The Kenner Chewbacca action figure, first released in 1977-1978, was a staple of the vintage line, gracing every card back from 1978 to 1985. This towering figure was the only version of Chewbacca produced during this period and was moulded from a uniform brown plastic. Despite some figures showing discolouration over time, this was not due to the use of different plastics but rather age and exposure to elements.
Chewbacca was notably one of the tallest figures in the Kenner line, and its design captured the character’s essence from “A New Hope” with only four points of articulation. The figure came with a single accessory, the bowcaster, which has three known variations: an early dark green translucent version, a standard blue-black, and a lighter-blue included with “The Empire Strikes Back” packages.
Finding a Chewbacca figure loose in good condition is relatively easy due to the singular sculpt used throughout the production. However, locating one still in the original 12-back card or Early Bird Package is considerably rarer and more challenging for collector