Bad Blood: The History Behind The Wookiee And Trandoshan Rivalry
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Bad blood makes for some good fiction. Montagues and Capulets. Federation and Romulans. Dwarves and Elves. Sith and Jedi. There is always drama surrounding some bad blood relations between two groups. They are usually long and old by the time we learn about them, so much so that the original trigger can be forgotten, and for many, the rivalry and feud are essential to their identity by the time we are introduced to them.
In the Star Wars universe’s struggle against imperial fascism, one of the fiercest rivalries exists in the background, in the lore that makes up the galaxy. That would be the feud between the Wookiees and Trandoshans. The rivalry between the hairy Wookiees and the scaly Trandoshans goes far back into the history of the galaxy, and much of it is due to proximity and Trandoshan culture.
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To understand the hatred between the two species, it is important to point out that they both evolved and inhabit the same star system. Both Trandosha and Kashyyyk orbit the same star, so their inhabitants were already in rather close proximity to each other. Trouble began when space travel was introduced to both planets.
There are vast cultural differences between the two species, but only one of them has really led to the creation of this rivalry. Trandoshans believe in a goddess known as the Scorekeeper. In order to have a place of respect in their afterlife, Trandoshans hunt and kill varying species for Jagannath points. The more prestigious, the more difficult, and the bigger the kill, the more points they received. Krayt dragons, or even the great Zillo beast seen in The Clone Wars, would award a great deal of points to a Trandoshan hunter. Those are few and far between, however, and to be shamed or captured in the process of a hunt would see a Dark Souls-esque erasure of all progress. Therefore, more easily accessible and difficult-to-kill beings are sought after, and that includes Wookiees. Wookiees are among some of the highest point targets because of their intelligence, their strength, and their fighting prowess.
Image Source: StarWars.com
Clearly, the Wookiees did not take kindly to being hunted for sport, and they were not helpless either. Despite their size, they are a solitary and quiet race, and they prefer to live in harmony with nature, living in and creating their villages around the great wroshyr trees of their home planet Kashyyyk. Despite their more rustic living and peaceful nature, they are ferocious fighters and make use of advanced technology to defend themselves.
Complicating the rivalry was the fact that both races were part of the Republic. During the Clone Wars, Trandoshans further exacerbated the feud between the two species. Some Trandoshans invaded a moon that was represented by a Wookiee in the Senate, and tried to have them assassinated. Others chose to work with the Separatists, facilitating the Separatist invasion of Kashyyyk, necessitating the Republic to send in its clone army. Yoda’s leadership over the Battle for Kashyyyk has earned him a permanent place of honor among Wookiees.
To make matters worse, when the Empire took over, Trandoshans became complicit in the plight of the Wookiees against the Empire. Trandoshans tried to revoke their representation in the Imperial Senate and enslave them. The Republic’s presence on Kashyyyk to originally repel the Separatists turned into an occupation force that attempted to force the Wookiees into slavery. The Empire saw how their strength and resilience would be perfect for slave labor. Enterprising Trandoshan slaving parties often came to Kashyyyk to capture and sell Wookiees to the Empire, or simply to kill them.
This rivalry has played out behind the screen for the most part, but there have been glimpses of it in shows, movies, and comics. The Trandoshan Bossk, was one of the bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back to find Luke Skywalker and his friends, including the Wookiee Chewbacca. Bossk had a reputation as being one of the best Wookiee hunters around, and he and Chewie had quite the history. Chewie himself had a score to settle with Trandoshans since he was captured and enslaved by Trandoshan slavers until Han freed him. Chewie and other Wookiees like General Tarfful also helped Ahsoka rescue some younglings that had been captured by Trandoshans during the Clone Wars.
The Book of Boba Fett depicted the hated rivalry between the Wookiees and Trandoshans when Black Krrsantan grew irritated at some noisy Trandoshan gamblers in Madam Garsa Fwip’s establishment and tore the arms off one of the Trandoshans. Krrsantan was also a victim of attempted enslavement by Trandoshan slavers. He took particular pleasure in wiping out Trandoshan slavers along with other slavers as his reputation grew in the galaxy.
A Trandoshan offering Wookiee pelts to Boba Fett as tribute.
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Most recently, viewers got another look at the rivalry and how Trandoshans were often employed by the Empire to do their dirty work. In The Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 came across Gungi, a Wookiee Jedi that survived Order 66, and helped him return to his people on Kashyyyk to be with his people. When they arrived, however, it was clear that the Empire had employed Trandoshans to hunt and capture Wookiees. The clones helped fight off the slavers, and provided Gungi with a relatively safe new village to hide in.
Trandoshan slaver wearing Wookiee pelt in The Bad Batch
Image Source: StarWars.com
Despite their fierce hatred for one another, they do share similarities. Aside from their fighting prowess, both Wookiees and Trandoshans place a large amount of integrity on honor. There is a dishonor for a Trandoshan to fail to get their target, as their score gets completely erased. Both Wookiees and Trandoshans also place importance on life debts, like the one Chewbacca owed Han for rescuing him from the Imperial prison.
Perhaps it was meant to be. Two of the largest, fiercest, proudest species living in interstellar proximity were perhaps bound to be in opposition to each other. Though they share some similarities, it is doubtful that their common belief in life debts would be enough to overcome centuries of atrocities and slavery the Trandoshans had inflicted upon the Wookiees. It is an enduring history, and one that could be really interesting to see play out in print or film.
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