Bendu was a collection of non-confrontational beliefs practiced by the Bendu monks. The symbol of Bendu was a circle connected by eight even spokes, which represented the unification of the galaxy by the Force. Due to their study of numerology, the number eight created by this symbol had great meaning.^[1]

HistoryEdit

Even though the symbol of the Bendu was eventually used by the Galactic Republic, they at first used their own symbol. Curiously, the later reformed Sith Empire used a six-spoked symbol similar to the one used by the Republic after the Second Sith Civil War. By then, the Republic had adopted the symbol to represent their own role in galactic unification. A six-spoked form of the symbol was also used by the Republic during the Clone Wars immediately before the rise of the Empire.^[2] The symbol was later the basis for the emblem of the Galactic Empire. Then at the end of the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic restored the Old Republic's system government, though with editing of forms to reduce the probability of abuses. The Bendu was reinstated but, due to its similarity to the much-hated Imperial Crest, it was not widely adopted as an official symbol and the Alliance Starbird all but supplanted it.

Symbol used by the Sith Empire during the Cold War

Reduced form of the Bendu symbol used on Anakin Skywalker's ship during the Clone Wars

Bendu symbol used by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars

Palpatine's Bendu inspired Imperial crest

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Behind the scenesEdit

The name "Bendu" may come from George Lucas's original name for the Jedi Knights: the Jedi Bendu. There are several instances wherein the symbol is used. In Revenge of the Sith during the Battle of Coruscant (Clone Wars), Anakin's fighter bears the Clone Wars version of the six-spoke symbol and not the eight-spoke symbol. This can be seen when R2 fights the buzz droid.

In Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War Republic Navy starships are emblazoned with a blue nine-spoke symbol. Coincidentally, the flag of the Khoonda on Dantooine (3,956 BBY to 3,951 BBY) which appeared 39 years later in Knights of the Old Republic II, had a nine-spoked blue symbol. In the Play Station 2 version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, on the Nar Shaddaa level, screens with the eight-spoke Galactic Republic Bendu appear and can be destroyed.

AppearancesEdit

• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Jedi Crash"
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (First appearance)
• The Star Wars Holiday Special
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
• Star Wars: Battlefront
• Star Wars: Battlefront II
• Millennium Falcon

I find your lack of sources disturbing. This article needs to be provided with more sources and/or appearances to conform to a higher standard of article quality.

SourcesEdit

• Attack of the Clones: Incredible Cross-Sections
• Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections
• Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
• Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary
• Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
• Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War

Notes and referencesEdit