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Warning: This infobox is missing the following parameters: otherlife
- "Coruscant, the capital of the Republic. The entire planet is one big city."
- ―Ric Olié
Coruscant ((pronounced /'kɔɹəsɑnt/)), also known as Imperial Center during the rule of the Galactic Empire, was an ecumenopolis—a city-covered planet, collectively known as Galactic City—in the Coruscant system of the Core Worlds. Noted for its cosmopolitan culture and towering skyscrapers, Coruscant's population consisted of approximately one trillion citizens hailing from a vast array of both humanoid and alien species. Though debated by historians, it was generally believed that Coruscant was the original homeworld of humanity. In addition, Coruscant's strategic location at the end of several major trade routes enabled it to grow in power and influence, causing the city-planet to surpass its early rivals and become the hub of galactic culture, education, finance, fine arts, politics and technology. It was the location of several major landmarks, including the Jedi Temple, Monument Plaza and the Senate Building.
Serving as the capital of the galaxy since the ancient days of the Old Republic, Coruscant was at the center of many historic events, such as the Jedi Order's conflict with the Sith. Although the planet fell under Sith occupation for a time, Republic forces ultimately liberated Coruscant with the aid of the Jedi Knights. Their victory was so decisive to the point where the Sith were all but extinct, replacing an age of darkness and strife with the democratic rule of the modern Galactic Republic. Retaining its status as galactic capital, it was on Coruscant where the Galactic Senate governed the galaxy for centuries, establishing an era of peace that lasted for almost a millennium under the protection of the Jedi peacekeepers.
During the Fall of the Republic, political intrigue wrought by corruption and secession transformed Coruscant into a dangerous environment by the time of the Clone Wars—the first major war waged on a galactic scale in a thousand years. Between assassination plots and terrorist bombings, the Senate turned to the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. As Palpatine's authority increased exponentially, the presence of the Grand Army of the Republic on Coruscant also grew at a steady rate, from the establishment of the Coruscant Guard to building the Republic Center for Military Operations in the Federal District.
Following a direct attack on the capital by the Confederacy of Independent Systems in 19 BBY, the Senate granted additional wartime powers to Chancellor Palpatine who, on the eve of the New Order, declared all Jedi enemies of the state. Palpatine, who was, in fact, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, succeeded in his scheme to turn the Republic into a military dictatorship. He then instructed the Grand Army clone troopers to execute Order 66 against their Jedi Generals, resulting in a galaxy-wide purge that all but destroyed the Jedi Order. Without the Jedi to oppose him, Palpatine dissolved the Republic and declared himself Galactic Emperor to the applause of the now Imperial Senate.
Coruscant continued to serve as galactic capital under the Empire, having become the Emperor's official throneworld, although Palpatine himself disappeared from public view for the most part, choosing to leave the day-to-day business of governing the galaxy to his advisors on the Imperial Ruling Council. The Empire maintained a firm hold on Coruscant throughout the Emperor's reign, but with his death at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the citizens of Coruscant celebrated by revolting against the Imperial government. Meanwhile, across the galaxy, various high-ranking officers fragmented the Imperial Military in a rush to succeed Palpatine as ruler of the Empire. Unable to command the military's allegiance, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda's rule was contained within Coruscant, which he also lost control of to the supporters of Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax, the self-proclaimed Counselor to the Empire. Hoping to escape prosecution for war crimes, Amedda surrendered himself to the New Republic, which demanded that he surrender the entire Galactic Empire in return for amnesty. Following Rax's death and the destruction of his faction at the Battle of Jakku in 5 ABY, Amedda signed the Galactic Concordance—a peace treaty recognizing the Empire's capitulation and the end of the Galactic Civil War. In addition, the Empire ceded its own capital to the Republic, although Amedda was permitted to return to Coruscant as the head of a provisional government. Yet his authority was merely ceremonial; under the supervision of Republic overseers, he became a virtually powerless figurehead.
Unlike previous galactic governments, the newly restored Galactic Senate broke with millennia of tradition by not establishing Coruscant as their headquarters, instead preferring to designate other member worlds with the status of galactic capital through an electoral system. At the height of the New Republic, Coruscant had gained senatorial representation and, by the time of the cold war, was aligned with the worlds that identified as Centrists—a faction that advocated for greater executive control and an overhaul of the armed forces. Senator Arbo, a citizen of Coruscant noted for his militaristic views, was representing the interests of his homeworld in the Senate by 28 ABY. His junior colleague, Orris Madmund, also hailed from Coruscant and was likewise an ardent Centrist.
Description
Overview
- "Do you know the rarest resource on Coruscant, my boy?"
"I... I'm not sure."
