Nuuawh (or hello in Wookie). Born May 19th, 1944, Peter Mayhew was an English-American actor we knew and loved as Chewbacca. As fate would have it, he was discovered from a photograph in a newspaper article about men with large feet. You might think a 7-foot tall man would be extremely intimidating to work with, but Mayhew always had a great sense of humor and anyone who worked with him instantly became friends with him. He recently passed away, but we'll never forget the mark he left behind and with that, we give you some of our favorite Chewbacca tattoos and fun facts about the character.
Chewbacca, also known by his friends as Chewie, was from
Kashyyyk. Tattoo by: Chase Martines
The creation of Chewbacca was inspired by George Lucas when he saw his dog sitting up on the passenger seat of his car. Tattoo by: Ralph Miller
The sound effects for Chewbacca’s voice were created from a mix of recordings of walruses, camels, bears, and badgers. Tattoo by: Ink Farm
Chewbacca first appears in Episode IV: A New Hope. Tattoo by: Bojo Ink
Although it wasn't mentioned in the films, Chewbacca has retractable claws used for climbing. Why didn't he use these in battle? In Wookie culture that was considered dishonorable. Tattoo by: Alex Rowntree
Fans were annoyed for decades that Chewie didn’t receive a Medal of Valor like Luke and Han did at the end of A New Hope, so MTV gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in1997 at the MTV Movie Awards. Tattoo by: Jalos
The name Chewbacca came from the Russian word Sobaka, which translates to "dog." Tattoo by: Tisha Vaughn
Chewie also has a big heart and is unwavering in his loyalty to his friends.
Tattoo by: The Rising Tide
Do you want to learn some of your favorite phrases in Wookie? Here's a link! Comment your wookie slang below.