in:Legends articles,Locations in grid square K-18,Bespin system locations,

and13 more

Bespin

<Bespin

Edit

This article details a subject that falls under the Legends continuity.

Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Canon version of this subject.

This article covers the Legends version of this subject.

Bespin

Astrographical information

Region

Sector

Anoat sector;^[3]Ivax Nebula;Ison Corridor

System

Bespin system^[4]

Grid square

K-18^[5]

Distance from Core

49,100light-years^[6]

Suns

1:Bespin^[4]

Orbital position

3^[1]

Moons

More than two, includingH'gaard andDrudonna^[7]^[8]

Physical information

Class

Gas giant^[4]

Diameter

118,000kilometers^[4]

Atmosphere

Breathable(in theLife Zone)^[4]

Climate

Temperate(in the life zone)^[4]

Gravity

Standard(in the life zone)^[4]
1.5 x standard(surface only)^[1]

Terrain

Gas giant^[1]
Swamp(surface only)^[1]
Clouds

Surface water

None^[6]

Points of interest

Flora

Fauna

Societal information

Native species

Other species

Primary language(s)

Galactic Basic Standard^[4]

Government

Guild^[4]

Population

6 million:^[4]
- 68% Human^[4]
- 8% Ugnaught^[4]
- 6% Lutrillian^[4]
- 18% other^[4]

Demonym

Bespinite^[4]

Major cities

Major imports

Foodstuffs^[4]
Technology^[4]

Major exports

Affiliation

Bespin was agas giant in theBespin system of theAnoat sector on theIson Corridor in theGreater Javin region of theOuter Rim Territories. It was also a major source oftibanna gas, which was refined for production and transport in numerousmining operations includingCloud City andTibannopolis. It was home to several million individuals, includingHumans,Ugnaughts, andLutrillians.

Overview[]

, to the left of . — BesGas Three, to the left ofCloud City.

Theplanet Bespin was a gas giant that was about 118,000 kilometers in diameter. Like most gas giants, it had a solid core made of metal (in this case,rethen, 6,000 kilometers in diameter) followed by layers of metallic gases. Most of the layers of gas were poisonous, and the pressure and temperature were far above what a Human could tolerate. Despite this, from approximately 150 to 180 kilometers down fromspace there was a 30 kilometer thick habitable layer known as the BespinLife Zone. This layer had anoxygen atmosphere with temperature and pressure suitable for Human life, shielded by the layers below and replenished by airbornealgae.^[6] It was in this layer that Cloud City was located. As with many gas giants, Bespin had a number ofmoons. Bespin had a twelve-hour day, and completed a revolution around itsstar approximately once every fourteenstandard years.^[19]

Bespin's fauna included the wingedTibannucks,^[14]velkers,^[3]rawwks,^[20] the gas-filledbeldon, and airborne algae sacks. Bespin was the type class of theBespin-class gas giant.^[21]

History[]

Old Republic era[]

The planet was first discovered by the explorers from theHyperspace Navigator's Guild in years prior to theMandalorian Wars. In 3963 BBY it was auctioned off at the Metellos 3 planetary exchange.^[22] The carbonite-richEmpress Teta established a small gas operation on the planet, but it was mostly destroyed during theMandalorian Wars by a fleet ofMandalorian warships, hoping to break up thetibanna gas supply chain for theGalactic Republic.^[23]

Bespin was first colonized in1989 BBY.^[23] The planet had its ownJedi enclave. During theNew Sith Wars, theBrotherhood of Darkness captured the planet.^[24]Lord Ecclessis Figg commissioned Cloud City to be built by theIncom Corporation around400 BBY.

Rise of the Empire era[]

During theClone Wars, the planet initially attempted to stay neutral. A Republic warship delivered dozens of orphans to an orphanage there in22 BBY, including a youngBoba Fett, who laterescaped.^[25] Though always a vital source of Tibanna gas, Bespin’s strategic value surged during the war.^[26] Despite Bespin's declaration of neutrality, theConfederacy of Independent Systems launched an invasion of the planet, which was defended by at least oneJedi Master,Glynn-Beti.^[27] The planet, including its Tibanna gas colonies, fell to the Separatists initially.^[28]^[29] The planet eventually swung back into theRepublic's hands after a series of orbital battles anddogfights.^[26] SeparatistGeneral Lok Durd intended to target Bespin with a bio-weapon, but it wasdestroyed onLanteeb before he could deploy it.^[30]

After the Republic wasreorganized into theGalactic Empire, the planet was placed under Imperial control,^[31] although it was largely left alone beyond that.

