Coruscant

Region Core Worlds
Sector Coruscant (Imperial during reign of Empire)
System Coruscant
Terrain Urban (planetwide ecumenopolis)
Affiliation Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire, Yuuzhan Vong Empire, New Republic, Galactic Federation of Free Alliances

Coruscant /ˈkɒrəsɑːnt/[1] is a planet in the fictional Star Wars universe. It first appeared onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but was first mentioned in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire. A city occupying an entire planet, it was renamed Imperial Center during the reign of the Galactic Empire (as depicted in the original films) and Yuuzhan'tar during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion (as depicted in the New Jedi Order novel series). The adjective form of the planet name is Coruscanti.

Coruscant is, at various times, the capital of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, the New Republic, the Yuuzhan Vong Empire and the Galactic Alliance. Not only is Coruscant central to all these governing bodies, it is the navigational center of the galaxy, given that its hyperspace coordinates are (0,0,0). Due to its location and large population, roughly 1 trillion sentients, the galaxy's main trade routes — Perlemian Trade Route, Hydian Way, Corellian Run and Corellian Trade Spine — go through Coruscant, making it the richest and most influential world in the Star Wars galaxy.

Etymology and naming

The word itself originates in the late 15th century from the Latin coruscant- 'vibrating, glittering', from the verb coruscare. It is described in the Concise Oxford Dictionary as a poetic and literary adjective meaning 'glittering; sparkling'.[2] The word "coruscant" is also a French adjective which can be used to describe a decadent and overcomplicated language, decorum or community.

Concept of a city planet

The concept of a city planet in the Star Wars universe originated with the initial drafts of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The planet was called Alderaan, and much of the action in the film transpired on it. Since building such a city would be prohibitively expensive, much of what was to take place on the planet was moved to the Death Star, and Alderaan became the name of Princess Leia's home planet.

The Empire's homeworld, Had Abaddon, came up in early drafts of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The entire planet was to be a sprawling city. However, concluding that the realization of such a city was (still) impossible at the time, the creators abandoned the idea.

The Empire's homeworld first appeared in the Expanded Universe and was called Coruscant for the first time in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire. Coruscant was first seen on screen in the 1997 Special Edition release of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and the X-Wing series of computer games. Coruscant was then seen (major appearance) in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. There is a speeder chase through the skies of Coruscant in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones that eventually leads to a nightclub in the bowels of Coruscant's Uscru Entertainment District. Coruscant is seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as part of the opening battle scene.

In various novels, characters aligned with the Empire refer to Coruscant as "Imperial Center". Within the stories, this is explained as an administrative renaming undertaken to emphasize the differences between the Old Republic and the Empire.

Star Wars' concept of a city planet which is the capital of a galactic empire was evidently inspired by the ecumenopolis planet Trantor, the Galactic Empire's capital, in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Trantor is mentioned in Asimov's first Foundation short story, written in September 1941. In Pebble in the Sky, published in 1950, Asimov describes the 'unbearable glory of the skies of the Central Worlds' (like Trantor) 'where star elbowed star in such blinding competition that the black of night was nearly lost in a coruscant explosion of light'.[3]

History within the Star Wars Universe

Coruscant is a prominent location in both the Star Wars film series and the Expanded Universe media that has been produced. Within the narrative of the films, Coruscant based locations such as the Jedi Temple and Jedi Archives act as the home for the Jedi and in plot terms are frequently used for exposition or to drive other elements of the plot.

James Luceno's novel Labyrinth of Evil introduces a deserted manufacturing area known as 'The Works' as the meeting place for Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus. Another area of Coruscant shown is Coco Town (short for "collective commerce"). Coco Town is the site of Dex's Diner in Attack of the Clones. Another notable area of Coruscant is 500 Republica, an area where the crème de la crème, such as politicians and diplomats, gather. In Revenge of the Sith, a theatre in 500 Republica is where Chancellor Palpatine holds a conference with Anakin Skywalker, while watching an opera.

Coruscant is also the location of an additional sequence added to later versions of Return of the Jedi. In a montage scene, upon hearing of the death of Emperor Palpatine, citizens are seen celebrating with fireworks and by pulling down his statues.

In the Dark Empire graphic novel, set after the original film trilogy, Coruscant is ravaged by battles between warring Imperial factions.

In The New Jedi Order series, Coruscant is the capital world of the New Republic until the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong overwhelm the Republic defenses in three attack waves, led by Warmaster Tsavong Lah, and take over the planet. After surrendering, the Yuuzhan Vong agreed to help the Alliance rebuild Coruscant. The new Coruscant is a combination of technology and organic life, to represent the peace between the Galactic Alliance and the Yuuzhan Vong.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Before The Phantom Menace was produced, the "sc" had a hard pronunciation, like a "sk", in various Star Wars merchandise; see the Thrawn Trilogy audiobooks for one example.
  2. ↑ See also Princeton WordNet
  3. ↑ Pebble In The Sky, chapter 6, paragraph 3.

External links