"You have a powerful imagination. When you want to, you see grand adventures, even in a rotten galaxy like this. Remember: your focus determines your reality. You have vision. Embrace it. Make your life the one you wanna live."
The galaxy, as it was commonly referred to, was one of trillions ofgalaxies in theobservable universe. The galaxy was a vast composite of over 400 billion estimatedstars and over 3.2 billion habitablesystems orbiting around a supermassiveblack hole known as theGalactic Centre, which existed at theheart of the galaxy. The four galactic arms rotated around this black hole across a diameter of around 120,000light-years. It was home to countlesssentientspecies and star systems.
"...be transported from the Outer Rim to as far away as the Core Worlds. However there are several other regions within our galaxy. They are the Mid Rim...The Expansion Region, the Inner Rim, the Colonies, Core, and Deep Core."
TheStandard Galactic Grid was used to give the location of a galactic point in grid coordinates.[20] Areas of the galactic disk could be referred to as the galactic north, south, east and west.[21] Notable points of interest were the fifty wonders of theCore Worlds, thirty wonders of theMid Rim Territories and the twenty-five wonders of theOuter Rim Territories.[6] There were millions ofsentientspecies in the galaxy.[13] Millions of billions of individual beings called the galaxy home.[22]
TheDeep Core served as the innermost and most brightly lit region ofspace. It was densely-packed with stars,nebulae, and other anomalies. As such, it was dangerous to navigate, leaving it relatively few explorers.[23] It was from here that the ancient, super-massiveblack hole[12] known as theGalactic Centre[24] bound the galaxy together.[12]
"The Clone Wars did the unthinkable—it put the Core Worlds at risk. The insulated heart of the Republic had grown complacent in a sense of security and comfort. By war's end, the encroaching fear of Separatist attack reshaped the galaxy."
The Core World Coruscant was the historic center of galactic power.
The Core Worlds were home to the richest and most important worlds in the galaxy. Densely inhabited and located on the strategic ends of several majortrade lanes, its planets were hubs of fashion, education, finance, and technology. It is where thehumanspecies arguably[1] began.[26] It was fromCoruscant,Corellia,Kuat,Hosnian Prime, and other systems that the fate of the galaxy was often decided.[23]
An attack on the Core Worlds was virtually inconceivable during theRepublic Era; according to theBithartistJanyor, the "sense of security and comfort" created an atmosphere of complacency within the heartland of theGalactic Republic. Toward the end of theClone Wars though Core Worlders became increasingly fearful of a direct attack by theConfederacy of Independent Systems.[25]
TheColonies consisted of worlds colonized by the Core. Many of its planets sat along major trade routes, and were extremely wealthy. Notable planets includedAbednedo,[23]Cato Neimoidia, andCarida.[19]
When first settled, theInner Rim Territories served as the frontier of galactic civilization forcenturies, known simply as "the Rim." As colonization spread outwards, Inner Rim worlds prospered. Notable planets includedBestine,Onderon,Thyferra, andTaanab.[19]
The planet Naboo was located in the Mid Rim Territories.
The Mid Rim Territories were a tranquil region of space that brimmed with varied galactic worlds that boasted successful governments and thriving economies. Distance from the Core gave these worlds less fame or notoriety than planets closer to the galactic center.[23] The Mid Rim was unofficially considered the lawful extent of the Galactic Republic and Galactic Empire.[12][1] Spilloverpiracy from the Outer Rim affected the region.[23] Those headed towards the Outer Rim saw it as the last taste of civilization, while those heading corewards saw it as the last grasp of frontier living.[28] Notable planets includedNaboo,Malastare,Bothawui,Kashyyyk,Ruusan,Ringo Vinda, andOrd Mantell.[19]
Mysterious and largely unexplored, the Unknown Regions was located beyond the known galaxy.
