Appearance

Mentality

Personal history

Pre-Republic

The Petrified mounds of the Killiks in the Castle Lands.
A lush, mountainous world, the native Killiks evolved from the most intelligent non-sentient species on the planet circa 1,000,000 BBY.[27] Constructing massive hives, such as in the Castle Lands near Oroboro, the Killiks ruled the planet until departing the world and colonizing nearby Alsakan, and later departing for deep space after consuming all of Alderaan's natural resources.[3] Human colonists came to the planet from Coruscant, via the Herglic Trade Empire, in 27,500 BBY and built a peaceful civilization in harmony with nature. Settlers were attracted from across the Core Worlds, drawn by Alderaan's natural beauty. Eventually the Alderaanian monarchy came into existence, and with it the implementation of many laws designed to preserve the environment.[10]
Old Republic
Alderaan was a founder of the Galactic Republic[3] in 25,053 BBY and one of the anchor-points for early hyperspace exploration. Alderaan was headquarters of Alderaan Royal Engineers, an early Republic shipwright; with these ships Alderaanian colonists settled Nim Drovis. During the Mandalorian Wars, the planet was threatened with invasion by the forces of Cassus Fett, but the entire invasion force was prematurely obliterated, due to misuse of an ancient Sith artifact.

Alderaan's picturesque landscape just prior to the Battle of Alderaan
During the peak of the Great Galactic War, the planet's peace and tranquility was shattered by a full-scale Sith Empire invasion. The Sith quickly overwhelmed the local defense forces and took the entire royal family hostage. In response, a Republic and Jedi task force launched a swift counter-offensive against the Sith; recapturing the planet and inflicting a heavy defeat on the Sith.[8]
As a consequence of the Sith invasion, the Alderaanian leadership adopted a hardline militarist stance towards the Sith Empire in the Galactic Senate.[8] In 3653 BBY,[7] the Treaty of Coruscant ended the decades-long conflict in favor of the Sith Empire, which had earlier launched a devastating attack on the galactic capital Coruscant. In protest, Senator Gaul Panteer, the Alderaanian Crown Prince, walked out of the Senate and withdrew Alderaan from the Republic.[8]
The crown prince's actions created much division in Alderaan. While many supported his actions, others were outraged by the secession from the Republic. The crisis worsened with the assassination of the prince and the death of his mother a few days later. The Alderaanian Parliament was quickly torn apart by infighting between rival houses. A bloody civil war quickly ensued when one of these houses attempted a military coup.[8]

Alderaan during the Cold War
In the subsequent Interstellar Cold War between the Republic and the Sith, the planet was the site of a number of border skirmishes and proxy battles between Republic and Sith forces. The Republic backed House of Organa while the Sith backed the formerly exiled House of Thul, which sought to reclaim the throne. Neither side had military forces on Alderaan.[8] Around the same time, the Museum of Antiquities ordered a shipment of rare artworks which was however intercepted and replaced with worthless copies of the paintings made by the famous commercial artist Ornas Lodin.[11]
During the conflict with the Eternal Empire, Malika Sturm hosted the cenntenial thranta race in the upper atmosphere of Alderaan.[28]
During the last five centuries of the Old Republic, Alderaan nobility was known to enjoy the seafood from Lamaredd distributed by Bartyn Gourmet Delicacies.[29]
In 27 BBY, Alderaan was personally protected by Jedi Master Eeth Koth during the Ashaar Khorda crisis.
Clone Wars

The Sundered Heart lands in Aldera in 19 BBY, right after the end of the Clone Wars.
As a whole, Alderaan strongly opposed the Military Creation Act; they had their own security forces, but remained loyal to the Republic during the Clone Wars. Alderaan allowed Refugee Relief Movement settlement by displaced exiles from Ando (including Orogor Binn and Sandi Maba and her family[25]) and other Separatist worlds who wished to remain Republic citizens. Due to its assistance of these exiles, Alderaan was attacked personally—nearly "being destroyed"—by General Grievous.
With the rise of the New Order, Queen Breha Organa and Viceroy Bail Prestor Organa adopted Leia Amidala Skywalker.[9] The Galactic Empire violently terminated the Jedi Praxeum on the planet, though a few students escaped. Shortly afterwards, Jedi Knight Ylenic It'kla led a remnant of the Caamasi people to settle on Alderaan after Palpatine desolated Caamas. Ylenic served as Trustant of the Caamasi Remnant and adviser to the Organas.
Galactic Civil War
"For all their talk of being a peaceful planet, Alderaan had been thumbing its nose at the Empire for years."
―Unnamed 501st stormtrooper[30]

