The Star Wars Planet The Jedi Were Banned From Visiting

The Jedi may have been the guardians of peace and justice during the Galactic Republic's heyday, but that doesn't mean there weren't some things in the galaxy that absolutely terrified everyone's favorite fancy space wizards. In fact, even during their peak, the Jedi Order had protocols in place outright banning members from certain planets; "Star Wars: Rebels," one of the franchise's best shows, gave viewers a clear-cut example of this with Malachor.

During the second season's two-part finale "Twilight of the Apprentice," Ezra, Kanan, and Ahsoka find themselves with the unenviable task of traveling to Malachor, an Outer Rim planet teeming with dark side mystery. As the trio nears their destination, Kanan informs his curious Padawan that "Malachor has always been off limits to Jedi." When the former presses the issue, the latter makes a brief mention of certain legends younglings often heard at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

In truth, thousands of years before Emperor Palpatine's rise, Malachor was the site of a disastrous battle between the Sith and Jedi. The planet, which housed a Sith temple powered by a massive kyber crystal, saw both sides get turned into stone when the temple (which also served as a battle station) activated. The petrified figures would serve as a forewarning for countless Jedi during the following millennia.

Malachor debuted in Legends. The planet was first fully shown in 2004's "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords." The planet, then called "Malachor V," was the site of the final battle during the Mandalorian Wars. While Revan's forces were locked in battle with their relentless foes, The Exile (the player character) ordered the activation of their secret trump card — the Mass Shadow Generator, a gravitational superweapon that handed the Republic a victory over the Mandalorians, but only at a terrible cost.

The superweapon decimated both the Republic and Mandalorian fleets fighting above the planet; it also completely warped Malachor V, turning it into a broken and barren world, surrounded by the debris of countless warships. Depending on the player's in-game choices, Malachor V can be destroyed for good at the end of the game.

Safe to say, whether it's canon or legends, Malachor just can't catch a break, as the planet is always destined to serve as a macabre reminder of just how incredibly dangerous the "Star Wars" universe can truly be.