10 Star Wars Moments That Were Almost WAY Darker
5. Chewbacca Doing What Chewbacca Does Best
In the original Star Wars film, Han Solo advises C-3PO to let Chewbacca wine their game of Dejarik for a very important reason: Wookies have been known to rip the arms of their opponents off when they lose. Somewhat wisely, C-3PO proceeds to let the Wookie win the match, and it is not thought of again.
In a proposed scene for The Force Awakens, at Maz Kanada's bar, things were meant to go south a lot faster than in the final cut of the film. Unkar Plutt, the large and unpleasant trader who Rey had been dealing with on Jakku, was to get on the wrong side of Chewie - and end up with his arm ripped off and tossed aside.
There is something to be said for implied or threatened violence (sure, we can think of Chewie ripping off someone's arm, but it's all in good fun!) and another thing altogether in actually showing it on-screen. This character has been a lovable walking carpet for the better part of half a century. While the recent films have gone a little further to giving him more to do, depicting him carrying out the most famous threat would almost certainly have been a step too far.
We like Chewie as he is: big, cuddly, loud, and loving. And he still deserved that goddamn medal.