The Force Awakens – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Sat, 28 Nov 2020 15:35:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png The Force Awakens – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. The Force Awakens – Nerds on Earth false episodic The Force Awakens – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. The Force Awakens – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ Revisiting The Force Awakens’ Radical Score https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/12/force-awakens-music/ Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:46:27 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=15693

We revisit the musical score of The Force Awakens. John Williams doesn't disappoint Star Wars fans.

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With The Last Jedi just a few days away, the excitement building around the latest chapter in the Star Wars universe is palpable. For many fans, a large part of the anticipation is due to the prospect of a new soundtrack by John Williams, the master of modern film scores.

Why not take a look and a listen at the soundtrack of The Force Awakens while we wait?

It isn’t an exaggeration to say that hundreds of millions (possibly billions) of people know, or can at least hum, Williams’ Star Wars themes. The films are packed with all-time musical classics:

And there are at least a dozen other famous and gorgeous pieces, themes, and leitmotifs from the series that are equally memorable. When The Force Awakens came out in 2015, it had been a decade since fans had gotten any new Williams Star Wars music.

What did the Master have up his sleeves?  Let’s keep it simple: John Williams did not disappoint (does he ever, to be honest?) The new characters and stories drove the genius composer to new heights and magnificent themes.

A quick listen yields some immediate gems:

  1. Rey’s Theme”: No other major theme in the films carries the same sense of searching as this. The melody tosses listeners along in its subtle, powerful stream. Williams uses the soaring strings and echoing bells to convey that Rey wants so much—a family, a teacher, a future—and how far she’ll go to find answers.
  2. The Falcon”: How could we go forty years without a theme for the most famous hunk of junk in the galaxy? Williams fixes this glaring oversight with the most technically exciting piece on TFA.  The orchestra races through different time signatures seemingly at random; the piece feels perpetually on the verge of exploding into an unintelligible mess of horn stabs and pulsating strings. There’s even an unexpected cameo from “Rebel Fanfare.” In other words, Williams captured the essence of the Millennium Falcon in musical form.
  3. Scherzo for X-Wings”: The French horns and trumpets get some of that famous John Williams lovin’ on this bombastic theme. Williams’ music, particularly his marches and scherzos, is often compared to rock or heavy metal music because of its rhythmicity and liberal use of percussion. That is not an insult—this might be the most traditional, Star Wars­-ey, exciting piece in the film. Its accompanying visual of Poe Dameron shooting down at least a dozen TIE fighters is perfect.
  4. The Jedi Steps”: A lovely mix of old and new, this theme layers elements of “Rey’s Theme” over a somber melody and throws arguably the most famous motif in Star Wars, the “Force Theme”, for good measure. This is pure conjecture, but “The Jedi Steps” could be a sonic glimpse of The Last Jedi; could this theme, or some version of it, show up in the next film?

There are deeper cuts that are just as beautiful and emotive. Ben Solo’s theme gets its most majestic treatment in “Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle,” and this piece features another Williams trademark: stabbing, chopping strings that represent building tension or madness. “March of the Resistance” echoes the prequels, particularly the Trade Federation motif that plays in “The Droid Invasion and the Appearance of Darth Maul” from The Phantom Menace score.

My undercover favorite piece in the entire soundtrack might be “Torn Apart,” which accompanies the hardest scene to watch in the film: the death of Han Solo. It proves the Master hasn’t lost his touch for putting emotion into musical form. The individual beats of the scene—Han and Ben’s terse talking, the one, heart-rendingly brief hope of redemption, the growing dread, Han’s death, Chewie’s rage) are reflected perfectly in a piece so lush you could sleep on top of those strings.

Whatever happens in The Last Jedi to Rey, Finn, Poe, Luke, and the rest of the Resistance, it’s safe to assume that the soundtrack will measure up to John Williams perpetual, continual excellence. Expect a soundtrack review soon!

