The debates around The Last Jedi continue, but Star Wars: Episode IX is confirmed to have a script and fans are already looking ahead to the conclusion of the sequel trilogy. Without much to go on at this early stage, speculation can begin for one element that appears in all Star Wars films--the planets. Every film in a galaxy far, far away has introduced new planets with their own unique ecosystems, cultures, and inhabitants. Some only appear once while others like Tatooine and Coruscant appear over and over again.
While the film will definitely feature some completely new planets, it could also feature any number of previously established planets from canon or legends material. The vague references to the Resistance's Outer Rim allies in The Last Jedi opens up many possibilities of Outer Rim planets that could appear in Episode IX. Planets rich in the Force would make narrative sense within the journeys of Rey and Kylo Ren. One way or another, their journeys along with the conflict between the Resistance and First Order will culminate in Episode IX. Like most Star Wars films, Episode IX will likely only feature a handful of planets that follow these journeys, but for now it's worthwhile to explore both the benefits and problems that arise within the inclusion of specific planets.
Here is Star Wars: 10 Planets We'd Love To See In Episode IX (And 7 We Don't).
17. Want: Mustafar
After the introduction of Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar in Rogue One, many fans predicted Kylo Ren would venture there in The Last Jedi. Instead, Kylo ended up smashing his own mask and largely moved on from his Vader obsession through believing the past should die. But that doesn't mean Mustafar is out of the picture forever.
The planet is rich in the dark side of the Force. Kylo can take advantage of this strength as he continues down the dark path cemented in The Last Jedi.
There's too much potential from what Kylo can learn about the dark side and the true nature of Vader when ensconced in his castle. With Kylo having lost all the mentor figures in his life--many of them by his own hand--he could go to Mustafar seeking much needed guidance. This is an opportunity Episode IX shouldn't waste.
16. Don't Want: Jakku
In The Last Jedi, Rey finally confronted the truth about her past and her family. Through confronting these harsh truths, Rey was able to let go of the things holding her back and grow as a character.
Returning to Jakku would undermine that character growth, regressing back to the woman who wouldn't face the truth.
Some will argue that it is because of that growth that Rey needs to return, much like Luke returned to his desert home planet Tatooine far more mature, confident, and powerful in Return of the Jedi. But even then Luke didn't return for himself. He only returned to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt. Perhaps Rey could show Unkar Plutt how far she's come, but with everything Episode IX has to tackle, it's highly unlikely the film will dabble in that storyline. Jakku was an essential launching point for the sequel trilogy, but the characters and story have moved on to bigger and better things.
15. Want: Coruscant
Coruscant was the heart of the Republic during the prequel trilogy and later became the heart of the Empire during the original trilogy. When the New Republic was formed after Return of the Jedi, the capital was changed from Coruscant in order to distance themselves from the planet's problematic history and association with Palpatine and the Empire.
Since Starkiller Base obliterated the new capital on Hosnian Prime, it is intriguing to consider where Coruscant currently stands.
Given their history, it's easy to imagine many of the planet's citizens remain bitter towards the Empire's oppression and now direct that attitude towards the First Order. Others who benefited under Palpatine's reign may support the First Order. From the wealthy elite to the criminal underworld, there's a great deal of diversity on Coruscant that could end up helping both the Resistance and First Order as the war continues.
14. Don't Want: Endor
Watching a flashback of Kylo Ren retrieving his grandfather Darth Vader's helmet from the forest moon of Endor once seemed like an intriguing prospect, an opportunity to witness the character's journey before The Force Awakens. But with Kylo destroying his mask and mostly moving on from the Vader obsession, that ship has sailed.
Unlike Mustafar, there's not a castle's worth of opportunity and dark side energy on the planet surface to warrant a return.
Also, The Last Jedi already provided flashbacks of a young Ben Solo on his path to becoming the character audiences first met in The Force Awakens. Including Endor and Ewoks in the past or present is only asking for criticism that Episode IX is a copy of Return of the Jedi.
13. Want: Mandalore
For many years Star Wars fans have clamored for a live-action film centered on Mandalore. The planet's rich, diverse history and warring clans has led many to speculate that D.B. Weiss and David Benioff's recently announced series of Star Wars films will revolve around Mandalore. It may be the perfect fit for the Game of Thrones showrunners, but many casual fans will be lost amidst Mandalorian culture. Episode IX can fix that by debuting Mandalore on the big screen.
Jetpacks, armor and all, the Mandalorians would be an epic choice for the Resistance's mysterious Outer Rim allies.
And for the future of Star Wars, their inclusion would familiarize more casual fans with the culture and history of Mandalore. It looked stunning in the animated Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels televisions shows and could be a visual masterpiece for Episode IX.
