Yarna d'al' Gargan/Legends
Yarna d'al' Gargan was a longtime Askajian dancer from Askaj at Jabba's Palace. She was present during the presentation of the Max Rebo Band.
Biography
Jabba's Palace
The daughter of an Askajian tribal chief, Yarna married Nautag d'al' Gargan. They had many children together. While raising her cubs with Nautag on Askaj around 3 ABY, they were taken as slaves to Tatooine, and were then bought by Jabba Desilijic Tiure. Nautag was killed by Jabba's rancor while trying to defend them and her cublings were removed to Jabba's town house.[3] Although she detested her boss and owner, she was nonetheless close friends with some of the various patrons of the palace.
She claimed that her name "Yarna" translated to Basic as "pretty." However, her beauty was often hidden[3] by the wart makeup Jabba forced her to wear, saying that it reminded him of his "mother," or in this case, Zorba Desilijic Tiure. This made her Jabbas Favorite. Also, the normally slender woman was made to store as much water as possible in order to increase her girth, thus furthering the resemblance to a Hutt[3]—weight she would eventually lose again after Jabba's death.
In 4 ABY, as C-3PO and R2-D2 were brought before Jabba, Yarna openly flirted with a balding Human male.[4] She later performed a dance with Oola prior to the Twi'lek's demise.[4]
Later Life
After escaping Jabba's palace and rescuing her cubs with Doallyn, they became traders in jewels and textiles. She occasionally danced to earn extra credits—in fact, she even danced the Dance of the Seventy Violet Veils at the wedding of Han Solo and Leia Organa where she would be spotted by a designer and became the model for his jeweled brassieres. After that Doallyn managed her career as a model.[5]
She had two daughters, named Luka and Leia after Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and a son named Nautag, after his father.[6] Yarna's children became a jizz swing band, and together they toured the galaxy.[5]
Behind the scenes
- "Somewhere along the way, in one of those conversations that was beer-induced, we said, 'Oh, and she has six breasts!' And somehow it was appropriate for Jabba's palace."
- ―Costume designer Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Yarna d'al' Gargan was portrayed by the late Claire Davenport in Return of the Jedi. Director Richard Marquand cast her after having worked with her in Birth of the Beatles (1979), a biopic about The Beatles that Marquand also directed, in which Davenport played a nude model. Marquand said "I selected the fat lady, because I think fat ladies are wonderful."[8] Marquand said she pictured the character as a quasi-daughter to Jabba the Hutt, adding: "In my mind, she is Jabba's daughter."[8] During production of Return of the Jedi, her character was known as Wiebba-wiebba.[9] Pablo Hidalgo detailed this revelation on The Official Star Wars Blog in 2013. Leland Chee had however previously identified "Weeba Weeba" as the human Rancor keeper who wears apparel resembling that of Nizuc Bek and Velken Tezeri but is not conclusively one or the other.[10]
Kenner considered selling an action figure of Gargan for their Star Wars: The Power of the Force toy line. According to Star Wars Insider 92, the figure made to an intermediate prototype stage before Lucasfilm put a stop to the idea, apparently considering the character unseemly for a children's toy.[11] She eventually did receive an action figure from Hasbro in 2008, but it did not sell well.
Appearances
- "Payback: The Tale of Dengar"—Tales of the Bounty Hunters
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novel
- Escape from Jabba's Palace
- "Out of the Closet: The Assassin's Tale"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
- "Taster's Choice: The Tale of Jabba's Chef"—Tales from Jabba's Palace (Mentioned only)
- "A Time to Mourn, a Time to Dance: Oola's Tale"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
- "A Free Quarren in the Palace: Tessek's Tale"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
- "Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer's Tale"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
- "Epilogue: Whatever Became Of...?"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
Ambiguously-canon appearances
Sources
1983 Topps Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Series 1 (Card: The Court in Chaos!) (backup link) (Picture only)
"Mark Hamill: 10 Years Later" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 3 (Picture only)
- The Essential Guide to Characters
- Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Sergeant Doallyn) (backup link)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Yarna D'al' Gargan) (backup link)
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
- The Essential Guide to Alien Species
- Rebellion Era Sourcebook (Picture only)
"Who's Who in Jabba's Palace" – Star Wars Insider 60
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 64 (DAL1-2, Yarna d'al Gargan)
Star Wars: The Legacy Collection (Pack: Yarna d'al' Gargan) (backup link not verified!)
"The Toys That Never Were" – Star Wars Insider 92
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- File:SWGTCGsmall.jpg Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Galactic Hunters (Card: Gargan's Hands of Seduction) (backup link not verified!)
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 18
Gargan, Yarna D'al in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
"Rogues Gallery: An Audience with Jabba the Hutt" – Star Wars Insider 134
- The Essential Reader's Companion
"A Star Wars Family Legacy" – Star Wars Insider 141 (Picture only)
Star Wars Mysteries: Who is Wiebba-Wiebba? on StarWars.com (article) (backup link not verified!)
"Take a Tour of Jabba's Palace!"—Star Wars Magazine 2 (Picture only)
"Star Wars Style: Return of the Jedi, Part 6" – Star Wars Insider 158
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Essential Guide to Characters
- ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File 64
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Epilogue: Whatever Became Of...?"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
- ↑ "Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer's Tale"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
- ↑
"Star Wars Style: Return of the Jedi, Part 6" – Star Wars Insider 158
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Making of Return of the Jedi
- ↑
Star Wars Mysteries: Who is Wiebba-Wiebba? on StarWars.com (article) (backup link not verified!)
- ↑
"Jabba's Skiff Guards" – Keeper of the Holocron's Blog, Leland Chee's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; archived from the original)
- ↑
"The Toys That Never Were" – Star Wars Insider 92