Batuu, the key planet in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, plays a key role in Star Wars history as the world where Grand Admiral Thrawn first met Anakin Skywalker. The Outer Rim planet was established in Star Wars canon through Disney Parks’ expansive and immersive Galaxy’s Edge park, first announced in 2015. Its first canon appearance, however, is in Timothy Zahn’s 2018 novel Thrawn: Alliances, setting the stage for what was to come. Both the Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort as well as Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort opened their respective Star Wars additions in 2019, and ever since, they have brought more and more storytelling and characters onto Batuu.
Batuu has gained an extensive history in the pages of Star Wars novels and comics. Characters such as Vi Moradi, a Resistance spy, and Lieutenant Agnon, a resilient First Order official, have been introduced to the galaxy, telling the story of how the Resistance rebuilt itself between the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. With history that goes back long before the time of the Resistance, here’s everything about Batuu explained.
Batuu In Canon Star Wars History
Batuu’s Origin & Ancient History
The planet Batuu is located in the Western Reaches, a sector of space outside the Galactic Core that had developed a strong sense of independence over the millennia. It was a popular planet for travelers to use as a layover before the days of the hyperspace lanes, but once those were discovered, Batuu was left out of the loop and thus abandoned. Batuu is known for its tall, ancient trees called spires, most notably the black spire that stands at the heart of Black Spire Outpost. There are also several different settlements, including Peka, Surabat, and Galma, most of which serve an important agricultural purpose on the planet. Batuu had some ancient settlements, most of which stand as ruins now on the planet – including a Jedi Temple that was used during the High Republic era.
Anakin Skywalker’s & Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Batuu Missions
Grand Admiral Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker have worked together on Batuu on two different occasions, once during the Clone Wars and once during the Imperial era. Both stories are told in Thrawn: Alliances, with the first having been a rescue mission led by Anakin to help Padmé Amidala, who disappeared on the planet after investigating Separatist activity. Anakin came across Thrawn’s ship while they were both in orbit of Batuu, and there, Thrawn agreed to assist Anakin in the search for Padmé, with the pair even traveling to Black Spire Outpost.
In the Imperial era, Thrawn and Darth Vader were sent to Batuu by Emperor Palpatine, who sensed a disturbance in the Force originating near the planet. The pair traveled there together and investigated the source of this disturbance, which ended up being linked to Force-sensitive Chiss children who were captured by the Grysk. Batuu’s proximity to the Unknown Regions makes the planet particularly vulnerable to mysterious forces like the Grysk, who can infiltrate or attack from the maze of hyperspace anomalies and then slip away again.
The Resistance Base In Batuu’s Ancient Ruins
In 34 ABY, just four months after the Battle of Crait, General Leia Organa sent Resistance spy Vi Moradi to build a new base on Batuu. According to Delilah S. Dawson’s Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire, Vi crashlanded after getting caught in the crossfire of a smuggler fight. She had to work off her debts and earn all her equipment, supplies, and ship parts back from crime boss Oga Garra, who runs Black Spire Outpost. Vi also negotiated to use the ancient ruins as the site of the Resistance base, and after a long series of trials involved the retrieval of an ancient artifact and the First Order, Vi was able to get her belongings back and notify Leia that she had succeeded in finding and establishing their base. Soon, Resistance operatives such as Rey, Chewbacca, and Poe Dameron found themselves at the base on Batuu.
The First Order’s Arrival & Search
Two months after the Resistance settled at their new base, the First Order arrived on Batuu because of suspected Resistance activity. The 709th Legion, led by Lieutenant Agnon, established themselves at Docking Bay 9 in Black Spire Outpost and sent out patrols of stormtroopers to search for the Resistance – more specifically, the Resistance spy. At one point, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren himself arrive on-world to assist in the search, insisting that Agnon and his stormtroopers weren’t doing enough to locate the Resistance spy and deciding to lead search patrols himself.
Batuu In Disney Parks’ Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
The Rise Of The Resistance Activity In The Ancient Ruins
Known simply as Rise of the Resistance, this attraction is one of the two housed exclusively in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The attraction, housed in the ancient ruins, takes Resistance recruits from the base on Batuu and seeks to get them to safety at the secret Resistance base on the planet of Pacara. When the First Order intercepts them, the Resistance has to save its recruits from a tumultuous interrogation by Kylo Ren himself, taking them through a magnetic-track escape sequence inside a Star Destroyer. The attraction’s popularity caused it to be the first ever Disney Parks attraction to develop and use the Virtual Queue, a feature now used for every new attraction.
