EPISODE III: WOOKIEES AT WAR!

Their lush jungle homeworld of Kashyyyk critically threatened with Separatist droid invaders, the Wookiees will protect their lands and freedoms with unique heavy weaponry, as seen in this great conceptual art by Aaron McBride for Episode III.

'EPISODE III' AT TWENTY: WOOKIEE WAR BUDDIES!

Comrades in Wookiee-dom: Chewbacca and Tarfful. Image: Keith Hamshere.

It's a system that the Republic cannot afford to lose to the Separatists, as Master Yoda brings a force of Clone Troopers to the lush and tropical Wookiee world of Kashyykk, liaising with its fierce armies lead by the furry leader Tarfful (Michael Kingma), and his special aide in the legendary Chewbacca, once more played by the iconic Peter Mayhew. Fans loved this first official onscreen visit to Kashyyyk, and the return of loveable Chewie, in a sequence that ultimately proved far too short.

Peter Mayhew: A Lost Interview With Star Wars' Original Chewbacca

Back in an all-new yak hair costume after thirteen years away: Peter Mayhew is Chewbacca!

Mayhew in costume for publicity, holding a unique cane stick not seen in the film. Image: Keith Hamshere.

"I got a call from Rick McCallum last year (2003), and he wanted to check on dates and my availability. It was one of those nice phone calls that you get. It's great to know that you're going to do something that you've had in the back of your mind for a long time."

Peter Mayhew- Star Wars Insider issue 79 - Jan/Feb 2005

"Chewie is up to all sorts of things in Revenge of the Sith - battles, rescues, all the good stuff. I have a reasonable chunk of screen time."

"After so many years, it's great that Chewie is finally getting the recognition and background details that the fans want to know."

Peter Mayhew - Starlog magazine issue 334 - May 2005

Liaising with Tarfful, Yoda and the Jedi before battle begins.

A guide to the Episode III Wookiees.

BEHIND THE SCENES: BRING OUT THE WOOKIEES!

On one of the spacious blue screen surrounding stages of Fox Studios, Australia, enthused animation director Rob Coleman goes through the paces with his assemblage of local actors and sportsmen playing the incredibly tall Wookiee warriors needed for EPISODE III's all-too-briefly-seen-on-screen Battle of Kashyyyk.

CLASSIC IMAGE: WOOKIEE OFFENSIVE!

The Separatist attack force is nearing their shores, and now is the time for action, as the Wookiee armies break cover and attack, in this classic and defining image from the end of the Kashyyyk battles during the Clone Wars, from EPISODE III.

Find out more about the epic battle and the lush green world of Kashyyyk- its incredible populace, wildlife and characters in spread art map illustration and timeline, via the all-new and beautifully realized STAR WARS GALACTIC ATLAS, covering all seven films in the STAR WARS universe so far (and a special spread for the upcoming ROGUE ONE), out now from EGMONT BOOKS.

Previous review feature: STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: OUT NOW IN THE UK: 'STAR WARS: GALACTIC ATLAS'

A must-have Chistmas book for any STAR WARS fan, get it here: Star Wars: Galactic Atlas: Amazon.co.uk: Lucasfilm, Tim McDonagh: 9781405279987: Books

THE 'SITH' AT TEN: A WOOKIEE STANDS READY...

On Kashyyyk, a newly armed Chewbacca shows his loyalty to the under attack Yoda, as the dreaded ORDER 66 comes into play across the galaxy. In the comic adaptation of the film, there's a great panel showing Chewie, Tarfful and Yoda fighting their way through enemy Camouflage Clone Troopers. I would have loved to have seen that in the finished movie.

Art by Doug Wheatley, for Issue Three of the EPISODE III adaptation mini-series of 2005.

THE 'SITH' AT TEN: ROLLING OUT THE BIG GUNS!

War comes to the lush green forests and crystal blue shores of the Wookiee world of Kashyyyk, as the Separatists and the planet's defenders in the Republic square off with equal military might- the latter's massive tanks (based on Joe Johnston's designs originally conceived in 1978 for The Empire Strikes Back) rolling out to rain weapons of carnage and destruction against the droid invaders, in this massive but all too short sequence from EPISODE III.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BEFORE BATTLE COMMENCES...

On Kashyyyk, jungle home of the formidable wookiees, its warrior leader Tarfful, alongside his sort-of lieutenant, Chewbacca (whose true working designation prior to meeting Han Solo has never really been pinned down- a technical assistant of some kind), get ready for battle against the Separatists, whilst Master Yoda, friend to the species, finishes an equally important conversation with his Jedi Temple colleagues on Coruscant. A scene of impeding action from EPISODE III.

After only seeing glimpses of it in comics or as a Ralph McQuarrie painting in 1978, and the briefest of moments in the second CLONE WARS micro-series, it was finally great to visually behold the Wookiee world by the time of this final Prequel film. Chewbacca's later presence in the animated THE CLONE WARS series, set before EPISODE III, was also much welcome, though its a major disappointment that a further major Wookiee/Kashyyyk plot leading into the epic Separatist battle was lost when the series was terminated by DISNEY all too early: To Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Thank You | Star Wars Blog | Star Wars Blog