Gungan – Naboo War The Gungan – Naboo War was fought between the Human Naboo people and the indigenous Gungans on the planet Naboo between 150 BBY and 121 BBY . In the course of the war , the Monarch of Naboo was killed , and the monarchy subsequently became an elected position . Even after the war ' s conclusion , certain Naboo noble houses attempted to continue the war by enlisting mercenaries to claim plasma sources from the Gungans , though they were unsuccessful . History . Prior to the war , conflict between the Gungans and Naboo were rare , if not nonexistent . It is unknown how the war began , but the then - current dynasty expired at the height of the war ( c . 150 BBY ) , when the last heir was killed in the fighting . Without a ruler , the Naboo elected a Queen to lead them in the war , In an effort to turn the tide of the war in their favor , a coalition of Naboo noble houses struck a secret deal with an offworld mercenary group , though the war was resolved without the need for external intervention . Naboo mercenary conflict . At some point between 135 and 125 BBY , some two decades after the war ' s conclusion , certain royal houses struck another secret deal with mercenaries to aid them against the Gungans . The Gungans fought back and eventually prevailed , though they lost many lives and some of their swamp cities . Very little was made public about this conflict in Naboo society , and in the years to come , the reality behind it was unknown except to those with access to noble family ' s archives . The mercenary group had been hired by several noble families in an effort to claim plasma sources from the Gungans . The Houses that contributed most to funding the mercenary army were House Tapalo and House Veruna . Disgusted by this , the patriarch of House Palpatine challenged the leader of House Tapalo to a duel of honor at the Palpatines ' ancestral home of Convergence . Palpatine died at Tapalo ' s blade . Aftermath . The conflict ended in 121 BBY . Upon the queen ' s death , the Naboo abolished the hereditary monarchy — in the years to come , Naboo monarchs would be elected . The mercenary conflict remained a controversial point in Naboo politics : in the election of 65 BBY , information was leaked pertaining to the shady role certain royal houses , then opposed to Bon Tapalo and his plans to open Naboo ' s economy to the greater galaxy , had allegedly played in the first attempt to recruit mercenaries , discrediting their isolationist stance . Behind the scenes . There is contradictory information on whether the Gungan – Naboo War ever occurred . One source states that the war occurred between 150 BBY and 121 BBY . The " The New Essential Guide to Alien Species " states that there was never a war between the Gungans and Naboo , and Queen Amidala says to Boss Nass in that while the Gungans and the Naboo do not always agree , " our two great societies have always lived in peace . " In 2012 , the novel " Darth Plagueis " mentioned the war . Cosinga Palpatine explains to Darth Plagueis , in a scene taking place in 65 BBY , that , " some two decades after our own conflict with them , the Gungans found themselves embroiled in a war for survival with a mercenary army . " Since that would place the first conflict at c . 155 BBY and the second at c . 135 BBY , it is possible that " the Gungan – Naboo War " refers to the overall period of hostilities .