About a week ago, I made part 1 of a post that went through the various planets of Star Wars that brought about imagery or were to evoke the themes of Hell. This post will be about the opposite side of that dichotomy, the imagery of Heaven or at least Paradise in the Star Wars universe as it is seen in the Star Wars galaxy. So come with me as we move onto greener pastures, find the waters of life, and perhaps find a place of enlightenment along the way.

Prelude: Once again, I will preemptively go through a bit of art history with the painting aptly named Paradise by Jan Brueghel in 1650. Here we see the common interpretation of Paradise as the mythical Garden of Eden, where animals are living together naturally as God had intended, untouched by man & sin.

Heaven is commonly synonymous with Paradise even outside the Western Judeo-Christian interpretation of the phrase. The common theme of natural symbiosis and the balance of all living things together in harmony with nature is across almost all earth's cultures. With this in mind, we shall explore the planets that closely fit these criteria.

1) Alderaan: Though this planet is shown briefly in the films, A New Hope and Revenge of the Sith, and now in the latest episodes of Kenobi, it shows how the galaxy ought to conduct itself. Alderaan represents the ideal way to live, though technologically advanced the architecture isn't crude or invasive, and no signs of pollution or overcrowding can be seen on the expansive vistas and alpine terrain that Alderaan's surface possesses.

As pacifists, the people of Alderaan prefer diplomacy over violence to settle conflicts. Bail Organa is shown as a paragon of the Alderaanian people as he embraces their traits for peace, justice, and cooperation.

2) Naboo: Similar to Alderaan we see how the Naboo city of Theed gracefully stands amongst the open plains of Naboo's surface and how the native Gungan population lives in bubble-like cities. Both live in tandem with one another, living amongst nature as the Gungans live in the swamps teeming with aquatic life, and the Naboo people live with hanging gardens and open atriums. The only time the balance between the Naboo and Gungans was disrupted was during the invasion of the droid armies of the Trade Federation.

What I would like to note is the line in TMP when Anakin first meets Padme he asks, "Are you an angel?" Now we, the audience, can chalk this up to the childish naivety of a young boy asking the girl that is an outsider if she resembles a supposed alien race that star pilots refer to as "angels" as a slang term (like how Ithorians are called "Hammerheads"). However, if we take this line from a mythological standpoint since Padme hails from a paradise in the galaxy, she can be interpreted as an "angel" in a very real sense. If you think that's a bit of a stretch remember, George Lucas always called Palpatine "the Devil" who we know is a fallen angel in Christian mythology, and he also happens to hail from Naboo just the same as Padme.

With this mythological perspective, we can also interpret that when Maul is defeated in the reactor shaft on Naboo, Maul is literally a demon being cast out of heaven via the pit and later ends up in the hellish garbage world of Lotho Minor. So perhaps Naboo is more equivalent to Heaven than most places in the Star Wars universe.

3) Dagobah: The swampy marshes of Dagobah are filled to the brim with various lifeforms, both big and small, all circling one another in natural balance. Untouched by civilization the planet remains as a remote sanctuary for an exiled Master Yoda.

No longer surrounded by the superstructures and pollution on Coruscant, Yoda can deepen his connection with the force. This unattended, but well-hidden garden allows for even the most stubborn of apprentices to feel the presence of the force in its most natural state.

4) Kashyyyk: Seen briefly and known as the Homeworld of the Wookiees, we can see even at a glance that the planet resembles the planets that we have already explored.

Wookiee architecture revolves around the giant Wroshyr trees where they build their homes. Even their technology is inlaid with the properties of the woods that they call home, and they go so far as to resemble the more naturalistic designs of insects in their transports.

Before Kashyyyk became one of the first victims of the newly christened Galactic Empire, the Wookiees were able to live in harmony with the planet. 

5) Endor: The primitive moon of Endor, of course, resembles a lot of similarities to Kashyyyk, from the treehouses to the naturalistic technology (though minimal).

Here it's more of a pure innocence (like the Garden of Eden) from the Ewoks that had the Empire not chosen to build the second Death Star in the moon's orbit, the Ewok's only problems would be their natural predators and hunting/gathering for food. The environment of Endor is thrown out of balance by the invasive machinery that the Empire places on the surface. Once the Empire is defeated, balance is restored not only on Endor but across the galaxy.

Bonus) Tython: Recently added back into Canon via "The Mandalorian" the planet Tython in Legends was where the Je'daii order was originally founded.

Here we see once again nature and civilization living in harmony with the ancient Je'daii temples overlooking the verdant horizons.

A testament to keeping balance with the natural order and living symbiotically with all living things is where the force resides at its strongest.

Thank you for reading, I hope this post has helped you understand and appreciate these places in the SW galaxy from a new perspective. I'm not finished with this series however, part 3 will be going into Purgatory, Limbo, and the Void for all of the planets/locations that I haven't gone into yet. Hope you enjoyed it, and may the force be with you always!