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Expanding the Star Wars Universe: Get to Know Kanjiklub https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/08/expanding-star-wars-universe-get-know-kanjiklub/ Sun, 21 Aug 2016 12:53:30 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=8905

Rogue One, the next Star Wars movie to hit theaters, dropped a terrific trailer, as us nerds continue to think away at the possibilities of where JJ Abrams and company will take the Star Wars universe. If you haven’t seen the trailer, you can find it in our Friday Five: Friday Five: Nerd Culture Highlights of the […]

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Rogue One, the next Star Wars movie to hit theaters, dropped a terrific trailer, as us nerds continue to think away at the possibilities of where JJ Abrams and company will take the Star Wars universe.


If you haven’t seen the trailer, you can find it in our Friday Five:

Friday Five: Nerd Culture Highlights of the Week


While at times we all can agree that keeping the overall Star Wars universe small helps in regards to storytelling. After all, the Star Wars movies are about the Skywalkers and their influence on a galaxy far far away.

On the other hand, us Star Wars fans get greedy for more, and the diehards in particular might still be stinging that the massive EU (Expanded Universe) is being left behind. Personally, I like the direction that the new canon is going. And to be honest I don’t think it is actually all that small, especially when you take into consideration the animated Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, the “side offerings” like  Rogue One, plus the new books and comics that are doing a nice job adding to the mythos. These series really bring a lot more backstory and overlap to our familiar story from the movies.

However even in the feature movies, we see more groups and characters being introduced. One of those groups I’d like to say more about is Kanjiklub!

KanjiklubKanjiklub—along with the Guavian Death Gang—made an appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, aboard Han Solo’s ship, the “Eravana.” While these may have seemed like insignificant characters who were mostly staged to be eaten up by rathtars, side characters like kanjiklub shows a look into the larger Star Wars galaxy. Kanjiklub represents the really rough part of the outer rim that we only ever get briefs references to in the mainstreams movies.

Kanjiklub’s origin dates back to the reign of the Hutts. (The Hutts are still a major presence in the Clone Wars animated series which gives us some optimism for more Kanjiklub appearances!) Kanjiklub are known as renegade slaves of the Hutts and after they broke free they hit the prime of their operation approximately 30 years after the battle of Endor.

I would actually take Han Solo’s brush with them and the Guavian Death Gang as a strong allusion that our great vast galaxy is finally catching up with our intimate setting for our protagonists. Kanjiklub is first mentioned in a short story, The Perfect Weapon, which was part of the “Road to Force Awakens” series. They are also mentioned in the Chuck Wendig novel Aftermath: Life Debt which was released in July of this year.  (I have yet to pick up my copy, but I am excited to read it!)

The fact that Kanjiklub is being mentioned makes me think that at some level we will be seeing/reading/hearing about this gang more, and this is a good thing for the Star Wars franchise in a few ways. While I hope that the true Star Wars episodes stay very much family friendly, I think that Star Wars can show us the seedier underbelly of the galaxy in the off shoots as they always have done in their books. Kinjikulb certainly represent that aspect of the Star Wars world.

A while back Clave, Atkins, and I did our weekly chat on what we considered the best Star Wars planets and the ones we’d like to see more.

Weekly Nerd Chat: What are the Best Star Wars Planets?

I think each of us would agree that there is so much more to the Star Wars universe that we would like to see more of or to be introduced to in the cinematic saga. The “off year movies” like Rogue One and newer books a perfect way to go deeper into these other cultures and environments, much like TV series already do with standalone episodes for specific characters. The Walking Dead show has been especially good at this recently, committing entire episodes to one character of a string of episodes to breaking up the large group and showing interactions of a few smaller groups of characters as a change of pace.

KanjiklubI certainly do not think we need a standalone movie for the Kanjis, but I would venture a guess that they could be major players in the Solo/Fett standalone movie. And while the release date of that film is a ways off, I’d imagine they would make appearances here and there to make the audience want to know more. And if you don’t want more of Kanjiklub, then tell that to Kanjiklub.

Learn more about Kanjiklub and other Star Wars characters in the Force Awakens visual dictionary.

