Beyond its thrilling surface, the Battle of Yavin holds a deeper significance. Here, we will explore the events leading up to this momentous showdown, its crucial impact on the galaxy’s history, and why it remains a cornerstone of the Star Wars timeline.

For fans of the original trilogy, the Battle of Yavin is likely one of the earliest memories of Star Wars. However, with the advent of prequels and spin-offs, we’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of the factors that culminated in this decisive confrontation.

In the tense conclusion of “Andor,” Cassian Andor races to Coruscant to rescue Luthen, only to discover his demise at the hands of the Empire. Returning to the Rebel base on Yavin with Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau), he delivers the alarming news of the Death Star—a threat so enormous that it initially strains belief among the rebels.

Determined to validate Luthen’s intelligence, Andor embarks on a mission that leads him into the narrative of “Rogue One.” This prequel film recounts the perilous quest undertaken by Andor and Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) to expose the truth about the Death Star and locate the hidden flaw within it. The stakes are intensified as Jyn’s father, Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), represents the galaxy’s only hope of dismantling the superweapon.

In the final episodes of “Andor,” Cassian Andor rushes to Coruscant to rescue Luthen, only to find he’s died after being captured by the Empire. Instead, he returns to the rebel base on Yavin with fellow rebel Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau), bearing a message about this superweapon that is so preposterously evil that no one in the Rebel Alliance believes it could possibly exist. 

Andor sets out on a mission to confirm Luthen’s inside information, which leads him into the events of “Rogue One,” the prequel film that follows the harrowing journey that Andor and Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) go on, to discover the truth about the Death Star, and the secret flaw hidden within it. The stakes are even higher, as Jyn’s father, Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), represents the galaxy’s only chance at destroying the superweapon.

That film ends with Jyn and Cassian sacrificing their own lives to get this information about the Death Star into the hands of Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) so that she can rally the troops to destroy the Death Star before it can allow the villainous Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) to seize dictatorial control over the entire galaxy.

With the stakes raised to their absolute peak, the Battle of Yavin kicks off as the Rebel fleet jets out to battle the Empire in what will become the single most impactful moment in the history of the galaxy. On one side is the Galactic Empire, led by Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) aboard the Death Star, and Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) shooting down Rebel X-Wings in his tie fighter. 

On the ground, Princess Leia rallies the troops to mount their last stand to protect the base, with Luke Skywalker formally joining the Rebel Alliance, embarking on a run through the trenches of the Death Star to launch a bomb into the small thermal exhaust port that represents the space station’s only weakness.

What makes the Battle of Yavin so important to the history of the Star Wars galaxy isn’t just that this climactic battle represents the Rebellion’s first major victory over the Empire, but that it also serves to allow Luke to fully unveil his Jedi powers thanks to the guidance of his departed Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). The Rebellion’s triumph in the Battle of Yavin, and Luke’s new mastery of the Force, tees up the rest of the Skywalker Saga, which depicts Luke and Leia’s journey to bring peace and hope to the galaxy, freeing their father from the grip of the dark side of the Force, and ultimately helping the next generation of Force users to destroy the Empire once and for all.

For all these reasons, the Battle of Yavin has become the central point of the Star Wars canon against which all other events are measured. They are placed in the timeline whether they happened before the Battle of Yavin (BBY), or after the Battle of Yavin (ABY). Working backwards, BBY helps us to know that the events of “Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” take place 32 years before “Episode 4,” or 32 BBY, while moving forward shows that the events of “Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker” occurred 34 years after the Battle of Yavin, or 34 ABY. It can also help determine the right order to watch every Star Wars movie in.

This measurement is certainly not one of the questionable things ignored in the Star Wars franchise. Outside of the in-universe reasons for establishing BBY and ABY, this measurement of time also helps fans and writers keep track of whether the events of the Expanded Universe, or EU, occurred a long time ago or a long, LONG time ago, and exactly how far removed they are from the original “Star Wars” that kicked off this whole saga. Who knew one battle could become the defining moment of an entire universe?