Chewbacca Chewbacca , known affectionately to his friends as Chewie , was a Wookiee warrior , smuggler , and resistance fighter who fought in the Clone Wars , the Galactic Civil War , and the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance . He hailed from the planet Kashyyyk and became a Wookiee military leader . During the Clone Wars , he was captured by Trandoshan slavers and held captive on Wasskah , but he worked with a fellow captive , Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano , to escape . He later commanded Wookiee forces during the Battle of Kashyyyk alongside the Grand Army of the Republic , led by Jedi Master Yoda . During the battle , one of the last ones of the war , Yoda ' s clone trooper s received Order 66 from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and , with the help of Chewbacca , Yoda escaped Kashyyyk and the destruction of the Jedi Order . In the years that followed , during the rule of the Galactic Empire , Chewbacca became a smuggler and the co - pilot of Captain Han Solo aboard the " Millennium Falcon " . They worked in the employ of crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure until Solo was forced to dump a shipment of spice to avoid trouble with the Empire , at which point a bounty was placed on their heads . Soon thereafter , Chewbacca and Solo were hired by Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi to ferry him , Luke Skywalker , C - 3PO , and R2 - D2 to Alderaan on a mission vital to the survival of the Alliance to Restore the Republic . After finding Alderaan was destroyed , the group was brought aboard the Death Star , where they helped Prince ss Leia Organa escape from captivity and return to the Rebel base on Yavin 4 . Though Chewbacca and Solo initially chose to leave Yavin 4 and not join the Rebellion , they ended up fighting in the Battle of Yavin and were instrumental in Skywalker ' s destruction of the Death Star , a major victory for the Rebellion . Throughout the war , Chewbacca and Solo fought the Empire in a number of engagements , including an assault on Cymoon 1 and the battle on Vrogas Vas . Along with Princess Organa and C - 3PO , they escaped from Echo Base on the planet Hoth after the Empire tracked the Rebel Alliance there . The group sought refuge with Lando Calrissian , an old friend of Solo ' s , on Cloud City , but Calrissian betrayed them and turned them over to Darth Vader , the Emperor ' s chief enforcer , after his city was threatened . Solo was frozen in carbonite and Calrissian helped the others escape , but they were too late to save the frozen Solo from being taken by Boba Fett to Jabba the Hutt . Chewbacca and Calrissian set off to find Solo and located him in Jabba ' s Palace on Tatooine , where Chewbacca and his friends saved Solo and destroyed Jabba . Shortly thereafter , they fought in the Battle of Endor , where Chewbacca helped destroy the shield generator and allowed the Alliance Fleet to destroy the Death Star II . The Emperor was killed aboard the battle station , delivering a crippling blow to the Empire . After Endor and the rise of the New Republic , Chewbacca and Solo fought to liberate Kashyyyk from the Empire . When the war finally came to a close , Chewbacca returned home to Kashyyyk with his family . After Solo ' s son Ben , turned to the dark side and destroyed Skywalker ' s new generation of Jedi , Chewbacca reunited with his old friend and the two spent many years as smugglers once more . They lost the " Millennium Falcon " and ended up smuggling aboard a ship called the " Eravana " , but they eventually found the " Falcon " and , with it , stowaways named Rey , Finn , and the droid BB - 8 . The droid had part of a map that led to the exiled Luke Skywalker , so the group brought the map to the Resistance that opposed the First Order , which had risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire . Chewbacca soon fought in the assault to destroy Starkiller Base , a devastating First Order superweapon , a conflict in which Solo lost his life at the hands of his son . After the base was destroyed , Chewbacca joined Rey in traveling to the planet Ahch - To , where she found Luke Skywalker Biography . Early life . A Wookiee male , Chewbacca hailed from Kashyyyk , a peaceful planet in which he was born one hundred and eighty years before the Clone Wars . He was married to a female named Malla , and had a family to support , including a son named Lumpawaroo . The Clone Wars . During the galaxy - spanning conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists , Chewbacca was captured by a Trandoshan hunting guild led by Garnac ; taken to Island Four on Wasskah to be their prey , his transport was attacked by a trio of Jedi apprentices — the Padawan Ahsoka Tano and the youngling s Jinx and O - Mer , also prey of the Trandoshans . Chewbacca escaped from the wreckage and followed the trio ( with whom he communicated with thanks to Tano ' s understanding of Shyriiwook ) to their hideout . Using his technical expertise and parts from the crashed transport , he constructed a transmitter to contact his people on his nearby homeworld ; however , it seemingly failed and an impatient Jinx , supported by O - Mer , decided to lure down and hijack a hunting pod and take the base ship . As persuaded by Tano , Chewbacca joined in their endeavor and raided the Trandoshan base , only to be joined by a Wookiee relief force led by General Tarfful — who had received Chewbacca ' s transmission — as well as bounty hunter s Sugi and Seripas . Once all the Trandoshans had been killed , Chewbacca and the Wookiees accompanied the young Jedi to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant , where they parted ways . During the last days of the war , Chewbacca was a major player in the Battle of Kashyyyk , overseeing the confrontation between the Grand Army of the Republic and the invading Separatist Droid Army alongside Tarfful and Jedi General Yoda , as well as Jedi Master Luminara Unduli . Following the implementation of Order 66 , Chewbacca and Tarfful witnessed the assassin ation attempt on Yoda by Commander Gree and his aide ; he helped the Jedi Grand Master elude the clone trooper s and escape from the planet . Rise of the Empire . Following the reorganization of the Republic into the Galactic Empire , Chewbacca saw his people sent to work as slaves , or as miners in places such as Kessel , or made to serve as science experiments . At some point , Chewbacca and several other Wookiees were captured and enslaved by several Trandoshan slavers . Like them , he was forced into slavery , working to cut the wroshyr tree s in order to feed the Imperial army . At some point , Chewbacca was freed from slavery by Han Solo and swore a life debt to him . He thought Solo to be a " fast - talker , smug , even arrogant " man , until the Corellian proved him wrong with his hidden depths when the two of them fled to the Outer Rim to survive amidst bounty hunters , pirate s , and fellow smuggler