12. Don't Want: Dagobah
Dagobah is one of the purest places of the Force. Because of this--and the guidance of Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost--Yoda was actually drawn to Dagobah before his self-imposed exile there. The connections to the Force--especially the cave--has led to speculation that Rey or Kylo Ren could go to Dagobah in Episode IX, even though Rey already had her "cave scene" in The Last Jedi.
The problem is that Dagobah belongs to the past and won't push these characters forward.
It's a remote, largely unknown world, and one that belongs to the past of Luke and Yoda. Unless their Force ghosts tell Rey to go there for some reason, she likely wouldn't know about it in the first place. Rey and Kylo Ren are leaving the past behind and tapping into their true selves. Dagobah doesn't have enough connection to the remaining core characters of the sequel trilogy.
11. Want: Sullust
Primarily remembered as Lando Calrissian's co-pilot during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, fans can catch a few shots of Nien Nunb among the Resistance in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Nien Nunb is one of the few surviving characters from the original trilogy at this point, a status that merits a larger role in Episode IX. The perfect way to achieve this would be for Nien Nunb to rally his fellow Sullustans as allies of the Resistance.
First mentioned by Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, Sullust has appeared in many Star Wars stories over the years.
Now for the first time Sullust can be seen in a live-action film. Led by Nien Nunb, the planet once occupied by the Empire can now fight against their enemy's successor--the First Order.
10. Don't Want: Naboo
A major planet from the prequel trilogy, Naboo again played a pivotal role in events after Return of the Jedi when threatened by Operation: Cinder. It was neat to see Leia working to save her mother Padme's home planet and to connect the different eras of Star Wars stories. But Naboo is ultimately not a fascinating enough planet to return to over and over again.
It lacks the diversity, rich history, or Force connections that exists with so many of the galaxy's other planets.
Besides, no one wants to see Gungans or anything even remotely reminiscent of Jar Jar Binks in Episode IX. And in the conversation of the Resistance-First Order war, Palpatine demilitarized Naboo during his reign as Emperor and unless they've seriously revamped since his death, they wouldn't be much help to the Resistance or First Order anyway.
9. Want: Csilla
Located in the galaxy's Unknown Regions, Csilla is home to the Chiss, the most famous of which is the cunning Grand Admiral Thrawn. The nuanced portrayal of Thrawn has been a significant highlight of Star Wars Rebels, leaving many fans salivating for more Thrawn and more of the Chiss. Though other than Thrawn they don't frequently make contact with outsiders, the Chiss could become important allies to the Resistance or First Order as they seek out the Chiss for their brilliance.
The First Order would seem like the natural choice given Thrawn's history with the Empire.
Kylo Ren's highly emotional, impulsive nature would be well balanced with the more strategic, analytical attitude of the Chiss. The First Order needs that kind of leadership to temper Kylo's impulse and complement his power. On the other hand, the ultimate failure and defeat of the Empire could convince the Chiss that it's wiser to aid the Resistance instead of the First Order. Regardless, featuring Csilla would open doors to the Unknown Regions which could possibly be a major focal point of future Star Wars stories.
8. Don't Want: Ahch-To
Ahch-To worked beautifully as a major setting in The Last Jedi. It was visually stunning, teeming with a unique ecosystem and culture, all heavily influenced by the Force and history of the Jedi. It perfectly fueled the development of Luke and Rey in their respective arcs and their relationship with each other. But with Luke now gone, the Force tree burned, and Rey in possession of the ancient Jedi texts, there's not enough justification to return there in Episode IX.
Rey learned what she needed to from Luke and the birthplace of the Jedi. Now it's time to move on.
For those fond of Porgs, the one will still probably be hanging out with Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon in Episode IX, so not returning to Ahch-To doesn't mean the end of Porgs.
7. Want: Moraband
Both Rey and the audience learned what they needed to from the Jedi's birthplace of Ahch-To. But both Rey and Kylo Ren could learn a great deal from Moraband, once home to the ancient Sith. As Rey, Kylo Ren and Star Wars in general navigates the Force in all its complexity, it's important to learn just as much from the light side and Jedi as it is from the dark side and the history of the Sith.
Kylo and Snoke were technically never Sith, but there's still a great deal to be learned from Moraband and the Sith Temple on the planet.
In fact, Yoda himself traveled to Moraband during The Clone Wars and learned a great deal from there. Just as Yoda's Force ghost was in The Last Jedi, it seems only fitting for the spirit of a Sith to now appear in Episode IX, perhaps even the spirit of Darth Bane that Yoda encountered in The Clone Wars.
