Coruscant underworld / Legends The Coruscant underworld , lower levels , undercity , underground , underlevels , or Lower Coruscant , were terms used to describe the lowest regions of the city - planet of Coruscant , laid with a mixture of ancient and forgotten ruins from the planet ' s prehistory along with modern - looking , crime - ridden venues and clubs . During the Clone Wars , a massive ventilation shaft offered access to the heart of the underworld . Different regions and levels ranged from the merely seedy ( such as the Uscru Entertainment District and 1313 ) , progressively worsening as one descended , ending in areas of unending darkness populated solely by hypertrophied vermin and zombie - like devolved humanoids . The underworld ' s streets were riddled with thugs and the walls and streets were home to all manner of strange creatures . Most of the underworld rested more than a kilometer below the urban surface and city platforms . It was beneath some of the greatest skyscrapers in the galaxy and other closely - spaced spectacular buildings of Coruscant where few rays of light filtered through to the gloomy section known as the Underworld . Characteristics . Lying hundreds of stories below the skyscraper pinnacles , Coruscant ' s urban canyon floors never saw the light of day . Due to its enclosure by larger buildings , air was trapped in the lower levels , creating a micro - climate of which there were at least three layers . Trapped moisture contributed to rainstorms and convective wind patterns within the canyon floors . A realm of artificial illumination , the lower levels of the galaxy ' s largest city were the only affordable areas for many of the planet ' s citizens . Rumbling with machines that served the elite above , its streets haunted by exploiters and thugs , and its walls riddled with vermin , Coruscant ' s underworld toughened the strong and consumed the weak . Coruscant ' s underlevels harbored a larger population than do many entire star sectors , leaving millions beyond the protection of the world ' s security force . Local neighborhoods were at the mercy of hired thugs and extortionists . But the toughest faces sometimes belonged to vigilantes , who chose to defend the people on their own land from criminals . Garbage was compressed into thick blocks and stored in the deeper levels of the Underworld . Much machinery that satisfied the needs to the well - to - do surface - dwellers , were also kept in the depths of the Underlevels and so there was a constant sense of motion and unrest . Artificial lighting barely brightened the dark and sorrowful levels . The Underlevels were home to various mutant species including the cthon , Coruscani ogre , duracrete slugs , hive rat s , shadow barnacle s , taozin , and granite slug s , which often posed a threat to sentient beings . History . Pre - Republic . Very little is known of the Coruscant underlevels in the Pre - Republic era . In 100 , 000 BBY , the lowest fifty levels of the planetwide ecumenopolis had been fully built over the entire surface . During this period , all native non - sentient species presumably became extinct with the exception of the Thrantcill ( which began to evolve with the new city ) and the Hawk - bat ( which stayed the same ) . Around that time , the big - brained Columi visited the world and dismissed Coruscant as a primitive failure despite the presence of the planetwide city . Over the following millennia , the lower levels became the domain of criminals and vagrants . The bottom fifty levels that made up the underworld were buried under levels of duracrete and buildings . Several mutant species developed around this period including the humanoid Cthon and the corridor ghoul s . Galactic Republic . Despite the formation of the Galactic Republic in 25 , 053 BBY , life in the underlevels was left unchanged by the new galactic government . Millennia after millennia during the Old Republic era , the undercity stayed the same . During the Great Galactic War , food shortages caused riots in the underlevels . During the waning days of the Galactic Republic period , while the wealth and marvel of Coruscant gleamed on its exterior level , the Underworld below degenerated even further , since the Republic was in decline . It served as a refuge for scum , petty crooks , as well as drug dealers , the poor gone bad , and other outlaws . Even the highest of the underlevels fell into ruin and disrepair by the time of the Naboo crisis and the Clone Wars . Seedy nightclubs , overlooked gambling corners , and trashy cantinas were actually areas of some of the higher sections of these run - down nether levels . One place as dangerous as it was popular in the Underlevels was the Uscru Entertainment District with such hangouts as the Outlander Club and the Snapping Septoid . The once - famous criminal organization called Black Sun had many allies working in the Coruscant underworld including none other than District Mayor Acros - Krik . The lowest levels of the Underworld had such an unbelievable crime rate that many areas were locked down by order of the government . These poor communities of desperate beggars and violent people were isolated from the rest of society by enormous , impenetrable blast doors . Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo and her head of security , Captain Quarsh Panaka , got to see the Underworld firsthand when she was taken hostage by mercenaries during her visit to Coruscant . Panaka was given access to one of the locked - down communities where the Queen had been taken by holding the door - operator , an intellectual government agent , at gunpoint . Once rescuing Queen Amidala and killing much scum and hostiles alike , Panaka re - opened the verbally - accessible blast doors by giving the passcode phrase " " Coruscant has lovely sunsets " " . Lower - class immigrants who came to Coruscant , expecting to be living in the prosperity of the " surface life " , were all gradually sunken into the subterranean realms . Self - made neighborhood lookouts would often gain some small territory over their group of companions and lessers ( if lower ranks could at all be possible ) , thus occasionally creating a tight - knit and durable community who might have even withstood hoodlum fights and minor attacks . Usually though , once these vigilantes acquired weapons to protect their turf or began engaging in violence , even if in self - defense , there was always a great chance their strengthening community would collapse to eventual criminal influences . In 27 BBY , Ashaar Khorda along with his associates attempted to euthanize the Coruscant Underworld , along with the entire planet itself with