From his throaty growl to his hulking hairy frame, Chewbacca is an iconic character in the Star Wars franchise, whose loyalty and courage have made him a fan favorite. Appearing in nearly all installments in the Skywalker saga and receiving ample screen time in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the mighty Wookiee has been a constant presence for decades (his entire family was even the main plot of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special), but even everyone's favorite fuzzball has his detractors.
From finding his constant growling annoying to determining him a useless part of the Original Trilogy, Redditors have managed to come up with several unpopular opinions about Chewbacca. Haven't they ever heard, "Let the Wookiee win"?
10 He Adds Nothing To The Franchise
Far from being a "walking carpet", Chewbacca has been a crucial component of many heroic and memorable moments throughout the Star Wars franchise. Not only did his clever pretense as a prisoner help Leia escape the Death Star, but it was also Chewie who made Han reconsider joining the Rebel Alliance's war efforts, ensuring that the Millennium Falcon was there to shoot Darth Vader's TIE fighter so Luke could destroy the Empire's superweapon.
Redditor Droupitee thinks that he could have been left out of any of the Star Wars movies and they would have been fine because he "has no intelligible dialogue...merely shuffles along with the major protagonists" and even in combat situations his "contributions are minimal." He may not speak much, but most fans feel the valiant Wookiee is part of the glue that binds the Skywalker saga together.
9 He Didn't Deserve A Medal In A New Hope
Chewie not receiving a medal after the Battle of Yavin was a Bantha-sized pill for fans to swallow until a scene in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker remedied the oversight. Not only did Chewie prove invaluable in rescuing Princess Leia from the Death Star, but he also proved a brave co-pilot to Han, and made the smuggler feel guilty for abandoning the Rebel Alliance in its hour of need.
Redditor Swampwolf42 contends that other than "a little bit of piloting while Han and Luke destroyed TIE fighters", Chewie didn't do a whole lot to help out in A New Hope, making it appropriate that he didn't receive a medal alongside Luke and Han despite most fans feeling that he was just as much a part of the Battle of Yavin as they were.
8 He's Not Endearing, Fun, Or Cool
Every Star Wars fan has their favorite character, and for many, that's Chewie for a variety of reasons. Whether they think he's brave, humorous, neat looking, a good source of comic relief, or they just love his relationship with Han, they feel that he's deserving of recognition.
To Redditor Flatulent_Fawkes, Chewie's always been "just another creature" and a "big, loud, hairy [source of] confusion." While there are many creatures in Star Wars, most fans feel that Chewbacca (and Wookiees in general) stand out among the throngs of species in the franchise.
7 He's Annoying
While there are some who may find the strident sounds that come from Chewie's mouth to be aggravating, most fans either view them as humorous or expressive. His noises even serve as the setup for other characters' iconic lines, like when Chewie's laughter directly leads to Han's classic quote, "Laugh it up, fuzzball."
Aidyged11 finds Chewbacca to be annoying precisely because of his "strange gargling noise", going so far as to insinuate that it makes Chewie a "cringey" character that doesn't have anything else to do but be a burden on his friends and randomly scream. Most fans find a lot of variety within the different sounds Chewie makes, all carefully crafted to assist the world-building of the Star Wars Universe.
6 He's Not Cute
With his towering height, frightening roar, and reputation for ripping arms out of opponents sockets if he loses at holochess, "cute" isn't the descriptor that usually comes to mind when fans think of Chewbacca, but it doesn't mean that he hasn't been revered in the same way that Ewoks or even Grogu have been.
Redditor Tiberius-the-Cuddler maintains Chewbacca is an "ugly alien bear-like creature" that isn't meant to be cute because Star Wars isn't aimed at "preschool children." Whether fans consider Chewie cute or not, they realize that much of the franchise has been targeted to children, who might consider him cute whether or not it's intentional and even if he's not as intentionally cute as creatures like porgs.
5 He's Easily Replaceable
Chewbacca may not be considered essential to the Star Wars franchise in the same way that characters like Han Solo, Rey, or Princess Leia are, but there are many instances where he provides the sort of support necessary to ground their character development. He gives Han a compassionate side, assists Rey in her journey to become a Jedi, and is even tasked with taking care of Leia when Han is frozen in carbonite.
Petercannonusf thinks that because Chewie doesn't have any "memorable moments" and other characters like Nien Nunb can fly the Falcon, he's a replaceable character that isn't anyone's favorite. Many fans love Chewbacca for not only the standout moments he shines in his own right, but because of how much character development he assists in the characters around him.
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3 His Dialogue Should Have Had Subtitles
Several prominent characters in the Star Wars franchise communicate in ways indecipherable to fans, such as R2-D2 and Chewbacca. In the case of the former, it helps to establish his relationship with Luke Skywalker who's the only person -other than Threepio- who can understand him, and the same goes for Chewie and Han.
Redditor zeesh10 believes that the Wookiee should have had subtitles provided with his guttural sounds -the Wookiee language Shyriiwook- to "add more depth to his character, and be a little less annoying." Most fans would disagree, preferring to imagine what he's saying rather than knowing for certain.
2 Jar-Jar Binks Is A Better Character
Few characters have been as colored by controversy as Jar-Jar Binks, a divisive figure in the Prequel Trilogy that wasn't received fondly when he first appeared. His constant talking, clumsiness, and general befuddled demeanor didn't ingratiate him to fans in the same way that other alien characters like Chewie did. Even with relatively few lines of dialogue, the Wookiee managed to make a more positive impact.
Supportyaboi maintains that while Chewie is constantly "complaining about something" and has "the same aiming abilities as the Storm Troopers everyone makes fun of", Jar-Jar is at "least an interesting character with dialogue and character development." If anything, most fans would prefer if Chewie had more screen time and Jar Jar far less.
1 He Should Have Died
The Sequel Trilogy saw the demise of several of the franchise's heroes, particularly those who had been beloved members of the Original Trilogy cast. One of them was almost Chewbacca, but the mighty Wookiee miraculously survived through a little narrative chicanery. The scene served its ultimate purpose -- to frighten Rey with the extent of her dark side powers.
BadMonkAMonk believes that when Rey blew up the transport ship that Chewbacca was thought to be on with her Force lightning, he should have remained deceased rather than be brought back with "cheap" tricks. For most fans, there was enough death coinciding with all the other major characters in the Original Trilogy to not merit his death too.
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August 07, 2021 at 12:00AM
