Leia hugging Rey instead of Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens became a divisive moment for fans, but there might have been a good reason for their reunion occurring this way. After Kylo Ren killed Han Solo in The Force Awakens, Chewbacca, Rey, and Finn all returned to the Resistance base. As soon as they arrived, Leia noticeably hugged Rey while Chewbacca tended to a wounded Finn. This means that Leia and Chewbacca did not even try to comfort each other despite losing someone they both loved.
This moment frustrated many viewers, who believed Leia should have hugged her long-time friend, Chewbacca, rather than a girl she had just met, Rey. Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ director, J.J. Abrams, later even admitted in an interview that this “was probably one of the mistakes I made” (via /Film). In the interview, Abrams explained that his idea had been that Chewbacca would be focused on saving Finn despite his grief over losing Han. Abrams later realized though that Chewbacca bypassing Leia made it seem like a slight on her rather than a concern for Finn.
However, like many other Star Wars plot holes or story issues, dedicated fans have come up with a theory to explain why Leia and Chewbacca did not immediately seek out and hug each other. According to one theory (via Reddit), the pair had a specific reason for avoiding each other: Chewbacca was observing a Wookiee mourning ritual. Based on Wookiee customs, Chewbacca could not seek comfort from others yet, but he could still work to save others.
As the theory explains, Wookiee culture dictates that when Wookiees lose a loved one, they are not supposed to touch anyone until they have had time to grieve in private. This explains Chewbacca’s actions. Although he had just lost his best friend, he could not look to others for comfort at the Resistance base yet. As Chewbacca’s long-time friend, Leia most likely would have been aware of this custom and wanted to respect his traditions. Due to this, Leia found Rey, who had looked up to Han as a father figure, and hugged her instead. Later, Star Wars: The Force Awakens showed Chewbacca mourning alone. After that, Leia would have been able to comfort her friend, which would have been a meaningful scene to show onscreen.
One aspect of Chewbacca’s arrival at the Resistance base seems to contradict this theory though. As soon as Chewbacca, Rey, and Finn returned to the base, Chewbacca carried Finn over to a transport to receive medical attention. However, this is the exception to the Wookiees’ rule. Following their tradition, Wookiees are still allowed to make physical contact if it is necessary to save a life and avoid losing more loved ones. Since Finn had been injured on Starkiller Base, Chewbacca could still touch him to get him help. Although Leia and Chewbacca not hugging after Han’s death in Star Wars: The Force Awakens may initially seem insensitive, their actions reflected Wookiee traditions and allowed Chewbacca to mourn appropriately.
