Chewbacca, the Wookiee co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, first appeared in Star Wars in 1977, with a voice created from mixed animal recordings including bears and walruses. Brazilian journalist Jorge Pontual became widely associated with imitating that roar, and clips of his impression spread online as a shareable reaction sound. The joke works because the growl is instantly recognisable even without the costume or film scene. It remains popular for memes, group chats, and edits that need a big, silly, unmistakably Star Wars reaction moment.