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- "I've only heard that name once, from Kanan. He said Mustafar is where Jedi go to die."
- ―Hera Syndulla
Mustafar was a small volcanic planet located in the Mustafar system, situated between two gas giants in the Outer Rim Territories that was aligned with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars and later took over by the Galactic Empire after the Techno Union was nationalized at the conclusion of the conflict.
Description
- "We should leave this dreadful place."
- ―C-3PO to Obi-Wan Kenobi
Mustafar was a scorching lava world located in the Outer Rim Territories, and had an array of valuable minerals which were mined by the Techno Union, and was the headquarters of the infamous Black Sun during the Clone Wars.[5] The planet's native Mustafarian species lived in underground caves created by lava fleas as they ate through the planet's crust, and made their armor from the heat-resistant shells of the creatures. Only venturing up to the surface in order to collect valuable minerals from the lava flows, the short and strong southern Mustafarian subspecies carried out the heavy labor involved, while the tall and slender northern Mustafarian subspecies acted as guards and expert lava flea riders.[9] Due to the planet-wide lava surface, all buildings were held up by gravity supports.[3] Its capital city was Fralideja.[9]
History
Clone Wars
- "Go to the Mustafar system. Wipe out Viceroy Gunray and the other Separatist leaders. Once more the Sith will rule the galaxy!"
- ―Darth Sidious to his new apprentice, Darth Vader.
During the Clone Wars, the planet bore witness in a plot to kidnap force-sensitive children during the Clone Wars by bounty hunter Cad Bane, who deposited the children at a facility there for a Sith plan to create an army of Force spies. However, the children were rescued by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, and the facility was destroyed, along with any evidence of who was behind the plot.[6]
The planet also housed the headquarters for the Black Sun. Darth Maul, his brother Savage Opress, and Pre Vizsla, the leader of the terrorist organization Death Watch, traveled to the Black Sun fortress during the Clone Wars with the intention of recruiting them into their criminal empire, the Shadow Collective. Ziton Moj greeted them upon their arrival, and led them to the Black Sun's leaders. After negotiations with the leaders went sour, Savage beheaded all of them with his lightsaber. Moj became the new leader of the Black Sun, and joined with Death Watch, providing them with weapons, troops, and supplies.[5]
At the war's end, Darth Sidious ordered that the Separatist leaders be sent to Mustafar for their protection, before sending Darth Vader there to kill the leadership. Shortly thereafter, Mustafar became the location of a duel between Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi.[3]
Age of the Empire
After the end of the Clone Wars, the Galactic Empire took control of Mustafar[11] and maintained secret facilities on the planet where Jedi survivors of Order 66 were interrogated and executed.[12] Rumor had it Darth Vader carried out these interrogations, torturing the Jedi for any useful information before their execution.[13]
Four years before the Battle of Yavin, an Imperial fleet was stationed above Mustafar commanded by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin aboard his Imperial I-class Star Destroyer the Sovereign. During the mission to rescue Kanan Jarrus, the Sovereign was destroyed during Kanan Jarrus' and the Grand Inquisitor's duel after his lightsaber was cut in two by Jarrus and fell into the ship's power core, sending it falling towards the lava fields below.[14]
Behind the scenes
To create the planet's lava effects for Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, a real volcanic eruption was filmed in Sicily's Mount Etna.[9]
Mustafar's similarity to the Arabic name 'Mustafa' roughly translates to, 'the Chosen One."
Appearances
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Children of the Force"
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Ghosts of Mortis" (Vision to Anakin Skywalker)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Eminence"
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Shades of Reason" (In flashback(s))
- Dark Disciple
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (First appearance)
- Lords of the Sith (Mentioned only)
- A New Dawn (Mentioned only)
- Lost Stars (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Rebels — "Rebel Resolve" (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Rebels — "Fire Across the Galaxy"
- Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Rebels — "The Future of the Force" (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader (Mentioned in opening crawl only)
- Star Wars: Darth Vader 6: Vader, Part VI (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars 11: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon, Part IV (Mentioned only)
- Aftermath (Mentioned only)
Sources
- Black Sun in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Mustafar in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Sith in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars in 100 Scenes
- Journey Through Space (2015 reissue)
- Ultimate Star Wars
- Chaos Throttles the Capital in Star Wars: Aftermath – Special Excerpt! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- Black Sun in the Databank (backup link)
- Mustafar in the Databank (backup link)
- Padmé Amidala biography gallery in the Databank (backup link); images #26-28 (of 29)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mustafar in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Journey Through Space
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Eminence"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Children of the Force"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Star Wars 11: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon, Part IV
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Dark Disciple
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- ↑ Star Wars 11: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon, Part IV
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Star Wars Rebels — "Rebel Resolve"
- ↑ Mustafar in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Aftermath
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "Fire Across the Galaxy"