Kamino

Situated seventy thousand light-years away from the Core Worlds, within the Abrion sector of Wild Space, Kamino was located twelve parsecs from the Rishi Maze dwarf satellite galaxy. This proximity sometimes led to its classification as extragalactic.

Kamino was a distant and challenging planet, predominantly covered by oceans teeming with life. The native Kaminoans resided in cities built on stilts, scattered across the watery surface. The primary function of these cities was cloning, a specialization of the highly intelligent Kaminoans, who provided cloning services for clients seeking workers, security forces, or other specialized requests. The planet's remoteness, coupled with its prolonged rainy seasons, meant that only determined representatives of clone purchasing authorities would venture to visit. During certain periods, intense electrical storms would engulf the planet, during which Kaminoans would navigate the waters on aiwhas, resurfacing near their destinations.

At one point in its past, Kamino was not submerged in water, and the Kaminoans had established a substantial land-based civilization. However, rising sea levels compelled them to construct their settlements on stilts.

The Kaminoans generally preferred isolation, avoiding contact with the broader galaxy. This tendency stemmed from the great flood that reshaped their world, leading them to prioritize adapting their genetic code and environment over seeking assistance from the Galactic Republic.

In 33 BBY, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas commissioned the Kaminoans to create a clone army for the Galactic Republic, prompted by a Force vision foreseeing a galaxy-wide conflict. However, the Sith secretly seized control of the project, orchestrating Sifo-Dyas' death through the Pyke Syndicate. The Sith then chose the human bounty hunter Jango Fett as the genetic template for the clone army. One year later, shortly after the Battle of Naboo and exploiting Jocasta Nu's absence, Count Dooku infiltrated the Jedi Archives and expunged all records of Kamino to conceal the Sith's involvement.

In 22 BBY, Prime Minister Lama Su governed Kamino. Acting on a request from Viceroy Nute Gunray, Fett attempted to assassinate Naboo senator Padmé Amidala on the Republic's capital planet, Coruscant, during the Separatist Crisis. However, Fett's accomplice in the assassination attempt, Zam Wesell, failed to kill Amidala and was apprehended by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Fett eliminated Wesell before she could divulge any information. Kenobi then investigated the assassination attempt, seeking clues from the Kamino saberdart used to kill Wesell. Unable to find answers in the Jedi Archives, Kenobi consulted Dexter Jettster, a Besalisk chef and information broker who owned and operated Dex's Diner in CoCo Town on Coruscant.

Jettster informed his Jedi friend that the dart originated from Kamino, a planet located twelve parsecs outside of the Rishi Maze, a satellite galaxy orbiting the main galaxy. Jettster explained that Kamino was the home of highly skilled cloners who preferred to remain isolated. Since Kamino had been removed from the Jedi Archives, Kenobi and Master Yoda had to find other ways to locate the planet. After discovering a means of reaching Kamino, Kenobi traveled to the planet, where he discovered the production of the clone army supposedly commissioned by the Jedi Order.

Following the onset of the Clone Wars, Kamino became a central operational hub for the Galactic Republic. It served as the primary training facility for clone cadets and the site of the clone army's creation. As such, it represented a crucial military asset for the Republic and a prime target for Separatist attacks, warranting the protection of a substantial Republic naval blockade comprising ten Venator-class Star Destroyers, one Acclamator-class assault ship, and two Arquitens-class light cruisers. The sheer size of this blockade deterred all but the most audacious full-frontal assaults by the Separatists, making a successful takeover of Kamino highly improbable.

At some point, a galactic explorer—possibly the Ithorian artist Gammit Chond—undertook the arduous journey to Kamino, desiring to visit Tipoca City and meet the cloners who had become pivotal figures in galactic history. The explorer noted in their journal that they felt honored to visit the city. From the beginning of the war, the Separatists planned their assault on the clone homeworld. In 22 BBY, the cyborg General Grievous dispatched a strike team of commando droids to eliminate Rishi Station, a Republic outpost that could have warned Kamino of an impending attack. The droids seized control of the base, but as Grievous's fleet entered the system prior to attacking Kamino, clone trooper CT-782 "Hevy" sacrificed himself to alert Republic forces to the enemy fleet, forcing the Separatists to retreat and abort their attack.