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Let’s Speculate on the Scrap Market on Jakku https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/05/lets-speculate-scrap-market-jakku/ Mon, 02 May 2016 12:01:42 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=6828

Examining Jakku's junk market, what can we determine about a day in the life of Rey on Jakku?

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From the moment The Force Awakens began and we saw Rey on the big screen–goggled up and salvaging a piece of scrap, only to then repel down through the vast bulk of the decimated Star Destroyer–did you not wish you knew more about Jakku and Rey’s life?

Gosh, I did. The Force Awakens was masterful in taking old familiar beats that have resonated so long with Star Wars fans, but introducing compelling new characters and evocative new locales.

But I’ve perhaps wondered about Jakku more than any other new setting. Perhaps that is because I grew up in West Virginia, just a short walk from a junk yard. (Keep your jokes to yourself, joker.)

So how about we speculate on the scrap market on Jakku? By understanding what we know of the scrap market here on earth, can we make some guesses about what life was like for Rey on Jakku? I dunno. But I got an article to write, so let’s give it a shot, shall we?

Let’s Speculate about Jakku’s Junk Market?

First of all, let’s just acknowledge we won’t be comparing apples to apples here. Unless Elon Musk secretly has a 6 million ton giant starship hidden in earth’s orbit, we can’t perfectly determine how we’d scrap it, should it crash into say, Tunisia or something.

But we’ll make a best guess comparison, then we’ll examine salvaging techniques and equipment Rey might use, before we finish with the recycling industry and system corruption (I’m looking at you, Unkar Plutt).

 

1442926504085The challenge of salvaging Mega Ships. We’ve learned a lot about salvaging sunken cargo ships, and although it’s not a starship in the dessert like on Jakku, underwater salvage holds intense environmental challenges.

Just as with a Star Destroyer, size is a factor when salvaging tanker fleets, container ships, or cruise ships here on good ‘ole earth. If it’s a scraped hull in a shipyard, it’s just a matter of navigating around in the cavernous space a removing what is still valuable, while cutting down the latticing in a methodical way so it can be re-smelted.

But if the tanker or cargo ship is sunken, then it’s a whole new ballgame. It’s either a small robotic or manned submersible, or you coordinate heavy tugs to re-float the vessel, all out in the elements. With part of the scrap being “submerged” beneath the sands of Jakku, plus victim to the deadly erosive forces of sandstorms, it is clear that worker as a salvager on Jakku was demanding, dangerous work.

Of course, heavy equipment could’ve helped on Jakku, but with the financial returns being so variable, who would invest heavily in that infrastructure? It’s much cheaper to send in individuals to simply do the grunt work, completely unregulated. If they were injured (or even killed) while salvaging, then there is no profit loss. Another individual would simply jump in to fill that void.

This is what we saw on Jakku. It certainly appeared to be an ‘every scavenger for themselves environment’, which undoubtedly created a competitive, dangerous, and lonely environment for Rey and other scrapers like her.

 

What Techniques and Equipment Would Be required?

0x600So what equipment would individual salvagers use? It wouldn’t be much different from the tools we’d use if we planned to break down an old 1989 Ford Taurus for junkyard parts, only it’d be supplemented with equipment to account for size (climbing and repelling gear), such as in the case of the Star Destroyer.

Fortunately, Rey showed us most of that in her brief scenes on Jakku. First, was the acquisition, then came the transport. To remove the parts, components, or scrap, she’d use wrenches, screwdrivers, and sockets, just as we’d use on an old Ford Taurus. Except in the Star Wars galaxy, it is more of a multi-tool and is called a hydrospanner.

It should be noted that Rey knew her tools, and if she pointed at one, you’d better pick it up and hand it to her straight away. In addition, I’m sure she had some sort of cutting tool or torch to remove stubborn scrap. Luke’s lightsaber would’ve really come in handy on Jakku.

Once removed, it was simply a matter of loading up the scrap to get it to Jakku’s trading market (called Nima Outpost). Rey’s speeder handled this task efficiently, if a little noisily.

 

What are the economics of the recycling market? 

