Tatooine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tatooine
The planet Tatooine, as seen in Star Wars (1997 special edition)
Star Wars location
Created by	George Lucas
Genre	Science fiction
Type	Desert planet
Race(s)	Human Hutt Tusken Raiders
Notable locations	Mos Eisley Bestine Mos Espa Mos Pelgo Anchorhead
First appearance	Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (1976 novelization) Star Wars (1977, first theatrical appearance)
Last appearance	Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Tatooine (pronounced TAT-oo-EEN) is a made-up desert planet from the Star Wars movies and shows. It's a sandy, lonely world that orbits two suns. Many different creatures and human settlers live there.

Tatooine first appeared in the original Star Wars movie in 1977. Since then, it has been in six Star Wars movies, three live-action TV series, and two animated series.

This planet is the home of Luke Skywalker, the main hero of the original Star Wars movies. It's also where his father, Anakin Skywalker, grew up. Obi-Wan Kenobi also lived on Tatooine as "Ben Kenobi." He watched over Luke after Anakin became Darth Vader. The scene of the two suns setting over Tatooine is a very famous image from the films.

Creating Tatooine: How it Was Made

In his early ideas for Star Wars, creator George Lucas changed planet names many times. He first thought of a desert world called Utapau. Later, it was called Aquilae.

Before filming, artist Ralph McQuarrie drew pictures for Lucas. These showed robots lost on a desert planet with two suns. They also showed mysterious, masked Tusken Raiders riding large, horned Banthas. These drawings helped bring Tatooine to life.

Hotel Sidi Driss, used for the Lars homestead scenes

George Lucas wanted to film the desert scenes in places like Algeria or Libya. But the movie studio, 20th Century Fox, said no. When Star Wars production started, the team looked for filming spots in Morocco and Tunisia.

Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz visited the Tunisian island of Djerba. They loved the desert and the unique buildings. So, Tunisia became the perfect place for the desert planet. Filming in Tunisia began on March 22, 1976. It was tricky because the area had its first heavy rain in seven years! This made it hard to film a dry desert.

The Lars homestead, Luke's farm, was filmed at the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata. This hotel was a cave dwelling built into a big hole in the ground. Other parts of the farm were filmed near Nefta. The spot where C-3PO and R2-D2's escape pod landed was filmed in sand dunes near Nefta. The outside of Mos Eisley spaceport was shot on Djerba.

The name Tatooine comes from a real town in southern Tunisia called Tataouine. George Lucas was still writing the script while scouting locations. He liked the name and used it for his fictional planet.

Some scenes filmed on Djerba were later removed from the movie. This was done to make the story move faster. These cut scenes showed Luke Skywalker and his friend Biggs Darklighter in a town called Anchorhead.

Dante's View, Death Valley, California

Scenes with Jawas and Tusken Raiders in rocky canyons used footage from Tunisia. This was combined with shots from Death Valley National Park in California.

Moisture vaporator sets from the prequel films left at Tozeur

When the Star Wars team returned to Tunisia in 1998 for the prequel movies, they used new locations. These included Onk Jemal near Tozeur and old forts like Ksar Ouled Soltane. Some of the movie sets were left in the desert and can still be visited today!

Tatooine in the Movies

Tatooine first appeared in the 1977 film Star Wars. It was the very first planet we saw in the whole movie series. In the opening scene, Tatooine and its two moons are seen in space. This forms the background for a space battle.

Two droids, C-3PO and R2-2D, escape from a captured spaceship. They land on Tatooine's surface. The droids get lost in the desert and are captured by small scavenger creatures called Jawas. The Jawas sell the robots to human settlers. This is how we meet Luke Skywalker, a young man living with his aunt and uncle on a farm.

The movie shows how harsh the desert is with sandstorms and the heat from the two suns. Luke watches a beautiful twin sunset over the sand dunes. Humans on Tatooine are always in danger from violent bandits called Tusken Raiders.

As the movie goes on, other main characters are introduced on Tatooine. These include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, and Chewbacca. Later scenes take place in Mos Eisley, a busy spaceport. It's a hub for smugglers and criminals. One of the most famous Star Wars scenes happens in the Mos Eisley cantina. This is a shady bar filled with many strange alien species. The music for the alien band in this scene was written by John Williams. It sounds like old swing music but with unusual instruments.

Tatooine appears again in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. The heroes return to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Jabba is a scary crime boss who controls the planet's criminal world.

When the prequel movies came out, the story went back to Tatooine. In Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), we see Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, as a child. He lives as a slave in another spaceport called Mos Espa. Anakin competes in pod races, which are fast races across the desert. The Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn meets Anakin after an emergency landing. He helps Anakin win his freedom.

In Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), an older Anakin returns to Tatooine. He is looking for his mother, Shmi, who was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. The prequel movies show a huge desert with jagged rock formations.

Tatooine is seen one last time in the final prequel film, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). In the very last scene, Obi-Wan Kenobi brings baby Luke Skywalker to his new parents on Tatooine. Obi-Wan then goes into hiding in Tatooine's mountains.

Tatooine also appears briefly at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. In this movie, Rey visits the remains of the Lars moisture farm.

About Tatooine

Luke Skywalker stares at the Sunset on Tatooine.

