- "This is Gold Leader, we're starting our attack run on the shield gate."
- ―Jon Vander
The Shield Gate was a wheel-shaped space station put in orbit around the tropical Outer Rim planet of Scarif by the Galactic Empire. It served as an opening through which Imperial starships could bypass the planet's otherwise impenetrable deflector shield. During the Battle of Scarif, the Rebel Alliance launched a successful assault on the station, allowing them to bypass the shield and attack Scarif's Imperial security complex.
Description[edit | edit source]

The Shield Gate over Scarif
The Shield Gate was an Imperial space station placed in orbit around the planet Scarif, an Imperial world housing the Empire's security complex, a research and development site for the Death Star project. The station consisted of a gray, wheel-shaped structure with six adjacently-facing hangar bays that housed many TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. The purpose of the Shield Gate was to allow passage through Scarif's encompassing deflector shield. As Imperial starships and cargo approached, a gate officer would give clearance and create an opening in the center of the station, allowing the vessels access to the planet's surface.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, as part of their mission to steal the plans to the Empire's planet-destroying superweapon, the Death Star, the Alliance to Restore the Republic launched an assault on Scarif. After Rogue One, led by Jyn Erso, went through the gate to steal the plans from the Citadel Tower, the Alliance sent several T-65B X-wing starfighters to enter the Shield Gate and attack the planet's military installations. Even though the Empire attempted to close the Shield Gate to protect the complex, some of the fighters were able to fly through and attack the base, before the Rebels destroyed the gate and disrupted the planetary shield by hurling two Imperial Star Destroyers into the space station with the Lightmaker.[2] This victory eventually led to the successful theft of the plans and the destruction of the Death Star.[6]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

Early concept art for the Shield Gate, envisioned as a planetary ring
The Shield Gate was created and developed for the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The first footage of the Shield Gate was shown in the second Rogue One trailer on October 13, 2016.
Earlier in Rogue One's production, the Shield Gate was envisioned as a planetary ring that acted as a construction site for Star Destroyers as well as a refueling and resurfacing station for the Empire.[7]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Star Wars Battlefront II (Indirect mention only) (DLC)
- Darth Vader Annual 2
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization
- Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel
- Star Wars: Rogue One Graphic Novel Adaptation
- Rogue One Adaptation 5
- Rogue One Adaptation 6
- Star Wars Battlefront (First appearance) (DLC)
- "Grounded"—From a Certain Point of View (Mentioned only)
- Battlefront II: Inferno Squad (Indirect mention only)
Sources[edit | edit source]
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer 2 on StarWars.com (backup link) (First pictured)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Together" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Hope" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Featurette on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Dream" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Trust" on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Worth It" TV Spot (:30) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "10 Days" on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Chance" TV Spot (:30) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Official Chinese Trailer on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Breznican, Anthony (November 21, 2016). 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' - 15 new photos!. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved on November 21, 2016. (First identified as Shield Gate)
- Star Wars Battlefront (December 1, 2016). Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved on December 1, 2016.
- Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
Designing an Empire: Doug Chiang on Imperial Architecture in Rogue One on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: On the Front Lines
- Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles (Indirect mention only)
Star Wars Helmet Collection 71 (Weapons & Uniforms: Blue Squadron; Highlights of the Saga: The Battle of Scarif)
- TIE Fighter Owners' Workshop Manual
Star Wars: Destiny – Spark of Hope (Card: Shields Are Down)
Star Wars Helmet Collection 79 (Highlights of the Saga: The Battle of Scarif)
- The Star Wars Book
Hammerhead Corvette in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- ↑ 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 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly's Ultimate Guide to Rogue One
- ↑
Where in the Galaxy Are the Worlds of Rogue One? on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑
Designing an Empire: Doug Chiang on Imperial Architecture in Rogue One on StarWars.com (backup link)