Marvel's Star Wars comics have done a great job of filling in some of the little details from the original trilogy that fans have always wondered about. The flagship Star Wars comic revealed the moment in which Darth Vader learned that Luke was none other than his thought-to-be-dead son, and the Lando Calrissian miniseries explored how Lando's aide Lobot became the man we see in Empire Strikes Back.
Chewbacca #5 answers yet another question fans have long asked: did Chewbacca get a medal at the end of A New Hope? The short answer is yes.
Every Star Wars fan knows the scene. For their bravery in blowing up the first Death Star, Princess Leia and the Rebel alliance bestow upon Han and Luke Medals of Bravery. Though Chewie is present at the awards ceremony and is Han's co-pilot, the valiant Wookie doesn't appear to receive a medal for his role in saving the Rebel base and striking a major blow against the Empire.
But receive a medal he does. As Marvel's Star Wars comics are now official canon, it's revealed that Chewie does indeed receive a medal during the ceremony, only to later bestow it upon a new friend.
Though Zarro doesn't know the significance of the item she receives from Chewie, it's still a special way to remember her Wookie friend. It falls perfectly in line with how we think of Chewbacca. He's a wingman, fiercely loyal to his friends and not out looking for personal glory. For him to care little for his medal and instead give it to a fellow freedom fighter seems fitting. With Marvel's latest Star Wars miniseries, an Obi-Wan and Anakin comic focused on events before Attack of the Clones, arriving in January, expect even more answers from the saga to be addressed in the months to come.