TheUnknown Regions was composed of the westward arm of the galaxy that was mapped, but largely unexplored.[23] Solar storms, rogue magnetospheres, black holes,gravity wells, and other handicaps tohyperspace travel left it largely unexplored throughout galactic history.[31] Mysterious species shrouded in myth, such theChiss[32] andGrysk,[33] as well as the deeply-religiousKilji species originated from the Unknown Regions. Notable planets includedCsilla,[19]Ilum,[34]Rakata Prime,[28]Exegol,[35] andAhch-To.[36]
Unlike other regions of the galaxy,Wild Space existed along the entire circumference of the galactic disk and on the borderlands of the Unknown Regions.[19] It was inhabited bysentient species but not fully charted, explored, and civilized.[8][11] Explorers andcartographers sought their fortune here at their peril.[23]
"Societal memories and official calendars started fresh, and the time before this rebirth was forgotten as a dark age, lumped into a collective whole known as the 'Old Republic.'"
The Old Republic was an early incarnation of the Galactic Republic.
Thehistory of the galaxy spans manymillennia. Approximately twenty-five millennia before theBattle of Yavin, one or more ancestor species discovered hyperspace travel. This invention opened the galaxy up for exploration and travel.[8]
To navigate the unimaginably large distances between star systems, spacecraft utilized ahyperdrive. Thispropulsion system allowed travel through hyperspace, an alternate dimension where astarship could take advantage of the wrinkles in the fabric ofspacetime to reduce journeytime and distance significantly, effectively "jumping" from point to point without having to travel directly between them.[38] Galactic travelers usedhyperspace sextants for navigating hyperspace roughly four thousand years before theCold War.[28]
The Sith built anEmpire through the use ofslave labor.[49][31] During their period of galactic dominance, the Sith built ashrine on Coruscant. TheJedi Temple was constructed over the foundations of the shrine subsequent to theJedi victory that drove the Sith from Coruscant.[8]
The Sith Order survived for generations under Darth Bane's Rule of Two.
"The Republic victory was so definitive that it reinvented itself, resettling its capital on Coruscant after a devastating ouster. History reset its chrono on this date, and from that moment, the modern Galactic Republic was born."
Under the protection of the Jedi Order, the modern Galactic Republic presided over a millennium of peace.
The defeat of the Sith brought about the formation of the modern Republic[25] in 1032 BBY.[62] This version of the Republic, while viewed as the "latest evolution" of a millennia-olddemocraticpolity, was nevertheless a new beginning for galactic society. Its establishment therefore served as the epoch of the new era, while the history prior to the reinvention of the Republic was ultimately lost and referred to as the "Old Republic."[25]
As the home of theGalactic Senate, Coruscant served as the politicalcapital of the galaxy.[25] The Republic was the dominant galactic government for a thousand years until theSeparatist Crisis and theClone Wars.[7] During the Republic's reign, the Core Worlds underwent a wave of expansion by settling new worlds and establishing trading colonies. In the process, they also cut deals with native populations or simply overran them.[8] A millennium before19 BBY,[63] theYavin Code was established during theYavin Convention to govern the treatment ofprisoners.[64]
When theEvereni left theirhomeworld ofEveron, they were surprised to find other life-forms and, due to their natural inclination to distrust others, began to wipe out the beings they encountered, turning themselves into outlaws and forcing them to act through more covert means.[65] During theHigh Republic Era, the galaxy was believed to be at peace, resulting in less of a need for military forces. Protected by the Jedi and theRepublic Defense Coalition, the Republic expanded into the Outer Rim to spread its era of ambition andGreat Works, yet it would instead find itself inconflict with theNihil after theGreat Hyperspace Disaster[66] in232 BBY.[67] In truth, the Nihil were pawns of afamily of Evereni who wanted revenge on the Jedi and Republic for past events[65] that stretched back to the days of thePath of the Open Hand cult:[68] over a century prior,[67] the Path had entered into conflict with the Jedi due to their opposing views on the Force, which the Path believed no living being was allowed to manipulate. To secure an advantage over the Jedi,MotherElecia Zeveron unleashed beings known as the Nameless, which hunted Force-sensitives and were controlled by aset of rods.[68]
