Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Overlooking the beautiful cliffs and waterfalls of Naboo’s capital, the Theed Royal Palace is the seat of government for the elected monarchs of the Naboo. The ornate and ancient building is often the ending point for grand parades, but during the Trade Federation’s blockade of the planet it became the site of great oppression until Queen Amidala and her retinue re-captured it for the freedom of her people.

Beneath the surface of Lake Paonga on Naboo is a spectacular Gungan city. A crowning achievement of unique Gungan technology, the city appears as a glittering cluster of jewel-like bubbles. The bubbles are hydrostatic force-fields that contain breathable atmospheres for the city's inhabitants. Though they are rigid enough to keep the water out, they can be breached by Gungans swimming to and from the city. The architecture of Otoh Gunga is sweeping in shape because Gungans actually grow the building material of their cities. Inside Otoh Gunga is the High Board Room of the Gungan Rep Council.

An idyllic world close to the border of the Outer Rim Territories, Naboo is inhabited by peaceful humans known as the Naboo, and an indigenous species of intelligent amphibians called the Gungans. Naboo's surface consists of swampy lakes, rolling plains and green hills. Its population centers are beautiful -- Naboo's river cities are filled with classical architecture and greenery, while the underwater Gungan settlements are a beautiful display of exotic hydrostatic bubble technology.

Mos Espa is one of few port cities on Tatooine. Domed buildings protect the citizens against the glare of the twin suns and the scorching heat. Among the dwellings, workspaces, and commercial operations of many bizarre kinds there are also entertainment areas, including some of colossal scale. The famed Mos Espa Grand Arena can hold an audience almost as large as the city's entire population. In the time of the Republic, slavery persisted in Mos Espa, though the despicable trade was outlawed elsewhere. The true powers in control of Mos Espa were the Hutt gangsters, who found slavery a useful institution.

Instantly recognizable by its distinctive crown of five spires, the Jedi Temple was the home of the Jedi Order on Coruscant. Part school and part monastery, the Jedi Temple was the central hub for all Jedi activities in the galaxy. When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine enacted Order 66, clone troops led by the newly risen Darth Vader attacked the temple, massacring its inhabitants and leaving the structure badly damaged. With the Empire triumphant, the Jedi Temple’s spires still rose into the Coruscant skies. But the building was now the Imperial Palace, home to the Sith Lord who had destroyed the Jedi.

Tatooine is harsh desert world orbiting twin suns in the galaxy’s Outer Rim. In the days of the Empire and the Republic, many settlers scratched out a living on moisture farms, while spaceport cities such as Mos Eisley and Mos Espa served as home base for smugglers, criminals, and other rogues. Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker both once called Tatooine home, although across the stars it was more widely known as a hive of scum and villainy ruled by the crime boss Jabba the Hutt.

Coruscant is the vibrant heart and capital of the galaxy during the age of the Empire, featuring a diverse mix of cultures and citizens spread over hundreds of levels. Once the home of the main Jedi Temple -- the central hub of Jedi training and learning for over a thousand generations and the repository of the Jedi Archives -- these traditions ended when the planet bore witness to Order 66.

This dome shaped building located in the heart of Coruscant’s senate district is the home of the Galactic Senate chamber. This is where the Galactic Senate convenes for their meetings and it cuts a massive, rounded silhouette in the Coruscant skyline, visible for kilometers all around.

On the outskirts of Mos Espa was an immense venue for watching the popular Boonta Eve Classic Podrace. Over one hundred thousands beings filled the Mos Espa Grand Arena to capacity during the annual event. For a modest fee, spectators could rent hand-held viewscreens which displayed images recorded by fast-flying Podrace holocams tracking the race. The wealthier of Mos Espa's residents and guests could afford private viewing boxes separated from the rest of the rabble.

During his years as a Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi fought with three lightsabers. His first had a blue plasma blade and a hilt similar to that of his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan used this weapon until Darth Maul kicked it into a deep shaft on Naboo. He then constructed a new, blue-bladed lightsaber with a similar design. After attaining the rank of Jedi Master, Obi-Wan built a third saber, also with a blue plasma blade. He used this saber until he sacrificed his life aboard the Death Star, allowing himself to be struck down by Darth Vader so Luke Skywalker could escape.