s , trying to scratch out a living wage working for the Hutt s . Chewbacca eventually became Solo ' s co - pilot and the first mate of the " Millennium Falcon " , the YT - 1300 light freighter he won from Lando Calrissian in a game of sabacc . Galactic Civil War . Death Star rescue . During one of their smuggling attempts at the time of the Galactic Civil War , the " Millennium Falcon " was boarded and the two lost the cargo that they were hauling for their usual employer , Jabba the Hutt . The two found themselves in Chalmun ' s Cantina on Tatooine , where Chewbacca was approached by Ben Kenobi , who was searching for passage for himself , Luke Skywalker and the droid s R2 - D2 and C - 3PO to Alderaan . Promised 2 , 000 credit s in advance and an additional 15 , 000 upon arrival at Alderaan , Solo and Chewbacca agreed to the commission , escaping from Imperial vessels as they left Tatooine . During the hyperspace journey , while Kenobi trained Skywalker in the use of the Force , Chewbacca played a game of dejarik with R2 - D2 , who made a move that Chewbacca disliked . C - 3PO advised that the move was technically fair , and even chided Chewbacca , at which point Solo advised them not to anger the Wookiee because of his species ' tendency to pull arms out of their sockets , promting the two droids to surrender . Upon the " Falcon " exit from hyperspace , the group found themselves in a meteor storm produced by the destruction of the planet by the Imperial Death Star superweapon . The group were soon caught by the tractor beam of the battle station which was still looming in the system , but managed to evade capture by hiding in the " Falcon " smuggling compartments . While Kenobi set out to disable the station ' s tractor beam in order to allow them to escape , Skywalker was told by R2 - D2 that Prince ss Leia Organa was being held in Detention Block AA - 23 , her execution scheduled . They set out to rescue her , with Chewbacca posing as a prisoner of stormtrooper - disguised Skywalker and Solo . Despite encountering trouble , Chewbacca and the others managed to escape from the Death Star — except for Kenobi , who had died in a duel with Darth Vader . The " Falcon " soon arrived to Yavin 4 , landing on Rebellion ' s secret base , just as the Death Star closed in on the moon . Yavin 4 . Skywalker was hopeful that Chewbacca and Solo would join the Rebellion , but Solo was more concerned with receiving his payment in order to pay his debt to Jabba . Though Chewbacca growled in dissatisfaction at this course of action , the two departed , seemingly leaving the Rebel Alliance on its own to deal with the Death Star . They would return just in time to protect Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin from Vader ' s TIE Advanced x1 , allowing the young pilot to destroy the massive battle station by firing a proton torpedo into its exhaust port . Back on Yavin 4 , Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were both awarded medals by Organa , while Chewbacca howled in delight during the ceremony . The time for celebration was soon over , for Organa asked the Rebels to take a moment of silence to honor and remember all those who had died when Alderaan was destroyed , whereas General Dodonna announced their need to evacuate Yavin since the Empire was aware of their location . Chewbacca would be also awarded a medal , and shared a moment of banter between Organa and Solo , just before they parted ways . Cyrkon . However , before they could depart for Tatooine to pay Jabba , Organa would ask Solo to run an errand for the Rebellion , which Chewbacca convinced him to accept — to rescue Lieutenant Caluan Ematt from Cyrkon . On the " Falcon " , the two made their way to the planet , only to find themselves confronted by the " Vehement " , which they avoided with a false IFF transponder , and landed in Motok . There , they were immediately attacked by some of Jabba ' s bounty hunters , including Captivator , which prompted Solo to accuse them of being " Rebels " and set them against ISB Commander Alecia Beck ' s garrison . Chewbacca slipped away with Solo to the " Miss Fortune " cantina , where they found their old friend Delia Leighton , to whom they asked about Ematt ' s location . After she told them their destination and the password , Chewbacca and Solo rented a V - 40 and went into a hotel , where they met Ematt , but were attacked by the bounty hunters again , as Leighton had revealed their location to save Curtis ' s life . However , they escaped and made their way to the " Falcon " , only to be ambushed by Beck and more than forty stoormtroopers . Forced to surrender , Chewbacca , Solo and Ematt were taken into custody , with Beck focusing on Ematt and leaving Chewbacca and Solo to the stormtroopers . Unbeknownst to the Imperials , Solo noticed the " Miss Fortune " making their way to save them , but with the magnetic field activated , it would be pointless . Once aware of Solo ' s intentions , Chewbacca pretended to be angry at Solo and shoved him , sending him flying into a trooper to grab his E - 11 blaster rifle and destroy the field generators , flooding the hangar with Cyrkon ' s toxic gases . Soon enough , the " Miss Fortune " opened fire at the Imperials , and Chewbacca made his way to the " Falcon " to start the engine s while Solo helped Ematt and recovered their weapons . Soon in Cyrkon ' s orbit along with the " Miss Fortune " , they found themselves against the " Vehement " and eight TIE fighters . They engaged the starfighter s , defeating several of them , until the " Miss Fortune " took a hit that damaged its navicomputer ; Chewbacca saw Solo ' s nobler side when he decided to cover the 1550 - LEX space yacht to make a run for Cyrkon ' s atmosphere just as the " Vehement " tractor beam advanced towards them . They resisted the beam by entering the planet ' s atmosphere themselves , while Leighton fled , and approached Motok in a dead - engine glide , daring Beck into catching the " Falcon " at the price of destroying the city with the tractor beam and turning Cyrkon against the Empire . As she desisted , the " Falcon " began its fall to the ground and the two pilots manually restarted the engines , just in time to avoid crashing into the city and escape . Andelm IV . Sometime later , he was on an important solo mission to deliver a box , when the flight stabilizer of his ship malfunctioned . Forced to crash - land on Andelm IV , Chewbacca went to a city to obtain a replacement and engaged a Besalisk vendor . Their deal was interrupted by a fugitive young girl , Zarro , who tried to sell her stolen speeder bike . The Besalisk , however , refused and tried to betray her to the planet ' s crime lord , Jaum . Chewbacca stopped him , though , by having the Besalisk sell him the stabilizer . However , he did not have enough credits to buy it . Subsequently , he went to a cantina and played sabacc , successfully doubling his credits . Chewbacca then noticed the girl from before , and helped