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"Strong this planet is with the Force."
"It is one of the purest places in the galaxy."
―Yoda and the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn[18]

Dagobah was a remote, unexplored planet in the Dagobah system, and one of the purest places in the galaxy within the Force. A remote world of swamps and forests, it served as a refuge for Jedi Grand Master Yoda during his exile after the destruction of the Jedi Order. Luke Skywalker received advanced training in the ways of the Force under Jedi Master Yoda on Dagobah, and it was later the place of Yoda's death and transformation into the Force.

Description[]

"Yes, I'm sure it's perfectly safe for droids."
―Luke Skywalker, to R2-D2[4]
Dragonsnake Bog

The swamp-covered surface of Dagobah

Dagobah was a planet located in the Sluis sector of the Outer Rim Territories.[1] It was a hot and humid world that was a hotbed of life,[10] with the Tash species[14] and numerous creatures—such as bogwings, dragonsnakes, butcherbugs, sleens, vine snakes, and swamp slugs[9]—living on world. Jedi Master Yoda would also make a home for himself on Dagobah during his exile.[4] Dagobah was a mysterious, mist-shrouded, swampy planet, mostly covered in swamps and bogs, interspersed with countless shallow lakes and lagoons and multiple living caves.[9] The continental and oceanic crusts of Dagobah were only vaguely defined, and there was little in the way of volcanic activity or earthquakes. Examples of flora included the lahdia plant, the yoghurt plant, gnarltree, and yarum seed. The planet was devoid of any cities.[9]

Among the purest locations in the entire galaxy within the energy field known as the Force,[18] it shared a mysterious time-related quality with such locales as Mortis and Ahch-To.[21] The Cave of Evil was a vergence aligned with the dark side of the Force on Dagobah.[22] The Cave was able to expand its influence across Dagobah until Yoda's arrival, which created a powerful presence in the light side of the Force that kept the Cave in check. As such, during the Imperial Era, Dagobah's ecosystem saw balance until Yoda's passing, which the Cave took advantage of to spread its darkness across Dagobah once more.[23]

Dagobah had two seasons, a dry season and a wet season. During the peak of the long dry season (over half an orbit after the rains end) the uplands become too hot for most lifeforms to survive, necessitating any that live there to migrate to the lower lands. Beneath the rapidly leafing canopies of the gnarltrees that emerge from the receding green and thick waters, the once-inundated lowlands revert back to a marshy swamp once again. As the air grows more humid, the gray overcast clouds return and before another quarter orbit passes the planet is far enough away from its sun that the dry season ends and the rains return, again flooding the lowlands and covering the trees in water, making the uplands habitable once more.[11]

History[]

Republic Era[]

"But again, research. And in an academic paper written during the High Republic, I found a description of a world very strong in the Force."
―The Archivist[24]

During the High Republic Era, an academic paper was written that described Dagobah as a world strong in the Force.[24]

Dagobah-Voices

Yoda traveled to Dagobah in 19 BBY at the behest of Qui-Gon Jinn.

During the Republic Era, Halka Four-Den Alpha Team was dispatched to the planet Dagobah in order to chart and map the extending borders of the Galactic Republic and learn more about it flora and fauna. After three months, Four-Den and her Alpha Team were overwhelmed by diseases, dangerous wildlife, and fast-growing plants. No trace of the team was discovered.[5]

Near the end of the Clone Wars, Jedi Grand Master Yoda traveled to the planet Dagobah after hearing the voice of deceased Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He ventured into the swamp, where he communed with Jinn, who appeared manifested as a group of fireflies. He told Yoda of how to communicate with the living after death through the connection between the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. Then, Yoda entered a cave, where he saw a vision of the Jedi fighting the clones and then the mysterious Sith Lord.[18]

Imperial Era[]

Yoda's exile[]

"Into exile I must go. Failed, I have."
―Yoda, to Bail Organa[25]
YodaFingerSpark-UP

Yoda lived the planet Dagobah for the rest of his life.

After his failure to defeat the Sith Lord Darth Sidious following the formation of the Galactic Empire, Yoda exiled himself[25] to Dagobah.[4] Using an E3-standard starship lifeboat, began his exile where he continued his studies of the Force. The lifeboat served as Yoda's initial shelter but it started to degrade within a year due to Dagobah's swampy environment. As the first shelter was slowly consumed by the swamp, Yoda built a new home for himself.[26] He positioned it near to the dark side cave but out of range of its influence and would visit every few years.[27] However, the Dagobah wet season created a need for the Jedi Master to regularly relocate to the planet's highlands for the duration.[28]

At some point, former Sava Madelin Sun arrived on Dagobah in search of Yoda. After saving her from a monster, Yoda used the Force to lead Sun into the dark cave. While inside, she saw visions which dissuaded her from looking for him. She then left the planet as Yoda watched from afar.[24]

Training ground of Luke Skywalker[]

"You will go to the Dagobah system. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Luke Skywalker[4]
Yodalukedagobah

Traveling to Dagobah, Skywalker sought out Grand Master Yoda in order to complete his Jedi training.

