Wookiee
Encyclopedia
Wookiees are a species of bipeds in the Star Wars
universe. The most notable Wookiee is Chewbacca
, a companion to Han Solo
.
). "He was the prototype for the Wookiee. He always sat beside me in the car. He was big, a big bear of a dog." During the climactic chase scene in THX 1138
, one of the robotic cops, voiced by actor Terry McGovern
, says: "I think I ran over a wookiee back there.", and thus the word was born.
In one episode of Animal Planet
's series Animal Icons
, focusing on the creating of Star Wars figures, it was revealed that the Wookiees were also based on orangutan
s. With the orangutan as a reference, they found it possible to have a long-haired creature in a warm forest climate.
, Tatooine
and Endor, never wearing any protective clothing or showing any signs of discomfort. Wookiees have a lifespan of several hundred years.
Wookiees also possess retractable claws, the better to aid them in climbing the great trees of their homelands (it is considered very dishonorable to use them as weapons in a fight. Those who do are dubbed "madclaws" and are exiled from their community). Their leaping and movement ability in arboreal regions is shown to be favorable to that of many tree-dwelling primates, and presumably comes with a lack of fear of heights and excellent natural balance.
Life debt
is sacred to Wookiees.
Despite a fearsome appearance and temperamental disposition, Wookiees are shown to be very intelligent and are very adept at handling advanced technology. Chewbacca is co-pilot of and performs maintenance on the Millennium Falcon
, and also possessed a working knowledge of robotics, managing to rather haphazardly reassemble C-3PO
after the latter was destroyed by Imperial Stormtroopers. Wookiees are fast learners; Chewbacca commandeers an Imperial AT-ST during the Battle of Endor and is shown effectively maneuvering the machine and operating its weapons systems. They are masters of fusion-cutting.
Wookiees greatly value morality, courage, compassion and loyalty. A sacred and ancient Wookiee tradition is that of the honor family. An honor family comprises a Wookiee's closest friends and companions. These family members pledge a commitment to lay down their lives for one another, as well as members of any honor families these individuals may have. Like the similarly sacred Wookiee life debt, Wookiees are willing to extend this tradition to members outside their species. Chewbacca considered Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, their children, and Luke Skywalker part of his honor family.
Wookiees have an understanding of Star Wars universe warfare and fought alongside Republic Forces during the Clone Wars
. Wookiees were betrayed and enslaved shortly after that conflict.
Some Wookiees are sensitive to the Force. One such Wookiee is Lowbacca, Chewbacca's nephew, from the book series Young Jedi Knights.
ca understand his human aquantince,Han Solo
, Han also shows a knowledge of Shyriiwook, or can at least understand his companion.
the Wookiees live in the lush forests and giant jungles on the planet of Kashyyyk
, where they originated. They live in villages among the giant wroshyr trees. George Lucas
has said that he originally planned Yavin IV
, home of the rebel base in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
, to be the Wookiee home planet, but subsequent rewrites changed this to Kashyyyk instead, and it was ultimately shown on screen as the setting for a battle in Episode III. In the video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Kashyyyk is one of the planets which may be traveled to. It shows the Wookiees' homes in the treetops while the ground level is filled with deadly creatures and mysteries. Kashyyyk first appeared onscreen in The Star Wars Holiday Special
.
Kashyyyk is a world enveloped in immense forests and beaches. Inland, the trees are so tall and dense that a layered ecosystem has evolved within its branches. The closer one approaches to the forest floor, the more dangerous and primeval the environment becomes. Wookiees inhabit the upper levels of the forest, having built their massive cities within the interwoven canopy. The Wookiee city of Thikkiiana was one of the key manufacturers of sophisticated computer componentry in the New Republic.
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
universe. The most notable Wookiee is Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
, a companion to Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
.
Inspiration
According to an interview with creator George Lucas, the inspiration for the Wookiee was Lucas's dog, Indiana (whose name is used in the Lucas-inspired Indiana Jones moviesIndiana Jones franchise
The Indiana Jones franchise is an entertainment franchise, based on the historical fantasy adventures of Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, a fictional archaeologist. It began in 1981 with the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. A prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, followed in 1984 and the sequel...
). "He was the prototype for the Wookiee. He always sat beside me in the car. He was big, a big bear of a dog." During the climactic chase scene in THX 1138
THX 1138
THX 1138 is a 1971 science fiction film directed by George Lucas in his directorial debut. The film is based on a screenplay by Lucas and Walter Murch...
, one of the robotic cops, voiced by actor Terry McGovern
Terry McGovern
Terry McGovern is the name of:*Terry McGovern , boxer who held the world bantamweight and featherweight titles*Terry McGovern , American film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor*Teresa McGovern , daughter of U.S. political figure George...
, says: "I think I ran over a wookiee back there.", and thus the word was born.
In one episode of Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
's series Animal Icons
Animal Icons
Animal Icons is a television show from Animal Planet about animals in popular culture. This program tells us about fictional animals Including Garfield, Godzilla, King Kong, Batman, Spider-Man and Bugs Bunny.The episodes for example are:...
, focusing on the creating of Star Wars figures, it was revealed that the Wookiees were also based on orangutan
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
s. With the orangutan as a reference, they found it possible to have a long-haired creature in a warm forest climate.
