Medal of Bravery/Legends

The Medal of Bravery was a golden military decoration awarded by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars and by Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. The Heroes of Yavin Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were amongst the Alliance recipients of the medal, during the Royal Award Ceremony that followed the destruction of the first Death Star in 0 BBY. That ceremony was held in the Grand Audience Chamber, an ancient structure located on the fourth moon of Yavin Prime, with hundreds of Alliance personnel attending the event.
==Description==
The Medal of Bravery shared the same design as the Medal of Alderaan, another award given out by the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
==History==
The Medal of Bravery existed as far back as the Clone Wars, a conflict fought between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Confederacy from 22 to 19 BBY. At least four copies of it were exposed in the Officers' Club of the Jedi Temple of Coruscant, the Republic's capital world.
More than twenty years later, the Medal of Bravery had become the highest military decoration awarded by the Alliance to Restore the Republic. It was made of goldStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel and attached to a brown ribbon, as it was designed to be draped over the head and worn around the neck. It was presented to members of the Alliance who had displayed a great feat of bravery in battle.
In 0 ABY, for their efforts in destroying the Death Star, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were awarded this honorable medal during the Royal Award Ceremony. At first, Solo was reluctant to accept the award, arguing that the ones who deserved medals were the ones who didn't make it back. Princess Leia Organa, who was asked to preside over the ceremony, was very moved by the Corellian smuggler's words, and she spoke to him as a comrade, prompting Solo to accept the award.
The medal presentation ceremony was held in the Grand Audience Chamber, the topmost room of the Great Temple, a huge ziggurat that hosted the Rebellion's primary base on the moon of Yavin 4. Chewbacca, who was Solo's best friend and copilot, did not receive a medal during the official ceremony, as Wookiees do not place any meaning in such tangible awards.Star Wars: Behind the Magic However, at the request of Solo, Chewbacca was presented with his own medal in private, during the feast that followed the ceremony. Princess Leia, who was too short to put it over the Wookiee's neck, stood on a table to award this final medal.
Some time after Arvel Crynyd's death in 4 ABY, which led to the destruction of the Star Dreadnought Executor, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Bravery.
==Behind the scenes==
The Medal of Bravery first appeared during the triumphal end sequence of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope in 1977. The ceremony scene emulates a similar segment in Triumph of the Will, a Nazi propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl in 1934.
Many fans expressed their unhappiness over the fact that Chewbacca was not awarded a medal at the end of the movie, although he was in the novelization. In an interview recorded shortly after the release of A New Hope, George Lucas explained that Wookiees do not care for medals. However, a large contingent of Alliance officers were sent to the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk for a memorable celebration."Q & A," Bantha Tracks #2 Despite this, however, he later claimed in an interview with the Official Star Wars Fan Club that Chewbacca did claim a medal, but not during the formal ceremony because Leia was too short.
In the early comic book The Day after the Death Star!, Chewbacca did receive a medal, but not at the same time as Solo and Skywalker. A panel shows Princess Leia standing on a table to award Chewbacca his medal at a party after the formal ceremony. Additionally, the non-canonical comic Tag & Bink Are Dead 2 depicts Tag Greenley and Bink Otauna finding a Medal of Bravery engraved with "Chewie" that was left behind in the Great Temple.Tag & Bink Are Dead 2
At the 1997 MTV Movie Awards, Chewbacca was given a Medal of Bravery by Carrie Fisher, who played Leia Organa throughout the original trilogy.
A lanyard acting as a replica of the Medal of Bravery was issued to visitors of Star Wars Weekends 2014.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars: The Old Republic 
*Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures
*Star Wars Journal: The Fight for Justice 
*Star Wars Journal: Captive to Evil
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*Star Wars: A New Hope novelization 
*Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope junior novelization
*The Star Wars Storybook 
*Star Wars: A Storybook
*Super Star Wars
*Star Wars (1977) 6 
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*Star Wars (1977) 62 
*Star Wars Journal: Hero for Hire 
===Non-canon appearances===
*Tag & Bink Are Dead 2
*LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
*LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
==Sources==
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*Star Wars Word Puzzles 
*The Star Wars Sourcebook 
*The Star Wars Sourcebook, Second Edition 
* Star Wars: The Power of the Force toy line (1995)
*The Essential Chronology
*The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia 
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Alliance to Restore the Republic awards
Category:Galactic Republic awards