Wookiee

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Wookiee

Wookiees, known in their own language ofShyriiwook as "the People of the Trees," were aspecies of tall,hairyhumanoids that were native to theplanetKashyyyk. A notable member of this species was the warriorChewbacca,Han Solo's best friend and co-pilot, who played a vital role in theClone Wars during theBattle of Kashyyyk, theGalactic Civil War by aiding theRebel Alliance in their fight against theGalactic Empire, and thewar against theFirst Order. They were quite strong, and were known to rip people's arms out of their sockets when provoked. Though being from a temperate planet known for itsswamps andforests, Wookiees were perfectly comfortable on icy worlds likeIlum andHoth, not requiring any additional protectiveclothing, i.e.gloves orboots.

Biology and appearance[]

Wookiees were a tallspecies of furry humanoids from theplanetKashyyyk, who could grow to a height of nearly threemeters.^[10] They were covered from head to toe in a thick, shaggy coat ofhair withwater-shedding properties^[1] that notably came inshades of brown,^[4] black,^[5] gray, and white. The species had twosexes, female^[6] and male. The latter grew long beards in adult life.^[11] The average male weighed 150kilograms while the average female weighed 100 kilograms.^[1] The Wookiees'eyecolor ranged from blue^[4] to brown.^[7] Wookiees were big eaters, with the average adult requiring 3,500-6,000 calories aday offood.^[12] Theirdiet consisted of wildplants,berries,meat, and spices. They preferred their spices to be hot.^[1]

While Wookiees did not like eatingblosphi extract, it provided them with enough nutrition to survive.^[13] The "Wookiee flu" was a sickness that affected Wookiees. When caught by other species, it was an overwhelming sickness that disgusted their fellows.^[14] The literary collective term for Wookiees was a grove of Wookiees.^[15] Many of their kind were known to understand Galactic Basic but were unable to speak it due to their species' vocal structure.^[16]

Wookiees had extendable claws which they used for climbing; using them for anything else violated theWookiee honor code.^[17] Despite their fearsome appearance and volatile temperament, Wookiees were regarded as intelligent, sophisticated, loyal and trusting. When angered, Wookiees were known to descend into a berserker rage.^[10] Wookiees had an average lifespan of 400standard years,^[1] and they appeared not to age over a span of fiftyyears.^[18] Their lifespans dramatically decreased due to the harsh working conditions in thespicemines ofKessel.^[19] During their prime growing years, Wookiees were often hungry, forcing them to eat whenever they could.^[20] One Wookiee,Lohgarra, lived healthily forcenturies—the only distinction being her white fur.^[6]

They could learn to understand otherlanguages, likeGalactic Basic Standard, but they were physically unable to speak them^[21] due to their strange vocal chords that prevented them from speaking verbal languages.^[1] To those who had not learned to understandShyriiwook, the Wookiee language,^[21] it appeared they spoke in a series of growls and purrs. Although a rare phenomenon,Force-sensitive Wookiees were possible, and some joined the ranks of theJedi, becoming a source of great pride for their people.^[22] Such Wookiees included theJedi MasterKelnacca,^[23] Jedi MasterArkoff,^[24]Jedi KnightBurryaga Agaburry,^[20] Jedi MasterTyvokka,^[25] and theyounglingGungi.^[22]

History[]

The Clone Wars[]

Wookiees originated on theMid Rimforest planet of Kashyyyk. In the ancient past, they invented and crafted weapons that fired poisoned darts and arrows.^[19] During theClone Wars and the reign ofKingGrakchawwaa,^[27] the Wookiees remained fiercely loyal to theGalactic Republic and fought alongside them in severalstar systems.^[11] Towards the end of the conflict, Wookiee forces also defended theirhomeworld from aSeparatistinvasion with the help of Galactic Republicforces led byJedi MasterYoda, who had good relations with them.^[26]

Age of the Empire[]

At the end of the Clone Wars, numerous Wookiees were slaughtered by theclone troopers they allied with in the ensuing chaos of the anti-JediOrder 66,^[26] and soon after theestablishment of theGalactic Empire, their homeworld of Kashyyyk wasblockaded by the Empire. The softening and repeal of anti-slavery laws ultimately led to the Empire classifying the Wookiees as non-sentient.^[29] The Empire enslaved the Wookiees not because they were a meaningful threat to the Empire but because their massive, robust physiology allowed them to work long and hard in extreme conditions.^[30]

As a result, many Wookiees were enslaved and made to build much of the Imperial war machine,^[30] sent to be worked todeath in the dangerousspice mines of the planetKessel,^[11] or on construction sites such as theDeath Star, though a number escaped this fate.^[31] Numerous Wookiees were bred for use in medical experimentation, and some were used as playthings forGrand MoffLozen Tolruck, Imperial governor of Kashyyyk, who occasionally hunted live Wookiees for sport.^[30]

