Coruscant / Legends Coruscant ( pronounced / ' kɔɹəsɑnt / or , more rarely , / kəˈɹʌskənt / ) , originally called Notron , also known as Imperial Center or the Queen of the Core , was a planet located in the Galactic Core . It was generally agreed that Coruscant was , during most of galactic history , the most politically important world in the galaxy . At various times , it was the capital of the Galactic Republic , the Galactic Empire , the New Republic , the Yuuzhan Vong empire , the Galactic Alliance , very briefly the Fel Empire , Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire , and the Galactic Federation Triumvirate . In controlling Coruscant , these governments controlled most of the galaxy in the process . Over the centuries , Coruscant had developed into an ecumenopolis , with a total of 5 , 127 levels of city built up from the crust by the time of the Clone Wars . The actual planet - wide metropolis of Coruscant was called Galactic City . Under the Galactic Republic , the names Republic City or the City of Spires were also used to reference the city . It was also called Imperial City under the Galactic Empire , and New Republic City under the New Republic . However , in practice , Galactic City and its other names were sometimes applied to the Senate District , the central government center and " de facto " capital of Coruscant . Under the Yuuzhan Vong , the city and planet were both referred to as Yuuzhan ' tar . Description . Overview . Coruscant was a planet located in the Core Worlds . Located at the intersection of numerous major hyperlane s , including the Perlemian Trade Route , the Corellian Run , the Metellos Trade Route , the Koros Trunk Line , and the Leisure Corridor , its hyperspace coordinates were ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) which effectively made it the center of the galaxy . These coordinates also inspired the planet ' s military designation , " triple zero " or " Zero Zero Zero , " though the actual galactic center was located in the Deep Core . As the " de jure " center of the galaxy , however , Coruscant was generally agreed to be the most important planet throughout most of galactic history , as well as being one of the wealthiest due to its advantageous location . Coruscant served as the capital for the Galactic Republic , Galactic Empire , New Republic , Yuuzhan Vong Empire , Galactic Alliance , the Fel Empire , Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire , and the Galactic Federation Triumvirate . It also served at various times as the home of the Jedi Order and the Jedi Temple . Surface . Geologically , the planet was composed of a molten core with a rocky mantle and a silica te rock crust . At its poles were huge ice caps that were popular spots for tourists . The entire surface of Coruscant was covered by sprawling kilometers - high ecumenopolis , and boasted a population of over a hundred billion to several trillion , depending on the era . Following the end of the Clone Wars , an official census noted 1 trillion official permanent residents . The statistics did not include transients , temporary workers , unregistered populace , nor residents of orbital facilities . Because of these omissions , the actual population of Coruscant was estimated to be three times the official record . Coruscant was known to have the tallest buildings in the Galaxy . Coruscanti skyscrapers dwarfed all the original natural features , including mountains , as well as floors of oceans which once covered a large portion of Coruscant ' s surface . Areas of Galactic City were broken up into 5 , 127 levels which were then divided into megablock s , blocks , and subblocks . Coruscant itself was divided into quadrants , which were divided into zones . Below the skyscrapers was Coruscant ' s undercity , where sunlight never reached . Artificial lighting illuminated these lower levels and advertisement holograms could be seen everywhere . There were numerous establishments for entertainment , catering to a myriad of alien species . The residents were collectively referred to as Twilighter s . Coruscant was once a world mostly covered in oceans . However , all natural bodies of water were drained and stored in vast caverns beneath the city as a result of years of overpopulation . The only body of water visible was the artificial Western Sea , with many artificial islands floating on it , used by tourists on holidays . With no other bodies of water available to feed and water its trillion inhabitants , Coruscant ' s architects , along with many others from around the galaxy , worked together to build a self - contained eco - system in the massive buildings set all over the planet . Polar cap stations also melted ice and distributed water throughout the planet - wide city through a complex series of pipes . Neighborhoods . Galactic City was divided into quadrants , several thousand in number , with each quadrant further split into sectors . Each sector was numbered on official maps , but sectors often had nicknames , such as Sah ' c Town , also known as sector H - 46 , named for a prominent family that owned a large portion of its land , or The Works , the largest of Coruscant ' s designated industrial zones . The Works was once one of the galaxy ' s major manufacturing areas , where starship parts , droids , and building materials were heavily produced for centuries , but as construction and industry became cheaper and more efficient and cheaper off - world , The Works fell into disrepair . The area gained a reputation as a hub of criminal activity and locals generally stayed away from it . A similar , but more dangerous area , was the Factory District , which was once the industrial heart of Coruscant until it too lost out to competition from producers in other Core Worlds . By the time of the Great Jedi Purge , it lay in ruins and was almost completely deserted of sentients , because