Royal Award Ceremony / Legends A Royal Award Ceremony , also referred to as the Yavin Ceremony , was held within the ruins of the Great Temple on Yavin 4 following the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY . During this ceremony , Leia Organa , Princess of Alderaan , honored Luke Skywalker , Han Solo and Chewbacca for their heroic roles in destroying the first Death Star . In front of hundreds of troops and technicians , the Heroes of Yavin were awarded the Medal of Bravery , the highest decoration for military valor given by the Alliance to Restore the Republic . C - 3PO and R2 - D2 , the droid partners that carried the Death Star plans from Tatooine to Yavin , also received honors during the ceremony , being placed on the podium on the side of the Princess . The awarding ceremony was followed by a series of speeches from Alliance officials , and then a feast , during which many toasts were drunk in honor of the new heroes , and Chewbacca was awarded his own gold medal . Years after the victory at Yavin , when a New Republic had been founded , those who originally attended the ceremony retained fond memories of it , as the crowning event of the Alliance . History . In 0 BBY , the Alliance to Restore the Republic engaged in its first decisive battle during the Galactic Civil War , the outcome of which was the first major victory against the Galactic Empire . This space battle , known as the Battle of Yavin , occurred in the shadow of the gas giant Yavin Prime , in the Outer Rim Territories , and resulted in the the destruction of the first Death Star battlestation . The victory at Yavin was the work of a set of unusual heroes : Luke Skywalker a farmboy from Tatooine turned Jedi Apprentice , Han Solo , a Corellian smuggler , and Chewbacca , Solo ' s Wookiee copilot . Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan , who had been rescued from the Imperials by the heroes , became the figurehead of the Alliance . The blue astro droid R2 - D2 and his colleague C - 3PO , a protocol unit with a golden plating , were also associated with the heroes , since they had carried the Death Star plans from Tatooine to Yavin 4 . Preparations . Following the victory , General Vanden Willard suggested that a triumph ceremony was in order , to which Princess Leia agreed . As the Alliance ' s headquarters were located in the Great Temple on Yavin 4 , the ominous Grand Audience Chamber — the stone hall located at the top of the Temple — was chosen to host the ceremony . While the Chamber was being prepared for the gathering , Leia Organa suggested Luke Skywalker to take a shower and some time to rest in the meantime . When the Princess heard that the Corellian pilot Han Solo intended to frown upon the celebration , she summoned him to her chambers in the Senatorial Quarters . Organa tried to convince Solo to show up , though she still was not sure he would at the end of their conversation . The droid companions of the heroes were also prepared for the ceremony . The astromech droid R2 - D2 , who had sustained laser cannon damage during the Death Star trench run , had been repaired and shined . His golden partner C - 3PO was so anxious to look pristine that he asked four times for more metal polish , and a dent in his head had been repaired . The two robots nearly missed the ceremony , as the grooming of R2 - D2 had taken longer than expected , but they finally made it in time . The ceremony . In the morning that followed the battle , while they were waiting outside the Grand Chamber , the very nervous Skywalker , Solo and Chewbacca discussed their newfound glory at the Battle of Yavin . When the farmboy from Tatooine asked the smuggler why he had returned to save the day at the last moment , Solo humorously answered it was all his Wookiee friend ' s doing . Their conversation was interrupted when a Rebel officer announced them everything was ready for the ceremony . The presentation officially began when Skywalker , Solo and Chewbacca entered the Grand Audience Chamber to the sound of the trumpets . The heroes were dressed in their finest : Solo wore a fresh - pressed cream shirt he had been saving for a special occasion , and Skywalker wore a black tunic under an Alliance - issue yellow flight jacket . For the first time , Skywalker also wore a long barreled sporting blaster at his side . Hundreds of troops were gathered on either side of the hall , and members of the Rebel Honor Guard , most of whom were among the surviving Alderaanians , acted as sentries . Down the center aisle past all their troops , the Alliance officials stood on a raised dais . Princess Leia Organa , who had been asked to preside the formal ceremony , wore the trademark white dress of the Alderaan Royal Family and an ancient family necklace . She was flanked by the generals Vanden Willard and Jan Dodonna , and the Rebel senators . The refurbished R2 - D2 and C - 3PO were also on the podium . Gold Squadron member Keyan Farlander , who had served alongside Skywalker in the battle , also attended the ceremony among the lined up soldiers . He had undergone an award ceremony of his own — receiving the rank of Commander and the Star of Alderaan — earlier for his role in the battle The heroes of the day then walked down the aisle , the two Humans in the front , followed by the Wookiee . When the three friends reached the end of the room , the troops made a quarter turn to the left in order to face the dais . Chewbacca stopped on a lower step than his companions because he was uncomfortable with the situation . Princess Leia stepped forward and placed the Medal of Bravery around Solo ' s neck , who winked at her with a smile . The Princess then repeated the ceremony with the young Skywalker , who