Tatooine Was Once An Oceanic Planet in Star Wars Legends

Although the desert planet of Tatooine is known as a wasteland in the Star Wars galaxy, it was once full of life. In Legends, Tatooine was originally an oceanic planet, described as a “thriving world” long before its environment dried out.

Throughout both old and new canon, Tatooine has had a storied past, recorded as folklore by the Jawas and the Tusken Raiders. Initially revealed in Knights of the Old Republic, the desert planet’s history involved vast oceans, as referenced by “the Dune Sea.” Recently, this piece of Tatooine’s history was brought up in Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett, which was the first time it had been acknowledged in live action material. Fans were given a vivid glimpse of Tatooine’s past life in a Legends comic titled Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi,written by John Ostrander with art by Jan Duursema, Dan Parsons, and Wes Dzioba.

Set 26,000 years before the original trilogy, Dawn of the Jedi depicted a bright and vibrant Tatooine which looked similar to Earth. Before the oceans dried up, the planet was engulfed in blue and green with water and rainforests. At this point, it wasn’t the cesspool of villainy it would eventually become with the presence of the Hutts and bounty hunters. While the planet was still healthy, it was invaded by Rakata, which contributed to a drought and used its natural resources enough to change the climate. “Tatooine, a lush world where twin suns warm fair skies. A thriving world, where the Kumumgah live peacefully in gleaming cities along its blue seas.”

Before the planet was strictly a desert, the sand was a part of beaches. The lively atmosphere greatly contrasts the barren, hot environment of the Tatooine which both Anakin and Luke Skywalker knew as kids. The panel from Dawn of the Jedi even includes clouds, which are not common in the version of the planet that most fans know, as the twin suns tend to be the only things in the sky.

Evidently, as the Rakatan Empire took over Tatooine, they drove away wildlife and desegregated its natural habitat. As their ships flew overhead and areas were decimated, they contributed to Tatooine’s morphing environment. The twin suns likely accelerated the planet’s progression toward dryness, as its future was decided by the predatory force. This dramatic evolution also caused the Kumumgah to separate into two groups, the Jawas and the Ghorfas. As The Book of Boba Fett brings a piece of the old Tatooine backstory from Legends into live action for the first time, longtime Star Wars fans can feel reassured that the franchise isn’t leaving everything in the past.

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