Mustafar

Mustafar (/ˈmʊstəfɑːr/) is a fictional planet in the Star Wars saga. It first appeared in the film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and later appeared in the films Rogue One (2016) and Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019). In Revenge of the Sith, it was the location of the climactic lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former pupil, Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker). The planet has also featured in various spin-off media.

Development

While franchise creator George Lucas was writing the sequels of the original Star Wars trilogy, he outlined the backstory that would eventually be seen in the prequel trilogy, including the climactic duel between Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Sith Lord Darth Vader (formerly Kenobi's pupil, Anakin Skywalker). In the novelization of Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan recounts his battle with Anakin, stating that the latter "fell into a molten pit".[1]

During the pre-production of Revenge of the Sith, Steven Spielberg was brought in as a "guest director" to make suggestions to the art designers for the duel scene. He suggested that Anakin and Obi-Wan should be "dripping sweat" and that "their hair at some point should be smoking", which Lucas loved.[2] While the film was in production, Mount Etna erupted in Italy. Camera crews were sent to the location to shoot several angles of the volcano that were later spliced into the background of the film; 910 artists created 49 seconds of footage for the duel over 70,441 man hours.[3]

In deciding to place Vader's castle on the planet, the creators of Rogue One drew inspiration from a Ralph McQuarrie concept painting from the original trilogy depicting the Emperor enthroned over a lava lake.[4]

Appearances

In Revenge of the Sith, the planet serves as the hiding place of the Separatist leaders during the final hours of the Clone Wars, until they are killed by Darth Vader. The Sith lord is later permanently scarred in a battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the banks of a volcano on the planet.[4]

During the Imperial era, Vader builds his personal fortress on the planet; he makes a brief appearance in this location in Rogue One.[4]

In The Rise of Skywalker, set over three decades later, Vader's grandson, Kylo Ren, retrieves a Sith wayfinder from the ruins of Vader's castle. The setting is not made explicit in the film itself, as it looks different from its earlier appearances. The virtual reality game series Vader Immortal reveals that the planet was originally lush and forested, before becoming volcanic and almost lifeless during an ancient battle. By the time of The Rise of Skywalker, it has begun to heal itself, now hosting iron trees.[5]

The planet also appears in the animated television series The Clone Wars and Rebels.[4] In the spin-off comics Tales from Vader's Castle (2018) and Return to Vader's Castle (2019), published by IDW Publishing, the dark lord's fortress serves as the location for a Halloween-themed anthology series of horror stories.[6][7]

The natives of the planet are known as Mustafarians.

References
  1. Slavicsek, Bill (1994). A Guide to the Star Wars Universe (2nd ed.). Del Rey. p. 117. ISBN 0-345-38625-6.
  2. Jones, Brian Jay (2016). George Lucas: A Life. New York City: Little, Brown and Company. p. 426. ISBN 978-0-316-25744-2.
  3. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith DVD documentary Within a Minute [2005].
  4. Bacon, Tom (2017). "Star Wars Returns To Mustafar — Why Is This World So Important To Darth Vader And The Dark Side?". Futurism. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  5. Parker, Luke (January 1, 2020). "Star Wars: Why Mustafar Looks So Different In The Rise Of Skywalker". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  6. Brooks, Dan (July 20, 2018). "SDCC 2018: IDW's Tales from Vader's Castle to Bring the Galactic Frights This October - Exclusive". StarWars.com. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  7. "Darth Vader Awaits in Return to Vader's Castle #5 - Exclusive". StarWars.com. October 23, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
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