As we continue to venture further back in theStar Warscanon with the new High Republic seriesThe Acolyte, we’ve gotten a deeper and more introspective look at the Jedi Order of time’s past. Over the years, we’ve seen a wide range of different races throughout the Star Wars universe become members of the Jedi Order. From Mon Calamari and Twi’leks to Togrutas andMaster Yoda’s unnamed species, just about every sentient being in the Star Wars canoncouldbe a Jedi. InThe Acolyte, we’ve even been introduced to a new Jedi named Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), a Wookiee who knows his way around the Force. But did you know thatGeorge Lucasfamously hated the concept of Wookiee Jedi? Somehow, even that hasn’t stopped the franchise from evolving forward with the idea.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
George Lucas Originally Said “No” to Wookiee Jedi
Star Wars canon has always been a bit messy. FromGeorge Lucas' re-edits of the original trilogy— which made us wonder if Han Solo (Harrison Ford) or Greedo (Paul Blake) really shot first — to Disney retroactively saving Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from certain death, sometimes it’s hard to know what is true (or maybe a better word would be “official”) in the world of Star Wars. But there’s one thing that George Lucas was reportedly very clear on when it came to derivative Star Wars material:he didn’t want to see Chewbacca wielding a lightsaber. More than that, he didn’t want to see any Wookiee using the Force the same way Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) did on screen. Wookiees, unlike other interchangeable species in Star Wars, were distinct in their function. In Lucas’s mind, Wookiees just weren’t Jedi material.
According toWookieepedia, the Wookiee bounty hunter Hanharr was meant to be a Dark Jedi in theStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lordsvideo game, only for Lucas to shut that idea down. Along those same lines, Dark Horse Comics editor and author of theJedi CouncilseriesRandy Stadleyonce explained that, according to Lucasfilm, “There are a number of species, apparently, who either lack the ability to use the Force, or who lack the subtlety of thought necessary for Jedi training.” The Wookiees were included among these groups, which Stadley notes also includes the likes of Tusken Raiders and Vulptereens. Even Ewoks —which had replaced Wookiees in the final battle for Endor at the end ofReturn of the Jedi— didn’t have the right kind of emotional intelligence to weld the Force. A now-deleted Star Wars Insider piece likewise revealed that this decree was enacted by Lucas after theDark Nesttrilogy of novels (set 35 years afterA New Hope) were released in 2005 (viaInverse).
It’s hard to say exactly why Lucas was so against Wookiee Jedi. On one hand, it could be that, as the creator of the Wookiee concept in the first place, Lucas always thought they served another function within the Star Warsuniverse. After all, not every character or race in Star Wars is or should be associated with the Jedi Order. As the original dreamer, no one but Lucas would even have the right to make that sort of call. Perhaps, after the tragedy that wasThe Star Wars Holiday Special, maybe Lucas didn’t want the Wookiees being revisited much at all apart from Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) himself? At this point, we don’t know, but despite his rule about Wookiees not becoming Jedi Knights,the greater world of Star Wars had other ideas.
Before Lucas’s rule was even put into place, there were already Wookiee Jedi within Star Wars canon. Now, what constitutes canon has always been up for debate among Star Wars fans. For some, anything with the Star Wars brand is considered canon unless it blatantly contradicts other established canon. For others, it’s anything that George Lucas himself worked on (and only that). To this day, there are even disagreements concerning whether the original Expanded Universe (now re-branded as Star Wars Legends) is more canon than the current Disney-produced Star Wars adventures. Of course, Star Wars is still fictional, so any debates about “canon” are something of a moot point, but there’s no denying thatthe concept of Wookiee Jedi existed long before Lucas’s infamous rule.
For starters, EU characters likeChewie’s nephew Lowbacca joined Luke’s Jedi Orderafter the fall of the Empire. He first appeared as early as 1995 inDunelegendKevin J. Anderson’s novelYoung Jedi Knights: Heirs of the Force, which remains a fan-favorite to this day. Tyvokka was another Wookiee Jedi Master who was famously responsible for training Plo Koon, a Jedi Master who served during the Clone Wars. He first appeared in Dark Horse’s Star Wars series in the late ’90s, and even today, is still considered somewhat canon in the Disney era. Likewise, theLiving Forceroleplaying campaign by Wizards of the Coast introduced the Force-sensitive Kirlocca in 2001. Even though Lucas hoped to prevent more Wookiees from becoming Jedi down the line, his efforts weren’t without error.
