Pieces of Junk
In the first film of each Skywalker Saga trilogy, the heroes escape from a desert planet thanks to “a piece of junk.”
In The Phantom Menace, the heroes are stuck on Tatooine. Anakin Skywalker uses his small podracer made out of scraps to win them a new hyperdrive, as well as secure his freedom from Watto the junk-dealer. Padmé Amidala and Obi-Wan Kenobi are both skeptical, and spectators laugh at Anakin for his age and vehicle. But appearances are deceiving. One of the other podracers, a four-engine one piloted by Ben Quadrinaros, stalls and explodes at the starting line, demonstrating that a larger, more impressive vehicle is not necessarily more reliable. While others crash and burn, Anakin’s podracer has the maneuverability needed to survive three runs through a dangerous tunnel and take a steep dive to overtake Sebulba. In the end, his podracer is the only one left; the others all become scraps to be picked up by Jawas.
In A New Hope, the heroes again turn to a stranger to help them leave Tatooine. When they prepare to board the beat-up Millennium Falcon, Luke Skywalker says, “What a piece of junk!” Han Solo retorts, “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts” — and he’s right. The heroes escape the Empire with the help of the Falcon’s hyperdrive, and a dogfight later in the film demonstrates its superiority to TIE Fighters.
In The Force Awakens, Finn is stuck on Jakku when he meets Rey. When they are attacked by stormtroopers, Finn suggests they escape on the Millennium Falcon, but Rey says, “That one’s garbage!” She wants to use a four-engine ship called a Quadjumper instead, but it’s blown up. The heroes have no choice but to steal the Falcon from the junk-dealer Unkar Plutt, but before they can leave the planet, they have to defeat the First-Order’s next-gen TIE Fighters. They have speed and agility (“Whoa! This thing really moves!”), but Finn knows that their trackers get confused when flying low to the ground. This knowledge works to the advantage of the older, bulkier Falcon: Rey leads the TIE Fighters on a chase through the desert while Finn picks them off. Rey guides the Falcon through a dangerous tunnel and takes a steep dive, giving Finn a clear shot to destroy the last one. The intimidating TIE Fighters all become garbage to be picked up by Jakku’s scavengers.
All three scenes underscore a key tenet of Star Wars. As Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke after they escape from Tatooine on the Falcon, “Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them.” It’s a lesson the heroes of each trilogy must learn early on if they are to succeed.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Anakin Skywalker / Finn / Han Solo / Luke Skywalker / Obi-Wan Kenobi / Rey / Sebulba / Unkar Plutt / Watto
Films: Episode I: The Phantom Menace / Episode IV: A New Hope / Episode VII: The Force Awakens
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Concepts: deserts / junk / sight and blindness / skill
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Nice! I hadn’t notice the Quadjumpers similarity to Quadrinaros podracer before. Also just now realizing why he’s called Ben QUADrinaros 😂