"Sky. Down here, the sun is a myth." - ―Sheev Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker, regarding Coruscant's underworld
Located in the Coruscant subsector of the Corusca sector within the Core Worlds region, Coruscant was a planet covered in a dense ecumenopolis.[1] 12,240 kilometers in diameter, Coruscant orbited relatively far from its small sun, varying from 207 to 251 million kilometers, and thus did not have a climate that suited any one particular species (although this inconvenience was rectified by technological means and the vast heat generated by the multi-level cityscape). From space, Coruscant's luminosity was slightly dimmed by the planet's hazy cloud cover. The planet's weather patterns were affected by the troposphere-piercing buildings that covered the planet's surface. Inside the tallest buildings, enormous differences of temperature and air pressure from top to bottom produced unusual and unpredictable microclimates.[4] As such, Coruscant had its own weather-control system.[13] Thousands of years of development destroyed the planet's ancient mountains and seas.[4] Monument Plaza housed the top of Coruscant's last remaining mountain peak.[7]
There were 24 hours in a Coruscant day, and 365 days in a Coruscant year.[7] Owing to its importance in galactic history, the galaxy used a dating system standardized on Coruscant,[28] and the planet's galactic coordinates were 0-0-0 despite it not being the exact geographical center of the galaxy.[4]
Galactic City
Main article: - "You see that? Out there are the little people you're representing so proudly. You know what they're going to do if you ever get in trouble or need help?"
"No. What?"
"Absolutely nothing. You'll be as forgotten as yesterday's breakfast. I'm the one you want to impress, Ms. Pryce. Men and women like me. Not Daisie what's-her-name out there. We're the ones with the power to make or break you. You'd be well advised to remember that." - ―Wealthy landowner Chesna Braker to political upstart Arihnda Pryce, discussing establishing a political power base on Coruscant
The cityscape of Coruscant
Coruscant's surface was defined by its urban sprawl, which collectively was called Galactic City.[1] The dense city blocks were built on top of each other, with lowest being Level 1 and the highest reaching to Level 5127. The lowest known habitable level was Level 5. At its highest level, Galactic City's skyscrapers were built with many reaching 6,000 meters into the atmosphere, with sleek, transparisteel edifices standing next to older duracrete structures.[7] Galactic City was divided into sectors named by designated coordinates. Some sectors also had unofficial names. Sector H-46 was unofficially named Sah'C Town. Sectors were further divided into zones, with zones determined by purpose, such as financial, senatorial, or industrial zones. Under the Galactic Republic, the Federal District, also called the Senate District, was the center of political activity on the planet, as it was home to both the Senate Building, seat of the Galactic Senate, and the Senate Office Building, where the Supreme Chancellor had his or her own set of offices. It served as the main district for government buildings and institutions including the City Municipal Authorities Building and Galactic Courts of Justice. The Federal District was also the location of the Jedi Temple, headquarters of Jedi Order, as well as 500 Republica, a massive residential tower home to the most powerful on Coruscant.[4] Under the rule of the Galactic Empire, the Federal District was transformed and heavily fortified, and the Jedi Temple was repurposed as the Imperial Palace. The palace became a part of the "supreme triangle" of structures alongside the Naval Intelligence headquarters and the massive COMPNOR arcology,[13] which housed the city-block-sized Central Office of the Imperial Security Bureau.[7] Next to the Federal District was the Verity District, which under the Empire housed the Hall of Adjudication, the Hall of Imperial Register, the Institute to Preserve Imperial History, and the ISB Academy and Offices.[23]
Night view of Galactic City
The planet's skylanes directed the air-traffic of airspeeders via auto-navigation system that moved the speeders along preprogrammed routes. As such crashes were extremely rare.[7] Precautions were taken though with and skytunnels incorporating bombproof shields and high-level tracking systems, and most structures on Coruscant had defensive shields to protect windows from stray and out-of-control vehicles.[4] Owing to the planet's prominence in terms of galactic affairs, Coruscant's Galactic City housed numerous governmental offices and inter-galactic headquarters in its winding depths. The central planning strategy offices of the food giant TaggeCo could be found within the city, along with the droid research institutes funded by Cybot Galactica, and the Bank of the Core, one of the galaxies largest financial institutions.[4] The towers were symbols of power and authority, and the largest could hold populations of well over a million.[4] The planet's residents were known as the Coruscanti[13] and of the estimated one trillion inhabitants of the planet, 68% were believed to be human.[7] On Coruscant, wealth increased with altitude: the lowermost levels were devoid of light and abandoned, with Level 1 deemed uninhabitable and roaming with strange creatures and monsters; above them were lawless underlevels—countless blocks inhabited by billions of middle-class workers. The super-towers on Level 5217 remained home to the ultra-wealthy.[4] Furthering this class divide, citizens who lived in the upper levels were able to breathe air that was filtered and clean, while lower-class inhabitants were forced to breathe the air of toxic fumes from factory and vehicular waste.[7] As such, most visitors to Coruscant chose to bring their own air supply to last the length of their stay.[4]
History
Early history
Coruscant was the supposed[3] birthplace of the human species,[22] who eventually traveled, explored, and colonized the rest of the galaxy. Coruscant was the center of political and cultural life of the galaxy. Coruscant was one of the Republic's original Core World founders, and outmaneuvered its early rivals to become the economic and cultural engine of civilization as it expanded along newly chartered hyperspace routes. As these early hyperspace lanes became well-established trade routes, increasing numbers of alien species migrated towards Coruscant. Coruscant's effective status as center of the Republic led to it being awarded the coordinates 0-0-0 on all standard navigation charts.[4]
In the ancient past, the Sith built a shrine on Coruscant. When the Jedi ousted them, they built their temple over it.[13] The Old Republic maintained Coruscant as its capital,[26] and so did its successor state, the Galactic Republic.[9] With the planet's near-galactic importance, many born on backwater worlds dreamed of arriving on the bustling planet to make it big, only to find themselves relegated to low-level positions and subjected to a life of crime and violence. Nonetheless, it was largely accepted that whoever controlled Coruscant—controlled the galaxy.[4]
The waning Republic
See also: Separatist Crisis
- "I will not let this Republic that has stood for a thousand years be split in two. My negotiations will not fail."