Physical characteristics
Adult Wookiees are typically taller than most humans, averaging 2.1 meters (6'11"). They possess enormous strength; Solo states that a Wookiee can pull a man's arms out of his sockets if angered or slighted, and in books and comics no humanoid species is shown to equal a Wookiee in pure strength. Wookiees have a keen sense of smell, are fully covered with a thick coat of hair, have good hand-eye coordination and are shown to be excellent marksmen. Wookiees have been shown in many diverse environments, such as those of HothHoth
In the fictional universe of Star Wars, Hoth is the sixth planet of a remote system of the same name. It is a terrestrial planet blanketed by snow and ice. Many meteorites from a nearby asteroid belt pelt the planet's surface, making temporary craters in the planet's ever-moving snow drifts. Hoth...
, Tatooine
Tatooine
Tatooine is a fictional planet and setting for many key scenes in the Star Wars saga, appearing in every Star Wars film except The Empire Strikes Back, although it is mentioned at the end of the movie...
and Endor, never wearing any protective clothing or showing any signs of discomfort. Wookiees have a lifespan of several hundred years.
Wookiees also possess retractable claws, the better to aid them in climbing the great trees of their homelands (it is considered very dishonorable to use them as weapons in a fight. Those who do are dubbed "madclaws" and are exiled from their community). Their leaping and movement ability in arboreal regions is shown to be favorable to that of many tree-dwelling primates, and presumably comes with a lack of fear of heights and excellent natural balance.
Behavior
Wookiees are devoted, loyal friends and are very distrustful of strangers.Life debt
Life debt
A life debt is a cultural phenomenon in which someone whose life is saved or spared by another becomes indebted or in some way connected to their savior. A life debt sometimes involves servitude, possibly until the indebted can return the favor. It may involve some spiritual or mystical...
is sacred to Wookiees.
Despite a fearsome appearance and temperamental disposition, Wookiees are shown to be very intelligent and are very adept at handling advanced technology. Chewbacca is co-pilot of and performs maintenance on the Millennium Falcon
Millennium Falcon
The Millennium Falcon is a spacecraft in the Star Wars universe commanded by smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca...
, and also possessed a working knowledge of robotics, managing to rather haphazardly reassemble C-3PO
C-3PO
C-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
after the latter was destroyed by Imperial Stormtroopers. Wookiees are fast learners; Chewbacca commandeers an Imperial AT-ST during the Battle of Endor and is shown effectively maneuvering the machine and operating its weapons systems. They are masters of fusion-cutting.
Wookiees greatly value morality, courage, compassion and loyalty. A sacred and ancient Wookiee tradition is that of the honor family. An honor family comprises a Wookiee's closest friends and companions. These family members pledge a commitment to lay down their lives for one another, as well as members of any honor families these individuals may have. Like the similarly sacred Wookiee life debt, Wookiees are willing to extend this tradition to members outside their species. Chewbacca considered Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, their children, and Luke Skywalker part of his honor family.
Wookiees have an understanding of Star Wars universe warfare and fought alongside Republic Forces during the Clone Wars
Clone Wars (Star Wars)
The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
. Wookiees were betrayed and enslaved shortly after that conflict.
Some Wookiees are sensitive to the Force. One such Wookiee is Lowbacca, Chewbacca's nephew, from the book series Young Jedi Knights.
Language
The Wookiee language is Shyriiwook. Wookiees are capable of understanding Galactic Basic, but generally none are able to speak it because of the structure of Wookiee vocal cords. In the original Star Wars trilogy, it seems as if ChewbaccaChewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
ca understand his human aquantince,Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
, Han also shows a knowledge of Shyriiwook, or can at least understand his companion.
Bowcasters
Bowcasters are weapons developed and used by Wookiees. Bowcasters launch "quarrels", which are crossbow bolts that through magnetic propulsion appear as elongated blaster bolts due to the velocity of the bolts. The propulsion technique makes the quarrels have an extremely high stopping power. Wookiees can load their bowcasters with both standard and explosive-tipped quarrels. The spring that powers the bowcaster is extremely hard to pull back; humans are generally incapable of cocking a bowcaster, although some exceptions do exist, including Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn. Some Wookiees were known to have added extra springs for multiple shots, and during the Imperial occupation of Kashyyyk, Wookiees bolted on E-11 blaster rifles to the bottom of the bowcaster for extra firepower.Home world
In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
the Wookiees live in the lush forests and giant jungles on the planet of Kashyyyk
Kashyyyk
Kashyyyk , also known as Wookiee Planet C, is a planet in the Star Wars universe. It is the tropical, forested home world of the Wookiees...
, where they originated. They live in villages among the giant wroshyr trees. George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
has said that he originally planned Yavin IV
Yavin
Yavin is a planet in the fictional Star Wars universe. As seen in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, it is a red gas giant. Its core is composed of metallic substances and pieces of carbon and metallic hydrogen that form corusca gems. Although mining these gems is a promising venture, Yavin is...
, home of the rebel base in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, to be the Wookiee home planet, but subsequent rewrites changed this to Kashyyyk instead, and it was ultimately shown on screen as the setting for a battle in Episode III. In the video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Kashyyyk is one of the planets which may be traveled to. It shows the Wookiees' homes in the treetops while the ground level is filled with deadly creatures and mysteries. Kashyyyk first appeared onscreen in The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was one of the first official Star Wars spin-offs, and was directed by Steve Binder. The show was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States and Canada, November 17, 1978, on the U.S...
.
Kashyyyk is a world enveloped in immense forests and beaches. Inland, the trees are so tall and dense that a layered ecosystem has evolved within its branches. The closer one approaches to the forest floor, the more dangerous and primeval the environment becomes. Wookiees inhabit the upper levels of the forest, having built their massive cities within the interwoven canopy. The Wookiee city of Thikkiiana was one of the key manufacturers of sophisticated computer componentry in the New Republic.
External links
- The Wookiee Species from official Star Wars web site.