Destruction of Jedha City

"We need a statement, not a manifesto. The Holy City will be enough for today."

- Wilhuff Tarkin to Orson Krennic

The Destruction of Jedha City, also referred to as the destruction of the holy city, or as the massacre at Jedha, occurred during the reign of the Galactic Empire when the Empire, in an effort to test the superlaser of the Death Star, used the battle station to destroy the holy city of the moon Jedha. Operating on a single reactor for the superlaser's power, the Empire evacuated the Imperial occupation force before moving the Death Star into orbit, targeting the holy city, and destroying it. The blast caused not only an enormous explosion but also significant damage to the moon, throwing fire, smoke, and dirt high into the air. On the ground, the shockwave caused Jedha's surface to begin peeling back, destroying everything that it touched.

Behind the scenes
The destruction of Jedha City was depicted in the 2016 Anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The first footage of the event was shown in the first Rogue One trailer on August 11, 2016. In Star Wars Legends, which is non-canon in the official Star Wars continuity following 2014, the event where the Death Star tested its Superweapon was identified as the Destruction of Despayre.

Appearances

 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization
 * Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel
 * Rogue One Adaptation 2
 * Rogue One Adaptation 3
 * Rogue One Adaptation 4
 * Battlefront II: Inferno Squad
 * Doctor Aphra 3: Aphra, Part III
 * Doctor Aphra 18: Remastered, Part V
 * Star Wars 38: The Ashes of Jedha, Part I
 * Star Wars 39: The Ashes of Jedha, Part II
 * Star Wars 40: The Ashes of Jedha, Part III
 * Star Wars 41: The Ashes of Jedha, Part IV
 * Star Wars 42: The Ashes of Jedha, Part V
 * Star Wars 43: The Ashes of Jedha, Part VI
 * Star Wars 44: Mutiny at Mon Cala, Part I
 * The Legends of Luke Skywalker
 * Star Wars 41: The Ashes of Jedha, Part IV
 * Star Wars 42: The Ashes of Jedha, Part V
 * Star Wars 43: The Ashes of Jedha, Part VI
 * Star Wars 44: Mutiny at Mon Cala, Part I
 * The Legends of Luke Skywalker