"If they do, you must realize there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic. We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers." - ―Palpatine and Mace Windu
The Federal District during the Republic's last years
It was towards the end of the Republic's millennium of peace that Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, hampered by a bloated government and a corrupt Senate, was unable to respond to an invasion of the planet Naboo in 32 BBY. As a result, the resulting election saw Valorum removed from office and Palpatine gained the majority vote to become Supreme Chancellor.[8]
In 22 BBY, a crisis erupted when Count Dooku led several systems to break from the Republic and form the Confederacy of Independent Systems with himself as its leader. Many commercial organizations pledged their droid military forces to the Confederacy, commonly called the Separatists. As the Jedi were too few to fight a galactic war, the Senate pushed for a vote to create the Grand Army of the Republic.[14]
A capital at war
- See also: Clone Wars
- "The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, the Clone War has."
- ―Yoda
The Clone Wars became one of the most turbulent times in galactic history[9] and the first, full scale war in over a thousand years.[14] As the capital of the Republic, Coruscant, already a hotbed of political intrigue, became a target for both military and political reasons. Situations and events that were unthinkable centuries before became commonplace.[9] Even prior to the beginning of the war, changes could be seen in the Republic. The Senate, already corrupt and bloated found it difficult to respond, delegating emergency powers to Palpatine. The Chancellor himself brought changes such as implementing the use of his personal Red Guards instead of the Senate Guards.[14] As the Grand Army and the Republic Navy spread across the galaxy to defend the Republic, the Jedi, long taking the stand of being peacekeepers not soldiers, took charge of the military as commanders and generals. The dramatic changes were noted by both the Jedi and the Republic's citizens,[29] specifically on Coruscant.[30] Unknown to everyone except a select few, Coruscant was from where the entire war was continually manipulated by Palpatine. As Supreme Chancellor, he took overall charge of the Republic military and directed the war effort from his office in the Senate Office Building.[31] As Darth Sidious he directed Dooku's actions designed to continue the war and further his plans.[32]
The Zillo Beast terrorizes Coruscant while hunting Chancellor Palpatine
During the Clone Wars, a large creature known as the Zillo Beast went on a rampage throughout Coruscant. The creature had been held at the Republic Science and Technical Center for research into enhanced clone armor, but had escaped captivity, and was ultimately eliminated.[19]
Coruscant in flames during the blackout after the bombing
Shortly after the Confederate–Republic peace initiative, Coruscant's central power distribution grid was bombed by planetside Separatist agents. Consequently, the Republic military enhancement bill to deregulate the banks allowing for more Republic troops was passed.[33]
Towards the end of the war, the opinion of the public, as represented by the citizens of Coruscant, began to turn against the Jedi. Protesters would gather in front of the Temple, blaming the Jedi for the military losses and the Jedi's loss of perspective as keepers of the peace. It was at that time that an explosion occurred at the Jedi Temple docking complex that killed six Jedi and several clone troopers and Temple employees. The investigation by crime scene analysis droid Russo-ISC and Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano found that Letta Turmond, the wife of Temple employee Jackar Bowmani, had fed him volatile nano-droids which then exploded, killing Bowmani and causing the bombing at the Temple. Turmond was arrested and held at the Republic military base.[30] When Tano went to visit her, Turmond was killed by a Force choke, making Tano seem to be the murderer. Though unknown to all, the true murderer was rogue Jedi Barriss Offee. After escaping custody, Tano would ultimately prove her innocence, but leave the Jedi Order.[34][35]
Rise of the Empire
- See also: Battle of Coruscant
- "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause."
