Ars Veruna

Ars Veruna^[6] was a human male who served as the king of the Mid Rim planet of Naboo prior to the reign of Queen Padmé Amidala.^[1] During his reign, Veruna established a vast royal library collection in a tower at the back of the Theed Royal Palace.^[4] Veruna was considered a corrupt king,^[7] and was assassinated prior to Amidala's election as queen^[8] in 32 BBY.^[2]

He shared his name with Veruna, one^[9] of the three^[10] moons of Naboo.^[9] The Veruna family overall would be remembered as one of Naboo's ruling families.^[5]

Behind the scenes

Development

Ars Veruna was first canonically mentioned in the 2014 magazine Star Wars Helmet Collection 2.^[7] He was later mentioned in in Sio Bibble's entry from the 2016 reference book Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded, written by Pablo Hidalgo. The text mentioning Veruna is reprinted from^[1] the Star Wars Legends reference book Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, written by Simon Beecroft and published in 2011.^[11]

In the Legends continuity, Veruna was first mentioned in the 1999 novel Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala, written by Jude Watson.^[12] He later made his first appearance in the 2000 short comic "A Summer's Dream," published in Star Wars Tales 5 by Dark Horse Comics.^[13] Veruna was eventually given the first name Ars in the novel Darth Plagueis, in which he has a prominent role.^[14]

Contradictions

In 2016, Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded stated that Veruna was Amidala's predecessor.^[1] Other reference materials published in that year stated that his reign lasted thirteen years,^[4] and ended when she defeated him in an election.^[7] Moving forward, mentions of Veruna are inconsistent with material published during and after 2018. The fifty-fourth issue of the magazine Star Wars Helmet Collection, published that year, retconned the previous information that Amidala had defeated Veruna in an election by instead stating that he had been assassinated before she was elected,^[8] which is a plot point carried over from the 2012 Legends novel Darth Plagueis.^[14]

The 2019 canon novel Queen's Shadow, written by E. K. Johnston, instead established that Naboo monarchs can only serve for a maximum of four years, or two terms lasting two years each.^[16] The 2019 reference book Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition placed Bibble's election to the position of Governor during Veruna's reign, but did not maintain Veruna as Amidala's immediate predecessor, or specify the duration of his reign.^[17] Johnston's 2020 novel Queen's Peril,^[18] which is set in 32 BBY,^[19] stated that Amidala's immediate predecessor was Sanandrassa, a single-term queen who was elected when Queen Réillata retired after one term.^[18]

Queen's Peril placed the beginning of Réillata's first term in 36 BBY, and Sanandrassa's in 34 BBY.^[20] This dating is inconsistent with James Luceno's 2014 canon novel Tarkin,^[15] which is set in 14 BBY, and has Wilhuff Tarkin remember a conversation from "twenty years earlier," 34 BBY,^[21] in which Senator Palpatine briefly talked about the Naboo king who ruled at that time: "Even on my own Naboo, the king finds himself embroiled with the Trade Federation and off-world bankers with regard to our plasma exports."^[15] The quote superficially describes events previously seen in Darth Plagueis, which was also written by Luceno.^[14] However, it has not yet been confirmed in canon whether this king is indeed Veruna.^[15] Star Wars: Timelines later provided a list of Monarchs of Naboo, confirming Réillata ended her term and Sanandrassa started her term in 34 BBY, with no mention of Veruna.^[22] 2022's Star Wars Starships & Vehicles 21, however, repeated the claim that Amidala succeeded Veruna, whom it claimed had abdicated his throne after a series of political scandals spurred on by his foreign policy decisions.^[23]

Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded and Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, New Edition's reference to Sio Bibble being elected under Veruna^[1][24] was removed in the later Star Wars: Character Encyclopedia, Updated and Expanded Edition, which just states Bibble was elected under Amidala's predecessor,^[25] who would have been Sanandrassa.^[18] Veruna's mention in Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition^[17] was not present in its updated version, Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy. However it does maintain there were multiple monarchs between Bibble's appointment and Amidala's reign, meaning he was not elected under Sanandrassa.^[26] Also, Star Wars: Complete Locations mentions Veruna in the context of his royal library,^[4] however the newer publication Star Wars: Complete Locations, New Edition removes the mention of Veruna.^[27] Author Jason Fry described Veruna's existence in canon having "become a little tangled," and removing him from Complete Locations was deliberate.^[28]

Appearances

• Legacy of Vader 4 (Indirect mention only) (In flashback(s))

Sources

• Star Wars Helmet Collection: Boba Fett Databank A-Z: Alzoc III–Antilles (First mentioned)
• Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 31 Starship Fact File: Naboo N-1 Starfighter
• Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 47 Starship Fact File: Naboo J-Type 327 Nubian
• Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
• Star Wars: Complete Locations
• Star Wars Helmet Collection: Naboo Royal Guard Weapons & Uniforms: The Naboo
• Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
• Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, New Edition
• Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
• "Database" — Star Wars - Das offizielle Magazin 96
• Star Wars Starships & Vehicles: N-1 Fighter Pilots and Crew Members: Padmé Amidala
• Star Wars: Millennium Falcon 31 Starship Fact File: Naboo N-1 Starfighter
• Star Wars: Millennium Falcon 47 Starship Fact File: Naboo J-Type 327 Nubian

Monarch of Naboo[1]
← By 44 BBY[29] Eventually, Queen Ekay[29] (44 BBY—40 BBY[22]) →

Notes and references