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The Republic has been a central part of the universe for decades now, existing both before and after Darth Sidious’ Empire rose to power. They are one of the most consistent elements of Star Wars lore. There are lots of details about the Republic that help to expand upon their importance to the overall canon.
7 They’ve Been Around For A Long Time
The Republic was established in 25,000 BBY; that is, 25 thousand years before the events of A New Hope. It stood the test of time and long been an important player in the overall Star Wars universe, with the planets that are part of it prospering while the Separatists suffer. Newcomers to the video game Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic will enjoy learning more about the Republic in this ancient time period.
It is because of this extended history that many inhabits in the galaxy around the time of the Clone Wars had begun to doubt its effectiveness. Thus, they sought a change in governmental structure, paving the way for the Imperials to take control.
6 Alderaan & Chandrila Were Founding Members
The planets of Alderaan and Chandrila were founding members of the Republic, earning them spaces at the very highest echelon of Republic society. Every fan will remember when Alderaan was destroyed by the Death Star under the orders of Darth Vader and Moff Tarkin in A New Hope. This action was influenced partially by Alderaan’s history with the Republic, as a way for the the Empire to breaking Republicans’ spirit.
When the New Republic was formed in 5 ABY, this meant that the new capital was established as Chandrila, the other surviving founding member of the Republic’s original iteration.
5 It Had Judicial Forces
Prior to the revelation and activation of the Clone Army, the Republic had a law enforcement agency known as the Judicial Forces. The Judicial Forces had their own Academy, where Judicials would be trained and then sent out to peacekeep throughout the galaxy. Some fans consider this an untapped Star Wars plotline with potential for great stories.
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Jedi Commanders would most often help these Judicials with their training and assist them on missions across the cosmos, in case a threat proved to be too much for the law enforcement agency. This process of training law enforcement would be replicated in a similar way when the Empire set up academies for training Storm Troopers.
4 They Fostered 1000 Years Of Peace
With a name like Star Wars, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that a massive part of the story is about the wars that take place amongst the various factions, planets, and people that inhabit the galaxy.
While old history depicts Mandalorian Empires, Zygerrian Slave Empires, and various Sith Empires warring with the Jedi and the Republic, the government actually managed to oversee 1000 years of peace. This ended when the Clone Wars broke out, and it’s clear that 1000 years of peace had led to the Republic becoming a little too soft to deal with the growing dissent.
3 The Chiss Ascendancy Viewed Them As Weak
As detailed in the canon Thrawn novel, Thrawn was sent by the Chiss Ascendancy from the Unknown Regions on a secret mission to investigate the Republic and assess whether they would be a suitable ally to them. The Thrawn character and novel is a great example of things Star Wars canon took from Legends.
Despite working with Anakin Skywalker and learning a great deal about the Republic, as well as its influence throughout the galaxy, Thrawn and the Chiss Ascendancy decided the Republic would not be strong enough to be a justifiable ally. When the Republic was formed into the Empire, this view changed.
2 They Forbid The Sith Language
The Sith’s language ur-Kittat was outlawed from use by the Republic following battles between the Jedi Order and the Sith Empire in the days of the Old Republic. This took place thousands of years before the events of the movies.
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This was the reason why C3PO, one of the original trilogy’s best characters, was unable to translate the dagger in The Rise of Skywalker, as it had Sith language transcribed on it. The Republic were staunchly against the Sith because of the evil they had inhibited in the past. Thus, by banning the language, they sought to stop its propaganda and teachings from being passed onto inhabitants of the galaxy.
1 The Sith Shrine Was At The Heart Of It
Coruscant was the capital of the Republic for thousands of years, and the Jedi Temple was one of the most important places on Coruscant. It would frequently see visits from the highest politicians around. However, the Jedi Temple had been built on top of a Sith shrine, which was built by the dark side heroes.
It could be seen from some fans as an odd decision on the part of the Jedi Order, as the Sith shrine would cause Jedi’s vision to become clouded — which viewers often saw with Yoda during the prequel era. The Sith would eventually reclaim the site of their shrine when Palpatine used his power as Supreme Chancellor to form the Republic into the Empire, leading over it as its Emperor.
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