Zaalbar

Zaalbar, the son of Freyyr, a Wookiee Chieftain, was born on Kashyyyk, the home planet of the Wookiees, before the Jedi Civil War. The tribe to which Zaalbar belonged attracted the attention of various slaving groups across the galaxy, including the dishonest Czerka Corporation. Zaalbar found out that his brother, Chuundar, was conspiring with slavers to sell Wookiees to them, and he became enraged and attacked Chuundar. During their fight, Zaalbar violated a significant Wookiee rule by using his claws as weapons. Even though Chuundar survived the attack, Zaalbar was branded a madclaw and banished from his village, Rwookrrorro, and the entire planet of Kashyyyk.

Zaalbar traveled to the planet Taris after being exiled. Upon arriving, the Wookiee got into trouble in Taris' Lower City. Some gang members of the Black Vulkars, a swoop gang on Taris, tried to pick a fight with the lone Wookiee. Zaalbar did not allow himself to be provoked into fighting, but Mission Vao, a young Twi'lek orphan who was watching the event, believed Zaalbar was in danger. Vao attacked one of the Vulkars, but he knocked her to the ground. Big Z then grabbed the Vulkar who had struck her by the throat, which scared the others away. Zaalbar and Vao became inseparable after that, going everywhere together. Zaalbar's strength provided Vao with physical protection from swoop gangs and local criminals, while Mission's lock-picking skills, which she learned from her brother Griff, benefited the Wookiee. Zaalbar and Vao then joined the Hidden Beks, a gang that was centered on the swoop racing sport that was popular on Taris at that time.

The ship Endar Spire, on which Revan, a Jedi Knight with amnesia and a former Sith Lord, was serving as a member of the Republic, was attacked by the forces of Darth Malak, the Dark Lord of the Sith. The Sith forces overpowered the Endar Spire, and the Republic was forced to issue an evacuation order. Many Republic escape pods fled to the planet's surface. Revan and Carth Onasi, a Republic soldier, were in one of the pods. After landing, they looked for Bastila Shan, a Jedi Knight, on the planet. Shan, another refugee from the Endar Spire, was a valuable asset to the Republic in combat because of her ability to use battle meditation, a Force power. Zaalbar encountered Revan and his companion while he was a member of the Hidden Beks. Revan was first seen by Zaalbar and Vao in Javyar's Cantina. Zaalbar was scaring off a group of Black Vulkars who were harassing Vao in the cantina.

Zaalbar and Vao had a brief conversation with Revan when they first met him and his companion. Zaalbar was later captured by Gamorrean slavers and taken to the Undercity sewers on his way to being sold into slavery. Vao asked Revan to help her save Zaalbar from the Undercity sewers where he was being held. Revan entered the sewers and attacked and killed a number of the Gamorrean slavers, freeing Zaalbar from his confinement. Zaalbar had not been fed during his imprisonment, and the only nutrition he had received was when he had bitten off a piece of one of the arms of one of his Gamorrean oppressors. Zaalbar swore a life debt to the former Sith Lord after being rescued by Revan. This Wookiee vow meant that he pledged his life to Revan's protection. As a result, Zaalbar joined Revan's crew and accompanied him on his quest to find the Star Maps, which would lead to the Star Forge, a superweapon. Vao vowed to follow Zaalbar wherever he went, so she also joined Revan's party.

Zaalbar's brother Chuundar had taken power from their father when Revan and his companions arrived on Kashyyyk. Zaalbar was imprisoned by his brother for failing to honor his exile as a madclaw. Revan discovered that Chuundar had sold a number of his fellow Wookiees as slaves to the Czerka Corporation, but only a few members of the tribe were aware of this. The rest of the tribe saw Chuundar as a great hero. Chuundar asked Revan to kill another madclaw Wookiee exile who had taken up residence in the Shadowlands, the dangerous area beneath the planet's trees, in order for them to be allowed to leave with Zaalbar. Revan had seen the location of the Star Map on the forest floor in a vision, so he agreed, believing he would be able to search for the Star Map at the same time. Revan and his companions traveled to the Shadowlands and discovered that the exile was Freyyr, Zaalbar and Chuundar's father.

Revan assisted Freyyr in retrieving Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, a vibrosword of great importance to the Wookiees, which had been embedded in the skin of a terentatek beast, rather than killing Freyyr. Freyyr then led a revolt against Chuundar and Czerka Corporation, which resulted in Chuundar's death. Freyyr resumed his position as chieftain of the tribe after Chuundar's death, and he gave Bacca's Ceremonial Blade to his son, Zaalbar. In Wookiee culture, this indicated that his son would succeed him as chieftain. Zaalbar accepted the gift, but he told his father that he had to honor his life debt to Revan and follow him on his quest around the galaxy. Zaalbar told his father that he would return to Kashyyyk after their quest to find the Star Maps was completed and the Star Forge was destroyed.

