Chi Cho

Originating from Pantora, a moon located in the Outer Rim star system of Pantora and orbiting the planet Orto Plutonia, Chi Cho demonstrated exceptional leadership and legislative skills. He eventually ascended to the position of Supreme Chairman within the Pantoran Assembly, the governing body of Pantora. In this role, Cho acted as the Exalted Ruler, leading the people of Pantora. Witnessing the collapse of numerous worlds through military actions, Cho became a strong proponent of bolstering Pantora's military strength, believing it essential for their security. He also aimed to preserve Pantora's colonial holdings, including Orto Plutonia, which was presumed to be uninhabited. Furthermore, Chairman Cho fostered diplomatic relationships with the Galactic Republic, a democratic alliance centered on Coruscant that governed a significant portion of the galaxy. Despite Pantora's connections with the Republic, including representation in the Galactic Senate, Cho's primary focus remained on Pantora's dominance.

As the Clone Wars erupted, a widespread conflict between the Republic and the breakaway Confederacy of Independent Systems, Cho had been in power far longer than Riyo Chuchi, Pantora's then-current senator, had been alive. Cho and Chuchi had a strained professional relationship, with the combative chairman often overriding and criticizing the senator's more idealistic views. Driven by concerns about the escalating Clone Wars and the perceived threat of the Separatists to Pantora's security, Cho and the Pantoran Assembly pushed the Republic to increase protection by the Grand Army of the Republic. This led to the creation of Glid Station, an outpost situated within a massive ice spire on Orto Plutonia. However, in 21 BBY, Republic forces lost communication with the clone troopers stationed there. Concerned, the Pantoran Assembly dispatched Chairman Cho, Senator Chuchi, and a contingent of Pantoran guards to join a Republic military team investigating the situation.

Accompanying the Pantoran officials to Orto Plutonia was a Republic military unit commanded by Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, alongside Clone Captain CT-7567, known as "Rex." The Jedi also brought two droids, the astromech R2-D2 and the protocol droid C-3PO, to aid in the Glid Station investigation. The group traveled to the outpost aboard five LAAT/i gunships, with Cho, Chuchi, and their guards in one of them. Upon landing near the ice spire, the Jedi instructed Rex's soldiers to scout the surrounding area and deploy sensor beacons. To Cho's dismay, Kenobi requested that he and Senator Chuchi remain on their gunship until the clones secured the area. Cho argued that, despite his respect for Kenobi's judgment, Orto Plutonia was Pantoran territory. General Skywalker inquired about Orto Plutonia's official status, given its uninhabited nature. The chairman explained that Pantora, being the only civilization in the system, automatically held jurisdiction over the planet.

Kenobi countered that the Senate, not the Pantoran government, had the authority to determine Orto Plutonia's official control. At Cho's urging, Chuchi stated that Pantora reserved the right to consider the planet its protectorate. Yielding to Cho's insistence, Kenobi instructed Skywalker to stay with Chuchi and the droids while he, Cho, and the clones secured the station. Upon opening the bay doors of Glid Station, they discovered numerous clone trooper helmets mounted on spikes. Cho immediately suggested a Separatist attack, but Kenobi remained unconvinced. Inside the station's command center, Cho questioned whether the Separatists might be establishing a base on Orto Plutonia to target Pantora. Kenobi, noting the untouched computer systems, concluded that a Separatist attack was unlikely. Shortly after, Captain Rex reported the discovery of a droid base on the opposite side of the ice ridge, confirming Cho's suspicion of a Confederate presence.

While Kenobi, Skywalker, Rex, and a squad of clones departed for the Separatist base, Cho remained at Glid Station in command of the remaining soldiers. He ordered the clones to reactivate the station's weapons system and shields as a precaution against potential Separatist plans. Despite Cho's conviction, Chuchi doubted the Confederacy's involvement in the attack, citing the absence of battle droid remains or blaster marks at the base. Reminding Chuchi of his seniority, Cho rebuked her and asserted that, regardless of Separatist involvement, an aggressive and malevolent force was at play, and he would not allow them to harm the people of Pantora. Chuchi attempted to explain the possibility of a non-hostile response, but Cho dismissed her idealism and questioned her loyalty, asking if she was as prepared to fight and die for her people as he was.

Meanwhile, the Jedi's team discovered that the Separatist outpost, containing two XT Beetle Transports, had suffered a similar attack to Glid Station. By accessing the transport's security system, they learned that a group of Talz had attacked the droids and were likely responsible for the attack on the Republic base. After visiting a nearby settlement of the primitive species, Kenobi and Skywalker returned to Glid Station and informed Cho that Orto Plutonia was inhabited. Cho dismissed their claims, stating that Pantoran explorers had never encountered any indigenous populations, and suggested that the Talz were "trespassers." Kenobi countered that the Talz lacked space travel capabilities and might have resided on Orto Plutonia longer than the Pantorans, leading Cho to angrily assert Pantora's ownership of the planet. Chuchi interjected that only the Senate could determine sovereignty if the Talz were indeed native to Orto Plutonia. Cho argued that the Talz were merely savages, citing their attack on the station as evidence.

