Tarfful, a male Wookiee who held the titles of chieftain and general, played a crucial role in the defense of his home planet, Kashyyyk, throughout the Clone Wars. During this conflict, he commanded a Wookiee force that responded to a call for help from Chewbacca, who was being held captive on Wasskah, a hunting preserve owned by the Trandoshan species. Later, Tarfful fought in the Battle of Kashyyyk alongside Chewbacca and the Jedi Master Yoda. Following Order 66 and the establishment of the Galactic Empire, Tarfful aided Yoda in his escape and persisted in his struggle against the Empire's oppressive rule in the years that followed.
Prior to the events of the Great Jedi Purge, Tarfful encountered and formed a friendship with Jedi Master Eno Cordova, assisting him in navigating Kashyyyk to gain knowledge about the Zeffonian civilization.
At the time of the Clone Wars, Tarfful, a male Wookiee from the homeworld of his species, Kashyyyk, was the chieftain governing the coastal city of Kachirho. Among his people, he also held the military rank of general.
In the first standard year of the Clone Wars, Chewbacca, one of Tarfful's Wookiee comrades, was captured by Trandoshans and brought to Wasskah, where he was intended to be hunted as a form of entertainment. While imprisoned, Chewbacca successfully created a device that transmitted a distress signal back to Kashyyyk. Upon learning of his friend's predicament, Tarfful enlisted the services of bounty hunters Sugi and Seripas to transport him and a select group of his most trusted warriors to Wasskah. Once they arrived, the chieftain and his warriors efficiently dealt with the Trandoshan hunters, overwhelming them and successfully rescuing Chewbacca, along with Jedi younglings Ahsoka Tano, Jinx, and O-Mer.
On one occasion, Trandoshan slavers, in league with Count Dooku, captured Tarfful, but a squad of clone commandos carried out a rescue operation shortly thereafter. Tarfful participated in the Battle of Kashyyyk with Chewbacca and Jedi Generals Yoda, Luminara Unduli, and Quinlan Vos. He commanded the Kachirho Wookiee Militia against the invading Separatist droid forces, supported by the Grand Army of the Republic. Following the execution of Order 66, Tarfful and Chewbacca aided Yoda in evading the clone troopers and escaping the planet aboard a Wookiee escape pod.
As the Galactic Empire rose to power, Tarfful's opposition to the regime resulted in him being labeled a wanted criminal, compelling him to seek refuge in the Shadowlands.
In 14 BBY, Saw Gerrera's rebel group, the Partisans, agreed to assist Cal Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis in their search for Tarfful. The Wookiee chieftain possessed information that could assist the Jedi Padawan in locating a Jedi holocron containing a list of Force-sensitive children. After Tarfful was located in the Shadowlands, most of the Partisans left Kashyyyk, while Wookiee Commander Choyyssyk and Partisan Mari Kosan stayed with Tarfful. Upon Kestis' return to Kashyyyk, Tarfful shared the information the Padawan was seeking.
Tarfful was a very large Wookiee, standing at a height of 2.32 meters (7 feet, 7 inches). He had dark brown fur, blue eyes, and wore armor on his shoulders and chest. He was known for his unwavering loyalty and the great trust he placed in his warriors and allies, qualities that were highly valued within Wookiee society.
During the Clone Wars, he had a close working relationship with Chewbacca and was considered a close friend by Jedi Master Yoda. Although he was an ally of the Republic, Tarfful's primary concern was the governance of Kashyyyk. With the rise of the Galactic Empire, Tarfful took up the fight against the regime and became a symbol of Wookiee resistance.
Tarfful was a formidable Wookiee chieftain and general, recognized for his leadership qualities and strategic military thinking. He possessed expertise in both armed and unarmed combat. Tarfful typically wielded a Kashyyyk long-gun in battle, and he was also capable of overpowering opponents, such as Trandoshans, in close-quarters combat.
Michael Kingma portrayed Tarfful in Revenge of the Sith. His initial appearance was in the 2005 Star Wars Legends video game Star Wars: Republic Commando.
According to the DVD commentary for Revenge of the Sith, the roar attributed to Tarfful during Yoda's "goodbye" scene with Chewbacca and Tarfful is actually the roar of Itchy from The Star Wars Holiday Special.
In the 2014 mobile game Star Wars: Galactic Defense, Tarfful can be heard uttering the phrase "hnn-rowr yrroonn nng rarr," a quote that originated in the Legends comic Star Wars: Empire's End and translates to "long live the New Republic" in Shyriiwook.
Tarfful was added as a playable character with the same name to the 2015 mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes in 2023, featuring characters from both the canon and Legends timelines.