Vargi Vargi was a male Wookiee from Kashyyyk who was responsible for the capture and enslavement of many members of his species . When the Galactic Empire began to force Wookiees into slave labor and hired Trandoshans to hunt them down , Vargi left Kashyyyk and allied himself with the hunters in an effort to protect his family and to prevent the wholesale slaughter of his people . He directed the Trandoshans ' hunts toward elusive Wookiee communities and provided them with other valuable intelligence ; when he returned to his homeworld and told his sister , Mallatobuck , what he had done , she reacted with horror and cast him out of her family . Vargi at one point met Mallatobuck ' s husband , Chewbacca , and the two developed a mutual dislike of each other . When the Empire ' s Wookiee slave trade was shut down in 4 ABY , a Nagai known as Knife plotted to revive it and recruited Vargi into his fold . Vargi sought to enslave every member of Chewbacca ' s family , and Knife had Mallatobuck ; her son , Lumpawarrump ; and Chewbacca ' s father , Attichitcuk ; kidnapped . Chewbacca soon returned home from his duties with the Alliance of Free Planets to visit his family , and he too was captured by Vargi , Knife , and their team of Wookiee outlaws . When Chewbacca ' s Human companion , Han Solo , attempted to free his partner , Vargi began to pummel both of them . Chewbacca only fought back when he discovered that his family had been freed , and he overpowered and defeated Vargi . Other Wookiee captives revolted , and the attempted revival of the Wookiee slave trade was averted . Biography . Betrayer . The Wookiee male Vargi lived on his species ' homeworld of Kashyyyk during the time of the Galactic Empire . He had a younger sister named Mallatobuck . Shortly after the Empire came into power , its forces invaded Kashyyyk and rounded up thousands of Wookiees for use as slave laborers . The Trandoshans , a species of hunters whose own homeworld lay in the same system as Kashyyyk , allied themselves with the Empire and began to hunt down Wookiees who had escaped capture . Vargi learned about their plans and decided to attempt to focus their efforts on specific Kashyyyk communities , which he hoped would prevent wholesale Wookiee slaughter and ensure the safety of his own family . He left his home planet and joined the Trandoshans ; Vargi provided the hunters with the locations of secret refuges and elusive Wookiee tribes , which he promised would bring them more enjoyable hunts . He also gave them details on how to invade Wookiee cities and on certain Wookiee weaknesses that could be exploited . During his time with the hunters , Vargi was believed by Mallatobuck to be either dead or enslaved . At some point between 0 BBY and 4 ABY , Vargi returned to Kashyyyk . He sought out his sister and visited her in her home , where he explained his absence and the reasons behind his actions . Mallatobuck was horrified and sent him away , proclaiming that he was no longer her brother . Mallatobuck had married during his absence , and Vargi at one point met her husband , Chewbacca . A lasting animosity developed between the two . Following the fragmentation of the Imperial Fleet in 4 ABY , Vargi joined forces with the Nagai Ozrei N ' takkilomandrife — known to the Wookiees as " Knife " — and plotted to take over the Wookiee slave trade . The Nagai were from the satellite galaxy Firefist and had dispatched Knife to distract the Alliance of Free Planets , the government to which Chewbacca and Solo belonged , while the Nagai fleet invaded the galaxy . By allying with Knife , Vargi hoped to enslave all of Chewbacca ' s family . Slaver . Several other renegade Wookiees joined Vargi and Knife ' s new slaving ring . When Knife learned of Chewbacca ' s status as a Wookiee hero , he agreed to have Mallatobuck ; her son , Lumpawarrump ; and Chewbacca ' s father , Attichitcuk ; kidnapped for use as bait to capture Chewbacca himself . Chewbacca and Solo soon arrived in the city of Rwookrrorro with their friend Lando Calrissian for a visit with Chewbacca ' s family , and Vargi and Knife greeted them on their way to Chewbacca ' s house . Knife convinced the ignorant newcomers to allow him and Vargi to join them for drinks , and the group made their way to Chewbacca ' s empty treetop dwelling . Tension mounted between the two Wookiees as the group sat inside and drank , but Vargi ' s other Wookiee companions soon arrived with Mallatobuck and Lumpawarrump held at blasterpoint and fitted Chewbacca and his companions with stun cuffs . Solo and Calrissian were left under guard in the house while Vargi , Knife , and the Wookiee outlaws paraded Chewbacca and his family through the city so as to demoralize any local resistance to the revived slave trade . They then proceeded to a spaceport and began to load groups of Wookiees onto transports to be shipped offworld . Chewbacca ' s comrades escaped from their makeshift prison ; Solo sneaked up behind Chewbacca and unlocked his stun cuffs but was spotted by Vargi and Knife . Vargi repeatedly pummeled the freed Chewbacca in the face and met no resistance due to Chewbacca ' s conviction to not place his family in more danger . Solo was pounded next after attempting to protect Chewbacca ; in a fit of rage , Chewbacca overpowered Vargi ' s Wookiee companions and then started to grapple with Vargi himself . Calrissian arrived with Chewbacca ' s family in tow , and when he realized they were safe , Chewbacca punched and knocked Vargi several meters away . Knife fled when the other Wookiee slaves subsequently rose up against their captors — his and Vargi ' s attempt to revive the Wookiee slave trade had failed . The Nagai ' s invasion of the galaxy was later averted by the Alliance of Free Planets . Personality and traits . When the Galactic Empire began to enslave Wookiees , Vargi believed that Kashyyyk could not hope to resist its oppressor . He accordingly took steps to protect his own family and to prevent wholesale Wookiee slaughter by allying himself with the Trandoshan hunters who were working for the Empire . Vargi directed the Trandoshans ' efforts toward specific hidden communities ; however , he also gave the hunters intelligence on Wookiee weaknesses and on how to invade Wookiee cities . Although he attempted to justify his actions to his sister , Mallatobuck was horrified and declared that he was no longer her brother . Mallatobuck ' s husband , Chewbacca , also developed a strong dislike of Vargi . When the Nagai known as Knife came to Kashyyyk with the intention of reviving the planet ' s slave trade , Vargi joined in his venture . Having been cast out of his own family by his sister and possessed of a grudge against Chewbacca , Vargi was intent on capturing and enslaving Chewbacca and every member of his family , including Mallatobuck . Vargi was a large Wookiee , standing over 2 . 28 meters tall and sporting a coat of reddish - brown fur . He was physically strong and was a capable brawler , although he was unable to defeat Chewbacca in unarmed combat . Behind the scenes . Vargi was created by Mary Jo Duffy and debuted in " " , a comic book published by Marvel Comics in January 1985 . The issue was written by Duffy , penciled by Tony Salmons , and colored by Glynis Wein . " Wookiee World " tells of Vargi ' s alliance with Knife and attempt to revive the Wookiee slave trade after the fall of the Galactic Empire . Later sourcebooks published during the 1990s and 2000s shed light on his motivations for doing so and revealed information on his earlier dealings with the Trandoshans .