of the feral droid s that prowled its streets . It was located on the opposite side of the planet , and was much more dangerous than the Southern Underground , Invisible Sector , which were infamous in their own right . Another area of Coruscant was CoCo Town , an abbreviation of " collective commerce . " Many diverse species lived there and worked in manufacturing . A partially enclosed open - air plaza near the Senate building , the Column Commons , was so - called because it housed most of the HoloNet and news media corporations . Environment . A series of orbital mirrors were set up that reflected the sun ' s warmth and light . Several of these mirrors were destroyed during the Clone Wars , specifically the Battle of Coruscant . It is known that thunderstorms and rain occurred during 19 BBY and 3 ABY . The planet produced trillions of tons of waste every hour . Though almost everything on the planet , from clothes to packaging and machinery was recyclable , some waste was too dangerous to recycle . Such items included worn - out hyperdrive cores which were delivered to one of the planet ' s five thousand garbage pits , where they were put into canisters and fired into a tight orbit around the planet . Garbage ships then collected them and transported them to nearby moons for storage . Some of the more dangerous materials were shot into the nearby sun for complete incineration . Garbage not exported or destroyed was mixed into a slurry of silicone oils and processed by garbage worms which chewed it into pellets while removing any remaining organics , plastic , or recoverable metals . They turned millions of tons of pellets into carbon dioxide , methane , and other gases . Coruscant ' s enormous population and industrialization also produced massive amounts of carbon dioxide and heat energy . Thousands of carbon dioxide - reactive atmospheric dampener s were put into place in the upper atmosphere to prevent atmospheric degeneration . The first set of these planet - wide dampeners , developed by the Galactic Republic , was known as the Coruscant Atmospheric Reclamation Project . Near the planet ' s core were a number of massive power relay stations . The lowest levels were abandoned to mutant s and scavengers , such as the cannibalistic , mythical Cthon . The foundations of many of the buildings , some of which weighed billions of tons , also extended deep into the planet ' s crust . Galactic Standard Time was developed on Coruscant and so was tied to the daily and yearly cycle of the planet . A standard day , like Coruscant , was made up of 24 hours , while a standard year ' s 368 days reflected the length of Coruscant ' s year . History . Pre - Republic . Around 200 , 000 BBY , the planet Notron was home to two species : the grey - skinned Taung and the Zhell , the ancestors of the modern Humans . The Thirteen Nations of Zhell eventually came into conflict with the Taung , and the Battalions of Zhell fought the Taung in a fierce war . However , during a battle at the city of Zhell , a volcano erupted , and the Taung overran the terrified Zhell in the battle that followed . Taking the victory and the cloud of volcanic ash as a sign of divine favor , the Taung adopted the name " Dha Werda Verda " — the Warriors of Shadow . However , they were ultimately driven off of Notron to the planet Roon by the Zhell . The leaders of the Thirteen Nations were believed by archaeologists to have been buried near the planet ' s south pole , in the structure that became known as the Ice Crypts . Sometime around 100 , 000 BBY , the Columi species visited Notron — known by that time as Coruscant — though they dismissed the world as primitive and a disappointment . Coruscant ' s Human natives began to urbanize their homeworld after the departure of the Taung , and archaeologists later believed that the historic Petrax Historic Quarter was the site of the planet ' s first skyscrapers . The Gree species also had contact with early Humans , building Coruscant ' s original infrastructure , and by the approximate date of 90 , 000 BBY , the ecumenopolis later known as Galactic City had begun to build upwards . As the Human population soared , they were forced to develop the first atmospheric scrubbers , delivery pipelines , recycling plants , and hydroponic farms , and instead of burying unrecyclable garbage , Coruscant ' s inhabitants built cannons that launched canisters of waste into orbit where garbage scows could tow them out of the star system . Around 30 , 000 BBY , the Rakata species discovered Coruscant and incorporated it into their Infinite Empire . Some Humans were taken as slaves and put to work across the Empire , though the remaining Humans learned from their rulers ' technology and developed sleeper ship s . Over the next several centuries , the Coruscanti dispatched a number of sleeper ships , and by 27 , 500 BBY , their ships had established colonies on Metellos , Alsakan , Axum , Tepasi , Alderaan , Kuat , Rendili , Corfai , Corellia , and the worlds of the Ringali Shell region . Around 27 , 000 BBY , they launched ships even further , seeding the planets Barseg and Janilis VII in the distant Tion Cluster . Around 25 , 200 BBY , the Infinite Empire collapsed due to infighting and a species - wide plague that afflicted the Rakata , and the Humans of Coruscant reclaimed rulership of their world . Around that time , they launched the sleeper ship " Lokani Dawn " . By 25 , 053 BBY , Coruscant had established contact with Alderaan , Duro , Corellia , and many other planets in the Core Worlds , and the planet was the site of the signing of the Galactic Constitution , which founded the Galactic Republic and named Coruscant the capital of the new government . Capital of the Republic . The Republic ' s early years . Almost two centuries after the " Lokani Dawn " launch , the people of Coruscant were dismayed to witness the vessel ' s destruction when the sleeper ship — which had been carefully watched by Coruscanti scientists for the last two centuries — was ripped apart by a meteor shower . The development of hyperspace cannon s linked Coruscant to Alderaan , Duro , Corellia , and other worlds , but it was not until Corellian scientists succeeded in reverse - engineering the Rakatan hyperdrive around 25 , 000 BBY that starships could travel between the worlds of the Republic in a matter of days . Coruscant soon became the anchor for the newly charted Perlemian Trade Route , a major hyperlane that linked the Republic with the distant Tion Cluster — where the Human colonists had developed their own proud and warlike society . Coruscant also sat at the intersection of the Perlemian and the Spin , a hyperlane that wrapped around the Deep Core from Metellos to Corellia . Around 25 , 000 BBY , the Perlemian Trade Route brought the Republic into contact with the Jedi Order on the distant planet Ossus , and after Jedi Master Haune Tiar toured the Republic , the Jedi became the government ' s protectors and established a presence on Coruscant . However , when the First Great Schism split the Jedi Order around 24 , 500 BBY , Coruscant was caught up in the conflict between the Jedi Order and the Dark Jedi of the Legions of Lettow , as a battle occurred on Coruscant during the fighting . Around 24 , 000 BBY , the Tionese War broke out with the Honorable Union of Desevro & Tion as the Tionese began a march of conquest along the Perlemian Trade Route . Between 24 , 000 and 23 , 900 BBY , the Tionese pushed deep into the Core Worlds , and even Coruscant itself was attacked — the Tionese bombarded Coruscant ' s city - surface with pressure bomb s . As the centuries passed , Republic City — a district in Coruscant ' s eastern hemisphere near the Manarai Mountains — expanded outward , absorbing the planet ' s other districts and developing into the ecumenopolis of Galactic City . As Coruscant grew more prosperous , the Core World of Alsakan began to grow jealous of the planet ' s place at the heart of the Republic . Alsakan was a major influence in the Human - dominated sectors along the Perlemian Trade Route , primarily the region known as the Northern Dependencies , while Coruscant was a powerful player in the Arrowhead and the Slice — the sections of the Core Worlds , the Colonies , the Inner Rim , and the Expansion Region that lay between the Perlemian to the north and the Spin to the south . The Spin was the original lifeline of the Republic , and because the Perlemian only intersected with the Spin at Coruscant , Alsakan and its dependents were largely independent from the rest of the Republic . The aristocratic Alsakani , who called the Perlemian the Axis , sought to supplant Coruscant as the seat of Republic power , and in 17 , 018 BBY , Alsakan led the Axis worlds in claiming a number of resource - rich systems to block the Grand Companies , the major trading conglomerates of the Spin . Coruscant and the Republic backed the Spin merchants , sending a fleet to the planet Virujansi and capturing it . Thus began the First Alsakan Conflict , a series of seventeen wars between the Coruscant - dominated Republic and Alsakan that spanned fourteen thousand years . The First Conflict was ended by the Bureau of Ships and Services in 16 , 700 BBY , though both Coruscant and Alsakan would be raided during the early conflicts , neither side ever achieved true victory over the other , and Corellia developed into a third galactic player as it excused itself from the conflicts . In 15 , 500 BBY , Republic scouts encountered the enormous , fire - breathing reptilian species known as the Duinuogwuin on a planet in the Outer Rim Territories . Terrified , the scouts opened fire on the Duinuogwuin and fled the planet , returning to Coruscant , but the enraged Duinuogwuin followed their attackers back to the capital and attacked it in what would be later known as the Duinuogwuin Contention . The Supreme Chancellor at the time , Fillorean , refused to mobilize the Republic Navy and instead attempted to communicate with the massive Star Dragons attacking the planet — and to the surprise of the terrified Coruscanti , Fillorean was successful . The Duinuogwuin were actually intelligent and naturally peaceful , and the Duinuogwuin philosopher Borz ' Mat ' oh negotiated a treaty to end the conflict . The two later worked together to establish the University of Coruscant , the planet ' s first university , and the two were immortalized in a pair of statues fashioned from chalcedony . The Pius Dea and onward . Around 12 , 000 BBY , the Galactic Museum was established on Coruscant , and it would serve as the galaxy ' s premier repository of historical artifacts for well over ten thousand years . By that time , a religious cult known as Pius Dea that worshiped a deity named The Goddess had been established on Coruscant for several centuries , and the cult ' s followers were known for their strict moral code and their emphasis on both spiritual purity and humanocentrism . Around 12 , 000 BBY , the Human later known as Contispex I rose to prominence within the Coruscant Merchants ' Guild , and he became a leadership figure in the Pius Dea faith on Coruscant . Pius Dea arranged for the impeachment of Bothan Supreme Chancellor Pers ' lya in 11 , 987 BBY , and his assassination shortly afterward , and Contispex I was elected to succeed Pers ' lya as a result . Under Contispex , the Pius Dea became the unofficial religion of the Republic , and he taught that communities could be restored to purity by purging " irredeemable " elements — and to the Pius Dea , alien species were the epitome of spiritual corruption . In 11 , 965 BBY , Contispex I launched the First Pius Dea Crusade , one of thirty - four military campaigns against alien species that would be conducted by Contispex and his successors , who formed the Contispex dynasty and