Kashyyyk
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| Distance from Core | 32,000 Light years |
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| Region | Middle Rim |
| Sector | Mytaranor Sector |
| System | Kashyyyk system |
| Number of suns | 1 |
| Number of moons | 3 |
| Major species | Wookiee |
| Population | 57 billion |
| Official language | Shyriiwook |
| Climate | Temperate |
| Terrain | Forest, Jungle, Lagoons, and Tree Cities |
| Points of interest | Star Map |
| Affiliation | Infinite Empire, Czerka Corporation, later Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire, and New Republic |
Kashyyyk (pronounced /ˈkæʃik/ or /ˈkæʃɪk/), also known as Wookiee Planet C, is a fictional planet in the Star Wars universe. It is the lush, tree-filled home planet of the Wookiees, who live in villages constructed in the trees similar to that of the Ewoks. In the Star Wars Holiday Special the planet was pronounced Ka-zook.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early days
In the millennia before the rise of the Galactic Republic, Kashyyyk was a member world of the Infinite Empire. Its surface was terraformed by the Rakata, resulting in the abnormally large foliage which still covers the planet's surface in modern times. Its ecology can be politely described as a "layered deathtrap", the planet's surface being encompassed in shadow by trees that are many miles high. The dangerous and hostile animals increase closer to the forest floor. Hidden on the planet's surface is a Star Map, another piece in the puzzle of the location of the Star Forge.
[edit] Czerka Corporation and slavery
When Kashyyyk was discovered by the Czerka Corporation's explorers, around 4,000 BBY, it was given the catalogue name G5-623, sometimes known as Edean. Before a poll among Czerka stockholders selected Edean to become Kashyyyk's "name". Czerka conducted extensive Wookiee-slaving operations on "Edean", as well as hunting several of its species almost to extinction. To ensure a relatively peaceful presence, Czerka supported the installation of friendly chieftains into power over the native tribes and would then prop them up with mercenaries and weapons shipments. In response, the chieftains would train their tribe to understand Galactic Basic (ostensibly to "know thine enemy" but in reality to make them better slaves) and allow Czerka to enslave a percentage of the tribe's population. This is similar to how real slaving operations were conducted in Africa and South America. Eventually Czerka was driven out by Darth Revan and rebel Wookiees.
[edit] The Clone Wars
During the epic Clone Wars of 22 to 19 BBY, Kashyyyk fought on the side of the Galactic Republic. During one such battle, Yoda of the Jedi Council flew to Kashyyyk to assist in the fighting. This particular battle, known as the Battle of Kashyyyk, would be one of the last few battles fought in the Clone Wars before the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. During this battle, Order 66 was initiated and the clone troopers attempted to kill Yoda, who was sent by the Jedi Council to prevent Kashyyyk from falling to the Separatists. The clones failed to kill the Jedi master, and he later escaped with the help from his friends and prominent Wookiees, Chewbacca and Tarfful. After this, the clones successfully defended the planet from Separatist advances. Quinlan Vos was on Kashyyyk during 66, as was Luminara Unduli.
[edit] The "Dark Times"
During the period of the Galactic Empire's reign, Kashyyyk, like all other planets in the galaxy, was forced into obeying the policies of the Empire. On one such occasion, following the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire, under the direction of Darth Vader, went on a search for the rebels responsible. Kashyyyk was put under a blockade, along with Tatooine, in an attempt to locate Han Solo and Chewbacca. It was on a day when Chewbacca was returning home to his family to celebrate the sacred Wookiee holiday of Life Day that the Empire raided Chewie's home, with no success in finding the Wookiee. On another such occasion, the Rebel Alliance, before the destruction of the first Death Star, attempted to raid the planet with Han Solo, looking for one Wookiee, to free the Wookiee population from enslavement. The Empire made an attempt to retaliate and stop the Rebels from freeing them, which succeeded. Han Solo fled in the Millennium Falcon after the Rebel advancement was crushed. The Wookiees remained enslaved by the Empire.
[edit] The New Republic
Following the defeat of the Empire, Kashyyyk joined the New Republic, formed by the leaders of the Rebel Alliance.
[edit] Featured in
- Lego Star Wars
- Star Wars Battlefront
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Star Wars Empire At War
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
- Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic
- Star Wars Republic Commando
- *Star Wars Holiday Special* Referred to as Kazzook
[edit] Presentation
[edit] Films
Kashyyyk was first seen in The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), as the program's frame story takes place there. The original scripts for Return of the Jedi called for the Death Star to be built in orbit around Kashyyyk by Wookiee slave labor. It wasn't until later drafts that the setting and characters were changed to Endor and Ewoks. The planet was more elaborately seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in which Master Yoda goes to Kashyyyk to oversee the battle between the Wookiees and the Droid Army.
[edit] Books
The planet's unique biosphere was first detailed in The Wookiee Storybook. The planet was revealed to be a densely forested planet, on which one can encounter vast plains and island areas suitable for large, sweeping battles. It was in this book that the family of Chewbacca once again appears in a situation similar to that of the Holiday Special. The planet appears in several other books, as well. Among them are:
- A Forest Apart by Troy Denning
- The Han Solo Trilogy, by Ann C. Crispin. While the reader actually visits Kashyyyk for the first time in Book Three- "Rebel Dawn"- we hear about it (and meet Chewbacca) in Book Two- "The Hutt Gambit".
- The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
- Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
- the Young Jedi Knights series
- the New Jedi Order series by various authors
[edit] Comics
Kashyyyk also features in issue #91 of the Marvel Comics Star Wars and in the newspaper comic strip "The Kashyyyk Depths", by artist Russ Manning. In the "Chewbacca" comic series, set during the New Jedi Order era, many scenes are set on Kashyyyk as well. It is written as 'Kazhyyk' in Way of the Wookie in the Marvel Illustrated Books. November 1981. ISBN 0-9604146-8-1
[edit] Video games
Kashyyyk also appears in the video games Star Wars: Galaxies, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars: Republic Commando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Empire at War, Lego Star Wars: The Video Game,Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The latter takes place 4000 years before the Galactic Empire, with the Wookiees being oppressed by the slavers of Czerka Corporation.
[edit] External links
- Kashyyyk in the Star Wars Databank
- Kashyyyk on Wookieepedia, a Wikia wiki
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