Baroonda

Baroonda was an astronomical object^[1] located in the Baroonda system within the Calaron sector of the Outer Rim Territories^[3] and the Slice.^[2] The Triellus Trade Route^[4] connected it to the celestial body Marleyvane and^[1] the planet^[5] Oba Diah. It was situated in grid square T-9 of the Standard Galactic Grid^[1] and shared its name with the city Baroonda^[6] and the Baroonda Circuit podracing course.^[7]

Behind the scenes

Milestones

In the current Star Wars canon, Baroonda first appeared in "The Racing Winner," a non-canon comic story written by Martin Fisher and illustrated by Bob Molesworth. The story was published in the fifty-seventh issue of the magazine LEGO Star Wars,^[8] which was released on February 22, 2020.^[9] Its first canonical introduction to canon was in Pablo Hidalgo's 2025 reference book Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide.^[1] In the Star Wars Legends continuity, Baroonda originated in the 1999 video game Star Wars: Episode I Racer, where it served as the location of several podracing tracks.^[10] "The Racing Winner" referenced elements from the game,^[8] including the Fire Mountain Rally and partially submerged statue heads.^[10]

The Racing Winner

In "The Racing Winner," Baroonda was a terrestrial planet with a breathable,^[8] Type I^[11] atmosphere that was comprised of oceans, forests, and beaches. Palm trees grew on the beaches and alongside a large waterfall, while fish inhabited the planet's oceans. Near one beach, the weathered head of a statue emerged from the water. The planet served as the location of the legendary podracing event Fire Mountain Rally, where the participants would race through the terrain and over the oceans of Baroonda.^[8]

In an edition of the race that took place^[8] between 3 ABY and 4 ABY,^[12] the Sith Lord^[5] Darth Vader traveled to Baroonda to race against three of his Imperial stormtroopers. At the time, the Rebel Alliance operated a hidden base on Baroonda, which was located near the race track. After being notified of the Empire's presence on the planet, Rebel Alliance members Lando Calrissian, Leia Organa, and Chewbacca worried about the Empire discovering the location of the base. Calrissian devised a plan and ordered the rebels to disrupt the race to make the Empire leave the planet.

During the race, Organa released several varactyls onto the track, which caused Vader's podracer to scratch against a rock. When one of the stormtroopers managed to take the lead, Vader used the Force to let a palm tree crash into the trooper's podracer and destroy it. He later destroyed another racer by throwing a brick into its engine. A stormtrooper visiting Baroonda on vacation, who had been fishing from a small boat nearby, was thrown into the water by one of the passing podracers. As Vader reached the final turn, Calrissian shot at one of his engines with a blaster rifle, which caused Vader's podracer to come to a halt. The stormtroopers, who had managed to repair the destroyed podracers, then raced across the finish line, which enraged Vader and caused him to leave the planet together with his troops.^[8]

Appearances

Non-canon appearances

• "The Racing Winner" — LEGO Star Wars 57 (First appearance)

Sources

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide (First canonically mentioned)

Notes and references