- "This place reminds me of you, Ulic. Isolated… frozen… crumbling."
- ―Nomi Sunrider regarding Ulic Qel-Droma
Rhen Var was a planet situated near the Tion Cluster in the Outer Rim Territories and one of the former Thanium Worlds. It was the first planet in the Tobali system. Throughout the history of the Galactic Republic, Rhen Var was covered in ice, rendering it almost uninhabitable. Remains of an ancient civilization and old Jedi artifacts were found beneath the ice on the planet, remnants of a former population.
Description[]
Rhen Var was once a fertile paradise filled with vegetation and wildlife. Thousands of years before the Clone Wars, an atmospheric cataclysm turned it into an icy hibernal surface. Since then, it had been a frigid world of frozen tundra and snow swept mountains.[3]
The planet, located in the Outer Rim's Thanium system, orbited the star Tor, had a day of 18 standard hours and the year was 563 standard days. The planet was at galactic coordinates R-6.[2]
History[]
During the time of the Rakatan Infinite Empire, the Rakata acquired Rhen Var.[2]
In those millennia a civilization flourished, building castles, fortresses and temples; eventually it went extinct due to the advance of a planetary ice age that, by the Post-Manderon period, took over, and snow engulfed the ruins of their creations.[9]
A decade after the Great Sith War in 3986 BBY, former Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma sought refuge on Rhen Var, and there trained Vima Sunrider. He ultimately found peace in the snowy wastes, and was redeemed and then was later murdered by Hoggon. During his stay he found a cave where the rare Solari crystal grew, of which was located near where he taught Sunrider.[9]
Later, Jedi Knight Satele Shan and a large Republic army battled Darth Mekhis and a force of Sith during the last months of the Great Galactic War.[6]
Prior to the Clone Wars, the Republic set up a small supply base and listening post on Rhen Var. At the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, the Confederacy of Independent Systems seized Rhen Var with an army so large that the Republic base had to evacuate the planet. Obi-Wan Kenobi informed the Jedi High Council about the seizure of the planet. The Separatists' motives in taking the world were unclear until Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker discovered Count Dooku uncovering the Force Harvester on Raxus Prime. The answers to its power would be located in the tomb of Ulic Qel-Droma on Rhen Var. After the liberation of Alaris Prime,[4] the Republic retook Rhen Var in the Battle of Rhen Var.[5] During the battle, Anakin learned from Qel-Droma's Force ghost how to defeat the Force Harvester which would power the Dark Reaper located on the ancient Sith world of Thule.[4]
Later, around the time of the Battle of Yavin, Rebel Alliance troops attacked and secured an Imperial listening post. The Galactic Empire soon struck back and eliminated the Rebels.[5]
The Yuuzhan Vong captured the world during their invasion of the Outer Rim.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
When Ralph McQuarrie created conceptual art for the Ice Planet which became Hoth, he included illustrations of ruins emerging from the snow. While this did not become a part of the film, the concepts of the ruins of a lost civilization choked in snow and ice may have influenced the development of Rhen Var. Images reflecting this were reprinted in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe.
Appearances[]
- Tales of the Jedi – Redemption 1 (First appearance)
- Tales of the Jedi – Redemption 2
- Tales of the Jedi – Redemption 3
- Tales of the Jedi – Redemption 4
- Tales of the Jedi – Redemption 5
- The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 1 (In flashback(s))
- The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 2 (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (Codex entry)
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- Star Wars: Battlefront II (Xbox Live patch)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 The Essential Atlas
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Star Wars Battlefront: Prima Official Game Guide
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Star Wars: Battlefront
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 1
- ↑ Enter the Unknown
- ↑ Tales of the Jedi – Redemption 5
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – Redemption