Yavin (also known as "Yavin Prime", to distinguish it from its moons) is a
fictional planet
Planets in science fiction are fictional planets that appear in various media of the science fiction genre as story-settings or depicted locations.
Planet lists
For planets from specific fictional milieux, use the following lists:
Literature ...
in the ''
Star Wars'' galaxy. It first appeared in the 1977 film ''
Star Wars'' and is depicted as a large red
gas giant
A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Gas giants are also called failed stars because they contain the same basic elements as a star. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants of the Solar System. The term "gas giant" ...
with an extensive
satellite system of
moons
A natural satellite is, in the most common usage, an astronomical body that orbits a planet, dwarf planet, or small Solar System body (or sometimes another natural satellite). Natural satellites are often colloquially referred to as ''moons'' ...
. The hidden
military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...
of the
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic (colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional stateless interstellar coalition of republican dissidents, imperial defectors, revolutionary factions and anti-imperi ...
is located on its fourth moon, Yavin 4.
The climactic space battle at the end of the film, in which the Rebel Alliance destroys the
Death Star
The Death Star is a fictional space station and superweapon featured in the '' Star Wars'' space-opera franchise. Constructed by the autocratic Galactic Empire, the Death Star is capable of annihilating entire planets into rubble, and serves t ...
, takes place in orbit around the planet Yavin. In ''Star Wars'' fandom and the
Expanded Universe, this event is especially significant as it is one method used to mark an
epoch
In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured.
The moment of epoch is usually decided by ...
in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Events in the ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity are typically dated in terms of years BBY ("Before the Battle of Yavin") or ABY ("After the Battle of Yavin").
Depiction
In early drafts of the ''Star Wars'' story, author
George Lucas began inventing names of characters and planets and assigning roles and characteristics. In ''The Star Wars'' (1973), Yavin is described as a jungle planet inhabited by eight-foot-tall
Wookiee
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
s. (This concept was eventually altered, although the setting of a Wookiee home planet re-emerged later as the planet
Kashyyyk
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the '' Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewba ...
, as seen in the 2005 film ''
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''.)
In Lucas's 1975 second draft, ''The Adventures of the Starkiller Episode I: The Star Wars'', the story's heroes land on Yavin in
escape pod
An escape pod, escape capsule, life capsule, or lifepod is a capsule or craft, usually only big enough for one person, used to escape from a vessel in an emergency. An escape ship is a larger, more complete craft also used for the same purpose ...
s and are attacked by insect creatures. They find the Rebel Massassi Outpost and meet characters such as Bail Antilles and General Dodonna, and the Rebel commander is the
Grand Moff Tarkin
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, introduced as the main antagonist of the original 1977 ''Star Wars'' film (played by Peter Cushing). In the film, Tarkin is depicted as a high-ranking officer ...
. It is here that
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The E ...
ends his quest by being reunited with his aged father. In later revisions of the story, Tarkin becomes an
Imperial officer and Luke's father is removed from the action—he later re-emerges in ''
The Empire Strikes Back
''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...
'' (1980) as the hidden identity of the main
antagonist,
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
. In the fourth draft (1976), Lucas added a scene in which Luke is also reunited on Yavin with his childhood friend,
Biggs Darklighter
Rogue Squadron is a fictional starfighter squadron in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Many surviving members of Red Squadron, the Rebel attack force that Luke Skywalker joins during the Battle of Yavin in ''Star Wars'' (1977). The squadron app ...
, a scene which was actually shot but subsequently
deleted from the final cut of the
original ''Star Wars'' film. The scene was re-inserted in the 1997 ''
Star Wars Trilogy''
Special Edition. The closing scene of a victorious award ceremony appears in early drafts, but it is originally set on a gaseous cloud planet called Ophuchi.
According to Lucasfilm's ''Star Wars'' Story Group executive
Leland Chee
''Star Wars'' has been expanded to media other than the original films. This spin-off material is licensed and moderated by Lucasfilm, though during his involvement with the franchise ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas reserved the right to bot ...
, "Yavin 4" ("Yavin Four" in dialogue) is the correct spelling, not "Yavin IV".
Film
The planet Yavin made its first appearance in the original 1977 ''Star Wars'' film. The planet is shown in space during the approach of the ''
Millennium Falcon
The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional starship in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed by Joe Johnston for the movie ''Star Wars'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''The Empire Strikes Back' ...
'' spaceship as a large red gas giant planet; orbiting this planet, Yavin 4, the fourth moon, appears on screen as a green/blue-colored
Earth-like world
An Earth analog, also called an Earth analogue, Earth twin, or second Earth, is a Exoplanet, planet or Exomoon, moon with environmental conditions similar to those found on Earth. The term Earth-like planet is also used, but this term may refer t ...
