Strong, fearless, and an able pilot and mechanic, Chewbacca the Wookiee makes a capable ally to his friends and to the Rebel Alliance. A loyal friend to Corellian smuggler Han Solo, Chewbacca is his co-pilot when Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and two droids come aboard the Millennium Falcon for a fateful trip to Alderaan.
Chewbacca is a key part of the rescue plan for Princess Leia, acting as an 'alien prisoner,' allowing Han and Luke to infiltrate Detention Block AA-23 of the Death Star. It is also Chewie who persuades Han to go back to help Luke during his critical attack run on the Death Star's fatal exhaust port.
It is later, during the events on Bespin that perhaps the greatest change takes place in Chewbacca. Roaring in rage as the Imperials began to lower Han into the carbon-freeze chamber, the Wookiee lashes out at the stormtroopers. It is Han himself who calms his friend and ends the berserker rage.
"Save your strength," Solo calls out. "There'll be another time. The Princess. You have to take care of her."
It is then that Chewbacca realizes there is more to his honor family than just Han Solo. With Lando Calrissian in tow, Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon return to Tatooine to await Luke Skywalker, firmly believing that together they can save Han from Jabba the Hutt.
His faith and belief in his friends continues throughout the war. Whether he is cramped inside a ship designed for beings much smaller than Wookiees, tied to a stake and at the mercy of the Ewoks, or battling a legion of the Empire's best troops, Chewbacca remains confident that he and his comrades will eventually triumph.