Screenshot_14There is money to be made in transforming end-of-life products and industrial scrap into new commodity grade materials, making the old, new again. In the United States alone, the scrap industry fully employs 150,000 people, generating $45,644,002,300 in economic impact.

Who wants a little slice of that money pie?

The price of copper, for example, is just under five grand per metric ton. Just a pickup full of metal and you’ve made a handy little profit, so it’s easy to see why industry invests in night shift security guards to prevent ne’er-do-wells from hopping a fence to steel copper wiring.

The bad news for Rey is that the bulk of recycling and scrapping profits lie at the top, as do profits in most industry. A shift supervisor will make an average salary of $79,000, while an Average Joe junker is barely scrapping buy. It pays to be Unkar Plutt.

 

What about the human element?

unkar-plutt_4cd0610bSpeaking of Unkar Plutt, The Force Awakened teased that there is much more to his relationship with Rey, but what was crystal clear is that there was a capriciousness to the prices he was quoting to Rey. A piece of junk might pull in a nice share one day, but be treated as junk junk the next.

As with all human created systems, there will be a potential for corruption. The salvor–the only actually doing the grunt work–might not always get a fair reward for their efforts.

Regulations in the United States have fortunately worked for the most part. While it’s never a perfectly well-oiled machine, there is definitely a sense of order and fairness to the scrap market. Work hard and you’ll get your just reward. Usually.

Not so on Jakku, it seems. Gambling, competitiveness, lies, and a general lack of oversight was undoubtedly soul crushing at times for Rey. Every day she’d do the work, but it appeared that she’d all too often go home to her AT-AT without her just reward.


So life on Jakku was no walk in the park, that’s for certain. Treated as expendable and cheap labor, Rey would first need to navigate the harsh environments and elements of Jakku, using her tools and equipment to salvage what she could. But once she’d haul them back to Nima Outpost, she wouldn’t necessarily be guaranteed a fair and predictable wage structure for them.

It must have been an extremely isolating and bleak life, so it only makes sense that Rey held so firmly to the hope that someone was coming back for her.

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A Review of The Force Awakens https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/12/review-force-awakens/ Tue, 22 Dec 2015 15:31:59 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=4553

In case you missed the onslaught of merchandising that started back in January, or the trailers, or the full blown hype machine of the past few weeks, a little film called Star Wars: The Force Awakens set box office records over the weekend, becoming the largest opening film worldwide, and that’s without it even opening in China. […]

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In case you missed the onslaught of merchandising that started back in January, or the trailers, or the full blown hype machine of the past few weeks, a little film called Star Wars: The Force Awakens set box office records over the weekend, becoming the largest opening film worldwide, and that’s without it even opening in China.

And later this week, in a desperate search for the elusive pageviews, people will start to dismantle the film, pointing out minor flaws and reminding everyone that people said they liked The Phantom Menace as well. And, if I can, I’d like to say, go eat lemons.

[divider] A Review of The Force Awakens [/divider]

Review of The Force AwakensThe Force Awakens is the best movie in the Star Wars franchise since Empire Strikes Back and I am not walking out on a limb to say that. If you haven’t gone to see it, do. Make plans. Skip the holiday party at work. And take any child you can.

JJ Abrahms and company took on a task that is, without a doubt, much harder than when Lucas launched the prequels. Lucas was the godfather and he had a map about where he needed to stick the landing; everyone knows how Anakin ends up in the end. He just had to steer the series to that soft landing and wrap it up.

Whether he did that or not is a matter of dispute. What this group had to do with The Force Awakens is much harder in some ways. They have to steer the franchise into a new direction, while at the same time not abandoning the old and not making the mistakes of the prequels, one of which was so shrinking the world to the point that everyone knew everyone else.

No one went into the first prequel with anything but excitement. Everyone went into The Force Awakens with a feeling of hope but also a lingering doubt and dread. All of which makes the task of these movies so much hard and that much more amazing because they nailed it.

It is a solid 9.5 out of 10 nerds and quit reading from this point forward if you haven’t seen it because I don’t want to spoil it.