her hide from Jaum ' s men . Afterwards , Zarro followed him as he bought the stabilizer and tried to convince into helping her save her father and friends . Unable to delay his mission , Chewbacca repaired his ship , and changed his mind to leave the planet when Zarro mentioned her people had been enslaved by Jaum . Unknown to Chewie and Zarro , Jaum was planning to export the Andelm beetle larvae to the Empire to be processed into Dedlanite , a substance used in the manufacture of blaster s . To maximise profits , Jaum also planned to sell his slave workforce to the Empire . The following day , Zarro devised a plan to infiltrate Jaum ' s mine . She got Chewbacca to search for an open air vent for the slave miner s to escape . Meanwhile , Zarro infiltrated the mine by allowing herself to be recaptured . Her plan was to locate a hollowed part of the mine . Keeping in touch by transmitter , Zarro told Chewie to find an open air vent . While struggling through the tunnel , the Wookiee was haunted by memories of his enslavement at the hands of the Trandoshans . Zarro ' s escape plan encountered a problem when she was caught by Jaum and his men . After the miners including Zarro ' s father Arrax objected to Jaum ' s plan , the gangster ordered his men to execute the miners . Before Jaum ' s guards could carry out their execution , Chewie snuck up behind them and overpowered them with his bowcaster . After meeting Zarro ' s father , Chewie joined forces with the miners to fight their way out of the mine . He refashioned a rod from a broken - down GNK - series power droid and used it to disable a wheeled battle droid . Shortly later , the Wookiee knocked out one of Jaum ' s henchmen with the derelict GNK power droid . Chewie eventually found his way to the mine ' s loading bay , which was full of crates of Andelm beetle larvae . However , Jaum ' s Shistavanen enforcer Tyvak fired on the incendiary larvae with his blaster , igniting an explosion that created a cave - in . Despite Tyvak ' s efforts , Chewie and his friends managed to survive the explosion . Part of the Wookiee ' s left leg was scorched by fire but Zarro managed to douse it . Chewie and his friends then narrowly escaped a swarm of Andelm beetles . Chewie managed to used his bowcaster to collapse a girder , temporarily delaying the swarm but denying the miners their only way out in the process . While heading to regroup with the other miners in a different section of the mine , Chewie encountered the guard he had knocked out with the GNK power droid . Upon recognizing the guard , he dropped the heavy droid chassis on the man , leaving him behind . While the miners discussed a way of digging themselves out of the mine , Chewie came up with the idea of climbing out vertically through a sinkhole . While skeptical of the Wookiee ' s chance of success , the miners and Zarro agreed to support his plan . With much effort , Chewie managed to climb through the roots of a dead tree and topple it , creating a pit large enough for all the miners to climb up . Chewie then lowered a rope for all the miners to evacuate . Once everyone had reached the surface , Chewie and Zarro departed under the pretext of repairing his A - wing starfighter . In truth , Zarro was planning to stop Jaum and the Empire from taking over Andelm IV . Enlisting Chewie ' s support , they traveled to the planet ' s spaceport . There , they found a bunker that was inhabited by her blind friend Sevox and his protocol droid I - 7 , who served as the " eyes " of the former . After examining Sevox ' s junkshop , Chewbacca came up with a plan to sabotage Jaum ' s plot to export Dedlanite to the Empire . this plan involved fitting a decrepit R5 repair droid with explosives . Sevox thought Chewie and Zarro ' s plan had little chance of success but nonetheless agreed to drop them off at the spaceport . He also offered his bunker as a hiding place for Zarro and her friend . After shooing away a group of child beggars , Chewie and Jaum infiltrated the spaceport disguised as Jaum ' s new war droid and a hooded alien . They soon discovered that the spaceport was being occupied by several stormtroopers , Scout trooper s , and an AT - ST walker . Shortly later , they found Jaum supervising several stormtroopers who were loading crates of dedlanite into an Imperial landing craft . When Jaum demanded that Zarro take off her helmet , Chewie opened fire on the gangster and his stormtroopers . After running out of ammunition , he took out the stormtroopers in hand to hand combat . While Chewie exchanged fire with Jaum , Zarro managed to bring the rigged R5 droid " Boomer " aboard the shuttle . Chewie then fought with Tyvak but was trapped by the AT - ST walker . The Wookiee however activated a nearby engine which burned Tyvak alive and knocked out the Imperial walker ' s right cannon , causing it to topple to the ground . Meanwhile , Jaum managed to escape aboard the landing craft with the dedlanite and " Boomer . " The two were overjoyed their plot had succeeded . However , their elation was short - lived and they were soon arrested by scout troopers reporting to the Imperial Commander Kai , the same officer who was interested in Jaum ' s dedlanite deal . Per Commander Kai ' s orders , Chewie and Zarro were transported up to Kai ' s Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit above Andelm IV . On the way up , Chewie and Zarro managed to overpower their stormtrooper captors aboard the Imperial shuttle . After landing , Chewie knocked out an Imperial RA - 7 protocol droid that Kai had sent to negotiate their surrender . After knocking out the remaining stormtroopers clinging to his body , Kai agreed to listen to Zarro . Zarro made up a story that Jaum was a fraudster who had come to scam Kai . She also claimed that he was a rebel spy and that he did not have a mining operation . To back up her story , Zarro told him that Jaum ' s " droid " " Boomer " was rigged with explosives . Shortly later , Jaum arrived carrying samples of dedlanite . Shortly later , Boomer exploded , destroying the landing craft and damaging the Star Destroyer ' s force - field . In the meantime , Chewie and Zarro managed to escape on a TIE / sa bomber . Despite Zarro accidentally activating a thermal detonator which destroyed the ship ' s left - wing , they managed to crash - land the bomber on Andelm IV . While Chewie turned down Zarro ' s request to stay behind with her people , he still gave her a hug and awarded her a gold medallion he had received for his services during the Battle of Yavin . After departing as friends , Chewie traveled on his A - wing to his homeworld of Kashyyyk . There , he returned to his village for a family reunion and awarded his child a bandolier . Shortly later , Chewie departed aboard the " Millennium Falcon " . Meanwhile , Jaum was imprisoned by Commander Kai , who was disgusted by Jaum ' s greed and his alleged scam . He had the gangster tortured by his IT - O Interrogator . Cymoon 1 . Chewbacca took