Star Wars Names

Names in Star Wars are plentiful. We know the names of important characters and places like Luke, Leia, and Naboo. But, the Star Wars universe has an extensive library of more obscure characters and places. I’ve always marveled at the creativity of George Lucas and his team in coming up with these unique Star Wars names. Now that I live and work in Tunisia, I’ve learned that this country inspired some of the names used in the Star Wars universe.

Tatooine

The first name in Star Wars inspired by Tunisia is Tatooine. Tatooine is a planet in the Outer Rim. It appears in the majority of the films including The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, A New Hope, and Empire Strikes Back. It is the home planet of Anakin and Luke. Well known places like the Slave Quarters in Mos Espa (Anakin’s home) and the Lars Homestead (Luke’s childhood home) are located.

Tatooine’s namesake is a city named Tataouine. The city of Tataouine is also the capital of the Tataouine Governate in southern Tunisia. It is home Ksar Hadada, one of the backdrops used for Anakin’s slave quarters. This Berber town is also known for its cave dwellings that shield its occupants from the extreme heat.

Jerba

Our next name in Star Wars inspired by this amazing country is Jerba. A Jerba is the name of a fuzzy animal that I like to compare to a yak. It has four legs and 2 horns and is used in the fictional world for its milk and meat. They are said to roam around on Tatooine (the planet), especially around the Tosche Station.

The Jerba’s name is inspired by where the scene for the Tosche Station is filmed, the island of Djerba. If you’ve read any of our other blogs you know Djerba island is particularly close to our hearts since our office is located here! Djerba is home to 3 Star Wars film sites. We’d love to take you on a tour!

Nefta

Our third Star Wars name is inspired by another town in Southern Tunisia. It is a much less known character as he was not depicted in any of the major films from the franchise. According to Wookieepedia, Nefta is a humanoid (alien that has the shape of a human) which only appears in a series of Star Wars comic books from the mid-’90s. He would be part of the Dark Side as he was loyal to Emperor Palpatine.

Nefta is actually an oasis town near the Tunisia-Algerian border. It is most well known to Star Wars fans for its use in Episode I. The set of Mos Espa was built just outside Nefta. The fake town still stands in the desert sands and has become a tourist destination.

Tozeer

Our final name from Star Wars inspired by Tunisia is Tozeer. In the Star Wars universe, Tozeer is the name of a planet system and a planet within said system. It is a desert planet inhabited by Jawas and Tusken Raiders. Tozeer only appears in a PC video game from the ’90s.

In Tunisia, Tozeur is the name of a desert city and governate (just like Tataouine). Tozeur is known for being an oasis city where foreign and local tourists visit. The oasis waters the date palm groves that produce some of the best dates in the world. They are even exported to Europe and North America.

Come See for Yourself

If you’ve always wanted to see some of these sites in person, let us know! We’d love to share this amazing country (and amazing Star Wars film locations) with you!

Contact us and one of our travel experts will be happy to help.