Star Wars just made Coruscant the second Sith homeworld (although it seems to have been an accident). The history of the Star Wars galaxy is one of constant war between the forces of light and darkness. Five thousand years ago, a group of Jedi schismed from the order, establishing a rival group committed to the dark side known as the Sith. Since then, the Jedi and Sith have driven one another to the brink of extinction on countless occasions.
The Sith homeworld is technically the planet Moraband, also known by many other names such as Korriban. A desolate world ravaged by the dark side, Moraband is dominated by the Valley of the Dark Lords, which contains monuments and crypts dedicated to ancient Sith Lords. Master Yoda visited Moraband in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he encountered the spirit of Darth Bane, founder of the Rule of Two. It is not the only Sith world, of course; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker introduced the ancient Sith redoubt of Exegol, and other worlds such as Ziost, Jaguada, Rhelg, and Asog have also been mentioned. Surprisingly, even Coruscant – long the galactic capital – has been claimed by the Sith. In fact, canon has (apparently accidentally) indicated Coruscant may be a second Sith homeworld.
Coruscant’s Sith Shrine Is As Old As The Sith Themselves
The Jedi Temple on Coruscant is actually built on an ancient Sith shrine, a deliberate act by the Jedi who hoped their light could restore balance in this dark place. The Jedi actually found a use for this dark vergence, as seen in Claudia Gray’s novel Into the Dark, which revealed the Jedi took objects steeped in the dark side of the Force and performed rituals of purification, stripping them of the dark side and depositing it within the vergence. They believed it would then dissipate into the cosmic Force, although it is frankly more likely they were simply inadvertently strengthening the power of this vergence.
Intriguingly, James Luceno’s novel Tarkin suggests the shrine on Coruscant is older than the Sith themselves, and that it was claimed by the Sith some 5,000 years ago. In one scene, Palpatine visits it and reflects on what he knows of the vergence’s past. “Save for Sidious, no sentient being in close to five thousand years had set foot in the shrine,” Palpatine reflects. Leaving aside the Emperor’s ignorance of the Jedi rites conducted there – which seem to have stopped well before the prequel era – it’s fascinating to note how long ago he believes the Sith themselves had used it. This is a reference to the earliest Sith, perhaps even to their founders.
Coruscant May Hide A Darker History Than Viewers Realize
The correlation between these dates – the founding of the Sith Order and the last time a Sith visited the Coruscant shrine – appears to be accidental. The shrine’s history is only given a cursory mention in Lucasfilm’s recent Star Wars: Timelines book, after all, and the 5,000-year date is not mentioned there. But it would actually be quite appropriate, because there have been strong hints Coruscant has a dark history. Coruscant’s darkest secrets have been hinted on several occasions, Zoraida Córdova’s novel Convergence noting there are ruins on the lowest levels that have long been forgotten. A short story in Star Wars Adventures #25, by Delilah S. Dawson and Margaux Saltel, revealed an ancient temple that appeared to contain many kyber crystals.
This may even explain why the Jedi centered themselves on Coruscant in the end. Recent books in the Star Wars: The High Republic range have revealed the Jedi used to be based on the sacred planet Jedha, known as the Kyber Heart of the galaxy, but it’s quite possible they moved to Coruscant because they hoped their light could dispel the darkness they sensed there. The decision to cap the Coruscant Sith shrine with their Jedi Temple would therefore represent their purpose – but it seems to have backfired. In Tarkin, Palpatine believed the darkness of this very vergence had seeped out of the shrine and clouded the Jedi’s ability to perceive the Force, perhaps even making it possible for the Sith to return on what may well have been their second homeworld.