Qui-Gon Jinn’s simple yet elegant lightsaber served him in many conflicts. The maverick Jedi designed his green-bladed saber to imitate the weapon of his master, Count Dooku; Qui-Gon’s saber, in turn, inspired the design of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s first Jedi weapon. Obi-Wan recovered Qui-Gon’s lightsaber after his master was killed by Darth Maul on Naboo.

The Sith apprentice Darth Maul wielded a double-bladed lightsaber made by joining two hilts together end-to-end. Maul’s dexterity and extensive training allowed him to use his weapon as a single-bladed saber, or to activate both crimson blades and fight multiple opponents at once. On Naboo, Maul killed Qui-Gon Jinn with his saber, but Obi-Wan Kenobi cut his weapon in half and soon did the same to Maul. Unknown to Obi-Wan, Maul survived, and retained the working half of his weapon. He used this single-bladed saber while leading the Shadow Collective.

Hyperdrives allow starships to travel faster than the speed of light, crossing space through the alternate dimension of hyperspace. Large objects in normal space cast “mass shadows” in hyperspace, so hyperspace jumps must be precisely calculated to avoid collisions.

Thermal detonators are grenade-like weapons that pack tremendous explosive power into a small sphere, and are used by bounty hunters and military forces such as the Empire’s stormtroopers. Cad Bane used thermal detonators during his assault on the Senate Building; a generation later, Princess Leia threatened Jabba the Hutt with a thermal detonator while disguised as the Ubese hunter Boushh.

The Podrace champion Sebulba earned riches for his repeated wins in the dangerous sport, and he invested most of them back into his beloved vehicle. Sebulba's Podracer was an imposing giant, an orange-hued bully of a craft whose pounding, thundering engine roar seemed powerful enough to knock down opponents. Not content to rely solely on his own racing skills, Sebulba outfitted his Podracer with a number of blatantly illegal surprises. A hidden flamethrower could cook nearby opponents who dared to pass the Dug. The massive split-X engines were strong enough for Sebulba to ram and muscle his way past smaller Podracers.

Sandcrawlers are huge treaded fortresses used by Jawas as transportation and shelter. The sand-pitted vehicles, many meters in height, are equipped with a magnetic suction tube for sucking droids and scrap into their cargo chambers.

One-man vehicles featuring a cockpit placed behind two huge engines, used across the galaxy in deadly Podraces.

Protecting the skies and space around Naboo is the N-1 starfighter. Its sleek design exemplifies the philosophy of art and function witnessed throughout Naboo technology. Its twin radial J-type engines are capped in gleaming chrome and trail long delicate-looking finials behind the ship's single-pilot compartment. Behind the pilot sits a standard astromech droid, plugged into an abbreviated, ventrally-fed socket which requires the droid to compress slightly in order to fit within the vessel's curves. The fighter features twin blaster cannons, twin fire-linked torpedo launchers, and a capable automatic pilot feature.

The Force can have a powerful effect on the weak-minded, a phenomenon Jedi sometimes take advantage of in pursuing their missions. An experienced Jedi can use the Force to implant a suggestion in the minds of those they encounter, encouraging them to comply with the Jedi’s wishes.

A key Force ability, the Force push is both an offensive and defensive technique. It is employed primarily by Jedi but also used by the Sith, and is accomplished with a forward hand gesture. Force pushes can range in intensity from simple movements to dangerous, powerful shoves that can disorient and harm opponents in battle.

The Flash speeder is a sleek, lightweight repulsorlift vehicle used by Naboo's volunteer security force for patrolling the tranquil streets of their peaceful cities. The open-air canopy seats two soldiers. Turret-mounted on the rear spoiler is a blaster cannon. During the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo, the resistance groups organized by Captain Panaka and Queen Amidala employed Flash and Gian speeders to infiltrate the besieged city of Theed. Flash speeders continued to be used during the age of the Empire, and on worlds other than Naboo. The rebel Zeb Orrelios employed a Flash speeder to travel on Atollon, location of Chopper Base.