Over at Coffee With Kenobi, Dennis Keithly looks at Chewbacca and the meaning of the infamous wookiee life debt.
The untimely passing of Carrie Fisher causes contemplation of many things Star Wars. Recently, I was taken back by General Organa’s first scene in The Force Awakens. After her arrival on Takodana after the battle between the First Order and the Resistance, Chewbacca interrupts her reunion with Han Solo for a hug. The affectionate smirk on Leia’s face when the “walking carpet” embraces her is quite touching. This got me to thinking about Chewbacca. For decades now, Star Wars fans have known that Chewbacca has a life debt to Han Solo. To my knowledge, the story of the life debt originally comes from Legends material. The “life debt” was a Wookiee custom of pledging service typically in response to rescuing that Wookiee or saving its life. Over the past couple of years, new material established the life debt in the current canon. However, the exact nature of Chewbacca’s life debt to Han Solo is vague. For many reasons, I find this more satisfying.
