Galactic Roundel The Galactic Roundel , also known as the Emblem of the Galactic Republic , the Republic insignia , or the Insignia of Unity , was an eight - rayed stellar symbol centered in a circle whose circumference was made up of dashed lines . The Galactic Roundel was one of many seals of the Galactic Republic . History . The Galactic Roundel dates back thousands of generations to the Bendu monks . In their study of numerology , they believed that the number nine signified the beneficent presence of the Force in a united galaxy . The Insignia Galactic Roundel was meant to represent the number nine with its eight spokes joined to one disc . Eventually - since the Jedi were founded from the Bendu and the Jedi Order had always been close to the Republic - the Insignia of Unity was adopted to become the symbol of the Galactic Republic . During the Old Sith Wars the Republic was using a nine - spoke symbol and putting it on their ships . Later on the Galactic Roundel itself once again had become the symbol of the Republic and unity . One was placed on the podium of the Galactic Senate Rotunda and up until Palpatine ' s proclamation one adorned the Hall of Justice on Alderaan . In 25 BBY the Rotunda had undergone a desperate renovation at which point the emblem that sat on the podium was replaced by a counterfeit . The counterfeit was placed by the Republic Group who believed the symbol could be used to reawaken and rouse those who had fallen under Palpatine ' s sway . The Republic Group had the symbol moved to Tandun III for safe keeping . During the Clone Wars numerous Republic vehicles and vessels were marked with the Galactic Roundel . Some of these vessels included the Republic Gunship and the UT - AT . The symbol was also used on the Jedi Starfighter and Jedi Interceptor . However , late in the Clone Wars Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker , for unknown reasons , placed a reduced six - spoke emblem on his customized interceptor . In 19 BBY the Republic Group had started to worry about the dark direction the Republic was now taking . The group decided it was time to re - relieve the icon they had hidden on Tandun III to the galaxy , hoping it would restore Republic honor . They tasked Captain Tobb Jadak with delivering the " Stellar Envoy " to an Antarian Ranger named Folee . Folee was then to use the " Stellar Envoy " to retrieve the " treasure " . After a debacle with the Senate Bureau of Intelligence , Captain Jadak was critically injured and the " Stellar Envoy " was lost preventing the Republic Group from completing their mission . The knowledge of this mission would be locked away in Jadak ' s memories while he was in a coma and the truth about the insignia would only be known by Lestra Oxic for decades . During the rise of the Empire , Palpatine would change the Galactic Roundel by the removal of two spikes ; the resulting icon was the Imperial crest . At the end of the Galactic Civil War , the New Republic reinstated the Old Republic ' s Galactic Roundel , but due to its similarity to the Imperial Crest , it was not widely adopted as an official symbol and the Alliance Starbird all but supplanted it . Han , Leia , and Allana Solo in 43 ABY , during a quest to learn the history of the " Millennium Falcon " , had finally discovered the history of the Galactic Roundel that was removed from the Senate Rotunda decades earlier . Led to Tandun III by the Millennium Falcon and the now reawaken Tobb Jadak the Solo ' s found the insignia and learned its history from Lestra Oxic who followed them there . The insignia on Tandun III , much like its companion in the Rotunda , was a fake and the location of the real icon was never discovered . Behind the scenes . Interestingly , in " " during the Battle of Coruscant , Anakin ' s fighter bears a six - spoke symbol instead of the eight - spoke symbol seen through - out the rest of the movie . This can be seen when R2 fights the buzz droid . In the " " it is explained that this symbol is a reduced form of the one used by the Republic during the Unification Wars , and likely the precursor to Palpatine ' s Imperial symbol . The idea that Palpatine corrupted the Galactic Roundel is likely based on appropriation of the , an ancient and benign symbol found in many cultures , to symbolize the . Because of acts committed by the Germany ' s Nazi Party regime , the symbol is now reviled by many as a result . Another similarity between the Old Republic and India is the close resemblance of the symbol in both appearance and meaning to the , a symbol of unity that appears on the Indian flag . This may indicate some link between the Bendu beliefs and . Links between Jedi beliefs and eastern philosophy have been theorized before . The dharmachakra or " wheel of dharma " is also eight - spoked , and is closely related to the dharmic swastika symbol , indicating another possible connection to the Nazi adoption of the swastika . In Republic Navy starships are emblazoned with a blue nine - spoke symbol . Coincidentally , the flag of the Khoonda on Dantooine ( 3956 BBY to 3951 BBY ) which appeared 39 years later in " " , had a nine - spoked blue symbol . The Bendu symbol , having eight spokes , is also similar to the Buddhist ' s symbol for the Noble Eightfold Path , a wheel formed with eight spokes . One must also consider the much more ancient , an ancient Sumerian god of the Sun ( also of light ) , justice , and of salvation who also existed in later Mesopotamian polytheistic beliefs . His symbol also included eight rays of the sun converging on a central disk , and his embodiment of the Jedi values would render it a theory . In real world Numerology the number nine represents Universal Brotherhood .