was very moved . Each of the heroes reacted to the royal honors according to his personality — Chewbacca was confused and showed signs of running for cover , Solo couldn ' t take his award seriously and Skywalker humbly realized what a tribute he was being paid . The shined - up R2 - D2 started beeping with happiness , showing how proud he was of his new masters , and his friend C - 3PO patted the small droid ' s dome in approval . The heroes then bowed to the princess , turned and finally faced the assembly , who gave full vent to their feelings by applauding and cheering loudly . Although he did not receive his medal , General Jan Dodonna stood proudly in front of the amassed soldiers and technicians , as he knew many of them cheered for him , too . Merry - making and last - minute award . Once the official ceremony was over , the Grand Audience chamber transformed into a reception hall and hosted a grand feast . The victory against the Galactic Empire had been a great one to the Alliance , and so too was the merry - making in its name . During the party , the toasts came often and exuberantly , with many attendants rising their glasses in honor of the Heroes of Yavin . At some point during the revelry , Solo and Skywalker carried the Princess away , arguing there was " unfinished business " that needed to be taken care of . Indeed , Chewbacca had not received a medal , as Wookiees would not put any meaning into tangible awards . However , his Human friends decided he deserved his Medal of Bravery regardless . The Princess of Alderaan , who was too short to reach the Wookiee ' s neck , stood on a table and presented Chewbacca with his own decoration . A second celebration was thereafter organized on the lush Kashyyyk , homeworld of the Wookiees , so Chewbacca could share his pride with his entire species . Legacy . Around 4 ABY , Han Solo mentioned the Award Ceremony when Sai ' da , a history - enthusiast B ' omarr Monk , asked him about the his involvement with the Alliance . Solo confessed his initial reluctance to stay for the ceremony and admitted that Princess Leia was the one who got him to do it . The Corellian then gave Sai ' da a detailed and somewhat emotional account of the event . Solo stated the ceremony made him wonder what kind of better man he could become , not just how he would make the next cash transaction . The following year , Solo and the Princess Organa planned on getting married , and the ceremony was to take place in the Grand Audience Chamber . While standing on the dais with the groom , Luke Skywalker mused that the wedding day was very much like the Royal Award Ceremony . However , the wedding was interrupted when a mind - controlled Triclops , son of the late Galactic Emperor Palpatine , broke into the Chamber . That incident set the actual wedding back for three more years . Years later , the Galactic Empire was defeated , and the Alliance established a democratic government , the New Republic . The Great Temple of Yavin 4 had become a Jedi academy where Luke Skywalker , now a Jedi Master , taught many students the ways of the Force . Every time he gathered his apprentices in the Grand Audience Chamber , Skywalker had fond memories of the victory celebration following the destruction of the Death Star , remembering how Princess Leia had presented medals to him and Han Solo and Chewbacca . Images and sounds from the Royal Award Ceremony had been recorded so the future generations could watch holographic rebroadcasts of this important milestone in the history of the Alliance . Although the official holo had been lost at some point before the Battle of Hoth , one of the mechanics who attended the ceremony had taped it for himself , which allowed to preserve its memory . The young Jaina , daughter of Han Solo and Leia Organa , had seen the tape . She once commented on the beauty of her mother , to which her brother Jacen added their father looked like a pirate . Behind the scenes . The triumphal celebration on Yavin 4 is the final scene of , the first installment of the original trilogy , released in 1977 . The scene was shot at the massive H Stage of Shepperton Studios , located in , . Most of the interior scenes had been filmed at Elstree Studios , just outside of , but Elstree could not , at the time , offer a stage large enough to portray the Audience Chamber , and the shooting was relocated to Shepperton . This scene was filmed over two days , May 13 and 14 1976 , right in the middle of principal photography , when the camaraderie had grown between the main actors . The extras hired to portray the assembled troops wore orange X - wing pilot costumes and olive - green suits . Aside from R2 - D2 ' s bleeping and Chewbacca ' s roar , the scene featured no line and was highlighted by " The Throne Room , " a march written by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra . The filmmakers originally intended to portray the assembly of Rebels present for the ceremony using a matte painting . However , this proved too difficult , and the scene was filmed by moving the extras to different positions in the frame until the illusion of an large assembly was achieved : the extras were first filmed at the near end of the stage , then relocated to the middle , and finally to the far end of the room . According to " " , the extras were anything but reverent toward Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill , who portrayed Han Solo and Luke Skywalker . Extras believed the film would be a flop , and whispered insults , openly mocking the actors while they were walking down the set . Originally , the droids R2 - D2 and C - 3PO , played by Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels , were meant to march up the aisle