part in an assault on Weapons Factory Alpha , on the moon Cymoon 1 , alongside the usual team — Solo , Organa , Skywalker , C - 3PO and R2 - D2 — , with Solo posing as the envoy of Jabba the Hutt to enter the factory , Skywalker and Organa disguised as his bodyguards , along with R2 - D2 . Separately , Chewbacca and C - 3PO landed the " Falcon " in the refuse fields surrounding the factory , with the latter going to a vantage point to observe through the scope of his sniper rifle how Solo engaged Overseer Aggadeen and entered the facilities . Unexpectedly , though , Darth Vader arrived on a " Lambda " - class T - 4a shuttle , and Chewbacca contacted Solo , telling him to stand down , for firing on the Sith Lord would put the entire moon on alert , but Organa gave the order to take the shot . Chewbacca consented and fired , but Vader sensed danger and deflected the first shot with his lightsaber . He continued shooting , but the Sith Lord had lifted two stormtroopers into the air using the Force and used them as human shields , only for him to topple the building Chewbacca was perched upon . Though it collapsed , the Wookiee escaped from the wreckage . Now being hunted down , Chewbacca lost contact with the team as he made his way to the " Falcon " . When he arrived , he discovered C - 3PO in pieces strapped and the freighter being dismantled by tentacled aliens . Angered , Chewbacca chased the scavenger away , recovered the protocol droid and made contact with Solo , who along Organa had hijacked an AT - AT and were escaping from Vader . Despite the lengthy time he needed to fix the ship , Chewbacca repaired enough of the " Falcon " damage to pilot it to the team ' s position , where he extracted them and many of the slaves Skywalker had freed . As they began their retreat from Cymoon 1 , Organa took over the controls instead of a delirious Solo , so that Chewbacca could repair the hyperdrive , which he managed to do , so that Organa could make the jump into lightspeed and escape a blockade of Star Destroyers . Nar Shaddaa . Within two days , the " Millennium Falcon " rendezvoused with the Alliance Fleet , where Solo was treated for his injuries and Chewbacca and Solo went on to better repair the " Falcon " on an Alliance Nebulon - B frigate , when the Corellian noted that it had been a miracle that the ship had flown with Chewbacca ' s rushed repairs , prompting an annoyed reply from the Wookiee , while they strived to repair the " Falcon " . The need for new parts prompted Solo to go on a mission with Organa , leaving Chewbacca behind with the freighter . However , when he heard that Skywalker had been captured by Grakkus the Hutt on Nar Shaddaa , he volunteered for the rescue mission before Chancellor Mon Mothma , and Generals Jan Dodonna and Gial Ackbar of the Alliance High Command . Taking C - 3PO with him , Chewbacca took the " Falcon " to the moon , wherein the droid did the talking , and the Wookiee used more violent means to interrogate the criminals in search of Skywalker . It would be a Zabrak bartender who told them of Skywalker ' s location on Grakkus ' s palace and his direction , and Chewbacca and C - 3PO set out to Skywalker ' s encounter . Hoth . Now full - fledged members of the Rebel Alliance , and following a dangerous run - in with bounty hunter on Ord Mantell , Chewbacca accompanied Solo to Hoth , for they had been assigned to the newly - established Echo Base , where Chewbacca would be effecting repairs on the " Millennium Falcon " to pay their debt to Jabba once and for all . While at Echo Base , Chewbacca was assigned to digging corridors by Organa . On one of these assingments , Chewbacca dug into a cave occupied by a wampa . The beast captured him and held him hostage . After not checking in , Leia and Artoo started looking for him . They found a scared Chewbacca clutched in the hands of the sleeping wampa . Organa ' s attempted rescue of Chewbacca ended with the wampa waking up . The wookiee ran to repair the door , which led to the uncovered cave with Artoo , while Leia acted as a distraction . At the last minute , Chewbacca finished his job on the door , and with Organa back inside , he closed it and trapped the woken beast in the cave . Chewbacca ' s repairs on the " Falcon " were when Solo had to venture outside during Hoth ' s night to rescue Skywalker . Soon afterwards , Chewbacca and Solo destroyed an Imperial probe droid , but could not prevent it from transmitting information back to the Empire , revealing the location of the hidden Rebel base . The Empire consequently launched an all - out assault on the planet , forcing Chewbacca , Solo , Organa and C - 3PO to flee on the " Millennium Falcon " . However , with the " Falcon " damaged hyperdrive , they were unable to leave the system and escape the Imperial blockade , which prompted Solo to pilot the ship into a nearby asteroid field , hoping that the Imperials would be unwilling to follow them there . Evading several pursuing TIE fighters , they landed the ship inside a cave of a large asteroid , where they hoped to hide from Imperial forces and complete repairs . While waiting inside the cavern , Chewbacca continued to repair the freighter until mynock s attacked it ; soon , they realized the cave was in fact the inside of a space slug , forcing them to flee . The " Falcon " was subsequently attacked by the Imperial Star Destroyer " Avenger " , but with a maneuver devised by Solo , they were able to avoid the vessel and fled to Cloud City on the gas giant Bespin , where they would request help from Calrissian , an old acquaintenance of Han ' s . Unbeknownst to them , they were followed by the bounty hunter Boba Fett . Cloud City . Upon arrival to Cloud City , the group was welcomed by Calrissian , and spent a few days until the " Falcon " was repaired . However , they grew increasingly suspicious , especially after C - 3PO disappeared . Chewbacca took on task of finding the missing protocol droid , eventually rescuing him from a junk pile . After a scuffle with some Ugnaught workers , he brought the droid back to Organa and Solo , when Calrissian invited them to enjoy some refreshments . In truth , it was a meeting with Darth Vader , who had arrived to Cloud City before the Rebel team did and forced Calrissian into a deal to have them imprisoned . Separated from the others , Chewbacca began to partially reassemble C - 3PO , when Solo was escorted back by stormtroopers , having been torture d by Vader , with Organa . They were eventually brought to Calrissian ' s carbon - freezing facilities where Solo was to be frozen in carbonite to test it before Skywalker arrived , for Vader desired to encase Skywalker in carbonite and present him to the Emperor . Though Chewbacca tried to fight , wanting to protect his old friend , Solo calmed him down , asking him to save his strength for another day . The Wookiee then relented and allowed himself to be placed in stuncuffs as Solo was marched off and frozen . As Chewbacca and Organa