First unleashing aNameless[68] known later as theGreat Leveler,[44] the Path journeyed to theNameless homeworld after stirring theBattle of Jedha into being. On the world, informally known as Planet X, the Path discovered more Nameless eggs, but one team member,Bokana Koss, experienced a Force vision that warned him beings known as theUnder-Dwellers would take advantage of their mission to spread across the galaxy as ablight, with that blight "chaining" and trying to destroy the Force itself if unleashed. Ignoring his warning, the Path made it off Planet X despite the efforts of a being known as theprotector andthe Veil. In the ensuingNight of Sorrow, the Path, reformed into thePath of the Closed Fist, warred with the Jedi and their allies untilPath GuideMarda Ro—who was horrified at the way the Nameless feasted upon people, witnessed that the Nameless targeted members of her own order without regard if they happened to be Force-sensitive, and realized the Mother had lied to her—wiped out the Nameless with the exception of the Leveler. After killing Zeveron with the Leveler and escaping with the beast,[68] Ro forged the original incarnation of the Nihil[69] and passed her revenge down over the generations[65] with the hope they would at last "free" the Force."[68]
Those efforts culminated in the finalized Nihil and[65] Marda's descendant[69]Marchion Ro,[65] who claimed to still practice the family rituals[44] and was dedicated to their revenge,[66] but, perhaps without realizing it, was most interesting in securing his own freedom from anyone who would chain him down.[70] Marchion led the Nihil through war with the Republic and Jedi and rediscovered the Great Leveler,[44] in timeventuring to Planet X himself with the Nihil to claim even more Nameless. Thanks to Ro, the Nihilbrought down Supreme ChancellorLina Soh's greatStarlight Beacon project andclaimed an entire segment of the galaxy asNihil-controlled space.[70] As the Jedi and Republic continued their conflict against the Nihil and worked to free the sectors the pirates had claimed,[69] however, the blight foretold by Koss[68] was discovered by both the Jedi and Nihil.[69]
Late Republic Era[]
As the Republic continued along, corruption began to take greater power in the Galactic Senate, whilemegacorporations like theTrade Federation were granted representation within the government body.[55] The Jedi Order grew to be unwilling to challenge the corruption of the Senate at large[71] and increasingly isolated from the greater galaxy[72] even though discontent with the Republic and its corruption emerged.[71][73]
The Sith Lord Darth Sidious masterminded his own rise to power as Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.
"For years, the Clone Wars raged across hundreds of worlds. The Jedi led their seemingly faithful clone troops in an onslaught of harrowing battles, their Order growing ever weaker."
During the Clone Wars, Republic and Separatist armies fought numerous battles across the galaxy.
The Clone Wars engulfed much of the galaxy for the next three years.[23] The Jedi-ledRepublic Military andSeparatist forces fought on multiple worlds and fronts includingChristophsis,[76] Ryloth,[77] Umbara,[78] Onderon,[79] Coruscant,Utapau, and Kashyyyk. The Confederacy of Independent Systems collapsed with thedeaths of Dooku,GeneralGrievous, and theSeparatist Councilon Mustafar. Chancellor Palpatine, having accused the Jedi Order oftreason, commanded the Grand Army of the Republic to executeOrder 66, resulting in many Jedi being gunned down by their clone troopers. With the Jedi Order effectively destroyed, Palpatine wasproclaimed asGalactic Emperor and the Republic was reorganized into the firstGalactic Empire.[74]
With the Jedi all but destroyed, the Republic was supplanted by the first Galactic Empire.
Most of the Jedi were killed in theGreat Jedi Purge.[46] Whereas the Order comprised ten thousand Jedi Knights at the time of the Clone Wars, only a few survivors remained during the height of Imperial rule.[80] The Jedi were vilified by Imperialpropaganda, withGrand VizierMas Amedda publicly denouncing them while hosting acelebration of their eradication at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.[81] The Jedi who survived the initial purge were scattered across the galaxy. Master Kenobi fled to Tatooine,[46] Grand MasterYoda retreated to Dagobah, a wild and swampy world;[82] and PadawanCal Kestis joined theScrapper Guild onBracca.[83]
A number of Jedi even joined the Empire. TheInquisitorius, a group ofJedi hunters who served the Empire, was composed of fallen Jedi such as theSecond Sister, who was once Trilla Suduri of the Jedi Order.[83] Kenobi’s former apprentice Jedi KnightAnakin Skywalker became Sidious' final apprentice;[74] as Darth Vader and was instrumental in the Great Jedi Purge.[46]
"Under the Sith… [the galaxy] is apyramid. Everyone climbing to the same place, pushing others down so they can ascend. And at its peak, someone waits ready todestroy anyone who would dare approach. The onlytruly free person in the entire galaxy.Emperor Palpatine. His name, hisSith name, isDarth Sidious. The name of his apprentice isDarth Vader. They are the twomost powerful people in the galaxy."
