20 Most Important Star Wars Planets, Ranked

If there’s one thing that has always been true about the events of the entire Star Wars franchise, it’s that there were different planets involved in the storyline. Of course, that’s because the Star Wars franchise takes place in space and a galaxy far far away. That means that there are a lot of different planets that were featured in Star Wars. As such, the different movies and shows took us to different planets all over the galaxy.

Many different planets were featured only a few times, while some were featured plenty of times. That’s why not all of the planets in Star Wars are the same regarding how important they are in the grand scheme of things. So, with that said, let’s look at all of the best Star Wars planets ranked in terms of their importance.

20. Malachor V

Malachor V wasn’t featured much during the events of Star Wars but was incredibly important during the events of ‘Star Wars: Rebels.’ In what was one of the greatest episodes in the history of ‘Rebels,’ Malachor was the center of the events revolving around the relationship between Ahsoka Tano and her former master, Anakin Skywalker, who had already fallen to the dark side and become Darth Vader.

In the past, Malachor was the site of a great battle between the Sith and the Jedi, as this was a Sith-controlled planet. The Jedi tried to stop the Sith from using a powerful weapon that turned people into stone, and this was what Darth Maul tried to use against Darth Vader in ‘Rebels.’ But while Malachor V was a Sith planet, Ahsoka Tano discovered that there was a doorway to the World Between Worlds in this dark and gloomy world.

19. Kashyyyk

While Kashyyyk wasn’t featured a lot during the events of the main Star Wars movies, it was featured heavily during the events of ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,’ wherein Cal Kestis was involved in the battles against the Empire when the Imperial forces sought to take control of the planet to enslave the Wookiees. After all, the Wookiees were always strong and hardy people that the Empire wanted to enslave. And that’s why Kashyyyk stands as one of the most important planets in Star Wars.

Of course, we cannot forget that Kashyyyk is the home of the greatest Wookiee in the history of Star Wars. Yes, we’re talking about none other than Chewbacca, who was revealed in ‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,’ as a longtime friend of Jedi Master Yoda, who went to Kashyyyk to protect the planet from the Separatists.

18. Crait

One of the best events during the sequel trilogy was the skirmish between the Resistance and the First Order on a strange planet. This battle occurred on Crait, the only planet the Resistance could take refuge in, when the First Order was about to destroy them. 

During the Battle of Crait, we saw great visuals in the form of the red sands of the planet. It made the entire battle look much cooler, even though it was clear that the First Order had the advantage. And when the Resistance was about to lose hope, Luke Skywalker appeared as a Force projection to fight Kylo Ren in what was seemingly a one-sided battle in favor of the Jedi Master, whose distraction was more than enough to allow the Resistance to escape the planet.

17. Alderaan

Alderaan wasn’t one of the planets that were heavily featured during the events of the Star Wars movies, but we did see it getting mentioned a lot because this was the planet where Senator Bail Organa lived. Bail was one of the biggest believers of democracy in the entire galaxy as he became the greatest ally of none other than Padmé Amidala. He also took in Leia and made her look like his real daughter to protect her from the Empire after the death of Padmé and the fall of Anakin to the dark side.

In ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ we saw more of Alderaan as it was featured as a peaceful planet that was prosperous under the leadership of the Organa family. However, the planet ended up getting destroyed in ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,’ wherein it was the first planet completely annihilated by the Death Star’s super-laser, which had the power to destroy entire planets in a single shot.

16. Kamino

Of course, Kamino should be on this list because this planet was the most important in the events that led to the Clone Wars. That’s because Kamino is the planet that housed the Kaminoans, the greatest cloners in the entire galaxy and the only ones capable of such an advanced cloning technology that no other race could replicate. Of course, the Kaminoans were responsible for creating the Jango Fett clones that served the Republic during the Clone Wars.

Kamino was introduced during the events of ‘Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones’ when Obi-Wan Kenobi was investigating the matters involving the attempted assassination of Senator Padmé Amidala. He chased Jango Fett to this planet as he discovered that the Kaminoans were mysteriously hired by the Jedi Order years ago to create a clone army for the Republic. And Kamino was involved in several more events in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch,’ wherein we saw the Empire destroying the planet’s capital city to hide the secrets of the Kaminoans’ cloning tech.

15. Dagobah

Dagobah may seem like a dark and gloomy planet that is almost entirely swampy, but it’s actually one of the most important planets in the storyline of Star Wars because this was the place where Yoda spent more than 20 years in hiding after the fall of the Jedi Order. Dagobah is rich in the Force and was a planet that Yoda discovered when the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn guided him to learn more about the nature of the Living Force.

On top of the fact that Dagobah was Yoda’s home for more than 20 years, this was also the planet where Luke found him during the events of ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,’ as he was looking for a great Jedi Master that could train him in the ways of the Force. Luke spent about a year training with Yoda on this swampy planet as he became a true Jedi before the old Jedi Master died due to his advanced age.