being escorted to Vader ' s ship , Calrissian , who was growing increasingly dissatisfied with Vader ' s deal , betrayed the Sith Lord and freed the two . Chewbacca , though , was not quick to trust him and reacted violently , choking him . The princess was able to calm him enough for Calrissian to inform them that Boba Fett was about to leave Cloud City carrying the carbonite - frozen Solo . Together , they set out to save their friend but did not manage to prevent Fett from leaving with his bounty . The team then boarded the " Falcon " to escape the city , briefly returning to save Skywalker , who had fought and lost a duel on Cloud City with the Sith Lord . Subsequently , the group made their escape back to the Alliance Fleet , where they parted ways — Organa , Skywalker and the droids remained with the fleet , whereas Chewbacca and Calrissian set out to find Fett and Jabba to rescue Solo . Solo ' s rescue . Aware of Solo ' s location on Jabba ' s Palace , the team gradually infiltrated the fortress to rescue the Corellian : First , Calrissian infiltrated as a guard , then the droids as Skywalker ' s " gift " , then Leia Organa posing as the bounty hunter Boushh with Chewbacca as her quarry ; she convinced Jabba with a thermal detonator , so the Hutt had Chewbacca imprisoned . That night , Organa freed Solo from his encasement at the cost of her freedom , for Jabba had caught her red - handed , and whereas the princess was to remain at the Hutt ' s side , Solo was thrown in a cell together with Chewbacca , who gave him a passionate embrace , happy to reunite with his old friend , and told him that Skywalker would free them with the skills he had learned as a Jedi Knight . Skywalker did indeed arrive and requested an audience with Jabba by influencing the crime lord ' s major - domus Bib Fortuna . After Skywalker was pit against Jabba ' s rancor and defeated it , the enraged Hutt ordered the execution of Chewbacca , Solo and Skywalker by casting them into the Great Pit of Carkoon in the Dune Sea , to be devoured by the sarlacc that resided there . Brought to the pit in a skiff , Skywalker recovered his new lightsaber and freed Chewbacca and Solo from their bonds . However , one of Jabba ' s staff fired at them , injuring Chewbacca , and leaving the near - blind Solo to rescue Calrissian from falling into the pit . While Organa assassinated Jabba himself , the group went on to slay the rest of the Hutt ' s henchmen , before destroying the crime lord ' s sail barge and returning to the Rebel Fleet aboard the " Falcon " . Endor . On the meeting to debrief the Alliance on the plan to destroy the second Death Star , Chewbacca volunteered for a mission to destroy the shield generator on the forest moon of Endor , intent on following Solo , newly - appointed General of the Alliance . Joined by Organa , Skywalker , C - 3PO and R2 - D2 , the strike team approached the moon aboard the captured Imperial shuttle " Tydirium " , with Chewbacca piloting the ship . As the team waited to be cleared to land by the Star Dreadnought " Executor " which was overseeing the blockade of the moon , Solo urged the Wookiee to " fly casual " , landing only after they were granted access by Darth Vader . On the moon , they advanced through the forest and encountered Imperial scout s , to whom Solo accidentally reveal their position . Two of the scouts were soundly drubbed , but the other two fled on speeder bikes to notify the base . They were stopped by Organa and Skywalker , who were separated , prompting Chewbacca , Solo , the droids and Skywalker to search for her while the rest of the Rebel team made their way to the generator , to rendezvous with them the next morning . During their search , Chewbacca came across a dead animal on a stake , which proved irresistible bait to him . He pulled at it , springing a trap that ensnared the entire group , thus resulting in the team being captured by Ewok s . Chewbacca was forced to surrender his bowcaster and was tied to a large pole , whereas C - 3PO was treated like a deity , and the group was transported to Bright Tree Village to become part of the banquet in C - 3PO ' s honor . However , Skywalker tricked the Ewoks into thinking C - 3PO had unleashed his " magic " by levitating him with the Force , which prompted the Ewoks to release them at once . Later that night , after C - 3PO ' s retelling of the events of Yavin and Cloud City , Chief Chirpa declared them all part of their tribe , with one Ewok giving Chewbacca an enthusiastic hug . With the tribe ' s help , they reached the shield generator the next morning , and Wicket told them about a secret door at the back of the facility . Chewbacca accompanied the others and successfully entered the Imperial base . However , Emperor Palpatine was aware of their plans , as were the Imperial forces stationed at the moon , who swiftly captured them as the assault against the Death Star above began . A surprise attack by the Ewoks , however , scattered the Imperial troops , distracting them long enough for Organa and Solo to take positions at the base ' s door , and for Chewbacca to steal an AT - ST with the help of two Ewoks . Using the commandeered walker , they reached the generator ' s back entrance , where Solo boarded the Imperial transport to broadcast a message to the generator ' s personnel while posing as an Imperial officer , thereby tricking the installation ' s crew into opening the door . Thanks to the success of Han Solo ' s ploy , the Rebel forces , Chewbacca among them , stormed the bunker , detonating explosive charges and disabling the shield generator , allowing Calrissian , Nien Nunb and Wedge Antilles to destroy the Death Star above . Chewbacca looked to the sky and cheered as he witnessed the final destruction of the battle station and , later that night , he celebrated at Bright Tree Village over a bonfire ; Chewbacca danced in triumph along with his friends , old and new . During the celebration , Calrissian told Solo and Chewbacca that the " Falcon " sensor dish had been lost during the struggle , when Shara Bey asked him about the Pathfinders ' location , to reunite with her husband , Kes Dameron . Shattering the Empire . Following the Battle of Endor , Chewbacca would join Han and their rebel companions in the Rebel Alliance ' s struggle against the remnants of the Empire . The morning after , he would take part in the assault on an Imperial holdout on far side of Endor , the Rebels hitting the base hard and fast , and entering to find their computer s with data that signaled the war was not over yet . Twenty days or so later , Chewbacca participated alongside Solo , C - 3PO , Kes Dameron , Sakas and other Rebel troops on a raid on an ISB black site at the Wretch of Tayron . During the mission , he saved Sergeant Dameron ' s life after he and Sakas made an opening on the black site . Chewbacca also fetched C - 3PO , who had fallen behind , to enter the facility and slice its computers . The group then became aware of the