We may still not know a ton, but as time passes, we’re slowly learning more about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, including where the brain trust drew inspiration from, the true nature of certain characters, and more. We’re traveling to a new world this time around, the desert planet Jakku, and just so we’re familiar with this place, the video game Star Wars: Battlefront will introduce it in advance.
Just a heads up, we may stray in to SPOILER territory beyond this point. You’ve been warned.
We’ve seen pieces and glimpses of Jakku in the two trailers for The Force Awakens, that’s the arid planet where Rey (Daisy Ridley) lives at the beginning of the film, and where we see her, Finn (John Boyega), and the spunky new droid BB-8 running for their lives. There’s also wreckage from a large battle strewn about, and now, thanks to EW, we’ve some more information about what went down during this conflict.
We’ve seen the remains of an Imperial Star Destroyer rotting in the desert, as well as the skeleton of an X-Wing and more, and it looks like they’ve been there for quite some time. According to the report, that happened 29 years before The Force Awakens. There’s not a ton of information on exactly what went down in the skies over Jakku, but those of you who play Star Wars: Battlefront will be able to get to experience it first hand with the downloadable add-on The Battle of Jakku, which arrives ahead of the film. The details may be under wraps, but you’ll get to play it out for yourself.
We don’t know the specifics of why the Rebels and the Empire came to blows over Jakku. In a general sense, you can figure it out, but why here, why then? Does the planet hold some tactical significance? Was there a base, either Rebel or Imperial on the surface? Are there valuable resources buried beneath those windswept dunes? These are just some of the questions we’re curious to have answered.
Take a look at Jakku in the trailer below.
The Force Awakens jumps ahead 30 years from the last movie, and given the timeline, the Battle of Jakku must have gone down shortly after the end of Return of the Jedi. The destruction of the second Death Star and the death of both Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are huge blows to the power structure of the Empire, but not enough to destroy it completely.
We’ve only had small reveals about what the post-Endor galaxy looks like (that will change more with the comic Shattered Empire later this fall), but we know that various factions and leaders struggle to climb the ranks, fill that void, and assume control. With the wounded Empire, there are bound to be a ton of clashes like this as the Rebels proceed with their quest to annihilate the remnants of the tyrannical government. And with all of the infighting going on, with various factions vying for power, and the most vicious of those likely to rise to the top, they may be even more dangerous and unpredictable than before. That’s a harrowing thought.
Star Wars: Battlefront hits stores November 17, and The Battle of Jakku is available starting December 1 for those of you who pre-order the game, and a week later for the rest. Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18.
