In the last years of the Republic, the Mos Eisley cantina was already infamous as a hangout for Hutt hirelings, bounty hunters, freighter bums and down-on-their-luck spacers of all descriptions. In its dim confines a traveler could avoid both Tatooine’s heat and unwelcome questions about the past. But the cantina’s patrons knew to watch their backs – many an encounter in the shadowy bar ended with a spasm of violence and a body on the floor.

The cantina’s bad reputation had grown worse by the time of the Empire, with thugs of all species calling the dusty watering hole their home away from home. But the cantina was also a favorite stopping place for star pilots looking to run cargo or arrange a charter – which is why Obi-Wan Kenobi visited the bar with Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan hoped to find a star pilot who’d bring him, the boy and Princess Leia’s droids to Alderaan, without asking a lot of questions. Within the crowd of aliens, Obi-Wan and Luke would cross paths with Han Solo and Chewbacca, down-on-their-luck smugglers destined to become rebel heroes.