The Importance of Tatooine

In the "Star Wars" saga, everything essentially begins and ends for the hero, Luke Skywalker, on Tatooine. He and his father, Anakin, both have lasting ties there, and both return in rescue attempts after their separate paths lead them away. The hero's journey is indelibly linked to Tatooine.

The first time audiences saw Luke Skywalker was in "A New Hope," at his home on Tatooine. He wasn't happy. He wanted to escape, and to find adventure. It finds him when agents of the Galactic Empire kill Owen and Beru, the only family Luke has ever known, and he leaves Tatooine with Obi Wan Kenobi.

No action takes place on Tatooine in "The Empire Strikes Back," but "Return of the Jedi" brings the story, and Luke, back to the desert planet. Now a Jedi Knight, Luke is there to rescue Han Solo; he and several others are prisoners of Jabba the Hutt. After they all escape from a desert battle, Luke leaves Tatooine once more.

In the prequels, Tatooine plays an equally important role. Anakin Skywalker also grew up on Tatooine. He's discovered there by Jedi Knights, including young Obi Wan, and like Luke, Anakin must leave his only family, his mother, to seek his own path.

The Jason Hope Jawa blog has some great information about those scavengers of the desert.

In "Attack of the Clones," Anakin returns to Tatooine in his own rescue attempt, when he has dreams about his mother's death. He sets out on a reckless journey to save her from Tusken Raiders, and although he finds her, their reunion is cut short when she dies. Filled with rage, Anakin slaughters the Tusken tribe, taking his first real step toward the Dark Side of the Force. He leaves Tatooine.

The final movie released, "Revenge of the Sith," finds Anakin completing his journey to the Dark Side in his attempts to save his wife, Padme, whose death he has also seen in dreams. He feels only his own power can save her, and he becomes the Sith Lord Darth Vader. When Padme dies in childbirth, the children, Luke and Leia, are secreted away to protect them from Vader. Obi Wan travels to Tatooine with Luke, and leaves him with his step-uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru, bringing the story full circle.