Mustafar

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 the anthology film Rogue One, Vader is depicted as having his personal headquarters on Mustafar. In creating the design for Vader's fortress, the film's developers drew inspiration from a Ralph McQuarrie concept painting from the original trilogy depicting the Emperor enthroned over a lava lake.[4]

In Revenge of the Sith, following Count Dooku's death, Darth Sidious orders General Grievous to send the remaining Separatist leaders into hiding on Mustafar. They remain there during the final days of during the Clone Wars, until Sidious, having achieved his goal of transforming the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire and put an end to the war, orders his new apprentice, Darth Vader, to assassinate them. Shortly after the Separatist leaders' deaths, Vader is confronted by his former mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, with whom he engages in a fierce lightsaber duel. Their battle ends with Vader being permanently scarred and left to die on the banks of a volcano on the planet, until Sidious rescues him and places him in a robotic suit to keep him alive.[4]

In Rogue One, it is revealed that Vader has built a fortress on Mustafar, which serves as his personal headquarters during the reign of the Empire. The fortress makes a brief appearance in the film, during Vader's meeting with Director Orson Krennic.[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. This change is explained in the VR game series Vader Immortal, which reveals that the planet was originally lush and forested, before becoming volcanic and almost lifeless during an ancient battle. During the events of the game, the player character restores Mustafar to its original state, but the planet will take several centuries to be completely healed. By the time of The Rise of Skywalker, only a few changes have occurred, such as the appearance of iron trees.[5]

Mustafar also makes brief appearances 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 Sith Lord's fortress serves as the location for a Halloween-themed anthology series of horror stories.[6][7]

While largely lifeless, the planet hosts a few native species, known as Mustafarians.

• List of Star Wars planets and moons
• Lava planet

• Mustafar in the StarWars.com Databank
• Mustafar on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki