Before Ewoks, before speeder bike chases through redwoods, and before that infamous “Yub Nub” celebration, Return of the Jedi was meant to end in a very different forest, one filled with Wookiees.
In early drafts of the third installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas planned for the climactic battle to take place not on the forest moon of Endor, but on Kashyyyk, the towering, treetop-covered homeworld of Chewbacca. This original vision would have brought the Rebellion’s final stand to a world of towering trees, warrior Wookiees, and a more brutal fight for the galaxy’s future.
So, what changed? Why did we get tiny teddy bear rebels instead of Chewbacca leading the charge?
The Early Drafts and Abandoned Kashyyyk Concept
As detailed in J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of Return of the Jedi, Lucas originally planned for the Rebels to team up with Wookiees in a battle on Kashyyyk. Chewbacca would return home, and the freedom of his people would be on the line.
Rinzler revealed: “The idea was that the Wookiees were enslaved by the Empire, and the Rebels would organize an uprising during the climactic battle.”
This concept would have given the finale a much darker and more politically charged tone.
One Redditor reflected on this abandoned plotline and said:
“The fiction would have tailored itself to make sense. Chewbacca would have been one of the few escapees from an entire planet of Wookiee slaves. I personally think it would have been way more effective to have the Rebels orchestrate an uprising on a slave planet—it would have underscored how cruel the Empire was and how the Rebels were really the good guys.”
Why didn’t Lucas follow through with this idea?
According to multiple sources, including Rinzler and fan commentary on various Reddit and Quora forums, Lucas’s concern was that Chewbacca had already been portrayed as technologically adept. After all, he could repair the Millennium Falcon better than Han, serve as a capable co-pilot, and act as a skilled marksman. It didn’t make sense to present the Wookiees as a primitive culture capable of toppling the Empire with logs and traps.
Lucas wanted a culture that would surprise the audience by defeating high-tech Imperial forces with low-tech means, like sticks, stones, and slingshots. If a Wookiee throws a rock at a Stormtrooper, it’s expected to be devastating. If a teddy bear does it? Suddenly it’s subversive.
Lucas devised a solution to split the difference. Enter the Ewoks, named by reversing the syllables in “Wookiee” (more or less). He also downsized the creatures from towering Wookiees to tiny teddy-bear-like forest dwellers to better emphasize the “David vs. Goliath” symbolism.
Looking back, some Star Wars fans certainly believe the Wookiee rebellion concept would’ve brought richer emotional stakes and more powerful commentary. Instead of charming comic relief, we could’ve seen Chewbacca return to a planet he once fled, leading his fellow Wookiees in a pivotal moment of galactic liberation.
Some critics still view the Ewok-filled ending as Return of the Jedi’s weakest element, but for better or worse, it became canon. Still, the scrapped Kashyyyk battle remains one of the most compelling “what-ifs” in Star Wars lore. It reminds us just how different things could have been in the galaxy far, far away.
It’s hard not to wonder what a Wookiee-led rebellion would have looked like. Fans have long speculated that such a climax might have felt more intense and more hard-earned, especially considering Chewie’s major role in the original trilogy. The teddy bear warriors of Endor have divided fans for decades, with some calling them charming underdogs and others rolling their eyes at the “merchandising grab.”
Whatever your feelings about Wicket W. Warrick & Co., the Ewoks became an indelible part of Star Wars culture. They’ve given rise to two spinoff films, a cartoon, and decades of controversy. Love them or hate them, they were a deliberate choice in service of Lucas’s belief that even the smallest creature can make a big difference.
Kashyyyk Gets Its Moment (Eventually)
Wookiee fans had to wait decades, but Kashyyyk eventually got its time in the spotlight. In Revenge of the Sith, we finally saw Yoda leading Clone Troopers in battle on the Wookiee homeworld, with Chewbacca by his side. The planet also appeared in The Clone Wars animated series and has been featured in various Star Wars games and novels.
But it is hard not to imagine what might have been — a final act with Chewbacca charging into battle, tearing apart AT-STs with his bare hands, and roaring in triumph as the second Death Star explodes in the sky above.
Maybe it wouldn’t have been as marketable, but it might’ve been worth it.