How Rise of Skywalker’s Ajan Kloss Resistance Base Connects To Alderaan

In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance is seen on Ajan Kloss, headquartered in a new secret base, a world with a fascinating connection to General Leia’s homeworld of Alderaan. The world, Ajan Kloss, is a jungle moon in the Outer Rim with a storied history among anti-authoritarian factions like the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic before becoming the final home of the Resistance. Shortly after the Galactic Empire fell, Luke Skywalker trained Leia as a Jedi on Ajan Kloss, noting its similarities to the murkier Dagobah. The Resistance launched their attack on Exegol from Ajan Kloss, and the survivors later returned to the jungle moon to celebrate their hard-won victory.

Alderaan was a pacifist Core World with many appearances in both Canon and the original Star Wars timeline, the Expanded Universe (aka Legends). The planet debuted in Star Wars, where the Empire tested the full power of the Death Star on it, entirely destroying Alderaan. While the Empire intended to intimidate the galaxy into submission, their test had the opposite effect. Alderaan was a beloved world, seen by many as one of the most beautiful and cultured locations in the galaxy. The Empire destroying such a world (followed by the Death Star’s destruction not long afterward) led countless beings across the galaxy to flock to the Rebellion.

As revealed in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, Ajan Kloss was discovered by Alderaanian explorers during the Empire’s reign. Though a pacifist world, Alderaan secretly helped establish the Rebel Alliance, and Ajan Kloss was one of several worlds that the Rebellion considered when looking to establish a secret base (along with Dantooine and Yavin IV). Because of this, the Rebels kept Ajan Kloss hidden from the Empire. The moon’s obscurity proved invaluable to the Resistance, who needed a new base after retreating from D’Qar and Crait. Thanks to Alderaan’s explorers, the Resistance had their final headquarters.

Although visually similar to the Rebel Alliance (sometimes intentionally), the Resistance was a fundamentally different organization. Rather than seeking to overthrow the dominant power in the galaxy, the Resistance sought to halt the spread of the First Order’s oppression in a time where the New Republic was impotent (and later nonexistent). Moreover, the Resistance wasn’t nearly as well-funded or well-equipped as their Rebel and New Republic predecessors, often using outdated ships and weaponry left over from their earlier efforts. The Resistance’s use of old Rebellion locales such as Ajan Kloss and Crait as bases further shows their recycling of Rebellion-era assets.

Alderaan was seen by many as the “soul” of the Galactic Republic and was one of the greatest allies to the Rebellion since the Empire first came to power. In a way, Alderaan continued to play a role in Palpatine’s defeat long after its destruction. Alderaan gave the Resistance their last stronghold against Sith tyranny. In addition to housing the Resistance, Ajan Kloss was also the site of Rey’s formal Jedi training under General Leia, mirroring Leia’s own tutelage from Luke Skywalker during the age of the New Republic. Fittingly, albeit grimly, Palpatine mentioned the long-dead world in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. After Leia died in the Resistance base, Palpatine refers to her as the Princess of Alderaan, unintentionally acknowledging the connection.

About The Author

David Miller
(634 Articles Published)

David Miller is a staff writer for Screen Rant, indie comic writer, and life-long lover of all things Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. He was born and raised in New York and has a degree in English from Rider University. He relates to Peter Parker maybe a little too much.

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