I guess maybe I was looking for another excuse to watch all the Star Wars movies again so I figured I would talk about each planet from every movie, including the standalone films!
Naboo
The first planet that we are introduced to in The Phantom Menace is Naboo. After the trade federation had tried to kill the two Jedi there seemed to be little hope for them, but the wise Jedi Master Qui-Gon and safely led him and his padawan off the trade federation ship and onboard an MTT droid carrier ship.
As the trade federation deploys into the forests of Naboo so do the Jedi and we are introduced to a beautiful new world, unlike anything from the OT.
Naboo, which was inspired by the Italian countryside stands out.
Mostly because it is where they find the iconic and fan-favorite….. Jar Jar Binks. His race, the Gungans, live under the lakes of Naboo, where they are much safer than on the surface. It seems like it would be a tough battle and difficult for the droids to get there.
The first time I had seen The Phantom Menace was years and years ago and I was still a little kid. But I will never forget when they swim over the ledge and the underwater city is revealed. Not to mention the music that paired with it.
Anyway, there is a lot of life on this green planet that remains in the mid-rim of the galaxy. Anakin’s lover, Padme Amidala is from this beautiful planet where mainly humans live on the surface.
But how did the humans get there? Well, a couple of hundred years before the events that we are familiar with, some humans crash-landed on the surface and they began to take care of the land and begin farming.
The local Gungans were not very happy about this, but they were still able to live peacefully with humans.
Peace had dominated much of their history until the Trade Federation blockade from Episode 1. The trade federation invasion and capture of the queen had caused some problems, as we all see.
But the overall success of the invasion was a flop and Queen Amidala was able to unite her people with the Gungans for the first time in their history.
Amidala was an inspiration for her people and the Gungans.
But the invasion had also caused a lot of sympathy for the planet, and Sheev Palpatine, the mastermind behind EVERYTHING was able to ride that sympathy allllll the way to the position of supreme chancellor.
It just goes to show that Papa Palps was on top of everything. I wonder how many years of planning it took for him to finally get everything lined up to work out nicely for him.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have their duel against Darth Maul here. This scene produced one of the most iconic soundtracks for the entire saga. The duel of fates is one of the most beautiful scores there is. Besides, it heightens the importance of the duel between the sith apprentice and the Jedi master, who wants Anakin to be trained.
This is also the planet where Anakin and Padme fall in love after he is assigned to protect her. So there is a lot of action that goes down on this planet and it makes itself memorable for more than the fact that it is gorgeous.
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Tatooine
The next planet that is one the list is Tatooine. Anakin’s home planet, where we learn a bit more about the Hutt’s who control this territory of space. Tatooine is located in Hutt Space, in the outer rim territory.
The planet is very close to Geonosis, where the climate is very similar.
The harsh desert climate of Tatooine makes it a difficult place to want to live, but ideal for moisture farmers and criminals hiding out.
Jabba the Hutt and his crime lords from the underworld are what control the planet and why Anakin was born a slave. The planet is also home to the podracing event where Anakin won his freedom by beating Sebulba. This is an amazing scene and the podrace is so fantastic. It has always been one of my favorite scenes in this movie… along with the fight with Maul.
Tatooine is where this all began, too. Luke’s home is here, this is also where we find Han Solo and Chewbacca, and R2D2 and C-3PO after they land from the escape pod with the plans.
Tatooine has been controlled by the Hutts for generations and his band of criminals helps to keep the planet in line. He has money, power, giant pets of death, and so much more. It’s a wonder how the Hutt’s rose to their position of power, perhaps after generation of control, they’ve turned more slug-like and away from a body that would be able to.. you know… take control of a planet.
Tatooine, from the comics, was not always a desert planet. IT had begun as a lush, green, and blue planet with white clouds. War is what ravaged the land and eventually the native people, the Kamuga turned into two different subgroups.
The Jawa, my ancestors, and then the Sandpeople. Those creepy guys that are always screaming trying to take out stuff. The Rakata, an alien species and enemy of the Kamuga, is what destroyed the land and changed the planet forever.
Tragic story for Tatooine, but now we are moving on to talk about the major city-planet where the Jedi Temple is located
Coruscant
This is the massive city-planet in the core of the galaxy. This planet is home to where the politicians debate on the surface, as it is the capital of the galaxy, but below is a whole different world. The levels of the planet almost define one’s position.
The rich and powerful are at the top, while the lower you go the more scum and villainy you find. The Clone Wars had a few episodes where Ahsoka adventures into the lower levels and sees what life is like down there. Judging from her experience, it’s tough.
The planet is home to over 1 trillion citizens, a mix of humans and alien species. And it is debated among star wars historians that the city-planet is the original home of humanity. The location, being in the center of multiple trade routes had allowed the planet to grow in wealth and power very fast and early on amid inner planetary space travel. Following the collapse of the Galactic Republic, Coruscant remained the capital of the galactic empire.
As Chancellor Palpatine got more power from the war and more control of the grand army of the Republic his control of the planet grew and so did the clones stations around the planet.
After order 66, the now stormtroopers are set up to seize control of an unruly city and can keep the peace at a much higher rate. Palpatine disappeared mostly from the public eye and left the governing of the planet to Imperial advisors. Luckily for the citizens, there were enough of them to overthrow the imperial government in place, after the battle of Endor and the death of the emperor 4BBY. And the New Galactic Republic would retake the city-planet and it would remain the capital of the galaxy.
What was your favorite planet from Episode 1? I would love to visit Naboo and see all the variety that the world has to offer, from swamps to forests, to beautiful cities.
Thank you for reading and remember… utinni!
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