CT Why doesn't Chewbacca defend The Force?

ROTS makes it pretty clear that Chewbacca fought right alongside Yoda during the Clone Wars, and undoubtedly knew that a) Yoda was a Jedi Master; and b) Yoda could (and did) use The Force.

Why then, as Han continuously mocks The Force, does Chewie laugh along with him? Did his time with a smuggler make those memories too distant?

 

Maybe Chewie laughed AT him for his preconception.

 

At the time, Chewie had apparently never encountered a Jedi. Now, we know that is not true. I'd wager the intent now is that Chewie learned long ago to not argue with Han about it. He only expresses skepticism when Obi-wan says that he's going off alone to shut down the tractor beam. Probably because he didn't think he'd pull it off without being caught. By ROTJ, he's confident in Luke's plan and tries to let Han know, without giving anything away.

 

I always saw Chewbacca as having a sort of amused-tolerance for his friend's cocksure ignorance on the topic.

 

Yeah I guess there's maybe no great explanation and that we can assign the laughter to amused-tolerance as you put it, but part of me can't reconcile Chewie's fighting alongside Yoda in the Clone Wars and then just letting Han's insults on The Force pass.

 

Considering that arguing with a Wookiee isn't wise, it is plausible that he lets Han go until he's convinced by Luke's actions.

 

Seeing is believing.

 

I never considered that Chewie mocked the Force in the OT. I will pay closer attention to it the next time that I watch it. I will turn on my TV now.

 

I wouldn't necessarily say mocking (maybe I mischaracterized above) - just surprised that a creature who undoubtedly saw The Force at play in the past would willfully let the person he's closest to mock The Force/continue to think it doesn't exist.

 

Maybe he knows that now he's in the company of Obi-Wan Kenobi, it'll only be a matter of time before Han has no option but to believe.

Maybe that's why he laughed.

 

Yeah, I guess there's also the issue of that this is clearly a deeply-held belief Han has meaning it's likely he's talked about it around or even with Chewie before ANH...

 

He's likely going, "Yeah, whatever buddy, ha ha. Joke's on you." He didn't want to reveal it all to Han because he knew Han wouldn't believe him.

 

This is probably true

 

As far as Chewie's concerned, Han's the boss. If Hans says day's night, it is.

 

I don't think that their relationship was like that. Oh and Chewie isn't laughing at Obi-wan. In the scene as it was filmed, before Chewie's voice was created by Burtt, you hear Mayhew speak the following line, "That old man is obviously mad." This is what he would do to help the actors along so that they could time their lines accordingly. I wager that is essentially what is said in the final film. Chewie doesn't really laugh until TESB, after Leia insults Han.

 

Chewie was buddies with Yoda. That doesn't mean he's automatically going to give the benefit of the doubt to some other Jedi.

 

ROTS doesn't show Yoda using the Force in front of Chewie, does it? Sure, he takes out those troopers with one amazing backflip- but that could be chalked up for other reasons besides the Force to non-believers. Even if Chewie does believe in the Force, he wouldn't argue with Han on the matter- especially in front of their passengers. Besides, I don't remember Chewie laughing or being engaged in Han's conversation with Obi-Wan at all- he was more interested in beating Artoo at holochess.

 

Are we now also putting Chewbacca on the list of characters who knew a lot of useful stuff but didn't bother mentioning it, with R2 and Obi Wan?

 

...must have slipped his mind.

 

PT revisions of the OT.

 

Artoo was keeping things a secret from Luke, because he was told to. And Obi-wan had more pressing things to worry about, such as getting Luke started on his Jedi training.

 

I wouldn't say Chewie fighting alongside Yoda necessarily means he "knew a lot of useful stuff" - it's more of a curiosity that he'd never bring it up with Han during Han's Force bashing.

And I totally get that this is just one of those things where it's likely Lucas tried to placate fans by having Chewie making an appearance in ROTS without thinking through all of the implications that then has on Chewie's actions in the OT. Now it's on us to devise a theory for why Chewie would leave that part of his past unsaid in later years.

 

The prequels contradicting the OT. Chewie could not care less about the Force or a Jedi it seemed from his actions and demeanor. But, George shoehorned him in ROTS.....so.....lol

 

Chewie's been alive a helluva lot longer than Han. He was around when the Republic was thriving and most certainly was aware of Jedi Knights. Han claimed he's been from one side of the galaxy to the other and has seen a lot of strange stuff. I'd wager Chewie has experienced and seen all that and more by a factor of 10.

 

Do you get into religious arguments with friends? The ones from a different religion, agnostics and atheists.