Overview:

Description: Most notable for seeing the Battle of Yavin, Yavin IV was a desolate moon orbiting the gas giant Yavin Prime. The moon houses tropical jungles, forests, and mountain ranges scattered across the four continents. As far as marine life goes, 33% of the moon was entirely six oceans, all linked together. The surface typically saw two seasons, wet and dry. The world also had a variety of native species. 

Naga Sadow's Stronghold: Following the Great Hyperspace Wars in 5,000 BBY, legendary Sith Lord Naga Sadow fled to the jungle moon along with an army of Massassi warriors. There, Sadow ordered the construction of several temples across the moon, most notably the Great Temple. Once in a state of comatose, the ex-Jedi Freedon Nadd traveled to Yavin IV in 4,400 BBY. His extraordinary usage of the Force won the Massassi warriors' trust and had them show him the resting place of Sadow. Like a true Sith, Nadd killed Sadow mercilessly, taking the title of Dark Lord. The next conflicted Jedi to find himself in the Sith-controlled world was Exar Kun. Kun found himself falling to the spirit of Freedon Nadd's manipulation and used his developing Sith powers to perish him. With his new capability and title of Dark Lord, he focused on growing as a Sith. He also took over the Massassi civilization as well as the moon they resided on. Soon after this insurgence, Kun had fled to Yavin IV in an attempt of outrunning the Galactic Republic when the Great Sith Wars did not look convincing for him. To his dismay, the Jedi tailed him there and initiated an assault influenced by their light side Force powers. In an urgent matter, Exar Kun summoned all Massassi in the vicinity and drained their life energy, using it to free his spirit from his endangered body. 

Jedi Haven: Following the Jedi onslaught, the light side users began the restoration. By constructing an underground city, the climate and flora began to restabilize, ultimately providing a new luscious environment for the inhabitants. The Jedi ensured Kun did not make his reappearance and stayed in his spiritual state as well. Once gone, the Jedi removed all fragments of information regarding Yavin IV in hopes of putting its reputation to reset. 

Continuous Conflict: Adding to Yavin IV's dark history was Revan's involvement during the Galactic War. Revan, who had fought in both the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil War, sought revenge on the Sith Emperor. He and his Revanites conquered Yavin IV and began the process of resurrecting the Emperor. In a desperate matter, Grand Master Satele Shan and Dark Councilor Darth Marr agreed upon a truce. The temporary alliance allowed both factions to launch an attack on the jungle moon, defeating Revan, but not the more substantial threat. 

Rediscovery: After years of isolation from the galaxy, the moon's system was retouched upon by hyperspace scouts. These scouts discovered the rare Corusca gems, one of the most durable materials in the known galaxy. Moving on to the era of the Galactic Civil War, Yavin IV served as the primary Rebel Alliance military base and was a prime factor in the Death Star's destruction in 0 BBY.