Chewbacca first appeared in Star Wars in 1977 as Han Solo's loyal Wookiee co-pilot, and his wordless roar quickly became one of the series' most recognisable sounds. Sound designer Ben Burtt built the voice from layered animal recordings, giving it a natural, expressive quality that felt both alien and familiar. As Star Wars grew into a global cultural touchstone, the roar travelled far beyond the films into games, parodies, reaction videos and soundboards, where a two-second burst still instantly signals loyalty, excitement or comic protest.