THE TUSKEN RAIDERS
DEC 18  

Here's what the Northlander wrote me about the role of the Tusken Raiders (aka Sandpeople) in Episode 1. (You can see the discarded Tusken Raiders scene in the Virtual Museum). Feel free to send me your reactions or a copy of the script for these scenes :-) 

"Remember the rumor of a fight between Jedi and sand people?  It seems like you've streamlined this idea out of the story, but since we now have a photo of a Tusken Raider it might make sense to include something like it again.  I also remember rumors of a Krayt Dragon, and given the sand people's reaction to Obi-Wan's Krayt Dragon call in A New Hope, it might be a neat idea to show what initially makes them afraid of that call in your Virtual Edition!  Perhaps the Jedi are fighting the sand people, then a Krayt Dragon scares off the Tusken Raiders. This would leave the heroes to fight the dragon!  Also, there have been rumors of Anakin somehow defeating a dragon... could this be a Krayt Dragon?"
> DEC 19 - REACTION 1 
  
Daniel McGarry wrote: "I was curious when I first saw the prequel picture of the Tusken Raider. He looks very clean when compared to their appearance in Star Wars.  If this picture was taken on location in Tunisia, does this mean the Tusken Raiders will be more tidy in the movie?  Also, this guy seems to be standing guard or just observing something rather than frantically running around, screaming, and attacking like they did throughout their appearance in Star Wars.  Could this indicated that the Sandpeople are more civil and involved in some sort of situated society rather than just being desert roaming nomads?  If so, they will probably play a more important role in the movie since they obviously are no longer tolerated in society by the time of Star Wars.  Something must lead to this decline, but what?"
> DEC 19 - REACTION 2 
  
Zeke wrote: "The thing I've noticed about the Sand Person in that picture is that he seems too clean.  I have a few ideas about why this may be, but I'm interested to hear what others think.  Were the Sand People less hostile back then, not necessarily nomads who were rarely seen?  Or is there another reason?
> DEC 19 - REACTION 3 
  
Paul Potiki wrote: "I've been keeping up with your discussion page, as it's the sort of forum I've been looking for for ages! I was so happy to see my earlier comments up there. 
  
I read the Northlander's comments about the Tusken Raiders and have a reply. 
  
The sight of one Tusken Raider does not necessarily mean anything more than a background character. And the less than detailed appearance he had almost confirms that. Having said that, a Krayt Dragon attack would be very cool indeed! 
  
If, as has been suggested before, Tatooine gets visited again when the Mandalorians use the Ksarba Grain Store building things as Slave Quarters during the Clone Wars, maybe that's a better time for the attack. Perhaps Anakin is on the side of the Republic still at that point. If it's he who defeats it. (Maybe Padme does it) 
  
(You know I'm beginning to warm to some of these names. Even Jar Jar is sounding okay now. I wonder if they were deliberately sneaked just to give us time to get used to them a bit...)"
> DEC 20 - REACTION 4 
  
Paul Potiki wrote: "After reading what others had to say about the Tusken Raider looking a bit clean, I got to thinking in this direction... 

I am very surprised by the bizarre re-making of the Tusken Raider history that has been suggested (by two separate people no less!) just because one photo of a Raider looking cleaner and tidier has been published, which was probably set-up posed, and carefully allowed to be taken because of its lack of significance, and because of the familiarity the fans will have with the character. It's much more likely that the Tusken Raiders won't even be touched upon in the story, and they will just appear in the distance, or in Sebulba's cafe, just like the jawas, and other familiar aliens we have come to know and love. 

As an example,imagine, if you can, it is 1982. Rumours abound amongst the fans over what is going to take place in 'Revenge of the Jedi' the final story in the Star Wars trilogy, currently shooting in Crescent City Redwood Forest, California. A photo is sneaked out: Ooh! It's an armoured character, green skin, stocky, with a pig snout, carrying an axe! New rumours start up. What is the significance of this character? Maybe there is a whole mediaeval slant to the movie this time round, a castle? Is that a second piggy soldier behind him? Perhaps a whole army of these characters storm a fortress that holds Han Solo's frozen body, on behalf of the Empire! Does Vader lead them? Or Boba Fett?... etc etc etc 
But it turns out it's just some insignificant creature who, though prominent, means little in the overall story. (Hurrah! The Gamorrean Guards! If only they didn't look so animatronic...) 

Anyway! Getting back to the point. 