took on the title of Contispex to honor the first Contispex . In 11 , 933 BBY , the Jedi Order departed Coruscant and returned to Ossus in the Recusal , as they could not decide what action to take against the corrupt Republic . The Pius Dea Era finally ended in 10 , 966 BBY , when the Jedi Order , Alsakan , and a number of alien species defeated the Pius Dea at the Battle of Uquine in the Seventh Alsakan Conflict . Wars with the Sith . After the Great Hyperspace War , the Galactic Senate granted a vast tract of land on Coruscant to the Jedi Order in recognition of the Jedi contribution to the Republic during the conflict . The land , surrounding a Force nexus centered on a mountain , had been a place of worship for the Coruscanti for centuries . Many senators expected the Jedi to construct a fortress to defend the planet in the event of a future invasion , but while the Jedi Council eagerly accepted the land , it held to the belief that the Jedi were not by nature a military force . Instead , the Council authorized the construction of meditative centers and training centers , some of which helped preserve Coruscant ' s disappearing natural environment . Following the devastation of Ossus , the Jedi Council took up residence in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant , to which many Jedi relics from Ossus were taken . The Temple was greatly expanded , including the building of the original Jedi Council Chamber . The Great Galactic War broke out between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire in 3681 BBY and lasted until 3653 BBY . Towards the end of the war , the Sith surprised the galaxy and extended an offer of peace to the Republic . Although cautious of the Empire ' s intentions , the Republic ' s Galactic Senate accepted . While Republic and Imperial delegations convened on Alderaan for treaty negotiations , Sith Lord Darth Angral led a Sith battle fleet to Coruscant and initiated the Sacking of Coruscant . Their first contact was made with the Coruscant Security Force ' s Orbital Security Station Six which the Sith quickly obliterated . They then began their invasion of the planet . Sending a stolen Republic shuttle to the Jedi Temple , the Sith broke through and engaged the Jedi who were present as well as the Temple Security Force . However , the Jedi were overwhelmed and Coruscant ' s defenses were brought down , allowing the Sith to land their troops . The Sith took the Senate Building and the Supreme Chancellor was assassinated . Six members of the Jedi Council were also killed in the battle , while the Jedi Temple itself was destroyed . With Coruscant securely in their grip , the Empire was able to take command of the negotiations on Alderaan , forcing the Republic delegation to sign the controversial Treaty of Coruscant . Although it brought an end to the Great Galactic War , the treaty set the stage for the Cold War , which would last a scarce decade before open conflict resumed . At some point before 3600 BBY , the war with the Sith ceased , and the Jedi returned to Coruscant , erecting a new Temple in place of the old . This new Temple was repeatedly expanded , including in 3519 BBY and 2519 BBY when the Jedi Archives were built , and 1019 BBY when the Temple spires were finally fully rebuilt . The seventeenth and final Alsakan Conflict also occurred after the conclusion of the Sith wars , and in 3017 BBY , Corellian privateers inflicted a dramatic defeat on a Republic squadron at Coruscant . The Republic declared war on Corellia in response , but its forces were quickly outfought , and the conflict ended when Corellian Prince - Admiral Jonash e Solo dictated a peace treaty on the floor of the Senate Building . The New Sith Wars brought turmoil again to the Republic . Beginning in 2000 BBY with the Fourth Great Schism and ending in 1000 BBY , the New Sith Wars contained 1 , 000 years of fighting between the Republic and the Sith . The Republic Dark Age that began in 1100 BBY was seen by most as a period where the Republic ceased to exist as its territory became a rump around Coruscant and the some of the Core Worlds . The Jedi took direct control of the Republic , bypassing the Senate entirely . The Sith were poised to take Coruscant itself only to be stopped at Ruusan . With the Sith armies thought to be completely destroyed , the Republic was rebuilt under the Ruusan Reformation . A new age began for the Republic , a time of peace lasting for several centuries . Great Peace of the Republic . In 335 BBY , the Coruscanti government introduced granite slug s , a species of land mollusks , to the planet ' s undercity to aid in efforts to clean up refuse that had accumulated over centuries . Over time , the slug population exploded , and while the appearance of the paved areas in the undercity was greatly improved , the slugs also served as a food source for predators that had previously been contained . In 110 BBY , many Blood Carver s relocated from their homeworld of Batorine to Coruscant , where they became famous for their wood carvings . In later decades , Prince Xizor , a Falleen of royal blood , used his fortune as the head of Xizor Transport Systems to raze Coruscant ' s historic Farfalla skyscraper and construct a castle in its place from the sub - foundations up . In 33 BBY , terrorist organization The Flail , accusing the Galactic Senate of corruption , disrupted public services of Coruscant , including commerce , communications , traffic , and weather , destroying property and lives while doing so . They were stopped by agents of Finis Valorum . In 32 BBY , the violent criminal gang Black Heth started terrorizing the Coruscant Underworld . The Jin ' ha group was supplying weapons , but the Jedi Padawan Obi - Wan Kenobi intervened and stopped the criminal activity . Later that year , Queen Amidala of Naboo escaped a Trade Federation blockade of her homeworld , and on Coruscant her