Summary
Star Wars’non-canon Legends materials teased the Sith Lords' secret history with Tatooine, a legacy that could explain a few mysteries regarding the desert planet’s origins and significance to the galaxy. Serving as the homeworld of both the Chosen One of Anakin Skywalker and his son Luke, all roads inStar Warsusually lead back to Tatooine. However, Legends teases a buried and secret darkness on the planet that could help explain much if also true in the official canon.
Tatooine has been featured in everyStar Warstrilogy and across several projectsincluding shows, comics, books, games, and more. It’s by far the most frequently visited planet in the entire franchise. While this makes sense considering its connections to the origins of the Skywalker saga and its main characters,there may be more to Tatooine than meets the eye with connections to the Sith as revealed in Legends.
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Legends Revealed Darth Plagueis' Legacy With Tatooine
“Now This, Is Podracing”
As revealed in James Luceno’sDarth Plagueisnovel published in 2012, Palpatine’s Sith master was directly responsible for Anakin Skywalker’s podracing skills and the Boonta Eve Classic as seen inThe Phantom Menace.Years before the first prequel movie and before Plagueis had taken Palpatine as his apprentice, the Sith Lord agreed to secretly finance the creation of Mos Espa’s podrace track, having been a silent partner with Gardulla the Hutt as part of an ongoing rivalry for control of Tatoonie with Jabba. This was done under Plagueis' public identity as Hego Damask, leader of Damask Holdings which was part of the InterGalactic Banking Clan.
While this secret origin of the Boonta Eve Classic has yet to be confirmed as official canon, the idea thatDarth Plagueis the Wisewas secretly responsible for creating one of the galaxy’s most dangerous tracks is fascinating. Likewise, the fact that podracing on Tatooine would play a key role in the origins of the Chosen One makes the connection even more interesting.However, the reveals about the Sith Lords and their ties to Tatooine go even deeper.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Cast
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
Plageuis Also Teased Tatooine’s Secret History Of The Ancient Sith
A Dark Side Vergence In The Force Would Explain A Lot
During the negotiations with Gardulla who promised great returns via mass gambling and more revenue streams,Plagueis is reminded that Tatooine was once the site of an ancient Sith outpost. While this is seemingly a throwaway line, it could actually have some significant ramifications for the origins of the desert planet itself. After all, Sith outposts and temples were often built atop vergences in the dark side,such as Darth Vader’s castle on Mustafar.
Canonically,Tatooine was once full of water and lifebefore an ecological disaster turned it into an arid desert planet in the modernStar Warsera. Perhaps this was the work of the Sith Lords. It’s worth noting that the canon novelization forThe Rise of Skywalkerconfirms that the Sith were,“Despoilers of Worlds, having Laid to Waste once Fertile Habitats such as Korriban, Ziost, Ixigul, Asog, and Others.“To that end,Tatooine could very well be a world ruined by the Ancient Sith.
This would also mean that Anakin Skywalker himself was brought up on a planet containing a dark side vergence in theStar Warsgalaxy, a fascinating notion considering his future corruption as Darth Vader. Likewise, the Chosen One was also drawn to a sport on his homeworld that was secretly supported by a Sith Lord. All in all, the teased connections between the Sith’s legacy and possible ties to Tatooine’s origins inStar Warsare quite compelling, regardless of the canonicity.