[divider] A Review of The Force Awakens [/divider]

Review of The Force AwakensSome are calling this film a re-boot of A New Hope, the original, first released Star Wars movie. There is no doubt that there are deep similarities between the two. But the right word is that this film is an homage.

There has to be a genuine sense that his work in rebooting the Star Trek franchise helped JJ Abrams learn how, to, and what to play with. So there are moments and beats that are direct parallels.

But within that structure, there are little tweaks that make the film that much more genuine and unique. They say to be a great artist, you have to understand the greatness of the ones who went before you and you get the permission to improvise, change and even improve.

Here are some of the changes that they do that make the story more compelling:

Review of The Force AwakensThe new characters. Think about this: in 20-30 minutes, they introduced 2 completely new characters, made them sufficiently independent so that the audience cared about them and then wove them into the fabric of the Star Wars universe. That is an astonishing achievement in a movie that could easily have been just straight fan-service schlock.

Sure, the Millennium Falcon shows up and you cheer but it is after they have set the stage. Rey and Fin are astonishingly great characters from the get go. Their eyes and hearts will be the ones that the remainder of the story is told through.

And, later this week, I will write on why Rey is such an important character for the Star Wars franchise. And Fin is equally compelling, making a serious hero out of a joke idea: what about the guys who just work for the Empire and take a paycheck? His shift is astonishing, all under the banner of “it was the right thing to do.”

Star-Wars-7-Character-Guide-Kylo-RenA compelling villain. Let’s face: the bad guy in this movie is what anchors the whole film to the previous franchise. Without saying too much about his lineage, he is the one that makes all the other pieces from the past be more than just fan service cameos.

The proper balance between looking backwards and forwards. Because of how they structured this movie, it creates interest in both the past and the future at the same time. I want to know what Luke is going to do from that point forward, but I also want to know what has he been doing for these missing years. What was Ben Solo like as a kid and what warped him to becoming what he is? Are Rey’s parents people we know or new people? What about Fin?

There are things I can point out that are a little too hackneyed and easy to point out as flaws in this movie. But they are so minor compared to the overall greatness of the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise. The dread that made me fearful of trailers, of the merchandise, and, ultimately of the whole series of movies to come has been replaced by a hopeful optimism.

Star Wars is back and I am giddy about it.

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Now scroll below and add your score to our review.

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How to prepare Yourself for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/12/star-wars-the-force-awakens/ Sat, 12 Dec 2015 17:26:32 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=4450

I’m typing this while wearing my Millennium Falcon t-shirt because with the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, there isn’t a more exciting time to be an old nerd like me. Perhaps more than any other single franchise, it was Star Wars that gave rise to nerd culture. So hundreds of millions of people […]

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I’m typing this while wearing my Millennium Falcon t-shirt because with the release of Star Wars Episode VIIThe Force Awakens, there isn’t a more exciting time to be an old nerd like me. Perhaps more than any other single franchise, it was Star Wars that gave rise to nerd culture.

So hundreds of millions of people are looking forward to the movie, but what if you are so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to begin to prepare yourself for the new movie, completely without spoilers. Here are some quick places to start:

[divider]How to prepare Yourself for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens[/divider]
  1. How to prepare Yourself for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
    Click to embiggen.

    Have a Star Wars movie marathon. Sure, you’ve seen them dozens of times, but it’s good to have them fresh in mind as you go int the new movie.

    Just remember to skip Phantom Menace. Trust me on this. The overall story is improved if that movie doesn’t exist. (Here’s more on why.)

    In case you didn’t know, The Force Awakens occurs after Return of the Jedi, so a quick refresher on the movies is ideal. (Here’s more on why the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi were awesome.)  No one was asking for the prequels, so long time fans are stoked that the story is finally continuing.