. Scenes showing the Rebel Base are all set on this Moon, which is covered in dense, mist-covered jungles. The Rebel Alliance has established its base hidden in a complex of ancient temple ruins, known as the
Massassi ruins. Tall observation towers stand above the treetops to monitor entries and exits from the base. Once discovered by the Galactic Empire, the Yavin Base is threatened by the Death Star, the Empire's giant
space station which has the capability of destroying entire planets. The Rebellion launches an attack on the Death Star with
X-wing
The X-wing starfighter is a name applied to a family of fictional spacecraft manufactured by the Incom Corporation from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Named for the distinctive shape made when its s-foils (wings) are in attack position, the X-win ...
and
Y-wing starfighters; with seconds remaining before the Yavin moon is to be destroyed, Luke Skywalker launches
proton torpedo
The following is a list of weapons shown in the ''Star Wars'' universe.
By type Directed-energy weapons
Directed-energy weapons (DEW) figure prominently in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, with the most common type referred to as lasers or blaste ...
es and successfully destroys the Death Star. The film concludes with a triumphant award ceremony on Yavin in which the heroes are decorated for their bravery.
This battle has become known as the ''Battle of Yavin'', and its date is used as a place-marker for events in the expanded ''Star Wars'' universe. Events before the Battle of Yavin are marked by BBY ("Before the Battle of Yavin"), and events that occur after are marked by ABY ("After the Battle of Yavin").
After the events of ''Episode IV: A New Hope'', the Rebellion abandons the moon to seek sanctuary elsewhere. However, Yavin base features once again in the 2016 standalone film, ''
Rogue One
''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by L ...
''. Set a short time before ''Episode IV'', ''Rogue One'' follows the story of a young outlaw called
Jyn Erso who becomes involved with the Rebels. Erso is brought to the base on Yavin 4 and several scenes in the base depict characters who originally appeared in earlier ''Star Wars'' films, including Senator
Mon Mothma,
Bail Organa
This incomplete list of characters from the '' Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt D ...
and
General Dodonna. Erso argues with the Rebel leadership on Yavin 4 about a planned attack on an Imperial base to steal the schematics of the Death Star. Defying their decision against the operation, Erso joins a task force to steal the Death Star plans, thus setting in motion the events that lead up to ''Episode IV''.
Filming locations
![Star Wars in Guatemala 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Star_Wars_in_Guatemala_3.jpg)
As with other fictional ''Star Wars'' settings, several real-world
filming locations have been used to create the Yavin Moon location. For the original 1977 film,
Guatemala was chosen for
second unit filming to create
establishing shot
An establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes, the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects. It is generally a long or extreme-long shot at the beginning of ...
s for the Yavin base, and in March 1977, a crew led by
Richard Edlund travelled to Guatemala. The exterior panoramic shots featuring the scenery of Yavin 4 were filmed overlooking the ancient
Mayan
Mayan most commonly refers to:
* Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Mayan languages, language family spoken ...
pyramid complex of
Tikal
Tikal () (''Tik’al'' in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-C ...
amid a dense
rainforest. The Rebel outlook post was built from
trash can
A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" a ...
s glued together and mounted on a pole; the special effects artist
Lorne Peterson
Lorne Peterson is a Canadian special effects artist most known for the ''Indiana Jones'' and ''Star Wars'' films.
He won for Best Visual Effects at the 57th Academy Awards for his work on the film ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom''. He sh ...
was persuaded to climb into the precarious structure to pose in Rebel uniform for the shot.
The Rebel hangar scenes were shot inside a pair of disused WWII
airship
An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.
In early ...
sheds at
RAF Cardington
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in England. Shed 1 served as the Rebel hangar in ''Episode IV''. The exterior of the hangar entrance was shot at Cardington through a
matte painting
A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. Historically, matte painters and film technicians ...
of a temple structure.
When film crews returned to Cardington in 2015 to shoot ''Rogue One'', they used Shed 2.
Other media
Yavin 4 was frequently featured in the
''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe. Following the 2012 acquisition of
Lucasfilm by
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
, in April 2014, most of the licensed ''Star Wars'' novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film were rebranded as ''Star Wars Legends'' and declared
non-canon to the franchise.
Yavin 4 is featured in the 2015 comic book miniseries ''
Star Wars: Shattered Empire'' as the home of Shara Bey and Kes Dameron, the parents of
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', he is portrayed by Oscar Isaac. Poe is an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance who inadvertently brings renega ...
.
Oscar Isaac
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...
, who portrays Dameron in the
''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy, specifically requested that Yavin 4 be his character's home world after learning that scenes set on the moon were filmed in his home country, Guatemala.
''Legends''
In issues of the
''Star Wars'' newspaper comic strip written by
Archie Goodwin published between 1981 and 1983, the Rebels remain stationed for a time on Yavin 4 while it is being blockaded by the Empire. Similarly, in the ''Star Wars Kids'' comics published between 1997 and 1998, the Rebels remain on Yavin 4 until their base is infiltrated by a spy.