This ultimately led to Wookiee characters like Ruhr still being createdeven after Lucas’s rule was in effect. Ruhr, who first appeared in a 2012 issue of Dark Horse’sDawn of the Jedicomic series (a story that took place over 20,000 yearsbeforeA New Hope), was a fully established member of the Je’daii Order (an ancient precursor to the Jedi Order) and had a strong connection to the Force. It’s no surprise then that Lucas himself ended up backtracking on his original Wookiee rule, opening the door for projects likeThe Acolyteto one day do the same.
‘The Acolyte’ and ‘The Clone Wars’ Have Officially Introduced Wookiee Jedi Into Star Wars Canon
In the explosive fifth season of the animatedStar Wars: The Clone Wars, an entire arc is centered around a group of Jedi younglings as they come together to construct their own lightsabers. This is a common practice in Star Wars lore and involves a padawan finding their own kyber crystal to power said weapon. In “The Gathering,” one such padawan,a young Wookiee named Gungi, is introduced. Given that Lucas himself produced and oversawThe Clone Wars, this couldn’t just be considered an oversight. Additionally, this episode premiered in 2012, the same yearDawn of the Jediintroduced Ruhr in the Dark Horse comics.It seems like the Star Wars creator had a change of heart, or at least creaked the door open just enough to make this a momentous occasion.
“Gungi was a rarity, asWookiees don’t normally find their place in the Jedi Order too often,“Dana Jenningswrote forthe official Star Wars website, and it’s true. Gungi is the only Wookiee Jedi we see throughoutThe Clone Wars, likely because Lucas vetoed any other possibilities ofBigfoot-looking creatureswielding lightsabers. Although projects likeDawn of the Jediand characters like Lowbacca have been seemingly erased from the Star Wars canon, Disney’s Star Wars has still includedThe Clone Warsas a part of its ever-growing universe and official canonized events. This means that Gungi’s status as a Jedi is even more unique among his race since there are fewer Wookiee Jedi in Star Wars now than ever.
The introduction of Kelnacca (played by Suotamo,who also aided in playing Chewbaccain both the sequel trilogy andSolo) inThe Acolyteonly expands this universe further. Of course, what better time to introduce another Wookiee Jedi than the High Republic era, in which the Jedi Order was at its peak? Frankly, we need more “fuzzballs” with lightsabers. Even if Kelnacca isn’t inThe Acolytevery long (he first shows up at the end of the second episode, “Revenge/Justice”),he remains one of the few Wookiee Jedi in all of Star Wars, and likely one of the most formidable in the whole Order. That’s exciting no matter which way you slice it.
George Lucas Has a Personal Connection to Chewbacca and the Wookiee Race
Wookiees have been part of Star Warsfrom the very beginning, and even before that. The word “wookiee” first appeared in Lucas’s science-fiction filmTHX 1138when a character says, “I think I just ran over a wookiee on the expressway.” Though the line was ad-libbed, it kickstarted something that ultimately culminated with one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture. BeforeStar Warswas a reality,Lucas wasinspired to come up with Chewbaccaafter his own Alaskan Malamute, Indiana, was mistaken for a humanwhile riding shotgun in his car. (Yes,Indiana is also the namesake for one “Indiana Jones.") From there, Chewie was compiled from a strange batch of animals that included a lemur, a cat, an ape, and even a dog. Nowadays, we just know them as Wookiees.
Wookiees are an important part of Star Wars lore. They’re fierce, loyal, and can be terribly sore losers (watch your arms). They’re also big, imposing, and the type of character you want on your side rather than against. It’s no wonder that Lucas included the fuzzy race inRevenge of the Sith, where the full range of their warfare is depicted in a spectacular display of strength and power. Although they often align themselves with the Jedi,Wookiees are rarely inducted into the Order itself, so when they are, it makes it feel like just about anything could be possible in the world of Star Wars.
