Star Wars 9 Should Return To These Planets

Disney-era Star Wars had introduced audiences to nearly a dozen exciting new worlds, but for Episode IX it would be good to return to something more familiar. The Force Awakens spent much of its time on the desert junkyard Jakku and pristine calm of Takadona, with later films giving us the likes of the beautiful and remote Ahch-To, salt planet Crait and oasis Imperial facility on Scarif. It's been a wise decision, using new worlds to create a distinct feel and the sense of a larger galaxy.But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good idea to revisit some classic locations. The Star Wars Saga needs to feel like a whole, unified construct. A few OG references wouldn't go amiss, helping to tie the threads together and ensure this feels like the same larger galaxy. With Episode IX bringing an end to the sequel trilogy, what worlds should the franchise return to?Classic Star Wars Planets (This Page)

Mustafar

This is by far the most likely of this list to appear in the spequel trilogy, with it previously reported that Mustafar would appear in either The Last Jedi or Episode IX. It is worth noting that the film has changed direction since then, with J.J. Abrams taking over as writer-director in September, but the gameplan potential is there

Regardless of the truth to those rumors, this world would fit well. Star Wars: Rebels established that Mustafar was known as the planet Jedi go to in order to die, a twist that was explained in Rogue One. The Star Wars spinoff film showed that Vader based himself on Mustafar, in a fortress revealed in expanded material to be built atop a Sith cave. The First Order are clearly aware of this, given Snoke wears a ring containing onyx mined from that cave.

Kylo Ren has a complicated view of the past. For all he proposes that it should be put to death, he still venerates the memory of his grandfather. It's likely that Abrams' return will see a continuation of some of the themes set up in The Force Awakens, so it would be no surprise to see Kylo Ren head to Mustafar.

Coruscant

The Galactic Capital for millennia, Coruscant was one of the few worlds lifted straight from the Expanded Universe into George Lucas's prequel trilogy. The rich and vibrant city planet became a crucial location in the prequels, and Lucasfilm briefly revisited the world in Rogue One.

It seems that, after the fall of the Empire, Coruscant lost its luster. It was closely connected to Palpatine, and the New Republic chose to base itself on Hosnian Prime. Ironically, in narrative terms that decision ultimately saved Coruscant from destruction when the First Order obliterated the New Republic capital.

But why did Lucasfilm choose to spare Coruscant? Destroying a known world, one that fans had a deep connection to, would have far more impact than showing Starkiller Base's strength by simply blowing up a planet we've never seen. It seems likely that the Lucasfilm Story Group had some sort of plan down the road, an intention to use the city-planet in some capacity.

Tatooine

Tatooine was introduced as the ultimate galactic backwater, although that role seems to have switched for Jakku in the sequel trilogy. There are clear visual ties between those two desert worlds, and it wouldn't be a surprise for Episode IX to see Rey return to her homeworld.

But the original desolate place offers something quite crucial by itself. The world is deeply connected to the story of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, and appeared in no less than four of the Saga films to date. It was included in the aforementioned Mustafar rumors, so seems a fair bet, especially given the connection to the central lineage.

At the same time, it could be interesting to see how life on Tatooine has changed since the fall of the Empire. Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy of novels set up a new dawn for Tatooine, one where the slaves have been freed; it would be encouraging to explore a more positive legacy for the Skywalkers on Luke's homeworld.

Dagobah

The swamp-world of Dagobah may seem like a strange choice for a return, but there's a reason Jedi Master Yoda settled down there for so long. It's rich in the Force, and as such is an ideal location to train in the ways of the Jedi. The Last Jedi closed with the subtle revelation that Rey has picked up the ancient Jedi texts, and it would be sensible for her to seek out such a world in order to learn.

The sequel trilogy has strongly emphasized the idea of balance, and Dagobah is arguably a world of balance. It was the first place to give fans a hint that light and dark exist side by side, with Yoda happily settling down near to a nexus of evil. Thematically, it would be a smart call for Episode IX to return to Dagobah and subtly rework this theme.

Moraband

Also known as Korriban, the planet Moraband is the ancient homeworld of the Sith. The old Expanded Universe established Moraband as a graveyard to the most powerful of the Sith Lords, tremendously strong in the dark side of the Force. The Clone Wars absorbed this dark and dangerous world into the Star Wars canon; the final episode, "Sacrifice," saw Jedi Master Yoda head to the barren world and face a concerted attempt to corrupt him. While there, Yoda confronted the spirits of ancient Sith Lords, including Darth Bane himself.

It was Darth Bane who established the Rule of Two, the principle that there should only ever be two Sith at any one time. The Last Jedi suggested that Bane's concept was so dangerous that, over the course of millennia, the Force itself became out of balance. The dark side was focused and concentrated within a Sith Master and an Apprentice, making them more powerful than any single Jedi Knight.

As already said, Kylo Ren has a complex, confused focus on the past, but his way through that contradiction could be to go deeper into dark side lore. Given Rey has proved able to match him, it would be no surprise for Ren to seek a sort of 'power-up' from the ancient home of the Sith. The sequel trilogy has already unveiled the first Jedi Temple; could we also get the Sith homeworld?

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