Appenza Peak, situated on the planet Alderaan, was a snow-covered mountain of great renown. Its visibility from [Aldera](/article/aldera], the capital city, made it a prominent landmark. Despite not being the tallest peak on Alderaan, its image was featured on the flag representing the capital region. Alderaanian folklore often depicted spirits departing from the mountain to find worthy adventurers, and religious pilgrims believed its summit facilitated communication with the Force. The ascent was considered relatively straightforward, attracting hundreds of climbers each year.
A tradition existed where the heir to the Alderaanian monarchy would undertake a solo climb of the mountain as part of their Challenge of the Body. During her own Challenge, Princess Breha Organa suffered severe injuries in a fall while descending. Her life was saved only by the swift response of royal guards monitoring from afar. Later, as Queen, Breha's adopted daughter, Leia, requested her mother's presence during her own Challenge of the Body. Appenza Peak, along with the rest of Alderaan, met its end when it was destroyed by the first Death Star in 0 BBY.
A snowcapped mountain in the Core Worlds system, Appenza Peak was located within the capital region of the planet Alderaan. It was visible from the capital city of [Aldera](/article/aldera]. The ascent to its peak was deemed relatively uncomplicated, with hundreds undertaking the journey each year.
While not Alderaan's highest mountain, Appenza Peak held significant cultural importance for the Alderaanians. Its silhouette appeared on the flag of the capital region, and numerous Alderaanian fairy tales began with a spirit leaving the mountain to choose an adventurer. Religious pilgrims asserted that communication with the Force was possible at its summit. As a component of the three trials that the heir to the Alderaanian monarchy had to complete to demonstrate their worth, a tradition arose for heirs to ascend Appenza Peak for their Challenge of the Body, either alone or with a companion.
Alderaan, a planet within the [Core Worlds](/article/core_worlds], was governed by a hereditary monarchy under the House of Organa. The capital city, Aldera, was situated near Appenza Peak in the same planetary region, offering a magnificent view of the mountain. Aspiring throne claimants were required to prove their merit through three challenges, each focusing on the Heart, Mind, and Body. Appenza Peak became integral to the Challenge of the Body, as a tradition developed where the heir would climb it to fulfill the challenge. In the final decades of the Galactic Republic, Princess Breha Organa experienced a near-fatal fall while descending Appenza Peak during her Challenge of the Body, saved from death only by the prompt actions of royal guards supervising from a distance. The injuries damaged Breha's lungs and heart, necessitating cybernetic pulmonodes. Due to the physical strain, after she became Queen, Breha and her consort Bail opted to adopt a child rather than Breha bearing one herself.
In 28 BBY, Bail and Breha extended an invitation to Padmé Amidala, the newly appointed Senator from Naboo, for a state visit. Amidala, previously the elected Queen of Naboo, formed a connection with Breha. During a breakfast at the Royal Palace, Breha indicated Appenza Peak. Amidala commented on the mountain's beauty, and Breha acknowledged its treacherous nature, referencing her own injuries sustained during her climb. Amidala also viewed a landscape painting depicting Appenza Peak. In 19 BBY, the Organas adopted Amidala's newborn daughter Leia following her mother's death and the rise of the Galactic Empire from the Republic's ashes. Upon reaching the age of sixteen, Leia underwent her Day of Demand, vowing to complete the Challenges of the Body, Heart, and Mind, promising to undertake pathfinding training to prepare herself to climb Appenza Peak solo. Subsequently, Leia discovered her parents were involved in plotting a rebellion against the Empire and became involved herself, although she lost her first romantic partner, fellow Alderaanian Kier Domadi, whom she had met in her pathfinding class. When the time came for Leia to undertake her Challenge of the Body, she invited her mother to join her as her companion.
In 0 BBY, the Empire learned of the Organas' allegiance to the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Captured after fleeing the Battle of Scarif with the Death Star plans, Leia was brought aboard the Death Star, a massive battle station equipped with a planet-destroying superlaser, and was forced to witness Alderaan's destruction. The Death Star was then destroyed itself in a heroic act by the Rebellion. At the Royal Award Ceremony honoring the heroes responsible, Leia reflected on her losses, remembering climbing Appenza Peak, before focusing on the present and the ongoing war. Leia later recalled Appenza Peak when contemplating all the small things she lost when Alderaan was destroyed.
In 4 ABY, while on Madurs during her honeymoon with her husband Han Solo, Leia observed that while people enjoyed a love story, they enjoyed a fallen hero even more. She realized that the more she was celebrated, the more people would seek out her flaws to exploit and use them to undermine her image. This reminded Leia of her mother and her fall from Appenza Peak, leading Leia to understand that every moment of joy only elevated her higher, making her eventual fall that much harder.
Appenza Peak made its debut in the 2017 novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan, penned by Claudia Gray. Its first visual representation was in the novel's manga adaptation, Leia Organa: Ordeal of the Princess, written and illustrated by Haruichi.