After more than 25 years,Star Warshas just revealed why the Trade Federation was such a big threat inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Much of the plot ofThe Phantom Menacehappened because the Trade Federation had set up a blockade, trying to force Queen Padmé Amidala to sign a treaty that would be unfavorable to the people ofNaboo.
While audiences knew that the blockade around Naboo was orchestrated by Palpatine and the Sith, to the characters in-universe, it looked more like the Trade Federation was trying to force their own agenda onto the people of Naboo. Not only did the Trade Federation under the command of Nute Gunray look like the bad guys, but their manipulation by the Sith was mostly kept under wraps.
However, new information about the layout of planets in theStar Warsgalaxy is portraying Queen Padmé Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s escape from the planet in a different light.
I Never Realized Just How Far Away Naboo & Tatooine Are
But It’s Actually Pretty Far
This week,Star Warsreleased an updated galactic map, featuring more than 500 planets from a galaxy far, far away. This allows fans to see the relationship between certain planets, as well as the proximity of one planet to another. There were a lot of surprises on the new map, but none more shocking to me than how far Naboo and Tatooine are from one another.
We already knew that Naboo was a Mid Rim planet, whereas Tatooine was located in the Outer Rim. It, however, wasassumed that the planets were still relatively close together. Other well-knownStar Warsplanets between Naboo and Tatooine include Adelphi, Christophsis, and Geonosis.
Adelphi appears inThe Mandalorian, whereas both Christophsis and Geonosis were locations of battles during the Clone Wars.
The journey from Naboo to Tatooine was definitely longer than what was depicted near the beginning ofThe Phantom Menace. The trip from Tatooine to Coruscant was depicted as an overnight trip through hyperspace,indicating that the distance from Naboo to Tatooine would’ve only been a few hours.
The Escape To Tatooine Shows Just How Massive The Trade Federation Was
And Dangerous
Near the beginning ofThe Phantom Menace,Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi help Queen Padmé Amidala escape from Naboo in order for her to make an appeal to the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. However, during their escape, their ship is damaged, forcing them to seek a planet to land and make repairs.
While looking for a planet, Obi-Wan Kenobi points out thatthe closest planet not under the control of the Trade Federation was Tatooine. This newStar Warsgalaxy map shows just how many planets were between Naboo and Tatooine.
During the time periodwhenThe Phantom Menacetakes place,Tatooine and other Outer Rim planets were considered part of Hutt Space and were controlled by the Hutt clan. Because Tatooine was not part of the Republic and did not follow their laws, this allowed more abhorrent things to be legal, such as slavery.
So, while the Trade Federation was large and clearly dangerous, Hutt Space wasn’t much of an improvement.
It’s No Surprise The Republic Couldn’t Control The Trade Federation
And It Made Them The Perfect Sith Pawn
It’s clear, because of how far Naboo and Tatooine are from one another, that the Trade Federation was far more widespread and influential than we previously believed. The Republic didn’t have a centralized military despite being made up of thousands of worlds, butthe Trade Federation had a fully operational droid army.
The Trade Federation was so far-reaching and influential throughout the rest of the galaxy that it made it harder to find planets not under their control.
It’s worth noting that other nearby planets like D’Qar weren’t well known or inhabited, meaning they likely weren’t on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s radar as somewhere to go. However,these places still existed and likely weren’t under the control of the Trade Federation, but weren’t a desirable enough destination for the Jedi and the Queen of Naboo.
The map of the galaxy really revealed that while the Sith were pulling the strings behind the scenes of the Trade Federation, the Trade Federation was so far-reaching and influential throughout the rest of the galaxy that it made it harder to find planets not under their control.
It’s small details like these that enrich theStar Warsstorytelling and make things more complex, even a quarter of a century later. Either way, I’ll certainly watchThe Phantom Menacedifferently now.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Cast
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
