
This article is about the battle during the Great Galactic War. You may be looking for other battles of Hoth.

"Hoth's one of the largest starship graveyards in the galaxy. During the war, there was a massive battle in orbit. Dozens of vessels crashed to the surface. Because of the freezing cold, they've remained well-preserved. Some are almost intact."
―Jedi Knight Leeha Narezz[src]

The Battle of Hoth was a major naval battle that occurred in 3665 BBY, during the second decade of the Great Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. A fleet of highly advanced prototype warships, including the Republic superdreadnaught Star of Coruscant, was ambushed by the Imperial Navy after Chiss agents alerted Imperial Intelligence to the fleet's existence, and the Hoth system became the site of a massive space battle that lasted for days. While the battle began along the supposedly secret route that the Republic fleet was traveling, the conflict passed through several star systems before reaching its peak above the planet Hoth. The final stages of the battle in the Hoth system destroyed over seventy-five vessels, inflicting heavy damage on both the Imperial and Republic Navies and sending ships such as the Star of Coruscant, the Conraddas Vindicator, the Vehement Sword, and the Ambria's Fury crashing to the icy surface of Hoth.

The Battle of Hoth severely demoralized the Republic Military, breaking the momentum generated by the recent victory at Alderaan and leading to the Republic's eventual acceptance of the Treaty of Coruscant, which ended the war in 3653 BBY. Over fifteen years after the battle, the wreckage of the destroyed ships turned the planet's icy surface into a hotly contested battleground. Both the Empire and the Republic battled each other and the White Maw pirate organization in an effort to salvage what they could of the prototype technology lost in the last war.

Prelude[edit | edit source]

"I was in a remote part of the Outer Rim, where we were escorting a small fleet of prototype warships on what should have been a secret route."
―Grand Master Satele Shan recounts the Battle of Hoth[src]

In the wake of victories such as the Battle of Alderaan[5] and a campaign under the leadership of General Jace Malcom,[2] the Galactic Republic began to gather a fleet of prototype starships and powerful warships, led by the legendary prototype superdreadnaught Star of Coruscant, with the purpose of eventually attacking the Sith Empire's capital of Dromund Kaas and ending the Great Galactic War. However,[5] in 3665 BBY,[6] a secret Chiss enclave on the planet Hoth intercepted coded Republic messages indicating the fleet's existence and that it would soon pass along a secret route in the Outer Rim Territories. The enclave notified Imperial Intelligence, as the Chiss Ascendancy was an ally of the Empire,[7] and the Imperial Navy gathered near the system.[5]

The battle[edit | edit source]

"We were forced to abandon the prototype technology we had been assigned to protect."
―Grand Master Satele Shan[src]

As the Republic fleet passed along the secret route, not far from the uninhabited Hoth system, a massive strike force from the Imperial Navy ambushed the Republic ships. This began a protracted battle that lasted for days[5] and spread over several star systems.[7] The presence of the powerful prototype ships ensured the survival of many of the Republic crew members—including Satele Shan, one of the Jedi Knights assigned to protect the fleet—but the battle claimed the lives of many on both sides and destroyed hundreds of vessels.[5] The fighting reached its peak in the Hoth system, where over seventy-five vessels were sent crashing to Hoth's surface.[7] Colonel Laren Omas, the driving force behind the Star of Coruscant project, survived most of the battle, but he was killed when his personal shuttle, the Starbreeze, was shot down over the planet.[8]

Republic ships such as the Sendant Pride[13] and the Deliverance[11] were damaged or destroyed during the battle and succumbed to Hoth's powerful gravity well, joining the growing number of ships strewn upon the icy surface.[5] The Vehement Sword, a prototype warship equipped with the newly developed Null Cannons—weapons that fired energy blasts to disable entire starships, similar to large-scale ion cannons—was another casualty of the conflict, breaking in half upon impact and splintering the Null Cannon prototype into dozens of pieces.[15] The Star of Coruscant itself crashed onto the planet, but the dreadnaught's armor was so strong that the ship remained completely intact, buried in the snow and ice.[14] A Valor-class cruiser, the Intercessor, escaped the battle and went on to fight in the Sacking of Coruscant and the Cold War.[12] The starfighter carrier Conraddas Vindicator was among the casualties[7] as well as a Republic transport ship that was carrying experimental stealth field generators.[16] The Mon Calamari–designed cruiser Dauntless Star shot down over sixty Imperial fighters before being destroyed,[10] while starfighter units such as Victor Squadron took down dozens of battle cruisers before they, too, were eliminated.[17]

