Chewbacca's bowcaster was a weapon of the bowcaster variety, uniquely and traditionally crafted, and it belonged to the Wookiee known as Chewbacca. Prior to its use during the Battle of Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars, Chewbacca constructed this particular bowcaster. In this battle, the Wookiees of Kashyyyk fought alongside the Galactic Republic against the Separatist Alliance in a combined effort. Following Chewbacca's pledge of a life debt to Han Solo and his subsequent involvement with the smuggler, Chewbacca continued to wield his bowcaster throughout the Galactic Civil War between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, having fabricated several bowcasters prior.
Due to the weapon's design, a Wookiee's strength was needed to comfortably fire the bowcaster. It launched highly destructive metal quarrels encased in plasma energy, resulting in explosive impacts upon striking a target. Some thirty years after the Battle of Endor, Chewbacca and Solo found themselves engaged in a conflict aboard their heavy freighter, the Eravana, battling against both the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub. It was during this encounter that Solo used Chewbacca's bowcaster for the first time, after the Wookiee sustained an injury in the skirmish, and he immediately developed an appreciation for the weapon.
The bowcaster utilized by Chewbacca featured a hand-woven strap crafted from kshyyy-vine. He also carried a bandolier containing nineteen ammo cases, each holding between one and three bowcaster quarrels. In addition, Chewbacca's carry pouch held tools essential for maintaining the bowcaster's functionality. In line with Wookiee craftsmanship, the bowcaster seamlessly integrated advanced technology with traditional materials. However, diverging from typical Wookiee practices, Chewbacca's bowcaster incorporated an automatic cocking mechanism to facilitate firing. Furthermore, Chewbacca's most recently constructed bowcaster utilized the power pack sourced from an E-11 medium blaster rifle, a standard weapon issued to Imperial stormtroopers.