attempts to persuade the Senate to aid Naboo were thwarted by bureaucracy and political maneuvering . In frustration , she called for a Vote of No Confidence in the embattled Supreme Chancellor Valorum , paving the way for Naboo senator Palpatine to take his place . In 30 BBY , Jedi Masters Peerce and J ' Mikel were killed by the bounty hunter Aurra Sing , who was wanted for the murder of several other Jedi , while searching for her on Coruscant . Xiaan Amersu , J ' Mikel ' s Padawan , reported the incident to the Jedi High Council at the Jedi Temple , where a mission to capture Sing was organized . In 27 BBY , Coruscant was almost destroyed by Ashaar Khorda using the Infant of Shaa . Jango Fett , Zam Wesell , and Yarael Poof saved Coruscant , although Poof sacrificed himself to do so . News of this averted disaster was never widely divulged , however . In the same year , Jedi Master Jorus C ' baoth and his Padawan , Lorana Jinzler , interrupted a meeting between Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and his aide , Kinman Doriana , on Coruscant to demand more funding for C ' baoth ' s proposed Outbound Flight Project . The sides came to an agreement that if C ' baoth could resolve a mining strike on the planet Barlok , it would free up enough funds to finish the project , after which Palpatine ordered Doriana to keep watch over C ' boath . Doriana returned to his apartment to pack and contacted his true master , Darth Sidious . After C ' baoth received permission from the Jedi Council to travel to Barlok , Master Mace Windu ordered Obi - Wan Kenobi and his Padawan , Anakin Skywalker , to follow C ' baoth to his destination . Separatist Crisis . In 24 BBY , former Jedi Master Count Dooku reemerged on Raxus Prime and delivered an impassioned speech that presented the case for the Republic ' s irreversible corruption . Thus began the Separatist Crisis , in which thousands of worlds seceded from the Republic and joined Dooku ' s newly inaugurated Confederacy of Independent Systems . Westport , which handled the bulk of Coruscant ' s emigrant departures , experienced a 6 , 000 % increase in traffic during the crisis , while Eastport took in masses of refugees from seceded worlds . On 13 : 3 : 6 , Supreme Chancellor Palpatine announced on the general channels of the HoloNet from the Senate Rotunda that 5 : 16 would be the date of a full Senate vote on the creation of a centralized military to oppose the Separatist threat . On the morning of 13 : 3 : 7 , a three - hour brawl between Houk and Weequay immigrants at the Eastport processing station left 15 dead and 45 wounded . On 13 : 4 : 4 , a garbage launcher misfire destroyed four surrounding blocks of the cityscape and littered the entire Desrini District with dangerous industrial waste , which attracted huge numbers of scavenging dianogas to the area over the following months . Later in 13 : 4 , the Coruscant Ministry of Ingress , in response to port overcrowding and the threat of Separatist terrorism , issued new restrictions on all interstellar traffic inbound to Coruscant . Meanwhile , the Military Creation Act spawned increasingly vocal advocates and opponents , and on 13 : 5 : 9 , large - scale riots were narrowly averted when the Senate Guard was dispatched to disperse crowds gathering at the entrances of the Senate Rotunda . On 13 : 5 : 16 , an assassination attempt on Naboo senator Padmé Amidala was made when she arrived on Coruscant to vote against the Military Creation Act . A bomb destroyed her starship shortly after its landing , killing several of her handmaidens and guards . Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi - Wan Kenobi were assigned to protect her , and during the following night they foiled another attempt at Padmé ' s penthouse by Zam Wesell , leading to an airspeeder chase which ended in a showdown at the Outlander Club , a sports bar and club in an entertainment district in the lower levels of the planet . The Jedi captured Wesell , but she was killed by Jango Fett . Kenobi ' s subsequent investigation of Wesell ' s death led him to Kamino , setting off a chain of events that led to the outbreak of the Clone Wars . Clone Wars . In 22 BBY , the Clone Wars erupted when the newly created Grand Army of the Republic attacked the Confederate - controlled world of Geonosis . Coruscant experienced a number of radical changes during the galaxy - spanning conflict . Large swaths of the cityscape were laid low to make room for the construction of military staging areas . Millions of citizens were displaced by the urban renewal , most of them impoverished , members of alien species loyal to the Confederacy of Independent Systems , or both . Initially , there was public outcry , but such dissidence was either ignored or quashed . Acts of terrorism were also commonplace , with indiscriminate tactics such as bombings resulting in hundreds , or sometimes thousands , of casualties . Most were the products of Separatist cells , while some isolated incidents were of questionable origin . Assassination attempts on influential Republic politicians were common . Notable incidents included the raid of Ziro ' s palace after the Republic discovered the Hutt ' s affiliation with Count Dooku ; the holding of Senator Meena Tills hostage by Korun nai terrorists which was actually cover for an attempt to turn the Corporate Sector against the Republic ; and the Senate hostage crisis at the Republic Executive Building that was carried out by bounty hunter Cad Bane to free Ziro the Hutt . The year 21 BBY saw a wave of such disasters , including the Coruscant Insurrection by Count Dooku and Dark Jedi Trenox to steal a holocron at the Jedi Temple ; the bombing of the freighter " Star of Iskin " that killed former Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum and thousands on the surface as a result of raining debris ; a terrorist attack on a power generator that resulted