This was the planet on whichGalen Marek foundRahm Kota when he was searching for potential leaders of the Rebel Alliance. The formerJedi had hidden himself on one of Bespin's manyconstruction platforms and Marek fought one of theEmperor's Shadow Guard during the meeting.^[32] Marek alsorescued Senator Garm Bel Iblis whileCloud City was filled with criminals and thugs.^[33]

Galactic Civil War[]

During theGalactic Civil War,Lando Calrissian served asBaron Administrator ofCloud City. He helped provide well-paying jobs for the Ugnaughts, and was admired and liked by the citizens of Cloud City.

When Han Solo, along withLeia Organa,C-3PO, andChewbacca came toCloud City in3 ABY to escape from theEmpire, they walked into a trap set up byDarth Vader, which Lando was forced into aiding. Han Solo was frozen intoCarbonite and Leia Organa and Chewbacca were to remain in the city. As Boba Fett brought Han onto his ship,Slave I, Lando with Lobot's help, got the two out of Imperial custody along with a damaged Threepio and tried to rescue Han from Fett but failed.^[16]

Luke Skywalker's X-wing approaches Bespin

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalkerdueled Vader, lost his right hand, and Vader revealed that he was Luke's father. Pinned between the choice of going with his long-lost father or dying by his blade, Luke plunged into an air vent. When he fell, he managed to grasp onto a weather vane beneath the city. In pain from his wound and his new knowledge, Luke pleaded forObi-Wan Kenobi's help, to no avail. He managed to telepathically communicate with Leia, and was rescued by theMillennium Falcon. TheFalcon in turn managed to escape from theExecutor whenR2-D2 fixed the disabledhyperdrive.^[16]

However, a garrison of troops was left on the planet, and the garrisonfought against the Rebel Alliance and Bespin security forces for control of Cloud City'sGravity Control Generators. The garrison also destroyed theBespin Government Center and built anImperial Palace in its place to cement their occupation.^[34] Calrissian's former assistant,Lobot, temporarily ousted the garrison from the planet by tricking them into thinking Cloud City'srepulsorlift pods were compromised.^[35]

TheZann Consortium also raided Bespin during this time, with its leaderTyber Zann,IG-88, andUrai Fen, participating in a mission to steal Tibanna gas. They were successful in doing so and also placed evidence that implicatedFalleen PrinceXizor and his rivalBlack Sun organization for the attack.^[36]

Later, just before theBattle of Endor in4 ABY, theAlliance raided the still Imperial-controlled colony with the help ofRogue Squadron. The successful raid secured shipment of vital tibanna to the Rebel cause.^[37] The mainbattle to free Bespin was fought right after Endor. Calrissian, now ageneral in the Rebel Alliance, led theRebel SpecForces against the Empire^[38] and successfully ousted the occupying troops.^[39] The JediX2 was also involved in liberating the city with the help of Calrissian and Lobot.^[40] Calrissian himself would eventually return to being Baron Administrator.^[41]

In5 ABY, Lando lost the Cloud City toZorba Desilijic Tiure in a game ofsabacc.^[41] After Zorba was ousted, Lando turned governance of the city over to KingOzz of the Ugnaughts. Lobot became administrator of the City (possibly under the authority of Ozz). Bespin was later taken over by the Empire in9 ABY and later, theEmpire Reborn.^[17] During theThrawn campaign, theBespin garrison has been installed on the planet. It was used byGrand Admiral Thrawn to supply theBilbringi Shipyards in tibanna gas.^[42]

In11 ABY, Luke Skywalker discovered an elderly man namedStreen, who possessed latent Force abilities, living a hermit's life in the abandoned city ofTibannopolis. Streen's life among the clouds gave him unique abilities to manipulate wind, air, and communing with flying creatures. Streen accompanied Luke to theJedi Praxeum, where he became one of the earliest students.^[20]

In12 ABY,Kyle Katarn traveled to Bespin after he had met withLando Calrissian. During this travel, he had wiped out Reelo Baruk's thugs in theundercity, dueled and defeated aReborn, usedLando's R5 unit to travel to the city's concourse level, drove allReborn forces out of the city, and defeatedTavion, sparing her life after she revealed thatJan Ors is still alive.^[43]

A Bespin Defense Fighter with a . — AZ-95 Bespin Defense Fighter with aBespin Motors hyperdrive.