Kenobi reasoned that the Talz had only attacked Glid Station because the Separatist droids had provoked them, but Cho dismissed the general once more. Believing the Talz to be dangerous and in need of subjugation, Cho ordered Captain Rex to prepare his soldiers for battle, despite the Jedi's assurances to the Talz leader, chieftain Thi-Sen, that there would be no retaliation. Enraged, Cho asserted that the Talz were not protected by the Convention of Civilized Systems, meaning that the Jedi High Council had no authority in the matter. Senator Chuchi timidly attempted to argue against Cho, suggesting that the Talz's status might be uncertain if the Jedi could communicate with them, but the chairman accused her of opposing him. Despite standing alone in his belief that the Talz were a threat, Cho agreed to the Jedi's request for a diplomatic meeting with Thi-Sen.

Chairman Cho, accompanied by the Jedi, Chuchi, C-3PO, and a group of clones led by Rex, traveled to the designated meeting place, the abandoned Separatist outpost, using individual speeders. Upon arrival, Cho ordered Rex to position his soldiers on a nearby ice ridge, ready to attack the Talz upon their arrival. Kenobi demanded that Cho stand down, but when the chairman reaffirmed Pantora's territorial claim over the Republic, Kenobi informed him that the Talz were already present, having tracked the group since their departure from Glid Station. After Skywalker instructed the clones to stand down and avoid provoking the Talz, Cho and the others entered the droid base. Inside, Kenobi and Skywalker greeted Thi-Sen, with C-3PO acting as translator. The Talz chieftain welcomed the Pantorans to his home, expressing hope for a peaceful encounter. Disregarding Thi-Sen's welcome and Chuchi's attempt to speak on his behalf, Cho demanded that C-3PO inform Thi-Sen that the planet belonged to Pantora and that the Talz had no rights over the Pantorans.

General Kenobi attempted to dissuade Cho, but the chairman declared that the matter was now an internal Pantoran affair. Yielding to Cho's demands, C-3PO translated his message to Thi-Sen, who reacted with anger and issued an ultimatum: if Cho did not leave Orto Plutonia, the Talz would wage war against the trespassers. Choosing war with the Talz, Cho ordered the Republic soldiers to mount their speeders and follow him into battle. At Skywalker's insistence, Rex joined them to protect the Pantoran leader. While Cho and his forces departed, the Jedi and Chuchi returned to Glid Station, determined to gain the authority to halt Cho's preemptive strike. Meanwhile, Cho led his group of soldiers through an ice canyon, where three Talz, riding native narglatches, awaited them. Cho ordered the clones to fire on the Talz once they were in range, but Rex informed him that they were only authorized to protect him. As the group approached the Talz, Thi-Sen's war party emerged from beneath the snow to ambush them.

Quickly surrounded by the Talz, the clone troopers formed a defensive perimeter with their speeders, with Chairman Cho at its center. A Talz warrior breached the barricade and killed a Pantoran Guard, but was then killed by another guard before it could attack Cho. As the Talz, led by Thi-Sen, advanced and picked off clones with their volley of spears, Rex ordered his men to retreat, infuriating Cho. Before he could object, however, Cho was struck in the back by a spear, denouncing the clones as savages as he fell. Rex killed several Talz attempting to kill Cho, then placed the chairman on his speeder and retreated with the surviving clones. While Cho was in battle, Senator Chuchi contacted the Speaker of the Pantoran Assembly and requested approval for intervention by the Jedi Council. At the Speaker's request, the Assembly swiftly declared Cho out of order and granted Chuchi the authority to negotiate a peaceful settlement with the Talz on behalf of Pantora.

As Chuchi and the rest of the Republic detachment from Glid Station headed to the frontline, Thi-Sen's warriors cornered the surviving clones near a ravine. Chairman Cho regained consciousness as the clones fired at the approaching Talz, but the arrival of the five LAAT/i gunships led to a brief ceasefire. Chuchi and the Jedi disembarked from a gunship and approached Rex as the reinforcements took their positions. Rex informed Chuchi that the chairman was wounded, and she knelt beside him. Chuchi asked if Cho could hear her and, as he died, he ordered her to avenge him by destroying the Talz. Removing his hand from her shoulder, Chuchi denied his request, stating that the Pantoran Assembly had reprimanded him for his actions and had given her authority to negotiate peace with the Talz tribes. Confused, Cho exclaimed that peace was impossible and that he had died for his people before taking his final breaths.

