Planetary Analysis: Dantooine (KOTOR)

As a new planet following the vast adventure of the Taris cityscape, Dantooine is both a garden planet, still and timeless in the routine of its citizens, and has a notably flat and earthy feeling. There are no notably tall, but domed buildings, and this atmosphere demonstrates somewhere quite original in both the Star Was setting but also science fiction.

Autumnal colours and the subdued soundtrack encapsulate the Jedi I think better than the typical green vista or some kind of sky scape. A place of stillness and serenity suits the Jedi, with low and sparce housing. When one considers the core of the Jedi Order, it fits more than ideals regarding the ‘good’. Much as with its sequel, autumn is fitting as the high summer has passed, a time of lean and worse to come chronologically affects the galaxy.

The Jedi are tranquil, but not at peace. the chance of erecting monuments is not their way, the notion of grandiosity and hereditarily tradition much more in keeping (as we see) with the Sith. This planet also reinforces the Jedi mindset, and could likely be part of the feedback loop of the mentality of a Force wielder and their environment. A still, passive, gently melodic planet with far reaching plains will keep one reflective and peaceful. Such a world will not arouse warlike sentiment. To reject passivity would take effort of will, much as Korriban would be difficult to relax within.

This place is not utopian, and does not display the common display of whites and angelic colours to denote a lofty and moralistic area populated by monks. Instead, it’s meant to reflect something that in hindsight gives commentary to the prequel movies and original trilogy. In a setting where the life force of living beings generates a mystical luminal field, rather than the Jedi Temple being a giant palatial skyscraper placed close to the galactic senate, a far smaller affair sets an instinct in the audience that this place and the people within it are furtive and this place is something of a haven. Tonally, there is an appeal to classic and diplomatic quests (one having a Romeo and Juliet inspired story which can be resolved romantically, or amusingly lead to a total devastation of two squabbling families. The second is a humorous quest with a more nuanced moral quandary than most Star Wars narratives, as a robot whom has escaped a widower and become the subject of her affections wishes to be decommissioned for the sake of her greater wellbeing), with there being creatures to encounter, but the main encounter to progress to complete hasty Jedi training being to face and hopefully redeem a pupil who became lost and mistakenly sought out the dark side despite the master they harmed holding no ill will and starting the arc ideas of redemption and social manipulation for an ideological good (or ‘good depending upon one’s view).

War is still present, and placed in a way to remind the party and player that senseless violence comes to peaceful and chaotic environments alike. It opens up the question of morality even from ‘dark side’ companions, Mandalorians seeking to rob and kill disgusting Canderous, on account of their piratical nature and this reflecting weakness of mind rather than purely instinctive want for justice.

The linguistic similarity of Dantooine to Tatooine perhaps inspired the art team or the person who found the idea to put the summer colours on the planet, barely mentioned by name in A New Hope. The name is something to take but anything else entirely fresh cloth, and a lot was done with it.

References:

Knights of the Old Republic. BioWare. 2003.