- ―Padmé Amidala, to Bail Organa following the declaration of the Empire in the Senate
Republic and Confederate forces fight over Coruscant
Throughout the Clone Wars, Palpatine had remained a popular leader, remaining in office at the will of the Senate for far longer than his term technically allowed.[36] Throughout this period, Palpatine continued to consolidate and centralize his own power.[37][38][39] By 19 BBY, the third and final year of the war, Coruscant's defenses were spread thin. The Separatists had been pushed back to the Outer Rim, and couldn't risk a direct strike at the heart of the Republic. Coruscanti citizens, used to having the war fought far from the capitol, were just as surprised as the Coruscant Home Defense Fleet when a Separatist assault force launched a surprise attack on the planet.[40] During the battle, Chancellor Palpatine was kidnapped and briefly held captive on the Separatist flagship, the Invisible Hand, before he was freed by Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.[36]
Palpatine declares the formation of the Empire
Following the battle over the capital, it was announced that Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy, had been killed. Shortly afterwards, the Outer Rim Sieges resulted in the death of Separatist commander General Grievous on Utapau. As part of his endgame, Chancellor Palpatine issued Order 66, forcing the clone forces of the Republic to turn against their Jedi masters by using hidden inhibitor chips installed in their brains since their beginnings on Kamino.[41] On Coruscant, the 501st Legion marched on the Jedi Temple, exterminating the Jedi. By demonstrating the threats close to home, with both the recent memory of the Battle of Coruscant,[40] and a "Jedi Rebellion" having occurred, Palpatine announced that in order to ensure safety and security, the Republic would be reorganized into the Galactic Empire, with himself as its Galactic Emperor.[36]
Imperial might
- "Only some secrets are well kept on Coruscant."
- ―Rear Admiral Nils Tenant
The Imperial Palace, formerly the Jedi Temple
After Palpatine's accession to power, changes came quickly to Coruscant, formally renamed as Imperial Center, and the Galactic City to Imperial City.[42] The Jedi Temple and its surrounding serene complex became the home of the new Emperor. While the spires of the Temple remained in place, the rest of the structure was heavily remodeled and expanded with sloping facades and block-shaped additions. The entire area was known as the Federal District, with the Imperial Palace forming one point of the so-called supreme triangle. The other two points were the byzantine COMPNOR arcology, which contained the headquarters of the Imperial Security Bureau, and the new Naval Intelligence Agency headquarters, a near-windowless complex which formerly housed the Republic's strategic center. The cityscape of Coruscant changed as well. Buildings were stripped of their elegant Republic dressings in favor of sleek lines and block-like surfaces, and many smaller buildings became engulfed into larger buildings. Some areas changed so quickly that they were not recognizable to those who had seen them only a few years before.[13]
The Empire's policies against non-humans and its tightening control of the population caused unrest, especially among the alien populations of the underworld. As the Galactic Civil War took shape, the Empire began moving its Mon Calamari population on Coruscant. The aggressiveness of the forced relocations caused rioting to erupt in the Old Market Sector, which was brutally put down by Imperial forces. After the destruction of the planet Alderaan by the Death Star, rumors of what occurred began reaching the Alderaanian population on Coruscant, most of whom lived on Level 3204. Vigils soon became heated and angry when it became known that the Empire had destroyed the planet. For several days, rioting continued until the combined efforts of the Coruscant Security Force and Imperial stormtroopers restored order by firing indiscriminately into the crowd. The crowds, frightened, dispersed. The following day, the Coruscant police arrested anyone caught out in the streets. The day after that, stormtroopers began going door to door stating that Rebel spies had recruited local residents, and that Alderaanians had to be taken in for questioning.[43]
Planetary civil war
- See also: Riot in Monument Plaza
- "It is a symbol of our indolence and torpidity. It is the moldering core of our overripe fruit and I wish to cut away such rot so as to preserve our sweet remains and of course the seeds within."
- ―Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax to Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, arguing against assisting Imperial forces on Coruscant and re-securing the throneworld.
Coruscant celebrates the defeat of the Empire
In 4 ABY, the Rebel Alliance managed to defeat the Empire in the penultimate Battle of Endor. With both the Emperor and his apprentice dead, due to being killed during the destruction of the Death Star II, the citizens of Coruscant rejoiced, pulling down statues of Palpatine, overwhelming the stormtroopers on the streets, and setting off chimes and fireworks.[44] Police forces on speeders quickly entered the plaza and opened fire on the crowds without warning, killing many who were present. Present Coruscanti erupted into full-scale rioting. Blaster fire and fighting soon erupted across the capital between Coruscanti and the Imperial security forces.[45]
In the ensuing months the New Republic was formed and re-established the Galactic Senate on Chandrila.[45] Meanwhile, Coruscant dissolved into a true state of civil war, with some sectors entrenching themselves with Rebel resistance fighters, while other sectors actively fought against their neighbors and supported the Imperial forces. As the Empire fractured all over the galaxy, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda took control of Imperial forces on Coruscant. However, the Imperial Navy withdrew support from the throne world as Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax refused to allow Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, the figurehead of the Navy, to send reinforcements to the planet. Gallius Rax, leader of the Shadow Council that secretly guided the Empire in its final days, saw the planet as representing the "decay" that caused the Empire's downfall.[23]
In this vacuum, the Imperial Security Bureau was left to coordinate Coruscant's Imperial forces. Grand Vizier Mas Amedda remained the planet's administrator and de-facto head of the Empire, but held no real power. The ISB established a nominal blockade around the planet utilizing ISB spaceships and coordinated the efforts of present security forces and stormtroopers. The Verity and Federal District were heavily fortified with checkpoints and barricades. Coruscant skylanes were diverted, and ISB crafts flew on patrol. Smoke rose from damaged vehicles and buildings as a fierce guerrilla war consumed the entire planet. Amedda, in despair and desperation, sought to turn himself over to New Republic Chancellor Mon Mothma and Princess Leia Organa. However, they refused to take him prisoner, instead insisting that he find a way to capitulate the Empire and sign a full surrender.[23]
Galactic Concordance
- "Mas Amedda has come out of hiding and wants to sign a cease-fire. He wants to end it. All of it."
