Vargi

"He is no longer my brother."

- Mallatobuck, speaking of Vargi

Vargi was a male Wookiee from Kashyyyk. He was the brother of Mallatobuck, making him the brother-in-law of Chewbacca and the uncle of Lumpawaroo. During the Galactic Civil War, Vargi started working with the Trandoshans. He felt that by telling them about other tribes, he could lead them away from his own. When he returned to Kashyyyk and told Malla what he did, she cast him out of her house.

Vargi dragged Chewbacca aside and proceeded to beat Han Solo for his attempt to escape, but was struck by the smuggler. This provoked Vargi to go on a rampage and struck Solo. Shortly afterward, Lando Calrissian returned with weapons and armed the Wookiees still loyal to the Alliance. The Wookiees overthrew their rogue counterparts just as Chewbacca was able to overpower Vargi, throwing him to the ground.

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 was in the same system as Kashyyyk, allied themselves with the Empire and began to hunt down Wookiees who had escaped capture. Vargi left his home planet and joined in the Trandoshans' efforts. He gave the hunters details on how to invade Wookiee cities and on certain Wookiee weaknesses that could be exploited, as well as the locations of secret refuges and more elusive Wookiee tribes. Vargi's goals were to focus the hunters' efforts on specific communities, thereby preventing wholesale Wookiee slaughter and ensuring the safety of his own family. The Trandoshans agreed when he promised them more enjoyable hunts. During his time with the hunters, Vargi was believed by Mallatobuck to be either dead or enslaved.

At some point between 2 BBY and 4 ABY Vargi returned to Kashyyyk. He sought out his sister and visited her in her home, where he explained his absence, his actions, and his reasons why. 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. Shortly after the Imperial fleet was fragmented in 4 ABY, Chewbacca came to Kashyyyk with Han Solo, a Human whom he had sworn a life debt to, and helped the planet's residents end the Empire's Wookiee slave trade by toppling the Imperial Moff Darcc. Shortly afterward, Vargi joined forces with the Nagai Ozrei N'takkilomandrife&mdash;known to the Wookiees as "Knife"&mdash;and plotted to quickly revive the slave trade. The Nagai were from the satellite galaxy Firefist and had dispatched Knife to distract the Alliance of Free Planets, the government which Chewbacca and Solo belonged to, while the Nagai fleet invaded the galaxy. By allying with Knife, Vargi hoped to enslave all of Chewbacca's family.

Slaver
"Vargi, cut it out! Leave him alone! It wasn't Chewbacca's fault! It was mine! Look, he isn't even trying to defend himself! Blast it&hellip;STOP IT!"

- Han Solo, just before punching Vargi in the face

Several other renegade Wookiees joined Vargi and Knife's new slaving ring. When Vargi informed Knife of Chewbacca's status as a Wookiee hero, the Nagai had 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 newcomers to allow he and Vargi to join them for drinks, and the group made their way to Chewbacca's treetop dwelling. Chewbacca and his friends believed they were waiting for his family to return home, and as they sat inside and drank, tension mounted between the two Wookiees present. When Vargi's other Wookiee companions arrived with Mallatobuck and Lumpawarrump held at blasterpoint, Vargi watched as a furious Chewbacca and his companions were fitted with stun cuffs. Solo and Calrissian were left under guard in the house, but Vargi, Knife, and several of 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, but after Solo snuck up behind Chewbacca and unlocked his stun cuffs, Vargi and Knife both spotted him. Vargi repeatedly pummelled Chewbacca in the face, and he met no resistance due to Chewbacca's conviction to not bring any consequences for his actions down onto his family. Solo intervened and struck Vargi, but he quickly found himself on the receiving end of his foe's fist. 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 delivered a punch that knocked Vargi several meters away. Knife fled when the other Wookiee slaves rose up against their captors&mdash;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 towards specific hidden communities; he also, however, 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 by his actions 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. His efforts ultimately failed, however. Vargi was a large Wookiee, standing over 2.28 meters tall and sporting a coat of reddish-brown fur. He was physically strong and 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 Star Wars 91: Wookiee World, 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 sees Vargi ally 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 betraying his own species and revealed information on his earlier dealings with the Trandoshans.

Appearances

 * Star Wars 91: Wookiee World