To keep them in line, all of the Wookiees on Kashyyyk were fitted withinhibitor chips that caused them great pain if activated. The Empire also quickly learned the most efficient way of preventing any wide-scale uprisings was by threatening clan and family members, particularly the younglings. Normally, a Wookiee would quite willingly rip a stormtrooper limb from limb regardless of their own safety, but could not bear to see other Wookiees subjected to the agony instead.^[30]

Despite these grave circumstances for their race, the Wookiees nonetheless found ways to help others. In the early days of the Empire, the Outer Rim planet ofLasan, home to theLasat, was brutally sacked and devastated by the Empire for daring to question the new regime. Unable to stand by and watch, many Wookiees went to Lasan and fought the Empire with weapons forged from thewroshyr trees of their homeworld, in many cases giving their own lives to save the Lasats. Because of their actions, a few Lasats (includingGarazeb Orrelios) were able to escape the genocide and survive in the wider galaxy.

In14 BBY, Wookiees who were being held prisoner by the Empire and forced to work at an Imperial refinery in Kashyyyk, were freed by thePartisans led bySaw Gerrera and the Jedi PadawanCal Kestis, who joined them during the attack on the refinery. Kestis went to Kashyyyk in search ofTarfful, a Wookiee chieftain he believed might have information that could be useful in hismission to rebuild theJedi Order. Kestis left the world while the Partisans searched for Tarfful and returned when he was informed they had found him. Tarfful told Kestis to search the top of theOrigin Tree, where he figured out where to go.^[28]

During theAge of the Empire, the-thenCommodoreThrawn andLieutenant CommanderEli Vanto discovered evidence that the Empire was transporting enslaved Wookiees after responding to a distress transmission from the troop transportSempre. The Wookiee slaves wereliberated by a task force consisting of the frigateCastilus and two squadrons ofV-19 Torrent starfighters, which thenattacked the space stationLansend Twenty-Six, where more Wookiee slaves were held. Thrawn commanded the operation to reinforce Baklek Base and forced the insurgents to surrender. When Vanto objected to slavery, Thrawn tried to rationalize the Empire's enslavement of Wookiees.^[32]

About fourteen years after the establishment of the Empire,^[11] the212th Attack Battalion led byGeneralKahdah quelled a Wookieerevolt on Kashyyyk. Civilian travel to the planet was restricted and access was granted only for official government business.^[33] Shortly later, the Empiretransported several captives includingWullffwarro and his sonKitwarr to thespicemines of Kessel. TheSpectres, a rebel cell based on theOuter Rim world of Lothal,rescued theprisoners and escaped Kessel.^[34]

Joining the Rebellion[]

During theGalactic Civil War, several Wookiees, includingChewbacca^[4] andLohgarra, fought for theAlliance to Restore the Republic^[6] and its successor government, theNew Republic.^[31]One year following theBattle of Endor, the Wookiee homeworld had become an Imperial remnant known asImperial territory G5-623 led by Grand Moff Tolruck. Kashyyyk was laterliberated by theNew Republic forces. Working with a group of rebels led byHan Solo and Chewbacca, the former Imperial loyalty officerSinjir Rath Velus, used a hyperspace transceiver to neutralize Tolruck's inhibitor chips. This enabled the Wookiees to rise up en-masse against the Imperial occupiers and take their well-earned revenge, with Grand Moff Tolruck himself being killed by his personal slave,Cracktooth. The Imperial forces attempted to orbital bombard Kashyyyk but were defeated by a New Republic fleet led byLeia Organa andAdmiralAckbar.^[30]

Wookiee and New Republic forces then conducted mopping-up operations against the remaining Imperial holdouts on Kashyyyk. During one of these skirmishes, Chewbacca reunited with his son,Lumpawaroo, who had escaped from a slave labor camp run byCommandantDessard.^[35]

New Republic era[]

During theNew Republic era, Kashyyyk's forests including the Black Forest grew back. Many Wookiees including Chewbacca and ChiefKarasshki lived in villages. Abouttwo years after theBattle of Jakku, the roguePau'an surgeonFyzen Gor began kidnapping and killing Wookieeyounglings to use as spare parts for hisdroid followers, theOriginal Dozen. Due to his shadowy appearance, he earned the nickname the "Long Man." Chewbacca agreed to helpHan Solo andLando Calrissian retrieve thePhylanx Redux Transmitter in return recovering the limbs of the murdered Wookiees for funeral rites.^[36]

Society and culture[]

The name for their species was known to translate^[16] from Shyriiwook intoGalactic Basic Standard^[37] literally as "the People of the Trees".^[16] Living in a great harmony with the nature of Kashyyyk,^[38] the Wookiees placed great value upon the wroshyr trees of their home planet; they considered the mighty trees the true owners of the land, themselves merely coexisting with them, and would consult them before every battle by bowing their heads against their wood to listen to their wisdom.^[39]

