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The problem that a lot ofStar Warsfans have with the shift in canon is that the series diluted a lot of its most interesting lore. One example is the Great Hyperspace War, a massive conflict that, while canon, has much more detail in the Legends Canon. Yet unseen in theStar Warsmovies, the Great Hyperspace War is ripe for content creation, especially if Disney decides to go in a different direction withupcomingStar Warsprojects.
There aren’t many conflicts inStar Warsthat result in the deaths of billions, but the Great Hyperspace War is one of them. Rather than the war taking place in a small cluster, its impacts were galaxy-spanning, further solidifying its brutal nature. Though it may surprise newer fans, this massive bloody conflict involved none other than the series' staple heroes, the Jedi.
5000 BBY
The Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic
Outcome
After the Dark Jedi went into exile, two large groups sprouted up, not to come into conflict until the massive galaxy-spanning conflict that was the Great Hyperspace War. Essentially,the ancient Sithwere building up their own empire at the same time as the Galactic Republic, practically destining the two forces to one day come into conflict. A chance landing on Korriban would be the moment that the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic would be put on each other’s radar. The powerful Sith Naga Sadow immediately sought to use the moment to launch an all-out war to expand the Sith Empire.
Afterrising to the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, Naga Sadow would begin his invasion. However, thanks to a tip from Jori Daragon, the Republic would be able to prepare for the coming war. Despite the power that the Galactic Republic could wield, the brutal assaults by the Sith Empire led to a lot of early success for the dark forces. Where the Republic wielded great might, the Sith moved quickly and took many planets by surprise. These quick victories allowed the Sith to control various systems, but as the Sith usually do, they quickly grew too ambitious. Interestingly enough, inTales Of The Jedi: The Fall Of The Sith Empire, Ooroo mentions how deadly a conflict with the Sith would likely be:
“The Republic has grown and expanded for many generations, encountering no worse than a few interplanetary squabbles and civil wars […] but if we should confront the fabled Sith Empire, we will experience a war so great, so devastating […] it can cross the fabric of hyperspace, a conflagration spanning the galaxy.”
Due to how expansive the conflict was, it can be easy to ignore how much damage was done over the course of the Great Hyperspace War. By the time the war had come to a close, billions of lives had been lost across the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic. This war saw many major battles, including twoon the planet Korriban, one on Coruscant, and others on some lesser-knownStar Warsplanets. Unlike theStar Warsprequel trilogy which sees the Sith coming out with the win, the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic were the victors of this war.
Jedi/Republic Forces
The Great Hyperspace War was primarily fought between the two major factions, though the Republic didassist the Jedi Order in their efforts. The undying rivalry between the Sith and the Jedi has only seen a handful of conflicts as brutal as this one, and heavy casualties were suffered on both sides. Unfortunately, the casualties from the war likely spread even further, to the innocent occupants of various planets spread out across the galaxy.
On the side of the Jedi and the Republic, Empress Teta, Supreme Chancellor Pultimo, and a variety of skilled Jedi were involved in the battle against the Sith. Empress Teta is one of the most important figures in the war. She was one of the military commanders who actually helped lead the Republic to their victory against the Sith. Pultimo was important in position only, as his role as Supreme Chancellor gave him the final say. On the ground,powerful Jedi MastersMemit Nadill and Ooroo were key warriors who stood against the threat of the Sith Empire. While Memit Nadill would successfully help to defeat the Sith during their assaults, Ooroo would be killed in battle during the Battle of Kirrek.
On the side of the Sith, the most notable members of the war werethe excellent villain Naga Sadow, his underling Shar Dakhan, and the misguided Gav Daragon, with a massive empire of the Sith under the control of Naga Sadow. Gav Daragon is one of the culprits responsible for the launching of the war in the first place, considering he is one of the people who accidentally came upon the Sith Empire. Naga Sadow was the conniving Sith Lord who decided it was time for the Empire he had recently claimed control of to expand. At the same time, Shar Dakhan, another Sith Lord, was essentially working as the number two in the Sith Empire under Naga Sadow, which eventually resulted in him gaining full control of the Empire’s fleets.
How Did The Great Hyperspace War End?
Duringa series of massive and important battlesacross a number of planets, the Jedi Order and the Republic were able to push the vile Naga Sadow and his forces to the brink of defeat. Sadow was so close to losing everything that he even betrayed his own men, which would prove to be his undoing. After his own generals betrayed him in return, the Sith Empire was left open to attacks from the Republic. With the Republic overwhelming them and the Sith’s brutal tactics failing, Sadow would be forced to flee, living the remainder of his life hidden away from the Republic.
With many of their key figures killed or fleeing the conflict, the Sith Empire was left in the hands of Shar Dakhan, but it was already too late for the tide to turn. Despite bitter attempts to take the enemy with them, the Sith would eventually be steamrolled bythe old but mighty Republicand Jedi Order. With the Sith no longer openly fighting, both the Jedi and members of the Republic would patrol through known Sith-occupied space to hunt down and destroy any Sith followers that remained in the galaxy. Despite their best efforts, many powerful Siths would survive the conflict and go on to plan their revenge.
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Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