The remains of the Conraddis Vindicator and a smaller craft on the surface of Hoth

Many Imperial craft were claimed by the battle as well—the Enforcer,[20] Storm Fire, and Indignation were among the ships that crashed on Hoth's surface,[21] and an Imperial scientist's shuttle, the Deference, was also shot down and ended up in the Highmount Ridge region.[19] Among the more notable casualties were an Imperial prison ship carrying the legendary Jedi Master Wyellett,[1] and the Ambria's Fury—a sleek and secretive warship whose loss distressed the Moffs of the Empire.[18] Imperial Admiral Layek Davos was shot down in the battle as well,[8] and a Sith holocron was believed destroyed during the fighting, though it was actually lost amid the crashed ships.[22]

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

"I remember the reports coming in from Hoth during the war. I was at headquarters when the Republic superdreadnaught went down… the whole room cheered."
―Doctor Eckard Lokin[src]

The Battle of Hoth was a heavy blow to the Republic war effort, and, despite the cost to the Imperial Navy, it was considered a victory for the Empire. Many veterans of the Great Galactic War later believed that the engagement was a major turning point in the war and one of the main reasons that the Republic later accepted the Treaty of Coruscant twelve years later to end the war.[23] The image of the Star of Coruscant falling to Hoth's surface was a great tool for Imperial propaganda,[11] and Colonel Omas' death during the battle also spelled the end of the Republic's Shadow Arsenal superweapon project, though the Republic scientist Doctor Nasan Godera continued to work on the stealth arsenal of planet-cracking missiles in secret.[9] After being shot down, Admiral Davos was stranded on Hoth's surface for six months before he was rescued.[8]

Neither the Republic nor the Empire attempted any recovery or salvage efforts beyond the retrieval of Davos by the Empire, and pirates from the White Maw organization took advantage of their disinterest to begin salvage efforts of their own. The Star of Coruscant became a pirate fortress, and it was not until sometime after the Treaty of Coruscant that the Republic and the Empire returned to Hoth in order to salvage what they could from the remains of their prototype ships.[24] Over two decades after the battle, Imperial forces recovered the holocron that had been thought destroyed with help from the Chiss Ascendancy.[22]

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

"Pilot First Class Darkil Aro was shot down during the Battle of Hoth. He's been lost for years out there in the wastelands."
―Cedin Kavil, during the cut mission "Survivor"[src]

The Battle of Hoth was first mentioned in the entry for the planet Hoth in the Holonet, a section of the official website for the 2011 video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. The battle is greatly expanded on in the in-universe sourcebook The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural[5] as well as the in-game Codex and various missions on Hoth for both factions in The Old Republic.[23] However, the Journal is internally inconsistent as to the dates; the initial entry that mentions the battle is dated to 3665 BBY, but in a second later entry dated approximately four and a half years later, Gnost-Dural refers to the battle as having taken place around three years earlier—which places the battle around 3664 BBY.[5] The very first concept art for Hoth by lead artist Arnie Jorgensen featured the Starship Graveyard, and the Graveyard and the Battle of Hoth were elements of the planet's storyline from the beginning of the development process.[25] The 2012 reference guide Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia gave additional information on the battle, including that the Chiss Ascendancy was responsible for the Empire learning about the Republic fleet.[7] The cut Republic mission "Survivor" would have featured the player rescuing Pilot First Class Darkil Aro, who had crashed during the Battle of Hoth after taking down an Imperial battle cruiser and managed to survive the last two decades amidst the frozen wastes.[26] The Imperial Agent missions involving the Shadow Arsenal superweapon place the Battle of Hoth near the end of the war, though this is inconsistent with all other sources.[9]