Tatooine is in a far-off part of the galaxy called the Outer Rim. It orbits two suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II. The planet's native animals, like the womp rat and Sarlacc, are used to the dry weather.

Even though it's close to its suns, Tatooine is near important space routes. This makes it a popular place for smugglers and criminals. Old spaceship parts found here also provide resources for scavengers. Yearly sandstorms can wipe out landmarks and make life dangerous for people who travel a lot. Most people live in towns.

A small group of Imperial soldiers is on the planet. They bring extra water, which is very valuable. Even though they are supposed to enforce laws, stormtroopers often ignore crime. A busy black market also helps people get illegal goods.

Human settlers often become moisture farmers. They live in underground homes to survive the heat. Pipe systems send most of the collected moisture to indoor farms. This helps them grow food. Rare water sources, like springs in rocky areas, provide water for hermits and Tusken Raiders.

The planet is mostly controlled by the Hutts. They are a family of crime bosses. Tatooine was far from the Galactic Republic's control. So, the Hutts ruled the lawless planet with little interference. When the Galactic Empire took over, they only had a small presence on Tatooine. This meant Jabba the Hutt's rule was unchallenged until he died in Return of the Jedi. The planet became famous as the home of Luke Skywalker.

Who Lives on Tatooine?

A Tusken Raider, a native inhabitant of Tatooine

• Humans – These are settlers who have made Tatooine their home.
• Hutts – These are large, worm-like crime lords who control much of the planet.
• Jawas – Small, hooded creatures who scavenge for scrap metal and trade. They are native to Tatooine.
• Tusken Raiders (also called Sand People) – These are fierce, nomadic humanoids. They are also native to Tatooine.

Flora and Fauna: Animals of Tatooine

Places on Tatooine

Tatooine is a very important planet in Star Wars. Many different places on it have been shown in the films.

Towns and Farms

Even though Tatooine doesn't have many people, its towns and farms have been the setting for many Star Wars scenes.

Anchorhead was one of the first towns shown. Many human settlers on Tatooine are "moisture farmers." They live on remote farms in the desert. They collect water vapor from the air to grow crops. Young hero Luke Skywalker lives with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru at the Lars Homestead.

This region is dangerous. Tusken Raiders often kidnap people. In Attack of the Clones (2002), Luke's father Anakin lost his mother to Tusken Raiders. In the first movie, Luke mentions Tosche Station. This was a repair shop where Luke met his friends. The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi also lives in hiding near this area. His house is far from others, as he is using the name Ben.

Bestine is considered the "capital" of Tatooine. It doesn't appear in the movies. But it is mentioned in the 1976 Star Wars novel. It's also a big part of the Star Wars Galaxies video games.

Mos Pelgo was a town in the northern part of Tatooine. It was briefly known as Freetown. You can see it in The Mandalorian TV series.

Spaceports

Two main spaceports have been shown on Tatooine:

• Mos Eisley (from Star Wars, 1977) is the planet's biggest city. It's a busy spaceport with a lot of criminal activity. Obi-Wan Kenobi called it a "wretched hive of scum and villainy." This is where one of the most famous Star Wars scenes takes place: Chalmun's Cantina. It's a busy bar filled with strange and sometimes violent aliens. The Cantina also appears in Lego Star Wars video games.

Mos Espa filming location near Tozeur

• Mos Espa (from The Phantom Menace, 1999) is home to the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace track. Anakin Skywalker spent his childhood here with his mother, Shmi. They were slaves owned by Watto. Anakin became the first human to win the Podrace. He won his freedom because of a bet between Watto and Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn. Mos Espa in The Phantom Menace was designed to look bigger than Mos Eisley.

Desert Areas

Tatooine is mostly a desert. Characters in the films talk about different desert areas by name. The Jundland Wastes is a rocky region. This is where the Tusken Raider attack happens in Star Wars (1977). The nearby Dune Sea is a huge sandy area. It's where Jabba the Hutt's palace is located. Inside the palace, there's a pit with a Rancor monster. Also in the Dune Sea is the Great Pit of Carkoon. This is the home of the deadly Sarlacc creature.

Where Tatooine Appears

Films

• Star Wars (1977)
• Return of the Jedi (1983)
• Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
• Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Television Shows

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
• Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018)
• The Mandalorian (2019–)
• The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
• Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (2023)

Video Games

Theme Park Ride

Tatooine is also part of the theme park ride Star Tours - The Adventures Continue. You can find this ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. It's also at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

Tatooine and Real Planets

NASA artist's impression of Kepler-16, an exoplanet compared to the planet Tatooine

Scientists have found many real planets outside our solar system. These are called exoplanets. In 2015, NASA said that many of these new planets are like the ones in Star Wars.

For example, planets like TOI 1338 b, Kepler-16b, and Kepler-453b are similar to Tatooine. This is because they orbit two stars, just like Tatooine does!

Tatooine's Impact

The desert planet of Jakku in the Star Wars movie The Force Awakens (2015) is very similar to Tatooine.

In 2019, rapper Kanye West said he was designing homes inspired by Tatooine's settlements. He wanted them to be low-income housing. His first designs in California were taken down because he didn't have the right permits. In 2020, he shared photos of similar structures being built.

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See also

• List of Star Wars planets and moons
• Desert planet