Zaalbar

"He was fleeing some kind of trouble back on Kashyyyk. That's all I know, really. Big Z doesn't like to talk about it. In case you didn't notice he's the strong, silent type."

- Mission Vao

Zaalbar, also nicknamed "Big Z", was a male Wookiee who aided Revan in his quest to find the Star Maps. He was the son of Wookiee Chieftain Freyyr, but had been exiled from Kashyyyk as a madclaw. With Revan's help he cleared his name and liberated Kashyyyk from Czerka Corporation's slaving operations. He parted ways with Revan after the defeat of Darth Malak.

Biography
Son of the Wookiee Chieftain Freyyr, Zaalbar was born on the planet Kashyyyk. Discovering that his brother, Chuundar, was making deals with slavers, Zaalbar went mad with rage and attacked him. During the fight, he broke an important Wookiee code and used his claws as weapons. He was consequently exiled from Kashyyyk as a madclaw.

In his exile, Zaalbar traveled to Taris, where he got into some trouble in the Lower City. A few Black Vulkar gang members began trying to pick a fight with him. Although Big Z wasn't going for it, Mission Vao was looking on and decided that enough was enough. She charged at the Black Vulkars, but one of them knocked her down. Zaalbar grabbed him by the throat, and this show of anger was enough to scare the others off. After that, the unlikely pair became inseparable.

Shortly after Revan's arrival on Taris, Zaalbar was captured by Gamorrean slavers. Mission enlisted Revan's help in rescuing him from the Undercity sewers where he was being held. When Revan freed Big Z, he swore a life debt to the former Sith Lord, and as a result became a member of Revan's crew. Wherever he went Mission would follow, so she joined the party as well.



When Revan and his companions arrived on Kashyyyk – where Zaalbar's brother Chuundar had seized power from his father – the Wookiee was imprisoned by his brother for not honoring his exile. Revan learned that Chuundar had sold a number of his fellow Wookiees as slaves to Czerka Corporation, but only a few in the tribe knew this; the rest saw him as a great hero. Chuundar asked Revan to kill another madclaw Wookiee exile who had taken up residence in the Shadowlands beneath the planet's mighty trees. Upon further investigation, this exile turned out to be Freyyr, Zaalbar and Chuundar's father.

Revan helped Freyyr retrieve Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, a mighty vibrosword of great importance to the Wookiees. He then led a revolt against Chuundar and Czerka, in which Chuundar was killed. Freyyr resumed his position as chieftain, giving Bacca's Ceremonial Blade to Zaalbar – thus indicating that his son would succeed him as chieftain. Zaalbar accepted this gift, but told his father that he had to honor his life debt to Revan. He would return to Kashyyyk when their quest was complete.

After the destruction of the Star Forge, Zaalbar was given the Cross of Glory by Admiral Forn Dodonna along with the rest of Revan's crew. Afterward, Zaalbar presumably returned to Kashyyyk.

Personality and traits


"I keep telling Zaalbar to brush those choppers of his, but he never listens. Just stay upwind when he's speaking and you'll be fine."

- Mission Vao to Revan

Zaalbar was a shy Wookiee of few words, preferring to let the street-smart Mission do most of the talking. He was very protective of the petite Twi'lek, and would sacrifice himself for her without hesitation. Still, even as he trusted her, and trusted Revan, he found it difficult to express certain aspects of himself and of his culture, feeling they were private and not for outsiders to know. He had a strong sense of Wookiee honor and tradition.

Zaalbar also appeared to have a low opinion of himself, no doubt a result of his exile and the shame of being a madclaw. When asked by Revan if he could help him with a problem, Zaalbar expressed his belief that he would be of little use… unless, of course, he needed something to be bashed open.

He also looked out for his appetite. During his capture on Taris, he was so hungry that he even tried to bite off a Gamorrean guard's arm. When the Ebon Hawk' ' s food supply started getting low, he was the first one to notice it. Revan might have suspected him at first, but it turned out to be a young girl who had sneaked onboard. Mission was also constantly teasing Zaalbar about his bad breath.

Zaalbar was capable of making grenades for Revan and his party. His personal possessions included a custom-crafted bowcaster and later Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, given to him by Freyyr after the Wookiee rebellion on Kashyyyk.

Behind the scenes


An alternate dark side choice allows the player to side with Chuundar and kill Freyyr, thus making Zaalbar become coldhearted and darker in character. He will then tell Revan that he will side with him, but only because his brother Chuundar has taught him about using outsiders for their own advantage.

Another dark side option is available on Lehon. The player can persuade Zaalbar to kill Mission as a payment of the life debt he has sworn. The player can also decide to kill Zaalbar at this point in the game. If the player has him kill Mission and chooses him as a party member on the Star Forge, he will remember his act and attack Revan for forcing him to kill his best friend.

Zaalbar is in homage to Chewbacca from four of the "Star Wars" films. Like Chewbacca, he is Wookiee royalty and has sworn a life debt to a Human.

Mission refered to Zaalbar as "Big Z" several times in Knights of the Old Republic. The English letter "Z" is not a letter in Galactic Basic Standard, however. Therefore, Mission should call him Big Zesh.

Zaalbar is frequently referred to as "young" by the other Wookiees when Revan's party visits Kashyyyk. This, coupled with his friendship with Mission and reactions to her teasing, may mean that Zaalbar is only an adolescent himself.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Notes and references
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