Appearances[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

Notes and references[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Codex Entry: "Master Wyellet (Warrior)"
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Old Republic: Annihilation
  3. The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural indicates that the Minos Cluster Campaign lasted for the entirety of the twenty-eight-year Great Galactic War, meaning that the invasion occurred concurrently with the Battle of Hoth.
  4. According to The Old Republic: Smuggler's Vanguard, the Imperial invasion of Balmorra began early in the war, during Hylo Visz's childhood—at least ten years prior to the events of the story. The Essential Reader's Companion places Smuggler's Vanguard in 3660 BBY, indicating that the Battle of Balmorra was initiated by at least 3670 BBY. Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia and Star Wars: The Old Republic reveal that the battle continued throughout the remainder of the war and into the Cold War and Galactic War.
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural
  6. 6.0 6.1 The Battle of Hoth is logged in the The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural under the date "21378.00.213", while the Sacking of Coruscant, which occurs in 3653 BBY, per Timeline 1: Treaty of Coruscant, is logged under the date "21390.02.056", which means the event occurred 12 years before the Sacking, in 3665 BBY.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Imperial Agent Mission: "Frigid Expedition" on Hoth
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Codex Entry: "Shadow Arsenal (Agent)"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Imperial Mission: "The Big Find" on Hoth
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Ambient conversation in a Republic base on Hoth
  12. 12.0 12.1 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Space Combat: "Clouds of Vondoru"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Location: Starship Graveyard on Hoth
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Codex Entry: "Star of Coruscant"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Republic Mission: "Arms Race" on Hoth
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Republic Mission: "Invisible Foes" on Hoth
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Imperial Mission: "Black Boxes, White Ice" on Hoth
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Codex Entry: "The Ambria's Fury Crash"
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Jedi Knight Mission: "Sub-Zero Showdown" on Hoth
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Trooper Mission: "Conspicuous Gallantry" on Hoth
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Trooper Mission: "Third-Party Interest" on Hoth
  22. 22.0 22.1 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Imperial Mission: "Icy Imperial Inroads" on Hoth
  23. 23.0 23.1 SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Codex Entry: "The Battle of Hoth"
  24. SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Codex Entry: "Salvaging Starships"
  25. The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic
  26. SWTOR mini.png Star Wars: The Old Republic—Republic Mission: "Survivor" on Hoth

Great Galactic War
(36813653 BBY)
Galactic timeline

Previous: Dark Wars
(39553951 BBY)

Concurrent: Kanz Disorders
(39703670 BBY)

Next: Cold War
(36533642 BBY)

Battles of the Great Galactic War
Sith onslaught
(36813671 BBY)
Tingel Arm · Aparo sector · Tingel Arm campaign
First Korriban · Sluis Van
Minos Cluster Campaign:
Coruscant riots · Eliad · Karideph
Blockade of the Rimma Trade Route:
First Seswenna sector · Second Seswenna sector
Rattataki insurrection · Talay · First Lenico IV · Mid Rim · Begeren
Hunt for Exal Kressh:
Lenico Colony Blue · Second Korriban
Bomodon · Third Seswenna sector · First Bothawui
Second Bothawui · Balmorra
Republic resilience
(36713660 BBY)
Dread Masters · Belsavis · Alderaan · Gell Mattar · Baras vs. Jedi
Starweird Queen · Hoth · Ferrid's theft · Republic envoy
Blockade of the Hydian Way:

Devaron · Coruscant riots · Smuggler attack
Rim Campaign:
First Ord Radama · Third Korriban · Ziost
Ashas Ree · Serenno · Second Ord Radama
Empire victorious
(36603653 BBY)
Rhen Var · Assassination of Darth Azamin · Dantooine
Defeat of the Imperial Seventh Fleet · Druckenwell
Assassination of Moff Tarrick · Haruun Kal
Operation Force Crush · Coruscant · Alderaan peace conference
Other battles and campaigns
(Alphabetical order)
Agamar · Amador · Assassination attempt · Dathomir
Dantooine duel · Edusa · Fest · Gelpog's asteroid-hives
Genarius · Geonosis · Ilum · Imperial flagship
Imperial outpost · Iskalon · Kaikielius · Lan Barell
Second Lenico IV · Loronar · Manaan
Ngani Zho's battle · Nopsin · Operation: Aphelion · Operation: Freefall
Operation: Hightower · Operation: Undertow · Ord Ibanna
Oteg's battle · Ralltiir · Rordak · SIS slave operation
Sullust · Utapau · Velmor · Warhammer · Yavin 4
Related topics and articles
Chancellor Berooken · Dark Council · Galactic Republic · Senate emergency defense session
Hutt–Imperial treaty · Jedi Council · Jedi Order · Mandalore the Lesser · Mandalorian clans
Sith Emperor · Sith Empire · Sith Order · Republic depression · Republic Senate · Treaty of Coruscant
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