Star Wars has just made the New Republic’s fall seem surprisingly inevitable. It’s one of the dark tragedies of Star Wars history; the New Republic was bright with so much promise, and yet it failed and fell within just a generation. Heroes like Princess Leia had sacrificed so much, and they saw it all burn down.

The New Republic died when its capital, Hosnian Prime, was destroyed by Starkiller Base in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – with the Republic Defense Fleet destroyed along with the entire star-system. But, in truth, this was just putting the New Republic out of its misery; it had already failed, as proven by the fact Leia was resisting the First Order independently.

Now, though, Star Wars has made the New Republic’s downfall seem truly inevitable thanks to a rare glimpse of just what Hosnian Prime was like…

We’ve Just Learned A Lot More About The New Republic Capital

The New Republic Capital Was Darker Than We Thought

Lamar Giles’ upcoming Star Wars novel Sanctuary is set during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign. The first two chapters are now available on Apple Books, and they see Clone Force 99 – the group of rogue clone troopers known as the Bad Batch – conducting a mission on Hosnian Prime.

The glimpse we get of Hosnian Prime is chilling. An ecumenopolis like Coruscant, it is a place of extravagant wealth where pro-Imperial sentiments surge. It’s reminiscent of Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s Canto Bight, a safe haven for wealthy power brokers who make money from war, and who are motivated only by their own self-interest.

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Hosnian Prime Represented Everything Wrong With The Galaxy

So Why Did The New Republic Choose Hosnian Prime As Its Capital?

It’s shocking to see the New Republic moving its capital to Hosnian Prime, giving a sense of “out of the frying pan, into the fire.” In symbolic terms, this suggests the New Republic had moved away from any idea of service and become focused on avarice and self-interest. The light of the New Republic had died long before The Force Awakens.

Pro-Imperial sentiment typically flourished on Core Worlds like Coruscant and Hosnian Prime, planets that had prospered because of Palpatine’s rule. Given that’s the case, there would no doubt be many Imperial sympathizers who were pleased to see the rise of the First Order, and who worked hard to prevent the New Republic fighting back.

This does, of course, make The Force Awakens so very ironic; the First Order destroyed a world where they likely had many allies. But, as Andor showed, fascism always destroys its own. This sad twist to Star Wars lore just underscores that vital theme.