Chewbacca was portrayed by Peter Mayhew in the original trilogy of Star Wars films, as well as in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

Born on Kashyyyk around nearly two centuries before the Galactic Civil War, Chewbacca - Chewie, for short - grew up without a great deal of human intervention. He excelled the various hand-to-hand combat skills a Wookiee was taught, and also gained a great deal of mechanical aptitude. Although no record exists of his early years, it was generally believed that Chewbacca left Kashyyyk between the ages of fifty and eighty to explore the galaxy. For many years, he answered to no one but himself, until the Clone Wars broke out. Chewbacca then returned to Kashyyyk to help defend his homeworld from Separatist forces. The support the Wookiees received from Jedi Master Yoda was a welcome sight, until Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to be Darth Sidious and ordered the clone commanders to kill their generals. Yoda managed to destroy Commander Gree, and Chewbacca set out to make sure the tiny Jedi Master made it off Kashyyyk. With the help of his commanding officer and old friend, Tarfful, Chewie was able to get Yoda to an escape pod and away from Kashyyyk. With the institution of the New Order, the Empire declared many non-human races as slave commodities, and the Wookiees were targetted specifically for their strength and technical skill. Although Chewbacca managed to briefly escape Kashyyyk aboard the smuggling vessel Drunk Dancer, he was eventually captured as a rogue Wookiee and imprisoned. Like other Wookiees, he spent the next several years doing hard labor in the Empire's slave camps. Chewie was doomed to a short life when he was rescued by an Imperial Navy trainee named Han Solo. Note that Star Wars: Rebel Force - Renegade indicates that Han saved Chewie's life on Kashyyyk. Chewie claimed a lifedebt to Han, and the two fled Imperial observation and began living underground as smugglers. Chewie's physical strength and mechanical abilities made him a formidable partner, and he and Han had many adventures during the years prior to taking on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker for passage to Alderaan. Chewie's actions in rescuing Princess Leia and helping Han Solo give Luke some breathing room during the Battle of Yavin earned him a commendation from the Alliance. His life-debt to Han Solo kept Chewie active. Following Han's need to repay Jabba the Hutt, he continued to help the Alliance, becoming a part of the ground assault team that disabled the shield generator on Endor's Sanctuary moon, allowing the Alliance to destroy the second Death Star. Following the formation of the New Republic and Han's resignation from the Republic, Chewie and Han continued to assist the Republic as pilots, and Chewie was forced to expand his hnor family to include Princess Leia following her marriage to Han Solo. Chewie's family continued to grow after the births of Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin Solo. Chewie became a guardian of Jacen and Jaina after their return from Anoth, but the siblings eluded him and got lost in the underground of Imperial City. Chewie and C-3PO managed to find them. On a vacation flight to Kessel with Han, Chewie and Han were shot down over the planet and forced to work in the spice mines. Their escape led them to the Maw Installation, and a group of Wookiee slaves still under Imperial domination. After convincing the Republic's leaders that they needed to establish an occupation of the Installation, Chewie also lobbied for the Republic to rescue the enslaved Wookiees. He was granted permission to accompany the occupation team and free the Wookiees. He was successful in rescuing the Wookiees, and helped get them out of the Installation before Daala destroyed it. Even though Han retired from active duty to spend time with his family, Chewbacca never left his side. His life-debt to Han had grown to encompass the entire Solo family. During the initial stages of Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Han, Anakin, and Chewbacca were on Sernpidal, helping Lando Calrissian with a shipment. They were on the planet when the Yuuzhan Vong used a dovin basal to draw the moon Dobido into an impact trajectory with Sernpidal, and were assisting with the evacuation effort when Anakin and Chewie were trapped on stony outcropping. Recognizing that Dobido was going to crash any second, Chewbacca flung Anakin onto the landing ramp of the Millennium Falcon, ensuring Anakin's survival. When Han realized Chewie didn't get onboard, he ordered Anakin to fly back while he searched for Chewie. Anakin, torn between his love for Chewie and the cargo hold full of refugees, was forced to retreat before the Falcon was destroyed. Chewbacca died on Sernpidal while giving the highest service to his life-debt. Han grieved for a long time before he could come to grips with the realization that Anakin hadn't killed Chewie, but that the Wookiee had saved them all.

Source Abbreviations Listing - E4, E5, E6, HTTE, VP, IS3, SWDB, RDV, RF3