Tatooine

This article is about the fictional planet. For the city in Tunisia, see Tataouine. For the real planets that are sometimes referred to as "Tatooine", see Circumbinary planet.
Tatooine
Universe Star Wars
Planet type Desert
Notable locations Mos Eisley
Bestine
Notable races Human
Hutt
Jawa
Tusken Raiders
Created by George Lucas
Genre Science fiction
First appearance Star Wars

Tatooine /ˌtætuːˈiːn/ is a fictional desert planet that serves as the setting for many key scenes throughout the Star Wars saga, appearing in every Star Wars film except The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens. Being the home of both Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, it is arguably the most iconic planet in the Star Wars universe; and the shots of Luke Skywalker gazing at a Tatooinian sunset are arguably the most famous images of the entire saga.[1]

Description

Sunset on Tatooine

Tatooine orbits two main sequence binary stars and it has three moons, Ghomrassen, Guermessa and Chenini. Its G-type twin stars (Tatoo I and Tatoo II) heat its surface, making water and shade hard to come by. The planet's indigenous lifeforms—such as the Womp rat, bantha, Sarlacc, and Krayt Dragon—are well-adapted to its arid climate, but human settlers often become moisture farmers and live in subterranean dwellings in order to survive. The planet's lack of resources, brutal heat, and decentralized population have made governing the planet nearly impossible.

The planet fell into the clutches of the Hutts, a clan of gangsters and crime lords. Since Tatooine was beyond the reach of the Galactic Republic, the Hutts presided over the lawless planet with little outside interference. When the Galactic Empire subsumed the Old Republic, the new regime established only a token presence on Tatooine, which left Jabba the Hutt’s reign unchallenged. Jabba remained the assumed ruler of Tatooine until his death in the Battle of Carkoon.

Its name is derived from a city in Tunisia, Tataouine (and the eponymous governorate) near to where various scenes were filmed.

Sentient inhabitants

Flora

Fauna

A Tusken Raider, a native inhabitant of Tatooine

Locations

Filming location Mos Espa near Tozeur

Anchorhead

Anchorhead is a settlement located a few miles east of the Lars family home, south of the bustling spaceport of Mos Eisley, and primarily consists of moisture farmers.

Bestine

Bestine, the "capital" of Tatooine, is situated far west of Mos Eisley near the south-western Dune Sea. It was also one of the earliest settlements on the planet but never thrived economically, sharing the same problems as many other settlements on the dry world. The Galactic Empire eventually established its base of operations here and placed its regional governor in the city's Main Hall. It is featured prominently in Star Wars: Galaxies.

Dune Sea

The Dune Sea is a huge sandy desert, near the cities of Anchorhead, Mos Eisley and Tosche Station. It is inhabited solely by Tusken Raiders, Jawas, wraids, dewbacks and the occasional Krayt dragon. Moisture farmers often have many moisture vaporators located in the Dune Sea to collect the scarce water vapor from the air.

Great Pit of Carkoon

Main article: Sarlacc

The Great Pit of Carkoon is located within the Dune Sea. It is a large hollow in the desert sand created by the Sarlacc, a large omnivorous creature that uses the pit to capture prey. The Great Pit of Carkoon is the site of a skirmish that takes place between Luke Skywalker and the forces of Jabba the Hutt. The Hutt crime lord and most of his minions were killed during the battle.

Jabba's Palace

Jabba's Palace is located in the desert known as the Dune Sea and was home to the gangster high boss and crime lord, Jabba the Hutt. It is introduced as the main setting of the beginning of Return of the Jedi. Jabba's palace is also the main setting in Tales From Jabba's Palace, edited by Kevin J. Anderson, as well as a playable area in the video games Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Lego Star Wars II, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga , Disney Infinity 3.0 and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. The palace was originally a monastery built by the mysterious B'omarr monks, who still inhabit parts of the palace. Jabba's Palace is very much infamous for bounty hunters, mercenaries, rogues, thieves, and many other known assassins to claim rewards.

