Last year, we saw five (technically seven, including the honorable mentions) of the most horrifying beings in the Star Wars galaxy. This time, with spooky season once again around the corner, we’re going to visit five frightening locations in Star Wars. From specific areas to whole planets, these places are feared by most people in the galaxy, and let’s just say it’s not only because of any physical dangers…

Honorable Mentions: The Lower Levels of Coruscant and Kashyyyk

Thanks to most Star Wars movies and TV shows, we only see the upper levels of these two worlds. In fact, the lowest we ever see from either of these worlds on screen is Level 1313 of Coruscant, where the criminals and scumbags hang out. However, there may be excellent reasons as to why we never see what’s beneath the surface-level illusions we’re familiar with. 

With Coruscant, for example, it has levels so deep that they’re completely inaccessible. But from what we do know about the lower 1000 levels, especially the bottom five, living conditions are absolutely horrible! They’re filled to the brim with pollution, barely breathable air, and artificial light because natural sunlight never reaches them. To make things worse, they’re heavily populated with gangs and other horrible people, along with dangerous, mutated creatures (such as corridor ghouls, hive rats, and cthons) that make the wildest systems look tame by comparison. 

Speaking of which, Kashyyyk is much the same way with its very own deep “levels” in the Shadowlands. While not filled with pollution or toxic waste, it possesses similar traits to Coruscant’s true Underworld. For instance, thanks to the thick foliage, natural sunlight barely ever reaches the Shadowlands. In addition, the Shadowlands are filled with deadly and carnivorous plants (such as saava, jaw plants, etc) and equally dangerous creatures. Giant spiders, acid-breathing slugs, and exploding beetles are only some of the currently known beasts that roam the dark jungles. It’s actually so bad that Wookiees are either sent down there to complete a rite of passage, or, especially if they’re banished. And Wookiees are already some of the toughest and strongest species in the galaxy, so sending them to this horrifying piece of nature should say plenty about how bad the Shadowlands are down there. 

5. Korriban/Moraband

In Legends, this world is known as Korriban, and in canon, it is referred to as Moraband. In both versions, it is the birthplace of the Sith. Not much is known about this world in Canon, but Legends at least provides us with an idea as to what its Canon history might’ve looked like. Thousands of years ago, a group of dark Jedi were banished from the Order, and they eventually landed on the world. Long story short, they took over the Sith society, and the Sith Order as we know it was founded many years later, and the rest is history. 

Of course, being a planet that hosted the most evil people in the galaxy, it’s no surprise that the planet itself is just as evil. For starters, you have to deal with the extremely deadly fauna that inhabit the world. Force-hunting terentateks, territorial shyracks, and even dark side dragons known as hssiss are but a taste of the aggressive and deadly wildlife. Aside from that, it’s been known that many Sith spirits still roam the world, which isn’t surprising given how many Sith Lords are buried in places such as the Valley of the Dark Lords. For instance, Yoda encountered a vision of Darth Bane while visiting the world as part of his training to preserve his consciousness after death. While the vision would fail to break him, that doesn’t mean the dangers have passed. The planet itself is absolutely DRENCHED in the dark side, resulting from years of constant wars, horrible experiments and rituals, and many other atrocities corrupting the planet to its core. Ultimately, it is held as a sacred place for Sith, but a cautionary tale for Jedi. 

4. Exegol

Say what you will about “Rise of Skywalker,” but there’s no denying how horrifying Exegol truly is. While not too much is currently known, it is revealed that the Sith once came to this planet a millennium ago, back when it used to be luscious with life. However, like the dark side always does, the planet became corrupted into that horrific and stormy nightmare that we know today. And of course, this would be where Palpatine would return from the dead and spend the next few decades building an army to dominate the galaxy once and for all. 

And it’s no wonder that this massive plot went unnoticed for so long. Exegol is nearly impossible to get to, as it’s surrounded by extremely hazardous clouds of red gas and stardust known as the Red Honeycomb Zone, and the only way through is via a Sith Wayfinder. But even if you manage to get through the Red Honeycomb Zone, the planet’s atmosphere is extremely unstable, as there are constant storms that bombard the dry and icy surface. It’s so bad that the Final Order’s fleet can’t leave the planet on their own, and have to be guided out by a navigation tower. As if it couldn’t get any worse, there are also spiritual threats that could cost you your life. For instance, back when Luke and Lando were searching for Exegol, they turned to the planet of Tython for answers. Meditating on the Seeing Stone, Luke would see Exegol, but his spirit had to fight nine Sith wraiths! Luke’s soul would’ve been lost, had it not been for Anakin Skywalker’s force spirit intervening and saving his life. Overall, Exegol is a world with many hidden evils, proving that some things are better left buried and left alone.

3. Zigoola

Woe to anyone unfortunate enough to reach this point in Wild Space. In the Legends books, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Senator Bail Organa were investigating a lead they received about the planet. After they eventually arrived there, something strange happened: Obi-Wan suddenly force-choked Bail and caused their vessel to crash. Realizing the planet was heavily influencing the Jedi master, the pair struggled to survive for days until they finally got a message out and were rescued. 

