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It’s not hard to findStar Warsfans who identify Wookiees as their favoriteStar Warsspecies. It’s also not hard for many people to see why that’s the case. The big, reliable, and furry Wookiee stands out for its design and personality. With all that love, a lot of fans have begged for a Wookiee Jedi, wondering what kinds of adventures a Wookiee might have in such a role.
Even many people who don’t hold especiallygreat love for the Wookiee in their heartscan acknowledge what a fascinating sight it would have been for Chewbacca to take up a lightsaber. Most typically seen with ranged weapons, namely Bowcasters, it may seem out of the ordinary for a Wookiee to hold a lightsaber. Interestingly, it seems that the idea of a Wookiee becoming a Jedi is a rare idea where theStar Warsseries is concerned.
Roughly 400 years
Brown, black, grey, white
Species Type
Sentient mammals
The answer to whether or not a Wookie can become a Jedi is an interesting one. It seems that, like most other beings, a Wookiee should be capable of becoming a Jedi as long as their Midi-Cholorian count is high enough. This would mean that the Wookiee in question would be able tofind a strong connection to the Forcethat was strong enough to be noticed and eventually trained by the Jedi. The problem here is that it is extremely rare for there to be Wookiee Jedi, and that’s when looking at the current canon and the Legends Canon. This is made evident in one of the most famous quotes on the subject by Professor Huyang inStar Wars: The Clone Wars:
A Wookiee! Rare you are to the Jedi. Proud, your people must be.
There’s no real in-universe explanation for why Wookiee Jedi are so rare, which has led some fans to assume that Wookieesnaturally have a lower Midi-Chlorian count. Others have speculated on this by pointing to supposed words from George Lucas indicating that he either didn’t want Wookiee Jedi to exist, or simply wanted it to be a rare occurance. Regardless of what the truth is, there is currently at least one Wookiee Jedi inStar Warscanon that fans of the animated shows might know. Additionally, another is supposedly on the way soon in live-action.
Who Are The Notable Wookie Jedi?
Notable Wookie Jedi
It is possible to put together a list of roughly ten or so Wookiee Jedi (and no,Chewbacca is not included) but not all of them have had as big a splash as others. There are more than a few Wookiee Jedi who have since been relegated to the Legends Canon, the most notable of which is the mighty Lowbacca. Chewbacca’s nephew was a major figure in the initial continuation of theStar Warsstory after Luke’s victory over the Empire. Lowbacca was an important Jedi who fought in many of the biggestStar Warsbattles that are no longer canon, alongside the likes of Jaina Solo.
Ruhr is another notable Wookiee Jedi that many fans may not know. This Wookiee may not even technically count as a Jedi depending on one’s outlook, but that’s only because Ruhr is one of the Je’daii Order Masters. This actually makes him one of the earliest known Wookiee Jedi, and potentially the most powerful to have existed.
Many of these Wookiee Jedi appeared almost exclusively in the pages of novels or comics. This is the case with another notable Wookiee Jedi, Burryaga Agaburry, a fun andpowerful Legends Canon padawanfeatured throughout a variety of novels centered aroundStar Wars’High Republic era.
There is a live-action Wookiee Jedi said to be coming soon in the upcomingStar Wars: Acolyte.However, the details about this Jedi are scarce. Known as Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi Master, all that is known about this mysterious Jedi Master is that he rose toprominence in the High Republic era. There’s no telling what kind of role Kelnacca will have in the show, but considering the series is set to focus on the rise of the Dark Side during the High Republic, it is possible that Kelnacca could play an antagonistic role. Alternatively, he could potentially serve as a supporting and guiding force for the Jedi against these rising dark forces.
But Kelnacca isn’t the only on-screen canon Wookiee. One only needs to look to the animated series for another Wookiee who may return in a big way one day.
Fur Color
Brown
Star Wars: The Clone Warsdid a great job showing off this young Wookiee Jedi. Even more interesting, Gungi seems to have been at the top of the prospects list when it came to the next generation of Jedi. While being trained by bothAhsoka Tano and Master Yoda, Gungi was marked as an incredibly gifted Padawan. While a character like this sounds exactly like the kind who might be killed off during the Great Jedi Purge, that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Gungi survived the purge and seemingly led a quiet life on his homeworld, Kashyyyk.
It can’t be all that often that Master Yoda is doling out praise to young Padawans. Yet, he did so for Gungi on at least one occasion when he showed patience, an uncharacteristic quality for Wookiees. It could be seen as foolishness from a Padawan who certainly would have been killed, but Gungi was brave enoughto stand against General Grievousand even pull his lightsaber, intending to fight. It is fitting that such a brave young Jedi was able to survive the turmoil of the galaxy, at least, as far as fans know. This means that there is an opening for a potential Gungi return in futureStar Warsgames, movies, or shows.
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Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
