# Some questions about Chewbacca
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 22, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792 "2006-06-22T23:48:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/1 "2006-06-22T23:48:07Z")
I’m watching the original _Star Wars_ trilogy for the first time tonight. I’ve gotten through the first two movies, and I’ve got some questions about this Chewbacca character.
[ol]
[li]What’s the purpose of the strap he wears across his shoulder? There seem to be little boxes on it. Are they for holding ammunition, or are they just decorative?[/li][li]How did Peter Mayhew and/or the sound effects team produce Chewbacca’s vocalizations?[/li][/ol]
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### Author:  [@hey\_alright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hey_alright)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/2 "2006-06-22T23:57:33Z")
If you look at [The IMDB trivia page for Star Wars](http://imdb.com/title/tt0076759/trivia) it says that “Chewbacca’s ‘voice’ is a combination of several animals including bears, badgers, walrus and camels.” Someone might be able to give a more expansive answer.
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/3 "2006-06-22T23:57:33Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> I’m watching the original _Star Wars_ trilogy for the first time tonight. I’ve gotten through the first two movies, and I’ve got some questions about this Chewbacca character.
> [ol]
> [li]What’s the purpose of the strap he wears across his shoulder? There seem to be little boxes on it. Are they for holding ammunition, or are they just decorative?[/li][li]How did Peter Mayhew and/or the sound effects team produce Chewbacca’s vocalizations?[/li][/ol]
1. It is a bandoleer. Since you never see him reload the crossbow it is hard to say if it is full of ammo or not. EU stuff may cover that.
2. AFAIK, his vocalizations are made from blending the sounds of serveral animals into the wookie language.
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### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/4 "2006-06-23T00:06:17Z")
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, _this_ is O.J. Simpson. Simpson is a former football player who’s still looking for the real killer. That…Does…Not…Make…Sense!
Ah, forget it. I’m not clever enough.
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### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/5 "2006-06-23T00:14:57Z")
> [@hey alright](#):
>
> If you look at [The IMDB trivia page for Star Wars](http://imdb.com/title/tt0076759/trivia) it says that “Chewbacca’s ‘voice’ is a combination of several animals including bears, badgers, walrus and camels.” Someone might be able to give a more expansive answer.
I’ve heard bears, walruses (walri?), and camels before—he sounds more like a camel than the other two. Never heard a badger, though. What do badgers sound like?
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### Author:  [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/6 "2006-06-23T00:27:51Z")
The girl who lived next door to me in the dorms last year could make a Chewbacca noise, and would often do it when she was annoyed. I have no idea how she did it, but it was really eerie.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/7 "2006-06-23T00:41:12Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> IWhat do badgers sound like?
Badgers? We don’t need no stinkin’ badgers!
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### Author:  [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/8 "2006-06-23T00:43:14Z")
> [@adam yax](#):
>
> 1. It is a bandoleer. Since you never see him reload the crossbow it is hard to say if it is full of ammo or not. EU stuff may cover that.
EU-wise, his crossbow fires “energy quarrels” (wow, how long did it take to think that one up? :rolleyes: ) so either they’re just batteries or they’re a physical quarrel with a charge of some kind in it.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/9 "2006-06-23T00:46:39Z")
The question is why would a Wookie – an eight foot tall Wookie – live on Endor with a bunch of Ewoks? It does not make sense.
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### Author:  [@Sofaspud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofaspud)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/10 "2006-06-23T00:49:52Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#):
>
> The question is why would a Wookie – an eight foot tall Wookie – live on Endor with a bunch of Ewoks? It does not make sense.
When did Chewie live on Endor with the Ewoks?
He comes from a different planet, which is (briefly) seen in one of the new movies, I think #2 or #3.
## –sofaspud
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/11 "2006-06-23T00:52:07Z")
> [@Sofaspud](#):
>
> He comes from a different planet, which is (briefly) seen in one of the new movies, I think #2 or #3.
Well, wasn’t there that Christmas thing that showed his home planet?
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### Author:  [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/12 "2006-06-23T00:57:24Z")
Now that was a genuine whoosh.
Look at the monkey, look at the silly monkey!
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/13 "2006-06-23T01:00:54Z")
It’s not a crossbow, it’s called a bowcaster.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/14 "2006-06-23T01:17:33Z")
> [@Sofaspud](#):
>
> He comes from a different planet, which is (briefly) seen in one of the new movies, I think #2 or #3.
Chewie lives on the planet of Kasshyk, as seen in _Revenge of the Sith_ and _The Star Wars Holiday Special._ The Chewbacca Defense is seriously flawed.
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### Author:  [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/15 "2006-06-23T01:18:40Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> It’s not a crossbow, it’s called a bowcaster.
:smack: Couldn’t remember the name of the thing. You’re right, of course.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/16 "2006-06-23T01:20:04Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> Never heard a badger, though. What do badgers sound like?
A little like…
Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger MUSHROOM MUSHROOM!!
Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger MUSHROOM MUSHROOM!!
Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger…
SNAKE! A SNAKE! OOOOOH, IT’S A SNAKE!!
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/17 "2006-06-23T01:24:10Z")
> [@mobo85](#):
>
> The Chewbacca Defense is seriously flawed.
I didn’t realize that Wookies played chess.
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### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/18 "2006-06-23T01:31:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> I didn’t realize that Wookies played chess.
When playing alien chess, the Chewbacca defense consists on pulling people’s arms out of their sockets when they lose; it is indeed a flawed defense, but it will do…
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### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/19 "2006-06-23T01:46:23Z")
Err…
When playing alien chess, the Chewbacca defense consists on pulling people’s arms out of their sockets when **he loses** ; it is indeed a flawed defense, but it will do…
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### Author:  [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-chewbacca/361792/20 "2006-06-23T01:50:35Z")
> [@Mirror Image egamI rorriM](#):
>
> The girl who lived next door to me in the dorms last year could make a Chewbacca noise, and would often do it when she was annoyed.
I’m sorry…I don’t care who you are…that is just deeply, deeply sexy.
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