Carth Onasi was able to give the location of the Star Forge to Forn Dodonna, a Republic Admiral, after the Star Maps led them to the uncharted planet Lehon. Dodonna brought her ships to Lehon, which started the Battle of Rakata Prime. Zaalbar, Revan, and the rest of Revan's companions had been led to Lehon after finding Star Maps on the planets of Dantooine, Tatooine, Manaan, Korriban and Kashyyyk. The maps directed them toward Lehon in order to find the Star Forge. A team of Jedi, along with Revan and his companions, including Zaalbar, boarded the Star Forge. Revan's party eventually reached Shan and redeemed her despite Sith resistance, including that of the captured Bastila Shan, who had turned to the dark side and was assisting Malak. Revan then defeated and killed Malak before destroying the Star Forge. Following the destruction of the Star Forge, Zaalbar attended a ceremony on Lehon where Revan was awarded the Cross of Glory by Admiral Forn Dodonna, the commanding Republic officer.

Zaalbar and Vao established an import-export business for themselves over the next year. Revan decided against taking Vao and Zaalbar with him when he embarked on a mission to find Mandalore's Mask in 3954 BBY, because he wanted to allow them to live their lives in peace. After retrieving the mask, Revan left the galaxy for the Unknown Regions, leaving Zaalbar behind with the rest of his former party. A holostatue of Zaalbar was erected in the Leisure Garden section of the Axial Park in Coronet City on Corellia, along with the statues of Revan and his other companions, in memory of their deeds.

Zaalbar was a quiet Wookiee who preferred to let the street-smart Mission Vao do most of the talking. He was very protective of the young Twi'lek and would have sacrificed himself for her without hesitation. However, even though he trusted her and Revan, he found it difficult to express certain aspects of himself and his culture, believing they were private and not for outsiders to know. Zaalbar's loyalty and strong sense of Wookiee honor and tradition were important traits, as evidenced by his commitment to his life debt. Zaalbar also kept his past life a secret from even those he trusted the most, because he found it painful to talk about and share it.

Zaalbar also seemed to have a negative self-image. Zaalbar said he didn't think he would be of much help—unless someone needed to be threatened or a door broken open—when Revan asked if he could help him with a problem.

Zaalbar also paid attention to his appetite. During his capture on Taris, he was so hungry that he even tried to bite off a Gamorrean guard's arm. He was the first to notice when the Ebon Hawk's food supply began to dwindle. Revan may have initially suspected him of stealing and eating the supplies, but it turned out to be a young girl who had sneaked aboard. Vao was also constantly teasing Zaalbar about his bad breath and appearance.

Zaalbar was unconcerned about Revan's past and pledged to continue his life debt when he discovered that his companion was actually Revan, believing Revan to be a changed man.

Zaalbar's strengths were in physical combat and a strong constitution. Zaalbar was a committed warrior and fighter who could wield a variety of weapons, including melee weapons such as vibroblades and the bowcaster, a weapon favored by Wookiees. Zaalbar's decision to tear a chunk out of the arm of a Gamorrean slaver who was holding him prisoner with his bare teeth demonstrated how dangerous he could be when angered. Zaalbar was also a strong protector, shielding the young Mission Vao in Taris' Undercity. Zaalbar's strength was also demonstrated by his ability to easily pick up enemies, as he did with those who were attacking him when he first met Mission. He was also able to do this on Tatooine, where he was able to pick up Sand People.

Zaalbar was capable of making grenades for Revan and his party on numerous occasions. He also possessed a custom-crafted bowcaster and, later, the sacred Bacca's Ceremonial Blade after the Wookiee rebellion on Kashyyyk. Zaalbar was able to understand Basic, Twi'leki, Huttese, Ithorese, and Shyriiwook, but he was only able to speak the latter due to the limitations of Wookiee vocal capabilities.

Zaalbar made his debut as a playable character in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Throughout the game, the character has various options available to the player, including light-side and dark-side options. A dark-side option allows the player to side with Chuundar and kill Freyyr, which makes Zaalbar cold-hearted 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. This results in Czerka Corporation taking control of Kashyyyk.

Another dark-side option is available on Lehon. The player can persuade Zaalbar to kill Mission Vao as a payment of the life debt he has sworn. At this point in the game, the player can also choose to kill Zaalbar. If the player has him kill Vao 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.

James Ohlen's work on roleplaying campaigns for West End Games served as an inspiration for Zaalbar, along with Carth Onasi, Bastila Shan, Canderous Ordo, and Mission Vao.