Wookiee Jedi Knights are making a significant comeback to the Star Wars canon, even though George Lucas wasn't a fan of them before Disney bought Lucasfilms. Not only is Jedi Padawan Gungi returning in The Bad Batch season 2, but it's also been reported that the upcoming series The Acolyte will also be featuring a Force-sensitive Wookiee as well. While Han Solo's first mate Chewbacca is inarguably Star Wars' most iconic character from the planet Kashyyyk, it looks as though the future of Star Wars will soon have an abundance of Wookiees (some armed with lightsabers).
A new trailer for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 prominently features the young Wookiee Gungi joining Omega and Clone Force 99 during the reign of the Empire. Likewise, new set photos from the production of The Acolyte confirmed the presence of Jedi Knights in the upcoming series which will prominently feature the infiltration of the Sith 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. However, a handful of the photos feature a Wookiee who looks to be wearing the trappings of the Jedi Order. Combined with recent novels and comics set in the High Republic era, Wookiee Jedi are about to have quite the spotlight in Star Wars.
Why Clone Wars' Gungi Is Returning To Star Wars In Bad Batch Season 2
Debuting during The Clone Wars animated series, Gungi was among a collection of Jedi younglings escorted by Grandmaster Yoda and Ahsoka Tano to the ice world of Illum, embarking on a journey to officially become Padawans of the Jedi Order. Battling pirates and even escaping Star Wars' General Grevious, Gungi proved himself to be one of the more impressive younglings, armed with a unique wooden lightsaber hilt he crafted himself.
Considering the time period of The Bad Batch spin-off series, Gungi is confirmed to be a survivor of the Jedi Purge that gave way to the Empire's reign following the Clone Wars' end. As such, it stands to reason that Gungi's life will have become far more perilous than ever before, living as an Imperial fugitive who's likely being hunted by Darth Vader's sinister Inquisitors. Once The Bad Batch encounters Gungi, they'll more than likely try and protect him from the Empire's forces. Perhaps they'll even help the young Wookiee find The Hidden Path, a secret Jedi network in Star Wars dedicated to helping Force sensitives escape the Empire as revealed in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Acolyte Set Photos Reveal Live-Action Wookiee Jedi (Is It Buryaga?)
In addition to Gungi's return in The Bad Batch season 2, it's seemingly been confirmed that Star Wars will soon debut its first live-action Wookiee Jedi in The Acolyte. As seen in the new set photos, several actors are confirmed to be Jedi Knights such as Lee Jung-Jae and Dean-Charles Chapman. However, there are multiple photos of a Wookiee wearing the tunic of Jedi with what looks to be a lightsaber clipped to their belt.
Considering The Acolyte's timeline which will take place 100 years before The Phantom Menace, it's possible this live-action Wookiee could be none other than Jedi Apprentice Burryaga Agaburry, one of the more notable Jedi introduced during the High Republic's Great Disaster, which took place 200 years before the Skywalker saga. Because Wookiees' lifespans are typically hundreds of years long, it stands to reason that The Acolyte's live-action Wookiee could very well be Burryaga 100 years older as a Jedi Master, armed with his unique blue lightsaber featuring a physical crossguard.
George Lucas Didn't Like The Idea Of Wookiees As Jedi (But Changed His Mind)
What makes these imminent Wookiee Jedi appearances so interesting is that George Lucas allegedly wasn't too keen on the idea of Wookiees being so prevalent and involved as members of the Jedi Order. This might have been due to other plans he had in mind for them that were never fully realized after the fiasco that was the Star Wars Holiday Special and the decision to replace Chewbacca's people and his homeworld in Return of the Jedi with Ewoks and the forest moon of Endor.
While there were some Wookiee Jedi in the non-canon Legends comics such as Jedi Master Tyvokka who trained Plo Koon, it wasn't until Clone Wars showrunner Dave Filoni showed Lucas the plans for Gungi that the Star Wars creator apparently softened on the concept overall. Now, it looks as though Star Wars fans should prepare for not one but two Force-sensitive Wookiees in the near future (three if The Acolyte ends up debuting a brand-new Wookiee Jedi and not Burry).