Coruscant’s massive cityscape has a long and complicated history in Star Wars, but George Lucas’ original idea for the planet has remained the same. As the capital of the galaxy far, far away, Coruscant stands as one of the most pivotal planets in Star Wars. Not only does it act as the home for the Galactic Senate—where most of the galaxy’s politics are decided—but it’s also the home of the Jedi Temple. Some of the galaxy’s most powerful organizations coexist within Coruscant’s sprawling cityscapes. But despite its impressive outside, Lucas always intended there to be darkness hidden underneath.

Even though Coruscant’s first on-screen appearance was in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, it actually wasn’t named by George Lucas at all. The name “Coruscant” first appeared in Star Wars back in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 Heir to the Empire novel. Lucas had the idea of a city-planet as the Imperial capital long before Zahn’s novel, but Zahn was the one who gave it a name. After Zahn established Coruscant as the galactic capital, Lucas chose to continue using the name in prequel trilogy and beyond.

George Lucas’ Original Plans For The Galactic Capital

In the early drafts of Return of the Jedi, Lucas actually intended to show the Imperial capital planet at the end of the movie. In fact, Luke’s final duel with Darth Vader was meant to occur in the bowels of the Imperial capital. In this version, Palpatine’s throne was deep within the planet, rather than on the second Death Star. Nevertheless, Lucas never called it “Coruscant.” Instead, he named the galactic capital “Had Abbadon” in the early drafts for Return of the Jedi.

The word “Abbadon” links to “abaddon,” the Hebrew word for “doom.” In other words, Lucas never thought of the Imperial galactic capital as a good place. In Return of the Jedi’s early drafts, the Emperor’s throne was actually surrounded by a lake of lava in the deepest level of Coruscant. The lake of lava never made it into the film, but this idea would later become Mustafar in the prequel trilogy.

Despite Zahn giving Coruscant its name, Lucas’ original vision for the galactic capital remained unchanged. “Had Abbadon” was ultimately removed from Return of the Jedi since the technology at the time couldn’t pull off the city-planet like Lucas envisioned. It came back as Coruscant in the prequel trilogy, but long before the Imperials took it over. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to consider why Lucas was so dead set on the capital being a city-planet.

Lucas’ Interest In Symbiosis Explains Why He Wanted An Imperial City-Planet

The answer for why Coruscant needed to be a city-planet comes from The Phantom Menace. One of Lucas’ driving ideas in the first prequel involved the symbiosis between the Gungans and the rest of Naboo. The reason the Separatists are defeated in the end is due to nature (the Gungans) uniting with civilization (the city of Theed). By working together, they are able to overthrow the droid army and restore balance to Naboo.

Lucas’ idea of a city-planet being the Imperial capital shows why it was a place of darkness from the beginning. Without any sort of symbiosis with nature, Coruscant exists as a cold industrial planet. In The Phantom Menace, Coruscant doesn’t seem that bad because it’s viewed through the eyes of young Anakin Skywalker. But in reality, the film still showcases Coruscant’s hidden darkness.

Even without Palpatine present, Coruscant has fallen into a state of inaction. The Galactic Senate has become incapable of taking any official action against the Trade Federation, despite them clearly invading Naboo and violating the law. Everything ties back to Lucas’ idea of symbiosis between industry and nature. From the very beginning, the Imperial capital—regardless of what its name is—was always a city-planet devoid of nature.

Coruscant Was The Place Where The Galactic Balance Was Lost

As soon as the galaxy decided to name Coruscant as the galactic capital, it doomed itself to dwelling on a planet with no symbiosis. Parts of Coruscant’s original landscape can be seen in The Mandalorian season 3, where Doctor Pershing and Elia Kane tour Umate, the highest mountain on the planet. It’s meant to be the literal pinnacle of Coruscant’s nature, yet the mountain has been stifled by the thousands of cities resting atop it. Nothing more than a hunk of rock remains at the top, a pathetic reminder of what Coruscant once was.

Even more of Disney’s recent productions show just how sad Coruscant had become as a city-planet. In Tales of the Jedi, Count Dooku discusses how Qui-Gon Jinn was born on Coruscant, and how Jinn loved nothing more than to stare at the Great Tree at the Jedi Temple. Jinn was enthralled with the shred of nature his homeworld had to offer, because nature was something completely foreign to him while growing up.

Regardless of whether the Republic or the Empire controls Coruscant, Lucas’ message is clear. He firmly believes no planet can survive without nature. Andor showcases Coruscant’s darkness by bringing back Lucas’ vision for an Imperial city-planet. And in Lucas’ Return of the Jedi drafts, Palpatine dwells within the heart of a planet that has lost its balance. And in the prequel trilogy, Coruscant is no different.

It’s No Coincidence Lucas’ Star Wars Story Ends On A Forest World

Lucas’ obsession with symbiosis perfectly explains why Return of the Jedi ends on Endor. The Rebels working together with the Ewoks and using nature to their advantage is why they triumph over the Imperial forces. And while some may think it silly to see the small Ewoks trounce the mighty Imperial machinery, it lines up with Lucas’ original message. In fact, Lucas repeats the same idea at the end of The Phantom Menace with the Gungans defeating the Separatists.

Not only does Lucas advocate for working with nature, but he simultaneously shows the consequences of attempting to trample it. The Imperials have no regard for how their infrastructure damages the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi; they’d trample them without a second thought. Similarly, the Separatists in The Phantom Menace don’t care about the Gungans or their city. But because the Gungans fight back to restore the balance in the planet, Naboo is saved; because the Ewoks fight to restore balance on Endor, they save their planet.

From the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy, Lucas never stopped pushing for the symbiosis between nature and people. Even the prophecy of the Chosen One who brings balance to the Force lines up with the same idea of symbiosis. And in both the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, Coruscant is incapable of attaining the balance Lucas believes is needed. In the end, Coruscant was destined to fall in Star Wars.