In Star Wars, few planets have held such political significance as Coruscant. Although it is a massive city, it managed to govern itself and the galaxy under Republic rule before the rise of the Empire and housed both the Galactic Senate and Jedi Council. Things remained that way for quite some time before the Republic was reorganized into the Galactic Empire during the Clone Wars. But with so much history surrounding this planet leading up to the Empire’s rise to power, what became of Coruscant as the Emperor tightened his grip over the planet and the galaxy?
Like all other planets that actively participated in the Clone Wars, Coruscant was another victim of the effects of Order 66. Once Palpatine’s Clone army was activated, they systematically eliminated almost all of the Jedi Order and seized control over Coruscant. Since Palpatine had already established the Empire from a political perspective, all that was left was setting up his rule to make the Jedi look like traitors so that he could reestablish the people’s trust. He also sent Darth Vader to raid and raze the Jedi Temple, symbolizing the fall of the once-respected Order. But while it seemed like the dust had finally settled on Coruscant, Order 66 turned out to be just the beginning of a long and difficult transition period for the planet.
Like most planets that were under the rule of the Empire, Coruscant’s daily life was dealt a major blow as security got marginally tighter and life became more dependent on the regime as a whole. Even the skyline underwent massive aesthetic changes as the Emperor slowly imposed his influence — what was once regal skyscrapers with beautiful reflective paneling quickly tuned into blocky surfaces and a more streamlined style. However, the biggest changes were felt within some of the largest and most important locations, such as the Senate Building and the Jedi Temple.
During the early years of the Empire, the Senate had been renamed the Imperial Senate and still held hearings, even if their influence was largely for show. But when it was released that Princess Leia was actually a part of a Rebel cell, it pushed the Emperor to disband the Senate and officially shut down the building. While he instructed those in the city to say the Senate would once again return, that was hardly the case. Because of how strategic the Emperor handled his transition, many of the people within the city likely wouldn’t have even noticed such a massive change before it was too late, as many were more focused on trying to make ends meet.
Perhaps the most massive and disrespectful change in all of Coruscant, though, was the treatment of the Jedi Temple. As not all Jedi were wiped out following Order 66, it was up to Darth Vader and his Inquisitors to hunt down any stragglers throughout the galaxy. However, on Coruscant, the Jedi slander was at an all-time high as the entire Order was labeled traitors to the Empire. And to drive home this display of power, all lightsabers confiscated at the temple were melted down in a huge ceremony outside of the temple. Later on, the Emperor would make the location his Imperial Palace, even having his Sith artifacts transported there as a subtle dig at everything the Jedi Order stood for. The temple also became one point of the Emperor’s supreme triangle, which was once the city’s Federal District.
What was once a shining jewel of the Republic, the Empire nearly stripped all regality from the iconic planet. The changes made nearly rewrote all of history in the Star Wars universe, as the Jedi were all but wiped from the galaxy, and everything the Senate stood for was tarnished. Yet, even after Imperial rule and the rise of the First Order, it’s clear that no other city could withstand such oppression and still endure.
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