First introduced in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope, Tatooine is often touted as one of the saga's most iconic desert locales, inspired in part by the barren wastelands of Frank Herbert's Arrakis (Dune). As such, it's a fascinating destination, full of wild characters, crime lords, slavery -- and made even more fascinating in the prequels when we're introduced to podracing.

That said, The Mandalorian paints a far more cynical picture of the planet. As the latest point in the timeline chronologically we've been to Tatooine, we see a barren world without people, instead filled with large stretches of nothing. Was Tatooine always this desolate, or has it become worse in the years following Return of the Jedi?

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Tatooine in The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian and the Child arrive on Tatooine for repairs on the Razor Crest. There, they spend time in Mos Eisley, including paying a visit to the iconic cantina before the Mando sets off on a bounty hunting job. While traveling through the empty dunes, he finds little life aside from a pair of Tusken Raiders and a Dewback.

The whole planet feels lifeless and vacant, especially when compared to how Tatooine looked in previous films. The cantina, one of the most iconic places in Star Wars, is almost entirely empty. The Guild doesn't even hold sway here, despite it being the stomping grounds of sorts for Boba Fett.

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The city lacks the vibrant life that once enveloped it. We barely even meet any human beings. We see droids, sure, but there's little life in what was one of the most lively areas in film history. So what happened?

Was Tatooine Always Like This?

Ob-Wan Kenobi stands on Tatooine

Tatooine existed outside the perspective of the Republic back in the prequels, remained mostly untouched by the Empire in the original trilogy and is all but ignored in the sequel trilogy. While Luke talks about how Tatooine is a boring place which he longs to leave so he can go on adventures, the city itself is a haven for, as Obi-Wan puts it, "scum and villainy."

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This scum and villainy results in the active slave trade that brings Anakin to Watto. In the new canon, this slavery persists into the age of the Empire and even the era of the New Republic, albeit underground. The First Order even uses slaves from Tatooine in Marvel's Poe Dameron comic series.

However, the criminal activities in the New Republic era take place underground, especially since Tatooine falls under the gaze of those currently in power, like Leia Organa. But why aren't these criminal organizations practicing crime in the open? Why is the appeal of Tatooine's overt criminal activity, from bounty hunting to gambling on pod racing, so underground in modern Tatooine? The answer might have less to do with the Empire and more to do with Luke Skywalker and friends.

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"The Planet is Ruled by the Hutts"

jabba-the-hutt-licking-princess-leia

In the prequels, Qui-Gon Jinn states that Tatooine is governed not by the Old Republic but by the Hutts. Jabba the Hutt, in particular, ruled over all criminal activity, but also, due to his wealth and power, drew in pull throughout the entire criminal underground. His influence was strong enough to threaten Han Solo across the galaxy. He clearly could draw a large audience as well, judging by how he oversees the podracing games in The Phantom Menace to thunderous applause.

However, by the time The Mandalorian takes place, Jabba is long-dead. Leia strangled him with chains, while Luke, slashing through half of his top lieutenants, blows up his ship. Jabba's most infamous enforcer, Boba Fett, lays rotting in the Sarlacc Pit, and the very center of Tatooine's criminal empire is devastated. If the center cannot hold, things fall apart.

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Without the Hutts ruling Tatooine, the planet falls entirely under the Empire's control. That means, for the brief period of time between Jabba's death and the final battle over Jakku, the main draw in Tatooine for criminals is eradicated. It probably doesn't help that Tatooine natives didn't take kindly to the Empire being there, judging by how many Stormtrooper helmets are on pikes outside the cantina. With such a resistance forming in the wake of Jabba's death, it's clear the Empire, even in its final years, left Tatooine to rot away on its own.

This means other crime organizations gain power throughout the galaxy, drawing the "scum and villainy" of Mos Eisley elsewhere. So, the only people left on Tatooine are the natives, Tusken Raiders... and dregs.

The Dregs

The Mandalorian introduces two core criminal figures still living on Tatooine: Toro Calican and Fennec Shand. Their presence on Tatooine illustrates what the planet is like now that both the Hutts and Empire have fallen. Toro is an ill-experienced bounty hunter looking for glory who's come to Tatooine knowing nothing of the culture or ideas. He's an outsider, here for work, but, unlike Han Solo, he appears to have no idea how to survive. The reality is harsh: not everyone is cut out for that sort of life.

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Fennec's presence, however, indicates there's still a strong criminal undercurrent in Tatooine. This aligns with the information regarding the slave trade established in the Poe Dameron comic. Since Tatooine is now "cleaned up" without the Hutts, the criminals who come to the planet either work under the radar (again, the slave trade) or meet to discuss business because no one else will interrupt them. Tatooine might be a wayward, lawless world with a dwindling population since only those who have to linger on the planet will remain here. No one is coming to trade on Tatooine or openly discuss business, as they did with the Hutts. No one is coming there for the podracing games. No one is coming period.

In short, Luke Skywalker ruined his homeworld by cleaning it up.

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Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte. A new episode arrives each Friday on Disney+.