You might have figured out that Chewie was based on a dog due to his fluffiness and loyalty. During the 2017 Star Wars celebration, George Lucas shared that his canine companion, Indiana Jones, was the inspiration for the beloved character.Â
“I had a large dog named Indiana. A Malamute, an Alaskan Malamute, and he would ride around in the car, in the front seat. Not driving. I loved that image. When he sat in the car, he was bigger than I was. That’s where I said, ‘That would be a fun character for Star Wars,'” explained Lucas.Â
In addition, Screenrant reported Lucas created the Ewoks with Brussels Griffons in mind.Â