6. Want: Canto Bight
The Canto Bight storyline was among the most divisive elements in The Last Jedi. Some of that divisiveness stems from a lack of purpose as some fans felt the film spent too much time showcasing a planet that amounted to no more than an unsuccessful, self-sabotaging side quest. While many never want to see Canto Bight again, incorporating it into Episode IX could actually make its inclusion in The Last Jedi more meaningful.
Through their actions, Finn and Rose inspired Temiri Blagg--the Force-sensitive boy with the broom seen at the end of the film--and his friends, as did Luke Skywalker with his heroic stand against Kylo Ren and the First Order. Hope has returned to the galaxy, and it is being especially felt by Temiri Blagg and his friends. Especially if there is a significant time jump between The Last Jedi and Episode IX, the boy and his friends could become some of the Resistance's first new allies, and a Force-sensitive one at that.
Returning to Canto Bight could show them joining the Resistance. Moreover, it would make Finn and Rose's journey there more meaningful.
A return to Canto Bight could also happen as it was revealed the wealthy elite of the planet have sold weapons and ships to both the Resistance and First Order, both of which are going to need more of those resources.
5. Don't Want: D'Qar
The identity of the Resistance's secret base is "burnt." After destroying Starkiller Base, the Resistance launched their escape from D'Qar at the beginning of The Last Jedi. They managed to escape the planet, destroy one of the First Order's prized Dreadnoughts and head into hyperspace, but not without a tremendous cost. They lost all their bombers, including Rose Tico's sister Paige Tico.
Her sacrifice and the sacrifice of all the others will be in vain if the Resistance returns to D'Qar.
It would be like the Rebellion returning to Yavin 4 after destroying the Death Star. Among the many steps they need to take, the Resistance needs to establish a new base. Perhaps they will settle on the planet of one of their Outer Rim allies.
4. Want: Ryloth
Home of the Twi'leks, Ryloth was an ally to the Republic during the Clone Wars and later to the Rebellion during the Galactic Civil War. Given this history, particularly the connections to the Rebellion via Hera Syndulla, Ryloth could definitely be one of the Resistance's mysterious Outer Rim allies mentioned in The Last Jedi. Hera is confirmed to survive through the Battle of Endor.
Including an older Hera leading the Twi'leks as a Resistance ally against the First Order would be a wonderful way of blending together many different eras of Star Wars.
Especially with Star Wars Rebels ending, it would be particularly amazing to see Hera living on as a leader within the Resistance.
3. Want: Vardos
Vardos was a planet fiercely loyal to the Empire. It was home to the Future Imperial Military Leaders Preparatory School, and to Imperial admiral Garrick Versio and his daughter Iden Versio, a member of the Empire's elite Inferno Squad. That didn't stop the Empire targeting the planet as part of Operation: Cinder, though. Vardos later came under control of the First Order, but was yet again betrayed by the First Order's brutal actions to get the planet under their complete control. Fed up with the double-crossing, the planet's security forces rebelled against the First Order.
Given this chain of events, Vardos seems like a prime candidate for becoming an ally of the Resistance.
Their previous loyalty to both the Empire and First Order places them in a unique position, potentially with intimate knowledge crucial to the Resistance finding a way to defeat the First Order.
2. Don't Want: Tatooine
Tatooine was crucial to the stories of Luke and Anakin Skywalker. Growing up on the desert planet and later returning as drastically changed and more powerful men, Tatooine is practically its own character, and will forever be a core piece of the Skywalker saga. With Episode IX likely ending the Skywalker saga, some fans feel it would be fitting for the film to return to Tatooine.
However, for the current characters, there's not much to be gained by going there.
Without Luke, there's not enough connection to warrant the current characters trekking out to a desert planet not so different from Rey's home planet Jakku. Like Dagobah, Tatooine belongs to the past and to characters who are no longer at the forefront of the Skywalker saga.
1. Want: Mortis
Obi-Wan, Anakin, and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano encountered Mortis in The Clone Wars. Mortis is a realm of the Force in which the three Force wielders the Father, the Daughter, and the Son engaged in an eternal struggle for domination. All three beings perished during The Clone Wars and balance was restored via the Chosen One, Anakin. While many fans believe Anakin fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One in Return of the Jedi, it doesn't seem like that was the end of the Chosen One story as Luke told Rey that he mistakenly believed Ben Solo was the Chosen One, leading many to believe that Rey or Kylo could end up being the Chosen One.
Just as it was fascinating to see Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka navigating the Force-rich world of Mortis, it would be equally captivating to see Rey and Kylo Ren navigate it.
Mortis recently resurfaced in a game-changing episode of Star Wars Rebels, possibly opening up the opportunity for Mortis to play an even larger role in canon moving forward as the Chosen One debate is settled once and for all.
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What other planets would you like or not like to see in Episode IX? Let us know in the comments!