Star Wars and Indiana Jones are two iconic film franchises that share an unusual bond. On the surface, they are nothing alike, as one is an epic space opera spanning several movies, while the other is a series of adventure films with self-contained narratives. In fact, for those less knowledgeable on the topic, it would seem like the only connection between the two are some of its shared cast and crew.
However, there is actually more in common between the two than one would believe. For instance, not only were both franchises architected by George Lucas but they were also conceived at around the same time. In addition to this, both are meant to be homages to their respective genres, with Star Wars harkening back to pulp classics like Flash Gordon and Indiana Jones emulating the adventure serials of the 1930s and '40s. But this connection goes a little bit deeper than simple parallels, as the titular character of the Indiana Jones franchise shares similar origins to that of a well-known Star Wars character.
Chewbacca is actually very closely linked with Indiana Jones. It may seem strange, considering that the two characters are almost nothing alike, but they are both inspired by the same source -- George Lucas’ pet dog, an Alaskan malamute named Indiana. Chewy, in particular, was greatly influenced by Lucas’ dog. During the writing process of Star Wars: A New Hope, Indiana was often by Lucas’s side and kept him company.
This level of loyalty influenced Lucas to base a character on her, and eventually, he came up with Chewbacca, Han Solo’s co-pilot and trusted friend. Chewy’s appearance, which is contributed to him being a Wookiee, was meant to be very dog-like. On top of that, a lot of his traits, such as his unwavering loyalty and great bravery, were meant to invoke the same energy and spirit of Indiana.
For Indiana Jones, while the inspiration mainly extended to just his name, the dog’s influence did not stop there. As Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade reveals, Indy named himself after his childhood dog, of whom he had “very fond memories." While this is an interesting piece of character background for Indy, it is also, no doubt, Lucas’ way of projecting himself onto the character. He had made it clear through his own interviews that he, too, had fond memories of Indiana, which makes Indy's quote seem like it was meant to be a special tribute to the pet.
The fact that Indiana Jones and Chewbacca are connected in such a way makes their existence a touching legacy to Lucas’ friend and companion. And the idea that she is forever memorialized through these iconic characters is, in a way, comforting and goes to show just how much Lucas cared about Indiana.