By the time of Star Wars: A New Hope, Chewbacca had been a loyal friend and co-pilot to Han Solo for many years. Equipped with the fastest ship in the galaxy, the two made for some of the greatest smugglers in the Star Wars universe. And that made them hot commodities when Obi-Wan Kenobi came looking for pilots to get him and Luke Skywalker aboard the Death Star to save Princess Leia from the Empire.
However, as one theory suggests, Chewbacca had skin in the game long before meeting Obi-Wan, with the Wookiee secretly being part of the Rebel Alliance long before Episode IV. The theory originates from Chewbacca’s introduction in A New Hope because Obi-Wan talks to him before speaking to Han, and their conversation is kept quiet, which has led some to believe they were talking about more than just simple transport.
And while there’s nothing to prove what Obi-Wan and Chewbacca were talking about, that doesn’t mean the theory ends there. All the Star Wars media to release since the Original Trilogy has helped support this idea as well, as Chewbacca has been given plenty of reasons to join the Rebels, mostly because of the poor treatment of Wookiees by the Empire. During Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk was attacked by the Separatist Alliance not long before Order 66 came into effect and the Empire was formed. Chewbacca himself witnessed the betrayal of the Clones and escorted Yoda into a shuttle to escape off-world, giving him a reason not to trust the new regime.
And things only got worse from there because the Empire saw Wookiees as the perfect workforce, occupied Kashyyyk and forced the species into slave labor. Sure, Chewbacca was able to avoid the Empire for some time, but unfortunately, at some point, he was captured and sold off as a pit fighter for entertainment. It’s entirely possible that, during his time on the run, Chewbacca was part of the early Rebellion. Through the deleted scenes of Revenge of the Sith, it’s revealed that senators began forming the Rebellion from the moment the Empire came into being, and Chewbacca could have joined one of these cells to help liberate his planet.
After meeting Han in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Chewbacca stuck by his new companion and helped make money through smuggling, but he likely kept the liberation of Kashyyyk in mind. That meant that, when the two pilots unknowingly aided the Rebel known as Enfys Nest, Chewbacca may have kept in contact with the alliance and nudged Han into missions where they find themselves helping out despite his partner’s apprehension.
The main argument against this theory is the lack of interactions between Chewbacca and any Rebel group. Numerous comics about his smuggling journeys have been released, and none suggest that he kept in contact with the Rebellion behind Han’s back. However, despite there not being enough evidence to claim the theory as truth, there’s also not enough to dismiss it entirely. It makes logical sense for the Chewbacca to want to help, as the Wookiees were one of the most poorly treated species in the galaxy. But because of his life debt to Han, he couldn’t fully commit to the Rebellion until they were both dragged into it by Obi-Wan.
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