Snoova Snoova was a Wookiee bounty hunter and mercenary who was active during the Galactic Civil War . He was ostracized from Wookiee society and faced the death penalty on his homeworld , Kashyyyk , due to his violation of the Wookiee injunction against the use of his species ' natural claws for anything other than climbing ; rumors spoke of Snoova slashing at an opponent in a brawl over the affections of a female Wookiee paramour . Snoova escaped Kashyyyk as an outlaw and largely avoided other Wookiees . He turned to a life of bounty hunting — an unusual profession for a member of his species — and mercenary work . Because Wookiees were an enslaved species under the regime of the Galactic Empire , Snoova specifically pursued bounties posted by the galactic government ; his successes gained him such renown that he was able to travel through the Empire with impunity , and his identification datawork was altered to name him as his own master . Snoova ' s unique appearance added to his high profile : he had brown fur splotched with black , and he cut his head - hair into a flat - topped spacer ' s style . He also wore a monocle ocular enhancer over his right eye , a piece of equipment he had surgically rooted in his eye socket when he lost his right eye in pursuit of a target . Snoova preferred to work alone , but he occasionally teamed up with associates from Aurodium Sword and the Black Sun criminal organizations , as well as with fellow bounty hunters , such as the Ubese Boushh . Snoova ' s fame inspired the Human replica droid Guri to disguise another well - known Wookiee , the Rebel Alliance operative Chewbacca , as Snoova in an effort to smuggle him past customs in Imperial City , where Chewbacca was a wanted Rebel agent . Snoova ' s explosive temper and violent tendencies earned him a reputation as dangerous among the galaxy ' s criminal underworld . Although the bounty hunter knew how to ingratiate himself with clients , he regularly treated his prey with rough - edged contempt . Snoova was capable of stealthily shadowing a target , but his preference for brute force over subtle means manifested in his favored weapons : a vibro - ax and a heavy blaster rifle . Snoova was equally comfortable shredding his opponents with his climbing claws . Biography . Snoova was a native of the planet Kashyyyk , homeworld of the Wookiee species to which he belonged . He escaped from the planet for unknown reasons ; rumors suggested that he had gotten into a fight with a family member over the affections of a Wookiee female . The story held that in the altercation , Snoova attacked and maimed his rival with his climbing claws , a capital offense in Wookiee society , and earned himself the designation of " madclaw . " Snoova was forced to flee to avoid the death mark placed on his head , and for the remainder of his life , he lived as an exile from Wookiee society . Snoova took to mercenary stints as he made his way in the galaxy . He worked for a time as an indentured servant to a small - time crime boss named Asteria ; as soon as his contract expired , though , Snoova moved on to bigger pursuits . The Wookiee eventually picked up bounty hunting , an unusual line of work for a Wookiee at the time . As the Galactic Civil War raged throughout the galaxy , Snoova ' s species was officially enslaved by the Galactic Empire ; therefore , Snoova relegated himself to Imperial space and pursued bounties posted by the Empire . Such practices afforded him freedom of movement in spite of his species ' enslavement — indeed , although he was technically a slave , his identification datawork showed him as his own master . At some point , Snoova lost an eye in pursuit of a bounty . He had it replaced with a monocle ocular enhancer eye patch that he had previously worn as a hunting aid . After the surgery , the device connected to cybernetics hidden in his right eye socket . Although he preferred to operate alone , Snoova worked with various criminal organizations and partnered with fellow bounty hunters and mercenaries from time to time . He worked alongside the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh on at least one occasion . At another point , Snoova worked for or with Aurodium Sword Executive Security , a mercenary organization that provided security and paramilitary support to high - ranking clients . The Wookiee participated in a skirmish alongside the group ' s leader , a rogue ARC trooper known as Muzzle , as well as another Wookiee while defending a Sullustan executive from a squad of assassins . An image captured from the fight made its way to an Imperial intelligence agent , who filed a report on Aurodium Sword with the Empire . A few months after the Battle of Yavin , Commander Maximillian Seerdon of the Imperial Security Bureau included the report and image in his dossier on various underworld figures . Although pictured , Snoova was not named in the document . At some point , Snoova worked as a mercenary for the Black Sun criminal syndicate . When the Empire posted the Emperor ' s Most Wanted , a list of high - stakes bounties on critical Rebel Alliance leaders , sometime after the Battle of Talus , Snoova was among the bounty hunters who went on the hunt for the named individuals . He captured a bounty from the list and delivered his quarry to a fellow bounty hunter , Bossk , at an Imperial outpost at Dee ' ja Peak on the planet Naboo . Meanwhile , witnesses spread rumors of the capture , and Rebel agents , posing as smugglers , arrived at Dee ' ja Peak to search out Snoova and reclaim his Rebel bounty . The Wookiee ' s contacts warned him of the Rebel stalkers , so Snoova lay in wait and surprised the interlopers . Near the center of the outpost , their leader was pushed into an alley , where Snoova and several Black Sun thugs attacked . The Wookiee bounty hunter was wounded during the long and vicious firefight , and his Black Sun associates fled . Reluctantly , Snoova answered the Rebel ' s questions and put them on the trail of Bossk , who knew the prisoners ' location . By 3 ABY , Snoova was well - known , his fame such that he was the most famous Wookiee bounty hunter in the galaxy . That year , a Human Rebel Alliance leader , Princess Leia Organa , sought the aid of the Falleen Prince Xizor , head of Black Sun , in her efforts to rescue her fellow Rebel , Human smuggler Han Solo , who had fallen into the clutches of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett . Organa also sought information on who was trying to assassinate her friend , the Human Jedi Luke Skywalker . Because Organa and her Wookiee companion , Chewbacca , were well - known members of the Rebel Alliance , they had to find a way to sneak past the Imperial customs agents waiting for them in Imperial City , the galactic capital on the planet Coruscant , where Black Sun ' s headquarters was located . Black Sun agreed to help them do so . Meanwhile , Snoova unwittingly became part of Black Sun ' s Rebel deal . As he was leaving a meeting with Asteria in her townhouse , the Wookiee was ambushed by thugs with shock batons , stun pikes , and tranq slug s . The bounty hunter was unable to fight them off , and when he next awoke , found himself in a tiny cell , his arms chained above his head and his hands encased in mitts to prevent him from lashing out with his claws . Eventually , the Twi ' lek Vigo Lonay informed the prisoner that he had been taken " out of the picture " for a time and locked up at a slave camp so that someone could impersonate the hunter on Coruscant . Despite Snoova ' s angry threats and attempts to break free , the Twi ' lek told the Wookiee that he would receive substantial recompense for the arrangement . With Snoova hidden safely away , the Black Sun Human replica droid , Guri , disguised Leia Organa and Chewbacca as bounty hunters . Organa ' s disguise had belonged to the Ubese hunter Boushh , while Chewbacca ' s was modeled after Snoova ' s distinctive look . As part of his disguise , Chewbacca shaved the top of his head into a squared - off style and dyed black spots into his fur . Chewbacca also carried Snoova ' s preferred weapons : a vibro - ax and large blaster rifle . Personality and traits . By 3 ABY , Snoova was well known among the galactic fringe . Other bounty hunters were cautious around him , as he had a reputation as brutal and bloodthirsty due to his explosive temper and unbridled anger ; even in his best moments , Snoova ' s sour demeanor manifested in irritable growling at even the most minor of nuisances . The Wookiee showed little concern for decorum or niceties , and he was not afraid to bully others to get what he wanted from them . Of the few practicing Wookiee bounty hunters during the Galactic Civil War , Snoova earned a reputation as the most vicious . Snoova rejected Wookiee society ' s interdiction against the use of climbing claws in combat ; indeed , the Wookiee bounty hunter preferred his natural weapons in close combat as a means to maim his enemies , and he relented to blasters only when necessary . The proclivity earned him the designation of " madclaw " and made him an outcast in Wookiee society . For the most part , however , Snoova comported himself well with his clients ; when such dealings annoyed him , the Wookiee took out his aggressions on his prey . Snoova was somewhat paranoid and preferred to work alone . He disliked allegiances with other bounty hunters because he was never sure they would not betray him and claim the bounty on his head from the Wookiees of Kashyyyk . Likewise , Snoova steered clear of fellow Wookiees , as he knew that the death mark on his head meant they might subject him to Wookiee law — the death penalty — for his madclaw status . Nevertheless , Snoova allied with a fellow Wookiee while working for Aurodium Sword , and with other bounty hunters on occasion when he felt it expedient . Snoova ' s brown coat featured distinctive black spots , including a mask - like patch of fur across his eyes . The pattern was unusual for a Wookiee ; it earned Snoova the nickname " the furry bandit " from other bounty hunters — although no one used the soubriquet