- ―Mon Mothma relaying the news of the Imperial surrender of Coruscant
By the time of the Battle of Jakku, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda was kept under house arrest by Counselor to the Empire Rax at the Imperial Palace. There, he was forced to make propaganda broadcasts and was treated like a virtual captive. Later, he was rescued by members of a child resistance group known as the Anklebiter Brigade, who had initially come to assassinate him. Amedda managed to persuade the child resistance fighters to help him escape so that he could end the Galactic Civil War. After emerging from hiding, Amedda contacted Chancellor Mothma to surrender.[24] Following the signing of the Imperial Instruments of Surrender and the Galactic Concordance on Chandrila, the Empire surrendered to the New Republic[24] and ceded Coruscant over to the fledgling galactic government[27] with Mas Amedda being permitted to form a provisional government on Coruscant, along with Republic observers to ensure that it remained powerless under a figurehead leader. Following the Imperial surrender, weeks of celebrations took place in the streets and rooftops of Coruscant as the population celebrated the end of Imperial rule ended on Coruscant.[24]
The New Republic
With the Galactic Civil War concluded, the New Republic sought to reshape galactic politics in an effort to both prevent the abuses of the Old Republic and bring in disaffected worlds that had seceded from the Republic prior to the Clone Wars. To accomplish this, the new Senate decided that all worlds would have an equal say in their government, and as such all worlds had an equal chance of hosting the New Republic's capital on a rotating basis, rather than simply remaining on Coruscant alone.[27] Soon after, Coruscant joined as a member of the Republic. Later on it joined the Centrist Faction in the Galactic Senate. Twenty years after its establishment, it was represented by Senator Arbo, a member of the Centrist faction and notorious war hawk, and junior senator Orris Madmund.[46]
Inhabitants
- "Buildings are just buildings. What really makes a city are the inhabitants that live in it."
- ―CC-2224
Although Coruscant was believed to be the homeworld of the human species,[22] the Coruscanti were as varied as the galaxy itself, especially as one journeyed below the surface of the skyscrapers and into the underworld.[47] Over a trillion beings resided on the planet,[1] and humans made up 68% percent of the population.[7] As the capital of the Republic and the Empire to follow, members of senators and delegates of every represented planet had a residence on Coruscant. From there they would spend their days either working in the Senate or hosting events such as parties and political meetings.[8][38] Additionally, the planet served as the home of large communities of various species, some who rarely returned to their original homeworld. Many of those communities of species that were not human resided in the lower levels of the city. With the formation of the Empire, even those humans whose home planet had fallen out of favor with the Imperial government, such as Alderaan, were forced into enclaves in the underworld.[43]
Coruscant's wealthy and influential attend an opera.
On the surface levels of Coruscant, skyscrapers served as homes and businesses for the wealthy, powerful, and politically connected. They were ferried by private speeder or an air taxi from one tower to the next or to the various theaters, clubs, operas, and other entertainment areas of Coruscant.[14] Some journeyed to the surface street levels or Coruscant's surface parks to conduct clandestine meetings[15] or to mingle in the crowds of people that streamed through the walkways of the residential and commercial areas. Among the rich and powerful of the planet were the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and members of the Galactic Senate.[14] The influential and wealthy of Coruscant thrived in lavish lifestyles, attending meetings and social gatherings in highrise apartments,[8][38] dining in fine restaurants overlooking the city,[48] partying in the entertainment districts,[14] and viewing large scale shows in theaters and operas.[36] Even as the Republic decayed, the Clone Wars raged on, and the average citizen became disenfranchised,[30] Coruscant's wealthy continued their lifestyle seemingly oblivious of the rest of the galaxy.[36]
On the streets of the city in the shadows of skyscrapers teemed the planet's blue collar working population.[49] Many lived in the various housing blocks of the surface structures in relative comfort though not nearly as extravagant as the planet's wealthy and powerful. Many worked on the upper and lower surface levels or enjoyed the entertainment and restaurants that were more catered to their financial abilities.[14][38][50] Below the housing blocks and surface levels was the population inhabiting the Coruscant underworld. A term used to describe both the thousands of levels underneath the surface, and, Coruscant's criminal population, the underworld was home to millions of the planet's population who were too poor to move upward or were hiding from the attentions of the authorities. The citizens who lived here rarely if ever during their lifetime saw the surface of the planet. Living between vast buildings and infrastructure that supported the surface, they carried on their lives at the mercy of the violence, decay, and constant threat of death.[47][43][51]
Government
- See also: Coruscant provisional government
- "Enter the bureaucrats―the true rulers of the Republic."