Hondo Ohnaka’s Transport Solutions At The Millennium Falcon
The beloved space pirate Hondo Ohnaka has also made a home for himself on Batuu, running his totally legitimate shipping company known as Hondo Ohnaka’s Transport Solutions. The Weequay hires brand-new recruits to pilot, gun, and engineer none other than the Millennium Falcon itself in an effort to steal coaxium from the First Order on Corellia, thanks to an agreement Hondo has with Chewbacca. This attraction gives Hondo’s recruits the chance to see what it’s like to be inside the cockpit of the Falcon, though it does come at a price. If the team of six isn’t good enough at protecting the ship and carrying out the mission, then they’ll end up owing Hondo quite a bit of credits.
Oga’s Cantina, Docking Bay 7, & Other Culinary Experiences
One of the unique parts of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the culinary experience, and there are certainly many ways to experience it. The most popular is Oga’s Cantina, the bar owned and run by crime boss Oga Garra herself. Based off the famed Mos Eisley cantina, Oga’s serves a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic libations, all while DJ R-3X, formerly of Star Tours, spins some wizard tunes. Docking Bay 7 and Ronto Roasters are the best places for full meals, with the Quick Service locations offering a variety of tip-yip (chicken), bantha meat (beef), and more.
Some smaller culinary experiences include Kat Saka’s Kettle and the Milk Stand, both of which excel in unique drinks. The former is located in the marketplace of Black Spire Outpost and specializes in cold brew caf, or coffee. They also offer snacks with unique takes on popcorn, both of which are brightly colored. The Milk Stand is where the infamous blue milk is served, along with green milk. Both can come either with or without alcohol and allow travelers the chance to sample the bantha milk first seen in Star Wars: A New Hope.
Dok Ondar’s Den Of Antiquities, Savi’s Workshop, & More Merchandise
Black Spire Outpost in surely in no shortage of merchandise, especially with merchants such as Dok Ondar and Savi. Dok Onder is actually name-dropped in Solo: A Star Wars Story as being an associate of crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, and sure enough, he sells a necklace with the syndicate’s emblem on it among many other treasures. His walls are decorated with endless Star Wars Easter eggs, including the Mandalorian Din Djarin’s helmet and Amban phase-pulse blaster rifle – both of which were added before The Mandalorian season 1 even premiered in 2019. Savi is the one who collects scrap metal to build lightsabers at his workshop, which is strategically hidden in the outpost to keep himself hidden from the First Order. Droid Depot is another popular shop at the outpost, where travelers can build their very own droids.
The marketplace is also rich with merchandise shops, offering anything from adorable creatures to Jedi robes. Toydarian Toymaker specializes in incredible Star Wars themed toys, Black Spire Outfitters sells Jedi robes and even Mandalorian jetpacks, and the Creature Stall allows travelers to take home their very own loth-cats and more. Jewels of Bith also encourages visitors to take home their very own outpost-branded momentos, from shirts to keychains.
Resistance, First Order, & Other Notable Travelers
A staggering number of Star Wars travelers make their way through Black Spire Outpost at Batuu. Lieutenant Agnon and his stormtroopers are disciplined under Kylo Ren’s supervision as they scour the outpost for any Resistance sympathizers. Meanwhile, Rey, Chewbacca, and Vi sneak around to find out more about the First Order’s presence, as well as fix up the Millennium Falcon. These characters can be seen at almost any point of the day at both Batuu East (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) or Batuu West (Disneyland Park).
There are, however, more characters who have traveled on Batuu – all of whom come long before the Resistance-First Order conflict. Boba Fett and Fennec Shand became the first two of this type of traveler to explore the outpost, though they remained on Batuu West and continue to roam there. Din Djarin and Grogu were next, and they’re the only ones who can be seen at both Batuu West and Batuu East. Most recently, Ahsoka Tano, Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and R2-D2 have started to roam Batuu West for a limited time, promoting the release of Star Wars‘ latest Disney+ TV show, Ahsoka. These characters are the ones who breathe full life into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, though Batuu is a dream destination for any viewer who wishes to immerse themselves in the galaxy if only for a few hours.
