Although Wookiees are known for their immense strength and strict code of honor, these attributes made the species targets for some of the most unscrupulous characters in the Star Wars universe: slave traders. According to Star Wars canon, Wookiee slavery became rampant under the Empire, while the Czerka Corporation allowed slavers to operate on the species’ homeworld of Kashyyyk in Legends.
During the era of the Galactic Republic, slavery was outlawed on all Republic worlds including Kashyyyk, which protected the species from most slavers. This all began to change during the end of the Clone Wars and the establishment of the Galactic Empire, who enslaved the Wookiees and classified the intelligent species as non-sentient. As slaves, the Wookiees were forced into manual labor in support of the Imperial War machine or the spice mines of Kessel. Others were used for more nefarious activities, such as science experiments or pit fighting. One particularly cruel Imperial Official, Commandant Theodane Sardo, even suggested farming Wookiee slaves for their meat in the canon novel Aftermath: Life Debt.
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Chewbacca was a first-hand witness to the Empire’s enslavement of Kashyyyk and fell victim to Trandoshan slavers while on the run from Imperial Forces. The Wookiee was sent to cut wroshyr trees on Kashyyyk before his second escape, which was cut short by a Kowakian monkey-lizard who sold him out. Upon his recapture, Chewbacca was sent to a number of different facilities, before landing on Mimban. While there, Chewbacca met his future longtime ally Han Solo, who permanently freed the Wookiee from slavery in Solo: A Star Wars. The duo would eventually join the rebellion, who worked toward overthrowing the Empire.
After the defeat of the Galactic Empire on Endor, Chewbacca’s allies worked toward freeing the Wookiee species from their enslavement in the canonical Aftermath book series. The New Republic’s provisional Galactic Senate passed a provision that compensated enslaved species during the Empire’s rule, however Kashyyyk was still ruled by Grand Moff Lozen Tolruck, the leader of Imperial territory G5-623. Solo and Chewbacca would eventually lead a slave rebellion on Kashyyyk, which was ultimately liberated by forces led by Admiral Akbar and Princess Leia Organa. Wookiee and New Republic forces eventually cleared out the rest of the Empire’s presence from the planet, and rescued Chewbacca’s son Lumpawaroo in the process.
The Empire weren’t the only ones to enslave the Wookiees. In the Legends videogame, Knights of the Old Republic, the Czerka Corporation infiltrated a Wookiee tribe to run a slavery operation on Kashyyyk. Czerka, who was allied with the Sith, worked with a Wookiee Chieftain named Chuundar to trap and enslave other members of the species in Kashyyyk’s Shadowlands. An amnesiac Revan and Chuundar’s father Freyr would ultimately join forces against Chuundar and Czerka’s operatives, putting an end to their slave operation. Following their defeat, Czerka would attempt to cover up its crimes, stating that it was “scaling back” their presence on Kashyyyk.
Slavery was also at the heart of tensions between the Trandoshans and Wookiees in canon. During the reign of the Galactic Republic, Trandoshan slavers were frequently found lurking in Kashyyyk and they even formed an alliance with Count Dooku during the Clone Wars. A scrapped episode from The Clone Wars series was set to focus on a Separatist and Trandoshan invasion of Kashyyyk. The episode had Yoda helping the Wookiees fight back, which established his positive relationship with the species.
As a proud species with a deep cultural tradition, Wookiees fought hard against the Empire and anyone who encroached on their liberty. While many unfortunately perished at the hands of the Empire, Czerka and other slavers, the Wookiees’ alliance with the Rebellion and Republic forces helped the species gain their freedom throughout Star Wars‘ history.
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