Mustafar

Overview

Mustafar is a volcanic Outer Rim planet of lava rivers, mining operations and a burning atmosphere. This is where Anakin Skywalker’s story ends and the being called Darth Vader begins.

Geography

Mustafar is covered in lava-flow systems, black plateaus, ash fields and mining facilities that extract its valuable minerals. The environment is lethal, but it is also a magnet for the dark side of the Force.

Anakin’s fall

At the end of Episode III, Obi-Wan duels Anakin on Mustafar. The loss of his limbs, the fire and the lava transform Anakin into the figure later sealed in Vader’s armor. It is the central transformation scene of the entire Skywalker saga.

Vader’s Castle

Vader later builds a fortress on Mustafar whose deep halls resonate with the dark side. He uses it to seek power, healing and possibly visions of Padmé. The fortress appears in Rogue One, comics, novels and Jedi: Fallen Order.

Significance

Mustafar is where Star Wars tips between tragedy and myth. To understand Vader, you have to understand Mustafar — the planet where a Jedi dies and a Sith is born.