It was in 1977 when a veritable wave of spectators came to movie theaters to see the first Star Wars film. The cultural phenomenon created by George Lucas culminated with a spectacular ceremony in which Princess Leia decorated the creators of the victory against the Empire at the Battle of YavinBut there was a problem.
While Han Solo and Luke Skywalker received medals, the truth is that Chewbacca stayed on the sidelines and did not have any metal hanging around his neck. That gesture of discrimination towards the Wookiee It raised many blisters among the audience and caused even Carl Sagan, a scientific popularizer, to comment with disappointment on what happened. Here you can hear him talk about it towards the end of the video.
Evidently, the pressure from the fans increased and George Lucas had to come forward to offer some type of explanation for the furry character not receiving his corresponding tribute. According to his words, Kashyyyk’s species She is not very interested in prizes.
“Chewbacca wasn’t given a medal because medals don’t mean much to Wookiees. They don’t really give them much credibility. They have different types of ceremonies. In fact, Chewbacca received a big award and honor during a ceremony with his own people. Everything “The Rebel Alliance contingent went to see Chewbacca’s village and participated in a very big celebration. It was an honor for the entire Wookiee race.”
This answer may satisfy, just as the novelization of the film, published six months before the release, specifies that Chewbacca received the corresponding honor. All of this could be useful, if it weren’t for the fact that it is better to really see it than to imagine it and for this the community had to wait until 1997.
It was during the gala of the MTV Movie Awards when the honorary award for a lifetime achievement was awarded and in that edition it went to Han Solo’s inseparable companion. Peter Mayhew himself appeared dressed as his character and received the medal from… Carrie Fisher. Yes, the actress who plays the senator of Alderaan was the one in charge of hanging the shiny metal around her neck and the circle could finally be closed.
Of course, over time they have existed other attempts by the Star Wars universe to offer a more formal perspective on obtaining the medal. In the 2015 Chewbacca miniseries you can see how, at some point, he obtained the object, although it is not explained how. At the same time, The Rise of Skywalker shows Maz Kanata giving the deceased smuggler’s medal to Chewbacca at the end of the film, which is a symbolic gesture that seeks to repair what happened in 1977.
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