As Emperor Palpatine, Darth Sidious ruled the galaxy with Darth Vader as his apprentice and enforcer.
Thefascist Galactic Empire became the dominant government of the galaxy for the next two and a halfdecades. The Empire assumed control over galactic society, interplanetary economies, theHoloNet, and a sprawlingImperial Military.[25] As Galactic Emperor, Palpatine wielded considerable power over the Empire's military, resources, and inhabitants. The revampedImperial Senate saw more of its powers being transferred to planetary and regionalgovernors who had been appointed by the Empire.[85]
TheImperial Survey Corps took an interest in exploring the uncharted reaches of space, including the Unknown Regions[8] and Wild Space. As a result, the demand for maps and cartographers exponentially increased. This allowed explorers such asAuric andRhyssa Graf to make a decent living from selling maps until they were kidnapped by the ImperialCaptainVisler Korda.[86] In addition, the Empire created a galactic-wide network ofImperial Academies to indoctrinate and train youths to serve in the Imperial Military.[87] In secret, the Empire embarked on an ambitiousprogram to create a planet-destroyingsuperweapon called theDeath Star.[8]
The New Order was maintained through Imperial propaganda and military might.
The Empire also expropriated land and resources and ruthlessly stamped out dissent. HoloNet and other media became apropaganda medium for the Empire.[87] In addition, the Empire wasxenophobic and favored humans at the expense ofalien species. In the Imperial order, aliens were regarded as serfs, slaves, and obstacles needing to be tamed, removed, or ignored. Humans came to dominate the Imperial government and military while alien species, such as theWookiees and theTalz were enslaved.[88] Other alien species such as theLasat[89] to make an example and theGeonosians alsoexperiencedgenocide to keep the Death Star secret.[90] Despite this entrenched xenophobia, some aliens rose to positions of prominence in the Empire such as theChagrianGrand VizierMas Amedda,[8] thePau'anGrand Inquisitor,[91] and the ChissGrand AdmiralThrawn.[92]
The Galactic Civil War was a conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
As the Empire tightened its grip on the galaxy,resistance movements sprang up on a number of worlds. Most of these movements were strictly local, determined to free an individual planet or star system from Imperial rule.[95] Eventually, however, dissatisfaction and opposition to the Empire culminated in a scattered network ofrebel cells. Around4 BBY,[23] rebel cellsbegan to coalesce into larger groups such as thePhoenix Cell, ending a previous policy of maintaining secrecy[96] and beginning theGalactic Civil War.[97] As the Rebellion grew in power, some Imperial tacticians such as Thrawn[92] andISB Supervisor CommanderDedra Meero[98] realized the Empire was facing a galaxy-wide insurgency.[92]
With the Emperor slain and the second Death Star destroyed, the Battle of Endor marked a turning point in the Galactic Civil War.
For the next four years, the galaxy was locked in a civil war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Fighting took place at locations like the Mid Rim, Sullust,[12]Hoth, andCloud City.[82] Crimson Dawn would also re-emerge and launch awar against the Sith, which would end in its defeat at the hands of Sidious and Vader.[101] In the wake of Crimson Dawn's defeat, a rogue droid known as theScourge emerged and spread aninfection of droids and cyborgs[102] with the ultimate goal of taking over the Force, only to be opposed by thewarrior-priest droidAjax Sigma.[103] In secret, the Emperor commissioned the construction of asecond Death Star above Endor andlaid a trap for the Rebel Alliance in a calculated gamble. However, Vader’s son Jedi KnightLuke Skywalker managed to redeem him before he saved his son by fulfilling his destiny of killing Emperor Palpatine, destroying the Sith again,[104] and bringing balance back to the Force.[105] The death of Emperor Palpatine and the destruction of the Death Star II had a cataclysmic effect on the galaxy.[106]
The founding of the New Republic marked the dawn of a new era in galactic history.