Such is the likelihood of any officially released picture from Lucasfilm. No plot points will be revealed without very careful consideration. The Jedi Council for instance may only be as significant as the Imperial Conference Room scenes that took place on the Death Star in ANH, a space filler, intermittently spread throughout the movie. The figures in the sketches, which have been discussed thoroughly here, are probably included just to give the drawings scale, or even as a whim by the artist. (There is a very different significance between character-design sketches, and set-design sketches. Usually totally unrelated so whoever the artist may include in the set drawings may not have anything to do with those scenes at all, especially since the sketches may have been drawn up to two years ago or more)  We have had virtually no names officially revealed, except I think Shmi Skywalker and the characters we already know (Obi Wan, Yoda, Anakin, Artoo etc). You can't take the registered Domain Names as gospel just yet. Even when the actors reveal their character names, it may be that they aren't actually spoken in the script so who knows what changes will happen. (who knows how to pronounce General Tagge, or Coruscant for that matter???) 
  
What am I raving on about?  Well, my point is: George Lucas's movies are very simple in form and plot usually. The significant characters, Anakin, Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Padme, and Jar Jar will be who really counts. Everyone else will just be background with small roles, but many of them to make it feel like the true epic that the stories should be. He will want the Galaxy and planets to feel like they are heavily populated by an enormous variety of races, just like Earth is, instead of like (apologise in advance) Star Trek, where it always looks like there are only twenty people on the entire planet. He can do that now, so he will. Names won't be important to these characters, they may not even have lines. He seems to have a strange approach, and will get a specific actor to play a role, despite the fact they'll be so covered up it may as well be George himself in there (Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Jar Jar Binks, etc). 
  
P.S: By the way, I'm from New Zealand: about these rumours that the next movies might be filmed here. My guess is that George has been planning to use NZ as 'Alderaan' ever since he was here ten years ago for Willow. We have a very gentle, beautiful landscape which I think would suit that world really well. Alternately, our jungle-like bushlands are unique also, would look good as another part of Dagobah or some such. Here's hoping I get to be an extra! (My office is right next door to the local casting agency that did "Jurassic Park: The Lost World" when it was planned to be shot here. Maybe I should do my Threepio impression every time I pass their door..?)"
> DEC 21 - REACTION 5 
  
'SNS22' wrote: "I am curious as well to see in what light the Sand People will be portrayed in the new films...By the time of A New Hope, the Tuskan Raiders have been driven back into the wilderness around The Dune Sea, by the "Invading" more humanoid settlers. They have resorted to attacking any one that comes near what is left of their terrority, and appear to vicious and without mercy. We see them as ferocious and beyond reason.  
  
Think back to the late 1800's when the Native Americans were in the same position. They had been to taking similar meathods to defend what is left of their terrority. They were viewed as blood-thirsty savages by the americans who were taking their land and failed to understand them. Yet when settlers first came to America, the Natives were friendly and helped them in many ways. Something happened that severed that friendship and made them bitter enemys. 
  
Perhaps we'll see the sand people in that light. They will be friendly and trade with the new settlers. (I read in a Star Wars source book, that Tattoine had been settled for less than a hundred years at the time of New Hope). But then something happens that severs their friendship with the new humans. A misunderstanding perhaps, that leads them to attack Fort Tusken. Maybe Palpatine himself may have something to do with, though I highly doubt. Maybe it will be, Darth Maul when he arrives on Tattoine, he spreads lies or something in his attempt to find Padme. He gets The Sand People to attack and in doing so, creates a blood fued between the Settlers and the Sand People.  
  
Then just as we will view Darth Vader in a new light, we will see that The Sand People aren't really the vicious savages that they appear to be in A New Hope, but that they are just simply misunderstood. Just fighting to protect what is there's. It is the settlers who are the "savages", stealing what is left of The Sand People's land."
> DEC 29 - REACTION 6 
  
'Apocalypse' wrote: "Question: Why are the Tusken Raiders covered as they are, and why are they called the Tusken Raiders?  Just two quick ideas and something to keep in mind for their role: 
  
Perhaps the human settlers have spread disease into the Tusken society much like the settlers did to the Indian population in America. So, diseased and forced to move away from their lands, they take to the Banthas and disappear into the landscape only to return for some revenge.  Their revenge comes in a "raid" on the settlements which is fought off by the Jedi knights including Qui-Gon Jinn.  Isn't a "raider" a rather negative term to begin with?  My point is that something probably happened which caused the Tatooine society to give the Tuskens the additional designation."
  • FEB 23
Jon Maier wrote: "anybody who's in to the Dark Forces games and graphic novels knows about the "grave Tuskens" a group of grave robbers in the employment of the dark jedi Maw. These guys look and even talk(Or scream) like Sandpeople,but seem far more technologically advanced and don't cover their faces entirely. Possibly the Sandpeople are an exiled group of these "Tuskens" who are just trying to survive in the Tatooine desert. Maybe this can be explored in the prequels, since we will see at least one of the sandpeople. Also, if you've read the Soldier For The Empire graphic novel, you'll note that one of the heads in the Sulon spaceport picture is that of a sandperson. How the heck did sandpeople get off Tatooine?(We know Jawas can do this, as is pointed out in a great deal of novels and comics)and how did one manage to get the Empire so angry?"