Yuuzhan Vong War[]

During theYuuzhan Vong War, the planet remained untargeted by theYuuzhan Vong, due to the fact that there was no planet surface toVongform. Unlike many planets during the war, it remained untouched and isolated.^[18]

Dark Nest Crisis[]

In36 ABY, the planet was plagued withtibanna tappers usingsiphoning balloons.Jaina Solo andZekk were assigned to investigate. It was eventually discovered the stolen tibanna was being used for theKillik nest ships constructed in theTusken's Eye.^[44]

Second Galactic Civil War[]

In40 ABY, along withAdumar,Commenor,Fondor and theCorporate Sector Authority, Bespin almost allied withCorellia in an attempt to challenge the benefits of membership in theGalactic Alliance, during the Second Galactic Civil War.^[45]

Darth Krayt's empire[]

During the time ofDarth Krayt's Galactic Empire, anIthorian namedOrmo Haddon was the Baron Administrator of Cloud City. Haddon abandoned the outskirts of the city and moved the businesses to the central area.^[18]

Economy[]

The main economy on Bespin was the mining oftibanna gas. Tibanna gas was a very important resource used by both theAlliance to Restore the Republic and theGalactic Empire for powering weapons. When supercharged, the gas could fire a bolt of energy, resulting in the blaster shot. Spinsealed tibanna gas, which occurred naturally on Bespin, had the ability to quadruple the power of blaster bolts passing through it. Most of the settlements on Bespin were mining colonies, such asLando Calrissian's facility in 3 ABY.

While most of the commercial exploitation of Bespin was done byFigg & Associates, there were also a few gas prospectors. These lone pilots would search the skies for "gas strikes" in their ramshackle vessels, where plumes of deep gas would spurt into the high atmosphere due to internal storms deep below them. Some gas prospectors would ride extremely close to storm systems in the hope of gaining many riches from a gas strike, only to vanish without trace in the massive and unpredictable storms.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Empire stored supplies ofbacta on Bespin.

Flora and fauna[]

Many animals existed in the high atmosphere of Bespin, included thebeldon, a huge floating creature that excreted the tibanna gas that made Bespin famous.Velkers,^[3]rawwks,^[20] andtibannucks^[14] also lived in the atmosphere, as well as many other exotic and brightly colored animals, many of which were never properly categorized, often calledfloaters. Somethrantas were transported to Bespin, thus allowing them to survive the destruction of their homeworld,Alderaan.

Floating in the gas giant's skies were many different forms ofalgae and plankton. One kind of algae called "pinks" were so plentiful they gave the sky of Cloud City its distinctive color. Yet another form of algae called"glowers" gave the night side of Bespin a distinct purplish glow.^[46]

Behind the scenes[]

In the1974 rough draft ofA New Hope, the planetAlderaan, which was set as a giant gas planet and the capital of theNew Galactic Empire at that time, resembled Bespin inThe Empire Strikes Back. There was also acity that resembledCloud City on that "original Alderaan". Bespin was mentioned in a stamp for the Intergalactic Passport that acted as a backstage pass forThe Empire Strikes Back, although most of the stamp was illegible due to apparent wear and tear.

In the early story conferences forThe Empire Strikes Back, Ketbrae (also known as Kettlebrae) was a gas giant. It eventually became Bespin.

Star Wars (1977) 56 indicates that Bespin is the home planet of the Ugnaughts, and shows the planet as having a habitable surface — a phenomenon that is impossible on a gas giant. This error is corrected in theDatabank, which states that Ugnaughts inhabited secret floating platforms below Cloud City. The "surface", which Lando Calrissian plummeted to in the comic, was later established asUgnaught Surface inBespin: Action Tidings.

Bespin serves as a location for multiple Versus Mode matches inStar Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike.

In the2006 video gameStar Wars: Empire at War, Bespin cannot be destroyed by theDeath Star during space combat, but can from the Galactic Map, unlike most planets.

The1998 PC gameStar Wars: Rebellion, mistakenly placed Bespin in theChurba sector, though it is actually located in theMid Rim. In another error, the planet map displayed at the originalStar Tours attraction inDisneyland Paris andTokyo Disneyland places the planet within theBala Trix Nebula.

Bespin also appeared in two missions in the LEGO re-creation of theOriginal trilogy in the2006 video gameLEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. The missions were also included in the game's2007 compilation re-release.