The Empire Strikes Back introduced a Rebel Alliance base on Hoth which was a perfect hiding spot that still somehow failed for one specific reason. By the time of The Empire Strikes Back‘s cliffhanger ending, more is revealed about the ongoing conflict between the Rebels and the Empire. From the now-iconic twist that Vader was Luke’s father to the state of the Empire’s politics via the first teases of the Emperor – at least in the release order of Star Wars movies – Empire delved much deeper into the world of George Lucas’ original trilogy.
One way in which this was proven was by the introduction of new planets in a galaxy far, far away. This trend has since been a staple of all stories in the franchise, with upcoming Star Wars movies set to further the exploration of new planets and worlds. Upcoming Star Wars TV shows will do the same, following in the footsteps of Lucas’ first Star Wars sequel that broke new ground even in the opening scenes of the film. These opening scenes took the Star Wars franchise to the planet of Hoth for the first time, a barren, icy wasteland that housed the perfect Rebel Alliance base.
Hoth Was More Than Just Remote – It Was The Perfect Hiding Spot
Firstly, one of the simpler reasons why Hoth was the perfect place for the Rebels to hide from the Empire was its location. Hoth is located in a barren section of the galaxy’s Outer Rim, meaning it is incredibly remote. There is not much on the planet, meaning the Empire had no reason to land there. This explains the Empire’s use of probe droids in The Empire Strikes Back, as the planet’s remote location meant extensive, human-operated search parties were not utilized.
However, a one-shot Star Wars comic once revealed a deeper reason why Hoth was such a perfect planet for a Rebellion base. In An Echo of Victory, a comic story that was published in Empire Ascendant 1 in 2019, it was revealed that Hoth’s icy wastes gave off trace elements that were proven to disrupt scanners. This provides yet another reason as to why Hoth was such an ideal spot to lay low away from the eyes of the Empire, as the scanners used to look for the Rebels would have been sent haywire by Hoth’s natural environment.
If The Rebels Stayed Under The Ice… They’d Have Been Safe
Despite this environmental advantage found on Hoth, the Rebel base unfortunately failed as it was detected by the Empire. The reason for this links to the trace elements that disrupted the scanners of the Empire in that, if the Rebels had simply stayed beneath the ice on Hoth, they would have been safe and undetectable to the Empire’s devices. However, The Empire Strikes Back showcased the Rebels regularly going above ground, leading to detection by the Empire’s probe droids and the film’s climactic Battle of Hoth.
