Some questions about Chewbacca

Oh yes, “Let the Wookie win.” I recall that ploy now. :slight_smile:

I’ve read a fair number of Star Wars novels, and as far as I know this question has never been addressed. The bowcaster appears to be an energy weapon, not a projectile weapon, so it wouldn’t have ammunition. I’ll guess that the bandolier either holds power cells, or it just holds whatever stuff Chewie carries around on a daily basis – credit chips, ID card, the keys to the Millenium Falcon – the type of stuff that you or I would put in our pockets.

Nitpick: I believe it’s spelled Kashyyyk.

Strangely enough, I know that because I’m a word-nerd, not a Star Wars nerd.

Ewoks make great snacks. Plus, Ewok skeet shooting.

< FLING ! >
Ewok : “Aiiiiiiiiieeee ! ! !”
Bowcaster : < Bwow ! >
Chewbacca : “Rrrroowwwwww !” < Pumps arm in victory >

You’re worried about his bandolier? How about the fact that his name is Chewbacca…which would be impossible for him to vocalize. How the hell would anyone know what his name was beyond “Arrrararagagh?”

I’m guessing… maybe someone else named him?

What, like he’s a pet? That bothers me even more. Chewbacca ain’t nobody’s lapdog. :smiley:

In one of the docs included on the recently released DVDs, Mark Hamill had a funny story about how, in the development stages of the character, some of the studio execs were upset that Chewie was naked, and kept suggesting that they get him some lederhosen or something.

Mark: “This is great. Of all the things to worry about, the Wookie has no pants.”

In the Expanded Universe books you learn that Han Solo learned how to speak Wookiee from a Wookiee named Dewlanna while he was held captive by a Fagin-type character named Garris Shrike. You also learn that some Wookiees have a “speech impediment” that allows them to speak Basic, Ralrra being noteworthy in that regard.

Really, though the question you asked is like asking how Spanish speakers learned how to speak English, or how we can understand Chinese. It’s simply a language barrier that they overcame. Or, if you suspend your disbelief, it really doesn’t matter because it’s probably one of the most plausible things about the whole series.

Does anything bring out the nitpicks like Star Wars?

I couldn’t help but be reminded of this webcomic.

He he he, Chewie in lederhosen.

Yes. Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, anything by Joss Whedon, and Macs.

How wrong is it that I can actually hear the screaming Ewok as I read this?

Barring any evidence to the contrary, I prefer to believe that Chewie is carrying around a metric shitload of condoms.

Yee haw! I guessed this reference, or something like it, would be made in post 4 of this thread, and I was right!

What’s the reference? Someone clue in us non-Jedi?

It’s a “South Park” gag, in which Johnnie Cochrane is routinely able to befuddle juries by pointing out alleged implausibilities about Chewbacca so as to then comment on how it doesn’t make sense that he’s even talking about Chewbacca as part of this trial which means that this whole trial doesn’t make sense.

The Chewbacca Defense

I thought it wasn’t that Ralrra could speak Basic, more that his Wookiee was more understandable to humans?

Luke learns to understand Wookiee pretty quickly, and a number of other characters demonstrate understanding. It apparently is not hard to learn to at least get the gist of it.