Following Cho's death, Senator Chuchi removed his military cap and, with C-3PO as translator, approached Thi-Sen and his war party. Chuchi planted a Talz spear in the ground between them, then placed Cho's cap on the weapon. She told the chieftain that it was braver to live for one's people than to die for them, directly echoing and contrasting Cho's earlier statement. Offering peace between Pantora and the Talz, she convinced Thi-Sen to relent, and he dug his spear into the ground alongside hers. Shortly after establishing peace and ending the One-Day War, Chuchi and the Republic forces left Orto Plutonia, and the Pantoran Assembly hastily voted to abandon Glid Station and officially transfer sovereignty of the planet to the indigenous Talz tribes.

With Cho's passing, the position of Supreme Chairman became vacant, and Assemblyman Notluwiski Papanoida, a well-liked figure among the Pantorans, was elected as his successor, proving to be a more balanced leader. Papanoida and Senator Chuchi enjoyed a closer relationship than she had with Cho, with the elder chairman guiding her as she, now free from Cho's control, developed into a passionate and outspoken leader in the Senate. For many Pantorans, Chi Cho's "One-Day War" symbolized both the dangers of political power and the triumph of diplomacy and democracy. Alongside other events in subsequent decades, Chairman Cho's selfish campaign against the Talz significantly diminished the Pantoran people's ambitions for recognition as a galactic power. Cho also shared his name with the noble Kyja Cho.

Chi Cho, a male Pantoran, stood at a height of 1.98 [meters](/article/meter], or 6 feet and 6 inches. He possessed [gold](/article/color] eyes and black hair, which had begun to turn gray by the time of the Clone Wars, and he typically kept it pulled back into a bun. Like other Pantorans, Cho bore golden facial tattoos that symbolized his status within Pantora's sophisticated society. Although the tattoos were simple lines, they evoked symbolism from ancient Pantoran texts.

Cho was a dedicated defender of Pantora's interests, but his long years of service fostered a ruthless dedication to his beliefs and patriotism. Witnessing the violent collapse of numerous worlds around him transformed him into a staunch war hawk, uninterested in diplomatic efforts or peaceful conflict resolution. Driven by an intense fear of external threats to Pantora, Cho allied with the Galactic Republic, urging it to increase its military presence in his system. Despite this alliance, Cho primarily focused on the needs of his people, viewing the Republic and the Jedi Order as mere instruments of force. He also held the Galactic Senate and its standards in contempt and was curt and dismissive towards Senator Chuchi, whom he considered naive and inexperienced due to her youth and idealism.

Chairman Cho was a colonialist, viewing any society less developed than Pantora's advanced and ancient culture as uncivilized and savage. He considered the Talz to be nothing more than violent animals, despite evidence of their rich culture, and treated them as trespassers on Orto Plutonia. Cho refused to acknowledge that the Pantoran government was misinformed about Orto Plutonia's history and vehemently denied that the Talz had likely inhabited the planet for far longer than Pantorans had explored it. He refused to negotiate the sovereignty of Orto Plutonia with them, instead declaring that Pantora's interests superseded their rights as a species, even claiming that the Convention of Civilized Systems did not apply to them. Blinded by hatred for the Talz and fear that they posed a threat to Pantora, Cho made the ill-fated decision to wage war, misguidedly believing he was acting for the good of his people, which ultimately cost him his life.

Due to his high standing on Pantora, Chairman Cho wore finely tailored clothing and elegant jewelry. During his time on Orto Plutonia, shortly before his death, he wore a military outfit, complete with an overcoat and a cap with warm earmuffs. In addition to his refined attire, Cho also possessed a white and gold blaster pistol.

Chi Cho was created for "Trespass," the fifteenth episode of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It aired on January 30, 2009, and was directed by Brian Kalin O'Connell and written by Steven Melching. In "Trespass," Cho was voiced by actor Brian George, who had previously voiced King Katuunko in The Clone Wars. George initially auditioned for the role of Chi Cho in his agent's office, where he listened to a demo recording of the character's lines performed by a Lucasfilm employee. Lucasfilm reportedly liked the quality of the demo recording and requested that actors auditioning for the part incorporate the mild South African accent used in the demo into their performances. Given Cho's role in the script and Lucasfilm's request for a South African accent, George finalized his portrayal of the character by drawing inspiration from the leaders of South African apartheid.

In an interview with Pete Vilmur for StarWars.com, George compared Chairman Cho's actions in "Trespass" to not only South African apartheid but also several real-world atrocities, including the ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian War, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Darfur Genocide. George believed that Cho could not be equated to any single historical figure but rather represented any group driven by "blood-lust and hatred of 'the outsider' rather than by any positive visionary message." George appreciated that Cho didn't learn from his mistakes or evolve throughout the episode, finding it more realistic that the character didn't experience any "epiphany" and instead remained blindly prejudiced.