Life debt

This article is about the cultural tradition. You may be looking for the novel Aftermath: Life Debt.

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"Do your people believe in life debts?"
"What's a life debt?"
"It's a promise. An oath to serve the person who saved you from death. An oath to stand by her side forever, knowing your lives can't be disentangled."
"I'm not getting stuck with you."
"No, you're not. My people don't believe in life debts, either. But I really am grateful you helped me, Chass na Chadic."

―Wyl Lark and Chass na Chadic, after the latter saved the former's life^[1]

WereHome-SWDConv — Chewbacca swore a life debt to Han Solo, and remained his loyal companion for many years until Solo's death.

A life debt was a social custom which stated that if someone had saved a person's life, then that person owed the one who had saved them something in return. That custom was notably observed by the Gungans^[2] and the Wookiees.^[3]

History[]

"I saved his life. He owes me what you call a 'life debt.' Your gods demand that his life belongs to me now."

―Qui-Gon Jinn^[2]

When Boss Nass was planning to punish Jar Jar Binks for his transgression in returning to Otoh Gunga after being banished, Qui-Gon Jinn claimed a life debt on Jar Jar in order to prevent him from being punished and retain his services as a guide on Naboo.^[2]

When Garazeb Orrelios complained of Ezra Bridger's constant reminders of how he had saved him from an Imperial agent, Ezra noted that in some cultures when someone saved someone's life, that person became the other's servant forever. Zeb was not impressed and told Ezra that he was in his place and to get out. Later, Ezra seemed to be trying to enforce the supposed life debt on Zeb, whining about being made by him to carry supplies when he had saved his life. Following this incident, as he swooped in to rescue Ezra from pursuing Imperials, he declared any perceived life debt null and void, as they were even.^[4]

Chewbacca swore a Wookiee life debt to Han Solo for freeing him from captivity by the Galactic Empire in Mimban.^[3] Mercenary Fennec Shand swore a life debt^[5] to former bounty hunter Boba Fett after he saved her life in the sands of Tatooine. Although she soon repaid her debt, she decided to stay with Fett and helped him establish a new criminal empire.^[6] After recovering the Millennium Falcon, Solo joked in the Smuggler's Guide that, if Chewbacca ever took another life debt after Solo eventually died, he would come back to haunt the Wookiee via the Force.^[7]