What happened to Ilum in Star Wars?

In Star Wars, Ilum is a sacred planet in the galaxy, known primarily for being the source of the Kyber crystals used to power Jedi lightsabers. The planet played a significant role in the Jedi Order’s traditions, as it was where Jedi Padawans would travel to find their Kyber crystals during the Jedi Trials. However, Ilum’s fate changed dramatically over time, especially in the aftermath of the rise of the Empire. Here's a detailed look at what happened to Ilum in Star Wars lore:

1. Ilum: The Sacred Planet of Kyber Crystals

• Location: Ilum is located in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, a remote area far from the center of galactic civilization.
• Kyber Crystals: Ilum was a rich source of Kyber crystals, the rare and powerful crystals used by the Jedi to construct their lightsabers. The planet’s caves were filled with these crystals, making it a pilgrimage site for Jedi Padawans who needed to find their crystal as part of their Jedi Trials.

The Jedi Trials on Ilum

• For generations, Jedi Padawans traveled to Ilum to complete a rite of passage known as the Gathering, where they would enter the planet’s crystal caves, search for a Kyber crystal, and bond with it to forge their own lightsaber. This tradition was an important part of a Padawan’s journey toward becoming a Jedi Knight.

2. The Fall of the Jedi and the Empire’s Intervention

• Order 66 and the Fall of the Jedi: Following the execution of Order 66 by Emperor Palpatine during the Clone Wars, the Jedi Order was all but destroyed. With the rise of the Empire, the Jedi were hunted down by the Sith and the Imperial forces.
• Ilum’s Invasion: After the rise of the Empire, Ilum became a target. The Empire sought to take control of the planet’s Kyber crystals to use them in their own weapons, particularly for the Death Star, which relied on Kyber crystals to power its superlaser. In the wake of the Jedi Purge, Ilum fell into the hands of the Empire.

3. The Transformation of Ilum: From Sacred Planet to Weapon

• Empire’s Exploitation of Ilum: The Empire began mining the planet for its Kyber crystals, stripping the planet of its natural resources. They transformed Ilum from a peaceful and sacred world into a militarized facility, exploiting its valuable resources for weapons production.

• The Destruction of Ilum’s Ecosystem: Over time, the Empire's mining operations severely damaged Ilum’s delicate ecosystems. The once pristine, ice-covered world became a shadow of its former self, with much of its surface altered by the mining processes.

4. Ilum’s Role in the Sequel Trilogy: Starkiller Base

• The First Order's Weaponization of Ilum: After the fall of the Empire, the First Order, a military dictatorship that arose from the remnants of the Empire, took control of Ilum. They repurposed the planet, using its vast Kyber crystal deposits to power their own destructive weapon, the Starkiller Base.

Starkiller Base

• Starkiller Base was a superweapon built into the core of Ilum itself, turning the entire planet into a weapon capable of destroying entire star systems. The First Order hollowed out Ilum and used the Kyber crystals from the planet to power the base’s massive weaponry.

• Destruction of the Hosnian System: In Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Starkiller Base was used to destroy the Hosnian system, including the planet Hosnian Prime, the seat of the New Republic’s government at the time. The First Order used the planet-sized weapon to obliterate entire star systems in their quest to establish control over the galaxy.

• The Destruction of Starkiller Base: Starkiller Base itself was destroyed during the events of The Force Awakens. The Resistance, led by Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron, managed to launch an attack on the base, which led to its destruction. The death of Starkiller Base marked a significant victory for the Resistance and dealt a blow to the First Order.

5. The Fate of Ilum in Canon vs. Legends

• Canon: In canon, as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ilum was transformed into Starkiller Base, an example of the galaxy’s changing landscape under the influence of the First Order. This version of Ilum is no longer the sacred, untouched planet it once was; instead, it is a hollowed-out weaponized world.

• Legends: In the now non-canon Star Wars Legends (the expanded universe), Ilum had a similar fate after the rise of the Empire, but the story differs in several ways. In some stories, the Jedi were still able to protect the planet and its crystals from Imperial exploitation for a time. The planet’s transformation into a base for the Sith or the Empire wasn't as immediately irreversible as it was in the canon timeline.

6. Ilum in Star Wars Rebels and Other Media

• In Star Wars Rebels: Ilum appears in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, where the Jedi Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus take part in a mission to protect the planet's Kyber crystals from the Empire. During this time, the Empire was already mining Ilum, although it was not yet turned into a weapon.

• In Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order: The planet Ilum also plays a significant role in the 2019 video game Star Wars: Jedi – Fallen Order. In the game, the protagonist Cal Kestis visits Ilum and finds that the Empire has already begun mining the planet, though it has not yet become Starkiller Base. This moment ties directly into the broader narrative of the Empire’s exploitation of Kyber crystals, as well as the destruction of the Jedi Order.

Conclusion

Ilum, once a sacred Jedi world rich with Kyber crystals, was transformed over time into a site of exploitation and destruction. Under the Empire, the planet was mined for its resources, and its once serene environment was ravaged. Later, under the control of the First Order, Ilum was repurposed entirely into Starkiller Base, a planet-sized weapon capable of destroying entire systems. By the time of The Force Awakens, Ilum was no longer recognizable as the peaceful home of the Jedi, but instead a symbol of the Empire’s and First Order’s brutal control over the galaxy’s natural resources. Despite this, Ilum’s significance as the source of the Kyber crystals, a powerful Force-sensitive material, remains integral to the larger Star Wars universe.