Since Star Wars’ inception, the Wookiee has become one of the most iconic and beloved species in the franchise. While George Lucas initially was against the idea of letting Wookiee become Jedi, several characters slipped through his grasp before he finally caved. As of now, six Wookiee Jedi were named in Star Wars Legends, while four have been named in canon (with more likely on the way). Now that Joonas Suotamo’s latest Wookiee Jedi is making his debut in The Acolyte, it’s important to know the history behind Wookiee Jedi and the expectations he will need to live up to.
Wookiee Jedi are returning to Star Wars soon, and for the first time, they will be live-action. According to Huyang—an ancient droid professor voiced by David Tennant in Star Wars: The Clone Wars—the Wookiee species was rarely seen among the Jedi Order. No Force-sensitive Wookiee in either Star Wars canon or Legends was ever known to become a Sith. Because it was rare for a Wookiee to be a Jedi, the very few that managed to get inducted into the Order were championed among their people.