the Infant of Shaa . The destruction of the galactic capital was hoped to be followed by the destruction of the Galactic Republic . However , their attempts to use the infant were thwarted by Zam Wesell , Jango Fett and Yarael Poof . This resulted in the deaths of Ashaar , all his comrades , and Yarael . Imperial Era . During the Imperial reign of the galaxy that began in 19 BBY , conditions in the Underworld deteriorated further and it became a refuge for Jedi Purge survivors and dissidents . As a result of all space traffic to Coruscant being tightly controlled by the Empire and the harsh cruelty of the ruling Imperials , many criminals fled to the underworld . They ranged from bureaucrats who had made serious mistakes in their work , to diplomats from worlds punished by the Empire , to even clumsy personal servants and slaves from the Imperial Palace . Thus , an entirely shadowy culture developed in the lower levels since the fugitives were forced to remain there for all their lives . These fugitives survived by revamping some of the abandoned underbasement rooms , tapping into electrical conduits , and stealing energy from the city world ' s power grid , while surviving upon scraps and the fungus found in these lower levels . Han Solo was once forced to descend to the very planetary surface itself , an experience he found so harrowing he vowed never to do it again , making the same vow for the surface of Nar Shaddaa . Also , at some time prior to the Battle of Endor , the Emperor had the Super Star Destroyer " Lusankya " constructed and hidden beneath the lower levels of the planetwide city . The " Lusankya " would become the private prison and secret headquarters of the Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard , who would use it to imprison key Rebel Alliance prisoners . New Republic . Even after the capture of Coruscant from the Empire by the more benevolent New Republic in 6 ABY , life in the lower levels continued as it had for millennia . After one of her captives , Corran Horn , escaped , Ysanne Isard had the crew of the " Lusankya " break the immense vessel free of the planet . While leaving Coruscant , the " Lusankya " caused devastation over 100 square miles ( 259 km² ) of the planet surface , killing millions instantly and presumably causing damage to a large area of the lower levels . The " Lusankya " blasted its way through the two planetary shield levels , pausing to exchange fire with an orbiting Golan space defense platform , before jettisoning the lift cradle and departing the Coruscant system . Worst was to come in 10 ABY when the Imperial Inner Circle launched an attack on Coruscant and other key worlds , having being encouraged by Grand Admiral Thrawn ' s devastating campaign throughout the New Republic . The combined Imperial armada began bombarding Coruscant ' s energy shield from orbit , causing extensive damage to the heavily populated cityscape below , turning much of the planet into a battlefield and forcing Chief of State Mon Mothma to order a general evacuation of the entire population of the capital . However , after Coruscant had been retaken , the Council decided that it was time to elect a new Galactic Emperor . The various admirals , generals , Moffs , Inquisitorius , COMPNOR and Imperial Security Bureau officials disagreed , and an armed conflict soon broke out amongst the various Imperial factions on Coruscant . The city planet was devastated during the conflict , with much of the planetwide metropolis devastated by the fighting , resulting in the deaths of billions . After Palpatine ' s final death in 11 ABY at the Battle of Onderon , the New Republic reoccupied the planet and used EVS Construction Droid s to clear the rubble and create new gleaming , skyscrapers . However , much of Coruscant ' s population had fled as result of the fighting and the planet ' s population during the New Republic era may have been lower . Thus , many of New Republic City ' s midlevel apartments were unoccupied , but still serviceable . However , the shadowy lower levels remained unaffected by the reconstruction program and would still remain the haunt of various crime syndicates , most notably the Lost Ones . Many still struggled to survive in the lower forty or fifty levels . In 23 ABY , the Second Imperium sent three Nightsisters named Tamith Kai , Garowyn , and Vilas to infiltrate the lower levels and recruit more followers for their cause including the street gang Lost Ones and Zekk . Those discovered to be Force - sensitive became Dark Jedi while others became stormtroopers and TIE pilots . Yuuzhan ' tar . The Underworld persisted through the years of Yuuzhan Vong domination , but gained some new inhabitants . When the Yuuzhan Vong conquered and vongformed Coruscant into Yuuzhan ' tar in 27 ABY , many Coruscanti fled into the Underworld to escape the Yuuzhan Vong . It was during this event the Yuuzhan Vong empire was formed , since they had claimed the galactic capital . Soon , however , the tunnels became the home of the outcasts of the Yuuzhan Vong — the Shamed Ones . Fleeing torment and persecution , many Shamed Ones fled to the Underworld to find honor of their own . It was also down here that Nom Anor took the guise of Yu ' shaa , and began molding the " Jeedai " heresy into a true threat to the Elite . The lower levels were also the domain of various life forms brought in by the Yuuzhan Vong from their home galaxy . In 29 ABY Coruscant was liberated by the Galactic Alliance from Yuuzhan Vong occupation , but the Inner Rim world of Denon was the temporary capital of the galaxy ; during that time , the surface world was reconstructed by the Reconstruction Authority , but the lower levels remained largely untouched . Legacy Era . Between 30 ABY to 44 ABY , the Coruscant Underlevels were left untouched by the new galactic government due to the reconstruction efforts , along with simply keeping order in the greater galaxy following the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 29 ABY . As late as 44 ABY , the underlevels were still overrun with exotic wildlife introduced by the Yuuzhan Vong and criminals who had survived the Fall of Coruscant . This was due to the Galactic Alliance being preoccupied with the chaos after the end of Second Galactic Civil War . The Underlevels still existed as late as 137 ABY , with one notable resident being the Hutt crimelady Queen Jool who owned Rik ' s Cantina . This cantina appeared to be on the lowest level of the lowest fifty levels of Coruscant . Following the failed Ossus Project and the Sith – Imperial War , the underlevels became home to a large population of Vongspawn — sentients infected by the Vongspawn virus .