  2. But what are the official Star Wars stories? The story after Return of the Jedi continued in books and comics, but that material is no longer considered canon. When Disney bought Lucasfilm it was decided that a clean slate was in order so a lot of extra story material was relegated to a “Legends” line, which pretty much puts it in the category of fan fiction. (Here is more information and what is official and what isn’t official.) The new movie is considered canon.
  3. There are also new books, all of which are now considered canon. If you are going to read just one book to prepare for The Force Awakens, pick up Aftermath by Chuck Wendig. Aftermath occurs in the “aftermath” of Return of the Jedi and while it says there are hints into The Force Awakens, it doesn’t spoil the movie, only enhance it.Aftermath is a quick read, so you could grab it from Amazon and still ave time to binge it before the new movie.

    There are other books as well, including an fun YA book by Greg Rucka that features Han Solo. Any in that line would be fun to psych yourself up for the new movie. Get them here.

  4. There are new comics. Marvel took back over the comic line since they are a Disney company as well. They are releasing some great new comics that feature the old characters, so you might want to check out the Marvel Unlimited App to binge a few quick.
  5. Finally, there are a lot of new Star Wars games to get you in the mood for the new movie. Battlefront is the biggie, and although reviews are mixed, there is no question that it is a beautiful game that will at the very least submerse you in the worlds of Star Wars. You can get Battlefront here.

    I’ve been playing Uprising, which is a light RPG set in the Star Wars universe. It certainly won’t spoil any storylines, and it is good for immersing you in the cartels, Hutt-rings, syndicates, and smuggling operations that make the Star Wars Universe so fun. Uprising is free for iOS.

Of course, there are role-playing games, board games, and much more that allow you to prepare yourself for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, but I think we hit the high points above.

It really is the best time to be an old nerd like me, and I hope it’s a great time for you to be a geek as well. Let us know in the comments how you are getting psyched up for the new movie and, as always, may the force be with you.

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How to Hide a Smuggler in the Star Wars Galaxy https://nerdsonearth.com/2015/08/outer-rim-planets-star-wars/ Wed, 26 Aug 2015 23:04:11 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=3184

All you scoundrels out there, if you are ever on the lam from the Hutts, head straight for the Outer Rim planets, the least settled or explored expanse of the Star Wars galaxy. It is filled with thousands of diverse and rugged planets, many of which are hives of scum and villainy. In other words, the […]

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All you scoundrels out there, if you are ever on the lam from the Hutts, head straight for the Outer Rim planets, the least settled or explored expanse of the Star Wars galaxy.

It is filled with thousands of diverse and rugged planets, many of which are hives of scum and villainy. In other words, the Outer Rim planets are perfect places for a smuggler to hide.

Star Wars Outer Rim Planets

Felucia
System: Felucia
Terrain: Jungle, Flat, Moist
Homeland of the Jungle Felucians

Felucia is a humid jungle planet where various factions will often via for control in order to maintain authority over the Perlemian Trade Route. As a result, it has been the location of several battles during the Clone Wars, and later has hosted Imperial outposts.

The planet is largely uninhabited, making it a perfect place for a smuggler looking to stay out of the spotlight. However, it is home to the Jungle Felucians, an amphibious sentient race that traverse the jungle swamps of Felucia. Felucian arms and legs end in four large, webbed digits, with suction-cup fingertips. Growing from the underside of each arm is a shorter, smaller arm that ends in three larger fingers. A Felucian’s head consists of a thick mass of tendrils with illuminated tips, and they have a mouth and eyes that glow bright red.

The planet is also known as the site of the assassination of Aayla Secura, who was betrayed by the 327th upon the execution of Order 66. Come to think of it, maybe it isn’t such a great planet for a smuggler’s hideout.

Jakku
System: [REDACTED]
Terrain: Desert
Homeland of [REDACTED]

Star Wars VII-Force Awakens-Teaser 2-Star Destroyer Jakku

One year after the Battle of Endor, the Battle of Jakku left the desert planet littered with the hulls of downed space ships.

The abundance of starship debris would make a perfect hideout for a smuggler, or would line the pockets of a scavenger. Reports are that [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] have made their home on Jakku.

