Chiri

Chiri was the name given by the Jedi Padawan Imri Cantaros to an orange-furred handsy that lived on the jungle Outer Rim moon Wevo during the High Republic Era. In 232 BBY, while Cantaros was stranded on the moon among a group of others, the handsy jumped onto him and began riding on Cantaros' shoulders as he foraged for fruit. The Padawan became connected to the handsy and subsequently decided to name him Chiri.

The following day, when Cantaros and Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh investigated a disturbance in the Force, Chiri accompanied them inside the Padawan's tunic. When they discovered the source of the disturbance, Chiri ran into a Nihil cargo hauler before being killed by the pirate Klinith Da. The handsy's death further fueled Cantaros' anger—as he was already grieving the loss of his Jedi Master, Douglas Sunvale—and he sought revenge for both deaths. He came close to falling to the dark side of the Force before being pulled back by Rwoh.

Biography

Bonding with Imri Cantaros

The handsy who later became known as Chiri lived on Wevo, a jungle moon in the Outer Rim, during the High Republic Era.^[1] In 232 BBY,^[2] as the Jedi Padawan Imri Cantaros was stranded on Wevo along with Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, the scientist Avon Starros and her nanny droid J-6, and the Dalnan boy Honesty Weft, he and the group searched the jungle for fruit. While doing so, the handsy jumped from a tree onto Cantaros' head, and despite his efforts, the Padawan was unable to escape, which caused his companions to all laugh. Deciding that he liked Cantaros better than his tree, the handsy rode around on the Padawan's shoulders for the rest of the day. At one point, the handsy used Cantaros as a jumping off point to get fruit from the tree's highest branches.^[1]

Afterward, as the handsy began to chew on Cantoros' Padawan braid, Weft asked the Padawan if he planned to name the creature, to which Cantaros replied that he planned to call him Chiri. Starros then asked if the name was a result of it rhyming with the Padawan's own name, noting they were a "wild" fruit picking team. When the group returned to their cave where they were staying while stranded on the moon, Chiri accompanied them and curled up inside Cantaros' tunic while the other handsies went back to their hidey-holes. While sleeping, Rwoh noted that Chiri occasionally made a sleepy chirp.^[1]

Taken too soon

The following day, after Cantaros and Rwoh agreed that they should investigate a disturbance in the Force they had both felt, the Padawan put his lightsaber together and put it in his holster. In response, Chiri squeaked in annoyance but remained inside of the tunic, with the Jedi Knight noting that the handsy had decided the disturbance was a worthy compensation for a nice place to nap. Cantaros and Rwoh then left the cave to investigate the disturbance and Chiri accompanied them, remaining inside of the Padawan's tunic.^[1]

When the two Jedi discovered the source of the disturbance, a Nihil cargo hauler that contained two pirates—Klinith Da and Gwishi—they listened to their conversation as the Nihil talked about their next steps. After Rwoh reached a hiding spot, she motioned for Cantaros to follow, but all of a sudden Chiri jumped out from inside of the Padawan's tunic and made his way toward the ship. Cantaros stood to run after the handsy but was unable to prevent him from entering the hauler. Before the two Jedi could follow Chiri into the ship, they heard^[1] Da shout that the handsy would not eat her food and shoot at him.^[3] Chiri chirped in pain before his body was hurled out of the hauler.^[1]

Cantaros then made his way to the handsy, and whispered Chiri's name, noting that he was not moving. Rwoh, meanwhile, sensed that the living Force had left the handsy's body and pulled the Padawan away before they were shot themselves. Cantaros suggested they go after the Nihil but the Knight, sensing his anger, insisted that they return to their cave so they could plan their next steps.^[1]

Legacy

When the Jedi returned to the cave, Weft asked them where Chiri was, to which Cantaros responded that he was gone. Noticing the Padawan was downcast, Starros mentally noted that she knew he meant that the handsy was dead rather than having returned to the jungle. After talking about the discovery of the source of the disturbance, the Dalnan asked if the two Nihil had hurt Chiri. In a flat and emotionless voice, Cantaros stated they had hurt him, which left Starros feeling she wanted to hug him.^[1]

The Padawan later mentally reflected on Chiri, noting that it was not fair that Chiri had perished after the two connected. Already grieving the loss of his Jedi Master—Douglas Sunvale, who had been killed in an attack by the same pair of Nihil—Cantaros decided to take revenge on them, almost falling to the dark side of the Force. He was prevented from doing so, however, by Rwoh, and the two Nihil were taken prisoner.^[1]

In 230 BBY,^[4] when he befriended the tooka cat Gemmy at the Jedi temple on^[5] the Outer Rim^[1] planet Dalna, Cantaros thought of Chiri and the handsy's sad demise. He then pushed the memory to the side and tried to focus on the present.^[5]

Personality and traits

Chiri had orange fur. Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh considered Chiri to be tenacious and cute. Chiri was unbothered by Wevo's acid rain. After the handsy's death, Cantaros reflected on it and considered it unfair that Chiri was killed after he had trusted the Padawan so easily.^[1]

Behind the scenes

Chiri first appeared in the 2021 junior novel The High Republic: A Test of Courage, written by Justina Ireland and published as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project's^[1] Phase I.^[6]

Appearances

Explore all of Wookieepedia's audio files for this article subject.

• The High Republic: A Test of Courage (and audiobook) (First appearance)
• The High Republic: Mission to Disaster (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)

Sources

• Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia (Indirect mention only)

Notes and references