11 Sights to See and People to Visit in Batuu
Photo Credit: goodmorningamerica.com
Welcome to Batuu! You’ve learned a lot about the Galaxy’s Edge already. You can speak like a local, choose the best cuisine, and even fly the most famous ship on the planet. You still have a lot to learn, though. At Black Spire Outpost, you’ll discover plenty of landmarks and even a few photo ops that are worth your time. Here are 11 tourist sights and people you must visit during your time on Batuu.
1) The Dianoga
Let’s start with the creepiest thing that you’ll see during your visit. I’m suggesting this as a warning inasmuch as a touristy thing to do. The lands of Batuu are dangerous to outsiders, as you never know what’s lurking beneath the surface.
The proof is this statement is at a water fountain in Black Spire Outpost. On occasion, your attempt to hydrate will be met with horror. A Dianoga, a kind of one-eyed squid, has claimed this water canister as its home. Nobody has figured out a way to move it, as we’re all a little afraid of the beast. One of these creatures almost killed Luke Skywalker in a trash compactor!
2) A-Wing Interceptor
Speaking of Skywalker, he famously led a team of intergalactic fighter pilots. These brave warriors penetrated the Death Star and eventually blew it up. Twice! The vessels they flew to their destination were the then-state of the art X-Wing Starfighters. These T-65s are one of the reasons why the rebels won the Galactic Civil War and restored the New Republic.
Alas, everyone flies the more modern T-70 today, and so these old vessels are mothballed. You can find a current unit, the RZ-2 A-Wing interceptor, at Black Spire Outpost. In fact, wagging tongues suggest that this vehicle was once used in battle against The First Order.
Photo: Invision
3) X-Wing Starfighter
Alternately, you can look at modified T-70 Starfighter. The New Republic decommissioned these starships during the Cold War prior to the rise of The First Order. You can examine the faster, larger, and more stylish spaceship for yourself to see whether you have the right stuff to fly it someday. Of course, you’d have to join The Resistance to do that.
Photo: (Richard Harbaugh/Disney Parks)
4) Alien footprints
Are you familiar with Gungans? One of these vile creatures was responsible for the rise of Emperor Palpatine. A gibberish-speaking moron named Jar Jar Binks gave an impassioned speech in the Senate, one that called for Palpatine to receive almost total power for a brief period…which wound up being permanent until his death.
Well, some other Gungans have apparently wandered around Batuu and left their footprints as proof. Do me a favor. If you see one, shoot it on sight.
5) Droid “footprints”
Look, I don’t know what else to call the marks that show that droid has traveled across the land. These robots leave remnants of their travels, and one of the “footprints” that you’ll find at Black Spire Outpost comes from a famous Droid.
R2-D2, a hero of the rebel forces and loyal servant to Luke Skywalker, has visited Batuu before. The roll marks from his visit are visible if you know where to look.
6) Chewbacca
Speaking of heroes, the most famous Wookie in history is a frequent guest of Batuu. Whispers suggest that he does business with an *ahem* legitimate businessman named Hondo Ohnaka. As part of his alliance, Chewbacca roams Batuu, frequently interacting with guests. He’s impossible to miss since he looks like a walking fur rug.
Despite his gruff nature, this fellow is a big softie. I understand that he has an entire flock of Porgs that he keeps as pets. Should you ask nicely, I’m confident that Chewbacca will pose for pictures with you. Expect to find the Wookie either walking around or tinkering on the aforementioned X-Wing.
7) Rey
I’m not looking to turn your visit into a political debate. I’m confident that you know that The Resistance and The First Order both have a presence on Batuu. Whichever side you favor — law and order or standing up for the little people – you know who Rey is.
This woman is a hero of The Resistance and, if rumors are true, a Jedi. I didn’t even know that Jedis were still a thing, but this woman carries around one of the most famous lightsabers ever.
Oddly, Rey is somewhat brazen about roaming around the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost. It’s strange because Stormtroopers are seemingly everywhere and interrogate even the most innocent visitors. Why, you might even get asked some uncomfortable questions by one of them.
Despite this pervasive fear, Rey shamelessly recruits new members for The Resistance as she roams Batuu. When you meet her, expect to get asked about where loyalties fall and what you can do to help bring down the First Order. Even if you’re not into planetary politics, Rey will still take pictures with you.
8) Vi Moradi
You may know who Rey is since she’s a celebrity. However, Vi Moradi is a bit more of a mystery, even to those of us who live on Batuu. Don’t worry about finding her at Black Spire Outpost. She’s easy to see coming since she has multi-colored hair with frosted blue streaks.
The oddity about a meeting with Vi Moradi is that she is known to speak in code. When you say the right phrase to her, you’ll have an entirely different conversation than if you simply make small talk. One of the great mysteries of Batuu is how to persuade Vi Moradi to spill some of her secrets. Even when you can’t, you’ll still want to grab a selfie with her. This woman is one of the most unusual looking and stylish residents of Black Spire Outpost.
9) Landspeeders
While we’re on the subject of photo ops, one of the hot, new places to take a picture is on a Landspeeder. These vehicles are kind of like your convertible automobiles, only they don’t have wheels since they fly. They’re the coolest-looking rides on the planet, and you can pose by one, presuming that you know where to look.
The local mechanic in the area is restoring a Landspeeder. Currently, it can’t fly, and it REALLY needs a paint job. Presuming that you don’t mind all the rust, you can stand beside this Landspeeder and snap a picture. Then, you can brag to your friends back home that you stood beside the same kind of ride that Luke Skywalker used to fly around Tatooine.
10) Dejarik
As a citizen of the galaxy, I don’t have to tell you about Dejarik. This board game is arguably the most popular one in existence today. Players love to maneuver their holographic pieces around the circular board until they force their opponent to submit. It’s a battle of the minds that’s visually interesting to boot.
Alas, there aren’t a lot of Dejarik players on Batuu. The only place where you’ll find a board is in the living room quarters of the Millennium Falcon. When you meet Hondo Ohnaka and attempt a Smuggler’s Run, you’ll see the Dejarik set in the center of this area. You can sit down at the adjoining table and take lots of pictures while you contemplate the board.
Photo: SlashFilm.com
11) DJ R3X
One of the most recognizable residents of Black Spire Outpost is primarily known for a previous failure. RX-24 is a defective droid that a company called Star Tours bought even though they knew about his tendency to malfunction. They assigned him to a ship called the StarSpeeder 3000, naming him the pilot.
On the very first mission, the unit nicknamed R3X famously messed up the flight so badly that he landed the vessel at the same port where he’d started. To be fair, it wasn’t entirely his fault. Who would make a captain out of a droid with a sticker that said, “Remove Before Flight”?
Photo: Cinemablend.com
Anyway, Star Tours went out of business almost immediately afterward, but the news is better for R3X. He embarked on a new career as music deejay. You can find him spinning all of your favorite hits at Oga’s Cantina. You can’t interrupt him, though. R3X has to work for a living. It’d be terrible if he got fired from another job.