- ―Palpatine
Coruscant was the seat of the Senate and the galactic government
Coruscant, as the center of the galaxy, thrived on the rule of government. It served as the capital of the Republic which kept the peace and prevented a major war in the galaxy for over a thousand years. Under the Republic, the Chancellor and the Senate had a direct influence on the planet's governance. Major events that affected the Republic equally affected Coruscant.[19][52][38][33][30] In its last years, the Republic's Senate became corrupt, bloated, and ultimately ineffectual, though some continued to fight in the belief of its ability to govern.[8][14] With the formation of the Empire, the Senate transitioned into a limited role, providing council and legislation but ultimately at the power of the Emperor.[36] As Coruscant's government services were strained, the Imperial Senate moved to have each senator open citizen assistance offices that would supplement the work of the local government. While the goal was to primarily assist the members of each senator's homeworld living on Coruscant, the assistance offices were open to help all Coruscanti.[53] At the height of his power, Palpatine disbanded the Senate altogether and gave what little power they had left to the regional governors.[54] At the end of the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic installed a provisional government over Coruscant led by the former Imperial Grand Vizier Mas Amedda.[24] However, the New Republic did not establish its government on Coruscant, choosing instead to rotate the capital among the various member worlds.[27] Under the New Republic, Coruscant was represented by a senator and junior senator.[46]
Coruscant was policed by the Coruscant Security Force, which utilized police droids on the upper levels together with sentient officers and detectives,[55] and the burly underworld police who patrolled in the cutthroat environment of the lower levels.[47] The Coruscant Ministry of Ingress handled the flow of immigration to and from the planet,[4] and the Galactic Republic Customs of Coruscant office monitored cargo transports.[51] The Senate had its own protectors, the Senate Guard. Serving under a long tradition, the Senate Guard was a reminder that though the Republic did not have a standing army, it was not defenseless.[56] As the Clone Wars erupted, the clone troopers of the Coruscant Guard worked as peacekeepers and military police, providing a constant reminder of the expanded power of the government, specifically Palpatine.[57] With the formation of the Empire, the Coruscant Guard and Imperial stormtroopers took over the functions of the Senate Guard,[56] with stormtroopers directly responsible for security on the planet, alongside the civilian Coruscant police.[43]
Locations
CoCo Town
- "I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom."
- ―Dexter Jettster to Obi-Wan Kenobi inside Dex's Diner
The surface streets of CoCo Town
CoCo Town was a dilapidated industrial area of Coruscant. Home to mostly hard-working laborers, CoCo Town was located on a surface area of the city.[11] The area, however, was as run down as other heavy industrial surface districts and contained relatively well-maintained streets, speeder lanes, and a shuttle bus route.[14] On one of the main streets built on top of the urban blocks was an eatery called Dex's Diner. Owned and operated by Dexter Jettster, a Besalisk with a colorful background, it served mostly hard workers from the area. The diner offered home-style cooked meals and freshly brewed ardees. Jettster worked as the cook and employed two waitresses, Hermione Bagwa and her droid partner, WA-7.[11] Shortly before the Clone Wars, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi came to Dex's Diner to see if his old friend Jettster could identify a poisoned dart. Jettster identified it as originating from the planet Kamino, which he knew of from his days as a prospector.[14]
During the civil war that erupted after the Emperor's death, CoCo Town became an epicenter of the fight between rebel and Imperial forces. The fighting saw the formation of the so-called Anklebiter Brigade, a group of youths familiar with the underground maintenance systems, who would use them to sneak behind Imperial lines and disrupt their abilities to fight.[45]
Grand Republic Medical Facility
The Grand Republic Medical Facility
The Grand Republic Medical Facility was a tower built to serve as a treatment center for badly injured Republic soldiers. The building was heavily guarded and had defensive shields, an independent power supply and was armored to where it could withstand a siege. The facility provided treatment to patients from all over the galaxy and boasted cutting-edge techniques in surgery and biomechanical reconstruction. The heavy fortifications and benign front appealed to Palpatine, and towards the end of the Clone Wars, he began using the lower levels of the facility to store Sith artifacts and as a meditation area, access to which was prevented by the Red Guards.[4] After Order 66 was prematurely activated in a few individual clone troopers,[58] the investigation brought Jedi Master Shaak Ti and Doctor Nala Se to the facility along with ARC Trooper Fives. Palpatine confronted Fives in the facility, revealing his true nature. Fives fought back against the Red Guards and escaped the facility, though he was eventually located and killed by the Coruscant Guard.[59] After this threat to Palpatine's plans, the Medical Facility was temporarily closed, and Palpatine used the opportunity to move several larger secret Sith artifacts into the tower from a building in the Works. However, the medical capabilities remained operational and were used to build the life-sustaining suit for Darth Vader after his fateful duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Sith artifacts inside the building fueled Vader's recovery and hate.[4]
Jedi Temple/Imperial Palace
- "I can't believe a Jedi would attack a place this sacred."
