10 Things You Did Not Know About Naboo
Making its onscreen debut in 1999, Naboo instantly captivated audiences with its sweeping plains, plunging waterfalls, and the beautiful architecture in the capital of Theed. While Naboo is a centerpiece for much of the prequel trilogy, there is still plenty to learn about this Mid Rim paradise.
10. Invasive Humans
Several thousand years before the rise of the Empire, humans hailing from the planet Grizmallt set out to find a new home. Led by their Queen Elsinore den Tasia, these humans flee their homeworld as it disolves into bitter, violent civil war. The Grizmalltian scouts discover a beautiful, unspoiled world teeming with life and natural resources. The humans settle in the mountains and grasslands, leaving the swamps and marshlands to the Gungans. Though the species have their differences and rarely interact, there is relative peace between the two, marred only by the occasional conflict that is rapidly quashed.
9. Trio of Moons
Naboo benefits from three resource rich moons: Ohma-D'un, Onoam, and Veruna. While Veruna is a barren, lifeless rock, the other moons are each home to unique flora and fauna. Ohma-D'un is uninhabited, save for large bear-like creatures that sustained on roots and berries. During the Clone Wars, an exploratory Gungan colony is established on this moon. Onoam is valued as a beautiful vacation for the rich and powerful among the Naboo, with sprawling grassland and pink-hued skies. Onoam is also a place of industry as valuable medicinal spice lay beneath the moon's surface. The miners who work the spice have no real love for the Naboo and are even briefly blamed for the attempted assassination of Senator Amidala.
8. Natural Resources
In the Legends novel Darth Plagueis, Naboo is revealed to have an unusual amount of highly valuable plasma beneath its crust. This is a resource that many of the Naboo leadership wish to sell to jump start the Naboo economy on a galactic level. This eventually leads to heavy outside influence by galactic corporations like the Banking Clan and the Trade Federation. The planet's valuable plasma is sold at an exploitatively increased price across the Republic and Outer Rim.
7. Festival of Light
The Naboo have long been regarded as a people of strong tradition and culture. The extravagant clothes worn by their royals are originally inspired by the wardrobe of Queen Elsinore den Tasia and persist as the height on fashion on the planet some 4000 years later. This planetary pride also extends to marking the annual anniversary of Naboo joining the Republic in 867 BBY. A day of celebration, speeches, and fireworks for the citizens of this proud planet.
6. Biological Weapons
The Blue Shadow Virus is an extremely lethal contagion that ravages the galaxy years before the onset of the Clone Wars. The virus proves to be so deadly and contagious that the Republic tasks the galaxy's best scientists with wiping it out. The virus is thought to be extinct for many years, until Dr. Nuvo Vindi, at the behest of Count Dooku, begins reengineering the virus in a secret laboratory on Naboo. While the original virus is strictly waterborne, Dr. Vindi successfully creates an airborne strain that the CIS plans to test on Naboo and then unleash on the Republic. Something like this would be a devastating blow to the galaxy as the virus has a 96% lethality rate among carbon-based lifeforms. Fortunately, this heinous plot is stopped by Padme Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano.
5. Festival of Warriors
The native inhabitants of Naboo, the Gungans are a unique people with a culture very different from others across the galaxy. Within their underwater cities, they hold an annual celebration of their Grand Army called the Festival of Warriors. This festival includes the Big Nasty Free-For-All, a contest of warriors that included swimming races, throwing large stones for distance, and a sport involving using a puffer fish-like creature as a ball. Boss Nass wins this contest three years in a row, a record that stands into the days of the New Republic.
4. Moff Panaka
Quarsh Panaka is a native of Naboo, and an outspoken, efficient, and loyal soldier. Called to protect his homeworld from an early age, Panaka joins a special Republic Task Force dedicated to eliminating pirates that prey on travelers in the Chommell sector. Frustrated at his homeworld's lack of a standing army, Panaka joins the security volunteers and rapidly rises through the ranks with his cautious, bordering on pessimistic, style of engagement. Not one to take unnecessary risks, Panaka strongly cautions against Queen Amidala's bold plan to assault the Trade Federation-held palace, but does his duty and is instrumental in capturing the Viceroy. He remains as the Head of Security for the Queen once Amidala leaves for the Senate and is made Imperial Moff of the sector with the rise of the Empire. His loyalty to the Empire draws the ire of radical rebel fighter Saw Gerrera, who orders his guerilla group of soldiers, known as the Partisans, to assassinate the Moff. Panaka is killed on Naboo's moon of Onoam when his chalet is bombed by the Partisans.
3. Elected Monarchy
Approximately 100 years before the Skywalker saga, the Naboo and Gungans are plunged into a rare war with each other. Up to this point, the Naboo have been ruled by a royal family, descended from the original Grizmalltian royalty that seeks refuge on Naboo. However, during the conflict, as the King leads his troops into battle, he is killed by the Gungans, leaving the humans without a leader. The Naboo elects a Queen and pushes for peace. The position has been an elected office ever since.
2. Operation Cinder
After the fall of the Empire, Naboo is one of the planets targeted for pacification by Operation Cinder. Bombarded from orbit by devastating meteorological weapons, causing wildfires, flooding, and abnormal storms, Naboo is forced to rely on the New Republic for help. Led by Princess Leia, a group of rebel fighters arrives on the planet to disable the Cinder satellites. Using a squad of old N1 fighters, the rebels successfully knock out the satellites and, with the help of the Imperial defector Iden Versio, repel the stormtrooper ground invasion.
1. Building a World
Behind the scenes, Naboo's beautiful scenery was heavily inspired with some of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Italy and Spain were both used as locations for scenes in both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones specifically scenes in the Lake Country. The architecture and buildings of Theed were inspired by the mosque turned museum Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.