Following the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance transitioned into theNew Republic. The Galactic Civil War reached a new crescendo as the New Republic made numerous advances on multiple fronts against the bewildered remnants of the Empire.[106] The Alliance and subsequent New Republic foiledOperation: Cinder, a posthumous contingency plan by the Emperor to devastate Naboo and at least a dozen other worlds.[107][108] In themonths after the events at Endor, New Republic and Imperial forces clashed on numerous fronts including theAnoat sector,[26] Malastare, Geonosis,Naalol,Sevarcos, andAkiva.[106] Acivil war also broke out on the galactic capital of Coruscant.[88]
By5 ABY,[109] the New Republic had reconstituted theGalactic Senate onChandrila and gained control of the HoloNet and large swaths of the galaxy, including Akiva and Kuat. Solo, Chewbacca, and a team of Wookieeexiles and other allies alsoliberated Kashyyyk from Imperial rule. However, the chaos caused by the Civil War and the death ofHuttcrime lordJabba Desilijic Tiure which occurred before Palpatine’s death allowed various criminal factions including thepirate lordEleodie Maracavanya and theRed Key Raiders to gain traction. A string of Imperial defeats led Grand AdmiralRae Sloane to proposepeace talks withChancellor Mon Mothma. However, theattack on Chandrila destroyed the mood for diplomacy and enabledFleet AdmiralGallius Rax to seize power.[88]
In the aftermath of the Battle of Jakku, the Galactic Empire formally capitulated to the New Republic.
Proclaiming himselfCounselor to the Empire, Rax brought most of the Imperial remnants to the desert world ofJakku for ashowdown with the New Republic. In truth, Rax planned to execute the final stage of Emperor Palpatine'sContingency which involved exploding the planet Jakku in order to destroy what remained of the Empire. Rax planned to lead a worthyremnant into the Unknown Regions to build a new order. Several months later, New Republic agents discovered Rax's forces and the Senate dispatched a fleet to Jakku. Amidst the fighting, Sloane joined forces with New Republic AgentsNorra and her sonBrentin Lore Wexley to foil Rax's plan. Meanwhile, Mas Amedda escaped house arrest and signed theGalactic Concordance with Chancellor Mothma, facilitating the Empire'ssurrender to the New Republic. While the New Republic celebrated its victory, Sloane and other loyal Imperial forces fled into the Unknown Regions.[31]
Formed from a secret Imperial Contingency, the First Order of the Unknown Regions challenged the New Republic's place in the galaxy.
Following the Battle of Jakku, the defeated remnants of the Empire signed the Galactic Concordance, which imposed harsh war reparations and demilitarized the galaxy. With the Empire defeated, the New Republic turned its attention to reshaping the galactic order. Under New Republic rule, the galaxy endured peace for the next twenty-nine years. A group of Imperial hardliners eventually left Imperial space and rebuilt themselves upon joining theFirst Order, a military junta founded by former Imperials in the Unknown Regions secretly dedicated to overthrowing the Republic. In the veil of the Unknown Regions, the First Order rearmed theirmilitary forces and builtStarkiller Base in anticipation for their war to retake the galaxy, though this was all in direct violation of the Galactic Concordance.[28]
By28 ABY,[110] the New Republic had become weakened by infighting between two powerful factions: thePopulists, who sought greater autonomy, and theCentrists, who desired a stronger central government. The New Republic's inability to enforce financial regulations and patrol the galactic shipping lanes allowed criminal factions such asRinnrivin Di'scartel and theAmaxine warriors toemerge. In secret, these were front organizations that had been created by the First Order to generate revenue for its rearmament program and to subvert the New Republic. With the New Republic leadership unwilling to take action against the threat of the First Order to its existence,PrincessLeia Organa founded a paramilitary outfit called theResistance.[111]
"Today is the end of the Republic! The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder! At this very moment, in a system far from here the New Republic lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance. This fierce machine which you have built, upon which we stand, will bring an end to the Senate! To their cherished fleet! All remaining systems will bow to the First Order! And will remember this as the last day of the Republic!"
The completion of Starkiller Base provided the First Order with the power of destroying the New Republic in a single preemptive attack.
During the Cold War, theBorderlands had become a buffer zone between the New Republic and the expanding First Order. Unwilling to risk conflict with the Order, the Republic ordered its military to avoid hostilities with any of it forces.[113] After failing to stop ResistancedroidBB-8,scavengerRey, formerstormtrooperFinn, Solo and Chewbacca from escaping with amap leading to Luke, the last Jedi, who had gone into self-exile after hisefforts to restore the Jedi Order were destroyed, the First Order used their superweapon on Starkiller Base to launch a preemptive attack on the New Republic’s current capital Hosnian Prime[112] in34 ABY.[23] Marking the start of theStarkiller crisis, theHosnian Cataclysm was witnessed across the galaxy since the First Order had discovered a way of firingdark energy throughsub-hyperspace withinminutes.[114] In response, the Resistancedestroyed Starkiller Base.[112]
Prior to the outbreak of the First Order-Resistance War, ResistancespyKazuda Xiono was posted to theColossus, asupertanker fuel depot based on the Mid Rim planetCastilon.[115] TheColossus was subsequentlyoccupied by the First Order,[116] which wanted to exploit the station as a military supply line.[117] Following the Hosnian Cataclysm, Xiono and rebel veteran CommanderJarek Yeager led anuprising and brought theColossus into space.[118] In response, the First Order launched ahunt for theColossus, seeking to destroy it.[119]
Kylo Ren, the grandson of Darth Vader, usurped Snoke's place as the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
Despite the destruction of Starkiller Base, the Hosnian Cataclysm decapitated the New Republic. As a result,Supreme LeaderSnoke deployed hislegions to seize military control over the galaxy. Rey predicted the major systems would fall to the First Order within weeks. The First Order also launched an offensive against the Resistance,destroying their base on D'Qar andpursuing them through space with ahyperspace tracker. Though the First Order inflicted heavy casualties on the Resistance, the First Order sustained serious losses whenVice AdmiralAmilyn Holdorammed the Resistance's flagship theRaddus into Supreme Leader Snoke's flagship theSupremacy while he was assassinated by his apprentice and Anakin’s grandsonKylo Ren, who claimed the title of Supreme Leader. Ren pursued the surviving members of the Resistance to the planetCrait. There, Luke made hislast stand which gave the Resistance and Rey enough time to escape aboard theMillennium Falcon.[120]
The Final Order was a Sith fleet constructed by the followers of Emperor Palpatine, who was resurrected on Exegol.
Although Emperor Palpatine's body was destroyed during the Battle of Endor, hetransferred his spirit into a clone after the fall of the Empire, however the process that created it was unfinished, forcing him to inhabit an unstable vessel and survived for another generation while his followers, aSith cult known as theSith Eternal, created theFinal Order—a massive armada ofXyston-class Star Destroyers capable of destroying planets.[56]
With the galaxy at war again and the Final Order complete, Palpatine came out of hiding and announced his return[13] in35 ABY.[122] In hisBroadcast he demanded the submission of every world in the galaxy and revealed his true identity as a Sith Lord, which he no longer treated to be secret. The inhabitants of the galaxy were sent into a state of disbelief and fright when they learnt of Emperor Palpatine's survival.[13] Kylo Ren, having vowed never to serve another master and believing in letting go of the past,[35] regarded Palpatine as an intolerable threat to his power as Supreme Leader.[121] As a result, Ren's priorities shifted from defeating the Resistance and suppressing their galaxy wide rebellion against his rule,[35] to finding the Sith Lord so he could finish what his grandfather started and destroy the Sith once more.[121]
Ren tracked Palpatine to Exegol, where he discovered the Sith fleet as well as the secret of Rey's lineage.