Later, a Separatist assault finally reached Kamino. Led by Asajj Ventress and General Grievous, a formidable force struck Kamino in an attempt to halt clone production for the Republic. Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with the 501st Legion and the 212th Attack Battalion, were dispatched to assist in the planet's defense alongside Jedi General Shaak Ti. The two-pronged assault involved Ventress leading Trident-class assault ships beneath the surface of the planet's oceans to approach Tipoca City undetected, while the two fleets clashed above the watery world. Numerous AQ-series battle droids infiltrated the cloning facilities, resulting in the deaths of many clone troopers, including Clone ARC Commanders Colt and Havoc, as well as the malformed clone 99. Ventress successfully stole the prime sample of the clone trooper DNA template, but Skywalker attacked her and, with the help of a force of clones, recovered the DNA. Republic forces ultimately repelled the Separatists, allowing cloning to continue on the planet.

Another battle of Kamino involved Jedi General Kit Fisto, who fought against Separatist droids deployed in the battle. Late in the war, the Sith's plan to destroy the Jedi using the clone troopers was almost revealed. During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, the clone trooper CT-5385, nicknamed Tup, executed the Jedi Master Tiplar during the confrontation due to a defect in his inhibitor chip. Seeking answers, it was decided that the clone would be sent to Kamino.

The Kaminoan leadership did everything possible to prevent the truth about the chips from being revealed, that they would guarantee the clones' obedience when the order to destroy the Jedi was given. Although Tup died during a procedure carried out without permission to remove the chip by his clone friend Fives and the medical android AZI-3, the threat to the Sith plan did not end while Fives continued to investigate. Fives found that all clones had chips and decided to remove his, and he and the two chips were sent to Coruscant for analysis. Fives was eventually killed on Coruscant and the truth about the chips was kept secret.

Following the establishment of the Galactic Empire, rumors circulated among Imperial ranks that the cloning facilities on Kamino were to be shut down, causing concern among the clones. Shortly after the Empire's formation, Imperial Governor and Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin arrived on Kamino to discuss the future of the new Imperial Army with Lama Su. Tarkin informed the Prime Minister that the Empire was hesitant to continue using clones, stating that the Empire, as the Republic's successor, was no longer bound by the contracts signed with the Kaminoans. Upon witnessing a disturbance caused by a group of enhanced clones—Clone Force 99, also known as "the Bad Batch"—in the mess hall, Tarkin requested that they undergo a battle simulation before sending them on a mission to Onderon, claiming they would encounter Separatist insurgents.

On Onderon, the Bad Batch encountered civilians instead of rebels, and the clone commandos—with the exception of team sniper CT-9904 "Crosshair"—chose to disobey their orders. The Bad Batch discovered that Tarkin used a probe droid to observe their mission. Nevertheless, the Bad Batch decided to return to Kamino to rescue the young enhanced clone Omega, who earlier warned against returning to the planet. Upon arrival, they were captured, and Crosshair was taken away to a medical chamber. Learning that the commando's inhibitor chip had, unlike the other members of his squad, responded to Order 66, Tarkin increased its effectiveness to turn Crosshair to the Empire's side. Donning new Imperial gear, Crosshair and a force of shock troopers attempted to stall Omega and the Bad Batch from departing the hangar, only for Nala Se to secretly override the door controls. Evading Crosshair and the other Imperial forces on Kamino, the Bad Batch left for the Suolriep sector. Crosshair was then placed in charge of an elite squad of human, non-clone soldiers. The Bad Batch's old barracks in Tipoca City were then cleaned out and used by Crosshair's elite squad.

The Empire gradually dismantled the cloning program as the troops in the Imperial Army were gradually replaced by non-clone recruits. As the Empire began to cancel contracts, the Kaminoans grew wary of them and made arrangements to flee from the Empire, only to be foiled. The Empire had the Prime Minister arrested, with Chief Scientist Nala Se forced to cooperate with the Empire and disclose her scientific knowledge.

Hunter, who was captured by the Empire while extracting a clone Gregor on the planet Daro, was brought back to Kamino by Crosshair. The rest of the Bad Batch returned to the planet to extract Hunter. Noticing the absence of troops and the facilities stripped down, the Bad Batch encountered Crosshair and his squad with Hunter in the training chamber. Crosshair offered the Bad Batch to join the Empire, declaring that they were superior to the "regs" and that they would aid the Empire in establishing order as its elite squad. Chaos ensued, as Crosshair fired on his squad-mates to make his point and Omega activated the battle droids. Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart, who oversaw the evacuation of all remaining clone troopers and essential personnel from Kamino, abandoned Crosshair and received the order from Tarkin to destroy Tipoca City. As the Bad Batch attempted to return to their shuttle, they were caught in the bombardment and fled back inside the falling city.

