The Force Awakens, the first Star Wars sequel trilogy movie, features a fascinating connection to The Phantom Menace, the first episode of the prequels. Despite 16 years separating their respective releases, The Force Awakens begins by briefly introducing a character with major ties to the prequels, specifically the planet Naboo. Hinting at a major family legacy beyond the Skywalkers, The Force Awakens‘ connection to The Phantom Menace is very subtle and wouldn’t be fully fleshed out until the dawn of the High Republic Era.
In the first act of The Force Awakens, Captain Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) was sent by General Leia Organa to secure a map to locate her brother Luke Skywalker who’d long been missing from the galaxy. As such, audiences are briefly introduced to Lor San Tekka (played by Max von Sydow) who holds the final piece of the map that leads to the missing Jedi Master. Here’s how Lor San Tekka secretly connects the first prequel and sequel movies in the Star Wars canon, and why his family is so important.
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Lor San Tekka’s Family Come From Naboo
Dating Back To The High Republic Era
In the established Star Wars canon, the San Tekka clan was a powerful family of hyperspace prospectors and explorers, discovering new hyperspace lanes and developing groundbreaking technologies necessary for the Republic’s expansion during the High Republic Era, hundreds of years before the events of the Star Wars prequels. Once their dynasty became incredibly wealthy, the San Tekkas settled on the world of Naboo, a planet that first debuted in 1999’s The Phantom Menace. As seen in the prequels, it also became the homeworld of both Padmé Amidala and Sheev Palpatine.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
The beginning of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace sees young Anakin Skywalker put on his path to discovering his ability to influence the Force. While attempting to thwart the nefarious Trade Federation in their plans for the planet of Naboo, two Jedi discover an exceptionally-gifted slave with the ability to wield the Force. Little do they know, rescuing him is just the beginning of a saga that will span generations of the Skywalker family.
- Director
-
George Lucas
- Release Date
-
May 19, 1999
- Studio(s)
-
Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
-
20th Century
- Writers
-
George Lucas
- Cast
-
Ewan McGregor
, Liam Neeson
, Natalie Portman
, Jake Lloyd
, Ahmed Best
, Ian McDiarmid
, Anthony Daniels
, Kenny Baker
, Pernilla August
, Frank Oz
, Ray Park
, Samuel L. Jackson - Runtime
-
133 minutes
- Franchise(s)
-
Star Wars
- Sequel(s)
-
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
, Solo: A Star Wars Story
, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker - Budget
-
$115 Million
During the Skywalker saga, Lor San Tekka was a member of the Church of the Force, believing in the ideals of the Jedi despite not being Force-sensitive himself. As such, Lor strove to preserve the knowledge of the Jedi which the Empire sought to erase from history. This made Lor San Tekka an invaluable ally to Luke Skywalker in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War. Using his family’s vast knowledge of the galaxy and his own passion for the lore of the Jedi, Lor San Tekka spent much of his time helping Luke bring back the Jedi Order during the New Republic Era.
Did Luke Meet Lor San Tekka On Naboo?
It Would Be Very Fitting
Considering their shared family history with the world, it would be rather fitting had Lor San Tekka and Luke Skywalker met on Naboo. However, it remains unknown when exactly Luke and Lor first met, though it was likely not long after the New Republic was founded in the wake of the Empire’s downfall. At any rate, it is exciting to see Lor San Tekka in The Force Awakens knowing his family’s full history and connections to such a key world from the Phantom Menace (even though his role is rather brief thanks to Kylo Ren and his red crossguard lightsaber.)
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Set 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens teams new heroes Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), who is now a General in the Rebel Alliance. Together they try to track down Luke Skywalker while battling the First Order, led by the villainous Kylo Ren. The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars film to be produced by Disney and was directed by JJ Abrams.
- Director
-
J.J. Abrams
- Release Date
-
December 17, 2015
- Studio(s)
-
Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
-
Disney
- Writers
-
Lawrence Kasdan
, J.J. Abrams
, Michael Arndt - Cast
-
Daisy Ridley
, John Boyega
, Oscar Isaac
, Harrison Ford
, Mark Hamill
, Carrie Fisher
, Adam Driver
, Andy Serkis
, Lupita Nyong’o
, Max Von Sydow
, Peter Mayhew
, Simon Pegg - Runtime
-
136 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
-
Star Wars
- Sequel(s)
-
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker - prequel(s)
-
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
, Solo: A Star Wars Story
, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi - Budget
-
$306–447 million
