Name: Kessel
Type: Terrestrial
Temperature: Hot
Atmosphere: Type I (Breathable / occasionally smoggy)
Hydrosphere: Moist
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Barren spice mines in the north, Lush sanctuaries in the south
Length of Day: 12 Standard Hours
Length of Year: 322 Local Days
Sapient Species: Dwuni, Gigoran, Human, Pyke, Twi’lek, Wookiee
Starport: Limited Services
Population: 125,000
Planet Function: Raw Material Mining, Prison Planet
Government: Monarchy
Tech Level: Space
Trade Routes: Kessel Run, Sanity Skip
Major Exports: Coaxium, Kesselstone, Kessoline, Spice
Major Imports: Slaves
Settlements: Kessel Castle, Mining Camps
Points of Interest: Kessel Bunker, Kessel Castle, Mining Facility 81-B, Spice mines of Kessel, Spice mine K76
Flora: —
Fauna: Spice spider
System Data
Region: Outer Rim Territories
Sector: Kessel Sector
System Name: Kessel System
Star Name: Kessel
Star Type: Yellow
Background: Kessel was a planet within the Akkadese Maelstrom that hosted spice mines. The planet also exported coaxium and Kesselstone. While Kessel’s northern hemisphere was devoted to mining, the planet’s southern hemisphere was home to lush sanctuaries. During the Imperial Era, the Galactic Empire and Pyke Syndicate ran several mining operations that employed slave labor. These slave mining operations were targeted by various underworld and rebel factions.
Theories suggest that the source of spice within Kessel was the turbulent area of space that surrounds the planet. Over eons, debris from churning singularities of the Maw Cluster and surrounding Akkadese Maelstrom accumulated into the planetary mass. This mineral-rich world produced a vibrant ecology with enormous forests.
Kessel was a key world in the spice trade, with slavery being used in the production of goods. During the Clone Wars, Kessel was ruled by King Yaruba of the Yaruba Family of Kessel. At one point, Yaruba’s majordomo, Kinash Lock, while acting on behalf of the king, negotiated a deal with Rafa Martez to transport spice to Marg Krim of the Pyke Syndicate on Oba Diah.
For years, the Pykes dealt with spice mined from Kessel, using smugglers and freighter captains to deliver it to the crime families of Coruscant. The Galactic Empire also operated a mining operation, employing numerous slaves, including Wookiees, to harvest spice. Meanwhile, the Yaruba Family of Kessel lived in lush sanctuaries in the planet’s southern hemisphere, turning a blind eye to the brutal working conditions in the mines of the northern hemisphere.
In 10 BBY, the Pyke Syndicate Capo Quay Tolsite operated a coaxium mine on the planet which was manned by slave laborers. During a mission to obtain coaxium for the Crimson Dawn crime lord Dryden Vos, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Qi’ra, and the droid L3-37 freed the slave miners and droids from the Pyke Syndicate. They then escaped into the Akkadese Maelstrom aboard the smuggler and gambler Lando Calrissian’s freighter, the Millennium Falcon.
Being pursued through space by Imperial TIE fighters and TIE heavy starfighters, Solo flew the Falcon through the dangerous Maw Cluster. Despite being attacked by a Summa-verminoth, Han Solo and his crew managed to complete the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs.
In 5 BBY, the Spectres rescued several Wookiee prisoners from Spice mine K76. During the mission, the former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus identified himself as a Jedi by igniting his lightsaber, bringing himself to the attention of the Grand Inquisitor.
When the Empire boarded the starship Tantive IV, which carried Princess Leia Organa on a secret mission for the Rebel Alliance, the protocol droid named C-3PO expressed fear that he and his counterpart, R2-D2, would be sent to the spice mines of Kessel.
After the collapse of the Empire in 5 ABY, Kessel’s lucrative spice trade was left in the state of complete disarray. Without the guiding hands of Imperial officials or Mining Guild protection, competition for Kessel spice became a bloody free-for-all. It was deemed to be unsafe to operate on processing termini like Formos and Oba Diah, leading to the eventual rise of the pirate gang known as the Spice Runners of Kijimi.
Appearances: The Clone Wars, Solo,