Like Tipoca City, all other Kaminoan facilities the Empire knew of were targeted and destroyed, causing their civilization to sink beneath the waves. Alerted to their success by a clone trooper, Rampart ordered his trio of Star Destroyers to reunite with his overall fleet, leaving the remains of Tipoca City to sink into the ocean, completing the Imperial withdrawal from Kamino. Meanwhile, through the actions of Omega and AZI-3, Crosshair was saved from drowning and reunited with his former squad, regrouping in their former barracks, which had ironically become one of the few rooms that was temporally safe to reside in. After the squad debates about Crosshair's recent actions, the group decided to make their way to Nala Se's secret laboratory, evading a kamoradon sea dragon along the way.

Aided by AZI-3, the squad made their way up to the ocean's surface by stowing themselves in the very growth jars they had been created in. When AZI-3 began to run out of power and sink into the depths of the sea, Omega risked her life to save her robotic friend, exiting her jar to swim after him. It was only because of Crosshair, who shot a grapple line from his sniper into the water, that she and AZI-3 were brought to the surface, even though the rest of the Bad Batch had initially assumed Crosshair was going to shoot Hunter.

Upon reaching the Havoc Marauder, the clones looked out at the wreckage of their home, mourning for the loss of their birthplace before turning away to loading onto the starship. As the squad prepared to leave, Crosshair denied their offer to rejoin, intending to stay with the Empire. Omega reminded him that he was still their brother before Clone Force 99 departed, leaving Crosshair alone on Kamino to be picked up by incoming Imperial scouts. The sky of Kamino was clear when the Bad Batch left their homeworld.

Following the Attack on Kamino, Imperial officials including Vice-Admiral Rampart claimed that the planet had been devastated by a cataclysmic storm, that had destroyed the cloning facilities and almost annihilated the Kaminoan population. Rampart claimed that he had been unable to intervene since he was in an off-world training exercise. Despite Rampart's efforts to suppress the truth behind Kamino's devastation, the Clone trooper Cade, who served aboard Rampart flagship VZ-114, attempted to convince Rampart to tell the Imperial Senate the truth. Rampart sent the Clone assassin Clone X to assassinate him. Cade's friend Slip managed to contact Senator Riyo Chuchi, who was sympathetic to the plight of Clone troopers, before being assassinated by Clone X. The assassin was subdued by fugitive Clone Commander Rex but committed suicide.

Chuchi sought the help of the Bad Batch clones in exposing Rampart's role in the attack on Kamino. The Bad Batch managed to infiltrate Rampart's flagship and uncover footage of Rampart's fleet bombarding Tipoca City. In addition, Chuchi and Omega learnt from former Kaminoan Senator Halle Burtoni that Rampart had diverted Senate funds earmarked for the cloning facilities. Using these pieces of information, Chuchi was able to temporarily derail the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill and expose Rampart's role in the destruction of Kamino. In response, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda and Emperor Palpatine ordered Rampart's arrest and claimed he was acting against Imperial orders. However, Palpatine was still able to use the devastation of Kamino to convince the Imperial Senate to pass the Bill by claiming that Rampart's clones had followed his orders without question.

During or after 34 ABY, a city was present on Kamino. SF-R3 and CAM, two members of the Galactic Society of Creature Enthusiasts, visited the planet to witness a Kamoradon hatching.

Kamino was conceived for the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, the second installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. George Lucas had initially intended to resolve the mystery surrounding Kamino's erasure from the Jedi Archives in 2005's Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. However, due to a shift in focus towards Anakin Skywalker's story, Lucas chose to omit peripheral plot elements from Attack of the Clones, including the Kamino mystery. It was not until twenty years later that the reason behind Kamino's deletion from the Archives would be revealed in the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi episode "The Sith Lord."

The precise location of Kamino has varied throughout the Star Wars canon. Some sources, such as Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, placed Kamino within Wild Space. Other sources, including Star Wars: Complete Locations, asserted that Kamino was not even part of the galaxy, whereas Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition positioned Kamino in the Outer Rim Territories but acknowledged that it extended beyond the Outer Rim's boundaries.