Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one!"
"Never tell me the odds!C-3PO and Han Solo on board the Millennium Falcon
The Hoth asteroid field, also known as the Hoth asteroid belt or Anoat Asteroid Belt, was an asteroid field overlapping the boundaries of the Hoth and Anoat systems near the planet Hoth.[3]
Description
… and that, Lord Vader, was the last time they appeared in any of our scopes. Considering the amount of damage we've sustained, they must have been destroyed."
"No, Captain. They're alive. I want every ship available to sweep the asteroid field until they are found.Captain Lorth Needa and Darth Vader
The Hoth asteroid belt contained millions of asteroids, some large, some small, some the size of tiny moons. About two-thirds of them were big enough to destroy a starship as large as an YT-1300 light freighter on impact[6] and some were even large enough to devastate capital ships.[3] Creatures the exogorth Sy-O,[7] who lived within the "Big One" asteroid,[2] and mynocks were present in this area.[3]
History
Our ships have sighted the Millennium Falcon, my Lord. But it has entered an asteroid field and we cannot risk–"
"Asteroids do not concern me, Admiral. I want that ship, not excuses.Admiral Piett and Darth Vader
After the Alliance to Restore the Republic was forced to abandon Yavin 4 after the Battle of Yavin, they began a search for a new base. Eventually the rebels picked the planet Hoth as their new base, largely due to the existence of the asteroid field, as the asteroids in the Hoth system formed an effective barrier to outsiders.[2]
Shortly after the Battle of Hoth, being chased by the Imperial TIE/ln space superiority starfighters, the crew of the Millennium Falcon noticed that the hyperdrive was damaged, so they dashed into the asteroid belt to ditch the pursuit.[3] Despite the near-impossibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field without getting pulverized, the Falcon evaded its pursuers (all of whom were destroyed by asteroid collisons) and hid inside one of the largest asteroids. Death Squadron—the Imperial fleet under the command of Darth Vader himself—pursued them, but the field punished them with brutal impacts, resulting in the loss of at least one Star Destroyer when its bridge tower was obliterated by a particularly large asteroid and even inflicting damage to the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor before Admiral Piett informed Vader to make contact with Emperor Palpatine, causing the Executor to withdraw from the asteroid field so that Vader could send a clear transmission.[3]
Appearances
- Lost Stars (and audiobook)
- Lost Stars webcomic
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (First appearance)
- The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi? (and audiobook)
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back junior novelization
- "Ion Control" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)
- "The Final Order" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook)
- "Faith in an Old Friend" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook)
- "Amara Kel's Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably)" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook)
- "Lord Vader Will See You Now" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook) (In flashback(s))
- "Wait for It" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (and audiobook)
- Star Wars: Uprising
- Bloodline (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)
Non-canon appearances
Sources
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Captain Needa in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (as "Hoth asteroid field")
- Han Solo in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Hoth in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Princess Leia Organa in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Ultimate Star Wars (First identified as Hoth asteroid field)
- Star Wars: Ships of the Galaxy
- Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 39 (Guide to the Galaxy: Hoth Asteroid Belt)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 6 (Highlights of the Saga: Peril in the Asteroid Field)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 6 (Weapons & Uniforms: The Imperial Fleet)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 9 (Highlights of the Saga: Ground Assault on Hoth)
- Star Wars: Complete Locations
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 24 (Databank A-Z: The HoloNet–General Hux)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 29 (Highlights of the Saga: The Empire Strikes Back!)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 32 (Highlights of the Saga: Attack of the Wampa)
- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: On the Front Lines
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 43 (Databank A-Z: Leia Organa) (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 51 (Databank A-Z: Soulless One–Super Battle Droids)
- Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 61 (Highlights of the Saga: Escaping Cloud City)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 78 (Helmets: Zuckuss) (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Build Your Own X-Wing 24 (Starfighter Aces: CR-978 – Elite But Expendable) (First identified as Anoat Asteroid Belt)
- Star Wars: Creatures Big & Small (Picture only)
- "The Battle of Hoth and the Second Death Star" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "C-3PO" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire (Indirect mention only)
- Asteroid Field in the Databank (backup link)
- Han Solo in the Databank (backup link)
- Princess Leia Organa in the Databank (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 39 (Guide to the Galaxy: Hoth Asteroid Belt)
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back junior novelization
- ↑ Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game
- ↑ The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?
- ↑ "This Is No Cave" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back