Using his grandfather’swayfinder acquired onMustafar, Ren journeyed to Exegol where he discovered Emperor Palpatine along with the Sith Eternal and the Final Order. He revealed his role behind the creation of Snoke and turning Ren to the dark side; he then offered the Sith fleet and title of Emperor to Ren if he killed Rey, the last Jedi before being warned that she was, in fact, his granddaughter.[121]
With the help of the embittered GeneralArmitage Hux, the Resistance discovered Palpatine returned with a immense armada to attack the free worlds in sixteen hours and reinforce the First Order so he can rule the galaxy again and resurrect the Empire from its ashes to complete the final stages of the contingency of his master plan to achieve the Revenge of the Sith. Rey, Finn, Dameron, Chewbacca, BB-8, and C-3PO embarked on a mission to recover Palpatine’swayfinder to reach Exegol. Following a series of adventures with the First Order andKnights of Ren, Rey acquired a wayfinder andfought with Ren onKef Bir, in the process discovering her truelineage as Sidious' granddaughter. After sensing the death of his mother, and conversing with the spirit of his father, Ren returned to thelight side and reclaimed his identity as Ben.[121]
The planet Kijimi was destroyed as a demonstration of the Sith Eternal's power.
Having sworn fealty to Palpatine once more like he did during the dark times of the Empire after Ben's renunciation of the dark side,Allegiant GeneralEnric Pryde deployed theDerriphan—one of the Star Destroyers from Exegol—toKijimi. TheDerriphan used itsaxial superlaser todestroy Kijimi, demonstrating the power of a single Star Destroyer of the Final Order after Pryde activatedProtocol 13. Under the leadership of General Dameron and General Finn, the Resistance launched an attack on Exegol, attempting to prevent the Sith fleet's attack on the free worlds and union with the First Order.[121]
Though initially outnumbered by the Sith Eternal'sforces during theBattle of Exegol, the Resistance was reinforced by theCitizens' Fleet led by General Calrissian. Meanwhile, Rey and Solo joined forces to defeat the Sith Lord for good at hisSith Citadel beneath Exegol. Realizing the two shared abond as aForce dyad, Palpatine drained their life energy and attacked the Resistance withForce lightning. Rey was able to defeat Emperor Palpatine for good with the help of her Jedi predecessors, thereby preventing the return of the Sith. Despite succumbing to her injuries, Rey was resurrected by Solo, whotransferred his life force to her at the cost of his life.[121]
The Citizens' Fleet joined the Resistance to defeat the Sith Eternal's forces during the Battle of Exegol.
The defeat of Palpatine and the Sith Eternal precipitated a galactic uprising against the First Order. As a result, the First Order's forces were beset by insurrection on various worlds, fromBespin,Endor, andJakku,[121] toNaboo,Corellia, andCoruscant.[123] The Resistance and the galaxy celebrated their victory[121] and the defeat of the First Order.[13] In the wake of the conflict, the people of the galaxy began the long process of rebuilding their home after the destruction brought about by the First Order-Resistance War. Resistance historian CaptainBeaumont Kin was given the task of overseeing an excavation of the Sith Citadel and wrote and published his new bookThe Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire to educate the people about the Imperial regime. Rey, meanwhile, claimed the Skywalker name, became a Jedi Master like Luke did, and started to rebuild the Jedi Order to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy and balance in the Force.[124]
The 2025 reference bookStar Wars: Complete Locations, New Edition utilized theStandard Galactic Grid system in its map of the galaxy, directly copying the old system used in the 2009 legends reference bookThe Essential Atlas. Both books labeled each grid as being 5,000 light-years in diameter with 21 grids vertically and 23 grids horizontally overlaid on a map of the galaxy, meaning the galaxy is approximately 105,000 light-years on the y-axis and 115,000 light-years on the x-axis.[126][125]
↑5.05.1The reference book,Star Wars: Complete Locations, New Edition andStar Wars Galaxy Map article onStarWars.com utilize theStandard Galactic Grid in their maps of the galaxy, denoting a single grid square as being equivalent to 5,000light-years. There are 21 grids vertically and 23 grids horizontally overlaid on the maps of the galaxy, therefore the size of the galaxy can be determined to be approximately 105,000 light-years on the y-axis and 115,000 light-years on the x-axis.
Main article:Deep Core