to his face — and made him instantly recognizable . Snoova enhanced his unique appearance by keeping his hair styled in a short spacer ' s cut characterized by a short flattop and ponytail . Snoova ' s breath smelled foul at least on occasion . The prefix " Sno - " in Snoova ' s name meant " curious , " " fast , " and " quick " in his native language , Shyriiwook ; the suffix - ova meant " eye , " " gazer , " " seeker , " and " seer . " Skills and abilities . Snoova was a skilled fighter , competent with the bowcasters typically preferred by his species but equally adept with a blaster ; he had additional skill and training in the use of repeating blasters . Snoova was proficient in the use of melee weapons and blaster rifles , the latter class of weaponry he wielded with brute force and little concern for finesse . The Wookiee excelled most of all at hand - to - hand brawling , a pursuit to which he was able to apply his natural climbing claws to shred his opponents . Streetwise and savvy , Snoova was able to navigate the galaxy ' s criminal underworld with ease . He was skilled at spotting hidden quarries and was also skilled in stealth himself . The Wookiee had a penchant for intimidation . He was trained to pilot starships and repulsorlift vehicles , and he had good endurance and the skill to cope with survival situations . Although Snoova was literate in Basic and able to comprehend the language , his physiology allowed him to speak only Shyriiwook , his native tongue . Equipment . Snoova ' s preferred weapons were a vibro - ax , heavy blaster pistol , blaster rifle , light repeating blaster , and grenade . He often wore an ammunition bandoleer . Other equipment the Wookiee carried included a medpac , satchel , binders , comlink , and datapad . The Wookiee often made use of a removable device that featured a monocle ocular enhancer that afforded him low - light vision and enhanced visual acuity . After an accident cost the Wookiee his eye , Snoova made the rig a permanent feature when he had it installed as a cybernetic eye patch in his right eye socket . He often wore a pauldron over one shoulder . When Chewbacca impersonated the bounty hunter , he wore a short cape . Behind the scenes . Snoova was created in conjunction with the " " project , a collection of " Star Wars " releases — including a novel , comic book , , and — that entered development in 1994 . The project afforded the toy company Hasbro the ability to design the looks of several new " Star Wars " characters , including the Wookiee bounty hunter ; both Mark Boudreaux and Mike Butkus have been attributed as the designers of the character . Snoova ' s look became the basis for an action figure of Chewbacca disguised as the Wookiee outlaw , part of the 1996 " Shadows of the Empire " toy line . It is an extensively retooled version of the first " " Chewbacca figure , which includes a shaved head , dyed fur , and armor . The figure also includes a blaster rifle , vibro - ax , and detachable cape . Other sources have contributed to Snoova ' s backstory ; the " Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook " , published in 1996 by West End Games , provides the earliest graphical depiction and biographical expansion of the character , and " " and " Scum and Villainy " contribute more information . None of these sources provides a coherent chronology for Snoova ' s life ; this article presents all known biographical details , although the order of events may not reflect the true sequence of events in the Wookiee ' s biography . Similarly , sources disagree as to the nature of Snoova ' s ocular enhancer . The " Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook " claims the eyepiece is a mere tool used by Snoova , but " Scum and Villainy " labels it a cybernetic replacement for a lost eye . The biography above assumes that both sources are correct , albeit for different periods in Snoova ' s life . The " " expansion to the " Star Wars " Customizable Card Game , published by Decipher , Inc . , in 2001 , includes Snoova as a character ; the Wookiee ' s preference for melee weapons allows him to gain access to his vibro - ax for free and to gain extra bounty hunting abilities when thus armed . The Light Side scenario of " Galactic Hunters " expansion to the " Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game " , published in 2009 , features Snoova as a villain the player characters must defeat to reclaim a captured Rebel leader ; the biography above assumes the characters defeat Snoova and accomplish this goal . " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , published in 2008 , presents an image of Chewbacca in his Snoova disguise — taken from the cover of 1996 ' s " Shadows of the Empire 4 " — as an image of Snoova himself . Snoova is available to players of " " , a video game published by LucasArts in 2001 , via the game ' s scenario editor . In that game as well as in 2007 ' s " " and 2009 ' s " " , players can create a " Wookiee bounty hunter " unit that features Snoova ' s trademark hairstyle and ocular enhancer .