What is Yavin 4? Star Wars' pivotal Battle of Yavin explained after unexpected Andor twist

Daily Record

23-04-2025

The second season of Andor is officially underway, having premiered this week on Disney+. This highly praised Star Wars prequel charts the adventures of brave rebel Cassian Andor (portrayed by Diego Luna) in the years preceding the obliteration of the Death Star. Throughout his journey, he forges crucial allegiances as the Rebel Alliance gains momentum in its mission to overthrow the tyrannical Galactic Empire. However, in the first two episodes of the second season, titled One Year Later and Sagrona Teema, Cassian encounters a temporary hitch when he crash lands on Yavin 4 in a purloined TIE Avenger. Intending to rendezvous with his contact Porko, he instead finds that the wild moon is already occupied by a band of rebels from the Maya Pei Brigade, who mistake him for an Imperial pilot, reports the Mirror US . Fortunately, our hero manages a daring escape when the group is ambushed by a pack of indigenous beasts. But why does the name Yavin ring a bell for Star Wars aficionados? Let's delve into the significance of this iconic moon in a galaxy far, far away.... Yavin 4 features prominently in the blockbuster sensation that started it all, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Although it's not confirmed in Andor until Cassian departs, the distinctive pyramid structures verify that this moon is indeed the same one the Rebel Alliance later utilises as a base of operations. Young Jedi and Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) ultimately ends up on Yavin 4, orbiting the gas giant Yavin Prime, when he joins the Alliance to aid in the destruction of the first Death Star. Under the guidance of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and with the help of blueprints that exposed a flaw in the superweapon's design, Luke outwits Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) and uses the Force to direct his torpedoes into a tiny exhaust port leading to the space station's reactor. This crucial event in the grand science fiction saga becomes known as the Battle of Yavin, which is the focal point of the Star Wars timeline. Years occurring before the battle are labelled BBY, while the period following the obliteration of the Death Star is referred to as ABY. As Andor is currently set in the four years leading up to this pivotal space conflict, fans might be about to witness the transformation of the moon into the resistance base that has been beloved since the original trilogy. Andor season 2 continues Wednesdays on Disney+.