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Wookiee 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For uses of "Wookie", see Wookie (disambiguation). 

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Wookiee

The Wookiee Chewbacca in Star Wars Episode IV: A

 New Hope. 

Home world Kashyyyk  

Language Shyriiwook , Xaczik  

Distinctions Brown, white, or black fur

Races Rwook

Wookiees (/ˈwʊkiːz/) are a fictional species of intelligent bipeds from the planet Kashyyyk  in

the Star Wars universe. They first appeared in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in

1977. The most notable Wookiee is Chewbacca, a companion of  Han Solo. 

Contents

  1 Inspiration 

  2 Depiction 

o  2.1 Physical characteristics 

o 

2.2 Behavior  o 

2.3 Language 

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o 

2.4 Bowcasters 

o 

2.5 Home world 

  3 References 

  4 External links 

Inspiration

According to an interview with creator  George Lucas, the inspiration for the Wookiee was

Lucas' dog, Indiana (whose name is used in the Lucas-inspired Indiana Jones movies). "He

was the prototype for the Wookiee. He always sat beside me in the car. He was big, a big bear

of a dog."[this quote needs a citation] 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.[1][2][3][4] 

In one episode of  Animal Planet's series  Animal Icons, focusing on the creation of Star Wars 

figures, it was revealed that the Wookiees were also based on orangutans and lemurs, whichare long-haired creatures that live in a warm forest climate.[citation needed ] The net effect in terms

of the Wookiees' appearance is a marked resemblance to descriptions of the legendary

Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest.

Depiction

Physical characteristics

Adult Wookiees are typically taller than most humans, averaging 2.1 meters (6 feet

11 inches).

[5]

 They possess enormous strength; Solo states that a Wookiee can pull a man'sarms 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  Hoth, Tatooine and Endor , never wearing any protective clothing or showing any signs of

discomfort. Wookiees have a lifespan of several hundred years.[5] 

Wookiees also possess retractable claws, the better to aid them in climbing the great trees of

their homelands. However, it is considered very dishonorable to use them as weapons in a

fight (explaining why Chewbacca was never seen using them in the films). Those who do use

them in combat are dubbed "madclaws" and are exiled from their community. Their leapingand movement ability in arboreal regions is shown to be comparable 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.[5] Life debt is sacred

to them.

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 ofand performs maintenance on the  Millennium Falcon, and also possesses a working

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knowledge of robotics, managing to rather haphazardly reassemble C-3PO after the latter was

destroyed by Imperial Stormtroopers in the film The Empire Strikes Back . 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.[5] 

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. 

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 that Chewbacca can understand humans. His human

 partner, Han Solo, also shows knowledge of Shyriiwook, or can at least understand

Chewbacca. In the Star Wars expanded universe novels, Chewbacca builds a miniature

translator droid ("Em Teedee") for his nephew Lowbacca when he later begins training as a

Jedi, to facilitate communications with his fellow student.

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.[6] The propulsion technique gives the quarrels extremely high

stopping power .[6] Wookiees can load their bowcasters with both standard and explosive-

tipped quarrels.[citation needed ]

 The spring that powers the bowcaster is extremely hard to pull back; humans are generally incapable of cocking a bowcaster ,[6] 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 to save their

homeworld.[citation needed ] 

Home world

In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 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 therebel base in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, to be the Wookiee home planet,[5]  but

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subsequent rewrites changed this to Kashyyyk instead, and it was ultimately shown on screen

as the setting for a battle in Episode III .[7] 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 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 gets 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

components in the New Republic.[5] 

References

 Notes

1. 

  IMDb THX-1138 trivia 

    Microscopics.co.uk article on Wookie 

    Binarybonsai.com article on George Lucas 

    Terry McGovern's Star Wars page 

    "Star Wars: Databank|Wookies" . Lucasfilm. Retrieved 2007-11-11. 

    Star Wars Roleplaying Game (Second Edition, Expanded & Revised ed.). West EndGames. 1996.  ISBN  0-87431-435-6 . 

7.    Star Wars: Databank|Kashyyyk  

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wookiees . 

  Wookiees in the Official StarWars.com Encyclopedia.

 

Wookiee on Wookieepedia: a Star Wars wiki

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