Gungan bongo

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Naboo

• Size:
  15 meters long

• Affiliation:
  Gungan

• Type:
  Submarine

• Manufacturer:
  Otoh Gunga Bongameken Cooperative

• 

From the Movies

Though the Gungans are naturally powerful swimmers, they do rely on submersible vehicles to travel the depths of Naboo's waters. One of their most striking technological achievements is the Gungan bongo submarine.

Sporting the distinctive organic lines of Gungan technology, the bongo's manta-shaped hull is organically grown through secret Gungan techniques. Hydrostatic bubble shields keep the cockpit and cargo areas dry and filled with air. A semi-rigid assembly of tentacle-like fins spins to provide the bongo with thrust. From a distance, the bongo resembles an exotic Naboo squid or similar creature of the deep.

From the Expanded Universe

Grown in specialized pens of the Bongameken Cooperative, the Gungan bongo submersible is a common utility vehicle employed by the amphibian culture. Like the rest of Gungan technology, the frame of the bongo is grown organically through ancient and carefully guarded methods. Hydrostatic bubble technology maintains breathable atmosphere within the cockpit and inner chambers, while a sponge-like variation of the bubble fills special buoyancy chambers that control the submarine's diving and rising.

An electromotive field motor powers the rotating tentacle-fin assembly. An anchor-headed forward diving plane is also equipped with an electromotive field for greater effectiveness in slicing through the Naboo waters. In emergency situations, the cockpit module can detach from the rest of the sub as an escape pod, but this cuts the cabin from the vessel's power plant. Such separations must only be undertaken under dire circumstances, since the limited power available to the escape module limits the duration of the protective hydrostatic fields.

Behind the Scenes

Early design concepts of the Gungan bongo started off as an organic-looking diving bell before Doug Chiang hit upon the idea of the squid-like propeller assembly. An unused concept for a large underwater passenger transport featured the manta-like silhouette. When the Episode I story changed so that the passenger transport was written out, the manta-shape was incorporated into the bongo's look.

The fate of the bongo used by Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Jar Jar is revealed in the DVD release of Episode I. In a scene completed specifically for the DVD, the trio narrowly escapes from the bongo before it is swept over the edge of a towering waterfall just outside Theed.