14. Geonosis

One of the most important planets in the storyline of Star Wars was the same planet that saw the start of the Clone Wars. Featured in ‘Attack of the Clones,’ Geonosis was the planet where the Separatists were plotting to overthrow the Republic, as Obi-Wan Kenobi followed Jango Fett to this world. Kenobi discovered that the Separatists were plotting to start a war against the Republic but was captured by the Geonosians after he sent a message to the Jedi Council to send help to Geonosis.

In that regard, Geonosis saw the start of the Clone Wars because this was the very same planet where we first saw the Jedi Order trying to stop the Separatists’ plot. Of course, the Jedi were about to lose that fight before Yoda came in with the clones that the Kaminoans created. The arrival of the clones saved the day for the Jedi Order but started the war between the Republic and the Separatists. Known as the First Battle of Geonosis, this planet was the venue of the battle that launched an entire war that led to the eventual rise of the Empire and the fall of the Jedi Order.

13. Hoth

After the Rebels abandoned Yavin 4 because the Empire had already chased them out of their base on that planet, this was a freezing planet that was almost uninhabitable due to the cold temperatures. It wasn’t the best place for the Rebels to set up a base, but it was their only choice because the Empire controlled all other systems. And it didn’t take long for the Empire to discover the Rebel base on this planet during the events of ‘The Empire Strikes Back.’

On Hoth, we saw Luke struggling with his life as a Jedi, as it was clear that he needed more training. He was almost killed by a Wampa on that planet and was saved by Han Solo before he froze to death. Of course, we saw the Empire destroying the Rebel base on Hoth as the heroes needed to flee and find refuge elsewhere.

12. Forest Moon of Endor

The Forest Moon of Endor wasn’t much of a planet but was more of a moon. This place was home to the Ewoks, primitive and small bear-like creatures that may have been cute but were carnivorous and savage. The Ewoks were about to eat our heroes before they ended up worshipping C-3PO as a god. And thanks to 3PO, the Rebels were able to ally with the Ewoks, which were indispensable in their fight against the Empire on Endor even though they used crude and primitive weapons.

Endor was the site of the massive shield generator that protected the Death Star II as the Rebels were looking to destroy the massive superstructure. Thanks to the help of the Ewoks, the Rebels were able to destroy the shield generator, which led to Lando Calrissian and the other Rebels successfully destroying the second Death Star. In that regard, the Battle of Endor was one of the biggest turning points of the Rebellion because it led to the eventual doom of the Empire.

11. Bespin

As one of the most important worlds in the storyline of ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ Bespin was a very unique planet because it was almost entirely made up of clouds. In fact, Cloud City, the city controlled by Lando Calrissian, existed entirely as a floating base up in the skies of Bespin. And Bespin was the site of the greatest plot twist in the storyline of Star Wars.

After Lando betrayed the Rebels to keep Cloud City safe from the Empire, Luke sensed his friends were in danger. He rushed to Bespin against Yoda’s wishes. Luke dueled Vader on that planet, only for him to lose their fight. After losing to Vader, he learned that the Sith Lord he wanted to defeat was actually his father. As such, fans of the Star Wars franchise were shocked when they discovered that Darth Vader was actually Anakin Skywalker.

10. Mustafar

In line with Anakin falling to the dark side of the Force and becoming Darth Vader, Mustafar was an incredibly important planet in his identity as a Sith Lord. After assisting in destroying the Jedi Order, Vader was sent to Mustafar to “take care” of the remaining Separatist leaders that survived the Clone Wars. After murdering all of them in cold blood, Anakin rendezvoused with Padmé on Mustafar and tried to convince her that his choices were right.

Of course, Padmé didn’t side with Anakin, and Obi-Wan appeared out of nowhere after he snuck onboard Padmé’s ship. This led to an epic duel between the former master-and-apprentice duo, as Kenobi used Skywalker’s hubris against him to defeat him, thus allowing him to burn on the fires of the volcanic planet of Mustafar. Darth Vader eventually used Mustafar as his base of operations during the reign of the Empire as a reminder of all the things he lost when he fell to the dark side.

9. Ilum

Normally, Ilum doesn’t seem to be very important in the grander scheme of things, but it was featured during the events of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ when an episode allowed us to learn the process that goes into the creation of a lightsaber. Ilum was the site of a Jedi Temple that the Jedi Order maintained because this planet was one of the few worlds in the galaxy where Kyber crystals could be found. And Kyber crystals are the heart of the lightsaber.

After the fall of the Jedi Order, the Empire took over Ilum and harvested it for its Kyber crystals. This also made it more difficult for the Jedi to rebuild, as Ilum was one of the few places in the galaxy that had Kyber crystals. Ilum was eventually turned into the massive planet-destroying base called Starkiller Base during the time of the First Order.

8. Mandalore

One of the greatest civilizations in the galaxy’s history was the Mandalorian civilization, based on the Mandalore planet. The Mandalorians were strong enough to take on the Jedi Order for hundreds of years and even resist Imperial rule because it was the only planet where Beskar steel, the strongest metal in the entire galaxy, could be mined. In that regard, the Mandalorians became a warrior race that relied on the strength of Beskar.