While this is a gross oversimplification of the events in that story, the dangers of this horrible world should not be underestimated. As mentioned previously, the planet seemed to influence Obi-Wan enough to force choke a friend and ally, resulting in getting them both stranded. This is most likely because of the Sith temple built on Zigoola, which also housed many Sith artifacts. Because of its strong ties to the dark side, the planet relentlessly assaulted Obi-Wan’s mind: it forced him to relive moments where Qui-Gon and other good friends died, visions of enemies who weren’t there, and a voice repeatedly telling him to die. There were even moments where Obi-Wan would lash out in violence, and the only way to at least diminish the evil influence was to cause Obi-Wan physical pain. The only way to destroy the influence for good, though, was for Organa to destroy the Sith holocron inside the temple, along with the structure itself. Even though they weren’t on Zigoola for too long, the endless torment made it seem like an eternity. Honestly, I’m surprised that Obi-Wan came out of that encounter with his sanity somewhat intact. I’m also surprised Obi-Wan was able to recover from such a horrendous experience. 

2. Mortis

One of the most confusing worlds in the entire lore, one that exists outside of time and space yet can be open to whoever is summoned. In this case, when the classic trio of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka investigates a mysterious and ancient Jedi distress call, they approach a massive monolith and get sucked into Mortis. Upon arrival, they met three powerful Force deities: The Daughter (who embodies the Light Side), The Son (who embodies the Dark Side), and the Father (who represents the balance between the two). The Father, eager to see if Anakin is the Chosen One to take his place, puts him through a grueling test. However, things would get out of hand when the Son tries to manipulate Anakin to join the Dark Side, ultimately leading to the collective deaths of the deities later on. 

The scariest part of this world is that it shares the same trait with its inhabitants: it’s extremely mysterious and just as strong in the Force. Not only does this plane exist outside of space and time, but the laws of said elements do not exist on Mortis. The time of day, the weather, and even the very land itself change quickly and without warning. Further, when it’s daytime, everything grows. But when it’s nighttime, everything dies, and the cycle keeps repeating endlessly. Also, there are areas where the planet is powerful in the Light and Dark Sides, such as the volcanic Well of the Dark Side, where the Son exposes a horrifying vision of Anakin’s future. As if that weren’t enough, you have the chance to have very bizarre supernatural encounters, such as Obi-Wan with Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost or Ahsoka with her alleged future self. The worst part is, if you wanted to escape from all the horror, you can’t! No one enters or leaves unless the Father says so, and even if the Father grants permission to leave, his children could intervene like the Son did, and you’d never be able to escape as long as any of these beings have a say. Mortis may seem like a beautiful, tranquil world at first glance, but like most other things, no one ever thinks to look at what lies underneath the beauty. 

1. Nathema

For our final stop on this tour of horrors, we return to the Legends continuity to visit a planet that received a fate worse than being corrupted by the Dark Side. 5,000 years before the events of “A New Hope,” Nathema was a lush and beautiful world, until one of the most infamous Sith Lords was born on it: Darth Vitiate. Many years after killing his own father and claiming rulership of the world, he summoned literally thousands of Sith Lords, claiming to help them as the Sith were suffering heavy losses during the Great Hyperspace War. But of course, Vitiate double-crossed all of them by using an extremely complex ritual to drain the life and the Force from literally every living thing on the planet. For many years, it remained a lifeless husk of what it used to be, until Vitiate’s death thankfully jump-started the planet’s recovery. 

This is what makes Nathema truly terrifying. Literally all life was destroyed the day of the ritual, and not even droids or any form of technology was safe. But if that didn’t make it clear enough, all color was drained from the world, sound was negatively distorted, and even the atmosphere was changed because of the sun’s deteriorated changes. Only a species known as the voreclaws survived the horrific ritual, which Vitiate would use for his own purposes. But aside from them and the frozen remains of the not-so-lucky victims, literally nothing else remained. While planets like Malachor V have suffered similar fates, at least Malachor maintained a strong connection to the Dark Side. Nathema, on the other hand, was completely devoid of the Force itself! If a Jedi or Sith were stranded there, they wouldn’t be able to connect to their respective sides at all! Worse, the planet could cause a Force-sensitive physical harm or even destroy their very souls! Such conditions were ripe for Vitiate’s plans, though, as he constructed a prison where he could torture and experiment on his Force-sensitive adversaries (including his own daughter!). Again, while the planet would finally heal after his death, it doesn’t erase the atrocities that made both Jedi and Sith alike shudder with fear and disgust. 

Conclusion

When friends and loved ones warn you of where not to venture this All Hallows’ Eve, keep these locations at the front of your mind! Record them in the navi-computer so you’ll know when and where to steer away from these horrible places. Or in cases such as Mortis, pray these places don’t find you first! If these warnings aren’t heeded, you may suffer fates worse than death. Stay safe, space-farers, and may the Force be with you all.