concurrent and contacted Calrissian to deploy the Alliance Fleet so as to successfully aid the besieged Naboo . New Republic . Return to Kashyyyk . False starts . Now agents of the New Republic , just as Wedge Antilles set out on a reconnaissance mission that took him to Akiva , Chewbacca and Solo went on their own mission to find the Empire ' s supply lines , during which they visited several planets , including Ord Mantell , Ando Prime , Kara - bin and finally Dasoor . However , Chewbacca was forced to remain on the " Falcon " , while Solo investigated on his own ; having grown bored , he got to messing around with the ship ' s navigation system , trying to chase down a glitch that had been screwing up the hyperspace drive . Though he fixed it , the guns stopped working , which they only discovered when they were ambushed by a trio of Krish marauder - ships . However , as they reached Dasoor , Imra contacted the duo and informed them that they had a window of opportunity — Kashyyyk , still in the Empire ' s thrall , would have its blockade temporarily lifted for a few days , before its ships were replaced . Seeing Chewbacca ' s anxiety , Solo told Imra to gather any underworld scoundrel who owed him a favor , anyone who hated the Empire , and others in the false promise that they would obtain full pardons from the Republic , whereas Chewbacca was tasked to contact the Wookiee mercenaries , among them Roshyk , Hrrgn , and Kirratha . When Han ' s wife Leia learned about Han Solo ' s hastily - improvised plan , she tried to advice her husband and Chewie not to trust Imra . However , Han and Chewie were determined to proceed with their campaign to liberate Kashyyyk . Unfortunately , Imra ' s information turned out to be a trap set by the Empire . While Chewbacca attempted to board a gunship captained by Kirratha , they were attacked by two Star Destroyers and several TIE fighters . The Imperials shot out Kirratha ' s engines , leaving Chewie and Kirratha stranded in space . Han managed to escape but Chewbacca was captured and locked inside the automated Imperial prison Ashmead ' s Lock in the jungles of Kashyyyk . Solo traveled through Wild Space on the " Millennium Falcon " in attempt to find a way to free his friend . Escaping Ashmead ' s Lock . Later , Solo discovered that Ashmead ' s Lock had been designed by the Siniteen architect Golas Aram , who resided on a secluded compound in the planet Irudiru . Han was joined by a team of rebels consisting of the New Republic starfighter pilot Norra Wexley , her son Temmin Wexley , his battle droid Mister Bones , the former Imperial loyalty officer Sinjir Rath Velus , the Zabrak bounty hunter Jas Emari , and the New Republic soldier Jom Barell . Norra and her team had been sent by Pricness Leia to rescue Han . Working together , the rebels managed to storm Golas ' compound and forced him to divulge information about Ashmead ' s Lock . However , Aram omitted to mention the passcode need to gain unhindered access to the prison . Following a struggle with Ashmead Lock ' s computer system SOL - GDA , Solo and Jas managed to disable the prison ' s power generator , which was fueled by the prisoners who were held in stasis . Solo managed to free Chewbacca and a hundred other prisoners including Norra ' s husband and Temmin ' s father Brentin Lore Wexley . Following an emotional reunion , Chewbacca stayed behind with Solo , Sinjir , Jas , and Jom while Norra , Temmin , and Mister Bones returned with the other liberated prisoners to the New Republic capital of Chandrila . Liberation of Kashyyyk . For the next month , Han and Chewie organized a campaign to hunt down Grand Moff Lozen Tolruck , the governor of Kashyyyk . Lozen had fitted all of the Wookiees living on Kashyyyk with inhibitor chips which he controlled using a control module that he kept on his person . In order to defeat Grand Moff Tolruck , Chewie and his rebel allies devoted their time to finding Tolruck ' s island fortress . Jas also recruited more Wookiee exiles and smugglers for their planned uprising . During this time , Jom was captured and imprisoned by Tolruck . While Chewie , Han , and the rest of the team infiltrated Camp Sardo , Sinjir infiltrated Tolruck ' s palace disguised as an Imperial officer . Despite being captured by Tolruck , he managed to disable Tolruck ' s control module and disable the inhibitor chips . This set off a mass Wookiee uprising all over Kashyyyk . Meanwhile , Chewie and his team fought off a Low - altitude Imperial transport while Jas destroyed Camp Sardo ' s deflector shield generator . With the aid of Han ' s rebel forces , the Wookiees managed to overwhelm the meager Imperial garrison on Kashyyyk . After Grand Moff Tolruck summoned the three orbiting Imperial Star Destroyers to bombard Kashyyyk , Chewie and his fellow rebels helped usher the liberated Wookiees into underground shelters . In response , Chewbacca along with Han , Sinjir , and Jom Barell traveled aboard the Star Destroyer " Dominion " . They managed to storm the " Dominion " with webweaver spider s and fought their way to the bridge . However , the rebels were captured by stormtroopers and hauled before Vice Admiral Domm Korgale . Before Korgale could deal with the prisoners , New Republic reinforcements arrived in the form of Princess Leia aboard the " Millennium Falcon " , Captain Wedge Antilles and his Phantom Squadron , and Fleet Admiral Ackbar ' s flagship " Home One " . Chewbacca and his allies managed to break free from their captors and seize control of the " Dominion " . They then used the " Dominion " cannons to destroy the nearby " Vitiator " . As a result , the remaining Imperial Star Destroyer " Neutralizer " capitulated to the New Republic . Following the liberation of Kashyyyk , Chewbacca stayed behind to reunite with his family at the insistence of Han Solo . Solo then left on the " Millennium Falcon " to look after his wife and his unborn son Ben Solo . Reunion with Waroo . In the successive months , Chewbacca took part in mopping up operations against the remaining Imperial holdouts on Kashyyyk . While accompanying Greybok and several New Republic soldiers on one such operation , they stumbled upon Commandant Dessard and several Imperial soldiers preparing to execute an escaped Wookiee slave who turned out to be Chewbacca ' s son Lumpawaroo . The Wookiees and New Republic soldiers killed Dessard ' s men and took the officer prisoner . Chewie personally restrained Dessard by stepping over the commandant and placing a tree - trunk led on his back , forcing him to the ground . Chewbacca then experienced an emotional reunion with his lost son , who had been forced to work at a child labor camp on the slopes of Mount Arayakyak . Peaceful retirement . Once Kashyyyk was freed from the Imperials , Chewbacca returned to his homeworld and reestablished connections with his family . He settled back into a peaceful domestic life on his homeworld but kept in touch with his old friend Han Solo , who had become