The resistance movement on Kashyyyk, alternatively referred to as the Wookiee underground resistance movement or simply the Wookiee resistance, encompassed various informal groups of fighters. These groups stood in opposition to the oppression inflicted upon the planet of Kashyyyk and its native Wookiee population by the Galactic Empire, which had transformed Kashyyyk into a slave world.
The resistance on Kashyyyk engaged in combat against the schemes and plots of the Galactic Empire. This was a direct result of the Empire's practice of enslaving Wookiees for forced slave labor. At its most intense point, the Kashyyyk Resistance fought with great determination to survive and liberate their people from the oppressive rule of the Empire. Predominantly, the Resistance consisted of Wookiees who had managed to escape from slavery and found refuge in the dense jungles of their home planet. By concealing themselves within Kashyyyk's thick jungles, they utilized the trees as cover to move undetected and launch attacks from concealed positions. Following these attacks, they would swiftly retreat back into the dense foliage, often resulting in heavy losses for any Imperial forces attempting to pursue them. The primary goal of the organization was to free their people from enslavement and eliminate the Empire's presence from their world. To achieve this, they sabotaged Imperial operations and sought to bolster their numbers by targeting locations where their enslaved brethren were held captive. On occasion, these liberated Wookiees were encouraged to seek refuge off-world, and the Resistance undertook actions to facilitate the escape of as many of their kind as possible to other planets.
Although lacking a structured organization, the Resistance came into being when a collection of Wookiees resolved to confront their oppressors, giving rise to smaller cells each with its own leader. While it was possible for separate cells to combine into larger groups, such actions were fraught with danger due to the Empire's relentless and fanatical efforts to eradicate any signs of rebellion on its slave worlds. Consequently, the Kashyyyk Resistance was unable to function as a unified group, maintaining only infrequent contact between its members, with many unaware of the presence of other resistance fighters across the planet. On rare occasions, various groups of Wookiee Freedom Fighters would unite in joint operations to strike a blow against the Empire, but the Imperial response was typically swift and merciless.
At certain times, the Kashyyyk Resistance received assistance from external entities, such as the Rebel Alliance. This support allowed the group to benefit from the resources of another organization while retaining the ferocity and local expertise of the Wookiees. It was also known that local traders and merchants provided assistance to the Wookiees by aiding in the evacuation of their families or by engaging Imperial slave transports.
While Wookiees were renowned for their exceptional strength, the Kashyyyk Resistance also utilized advanced equipment to further their objectives. This included the use of traditional bowcasters, powerful grenade launchers, and the deployment of recon droids. A network of comlinks was used to remotely operate the recon droids, which were employed to scout the surrounding areas and were equipped with explosive charges to eliminate concealed targets. They were also known to have modified Oevvaor jet catamaran so they could be used to combat Imperial gunships or landers.
The initial formation of the Kashyyyk Resistance occurred during the Clone Wars period, where it battled against attacks from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, shortly after the establishment of the New Order, the Wookiees launched a massive revolt against the Empire. Thousands of Wookiee warriors engaged Darth Vader's clone stormtroopers, but they suffered a significant defeat due to the extensive use of orbital bombardment by Imperial Star Destroyers. Following the battle, the Empire enslaved 200,000 captured Wookiees. Approximately one year later, another major battle took place, which was similarly suppressed by Darth Vader.
In 2 BBY, during the early years of the Galactic Civil War, an underground Wookiee resistance movement was active in Rwookrrorro and was led by Katarra. Jowdrrl and Ralera were also members. During that time, Katarra's resistance group was supported by Bria Tharen of the Corellian Resistance.
Following the Battle of Yavin, the Wookiee Resistance demonstrated significant activity in the vicinity of Kachirho. However, the Galactic Empire was no longer willing to expend valuable soldiers in combating the Wookiee resistance. Consequently, the Empire contracted the mercenaries of Task Force Bravo, under the command of Colonel Gurnst, to crush the resistance. During this period, a prominent resistance leader was the Wookiee warrior Ulaaar.
After the Battle of Endor, the Kashyyyk Resistance was able to assemble a sizable army, supported by various war vehicles. Kashyyyk was ultimately freed from the Empire in 4 ABY, a few months after the Battle of Endor. While the New Republic navy defeated the Imperial fleet in orbit, the Wookiee resistance forces fought all the battles on the surface of Kashyyyk.