The first Star Wars The film introduced viewers to Yavin 4, a secret rebel base that has become surprisingly important to the franchise’s history and lore. Modern viewers tend to forget that George Lucas Star Wars The films were heavily influenced by the Vietnam War, which meant that a common theme in the films was the battle between a technologically superior Empire and a rebellion that employed guerrilla tactics, often based in jungle environments. Yavin 4, featured in the later renamed Lucas film A New Hopeis a perfect example: a jungle moon threatened by the incredible firepower of the Death Star.
Located in the Outer Room, Yavin 4 is one of the moons of the gas giant Yavin Prime. A beautiful and temperate world, the surface is divided into several landmasses, two of which have been named Starloft and Wetyin. A New Hope clearly confirmed that the Moon was once inhabited, with rebels settling in ancient temples whose stories were gradually revealed in Star Wars tradition. Surprisingly, these have been reconfigured as crucial monuments to the history of the Sith themselves.
The Secret History of the Sith of Yavin 4
Yavin 4 was once inhabited by an extinct species known as the Massassi, who are believed to have been enslaved by the Sith. Its famous temples were built under the command of several powerful Sith Lordsmainly Naga Sadow and Exar Kun, although their exact purpose is unknown. There is some evidence that certain archaeological styles can amplify the power of the dark side, and some archaeologists have suggested that the design of these temples allowed the Sith to communicate across galactic distances long before the development of holonet technology.
Yavin 4 has long been an important location for Force cults. A Jedi splinter group known as the Ordu Aspectu has laid claim to one of the Massassi temples, though interestingly it is worth noting Star Wars: Timelines revealed that this sect existed around 20,000 BBY – fifteen thousand years before the emergence of the Sith. This may suggest that the ancient cult built the first Massassi temples, with the Sith later following their pattern.. More recently, excavations on Yavin 4 uncovered Sith relics that reached back to Darth Sidious himself.
Yavin 4’s role in the Star Wars original trilogy era and beyond
The Rebel Alliance chose Yavin 4 as an important base of operations in the run-up to the Galactic Civil War. A remote moon in an unoccupied system was perfect for hiding from the Empire; even better, the Massassi Temples contained spaces large enough to serve as hangars. Mon Mothma was originally hesitant to militarize, but even she accepted that the Empire would need to be fought against rather than simply being fought politically. Rebel teams left Yavin 4 to secure the Death Star plans, and the battle station finally targeted the Moon in A New Hope.
The Rebel Alliance left the Yavin system after the Battle of Yavin, although some data logs were inadvertently left behind during their evacuation. Yavin 4 was later occupied by the Empire, and there were frequent skirmishes between imperial forces and rebel cells as the rebels worked to remove these confidential records. The rogue archaeologist Doctor Chelli Aphra even visited Yavin 4 at one point during this period, searching for secrets of the Ordu Aspectu.
Star Wars sequel trilogy star Poe Dameron actually grew up on Yavin 4
A small community settled on Yavin 4 after the fall of the Empire and the Battle of Jakku. Rebel agents Shara Bey and Kes Dameron were among these settlers and served in a Civil Defense Force established as the nascent New Republic gradually reduced its army. Star Wars The star of the sequel trilogy, Poe Dameron, actually grew up on Yavin 4, although he eventually left to join Kijimi’s Spice Runners.
Star Wars Legends Gave Anakin and Luke Important Ties to Yavin 4
Yavin 4 was even more important in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, where his story was developed in more detail. It became the site of a brutal battle between Anakin Skywalker and Asajj Ventress in Genndy Tartakovsky’s film. Clone Wars serieswith Yavin Prime’s ominous red glow symbolizing Anakin’s descent to the dark side. Yavin 4 became especially significant after the Galactic Civil War, with Luke Skywalker establishing his Jedi Academy. It was a mistake when the Jedi discovered that the Sith spirit of Exar Kun still stalked the temples. It was abandoned during the Yuuzhan Vong War.
In short, then, Yavin 4 has been a vitally important part of the Star Wars galaxy since its debut in A New Hope. It was much more important in Legends; in canon, Luke chose to establish his Jedi Temple on Ossus rather than Yavin 4, meaning it never became all that significant to the Jedi. Still, the moon will certainly be seen again – probably in Andor Season 2, set just before the Galactic Civil War and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.