with the rest of the characters . However , due to their costumes ' limitations , Baker and Daniels could not climb stairs , so it was decided that the droids would wait on the platform with the Princess . On her performance as Leia Organa in the final scene , Carrie Fisher once declared : " The last line in the script was that the Princess is way down the hall and she is staggeringly beautiful . I crossed off the ' ly ' and ' beautiful ' and felt this new wording more approached what I would bring to the character . " This end ceremony segment emulates , almost shot - for - shot , a similar scene in " " , a 1934 Nazi propaganda film made by . Both segments feature a large and enthusiastic crowd gathered in a ceremony hall bounded by columns , with a low podium where the leader stands — in " Triumph des Willens " , was the leader in question . This similarity is unusual , as the Nazi references in " Star Wars " generally involve the Galactic Empire of Palpatine , whose authoritarian regime mirrors Hitler ' s Third Reich . Many of the versions of the movie script ended with a celebration . In the rough and first drafts , Princess Leia was crowned Queen , and in the third and early fourth drafts , Obi - Wan Kenobi attended the ceremony , having survived his encounter with Darth Vader . In the novel adaptation of " A New Hope " , the scene was almost identical to the one in the movie , with the added detail of the Grand Audience Chamber being decorated in " the banners of the many worlds which had lent their support to the Rebellion . " The novelization also has C - 3PO marching down the aisle beside the heroes , with R2 - D2 joining the group once they reach the dais . The " Star Wars " radio dramatization also presented an alternate version of the scene , complete with dialogue from all of the major players — such as Princess Leia giving a speech and Luke Skywalker commenting on how R2 - D2 had been repaired . While this event has been mostly referred to as " the ceremony " , its official name was revealed by the protocol droid C - 3PO in the of the " " series of comics : " Yes , you " will " look nice for the Award Ceremony Art — the Royal Award Ceremony ? " Non - canon depictions and in - continuity nods . In the 1993 video game " " , the Ceremony appears as the epilogue of the game . It appears using shots from the first movie . Only one individual , Rookie One , is seen walking the corridor . It is actually an animation of Luke Skywalker , being digitally isolated from Han Solo and Chewbacca . The Award Ceremony was also featured in a number of sources that are not considered canon ical . In the 2000 one - shot humor comic book " Sergio Aragonés Stomps Star Wars " , where author Sergio Aragonés portrayed himself as a delusional " Star Wars " fan who got accidentally into the digitized reels of " Star Wars Episode IV " . The ending segment of the story showed digitizing experts downloading Aragonés out of the film , just as Princess Leia was about to kiss him in front of the assembled Rebels . This version of the ceremony has two Rebel soldiers acting as reporters filming the scene . In the equally jocular 2001 comic " Tag & Bink Are Dead 2 " , the title characters Tag Greenley and Bink Otauna wound up in the Grand Audience Chamber months after the Evacuation of Yavin . The only things they found were leftover trash from the Rebel award ceremony , including a torn - down astromech droid , various party hats , confetti , streamers , noisemakers and a rabbit costume . Greenley and Otauna also discovered a discarded medal reading " Chewie , " alluding to the fact that Chewbacca was seemingly forgotten in " A New Hope " . In the 2006 real - time strategy game " " , the Award Ceremony was featured in the ending of the Rebel campaign . However , its appearance should not be considered canon , since the victory over the Death Star can take place around any planet . The ceremony cutscene is even shown if Yavin 4 has been destroyed by the Empire earlier in the game . Additionally , the ceremony is shown following a battle over Coruscant if the player wins by conquest instead of destroying the Death Star . In " The Journal of Master Gnost - Dural " , a medal ceremony organized in 3660 BBY in the honor of Hylo Visz was mentioned . The artwork depicting the ceremony mirrors the scene from " Episode IV " , with the assembled troops on both sides of a long aisle , the slanted walls , and the dignitaries waiting on a podium with window - slits in the back . Parodies in pop culture . As an iconic moment of the original " Star Wars " film , the Award Ceremony has been parodied in pop culture . The American animated sitcom " " has closed off an episode with a recreation of the ceremony , using sounds , music and even characters — Chewbacca and the droids — from " Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope " . According to the episode ' s DVD commentary , Lucasfilm Ltd . permitted the use of copyrighted " Star Wars " elements in the episode . Similarly , the animated series " " also featured an award ceremony sequence at the end of its twenty - eighth episode . According to director Jayson Thiessen , a storyboard artist decided to board the ceremony sequence as a shot - for - shot transposition of " Star Wars " Royal Award Ceremony . Another similar emulation was used in the fourth episode of the cancelled animated series " " , in which the Award Ceremony was reenacted in the hallways of a college . One of the caracters , Mump , even beeps and whistles like R2 - D2 . In the eleventh episode of the adult animated sitcom " " , Captain Hero ' s fantasy wedding also parodies the Royal Award Ceremony , with characters from the show standing in for " Star Wars " characters .