Han Solo wouldn't have gotten half as far as he did if it weren't for his partner in crime Chewbacca. This towering Wookiee was every bit as helpful as he was a bull in a china shop, especially where the Empire was concerned. Most Star Wars fans knew only of Chewbacca by growing up with the original trilogy, but as the franchise expanded, so too did Chewie's role in galactic events.
He remains one of the coolest and most recognizable of the Star Wars characters, and the franchise would have suffered greatly in his absence. Here's ten of the biggest and best "Boss" moments in Chewbacca's extraordinary life. There are no negatives on this list, as nobody wished to have their arms pulled out of their sockets by an angry Wookiee.
Clone Wars Commander Days
Chewbacca may have spent his later years as a smuggler along with Han Solo, but there was a time when he held an esteemed position on Kashyyyk as a Republic commander during the Clone Wars. When the Separatist Army led by Count Dooku made a push on the inner systems, the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk was considered a tactical strong point.
Jedi Master Yoda traveled to Kashyyyk to help lead the Republic resistance against the Separatists, with some local help from Chewie. When Darth Sidious enacted Order 66, Chewie helped Yoda escape Kashyyyk and make safe age back to Coruscant.
His Fight With Han
When the Republic fell and the Empire rose from its ashes, the galaxy was put under the manacle of Darth Sidious and his plans for galactic conquest. The Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk went from a Republic ally to an Imperial slave planet in short order, and even Chewie could not escape.
Imperial academy flunk-out Han Solo managed to find his way into an Imperial prison pit where he was to be killed by "the beast," which turned out to be Han himself. Thinking he was just another evil Imperial, Chewie began thrashing Han before the two managed to communicate and find a way to escape. It was the start of a hilarious yet heartwarming partnership between a towering Wookiee and one of the best space pilots in the galaxy.
Freeing The Slaves
One of Han and Chewie's first jobs together was a Kessel run where they were to steal a material known as coaxium and score crewmate Beckett a reprieve. Things go according to plan until an opportunity arises to spark a slave revolt within the Kessel mines.
When Chewie sees scores of slaves under brutal enslavement, he takes the opportunity to launch into battle to free them. His anger, rage, and immense strength prove to be a formidable combination that would aid both himself and Han throughout the years to come.
Intimidating C-3PO
Han and Chewie reluctantly took a enger contract from Obi-Wan Kenobi in a last-ditch effort to pay off Jabba the Hutt, and that included future friend Luke Skywalker and his two droids C-3PO and R2-D2. After barely making it off of Tatooine alive, Han set course for Alderaan.
During the long hyperspace voyage, R2 decided to have a game of Dejarik with Chewbacca, and proved to be a bit too formidable an opponent. When Chewie threw a tamper tantrum, the hilariously obnoxious Threepio scolded him for being a sore loser. That is until Han told him that Wookiees were known to pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose.
Alerting The Probe Droid
Chewbacca wasn't afraid of much (except Imperial garbage chutes, apparently), and he didn't think twice before throwing himself into a fight. After all, he had years of experience as a warrior on Kashyyyk, and his adventures with Han Solo helped season his skill set.
When an Imperial probe droid landed on Hoth and began snooping around the hidden Rebel base during the events of the iconic The Empire Strikes Back, Han and Chewie set out to intercept it. Chewie immediately displayed aggression which distracted the droid long enough for Han to start firing at it from behind, triggering its self-destruct mechanism.
Attacking Stormtroopers On Bespin
Han Solo was to be the test subject for an ancient method of preservation known as carbon freeze - a risky procedure that could place a human into suspended animation. It was a risky technique once used by pre-Republic spacefarers who first began charting the Star Wars galaxy.
Darth Vader's plan was to freeze Luke Skywalker in carbonite for a trip to the Emperor, but he had to be sure the process would work. Before Han was lowered in, Chewie got became angry and attacked the stormtroopers outright, risking being shot in the process.
Strangling Lando
Han, Leia, Chewie, and Threepio barely escaped the clutches of the Empire when they managed to find a safe haven on Bespin, or so they thought. They fled to Cloud City, which was under the direction of Han's old smuggling buddy Lando Calrissian, but Vader had already arrived to prepare.
After taking them prisoner, Vader had Han Solo frozen in carbonite as a test subject before ordering Leia and Chewie onto his ship. Lando managed to free them and plan retaliation, but neither Chewie nor Leia trusted him. The former began choking Lando to death in anger for what happened to Han, but a chance to save Han from the clutches of Boba Fett was enough to get Chewie to let go.
Calling The Shots
Lando, Leia, Chewie, and the droids barely managed to escape Cloud City before Leia received a premonition that Luke was in trouble. As he clung to life on a girder at the bottom of Cloud City, he used the Force to project outwards and communicate with her.
When Leia ordered the Millennium Falcon to turn around and pick him up, Lando thought it was a suicide move. After trying to protest, Chewie roared at him in a threatening manner to get him to back down, and they turned the ship around to go after Luke.
Beading A Scout Trooper
Chewie might have been a lumbering, hairy giant, but he knew a thing or two about technology and weapons. He was also an excellent shot, as evidenced by his skill with a bowcaster. This skill came in handy on the forest moon of Endor when he ed a team sent to blow up the second Death Star's shield generator.
Once on Endor, the plan was to remain quiet, but when Han gave away their position by accident, a scout trooper jumped onto a speeder bike and attempted to flee for help. Before he was out of range, Chewie took aim and blasted him clear off the bike in one of his most excellent "Boss" moments.
Throwing An AT-ST Pilot Out Of The Cockpit
The AT-ST walkers gave the Imperial forces a huge advantage during the battle on Endor, and it took the combined efforts of the Rebels and the furry native Ewoks to stand a chance of winning. Chewie realized he could even up those odds if he were able to commandeer an AT-ST and turned it on the Imperials.
Chewie swung through the trees on a vine along with two Ewoks and landed on the roof of an AT-ST where the furry critters distracted the pilots. When one of them opened up the hatch to see what was going on, Chewie grabbed him by the collar and threw him off the walker before they managed to take control of it.
