Han at his side. For most fans, it’s hard to imagine the duo without their prized Corellian freighter waiting in the wings, but the prequel Solo gave us just that. Both Han and Chewie were part of a smuggling crew, and the search for a getaway ship led them to the Falcon. At the time, it was under the ownership of Lando Calrissian, who would serve as the team’s pilot at the start. But after the heist went sideways, his time behind the controls was cut short. It was then that Han and Chewie took what would eventually become their rightful places in the cockpit. In a moment fans were certainly waiting to see; the duo piloted their would-be ship together for the first time, signifying the start of the career at the helm of a ship that would soon become as notorious as they were.
RELATED: Why Chewbacca's Actor Had To Be Protected From Bigfoot Hunters
Don’t Upset A Wookiee
At first glance, Chewbacca may not seem like an immediate threat. The Wookiee certainly cuts an imposing figure, but he is usually calm and collected. Get him angry, though, and you’ll soon learn the hard way why it’s not wise to upset a Wookie. The first indication that fans got of the infamous volatile temperament of the Wookiees was in A New Hope over a game of Dejarik. Chewbacca was fighting a losing battle with R2-D2, and the droid was quickly earning the Wookiee’s ire. Han chuckled in response, warning Artoo and Threepio that “It’s not wise to upset a wookie” because they’ve been known to pull people's arms out of their sockets. It’s an iconic line and a promise of what’s to come if you get on Chewie’s bad side. And with the arrival of Solo, we got to see him live up to the threat on an unfortunate guard on Kessel.
Echo Base Locks Down
Things were looking dire for our heroes at the start of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke had gone missing, and Han had been gone too long searching for him. To make matters worse, nightfall arrived and the doors on Echo Base were on lockdown, leaving the duo with no way home until morning. It’s a tense moment for everyone involved, but no one at the base took it as hard as Chewbacca. The thought of his friend lost in the cold was too much for the Wookiee to bear. As the doors closed, he let out a heartbreaking roar of anguish that echoed through the caverns of the base. Chewbacca may not have shown it very often, but underneath all the grit and fur was one of the most “human” characters in the franchise. And it’s scenes like this one that really hammer it home.
Chewie We're Home
The arrival of the Falcon in The Force Awakens was certainly a welcome sight. Abandoned in a scrapyard, it isn’t long before it’s in the air again. As Finn and Rey blasted their way off of Jakku, fans began to wonder what had become of its original owners. They didn’t have to wait long, shortly after leaving the planet behind, the ship is engulfed by a large cargo ship. Our heroes prepared for the worst as the ramp opened and the ship was boarded. Of course, the boarding party was none other than Han and Chewbacca. “Chewie, we’re home,” it’s been a long time for the duo and an even longer time for the fans. This scene was a promise that after so long, Star Wars was back.
Chewbacca’s Bowcaster
Almost as iconic as the Wookiee himself, Chewbacca’s bowcaster was always a strange weapon. A crossbow in a sci-fi saga is certainly an oddity, but after seeing Chewbacca wield the weapon, it more than earned its place in the series. We didn’t see it in action very often in the original trilogy, but the arrival of The Force Awakens finally showed that the weapon packed one heck of a wallop. After the arrival of the First Order on Takodana, the heroes were quick to get in the thick of it. It’s at this point that Han asked his friend if he could borrow his signature weapon. Upon firing the bowcaster, the unfortunate stormtroopers on the receiving end were blown through the air by the resulting explosion. “I like this thing,” Han said. It seems hard to imagine it took Han so long to try it out, but either way, it was good to see the two working together on the big screen again.
READ NEXT: The Most Iconic Scenes From C-3PO & R2-D2
Source(s): Screen Rant , Wookieepedia