in power outages and fires throughout the Senate District ; the assassination of Senator Viento by rogue Jedi Quinlan Vos ; and the murders of Senator Onaconda Farr and Senator Mee Deechi by Farr ' s personal aide Lolo Purs . Also , at some point during the Clone Wars , there was an incident involving a Zillo Beast from Malastare . After the creature was transported to Coruscant by order of Chancellor Palpatine , the Zillo Beast was subjected to examination and experimentation . When Palpatine ordered its destruction in order to hasten the procedure , the Zillo Beast broke free and immediately sought vengeance on the man who was intent on killing it . As it rampaged through Galactic City , thousands of citizens tried to flee in terror while the Jedi and their clone forces scrambled to neutralize the creature . Upon reaching the Executive Building , the Zillo Beast nearly succeeded in killing the Chancellor , only for its efforts to be thwarted by the Jedi . Although they succeeded in killing it , Chancellor Palpatine discreetly ordered that the Zillo Beast be cloned to conduct further research . Such incidents prompted the Republic to implement numerous changes on Coruscant in the name of increased security . Clone troopers of the Republic ' s newly formed Grand Army were dispatched throughout the planet on regular patrols as the capital ' s military guard . The fanatically pro - Human COMPOR was founded ; the local SAGroup , led by Nenevanth Tion , marched in a parade of Republic patriotism on Coruscant . COMPOR pressured Tannon Praji into deporting from the capital all members of species whose homeworld had joined the Confederacy . Following the " Star of Iskin " incident , the Senate approved the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act , which allowed Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to strip civil liberties in the name of civil security . Coruscant fell under particularly heavy government supervision , with security becoming gradually tighter as one traveled deeper into the levels of the Galactic City . The planet ' s lower levels , which had once been a haven for crime and an unregulated market , became heavily subdued , such that illicit goods and services became difficult to find . While most Coruscanti were content with surrendering these and other liberties for security , the changes did not sit well with the galactic capital ' s alien population , particularly those that were associated with the leadership of the Confederacy . Many Geonosians , Muuns , Neimoidians , and Gossams suffered ostracization on Coruscant , while many others were forced to flee the world altogether . In addition , numerous rumors surfaced regarding antiwar demonstrations that were quelled with forceful measures , seizure of private property , and disappearances . As disturbing as these abuses of power were , proof of the acts was either nonexistent or easily discredited . Throughout the remainder of the war , the Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act was altered by amendments known as the Security Acts , which , although intended to further enhance security throughout the Republic , also contributed to Palpatine ' s growing power over the government and the weakening of the authority of the Galactic Senate . Despite the numerous precautions taken , in 19 BBY , on 15 : 5 : 20 , the Confederacy of Independent Systems succeeded in making a surprise raid on Coruscant . Bypassing the heavily fortified Corellian sector by use of secret hyperspace routes through the Deep Core provided by Darth Sidious , a Separatist fleet under the command of the dreaded General Grievous took the city planet completely unaware . While the Separatist ships engaged the Republic home defense fleet , an army of battle droids descended upon Galactic City . The invasion distracted the defending Jedi and clone forces while General Grievous and a squad of his elite MagnaGuards captured Chancellor Palpatine . However , Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi - Wan Kenobi succeeded in rescuing the Supreme Chancellor from the infamous Separatist flagship " Invisible Hand " . The Battle of Coruscant eventually turned in the Republic ' s favor , and the Separatist armada was forced into a full retreat . However , the battle had shaken much of the population , and large portions of the city had been decimated by falling ships or collateral damage caused in the vicious fighting . At the conclusion of the Clone Wars , Chancellor Palpatine brought about the destruction of the Jedi Order by issuing Order 66 to all clone troopers throughout the galaxy from his executive office . In the Grand Convocation Chamber of the Senate Building , Palpatine announced the creation of his New Order to the Galactic Senate . With the Jedi all but destroyed , Palpatine proclaimed his intentions to reorganize the Republic into the first Galactic Empire , and thus declared himself Emperor . Meanwhile , Alderaanian senator Bail Organa , having witnessed the massacre at the Jedi Temple , transported surviving Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi - Wan Kenobi to Coruscant , where , at the Temple , the two Jedi dismantled a coded signal urging Jedi to gather there . Yoda later confronted Palpatine at the Senate Building , but failed to kill him . Galactic Empire . Palpatine ' s rule . As with the Republic , Coruscant continued to function as the galactic capital , but was renamed " Imperial Center , " while Galactic City was re - dubbed " Imperial City . " While the planet ' s name was officially changed during Palpatine ' s rule , most working - class denizens of the Galactic Empire continued to call the planet - city by its old name . As part of the Humanocentric policies of the Empire , non - Human species were also compelled to live in segregated areas of Imperial City , the largest and best - known of which was known as Invisec . Those who did enter other parts , whether by intention or mistake , were punished brutally . Coruscant was also the site of the Imperial Senate until the body ' s dissolution in 0 BBY . Emperor Palpatine also began to shape Coruscant with his own designs , and this included the installation of almost one million surveillance systems throughout the ecumenopolis . Massive shield generators were placed all over Coruscant , and where the shield segments overlapped , powerful storms would brew . Although Coruscant had always been known for its high concentration of thunderstorms due to rising vapor from the billions of buildings and homes , the increased frequency lent the planet a foreboding , almost Gothic look . Palpatine also arranged for the " Executor " - class Star Dreadnought " Lusankya " to be buried beneath the Manarai Mountains district . Later , the massive battleship was used as a private prison by Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard . Palpatine also had the Palace of the Republic rebuilt and renamed the Imperial Palace . The Palace , a massive pyramidal structure which was by far the largest structure on Coruscant , was rumored to also be the largest building in the entire galaxy , with the possible exceptions of the massive Sharu plastic pyramids of the Rafa system . Upon the completion of the Palace , Palpatine ordered the construction of a smaller castle residence for Lord Darth Vader nearby . Although Vader already possessed a fortress retreat on Coruscant and several other retreats off - world , the castle would function as his main residence . Under Imperial rule , illegal trade flourished on Coruscant , where the nobility coveted certain prohibited items , including slaves and banned artwork , as status symbols . Palpatine tolerated such activity , as it kept minor nobles occupied with their own intrigues and provided him with a means of blackmailing some nobles into his service . Around this time , the most prominent spice dealer on the planet was Wendell Wright - Sims , a wealthy socialite who operated with the express permission of the Emperor himself and took great pains to ensure that his product was the finest available . Most members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic considered venturing to Coruscant a foolhardy endeavor ; nevertheless , Coruscanti resistance cells did exist , based in the planet ' s Factory District . Shasheva Astopone , the heiress to an exporting fortune , used her wealth to fund some of the local Rebel cells and smuggled goods to and from Coruscant for the Alliance through her business . The Empire erodes . Following the death of Palpatine at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , an uprising took place on Coruscant . Billions of Coruscanti reveled in their new - found freedom , and an armed uprising sprang out from the non - human - dominated sectors . Imperial patrols were attacked in the streets , statues of Palpatine were toppled and other Imperial symbols were desecrated . In the midst of the celebrating and rioting , alarmed Imperial authorities ordered a massive crackdown on the rebellious elements in the city - planet ' s population and gave full power to the local military force to end the uprising and restore order to the system . The military retaliation was ruthless and the death toll rose as the Empire struck down the insurrectionists and brought the populace back under its control . In the six months after Palpatine ' s death , operatives of the New Republic destroyed several Coruscanti HoloNet installations key to communication between the capital and Imperial forces throughout the galaxy . With the cessation of leadership from Coruscant and the absence of a clear successor to Palpatine , many Moffs and admirals in outlying regions became warlords , seizing sectors and fleets for themselves . One such individual was Admiral Gaen Drommel , who departed from Coruscant with the Super Star Destroyer " Guardian " with the intention of defending his native Oplovis sector . Amidst these tumultuous events , the Grand Vizier Sate Pestage assumed control of Imperial Center . Unfortunately , he was opposed by Palpatine ' s former advisors who formed the Inner Circle . Ysanne Isard operated as a neutral intermediary between the two opposing factions . Unbeknownst to them , she had been secretly pitting them against each other , clearing the path for her rise to become Empress in all but name , though neither side realized her true intentions until it was far too late . She eventually assumed control of Imperial Center in 5 ABY though her reign was plagued by the threat of rival warlords and the expanding New Republic . Thus , she had a team of scientists including Evir Derricote create an artificial virus known as the Krytos virus which only affected non - Human species and then contaminated the city planet ' s water supply with it . New Republic takeover . In 6 . 5 ABY , the famous New Republic starfighter squadron Rogue Squadron under their leader Wedge Antilles was sent undercover to infiltrate Coruscant and sabotage the planet ' s powerful shield generator . To do this , they hijacked a construction droid and used it to transport them to a command center where they used one of the planet ' s orbital mirrors to evaporate a large amount of reservoir water , thus creating a powerful electrical storm which brought down the shields . This allowed a New Republic fleet under the famed Admiral Gial Ackbar to enter the Coruscant system and capture the galactic capital on 42 : 2 : 17 . However , within days of the victory , millions of Coruscant ' s non - Human population started to die due to the Krytos virus . Since only Humans were immune to the virus , this drove a wedge between the New Republic ' s member species . Worse , Ysanne Isard used the " Lusankya " to escape Coruscant and flee to the planet Thyferra despite the efforts of Rogue