Years later, Luke Skywalker of the Alliance to Restore the Republic traveled to Dagobah under the direction of late Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in hopes of finding Yoda and being trained in the ways of the Jedi Order. Skywalker crashed into a bog upon landing and happened upon the Jedi, though he was unaware it was, in fact, Yoda at the time. The old master took Skywalker back to his hut for dinner, where he revealed his true identity to Skywalker. Initially reluctant to train Skywalker due to his age and lack of patience, Yoda was eventually convinced to teach him by the Force spirit of Kenobi.[4]

One night during Skywalker's training, an Imperial probe droid from Project Swarm arrived on planet. The droid's operator, Maela, initially believed there was no reason to look further into the planet during the unit's patrol until she spotted[29] Skywalker's X-wing in the swamp.[4] Although she realized the outline of what she saw resembled an X-wing, she had realized the cruelty of the Empire after witnessing the aftermath of the Battle of Hoth, so she deleted the footage before moving on to her next droid.[29]

During his training, Skywalker entered the Cave of Evil and confronted a vision of Darth Vader, who he struck down, only to see his own face in Vader's mask. Later, Skywalker ended his training early, however, once he sensed his friends Han Solo and Leia Organa were in danger. Although Yoda and Kenobi attempted to reason with Skywalker to stay, the student left the planet, promising to return and finish his training.[4]

He would keep his word, and after learning Vader was his father during their duel on Cloud City, saving Leia and Chewbacca from Vader on Cloud City, and rescuing Solo from Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, he would return to Dagobah to complete his Jedi training. Upon arriving, he found Yoda sick and dying, who told him that his training was complete, but all he had to do was confront Vader one last time, and the old master became one with the Force. The ghost of Kenobi then revealed to Skywalker the truth that Leia was, in fact, a Skywalker and Luke's sister before Luke left the planet to confront Vader and the Emperor in hopes of turning Vader back to the light side.[30] The Cave of Evil, meanwhile, took advantage of Yoda's death to once again spread its power across Dagobah.[23]

New Republic Era[]

"The cave is power. And darkness. And you will enter."
"What's in there?"
"Only what you've been too weak to bury."
―Snoke and Kylo Ren[31]
Kylo vs vision luke

Ren dueling the vision of Skywalker.

Sometime after the skirmish on the Minemoon, Kylo Ren, nephew of Luke Skywalker, along with his master and Supreme Leader of the First Order, Snoke, came to Dagobah in order to face Ren's darkest fears. In the Cave of Evil, he experienced a vision of his uncle Luke, whom he dueled and killed, and a vision of his parents Leia and Han. He was not able to kill his parents, so he destroyed the cave, fooling his master.[31] By 34 ABY,[32] herbs from Dagobah had made their way to Oga's Cantina on Batuu, where they became a popular ingredient in the so-called Dagobah Slug Slinger alcoholic beverage.[14]

Inhabitants[]

Dagobah was the homeworld of the Tash species, who grew herbs.[14] Jedi Grand Master Yoda made his way to Dagobah and adopted it[28] as his homeworld during the Imperial Era.[4] Another being of sorts on Dagobah was the so-called Cave of Evil, a living Force vergence[27] strong in the dark side,[4] but confined to its place on the planet.[27]

Behind the scenes[]

"A small escape pod hurls toward the swamp planet and disappears in the mist. The pod has landed, and YODA descends the ramp, surveying the unfamiliar terrain."
―Description of Dagobah's deleted scene from Episode III[33]

Dagobah first appeared in the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, the second installment of the Star Wars original trilogy.[4]

Slated to appear in one scene of the 2005 film, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, the planet was cut from the final film, leaving it for the DVD release. The scene featured how Yoda started his exile. George Lucas removed the scene so that the film would not have "too many endings," despite producer Rick McCallum's wishes.

In the 2016 reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations, an image of Dagobah was mistakenly used in the planet profile of Kashyyyk. The book also alleges that no civilization existed on Dagobah,[9] but Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge later recanonized the Tash species.[14]

The Kwazel Maw seen in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Bombad Jedi" was based off of an unused design by Ralph McQuarrie for a swamp slug creature on Dagobah.[34]

There is a long-running fan debate about how long Luke Skywalker trained on Dagobah.[35] This debate was jokingly referenced in "The Lost Boy," a story told by Vaneé, when Ben Solo asked if Skywalker trained for 20 minutes on Dagobah.[36]

Lucas' vision for Dagobah started out as a swampy and misty planet that would be similar to the setting of the Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, which was in Dartmoor, England.[37]

Appearances[]

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Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Non-canon sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Ultimate Star Wars
  2. Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi
  3. Star Wars: The Galactic Explorer's Guide
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Build the Millennium Falcon Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 20 (Guide to the Galaxy: Dagobah: The Cave of Evil)
  6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Nexus of Power
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 Star Wars: Complete Locations
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
  11. 11.0 11.1 "There is Another" — From a Certain Point of View
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 "The Light That Falls" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Star Wars: Journey Through Space
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 GalaxysEdgeLogo icon Star Wars: Galaxy's EdgeOga's Cantina has official backstory elements that, though not directly published for the public, are officially canon per the location's show guides and employees, and the details can be obtained verbally from cast members working the store.
  15. The Empire Strikes Back: A Collector's Classic Board Book
  16. 16.0 16.1 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Voices"
  19. Star Wars: Yoda's Jedi Training
  20. The Trial of DagobahAge of Rebellion Special 1
  21. Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary
  22. "Vergence" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  23. 23.0 23.1 "The Light That Falls" — From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Crimson Reign 3
  25. 25.0 25.1 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
  26. Ultimate Star Wars
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 "Vergence" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  28. 28.0 28.1 "There is Another" — From a Certain Point of View
  29. 29.0 29.1 "Eyes of the Empire" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
  30. Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  31. 31.0 31.1 Age of Resistance - Supreme Leader Snoke 1
  32. Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge to 34 ABY.
  33. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith Illustrated Screenplay
  34. StarWars "Bombad Jedi" Episode Guide | The Clone Wars on StarWars.com (backup link)
  35. StarWars 20 Eerie Easter Eggs from LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales on StarWars.com (backup link)
  36. LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales
  37. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: The 40th Anniversary Special Edition

External links[]

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