- ―Ahsoka Tano
The Jedi Temple, later, the Imperial Palace
As the galactic capital, Coruscant was also home to the Jedi Order, guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. An order of Force-sensitives, the Jedi Knights served the Republic for thousands of years as keepers of the peace. Their home was the Jedi Temple. Built on a plain of low lying urban blocks, the Jedi Temple was easily recognizable on the Coruscant cityscape with its distinctive five spires. Part school and part monastery, the Temple was the hub of all Jedi activity throughout the galaxy.[12] In one of the spires sat the Jedi Council, led by the Grand Master of the Order, which directed the actions of the Jedi and served as advisers to the Senate and Chancellor.[60] The Temple held a large lobby and chambers with statues of famous Jedi[14] and also contained numerous facilities including hanger bays for starships and speeders utilized by the Jedi,[36] sleeping and living quarters, rooms for meetings and instruction,[14] a medical facility,[61] prison cells,[30] and communications and security stations.[36] The Temple also held the famous Jedi Archives, which stored the largest collection of information on the galaxy[14] as well as a vault containing the valuable holocrons containing the Order's Force knowledge and secrets.[32]
During the Clone Wars, the Jedi, serving as generals and commanders of the Grand Army, coordinated their efforts from the Temple. However, as the war began to conclude, the Jedi became more separated from the hierarchy of the military command and establishment.[30][47] When Palpatine was revealed as the Sith Lord the Jedi had been searching for, he ordered the execution of Order 66 and sent his new apprentice Darth Vader to the Jedi Temple. Entering with the 501st Legion, Vader and the clone troopers seized the Temple, killing all the Jedi and younglings inside and setting the monastery ablaze. Later, Masters Yoda and Kenobi infiltrated the Temple to discover what had occurred. It was there they reconfigured a distress signal transmitting from the Temple to any surviving Jedi asking them to return (into a Sith trap), and learned the truth of Skywalker's fall and Palpatine's identity as the Dark Lord of the Sith.[36] After the war, Palpatine turned the Temple into the Imperial Palace, using it as his new home. The Temple's spires remained intact though the rest of the Temple was heavily remodeled and expanded. The hallways were stripped of all statues and Republic-era ornaments. Where they had once been quiet and solemn, they became filled with busy government workers and functionaries. A large landing courtyard allowed for shuttles and starships to land. The entire Palace complex was watched over by the red-robed Imperial Royal Guard. The center spire was converted into the Emperor's throne room with a ten-meter tall podium in the center accessible by the Emperor from his residence via a private turbolift.[13] The structure remained standing on Coruscant throughout the Emperor's reign.[44]
Republic Center for Military Operations
- "Can't say I blame you, Commander Tano, but all the same, you're under arrest."
"I—n-no. I did not do this." - ―Commander Fox and Ahsoka Tano, after Letta Turmond was killed while Tano was in her cell
The Republic's military base
Towards the end of the Clone Wars, the Republic constructed a large military base in close proximity to the staging areas. Outside of the complex was an airfield with Venator-class Star Destroyers, HAVw A6 Juggernauts, and other ships. A memorial was also located just outside of the main entrance to the base. The base was protected by shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard. Inside was a military prison. The cells had two options for entering. The first was sliding a keycard. The second was pressing a button on the outside of each cell. The cells had ray-shielded doors to make sure prisoners did not escape. Inside each cell was a bed and bowls for water and food. Another area in the prison was a medium circular room with a fairly large computer for scanning people before they entered the base, a crate for weapons and communication devices, and a red button to start the red-alert sequence. In the latter half of the war, the prison held Whorm Loathsom, Poggle the Lesser, and Wat Tambor. It was also here that Ahsoka Tano escaped when she was suspected of killing Letta Turmond.[34] Additionally, inside the compound was a military tribunal courtroom, in which the court decided the fate of dangerous criminals. It was a tall room, with platforms extending into its center for the accused, prosecution, and defense. There was seating along its walls for the presiding official, jury, and other trial participants and onlookers.[35]
Senate Building
- See also: Senate Office Building
- "I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee!"
- ―Queen Amidala, to the Galactic Senate
The Senate Building
The Senate Building was located within the heart of the dense Federal District. Delegates would meet here during sessions of congress to discuss legislation and galactic policy. The structure's recognizable dome was two kilometers in diameter, and the rotunda's chamber could seat over a thousand senators.[4] Each senatorial delegation had their own hover platform, which they could detach from the walls of the chamber. They could then float it throughout the cavernous hall to be recognized by the Senate chair or to debate the issue at hand. In the center of the Senate chamber was the Chancellor's podium. Seated in it would be the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate's Vice Chair, who would lead sessions of congress.[8] The podium could be lowered to an office used by the Chancellor below the chamber.
Directly adjacent to the Senate Building was the Senate Office Building. The executive building had docking bays that wrapped around the building, allowing Senators to land their private shuttles and walk inside. The building contained mostly offices and meeting rooms for members of the Senate but also held the offices used on a day-to-day basis by the Supreme Chancellor. During Palpatine's term, the Chancellor's office was decorated with red floors and walls as well as several statues. A lobby led to the Chancellor's public office, which contained a grand desk and large window that overlooked the cityscape. To the side, another hallway led to Palpatine's inner private office.[36]
The underworld
- "What about Coruscant? Is there unrest here?"
"You must be joking. Go down two thousand levels and you'll find all the unrest you could ever want. Go down four thousand and you might as well be in Wild Space." - ―Captain Thrawn and Colonel Wullf Yularen
The Coruscant underworld
Beneath the top-level structures, streets and glistening lights of the city surface was Coruscant's underworld. It was accessible by huge portals that additionally served as ventilation shafts. The underworld was a massive city beneath a city with hundreds of levels built on top of each other. On each level, dwellings and smaller buildings were squeezed in between massive towers and infrastructure that serviced the upper levels. The streets and alleyways were narrow and large sections contained massive buildings and warehouses, largely abandoned. Sunlight almost never reached the lower levels, which had to be artificially lit. The population was able to move from one area to another via trains that ran below and above the planet's surface. While airspeeders were used, they were a less common sight than on the surface levels. The underworld, containing a vast population of the poor and criminal, was dark and violent. Those who wanted to disappear to hide from the authorities or to conduct illegal transactions could blend in despite the presence of cam droids and other monitoring technology.[47] Patrolled by the underworld police division of the Coruscant Security Force, the underworld was where large populations of species not loyal to the Emperor were relocated to after the formation of the Empire. Uprisings and riots became common, with stormtroopers frequently called in to assist the Coruscant cops in putting down any dissent with ruthless violence.[43]
Uscru District
- See also: Uscru Entertainment District
The Galaxies Opera House overseeing the lower levels of the Uscru District
Coruscant's entertainment districts catered to everyone from the wealthy and powerful to the secretive and criminal. The upper sections of the Uscru District reached to upper levels of the city where the Galaxies Opera House was located. It was here that Chancellor Palpatine often would come to enjoy various performances. He also met Anakin Skywalker and told him the story of Darth Plagueis to subvert Skywalker's faith in the Jedi.[62] Further down in the lower levels of the Uscru Entertainment District was a variety of establishments, most notably the Outlander Club. The club was situated in a less developed area of the district and did not garner as much attention from the police, a fact that worked in the club's favor. Its labyrinth of bars, gambling rooms and sleeping quarters allowed for a wide variety of visitors and entertainment. In the center was a large bar, usually crowded, that catered to all parts of Coruscant's society.[4] Jedi Knights Kenobi and Skywalker pursued bounty hunter Zam Wesell into the Uscru District after her attempted assassination of Senator Amidala. The pursuit ended in the Outlander Club, where the Jedi located the assassin. However, Wesell was killed by bounty hunter Jango Fett in an alley outside the club before the Jedi could finish questioning her.[14]
The Works
- "Where am I? I don't understand. Tell me you must!"
"The industrial sector on Coruscant."
"What is happening here?"
"A rogue shuttle slipped through the security grid. We suspect Dooku was aboard." - ―Yoda and Anakin Skywalker, in a vision to the former
The Works
A large sector and industrial area, The Works was once a great manufacturing district, recognized as a major source of production for spacecraft parts, construction droids, and building materials. However, centuries prior to the Clone Wars, increasingly high cost on Coruscant prompted most manufacturers to shift their operations to off-planet facilities. Afterwards, the Works mainly consisted of long-abandoned buildings and empty warehouses, many of which were appropriated by criminals, with large areas rendered uninhabitable by toxic waste. Due to this, a derelict hanger in the neglected industrial zone was the site of clandestine meetings between Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus during the Clone Wars.[1]
Behind the scenes
In early drafts of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the Imperial capital planet was set to appear under the name Had Abbadon. During the development of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, George Lucas officially adopted the name Coruscant for the planet, a name that was created by Timothy Zahn for his June 1991 Legends novel Heir to the Empire. The planet first appeared in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi, which showed scenes on Coruscant of a jubilant population celebrating the demise of the Emperor, with its name first mentioned in The Phantom Menace. The prequel trilogy and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and television series showed Coruscant as a major center of activity and action. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story the planet is briefly revisited via the dreams of Jyn Erso, featuring her childhood on Coruscant with her father Galen Erso and Orson Krennic.
While the word "coruscant" (meaning "glittering" or "sparkling") is usually pronounced in English as /kəˈɹʌskənt/ (with a hard "c" and with the stress on the second syllable), in the Star Wars canon, the pronunciation is /'kɔɹəsɑnt/, with the second "c" being silent, and with stress on the first syllable.
Appearances
Non-canon appearances
- Disney Infinity 3.0
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Exit from Endor" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Crisis on Coruscant"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A Hero Discovered"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Crossing Paths"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Kyber Saber"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Trouble on Tibalt"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Tower of Aliston Nor"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Embersteel Blade"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Storms of Taul"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Lost Crystals of Qalydon" (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Pit and the Pinnacle"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Flight of the Arrowhead"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A Perilous Rescue"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Escape from Coruscant"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Free Fall"
