Star Wars has always been known as a family affair. It is perfect for families to watch together, and it leans heavily on themes of loyalty and familial bonds. However, the Skywalker clan is not the only important family unit in this particular universe. In fact, a brand new Star Wars novel recently hit shelves, and it has effectively tied up quite a few loose narrative ends regarding the most beloved Wookie family in the galaxy. Chief among these developments is the proper introduction of Chewbacca's long lost son Lumpy into the main Star Wars canon.
According to a new revelation from the recently released novel Aftermath: Empire's End (via Screen Rant) certain classic elements from Chewbacca's backstory have just entered the modern canon. In particular, the novel makes a very specific reference to Chewbacca having a young son on Kashyyk named Lumpawaroo -- who has taken to eliminating remaining Imperial forces on his home planet. As fans of the Star Wars mythos likely already know, Chewbacca's son was first referenced during the now infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, and yes, his name was Lumpawaroo (or "Lumpy" for short) in that incarnation as well.
At this point, it remains unclear as to whether or not Lumpy and Chewbacca's homeworld will factor prominently into future Star Wars adventures. Chewie remains a significant part of the greater Star Wars mythos, and it seems very likely that his personal backstory will play a major role the upcoming Han Solo spin-off film -- which will similarly examine the previously unexplored secret origins of everyone's favorite Corellian smuggler. After all, Chewie and Han's stories go hand in hand. If we get more of Chewbacca's origins in that film, then it stands to reason that Lumpy could pop up as well.
Of course, there's one very specific caveat to this development. While Lumpy is officially in the Star Wars universe, it is unclear if the Star Wars Holiday Special is canon now. Given the franchise's penchant for picking and choosing which elements of the Expanded Universe to incorporate into the canon, it is completely possible that this is an entirely new version than the classic character who simply shares the same name.
Besides, I am pretty sure that nobody involved in the Holiday Special wants to remember scenes like this.
This idea is one of the coolest aspects of the Star Wars lore. The folks responsible for establishing these stories have a very clear passion and respect for the collective fan enthusiasm, and they are willing to make changes wherever possible to accommodate longstanding fan beliefs. This willingness has seen a ton of great stories take place in recent years, such as the revival of Darth Maul in the cartoons and comics, and the use of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to explain A New Hope's oldest plot hole about the Death Star. They seem to understand the iconography behind the Star Wars Holiday Special, and subsequently adjusted the lore to accommodate a portion of it.
We will bring you more information concerning the Chewbacca family lineage as more details become available to us. Everyone's favorite Wookie will make his next appearance in the Star Wars lore when Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi debuts later this year on December 15, and the character is slated to have a prominent role in the upcoming Han Solo spin-off movie.