In ''Legends'' continuity, the giant temples on the Yavin 4 moon are said to have been built ages ago by the Massassi to worship
Naga Sadow
This is an incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe, now rebranded ''Star Wars Legends''. The accompanying works were declared non-canon to the ''Star Wars'' franchise by Lucasfilm in 2014.
This list applies ''o ...
, a Sith Lord who had enslaved and mutated the Massassi using
Sith Alchemy. In the comic book series ''
Tales of the Jedi'', it is stated that Yavin 4 was where Naga Sadow hid from the
Republic in 5,000 BBY and was discovered several hundred years later by the fallen
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi ...
Freedon Nadd
This is an incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe, now rebranded ''Star Wars Legends''. The accompanying works were declared non-canon to the ''Star Wars'' franchise by Lucasfilm in 2014.
This list applies ''on ...
. According to the comic series, the Massassi warriors who built the ruins used by the Rebels were brought to the planet by the
Sith Order in its early years.
In the 1994 ''
Jedi Academy''
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of novels,
Kevin J. Anderson suggests that Jedi Knight
Exar Kun
This is an incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe, now rebranded ''Star Wars Legends''. The accompanying works were declared non-canon to the '' Star Wars'' franchise by Lucasfilm in 2014.
This list applies '' ...
had the temples built. Enveloped in the dark side, Kun elevated himself to the stature of a god. He enslaved the Massassi and forced them to construct an intricate complex of massive temples that were used for arcane Sith ceremonies and rites as focus for the dark side. In the same series, Yavin 4 is the base of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum, where he personally trains the next generation of Jedi Knights. Once Skywalker has trained enough Jedi, this duty is taken up by the married Jedi Masters, Battlemaster
Kam Solusar and his wife Chief Librarian
Tionne Solusar, as well as another former apprentice of Skywalker's,
Streen. The Praxeum is destroyed by the
Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion of the moon in 26 ABY. The Praxeum is eventually relocated to the ancient Jedi homeworld,
Ossus. The original Praxeum is the main setting of the ''
Young Jedi Knights
''Young Jedi Knights'' is a '' Star Wars'' young adult fiction series by science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta. It was published from 1995 to 1998. It covers the Jedi training of Jacen and Jaina Solo, the twin c ...
'' series, based on Skywalker's teenage niece and nephew,
Jaina
JAINA is an acronym for the Federation of Jain Associations in North America, an umbrella organizations to preserve, practice, and promote Jainism in USA and Canada. It was founded in 1981 and formalized in 1983. Among Jain organization it is ...
and
Jacen Solo
Jacen Solo is a fictional character in literature based on the '' Star Wars'' film series, set in what is now designated as the original-canon '' Star Wars Legends'' continuity. The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo, as well as the nephew of ...
.
In the young reader novel ''
The Lost City of the Jedi
''Jedi Prince'' is a series of science fiction young-reader novels set in the '' Star Wars'' universe, written by Paul and Hollace Davids. They were published by Bantam Skylark between 1992 and 1993.
The series takes place about a year after '' ...
'' (1992), it is discovered, as the title suggests, that the ancient Jedi built a
lost city on Yavin 4.
In the animated micro-series ''
Star Wars: Clone Wars'' (2003), Yavin 4 is the site of a duel between Anakin Skywalker and
Asajj Ventress, a follower of
Count Dooku. Anakin defeats Asajj, sending her falling down a dark abyss.
In
''Star Wars'' video games, Yavin 4 appears in the downloadable content for the video game ''
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''. Yavin 4 has also been added in the latest expansion (December 2014) of the MMORPG ''
Star Wars: The Old Republic''. Titled "Shadow of Revan", the expansion establishes a connection with the previous game.
The Super
Star Destroyer
Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Star Destroyers were produced by Kuat Drive Yards, later Kuat-Entralla Engineering, and serve as "the signature vessel of the fleet" for the Galactic Republic, Galactic Em ...
''Knight Hammer'' is destroyed here when it was diverted towards the planet's core after a collision with a Rebel vessel.
The ''Junior Jedi Knights'' series features a second inhabited moon, Yavin 8, and mentions a third, Yavin 13. Yavin 8 is home to a mermaid like species, the melodies, and their various predators. Yavin 13 is shared by the rabbit-like Gerb species and the serpentine Slith. The fates of the two moons and their people are unclear after the Yuuzhan Vong invasion in ''
The New Jedi Order
''Star Wars: The New Jedi Order'' (or ''New Jedi Order'' or ''NJO'') is a series of 19 science fiction novels, published from 1999 to 2003, set in the ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe. The series revolves around the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of ...
'' series, with there being contradictory sources about whether the moons were wiped clean of all life or the invaders merely targeted any Force users on them.
See also
*
List of ''Star Wars'' planets and moons
References
Footnotes
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
{{Star Wars universe, state=collapsed
Star Wars planets
Fictional gas giants
Fictional elements introduced in 1977