Theory: Was the Death Star II Built On Exegol?
Even among hardcore fans of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi is generally regarded as the weakest of the three classic movies. One of the most popular criticisms of the film is its reuse of elements from A New Hope. From the opening on Tatooine to the climactic battle in space, the third installment of the original trilogy did seem to go back to the still young franchise's greatest hits after The Empire Strikes Back took the Star Wars universe in a new and introspective direction. But perhaps the most universally recognized example of Return of the Jedi's reliance on the first film was the introduction (or lack thereof) of the Death Star II.
Quickly established in the film's crawl and opening shot with little spectacle or fanfare, the Death Star II was seen by many fans, critics and general audiences as the Star Wars series returning to a simpler threat in the same vein as the first film, rather than having a more personal overarching threat like the one seen in the second film. It also essentially served the same purpose as the original Death Star; a ticking clock for the ragtag team of rebels and a symbol of the enormous Empire they were fighting.
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Though the Death Star II is destroyed in a slightly different way than its predecessor and has the added emotional weight of Luke Skywalker's final confrontation with Darth Vader, it's ultimately the same space station serving the same story purpose with little explanation of its construction to this very day. While there's nothing that can be done to change the Death Star II's original role in the film, I think it's still possible for the current canon to flesh out the station's creation and give it a bit more connection with the overall saga. For this purpose, I have a theory to share. What if the Death Star II was built by the Sith Eternal?
We do know that the Sith Eternal were building Star Destroyers, TIE fighters and other weapons on Exegol for Darth Sidious. We also know from the eleventh issue of Greg Pak's Darth Vader comic series that the Final Order was being constructed on the planet during the original trilogy. So is it truly out of the realm of possibility that the Death Star II was created there as well?
This development would explain how the station was nearly completed in just four years as compared to the nineteen years it took to finish the first Death Star. It would also explain how the Empire managed to keep the Death Star II's construction even more of a secret than that of its predecessor. Plus it would help to further connect the sequel trilogy to the original trilogy by retconning the Sith Eternal into Return of the Jedi.
Lately, Star Wars has been greatly focused on incorporating elements of the sequel trilogy into the rest of the saga. Look no further than the current comics, which have implemented Exegol, Ochi of Bestoon, and the Knights of Ren into the era of the original trilogy.
Exegol is an incredibly unique planet in Star Wars with endless potential for storytelling. The secrets this world contains have already been used to enhance Darth Vader's story, with the Sith Lord witnessing Darth Sidious' power firsthand and swearing loyalty to his master after previously planning to kill him. I believe Star Wars could also use the hidden Sith world to give added context to the Death Star II, answering a few of the questions still left by Return of the Jedi and helping the Skywalker Saga feel more cohesive. Have we truly seen all of the information those Bothans died to bring us? Only time will tell.
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