Bespin
the gas giant of Cloud City
Bespin was a gas giant in the Outer Rim Territories, mined for valuable Tibanna gas from the floating metropolis of Cloud City. Long unaffiliated, it was seized by the Empire during the Galactic Civil War.
Bespin was a gas giant in the Anoat sector of the Outer Rim Territories, best known for the floating mining colony of Cloud City, which extracted the planet's valuable Tibanna gas from a narrow breathable layer high in the atmosphere. A prosperous and largely independent world, it was drawn into the Galactic Civil War when the Galactic Empire garrisoned the planet and seized Cloud City, before recovering its freedom after the Empire's defeat at Endor.
A gas giant of cloud cities#
Bespin was a vast gaseous world some 118,000 kilometers in diameter, attended by two moons. It completed a full orbit of its star roughly every fourteen standard years and rotated once every twelve standard hours. Within its breathable atmospheric layer floated its settlements, the largest being Cloud City, alongside Chinook Station. The planet's wealth rested on the mining of Tibanna gas, its chief export, drawn from the gas giant's depths. From the upper reaches of Cloud City, sunsets were said to last as long as two hours.
History#
During the Clone Wars, the Separatist general Grievous led forces that invaded several worlds and blockaded a number of vital hyperspace routes, including those leading to Bespin, Kessel, and Mon Calamari, within the span of a single month. Through the wider Galactic Civil War the planet remained officially unaffiliated, but its neutrality did not spare it: the Galactic Empire garrisoned Bespin and seized control of Cloud City and its lucrative mining operation.
With the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor, the gas giant and its prosperous mining colony recovered their freedom. The planet's resistance to outside domination continued into a later age, and by 35 ABY Bespin was in open rebellion against the First Order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Bespin?
- Bespin was a gas giant in the Anoat sector of the Outer Rim Territories, best known for the floating mining colony of Cloud City. The planet's wealth rested on the mining of Tibanna gas, its chief export, drawn from a narrow breathable layer high in the atmosphere.
- What is Cloud City on Bespin?
- Cloud City was the largest of Bespin's settlements, a floating colony within the planet's breathable atmospheric layer that extracted Tibanna gas. From the upper reaches of Cloud City, sunsets were said to last as long as two hours, and the planet also held Chinook Station.
- What happened to Bespin during the Galactic Civil War?
- Although Bespin remained officially unaffiliated through the Galactic Civil War, its neutrality did not spare it. The Galactic Empire garrisoned the planet and seized control of Cloud City and its mining operation, but with the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor, the gas giant and its colony recovered their freedom.
- How big is Bespin?
- Bespin was a vast gaseous world some 118,000 kilometers in diameter, attended by two moons. It completed a full orbit of its star roughly every fourteen standard years and rotated once every twelve standard hours.
- Was Bespin involved in the Clone Wars?
- During the Clone Wars, Separatist general Grievous led forces that invaded several worlds and blockaded a number of vital hyperspace routes, including those leading to Bespin, Kessel, and Mon Calamari, within the span of a single month.
Gallery




Images via Wookieepedia
Sources
- WikiBespin — Wookieepedia entry
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Related entries
Endor
Endor was a forested moon in the Outer Rim Territories, home to the Ewoks and other native species. It became the site of the climactic Battle of Endor, where the Rebel Alliance destroyed the second Death Star and the Galactic Empire fell.
Clone Wars
The Clone Wars was a galaxy-spanning conflict fought from 22 to 19 BBY between the Galactic Republic and the breakaway Confederacy of Independent Systems. Secretly engineered on both sides by the Sith, it ended with the Jedi purged and the Republic reformed into the Galactic Empire.
First Order
The First Order was a fascist military junta that rose from the remnants of the Galactic Empire in the Unknown Regions. Secretly a puppet of the resurrected Darth Sidious, it conquered much of the galaxy before its collapse in 35 ABY.
Galactic Civil War
The Galactic Civil War was the conflict in which the Alliance to Restore the Republic waged rebellion against the Galactic Empire. It ended with the Empire's defeat and the founding of the New Republic following the Battle of Endor.
Galactic Empire
The Galactic Empire was the fascist regime that replaced the Galactic Republic when Sheev Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, proclaimed himself Emperor. It ruled the galaxy through fear, military power, and the hunt for the Jedi until its defeat at Endor and final collapse at Jakku.
General Grievous
Grievous was a Kaleesh warlord rebuilt into a cyborg who served as Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies during the Clone Wars. A feared Jedi hunter who collected the lightsabers of his victims, he led the Confederacy's forces until his death at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Mentioned in7 entries
Boba Fett
Boba Fett was an unaltered clone of the Mandalorian Jango Fett, raised as his son and trained from childhood to become one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy. After surviving the sarlacc, he claimed Jabba the Hutt's throne as Daimyo of Mos Espa.
C-3PO
C-3PO was a 3PO-series protocol droid built by Anakin Skywalker as a boy on Tatooine. Fluent in millions of forms of communication, he served the Skywalker family, the Galactic Republic, the Rebel Alliance, and the Resistance, and was the lifelong, often anxious companion of the astromech R2-D2.
Han Solo
Han Solo was a Corellian smuggler who captained the Millennium Falcon and became a general of the Rebel Alliance. He helped destroy two Death Stars, married Leia Organa, and died at the hand of his son Kylo Ren.
Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian was a smuggler and gambler who lost the Millennium Falcon to Han Solo, became Baron Administrator of Cloud City, and joined the Rebel Alliance as a general, piloting the Falcon in the strike that destroyed the second Death Star.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker was a Tatooine farm boy who became the central Jedi of his age. He destroyed the first Death Star, redeemed his father Darth Vader, and founded a new Jedi Order before dying on Ahch-To.
Naboo
Naboo was a lush, pastoral planet in the Mid Rim shared by two peoples, the human Naboo and the amphibious Gungans. Birthplace of Sheev Palpatine and home of Padme Amidala, it was the site of a Trade Federation invasion that launched Palpatine toward supreme power.
R2-D2
R2-D2 was an R2-series astromech droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton who served the Royal House of Naboo, the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance, and the Resistance across decades of galactic conflict. Never given a full memory wipe, he developed an adventurous, independent character and repeatedly turned the tide of history, most famously by carrying the stolen Death Star plans.
Get new articles in your inbox
No spam. New lore drops, canon conflicts, and deep dives only when they’re worth reading.
Some links on Lore Fortress are affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.