We Finally Know What Chewbacca Was Doing Before the Star Wars Sequels (And It Fixes a 50 Year Old Controversy)

A brand-new comic series is giving fans a glimpse into a beloved character’s life before the events of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In the first issue of Star Wars: Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon #1, writer Rodney Barnes and artist Ramon Rosanas explore the path of two galactic heroes, revealing some surprising and bittersweet details. The story serves as a prequel to the sequel trilogy, showing fans what Han Solo and Chewbacca were doing in the time since the Empire’s fall. The two had long since parted ways as co-pilots, each wandering down a different path. While Han attempts to recapture the thrill of his smuggling days, Chewie’s life has taken a very different turn.

This comic paints a touching picture of Chewbacca’s domestic bliss, a striking and sorrowful contrast to Han’s lonely existence without Leia or Ben and his desperate desire to relive his past adventures. The first issue of Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon adds a new layer of depth to Chewbacca and his domestic life, as well as a tragic understanding of Han’s ultimate fate.

Everyone’s Favorite Wookiee is a Family Man

For decades, fans have mostly known Chewbacca as Han Solo’s loyal co-pilot and companion, but Hunt for the Falcon drops the bombshell that he’s also a dedicated family man. If the image of Chewie’s domestic bliss feels familiar – and a little less than welcome – it’s probably because you remember the Star Wars: Holiday Special, which LucasFilm always preferred you didn’t. That notorious release introduced viewers to Chewbacca’s family and it’s brave of any Star Wars release to tread the same boards.

But Hunt for the Falcon was right to do it. The new story shows Chewie enjoying a quiet, domestic life with his family, including his wife and teenage son. The warm, loving home is a far cry from the chaotic, dangerous life he once lived with Han aboard the Falcon. Chewie and his son bond in the woods of Kashyyyk— a simple moment of peace that shows the happiness he has found away from the adventures of the past. This domestic bliss is a new and welcome revelation, giving a glimpse into the Wookiee’s personal life, which is something that has largely been unexplored in previous stories. This new chapter for Chewie is a satisfying one for one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.

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Chewbacca’s choice to settle down and create a family is a testament to the peace he and his friends have earned. After years of fighting in the Rebel Alliance and toppling the Empire, he has chosen a life of quiet stability surrounded by a loving wife and son. But while Chewie finds contentment in his new life, Han has lost his own wife and son— Leia to divorce and Ben to the dark side. He is restless and constantly seeking the rush of adventure he thrived on in his youth. This contrast is a central theme of the issue and is possibly setting the stage for the conflict between the two friends as the story unfolds.

Chewy’s Blissful Domestic Life Only Makes Han’s Fate Sadder

While Chewbacca embraces his new life, Han Solo is stuck in the past, unable to find contentment in the present that has left him fully alone. He reminisces about his early adventures and seeks to recapture the thrill of those days. He owns a professional racer and participates in in a high-stakes competitions while watching from the spectator stands alongside his other longtime friend, Lando Calrissian. Lando sees the lonlieness inside Han in the way he lashes out and acts before thinking, refusing to settle into his golden years like Lando has.

Han’s restlessness is due to his inability to be grounded, both figuratively and metaphorically. He confesses to Lando that he’s “no good stuck on the ground,” revealing the depth of his internal struggle. He’s a man who has always been on the move, and a life of peace and stability is foreign to him. His depression is only made worse when he returns to a desolate apartment, looking at a picture of Leia and their son, Ben, with regret. This quiet moment suggests a deeper tragedy: that Han’s desire for constant excitement may have ultimately cost him the very thing he longed for.

The contrast of Han’s lonely, desolate life with Chewbacca’s joyful, loving family is a powerful choice. While Chewie has found peace and happiness with his family, Han is still chasing the past and his glory days, but doing so alone. Han’s inability to let himself be happy in a domestic life is what ultimately ruined his marriage and relationship with his son. He couldn’t settle down and be a family man in the way Chewie could.

Han arrives at Chewie’s home, attempting to convince his old friend to abandon his family and join him on a quest to find the Millennium Falcon. This isn’t just a call to adventure; it’s a desperate attempt by Han to recreate a past he can’t let go of, and also a deeply selfish act that asks Chewie to leave his loved ones. The tragic reality is that Han was never able to find the peace that Chewbacca did. He was so consumed by his need for adventure that he lost the family he loved and spent his final years alone, a ghost of his former self.