Bakura
System: The edge of Wild Space
Terrain: Wet, with Mountains, Valleys, Plains, Seas
Homeland of the Kurtzen (and later, humans)

Bakura

A smuggler on the lam would want to avoid Hutt Space so Bakura couldn’t be a better fit, being that it would put you on the other side of the galaxy. In addition, Bakura exports metals, repulsorlift coils, and namana, an addictive fruit that is desirable across the galaxy, so shipping work could be an option for you.

The bad news is that the planet was invaded by the Ssi-Ruuk – a saurian species from the Unknown Regions of the galaxy – and although they were defeated, the planet remains on high alert.

One last thing. A past droid rebellion has the planet’s inhabitants a little techno-phobic, so you might want to lock your droid in your cargo hold.

Dathomir
System: Quelii
Terrain: Temperate, with Canyons, Forests, Swamps, and Mountain Peaks
Homeland of the rancor and the Witches of Dathomir

rancor_dathomir

The apex of Dathomir’s native food-chain is the mighty rancor. Surprisingly, the Dathomirian rancor is a semi-lenient species that has made progress towards basic civilization like kindled fire, shaped tools, and basic armor and weapons.

The rancor social system and lifestyle is matriarchal herds, hunting live prey for food. Needless to say, you’ll probably want to avoid them as much as possible.

Dathomir is also home to the Nightsisters (Witches of Dathomir), which give the whole planet a slightly creepy dark side vibe. But if that’s the way you swing, then Dathomir is for you.

It’s also close to the Hydian Way, a major trade route, just in case you might get the itch to go back into the smuggling business.

Carlac
System: Carlac System
Terrain: Snowy Plains and Mountains
Homeland of the Ming Po

TrylaStabbed-AFIN

Carlac was relatively untouched during the galaxy-wide Clone Wars, only to be dragged into the fray late in the conflict. The planet is snow covered, so pack a jacket. 

The native Ming Po are a peaceful and trusting people, who would surely shelter you in their simple villages. This makes it an ideal planet for a smuggler trying to hide.

Wayland
System: Wayland System
Terrain: Temperate, with Forests and Mountains
Homeland of Psadans and Myneyrshi

Psadan_UAA

Close to both Dathomir and the Mid Rim, Wayland is a lush, semi-tropical planet. It was colonized during the Galactic Republic era and served as a field hospital during the Mandalorian Wars.

History says that a filing error removed all record of the planet from astrogation charts and planetary logs, so that years later, people were unsure if “Wayland” was the planet’s real name or an Imperial codename.

Wayland was rediscovered by Palpatine, who determined its isolation and uncharted nature made it ideal for a storehouse of arcane artifacts and secret technology. So be careful, there is dark side stuff there (but maybe you are into that).

The Psadan is an indigenous race of Wayland, and are evolved from hard-shelled mammals. As a result, they are covered with lumpy plates that make them resemble talking rocks. The Myneyrshi are tall humanoids with four arms and a smooth layer of blue crystalline flesh. Those two fight a lot.

Lok
System: Karthakk System
Terrain: Arid, with Lava Lands, Mountains, Sulfur Pools, Red Deserts
Homeland of Nym’s Criminal Empire

1634428-nym_tcwcg

Lok is home to a cantina called Brogar’s Safe House which has served as a safe-house for fugitives before, meaning that a smuggler on the lam would get a nice welcome.

Lok is also home to the Warlord Nym’s criminal empire, which features a pirate group called the Lok Revenant. That should give you plenty of work, but it’s not the place you’d want to call home if you hope to settle down with a nice Twi’lek to start a family.

Something curious about Lok is the mysterious “Great Maze of Lok”, a square maze with a small oasis in the middle. No one knows when it was built or why, but it might prove to be a fun activity, should you want to load the family in the mini-speeder for a day out.


There you have it. 7 Outer Rim Planets in the Star Wars Galaxy. Each provide you with options to hide a smuggler. If these Outer Rim planets aren’t off the beaten path enough, then you’ll need to take your chances with Wild Space and the Unknown Regions. If that’s the case, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself in?!?

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