- "Welcome to Trantor, the eye of the Empire. Please respect and enjoy the peace."
- —Hologram of Cleon I on Trantor Station[src]
Trantor is a planet. Located in the Core, Trantor is the capital planet of the Galactic Empire. The Genetic Dynasty, led by the current Emperor, Brother Day, rule the Galactic Empire from Trantor.
General Information[]
Part of Trantor's skyline, showing the building that conducted the trial of Hari Seldon and Gaal Dornick.
The capital planet of the Galactic Empire, Trantor is the seat of power for the Genetic Dynasty. Much of the planet is covered by an outer shell, housing subterranean levels where the skies and stars were artificially projected onto the domed shell.[1] Trantor City was a dense, sprawling metropolis that covered the entire planet. At the center of the city is Trantor Station, where the Star Bridge connected to the Orbital Platform above. The entire city was served by the hyper-loop transport which encircled the city.[2]
The levels of Trantor City were stacked on top of each other, with individual buildings on each level including pillar buildings and megastructures. Some levels were further divided into sublevels. Between each main level was a service level.[2] Fully half of Level 64 was dedicated to servers creating the image of a natural sky. Only the Emperors laid claim to whatever remained of the natural world. Trantor's levels were built one on top of the other,[1] going at least eighty levels deep.[3] Trantor was the location of Streeling University, the Imperial Library, and a Seer Church on Level 22.[1]
Trantor Station lay in orbit, where incoming jumpships docked to ferry passengers to and from the planet. Once past border control, visitors rode a car down the Star Bridge to the surface of Trantor, a trip that took fourteen hours to complete.[1] Trantor produced no resources of its own, meaning the Star Bridge was a vital link for Trantor, ferrying supplies and resources to the world.[2] The station and the Star Bridge were destroyed by terrorists in 12,067 Era Imperial.[1]
The destruction of the Star Bridge created the Scar, a canyon of ruined buildings five kilometers wide and fifty levels deep. It became a permanent reminder of the vulnerability of the Empire, and marked the start of its decline.[2] By 12,240 Era Imperial, Trantor was encircled by three large Orbital Rings which were designed to be a show of strength although were an inefficient way to launch payloads into orbit.[4] However, they were merely larger versions of the same technology as .[2]
Trantorian culture favored muted colors in beiges, greys, and browns. The Empire reserved certain colors for the exclusive use of the Emperors.[2]
History[]
Trantor in 12,067 Era Imperial.
In 12,067 Era Imperial, a pair of terrorists, one from Anacreon and one from Thespis, committed a bombing aimed at Trantor Station and the Star Bridge. Acting in concert, the two terrorists triggered subdermal nano-lace explosives, destroying part of Trantor Station and severing the Star Bridge. The tether fell to the surface of Trantor, effectively wrapping around the world like a garrotte and cutting fifty levels deep. Over one hundred millions inhabitants of the planet were killed during the bombing.[1] In the wake of the bombing, Emperor Cleon XII publicly executed the delegations from Anacreon and Thespis who were on planet for negotiations over the Anthor Belt dispute. At the same time as the execution, Anacreon and Thespis were bombed by the Imperial fleet. Only the respective ambassadors were spared.[5]
From the Foundation Books[]
Trantor is a planet situated in the Galactic Center, as close to the core as any planet can be. Considered the centre of the galaxy, all distances from the Core were marked by their relation to Trantor. The capital and administrative center of the Galactic Empire, Trantor is ruled by the Galactic Emperors such as Cleon I of the Entun dynasty. At its height, 40 billion citizens lived on the planet.
Trantor is a domed planet, with much of its infrastructure placed underground to support its billions of inhabitants. Food supplies were required to be imported to Trantor from neighboring worlds, and was subdivided into over eight hundred different sectors all with wildly varying cultures. One notable institution was Streeling University, where Hari Seldon taught mathematics.
Behind the scenes[]
- David S. Goyer addressed the Empire being able to build the artificial rings around Trantor in just one hundred and thirty-eight years by stating that constructing a mega-structure would be relatively easy using self-assembling machinery.[6]
Appearances[]
- Season One
- "The Emperor's Peace" (First appearance)
- "Preparing to Live"
- "The Mathematician's Ghost"
- "Barbarians at the Gate"
- "Upon Awakening" (Mentioned only)
- "Death and the Maiden"
- "Mysteries and Martyrs"
- Season Two