the business owner of a shipping company and the manager of a series of prestigious piloting championships known as the Five Sabers . Chewbacca had infrequent contact with Solo ' s wife Leia Organa , who had become a leading Populist senator in the New Republic ' s Galactic Senate . Following the Napkin Bombing , Chewbacca sent a message via hologram to Senator Organa to wish her good recovery . After revelations about Leia ' s true parentage as the daughter of Darth Vader destroyed her political career , Chewie along with other former Rebel Alliance veterans like Ackbar , Nunb , Calrissian , and Mothma sent messages of supported to the embattled senator . Despite his peaceful retirement , Chewbacca decided to join him when Han Solo resumed his smuggling activities . Fortunately , the strong familial bonds and the extended lifespan of the Wookiees allowed him to spend decades away from his people . Smuggler ' s Run . Chewbacca and Solo continued their partnership . Chewbacca would keep an eye out for him , including one time during which Solo engaged a trio of bounty hunters — Strater , Hove , and Rigger — sent to capture him on the " Serendipity " cantina , and told them about their mission to Cyrkon before they realized who he was . Once they were aware of Solo ' s identity , Chewbacca sneaked behind them and took hold of Rigger , only to send him flying to the " Serendipity " door and knock Strater out with a punch , while Solo disarmed Bobbie . Then , the Corellian told them to warn their possible employers ( Gannis Ducain , the Irving Boys , the Guavians , etc . ) that they were not afraid of them , before saying goodbye to Leighton and leaving the bar together . Cold war . Recovering the Millennium Falcon . At some point during the 30 years after the Battle of Endor , the " Millennium Falcon " was stolen from Han and Chewbacca , at the age of 234 , and they were using a " Baleen " - class heavy freighter , the " Eravana " , for their smuggling operations . They eventually recovered the " Falcon " using their freighter ' s tractor beam after it was found floating in space not too far from the planet Jakku . Upon boarding their old vessel , Han and Chewie went about inspecting their ship and found the Jakku scavenger Rey and the defecting stormtrooper Finn hiding , who Han assumed were the thieves that had stolen the " Falcon " . When Rey and Finn explained that they were going to take a droid named BB - 8 to the Resistance as he had a map that would reveal Luke ' s location , Han and Chewie agreed to help them . Unfortunately , their freighter was boarded by two notorious criminal factions , the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub , that had hired Solo on previous jobs , jobs which he had failed to complete . Not wanting Rey and Finn to be involved , Han placed both of them in the lower corridors of the freighter while he and Chewie went to meet with the criminals , with BB - 8 accompanying them . The smuggler tried but failed to convince both parties that he would fix things eventually , with the Guavian Death Gang negotiator , Bala - Tik recognizing the BB - 8 astromech droid from a First Order bounty placed on it . They demanded that Han hand over the droid and any stowaways he might have on board . As the scuffle continued , Rey accidentally released three rathtar s . Han , Chewie , Finn , Rey , and BB - 8 managed to escape the gangs and jumped into hyperspace in the " Falcon " , though Chewie was injured from a blaster shot during the escape . Confronting the First Order . Chewbacca accompanied Han , Rey , Finn , and BB - 8 to meet with Maz . After the First Order was tipped off that BB - 8 was with them , they attacked Maz ' s castle . During the fighting at the castle , despite killing multiple stormtroopers , Han , Chewbacca , and Finn were captured by the First Order . However , the Resistance had also been tipped off , and Resistance T - 70 X - wing fighter s led by Poe Dameron arrived to fight the First Order . A fierce dogfight ensued and resulted in the destruction of many First Order TIEs and the deaths of many stormtroopers from X - wing strafing runs . Ren ordered the First Order to pull out , saying they had what they came for . As the battle raged on above the castle , the remaining First Order troops boarded their ships and retreated , taking the captured and unconscious Rey along with them . Despite the First Order being driven off , Han witnessed Kylo Ren carrying Rey away . The remaining " Falcon " crew then rendezvoused with the Resistance at their home base . There Chewbacca ' s wounds were treated by Resistance doctor , Major Harter Kalonia . As Starkiller Base prepared to wipe out the world of D ' Qar , the site of the Resistance ' s headquarters , the Resistance planned an attack of their own . Finn had given them the Base ' s blueprints , which revealed a critical weak point - a thermal oscillator - that , if destroyed , would eliminate the Base . However , they would need to do it before the base fully charged its weapon . Han Solo piloted the " Falcon " to Starkiller Base accompanied by Chewbacca and Finn . Their objective was to disable the shields and allow the X - Wing squadron to strike , although Finn ' s main objective was to rescue Rey . Flying through the shields at lightspeed , the Falcon landed roughly on the edge of a cliff . Han , Chewbacca , and Finn snuck into the main base and captured Captain Phasma , who they forced to disable the shields before disposing her in a garbage chute . They reunited with Rey , who had already escaped on her own . With the shields down , Blue Squadron and Red Squadron led by Poe Dameron commenced their assault . They fired on the base ' s weakpoint , but failed to destroy it as the First Order sent TIE Fighters to stage a counterattack and throw the Resistance into chaos . Seeing this , Han , Chewbacca , Finn , and Rey tried to create an opening by planting thermal detonators inside the base . Han then confronted his son , Kylo Ren , named Ben Solo at birth , on a bridge over a large pit , pleading with his son to reject Snoke and return to the light side of the Force . Ben , removing his mask and seeming almost regretful , handed his lightsaber to Solo , and asked for his father ' s help , in which Solo replied that he would do anything for him . Ben then thrust his weapon through Han ' s chest . Witnessed by Rey , Finn , and Chewbacca , Han stroked his son ' s face for the last time , before falling to his death . Howling in fury , Chewbacca fired on Ren with his bowcaster , while Finn and Rey also fired on Ren and the surrounding stormtroopers . Chewbacca managed to land a hit on Ren ' s waist with his bowcaster , injuring him , but Ren managed to chase them out of the base . Chewbacca then detonated the charges , allowing Poe to fly in and destroy the base ' s weak point thirty seconds before it drained the sun to charge the superweapon . This caused a chain reaction to go off , which destroyed the base and leveled