Endor/Legends


 * This article is about the moon. For the lesser-known host planet, see Endor (planet)

Endor was a moon orbiting the planet of the same name. The forest moon is notable for being the native home of the Ewoks, and being the location of the last major battle in the Galactic Civil War. Due to it's closeness to the inhospitable Unknown Regions, Endor was relativley quiet planetoid until the latter event.

The Battle of Endor
As the Galactic Civil War drew to a close in the years of 3-4 ABY, the Rebel Alliance, led by Dash Rendar and Luke Skywalker captured information confirming the existence of the Death Star II, from the cruiser Suprosa over Kothlis, being constructed over none other than the moon of Endor. It was not realized than, but Palpatine had purposely allowed the plans to be captured, so that the Rebels may be led into a trap.

The Rebel Alliance fleet regrouped and were addressed by Mon Mothma. Her and Admiral Ackbar informed the battle weary pilots that the Emperor Palpatine himself would be aboard the station himself, further emphasizing the need to win the battle. The main fleet, commanded by Lando Calrissian andAdmiral Ackbar prepared to jump to Endor in hyperspace on a signal: when the commando team sent planetside disabled the shield generator surrounding the Death Star.

The commando team led by Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker used the stolen Imperial shuttle Tiberius to make it planetside. After speeder chases, Leia in MIA, and other confusions, the team fell into a trap set by the main indiginous species, the Ewoks. At first they saw C-3PO as a god, and prepared to sacrifice the main team to the droid, but Leai, who was indeed among the Ewoks saved them. The Ewoks would play a pivotal part in the ahead battle.

The Rebel fleet jumped insystem prematurely, and the climactic battle begin. Luke, who had volutarily allowed his capture by Imperials to meet Darth Vader, AKA Anakin Skywalker in hopes up turning him back to the light, watched as Palpatine's trap unfolded. An Imperial Fleet jumped insystem and flanked the Rebels. Planetside, Han Solo and the team had been captured. Things looked grave as the shield remained up, and Admiral Ackbar order the only thing the fleet could do: attack the Imperial Fleet.

But fortunes changed. The Ewoks, thanks to Princess Leia's diplomatic skills, attakced the planetside Stormtrooper legions, and the Rebel commandos took advantage of the confusion. Despite early setbacks, them and the Ewoks beat the Empire through guerilla tactics, but the Ewoks presence was the catalyst needed. In space the fleet succeeded beyond all odds in attacking the Imperial Fleet. Several vessels, including the Super Star Destroyer Executor. Han Solo destroyed the shield generator, and Lando Calrissian, Tycho Celchu, and Wedge Antilles destroyed the mighty battle station, as Luke Skywalker, who witnessed Anakin Skywalker redeem himself from the specter of Darth Vader and kill Emperor Palpatine, barely escaped with a now dying Anakin Skywalker. It was a victorious day for the Rebellion.

Without a doubt, all of the above could have never happened without the help of the Ewoks. The small, primitive species had proven beyond a doubt that the you didn't need a blaster or lightsaber to defeat an empire: just a heart full of courage, and a desire to conquer evil.

Terrain
For the most part, the Endor terrain was made up of massive, tightly knitted forests. However, it also contained vast dry deserts and grassy plains, small oceans, secluded lakes, and mountain ranges. The climate on the Forest Moon is temperate and mild, with polar caps regulating the sea levels.

Natives
The forest moon was home to the Ewoks, famous for helping defeat the Empire at the Battle of Endor. The moon was also home to many other sentient species: deadly giant Goraxes, tall and timid Yuzzums, rodentlike Teeks, vicious condor dragons, and a settlement of reptilian Sanyassan Marauders from offworld.

Behind the scenes
The planet Endor was never visible in any scenes in Return of the Jedi set on the forest moon, a fact which the novelization explains by asserting that it was destroyed some time earlier, and that the moon now orbits its star in a planetary orbit of its own.

It should also be noted that in two of the space battle scenes, a pinkish planet can be seen in the background, in the vicinity of the forest moon. This, coupled with the fact that a moon without a planet should itself be defined as a planet in its own right, has caused some fans to speculate that this pinkish planet is in fact Endor, and the novel is wrong. In addition, a large body, probably the planet Endor, can be seen in the sky during some scenes in the two Ewok telefilms (Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor), though this does not closely resemble the planet seen in Return of the Jedi.

Some fans with some knowledge of physics have noted that if the destruction of the Death Star II actually occurred as depicted, the moon would have been rendered uninhabitable. This is known as the Endorian Holocaust. There is still a great deal of speculation on this point, though several solutions have been suggested, such as the Rebellion bringing large-scale, portable shield generators to protect the moon from radioactive fallout.

Origins

 * Earlier drafts of Return of the Jedi first identified the forest moon as Green Moon, and later Jus-Endor. Originally, Green Moon was meant to be orbiting Had Abbadon - now known as Coruscant - along with two Death Stars under construction.
 * "Endor" is the Hebrew name of a city of ancient Canaan mentioned in the Bible. Other planets in the Endor system have similar names (Dor and Megiddo) as does the system's star (Ibleam).
 * Some fans believe that it is named after J.R.R. Tolkien's Endor, the Elvish name of Middle-earth, probably an allusion to the similarity between Ewoks and Hobbits, or the moon's tall foliage and the mellyrn of Lothlórien.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Ewoks
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
 * Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * X-wing: Rogue Leader
 * Marvel Star Wars 81: Jawas of Doom
 * Marvel Star Wars 82: Diplomacy
 * Marvel Star Wars 85: The Hero
 * Marvel Star Wars 90: The Choice
 * Marvel Star Wars 92: The Dream
 * Marvel Star Wars 94: Small Wars
 * Marvel Star Wars 95: No Zeltrons
 * Marvel Star Wars 97: Escape
 * Marvel Star Wars 99: Touch of the Goddess
 * Marvel Star Wars 100: First Strike
 * Marvel Star Wars 101: Far, Far Away
 * Return of the Ewok (non-canon)