Legacy world was the designation given to planets located in far-flung regions of the galaxy, which enjoyed environmental protection and were legally shielded from exploitation. These planets, possessing legacy status, were characterized by limited visitation and restricted industrial activity. Although activities such as mining were allowed on these worlds, they were strictly regulated to ensure minimal environmental impact. Permanent settlements were forbidden on Legacy worlds. The concept of Legacy worlds predated the Galactic Empire by many generations. However, during the Imperial Era, the Galactic Empire assumed control over the process of granting or maintaining legacy status for planets. Advocates for the environment and scientists actively sought to have planets like Alpinn designated as Legacy worlds. Opinions varied, with some emphasizing the need for preservation, while others dismissed Legacy worlds as merely primitive historical sites. Lyra Erso was deeply committed to protecting planets with legacy status and visited a number of them during the years leading up to the Clone Wars.
Several planets situated in the Western Reaches, notably Samovar and Wadi Raffa, were classified as Legacy worlds. On Samovar, the mining conglomerate had been actively trying to overturn the Legacy regulations, until the Empire set its sights on the planet. The conglomerate then engaged smugglers to smuggle old Separatist weaponry onto the planet, before dramatically "uncovering" the operation and using it as a pretext to strip Samovar of its legacy status. Concurrently, on Wadi Raffa, Turlin/Benthic Extraction had been conducting legitimate underwater mining operations until the Empire intervened, employing similar tactics as on Samovar. Turlin/Benthic was falsely accused of receiving illegally-trafficked weaponry. Subsequently, the Empire revoked Wadi Raffa's legacy status and commenced its own mining operations.
Following the Empire's rise to power, the official documentation pertaining to Republic legacy worlds was archived within the Imperial Archives. At a later time, the historian Beaumont Kin gained access to these records.