the entire planet ' s terrain . Following the confrontation with Kylo Ren , who was overpowered and wounded by Rey , Chewbacca arrived with the " Millennium Falcon " to rescue the scavenger and Finn , who was severely wounded by Ren . They and the remainder of the Resistance fleet managed to escape Starkiller Base as it erupted into a star , and entered hyperspace to return to D ' Qar . The Resistance celebrated their victory while Leia , Chewbacca , and Rey mourned Han ' s death . R2 - D2 suddenly awoke and revealed that he held the map to Luke ' s location , with the only piece of the map missing being the one BB - 8 was given by Poe . Together they completed the map and revealed the location of the planet on which Luke Skywalker was hiding . Using this , Chewbacca , R2 - D2 , and Rey flew aboard the " Falcon " to Ahch - To , where Luke was exiled . Time on Ahch - To . After Rey tried and failed to recruit Luke Skywalker , Chewie greeted his old ally aboard the " Millennium Falcon " , with Luke growing unnerved upon learning of Han Solo ' s demise . Later that evening , Chewie caught and roasted two porg s for dinner , but relented when their brethren approached him , watching sadly . During the Battle of Crait between the remaining forces of the Resistance and a First Order invasion army , Chewbacca piloted the " Millennium Falcon " , using it to lure the Order ' s TIE fighters away from a force of Resistance ski speeders . After the battle , he landed the ship and used it to evacuate the surviving members of the Resistance . Personality and traits . Known for his great strength , bravery and loyalty , Chewbacca often served as Solo ' s conscience in their smuggling endeavors , which made people trust him more than they did Solo . However , he was also known for his stubbornness and dislike of losing . He would also show no qualms about using violence as a means to achieve his goals , but he certainly never killed without a good reason . As a Wookiee , Chewbacca knew passion and thus , the Rebellion , and would have stood with them from the beginning , if not for Solo and the " Falcon " ; he would not abandon them as he was bound to both , as they were to him . Few people knew that he had a mushy heart under his warrior exterior . Sometimes , when he was bored , he would " mess around " with the " Falcon " navigation system . When his friend Han Solo briefly went missing while conducting a night time search and rescue mission on the planet Hoth , Chewbacca was visibly upset and worried while he awaited Solo ' s return . Later , when Solo was to be encased in carbonite in Cloud City , he tried to fight to save him despite the presence of the Sith Lord Darth Vader and an Imperial security detail . Chewbacca ' s desire to free his family and people led him to take part in Han Solo ' s campaign to liberate Kashyyyk from Imperial rule . He came up with the idea of using webweaver spiders to storm the Star Destroyer " Dominion " . Chewbacca loved his wife Malla and son Lumpawaroo , who had been separated from him by the Empire . He and his son experienced an emotional reunion during the liberation of Kashyyyk . Skills and abilities . Besides the characteristic strength of his species , Chewbacca possessed exceptional skills in piloting as well as mechanic repairs , from his experience of piloting the " Millennium Falcon " , of which he had a great understanding of the temperamental nature of its systems . Although not particularly meticulous , Chewbacca ' s technical skill allowed him to understand the inner workings of a great number of devices , including droids and transmitters , being able to build one out of a wrecked starship . Like many of his people , Chewbacca preferred their native bowcaster as his personal weapon . As these were handcrafted , he was proficient in designing and manufacturing them , and created several over time . The latest known bowcaster that he crafted was during the Imperial era . It was an unconventional design , as he had used the frame and power pack of a stormtrooper blaster . Behind the scenes . Chewbacca first appeared in . He had a major role in both of the subsequent films of the original trilogy , and , and also appeared in the prequel film . He was portrayed in all films by Peter Mayhew , who also reprised the role for and its sequel , . Finnish basketball coach and insurance salesman Joonas Suotamo doubled as Chewbacca for some of the more physical scenes in " The Force Awakens " , due to Mayhew ' s advanced age . In the non - canon crossover " " , Chewbacca is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker . Chewbacca was a major character in many stories of the Expanded Universe , the continuity now known as " Star Wars " Legends , but was killed off in the novel " " . Chewbacca ' s death in this publication was marked as Number One in the 2005 article " 20 Most Memorable Moments of the Expanded Universe " , published in the " Star Wars Insider " official magazine . On April 25 , 2014 , the Expanded Universe was declared non - canon as a whole , with the only elements considered canon being the original and prequel films , the television series " " , the that launched it , and most material released after that date . George Lucas placed off - limits the possibility to use Chewbacca in " The Clone Wars " when writer Henry Gilroy was writing the show bible , though he later appeared in the third season episode " Wookiee Hunt . " He was based on Indiana , an dog owned by George Lucas in the . There were many early versions of Chewbacca ' s appearance ( including one concept art that eventually became the basis of the Lasat ) . His final appearance in the movie is based on a 1976 piece of concept art by Ralph McQuarrie , which in turn was based on an illustration by John Schoenherr for George R . R . Martin ' s novelette " And Seven Times Never Kill a Man " , published in the July 1975 issue of Analog . The Schoenherr illustration also includes a weapon that became an inspiration for Chewbacca ' s bowcaster . For his appearances in the original trilogy , the Chewie suit , designed by Stuart Freeborn , was made out of knitted mohair ( made from goat and rabbit hair ) and yak hair . It would later be used and retouched during the making of for Senator Yarua . For his appearance in " Star Wars " : Episode III " Revenge of the Sith " , Chewbacca was completely remade , with newer , more efficient and cost - effective materials . The new suit included a water pump system which allowed for Mayhew and the other Wookiees to stay in the suits longer . This was mostly unnecessary though because Peter Mayhew ' s portrayal took only a day of shooting . The memorable voice of Chewbacca was designed by Ben Burtt , sound designer for all seven films . He mixed together various animal growls for different emotions , including those of walruses , bears , tigers , camels and badgers . The most prominent of these voices was a named Tarik , who died of congestive heart failure in 1994 .