The Death Star looms over Alderaan.
Immediately after the formation of the Galactic Empire, Alderaan was wracked by anti-Imperial protests, mainly from alien refugees who were now forced to pay an exorbitant tax to return home. Alderaan eventually became a safe haven for rebellious elements who wished to fight the growing oppression of the Empire, which helped bring on the planet's very downfall. As such, Alliance popularity on the planet was massive enough that the Alderaan Guards often paid visits to families to inform them of any deaths in the service to the Alliance, at least one example being Kissek Doran.[31]
When Bail Organa, Garm Bel Iblis, and Mon Mothma formally created the Rebel Alliance, many Alderaanians volunteered their resources and lives, despite the still fresh memories of the Clone Wars. Many of the early warriors of the Alliance, and subsequently, many of its leaders and officers, were Alderaanian.
After the horrors of the Clone Wars, Alderaan's frigates and light cruisers were dismantled and the world's defensive armaments and superweapons were placed aboard the armory warship Another Chance.[32][5] The ship was programmed to continually jump though hyperspace until called home by the High Council. They would not have the opportunity.[33]
Destruction of Alderaan
"Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."
"No! Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons! You can't possibly…!"
"You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!"
―Wilhuff Tarkin and Princess Leia[34]

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin orders the destruction of Alderaan
Shortly after the (three-shot) destruction of Despayre,[3] Alderaan was the first strategic target of the first Death Star. In a demonstration of its power to Princess Leia, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin ordered the destruction of her home, despite Leia's protest. While she claimed the planet was weaponless,[34] it is said it had some of the strongest defences in the Empire.[35] When Death Star gunner Tenn Graneet threw the switch to initiate primary ignition, power was channelled from the hypermatter reactor through the Superlaser, coming out at superluminal velocity. This was the first known time the superlaser had fired a full-power beam.
The deaths of the billions of sentient people caused a massive disturbance in the Force. Obi-Wan Kenobi felt the disturbance while en route to the Alderaan system and told Luke Skywalker that it felt "as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."[34] On the Death Star, Force-sensitive stormtrooper Nova Stihl passed out from the shock of sensing all the deaths on Alderaan,[36] and Princess Leia also felt the disturbance in the Force, although she was unaware of her sensitivity at the time.[source?]
The plan drastically backfired, driving thousands of beings to the Alliance cause, even in the Core Worlds, and sending many planets in the Mid Rim into open rebellion. A number of Alderaanians serving in the Imperial military defected to the Rebel Alliance after learning of their homeworld's destruction; among the defectors was the TIE fighter pilot Tycho Celchu. The Imperials attempted to pin the blame for Alderaan's destruction on the Rebels, keeping a small number of people loyal to the Empire; however, the ruse convinced few.
Post-Destruction
"The defense system on Alderaan, despite the Senator's protestations to the contrary, were as strong as any in the Empire."
―Grand Moff Tarkin[35]

The Graveyard of Alderaan
The remains of Alderaan became known as the Graveyard and many Alderaanians who were off-planet when Alderaan was destroyed performed a private ceremony called the Returning, and would shoot capsules filled with gifts for their friends and family. Some Alderaanian Exiles who called themselves the Guardians, took to patrolling the Graveyard to prevent pirates from stealing the capsules. These Alderaanians were held in rather high regard among the exiles.[33] Han Solo and his crew of the Millennium Falcon, were among the first to visit it in an attempt to bring R2-D2 to Bail Organa, some time before the Falcon's navicomputer even listed Alderaan as destroyed.[34]
In the months after the destruction of Alderaan, Imperial agents often lay in wait for ships performing a Returning ritual. They boarded the ships and arrested the passengers and crew. The Rebel Alliance considered quarantining the Graveyard, as these Imperial actions were too risky for the Alliance.[33]
In 0 ABY, a group of Alderaanians formed a colony on Ejolus, but it was wiped out by the Empire only eight months after their homeworld's destruction.[37] However, shortly after the Ejolus colony was wiped out, the remaining refugees were taken in by the Alderaan Alliance, who gave them residence on New Alderaan discovered by the Rebel Alliance.
Even in 24 ABY, Force-sensitive individuals such as Tenel Ka Djo could still feel echoes of the Force disturbance caused by the deaths of the planet's population. It was also at this time that Jacen and Jaina Solo retrieved a piece of the planet's core, removed via lightsaber, as a birthday gift for their mother, Leia.[38]

Education

Points of interest
Modern:
The Graveyard[3]
Historic:
Aldera Royal Palace[9]
Apalis Coast[10]
Castle Lands
Glarus Valley[10]
Juran Mountains[10]
Kaamos Territory[10]
King's Pass[10]
Museum of Antiquities[11]
Petrified Mounds of the Killiks[2]
University of Alderaan

Employment

Region
Core Worlds[1][2][3]
Sector
Alderaan sector[2]
System
Alderaan system[4][5][3][2]
 
Elected monarchy and Alderaanian Parliament (pre-25,053–Cold War)[20]
Self-declared monarchy (post-3653–3643 BBY)[21]
Constitutional monarchy ( –0 BBY)[22][23]

Accomplishments & Achievements

Major imports
Manufactured goods[5][3][2]
Electronics[5][3][2]
Major exports
Wine[5][3][2]
Art[5][3][2]
Luxury items[5][3][2]

Intellectual Characteristics

Native species
Killik[5][3][2]
Immigrated species
Human[5][3][2]

Known Languages

Primary language(s)
Galactic Basic Standard[5][3][2]

Personality

Social