10 Things You Don't Know About Dantooine

Dantooine was first mentioned in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, when Princess Leia, in order to save her own homeworld Alderaan, reveals it to be the location of a hidden Rebel base as the Empire interrogates hher. Only Leia does not quite tell the truth, as the Rebel Alliance had left Dantooine by that time. Dantooine doesn’t get that much spotlight as its’ “name-cousin” Tatooine, especially not in current canon, but it’s still worth it to take a look at ten things you probably don’t know about Dantooine:

1. It’s Only A Name

Neither A New Hope nor the former Expanded Universe gave any explanation on why Tatooine and Dantooine have such similar names, but these two are by far not the only ones, as there have been at least 18 planets (or even systems) with names ending with “ooine,” like Bastooine, Handooine, or Sestooine. There are some similarities between all of these planets, such as the fact that they are all located in the Outer Rim or even beyond that and have been colonized since ancient times. One theory says that the ending “ooine” is a Rakatan term and the later Republic colonists just stick with the names when they arrive. But maybe it’s simpler and “ooine” is just something like “ville” or “burg” on our own planet.

2. Not Much In Common

Apart from their name-ending and both being located in the Outer Rim Territories, Tatooine and Dantooine don’t have much in common. While the former is a desert planet, located deep in the “south-east” of the galaxy, Dantooine lies rather far up in the “north” and is a much more welcoming planet with wide grasslands, rivers, lakes, and a rather moderate climate.

3. Hit Twice

During the time of the High Republic, the explosion of the freighter Legacy Run and the so-called Emergences of its debris into real-space hit Dantooine two times. The first one leads to a Republic blockade around the planet, in order to avoid further catastrophes. The second Emergence that happens near the planet causes the complete destruction of an orbital shipping facility, which coordinates aid shipments to planets affected by the blockade.

4. Mace Windu In Need

During the Clone Wars, Mace Windu fights a battle on Dantooine. As many of his clone soldiers get wounded during the fight, he sends out a distress signal, which should have led to Ahsoka and Barriss Offee delivering medical supplies there, if only they didn't have to deal with a brain worm infection in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Geonosis.

5. Foundation Place

The Rebels season 3 episode "Secret Cargo" has the crew of the Ghost take Mon Mothma to Dantooine, where she gives a holographic speech urging the various rebel cells to unite. Soon after, many ships arrived in orbit above the planet. So, you could say that Dantooine is the birthplace of the Rebel Alliance.

6. No Relocation

There were plans to actually show the evacuation of Dantooine and the move of the Rebel Alliance to the base to Yavin IV in Rogue One, but these plans had to be scrapped for budgetary reasons.

7. Not Bad For Rebel Scum

Upon Leia’s forced confession that the Rebels are on Dantooine, Generals Tagge is ordered to find out if the princess has told the truth. One of the Imperials, who is sent to investigate the planet, is Thane Kyrell, who would later desert the Empire and join the Rebel Alliance. Upon seeing the abandoned base, Kyrell is quite impressed with the organization and sophistication of the Rebels.

8. Another Blockade

When learning about Resistance activity on Dantooine, the First Order sets up a blockade around the planet. Venisa Doza leads her own squadron as well the Ace Squadron to the planet, in order to free some sympathizers. In the end, the team manages to escape, although one of the three Resistance shuttles with refugees is shot down.

9. More Legends

Current canon doesn’t provide much information on Dantooine, but the planet is more popular in the former Expanded Universe. In Knights of the Old Republic, both Revan and Malek are trained in the Jedi enclave there, before they fall to the dark side and Revan also received his second training there after he had returned to the light. During the Yuuzan Vong War, Dantooine is attacked by the aliens from another galaxy, and many of the local inhabitants were killed.

10. Doom Star

Early versions of the script for Episode VII had Dantooine being turned into a massive superweapon. The First Order would have used the deserted rebel base and retrofitted a volcano to house the massive laser. Instead of the later used “Starkiller Base,” Dantooine would have been called “Doom Star.”

Written By Gerald Petschk

Syndicated From Culture Slate

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