You may be surprised to know that Chewbacca almost killed Darth Vader. The moment is a rare instance when we encounter Chewie and Vader contending with one another, with Chewie taking center stage in the drama. The story originates from the comics, but a few videos help bring the action to life.
Chewbacca Almost Killed Vader
We can find a short version of the story in this brief video. The timeline is after A New Hope, and the location is “a nearby moon” where Chewbacca and Luke went on a mission. Vader showed up, as he often does, because he had been following their ship. As Vader approached Luke, Chewbacca sprang at him and “smashed a boulder onto Vader’s head.”
That didn’t stop Vader, who proceeded to choke Chewie with his hands. Yet, Chewie fought back and threw Vader “off a cliff.” Vader started Force-choking Luke afterward, but Chewbacca and Luke escaped. So goes the short version.
However, the full comic version is much more interesting. In the canon comic Star Wars #74 from 2019, Chewbacca’s brawl with Vader is enmeshed in a Rebel plan to create their own type of Death Star. The planet that Chewie and Luke traveled to was K43 or Kakra, “a tectonically unstable volcanic planet” that the Rebels plan to explode on an unsuspecting Imperial fleet.
As reviewed here, this surrounding story was initiated with Star Wars #68, which takes place before The Empire Strikes Back. Our famed heroes embarked on three separate missions to try to maintain the secrecy of the Rebel base on Hoth. They also figure they could try to wipe out the Empire.
The plans didn’t go according to plan, though, because K43 is “inhabited by unexpected life” and Vader chased after Chewie and C-3PO (yes, they teamed up together). As in The Empire Strikes Back, Vader planned to capture 3PO and Chewie to use them as bait to get Luke.
This video helps bring the plot alive by first showing Chewie and 3PO venturing to Kakra and successfully planting the detonators to blow up the planet. Yet then, they encounter an “electric rock species” that makes this part of the Rebel plan null and void since they don’t want to destroy them. But the Imperials are close behind them with Vader in the lead of the pursuit.
While Chewbacca was removing the detonators, Vader arrived and found 3PO and “the rock people.” After unsuccessfully trying to get the inhabitants to work under him, Vader battled with the Kakrans while 3PO escaped. Chewie resurfaced, but not all the detonators were defused. Meanwhile, Luke found out about all the happenings on Kakra and raced to help his friends.
Luckily, the Kakrans were able to use their electric powers to short out the detonators. This electrical shock impacted Vader some too. Luke then flew into the scene, and we get back to our Chewie and Vader fight.
Chewie’s Fight with Vader
Before Vader and Luke could exchange lightsaber thrashes, Chewie came from behind Vader and crashed a large boulder on his head. Chewie then took hold of Vader and knocked away his lightsaber. A dazed and slightly weakened Vader managed to overpower Chewbacca and said, “Enjoy this battle, Wookiee…For it will be your last.”
Vader choked Chewie, and it looked like the latter would succumb. But after dodging Vader’s lightsaber, he recovered and threw the Sith Lord over a cliff. For his part, Vader slowed his fall with the Force and avoided being burned by lava. Chewie and Luke had to scramble away from the scene.
As we can see, this is quite the story, and the fight scene is filled with action. One review thought that “Chewie smashing a rock into Vader’s head” was “one of the best visuals of 2019 in Star Wars comics.” We may agree that the moment felt “so visceral” and redeeming for Chewie.
Another review agrees and stipulates that there is “one word for this comic: character.” That is, this issue and other preceding ones focus on “character moments” that we don’t get to see on the big screen. We could add that it was truly “a fight for the ages in the world of Star Wars comics,” with Vader contending with an opponent of almost equal strength.
Chewbacca’s Moment
Chewie fighting Vader provides new depth to the saga. By almost killing Vader, Chewbacca grabbed the spotlight. The surrounding story is exciting with many variables, but to center Chewie clobbering and throwing Vader off a cliff is a singular moment.