Galaxies Opera House

Discovered as a slave on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker had the potential to become one of the most powerful Jedi ever. Some even believed he was the prophesied Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. Always pushing the limits of his Jedi training, seeking to excel and live up to his reputation, Skywalker's passion often brought him into conflict with his mentor, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin was caring and compassionate, but suffered from a deep fear of loss that would prove to be his downfall.

The Mon Calamari people are a humanoid, aquatic species with high-domed heads, webbed hands and large, goggle-like eyes. They hail from the oceans of Mon Cala, a planet they share with the Quarren. During the Clone Wars, differences between the two cultures were fanned by Separatist troublemakers to erupt in civil war. During the Galactic Civil War, the Mon Calamari were said to be the soul of the Rebel Alliance. The Empire pressed these gentle, amphibious people into war by subjugating their watery world. In retaliation, the Mon Calamari became one of the key species of the Rebellion, supplying badly needed warships to the outnumbered Alliance fleet.

Coruscant is the vibrant heart and capital of the galaxy during the age of the Empire, featuring a diverse mix of cultures and citizens spread over hundreds of levels. Once the home of the main Jedi Temple -- the central hub of Jedi training and learning for over a thousand generations and the repository of the Jedi Archives -- these traditions ended when the planet bore witness to Order 66.

The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural, and Sheev Palpatine is the most infamous follower of its doctrines. Scheming, powerful, and evil to the core, Darth Sidious restored the Sith and destroyed the Jedi Order. Living a double life, he was also Palpatine, a Naboo Senator and phantom menace. He manipulated the political system of the Galactic Republic until he was named Supreme Chancellor -- and eventually Emperor – and ruled the galaxy through fear and tyranny. The galaxy rejoiced when he died at the Battle of Endor, but Sidious had cheated death and patiently plotted a return to power.

Papanoida became chairman of Pantora after the death of Chi Cho. When he refused to join the Separatists, they blockaded Pantora and hired the bounty hunter Greedo to kidnap Papanoida's daughters. Unwilling to wait for Coruscant law enforcement or the Senate to help, Papanoida took it on himself to solve the kidnapping and rescue his children.

At the height of its rule, the Galactic Republic was governed by a body of Senators representing the many worlds of the galaxy. Within the cavernous Senate rotunda, hundreds of politicians would fill the viewing platforms that lined the curved walls. The Senate’s power gradually eroded after it voted emergency powers to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine during the Clone Wars, and the body was sharply divided between supporters of the war and those seeking peace. After Palpatine declared himself Emperor, power was increasingly wielded by regional governors. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Palpatine disbanded the Senate.