Gentle Giants: Hagrid vs. Chewbacca

These two gentle giants serve as similar characters in their own epic sagas. Both are, physically, much bigger than the other characters surrounding them; both are tough, yet surprisingly gentle; often both of them serve as comic relief.

As far as their likeability goes, this is like choosing between cake and ice cream; you can’t go wrong either way (unless you’re lactose intolerant, but if that is the case, pick a different metaphor with two things you like). Rubeus Hagrid is twice as big as an average man and three times as wide. Add that to his rugged, shaggy beard and his moleskin overcoat, he looks like he could have been raised by wolves, then grown up and wrestled them into submission with his bare hands. Yet, he is one of the kindest and gentlest characters in Harry Potter and, as we see in his debut in the first book, is not hesitant to tear up when he gets emotional. Chewie is a Wookiee who stands over seven feet tall, covered in brown, shaggy fur and freely expresses his emotions (happy, sad, angry, etc.) through unabashed howls and growls. Like a dog, he causes fear in his enemies, yet follows his friends with unwavering loyalty and devotion.
It's not wise to upset a Wookiee, especially if you don't have earplugs.

Each of these characters is as good a friend as you can find. Hagrid has a soft spot for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with whom he often shares thoughts, advice, and his cooking (which isn’t the greatest, but his heart is in the right place). He would do anything for them, just as they would return the favor. And though many are a bit skeptical of the bumbling giant, he’s got friends in high places. Dumbledore declares that he would trust Hagrid with his life, and as we know from Hagrid’s encounter with the Dursleys (“Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me”), he holds a fair amount of respect for the Headmaster as well. Hagrid’s loyalty is undeniable and having the utmost respect from Dumbledore is about as high praise as you can get. But Chewie’s not much different in this regard. Like Hagrid, Chewbacca is a loyal companion of a trio of heroes – Han, Luke, and Leia. When his best friend Han is about to be frozen in carbonite, Chewie flips a sh*t and starts chucking Stormtroopers left and right (not to mention choking Lando for his betrayal). And sure, Hagrid’s tight with Dumbledore, who’s like the Yoda of Hogwarts. But as we see in Episode III, Chewie rolled with Yoda himself back in the day, so much so that Yoda used to ride on Chewie’s shoulders back in the Clone Wars. Good relations with the Wookiees Yoda had, indeed. So they’re pretty evenly matched here.
Nice, Harry, but send me an owl when that thing does 0.5 past lightspeed

So, as such similar characters, I have to ask: who would win in a fight? Hagrid, though big and scary, is actually not the most formidable foe. Having been expelled from Hogwarts, he was banned from performing magic. Instead of a wand, he carries around a pink umbrella, like a poor-man’s Penguin. Though he squeezes some magic out of that, he’s not a fully qualified wizard and never will be. Chewie, however, was a high ranking soldier on Kashyyyk (yep, three y’s) and fought in the most pivotal battles in two wars. Hagrid probably has a slight height and weight advantage on Chewie, but if it ever came down to hand-to-hand combat between the two, well I don’t think Hagrid would have any hands because Wookiees are known to pull people’s arms out of their sockets. And that’s just when they lose at chess. I’ll say this for Hagrid, his friendliness with dangerous magical creatures (Buckbeak, Aragog, Fluffy, the Centaurs, etc.) could give him an edge in battle. But a three-headed dog or a big spider is probably not too intimidating when you’ve got pinpoint aim with a Wookiee crossbow. Plus, Chewie flies the Millennium Falcon, which flies higher and faster than Buckbeak (Have you ever seen a hippogriff make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs? I didn't think so). And you want to talk about dangerous creatures as companions? Chewie’s an honorary member of a tribe of Ewoks. Yeah, yeah, they look all cute and cuddly. But that's not what any Trooper from the 501st would tell you. Ewoks are vicious, man, I’m telling you. If they don’t like you, they will stab you, stone you, cook you and eat you. Just ask Han Solo. Not only is Chewie a better fighter than Hagrid, but his affiliation with Yoda and the Ewoks guarantees him a victory anyways, thanks to their Hall of Ballin’ status. As loveable as they both are, my money’s on Chewie in a fight, so I give him the victory here. But as they say, it’s not wise to upset a Wookiee. So even if I didn’t think Chewie was the winner, I’d pick him anyways because I like my arms where they are – in their sockets.

PS: Did you know George Lucas’ inspiration for Chewbacca was his own dog? His dog used to ride shotgun with him in his car and Lucas thought of him as his copilot, hence Han Solo’s hairy copilot. That dog’s name, by the way, was Indiana. Can you guess what other famous Lucas character got inspiration from this dog?