Douglas III, located in the Outer Rim Territories' Centrality region, was the third planet in the distant Douglas system. Mendel Douglas, a well-known hunter, brought notoriety to Douglas III when he vanished on the planet while attempting to capture a jackelope's hide. This elusive creature was native to Douglas III. Being far from the Galactic Core meant that the galaxy at large paid little attention to it, until it later became a haven for pirates and black-marketeers.
Douglas III, sometimes called simply Douglas, was the third planet in the remote Douglas system, situated far from the Galactic Core. It sat at the end of the Falko Run hyperlane, within the Centrality region and the Slice section of the Outer Rim Territories. The planet's surface consisted of both landmasses and extensive ocean areas, resulting in minimal interest from the galaxy as a whole. However, the presence of the jackelope, a small horned animal, made Douglas III famous as one of the Centrality planets known for its dangerous wildlife.
The system was named after the hunter Mendel Douglas. Douglas's fame came from his expedition to Douglas III, where he sought to obtain the hide of the rare jackelope. Though the jackelope returned for his collection, Douglas did not survive the hunt.
Around 3 BBY, the Poly Pyramid, a working-class bar on Rafa IV, decorated its interior with poorly taxidermized galactic animals, which were either nailed to the walls or suspended from the ceiling. Among these creatures was a jackelope originating from Douglas III. By the time of the Battle of Yavin during the Galactic Civil War, Douglas III had become a refuge for both pirates and black-market traders.
The first mention of Douglas III appeared in Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, the initial novel in The Lando Calrissian Adventures, a trilogy penned by L. Neil Smith in 1983. According to Star Wars Insider 145, published on October 21, 2013, Smith used the names of his colleagues as inspiration, a form of cannibalized naming, for Douglas III and other subjects featured in the book. In terms of real-world influence, Douglas Herrick, a twentieth-century taxidermist, is known for creating the American jackalope—a mythical hybrid of a jackrabbit's body and the antlers of a pronghorn antelope—which became a tourist attraction in Herrick's hometown of Douglas, Wyoming.
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder Where We Are," a source article for the 1990 roleplaying game published in the thirteenth issue of Voyages SF magazine, placed Douglas III in the Jospro sector. Because this article was not released through Lucas Licensing, its canonicity within the Star Wars Legends continuity was never established. Later, Douglas III was among the 200 playable worlds featured in the 1998 PC game Star Wars: Rebellion, which provided the planet's only visual representation, an image also used for eighteen other planets with similar characteristics in the game. Star Wars: Rebellion and its accompanying strategy guide also placed Douglas III in the Jospro sector. However, Michael Kogge's 2001 roleplaying article "A Campaign Guide to the Centrality" from Star Wars Gamer 5, published on July 24, 2001, later changed the planet's location to the Centrality. This placement was eventually confirmed by the 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas, which situated "Douglas" (the shortened name) in grid square U-8 as part of the Centrality.