Squadron . In the process , the " Lusankya " caused devastation to over 100 square miles ( 259 km² ) of the planet ' s surface , killing millions of inhabitants instantly . It then blasted its way through the two planetary shield levels , pausing to exchange fire with an orbiting Golan III Space Defense NovaGun before jettisoning the lift cradle and departing the Coruscant system . Later , New Republic scientists developed a cure for the Krytos virus by mixing bacta with a rare grade of the spice ryll , known as kor . This prevented further loss of alien life , though inter - species relationships remained volatile for some time . New Republic . Center of the New Republic . Controlling Coruscant was the key to the Galactic Civil War for the New Republic . Imperial City was renamed once more to Galactic City and the former official name Imperial Center was abandoned . After Isard ' s loss of Coruscant and her retreat to Thyferra , fragmentation within the Empire deepened as the Imperials lost faith in their leaders and the survivors of the Imperial Inner Circle were found once again providing a tenuous central authority for the Empire . They supported the Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn as Supreme Commander — mistakenly believing that as an alien , and with no standing in their rarefied political world , he would necessarily remain beholden to their patronage and government . In 8 ABY , Coruscant was visited by the Hapes Consortium which surrounded the planet with a fleet of Hapan Battle Dragon s , marking the first time in millennia that the insular society had made significant contact with the rest of the galaxy since the Consortium sealed its borders around 3100 BBY . At the Grand Reception Hall , the Hapan delegates presented the New Republic with many magnificent gifts including several captured Imperial Star Destroyers . Behind the scenes . Coruscant first appeared in the Expanded Universe and was called such for the first time in Timothy Zahn ' s " Heir to the Empire " in 1991 . Coruscant was first seen on screen in the 1997 Special Edition release of " " , and later appeared in the prequel trilogy . Coruscant is therefore one of the few Expanded Universe elements that made its way in to the films . The word " coruscant " is traditionally pronounced in English with a hard " c " and with the stress on the second syllable – / kəˈɹʌskənt / ( ko ' - rus - kant ' ) , and this was indeed the pronunciation usually used in early audiobooks and audio plays , such as the audio adaptations of " Tales of the Jedi " and " Dark Empire " or the Chuck Benson reading of " " . However , since the release of " " , the word is usually pronounced / ' kɔɹəsɑnt / ( ko ' - ru - sant ) in the " Star Wars " universe , with stress on the first syllable and the second " c " silent . Coruscant , which was originally to be called Alderaan , was to appear in , but the budget wouldn ' t allow for it , so much of the planned action was moved to the Death Star , and Alderaan became the name of Leia Organa ' s home planet . The concept of seeing the Empire ' s home world , renamed Had Abbadon , came up again in , and the concept of the entire planet being a city came up for the first time . However , it was realized that such a city on screen would be impossible given the technical limitations at the time , and so the idea was abandoned . In various novels , characters aligned with the Empire refer to Coruscant as Imperial Center . Within the stories , this is explained as an administrative renaming undertaken to emphasize the differences between the Galactic Republic and its successor state , the Empire . The PC game " " mistakenly places Coruscant in the Sesswenna sector , itself a misspelling of the Seswenna sector of the Core . The Seswenna sector is actually located in the Outer Rim . Inconsistencies . In the large volume of material relating to Coruscant , there are conflicting statements about the ecumenopolis ; inconsistencies are found mainly in sources released before 1999 when Coruscant was visually established in " The Phantom Menace " . Most sources , including all illustrations , show Coruscant as having negligible surface water , save for the ice caps . However , the " Black Fleet Crisis " trilogy states that Coruscant has two continents , a large one that contains Imperial City and a smaller one . More than half of this version of Coruscant is ocean . No other source follows this version , though " The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook " does refer to distinct continents , and the discrepancy is usually solved by referring to the alleged ocean as the artificial Western Sea . The intro of the 1994 game " " shows an orbital view of Coruscant that looks very similar to how the planet would appear in the prequel movies five years later . However , the Collector ' s edition , which features a remade intro , shows an Earth - like Coruscant , blue with clouds . Another depiction of Coruscant , shown in the " Shadows of the Empire " comic , shows Coruscant as a terrestrial planet as opposed to an ecumenopolis , including green continents and a very large body of water . Population . One of the most notable inconsistencies concerns the planet ' s population . Most recent Expanded Universe sources , such as the novel " " and the sourcebooks " " and " Coruscant and the Core Worlds " , have stated a population of one trillion for Coruscant . At the last planetary census around 19 BBY , the population was around one trillion , counting only full - time registered citizens . Including the omitted , such as temporary workers and transients , the real population is said to have been triple the original count . Coruscant chosen for the films . Regarding Coruscant appearing in the prequels , Timothy Zahn had this to say at Celebration III : Translations . In Italian , the planet ' s name is sometimes spelled as " Còrussant " .