No location in Star Wars history has seen more action than the desert planet Tatooine, which has been a part of the narrative since the beginning in 1977's A New Hope. Originally used as Luke Skywalker's home before his journey to become a Jedi, Tatooine has seen more than its fair share of action, from the big-screen movies to the streaming Disney+ shows.
Most recently, the planet served as the home base for nearly the entirety of The Book of Boba Fett as the former bounty hunter started his rule over the land after Jabba the Hutt's death. It will return to a similarly prominent role in May 2022 with Obi-Wan Kenobi as the former Jedi Master watches over a young Luke Skywalker in his exile after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
It seems that no matter what era of Star Wars storytelling fans are in, Tatooine will find its way back into the narrative in some form or another. As the franchise looks forward to more adventures set in the planet's sandy terrain, Star Wars is making sure that fans are all caught up on its history thanks to a new visual guide.
Star Wars Tells Tatooine's History in New Photos
Star Wars announced plans for a new book entitled "Star Wars: Exploring Tatooine," which will be available for purchase in August 2022. The visual guidebook will feature map diagrams of the entire planet's landscape and landmark locations that have been seen throughout the franchise's history, showcasing events from many movies and TV shows set on the desert planet.
The cover features events mostly from 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope with Darth Vader's cruiser flying above a chase between TIE fighters and the Millenium Falcon. At the bottom, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's house is behind a pair of Jawas as Luke Skywalker pets R2-D2 on the right-hand side.
Author Riley Silverman expressed how much she enjoyed taking "a nice trip down memory lane" through Star Wars' history while also setting up "a fun primer" for newcomers to the galaxy far, far away. She revealed that writing this book even gave her "a deeper appreciation" for Tatooine's place in the grand scheme of storytelling in this universe:
“Getting to go on my own little adventure through the tales of Tatooine was amazing. Making my way across the various sprawling landscapes and starting to place familiar characters like Luke Skywalker alongside new favorites like Doctor Aphra, and seeing them come to life through the playful art just really gave me a deeper appreciation for the place this unassuming desert planet has in the grander Star Wars story. I think the book serves as a nice trip down memory lane for long-time fans and as a fun primer for those just taking their first steps.”
The book will take an in-depth look at Obi-Wan Kenobi's home, where he first taught Luke about the Jedi and the Force in A New Hope. The same page gives details about Luke's fight with Boba Fett and early stories featuring Darth Vader as he searches for his children.
21st-century Star Wars stories come thanks to looks at Ahsoka Tano's battles from Star Wars: The Clone Wars along with Boba Fett and Fennec Shand from 2021's The Book of Boba Fett. One page alone details adventures from the '70's with R2 and C-3PO in the same visual as bounty hunters like Cad Bane.
The Mos Eisley spaceport gets its own full page after its ample time on-screen in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. The book will look back on adventures featuring Pedro Pascal's Mando, Amy Sedaris' Peli Motto, and the droids that Mando reluctantly allowed to work on his ships.
Along with the cover art featuring Luke and R2, other pieces of art will shine throughout the book's pages. Every angle and character that spent time in these deserts will get their time in the spotlight, from Episode IV to The Book of Boba Fett (back cover) and everything in between.
Clinton Campbell, the creative director of Studio MUTI who animated the book, also called it an honor to dive into this world and give the company's own interpretation of everything this planet represents:
“Delving into the world of Tatooine was an incredible journey for us. As Star Wars fans we were thrilled to be a part of the project and at the prospect of immersing ourselves in the intertwined stories of all the characters and places. Bringing everything to life and being able to give our visual interpretation of such an epic franchise was an honor, and we can’t wait for other fans out there to page through this chronicle of Star Wars history.”
Star Wars' Extensive Time in the Desert
No matter what era of Star Wars fans dive into, Tattooine is certain to play a role in the adventure at one point or another. Whether it be the live-action projects both in and out of the Skywalker Saga or the animated stories from The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch, the sandy terrain is never too far away from the core journey.
Details on the book are scarce outside of its Tattoine-centric content, including how long it will be and how many different pieces of art it will include. Even without that knowledge, the book will be a way for fans to celebrate the planet's extensive history while also preparing for everything still to come in this massive pop-culture phenomenon.
Tattoine's next appearance will come in May 2022 with Obi-Wan Kenobi, although its future after that is largely a mystery. Even so, the desert landscape should make its way back into the adventure before too long as fans catch up on everything that's come thus far with this new book.
