'Rise of Skywalker' Spoilers: New Star Wars Book Teases Chewie's Ep. 9 Role

Chewbacca has always felt like Han Solo’s fuzzy sidekick, but in an upcoming Star Wars adventure, the Wookie will take the lead in a canonical story bridging the gap between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. In it, Chewbacca returns to his home planet of Kashyyyk to help defend his people before inevitably joining back up with the rest of the Resistance in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and he brings his beloved Porg with him.

IDW Publishing announced this Star Wars Adventures #27 comic on Tuesday, and it’s a three-part comics story that shows Kashyyyk reeling after the catastrophic events of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. “With the New Republic devastated, the First Order launches an attack on the planet Kashyyyk, and Chewbacca takes up arms to defend his people!” an official press release reads. This confirms once again that unlike how The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi occurred back-to-back, there’ll be a significant time jump between before The Rise of Skywalker.

The main story of Star Wars Adventures #27 is written by John Barber with art from Derek Charm, but the issue also features a back-up story focusing on R2-D2, C-3PO, and BB-8’s efforts to recruit new members of the Resistance. That’s written by Michael Moreci with artist Tony Fleecs.

This won’t be the first time that Chewie returns to his home planet in recent Star Wars history. In the canonical Star Wars: Battlefront II story campaign, Han Solo appears at Maz Kanata’s castle not long after Return of the Jedi hoping to get information that can help him and Chewie liberate Kashyyyk from lingering Imperial occupation. After taking down the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi, this became their primary mission.

Following the Battle of Jakku that ended the galactic Civil War, Chewie retired to Kashyyyk for some time before joining up again with Han Solo to smuggle goods. Everyone knows how they lost the Millennium Falcon only to find it again in The Force Awakens.

These days, Chewie is one of the very few Resistance members left, so hopefully he can recruit some allies after helping out his fellow Wookies.

Star Wars Adventures are primarily aimed at a younger audience, but any Star Wars stories in any medium that are officially licensed by Disney count as canon. The real question is, after he saves Kashyyyk yet again, where does Chewie go?

Star Wars Adventures #27 will be released in October.