Which Movies Does Tatooine Appear in?

Tatooine appears in several movies in the Star Wars franchise. Here are the movies in which Tatooine makes an appearance:

1. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
2. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
3. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
4. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
5. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
7. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Tatooine Scenes

Tatooine features prominently in the original Star Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope. Here are the key scenes in the movie that take place on Tatooine:

1. Introduction of Luke Skywalker: The movie opens with a shot of a Star Destroyer chasing Princess Leia’s ship. The ship is boarded by Darth Vader’s forces, but not before Leia sends the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO to Tatooine with the stolen Death Star plans. We first see Luke Skywalker on his uncle’s moisture farm, where he purchases the droids from the Jawas.
2. Meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi: Luke is attacked by Sand People while on his way to deliver the droids to his uncle, but is saved by the hermit Ben Kenobi (later revealed to be Obi-Wan Kenobi). Kenobi tells Luke about the Force and shows him a hologram message from Princess Leia, which sets Luke on the path to becoming a Jedi.
3. Mos Eisley Cantina: After escaping Tatooine with the help of Han Solo and Chewbacca, Luke and the others are chased by Imperial forces and forced to make a stop at the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine. Here they meet the infamous smuggler Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca, as well as a variety of other aliens.
4. Rescuing Princess Leia: After learning of Princess Leia’s capture by the Empire, Luke and his allies travel to the Death Star in order to rescue her. However, they must first sneak past Imperial forces stationed on Tatooine in order to get there.

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi, the third film in the original Star Wars trilogy, has a significant portion of its early scenes set on the desert planet Tatooine. Below is a summary of these scenes:

1. Rescue Mission Begins: The film opens with the droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, arriving at the palace of Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. They carry a message from Luke Skywalker, who offers a peaceful bargain for the release of Han Solo, frozen in carbonite in Jabba’s possession. However, Jabba refuses.
2. Bounty Hunter Arrival: Princess Leia Organa, disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, arrives at Jabba’s palace with Chewbacca as her supposed captive. That night, she releases Han from his carbonite prison, but they are immediately captured by Jabba and his henchmen.
3. Luke’s Arrival: Luke arrives at Jabba’s palace and tries to negotiate Han’s release but is dropped into a pit to battle the Rancor, a monstrous creature. Luke defeats the Rancor, angering Jabba, who then orders Luke, Han, and Chewbacca to be executed by being thrown into the Sarlacc pit in the Tatooine desert.
4. Battle at the Great Pit of Carkoon: The execution turns into a fierce battle when Luke signals R2-D2, who launches his new lightsaber to him. With help from Leia, who strangles Jabba to death, and Lando Calrissian (disguised as one of Jabba’s guards), they defeat Jabba’s henchmen and escape Tatooine.
5. Luke Returns to Dagobah: After the battle, Luke returns to Tatooine briefly to pick up his X-Wing from the docking bay of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s home, where he’d left it prior to the rescue mission. He then leaves Tatooine to visit Yoda on Dagobah.

These are the main scenes on Tatooine in “Return of the Jedi”. Tatooine is a pivotal location in the Star Wars universe, often being the site of significant turning points in the saga.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Tatooine Scenes

Tatooine is a significant location in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Here are the key scenes in the movie that take place on Tatooine:

1. Meeting Anakin Skywalker: Qui-Gon Jinn and Padmé Amidala land on Tatooine in search of parts for their damaged ship, the Queen’s starship. They encounter a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker, who lives with his mother Shmi on the planet. Qui-Gon senses that Anakin is strong with the Force and believes he may be the “Chosen One” prophesied to bring balance to the Force.
2. The Podrace: Qui-Gon bets on Anakin to win a dangerous podrace in order to earn the money needed to purchase the necessary parts for their ship. The podrace is a thrilling sequence that showcases the unique design of the vehicles and the dangers of the sport.
3. The Battle with Darth Maul: Following their escape from Naboo, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Padmé return to Tatooine in order to repair their damaged starship. They are pursued by Darth Maul, a Sith Lord sent by Darth Sidious to capture the Queen. A lightsaber duel ensues, which ends with Qui-Gon’s death at the hands of Darth Maul and Obi-Wan’s vow to train Anakin as a Jedi.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Tatooine Scenes

Tatooine plays a smaller role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones than in the previous movie, but it still features a key scene. Here is the notable scene in the movie that takes place on Tatooine:

1. Anakin and Padmé visit Shmi’s grave: Anakin Skywalker returns to Tatooine in order to visit his mother Shmi’s grave. Padmé accompanies him on the trip, and the two share a romantic moment at the site of the grave. This scene highlights Anakin’s attachment to his mother and foreshadows the role that his love for Padmé will play in his eventual turn to the dark side.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Tatooine Scenes

Tatooine has a smaller role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith compared to the previous two movies, but it still features an important scene. Here’s the notable scene in the movie that takes place on Tatooine:

1. Birth of Luke and Leia: After Padmé gives birth to Luke and Leia on Polis Massa, she dies shortly thereafter. Obi-Wan and Yoda decide that the best way to protect the newborns from their father, Anakin Skywalker (now Darth Vader), is to hide them on separate planets. Luke is taken to Tatooine to live with his father’s stepbrother, Owen Lars, and Lars’ wife Beru. This scene sets the stage for the events of the original Star Wars movie, Episode IV – A New Hope, in which Luke Skywalker is the main protagonist.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Tatooine Scenes

Tatooine has a small but notable role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Here’s the notable scene in the movie that takes place on Tatooine:

1. Meeting with Saw Gerrera: Jyn Erso, the film’s protagonist, travels to Tatooine in search of Saw Gerrera, a former Rebel extremist who has gone into hiding. She meets with Gerrera at a small outpost on the planet, where he provides her with important information about the Death Star. This scene also features the appearance of a young Han Solo, who is briefly seen in the background.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Tatooine features in the final scenes of the film, symbolically linking the conclusion of the Skywalker saga back to where it all started.

1. Arrival on Tatooine: Following the defeat of Emperor Palpatine and the Sith on Exegol, Rey travels to Tatooine. She arrives in the same model of spacecraft Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi used to leave the planet many years ago. The sight of the twin suns as she descends upon the desert world is a powerful callback to the iconic scene in “A New Hope” where Luke looks out at the same view, pondering his future.
2. Lars Homestead: Rey visits the now abandoned Lars Homestead, where Luke Skywalker grew up under the watchful eyes of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Over the decades since we last saw it in “A New Hope,” it has fallen into disrepair, filled with sand and left forgotten.
3. Luke and Leia’s Lightsabers: In a touching sequence, Rey buries the lightsabers of Luke and Leia in the sand outside the Lars Homestead, as a symbolic gesture of laying the past to rest and honouring the legacy of the Skywalker family.
4. Rey’s New Identity: A local asks Rey for her name, and she replies, “Rey Skywalker,” choosing to adopt the Skywalker surname in tribute to her mentors and friends, Luke and Leia Skywalker. She thus continues their legacy and signifies the rise of a new Skywalker.
5. The Twin Suns: The film ends with Rey and her droid companion, BB-8, looking out at Tatooine’s twin suns, mirroring the famous scene with Luke from “A New Hope.” It is a hopeful and optimistic ending, signifying the dawn of a new era.

Image: Star Wars