Star Wars: Chewbacca Actor Reveals His Cryptic Line to Rey in The Rise of Skywalker

Throughout the history of the Star Wars series, fans have been left to wonder what exactly Chewbacca is saying in his native language, with the reactions by his scene partners allowing us to infer his message. As was the case in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a scene in which the Wookiee utters something to Rey, which caused her to reply with a simple and ambiguous, "It is," resulted in viewers speculating what he might have been saying. According to Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo, the gist of their conversation was his character expressing his relief that the Millennium Falcon was back in her capable hands after Poe Dameron's reckless flying.

"I think Chewbacca is saying something like, 'It's good that you're back in the Falcon because Poe has been damaging the Falcon with his reckless, shifty flying,'" Suotamo confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. "So, I think it's a small jab at Poe at that point."

Another interaction Chewbacca had in the film that left fans wondering what the Wookiee might have been saying occurred when Poe and Finn rescued the hero from the clutches of the First Order, inspiring the response from Poe, "Of course we came for you, Chewie."

"I think Chewie lives in the moment sort of like dogs do," the actor admitted. "I don't think he puts a heavy emphasis on expectations like humans do. I also think Chewie is joking or being a bit sarcastic when questioning them, but it is also possible that he thought all hope was lost at that point. I do think he maintained his sense of humor throughout the experience and was ready to deliver the punchline when his friends came to save him."

One of the more emotional moments in the film came when Chewbacca learned that Leia had passed away, resulting in the Wookiee dropping to his knees and roaring in agony. Suotamo pointed out that, given that actress Carrie Fisher had passed away in 2016, his reaction was not only representative of his character, but of the entire tragic situation.

"Everyone was really tense," Suotamo confessed. "It was agonizing to deal with that situation because you were essentially living the actual reality of it — that Carrie had passed — and now we were shooting the scene where her character passes. It was a very emotional day, and watching it is still very emotional for me."

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters now.

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