‘Star Wars’ Canon Vs. Legends: How Han And Chewbacca First Met.
Han Solo and Chewbacca are one of the most iconic duos in science fiction. These rough and tumble smugglers won our hearts the moment we encountered them in the seedy Mos Eisley Cantina in A New Hope. Han was a no-nonsense smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon with his first mate Chewbacca. A being of few words, Chewbacca seemed like an odd companion for such a roguish individual. On the other hand, their odd dynamic was what made them so unique. This begged the question of how these two dissimilar personalities came to be partners in the first place.
The original trilogy offered little information. Fans had to wait until the arrival of the Expanded Universe (now rebranded as Legends) for their answers. Simply titled Chewbacca, the comic series published by Dark Horse followed the titular Wookiee’s life shortly after the Clone Wars. Following the fall of the Republic, the Empire quickly subjugated the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, forcing its natives into labor camps to fuel the war machine. Chewbacca managed to elude the Empire alongside a small group of Wookiees. Then things went south when Chewbacca and several other Wookiees were captured by Trandoshan slavers. Chewbacca managed to help the captives fight back and take over the slavers’ ship. However, before they could make their escape, the ship was targeted by an Imperial star destroyer.
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Onboard that very destroyer was Han Solo, who was a decorated lieutenant in the Imperial Navy at the time. Upon arriving at the critically damaged slave cruiser, Han and his squadron of TIE fighters were sent to detain any survivors and return them to Imperial custody. In the process, Han encountered the pilot and leader of the ill-fated mutiny. Chewbacca was critically wounded and deemed useless by the Empire. Han then refused the order to execute the Wookiee. As a result, he and Chewbacca were sent to a labor camp.
The two eventually managed to escape, but were branded as outlaws, and forced into lives of crime. Things were not all bleak, however. Chewbacca swore a life debt to Han, a Wookiee oath to live one’s life in service of the being who saved their life. Chewbacca kept this promise and remained by his friend’s side for the remainder of their lives. It was an elegant story in its simplicity. While it was no longer considered canon, it did serve as inspiration for newer stories to come.
Hot off the heels of the rather divisive The Last Jedi, fans were treated to Solo: A Star Wars Story. This latest Star Wars spin-off film followed the adventures of Han and Chewbacca as they began their careers as the smugglers we have come to know and love. The story began with Han on the streets of his homeworld Corellia prior to his joining the Imperial Navy. Like his Legends counterpart, Han was still portrayed as a skilled pilot. However, his career as Imperial pilot was cut short when his rebellious antics quickly got him demoted to what was essentially canon fodder for the Imperial Army. Shortly thereafter, Han was sentenced to death for desertion, doomed to be food for a mysterious being known only as “the beast.” The creature in the pit turned out to be a certain Wookiee named Chewbacca, who after being captured by the Empire was forced to become a pit fighter for their enjoyment. Starved and abused, the Wookiee was quick to set upon his latest victim. He hesitated when Han began pleading in Shyriiwook. Using the Wookiee native language, the two quickly hatched a plan, and ultimately managed to escape their prison together. Just like in Legends, Chewbacca swore a life debt to Han, and the two began their lives on the run from the Empire.
Both canon and Legends painted a similar picture of unlikely allies turned close friends. One was a disgraced Imperial pilot, and the other a Wookiee slave on the run from the Empire. The two met in less-than-ideal circumstances, but the bond they forged would remain until the end of their days. The main difference seemed to be how quickly Han slipped into his role as the hot shot smuggler. In canon, it appeared he was always meant to play the role of an outlaw. On the other hand, the Legends version of Han was forced into a life as a smuggler. Despite all the problems Han seemed to attract, Chewbacca was always by his side, forever grateful to his best friend and savior.
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Source(s): Star Wars Explained, Wookieepedia