Jundland Wastes

The Jundland Wastes occupy most of Tatooine's temperate area, a rocky region known for its numerous cliffs and a multitude of hidden dangers. Obi-Wan Kenobi lived in a small dwelling on the edge of the Jundland Wastes after he took the infant Luke Skywalker to live on a moisture farm with relatives to hide the boy from Darth Vader. This area is also a level in the video games LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Star Wars: Battlefront (2015 video game).

Moisture farms

Moisture farms are small agricultural settlements found in the deserts of Tatooine that utilize a large number of moisture collecting devices spread over a wide area to harvest water from the relatively dry air of the planet. Luke Skywalker spent his first nineteen years living with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on a moisture farm. Moisture farmers harvest water vapour from the atmosphere, and use it to grow crops in underground hydroponic labs.

Mos Eisley

Main article: Mos Eisley

Mos Eisley is a spaceport town. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi described Mos Eisley as a "wretched hive of scum and villainy." It is also the home of the Mos Eisley Cantina and Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes.

Mos Eisley Cantina

Main article: Mos Eisley Cantina

The Mos Eisley Cantina, officially named Chalmun's Cantina, is a bar located in Mos Eisley. It is the haunt of freighter pilots and other dangerous characters of varying races. In the holiday special, the Cantina is run by Ackmena (Bea Arthur).

It is featured in Lego Star Wars II and The Complete Saga, as the starting port.

Mos Espa

Mos Espa is a city known for its distinct "desert-proof" domed buildings. It is home to a podracing track and was the home of Anakin and Shmi Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. There was a large slave quarter within the rugged city.

Tosche Station (Toshi Station)

The Tosche Station, or Tosche Power Station, is a general store found in the city of Anchorhead. It sells a variety of goods. Tosche Station serves as the central location in the Anchorhead Story of Star Wars, a series of scenes that were deleted from Episode IV. It is described as a frequent hangout for Anchorhead's youth because its owner, Merle Tosche, is seldom around. In his absence, "Fixer" runs the business, accompanied by his girlfriend Camie, and assisted by a repair droid.

Tatooine's namesake

The planet wasn't actually named in Star Wars; according to Lucas he intended to name it Utapau but finally he named it retrospectively after a Tunisian town near the movie's desert outdoor set,[2][3][4][5] Tataouine (French spelling) or Tatween spelling in Tunisian Arabic. The name Utapau, however, was given to a different planet in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.[6] Location filming was not done in the Tunisian town of Tataouine itself, but instead at Tunisian locations such as the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmâta, Djerba, and Tozeur.

Appearances

Films

Television

Video games

See also

References

Cited references

  1. ↑ Greatestfilms.org
  2. ↑ Star Wars: The Abandoned Movie Set - blog.stuttgarter-zeitung.de
  3. ↑ 33°59’39 N 7°50’34 E - Google Maps
  4. ↑ GUERRILLA INNOVATION: (Star Wars Abandoned Movie Set)
  5. ↑ NO MORE STARS - Rä di Martino
  6. ↑ The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film, April 24, 2007, Del Rey. ISBN 0-345-47761-8

General references

  • Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, softcover, 1997. George Lucas, Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan, Laurent Bouzereau, ISBN 0-345-40981-7
  • Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, 1st paperback printing, 1995. Kevin J. Anderson (editor of anthology). ISBN 0-553-56468-4
  • Star Wars: Tales from Jabba's Palace, 1st edition, 1995. Kevin J. Anderson (editor), ISBN 0-553-56815-9
  • Star Wars, Darksaber, 1st paperback printing, 1995. Kevin J. Anderson, ISBN 0-553-57611-9
  • The Essential guide to Planets and Moons (Star Wars), 1st edition, by Daniel Wallace, Scott Kolins. 1998. ISBN 0-345-42068-3
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