Nevertheless, Mandalore became the site of many civil wars as the entire planet became barren. Mandalore was eventually bombed and nearly turned uninhabitable by the Empire during the Imperial era because they couldn’t control the Mandalorians. Bo-Katan Kryze and Din Djarin eventually led the remaining Mandalorians in the galaxy to retake Mandalore from Moff Gideon and his Imperial remnants.

7. Jakku

While most casual fans would only see Jakku as Rey’s homeworld and the planet where she spent countless years waiting for her family to return and pick her up, this was a very important planet years before Rey’s parents left her there. That’s because Jakku was the site of the final battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire, which led to a win on the part of the Rebels.

This massive battle on Jakku destroyed many different ships, and Rey spent her entire life salvaging the ships for parts. So, while some fans think that Jakku was just Rey’s home, it was far more important than that because it was the world that led to the destruction of the Galactic Empire.

6. Scarif

While Scarif doesn’t seem very important because it didn’t appear in any of the main movies, the thing is that a battle that took place on this planet led to one of the most pivotal moments in the history of Star Wars. Scarif was featured during the events of ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,’ as this was the planet where the Empire hid important documents and blueprints, including the ones that contained the design of the Death Star.

The crew of Rogue One ended up going to Scarif to try to steal the Death Star plans. They sacrificed their lives in doing so, as they successfully transmitted the data to the Rebel Alliance. However, the surface of Scarif was almost completely burned when the Death Star fired a smaller blast that led to the deaths of Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso.

5. Lothal

Lothal may not be very important to the fans of the movies, but it was the most important planet during the events of ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ because this was where the Spectres found Ezra Bridger. Of course, Lothal was an important planet to the Empire as well because Grand Admiral Thrawn used this world as the site of the development of his TIE Defender project. And Lothal was also home to one of the most mysterious Jedi Temples in Star Wars.

In ‘Rebels,’ Lothal became the site of one of the most important victories on the part of the Rebels when they defeated Grand Admiral Thrawn. This victory was against the greatest commander that the Empire ever had. As such, the victory on Lothal gave the Rebels hope. And Lothal is also one of the most important planets featured in the ‘Ahsoka’ series.

4. Naboo

Naboo was the first planet featured in ‘Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace’ as this world saw the early signs of a war between the Republic and those who sought to start their own federation of independent systems. Of course, Naboo was where Padmé Amidala was born, as she eventually became the queen of Naboo before she decided to serve her planet as a senator.

But many people often forget that Naboo was the homeworld of the man that manipulated the entire events of the Star Wars movies. We are talking about Palpatine, who rose from a nobleman on Naboo to become a senator and then the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. And it was through his rise to power that he eventually became the emperor of the Galactic Empire.

3. Coruscant

Ah yes, the capital planet of the entire Republic and even the Empire. Coruscant is a planet composed entirely of one single city as this world was the center of the governments of the Star Wars galaxy. It was the most-featured planet during the events of the prequel trilogy because a lot of the scenes in those films featured the Chancellor, the Senate, and the Jedi Order, which were all based on Coruscant.

After the fall of the Jedi Order, Palpatine still kept Coruscant as the center of the galaxy and even insulted the Jedi Order by converting the Jedi Temple into his own personal Imperial palace. Of course, Coruscant was also featured in ‘Andor,’ where we saw the political banters between different officers working for the Empire. 

2. Yavin 4

There’s a reason why the dates in Star Wars are marked with either BBY or ABY, as the “BY” stands for “Battle of Yavin.” That’s because the Battle of Yavin was considered the greatest event in the history of the Rebellion. After all, this battle sparked hope within the Rebels after they dealt a massive blow to the Empire’s heart with the Death Star’s destruction.

Yavin served as the Rebels’ base for years before the Empire found out about it. The Death Star was about to destroy the entire planet before Luke and the Rebels destroyed it. As such, this victory was marked as the turning point of the Rebellion, and that’s why it served as the “zero year” of the events that transpired in the galaxy.

1. Tatooine

The truth is that no one will be impressed with a desert planet like Tatooine because there isn’t anything on this planet except for sand and gangsters. It is a system controlled by crime syndicates, and that’s why neither the Republic nor the Empire even bothered with it at all.

But while Tatooine may not be a great planet, it is the homeworld of the two greatest names in the storyline of Star Wars: Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker. Anakin wasn’t born on Tatooine but grew up on that planet as he spent nine years of his life as a slave in this world. Meanwhile, Luke was brought to Tatooine shortly after he was born to live on this planet with Owen and Beru Lars, all while Obi-Wan watched over him.

Tatooine was also the planet where the story of ‘A New Hope’ started, as R2-D2 and C-3PO landed on this world in their mission to bring a secret message to Obi-Wan.

What is your favorite Star Wars planet? Let us know in the comments!