Wookiees were expert craftsmen who blended off-world technology likeblasters andlightsabers with traditional materials such aswood, preciousstones, andmetals.^[1] Most Wookiees carriedbowcasters as weaponry, which were handcrafted.^[19]Chewbacca's bowcaster broke Wookiee tradition due to its automatic cocking system. Wookiees believed that seeing acan-cell brought good luck, and Wookiees often kept them as pets.^[1] The Wookiee people by and large hatedTrandoshans, greathunters^[40] who turned their talents against the Wookiees and hunted them.^[41] The highest way a Wookiee could compliment someone was to groom them.^[6] Wookiees were not known to be subtle.^[42]

In Wookiee society, loyalty and courage were valued as sacrosanct tenets.^[10] It was typical for Wookiees to value honor and friendship above all else.^[19] It was considerably rare to find Wookiees with criminal tendencies.^[43] When male Wookiees turned 12 years old, they would undergo initiation rituals to enter adulthood. Wookiees spoke threelanguages:Shyriiwook,Thykarann, andXaczik.^[1] Shyriiwook had 150 words for "wood"^[19] but no word for "artist" because Wookiees viewed their carving skills as a survival skill and not a talent.^[44]

Wookiees in the galaxy[]

Notable Wookiees included Chewbacca, thenavigator and long-time companion of Han Solo.^[18] Other noteworthy Wookiees included thechief and generalTarfful (who fought alongside Master Yoda during the Battle of Kashyyyk),^[26] the warrior Wullffwarro, and his son Kitwarr.^[34] Force-sensitive Wookiees included the Jedi Master Arkoff,^[24]Jedi MasterKelnacca, and Jedi Padawan Burryaga Agaburry, all of whom lived in theHigh Republic Era,^[20] as well as the Jediyoungling Gungi, who lived during the Clone Wars.^[22] During the Age of the Empire,Krrsantan was a Wookiee who worked as abounty hunter for bothJabba theHutt andDarth Vader.^[5]

The firstWookiee Leia Organa ever met was a guest at one ofSenatorBail Prestor Organa's state dinners, with the Wookiee leaving an impression on the young Leia.^[46]Drokkatta was a Wookiee who served in theCoruscant rebel cell.^[47] The WookieeGreybok played an important role in turning the tide of theBattle on Sevarcos by freeing severalrancors, which rampaged the Imperial lines.^[31] He later took part in Han Solo and Chewbacca's campaign to liberate Kashyyyk.^[30] While serving as asenator in the New Republic'sGalactic Senate, Leia Organa once saw two Wookiee commuters in front of her on anautomated sidewalk at theNew Republic senatorial complex onHosnian Prime.^[48]

Behind the scenes[]

The word "Wookiee" originated inGeorge Lucas's first movie,THX 1138, in a line ad-libbed by actorTerry McGovern: "I think I just ran over a Wookiee."^[49] A Wookiee later appeared through Chewbacca in the firstStar Wars film.^[4]

In therough draft of the script forA New Hope, Wookiees (spelt "Wookees") inhabitYavin and fly some of the starfighters in theBattle of Yavin.^[50] According to Much to Learn You Still Have: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Wookiees onStarWars.com(backup link), in early drafts of the script forStar Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi, thesecond Death Star was to be built inorbit around Kashyyyk and the construction would be done by Wookiee laborers,^[44] butStar Wars: The Annotated Screenplays andThe Making of Return of the Jedi contradict this, instead saying thatEwoks and theforest moon of Endor were present inGeorge Lucas's earliest notes and scripts forReturn of the Jedi while Kashyyyk and Wookiees other than Chewbacca were never present.^[50][51]

The Wookiees also appeared in the non-canonLEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures episode "Peril on Kashyyyk," which premiered onDisney XD onJune 27,2016. In the episode, the scavengingFreemakers family helps ChiefAttiburra rescue his sonTantarra from a Trandoshan island fortress.^[52]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Non-canon sources[]

• LEGO Star Wars: Choose Your Side: Doodle Activity Book
• LEGO Star Wars: Build Your Own Adventure
• LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation | Official Trailer | Disney+ on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)(Posted on StarWars.com)
• 5 Things We Love About theLEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation Trailer onStarWars.com(backup link)(Picture only)
• LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation: A Vacation Adventure Clip on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)(Posted on StarWars.com)
• A Brief History of How LEGOStar Wars Built 20 Years of Stories onStarWars.com(backup link)
• VISIONS FILMMAKER FOCUS: THE DUEL: PAYBACK on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Wookiee onWikipedia
• Quiz: Can You Guess the Image FromThe Book of Boba Fett onStarWars.com(original link is obsolete)
• Quiz: Which Character fromThe Acolyte Are You? onStarWars.com(backup link)