After 47 years,Star Wars: Skeleton Crewhas finally given the franchise a chance to figure out how to avoid the so-called “Tatooine Trap.” The galaxy far, far away is vast and diverse – there are hundreds, if not thousands, of species and planets to explore and discover.That’s part ofStar Wars’charm; each new location offers a new environment, a new history, and new lore, building up theStar Warsmythos and creating endless new possibilities for storytelling.
Interestingly (or annoyingly), however, many ofStar Wars’planetsare very one-note, boasting only one type of landscape, one type of climate, or one type of settlement. Coruscant is a city planet, and so there is only a city. Tatooine is a desert planet, so there is only the desert. Endor is a Forest Moon, so it only consists of the forest, and we return to these planets often. Butin such a massive galaxy, wouldn’t it make more sense to have planets with a more diverse array of environments, too?Skeleton Crewcertainly seems to think so.
The Star Wars Galaxy Often Feels Maddeningly Small
How many times hasStar Warsreturned to Tatooine? Yes, it’s the birthplace of Anakin Skywalker. Yes, Luke Skywalker grew up there. Yes, it’s the site of Jabba the Hutt’s palace. But how necessary was it for shows likeThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettto be so focused on Tatooine as well? I often think that theStar Warsgalaxy is frustratingly small.Yes,Star Warsis a franchise built on nostalgia, but the nostalgia for places like Tatooine is becoming too much; too overwhelming.
Why stick to the planets we already know, and limit those worlds to only one type of landscape or cityscape, when they could have a little more fun designing new worlds?
Coruscant is another such place, though I can understand the need to return there, as it’s the galactic capital, but the point still stands. The stories set there are often restricted to the Jedi Temple or the Senate, too, despite there being so much more to see.Star Warshas endless possibilities.There is no environment thatStar Warscannot realistically include in its worldbuilding. So why stick to the planets we already know, and limit those worlds to only one type of landscape or cityscape, when they could have a little more fun designing new worlds?
Skeleton Crew Is Avoiding The “Tatooine Trap”
Thankfully,Star Wars: Skeleton Crewunderstands that places like Tatooine and Coruscant aren’t the be-all and end-all ofStar Wars. Every planet we’ve visited inSkeleton Crewthus far has been new and exciting, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Even better,we as the audience see these new planets the same way our four lost kids do – with fresh eyes and awe, without knowing what to expect.
Every Planet In Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Explained
Star Wars' latest TV show, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, is clearly not afraid of trying something new, as evidenced by the show’s brand-new planets.
So far, we’ve encountered two fabled treasure planets,including At Attin,Star Wars’version of suburbia, a pirate outpost, a pirate’s lair, a new (and gorgeous) moon, and a fancy spa. What else awaits us? What can we expect asSkeleton Crewheads into its final episodes? I can’t wait to find out.
Skeleton Crew’s Lanupa Feels Like One Of The Best-Developed Worlds In Years
The most interesting place introduced inStar Wars: Skeleton Crewis Lanupa. Though the planet’s main attraction is its decadent spa and hotel – which has a gorgeous and intricate design – it doesn’t define this world. In just two episodes, we saw plenty of other spaces and environments. This makes Lanupa one of the best-developedStar Warsworlds in years. The spa is surrounded by dark, underground caves, hidden pirate lairs, frozen wastelands, and even trash heaps. It feels like a genuinely developed planet, rather than just being declared a “snow world,” or “desert world.”
Of course, this isn’t to say that other recentStar Warsshows haven’t introduced any new worlds. They have –Andorintroduced us to Aldhani andthe stunning Eye of Aldhani, for instance, but all we saw there were the grasslands and the Imperial bunker. InAhsoka, we were even introduced to a planet in an entirely separate galaxy, but Peridea was made up of rocky terrain and a stone fortress.
Skeleton Crew’s fantastical, treasure-hunting premise has given the show’s creators and creatives a chance to have fun with their designs,rather than solely focusing on the narrative’s needs.Andorneeded an Imperial bunker to rob, so they put an Imperial bunker on a grassland planet.Ahsokaneeded mountains big enough to carve statues into, so they made Peridea a rocky planet.
Lapuna made me want to discover more about the world’s environment. Places like Peridea and Aldhani never truly did, as I already felt I’d seen all there was to see.
Skeleton Crew’s designs are no less purposeful, but they are certainly more whimsical, andI, for one, believeStar Warscould use a little more whimsy these days. Why shouldn’t the most fearsome pirate’s bounty be hidden beneath a high-end spa? Why shouldn’t there be booby traps in the caves or massive trash crabs in the wastelands? Lapuna made me want to discover more about the world’s environment. Places like Peridea and Aldhani never truly did, as I already felt I’d seen all there was to see.
Hopefully,Star Warswill continue to expand the galaxy’s live-action scope as it enters the final phases of the New Republic era and returns to the big screen in the next few years. This franchise has so much more to offer, andenvironmental creativity shouldn’t be limited toStar Warsanimation. Hopefully, they will learn from whatStar Wars: Skeleton Crewis doing now.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
