Landspeeders are fictional
anti-gravity
Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to ...
craft used through the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' movies and
''Star Wars'' expanded universe. They are depicted both in civilian and military capacities, and several versions have been merchandised as toys and models.
Origin and design
Landspeeders first appear in ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
''. Two of them—
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
's (
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...
) X-34 and a V-35—were designed by noted special effects artist
John Stears
John Stears (25 August 1934 – 28 April 1999), known as the "Dean of Special Effects", was a British two-time Academy Award-winning special effects expert. He created James Bond's lethal Aston Martin DB5, Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder, the Jedi Kn ...
and were fitted around cars. Skywalker's landspeeder was designed and built by
Ogle Design
Ogle Design is a British design consultancy company founded in 1954 by David Ogle and based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.
History
* 1954 Ogle Design was founded and produced many successful designs of industrial and household products.
* 1959 T ...
around the chassis of a
Bond Bug
The Bond Bug is a small British two-seat, three-wheeled automobile which was designed by Tom Karen of Ogle Design for Reliant Motor Company, who built it from 1970 to 1974, initially at Bond Cars Ltd factory, but subsequently at Reliant's T ...
three-wheeler car.
One of the major challenges the production crew faced was disguising the wheels to create the illusion that the craft was hovering.
For certain shots, they shot from camera angles that masked the wheels; for long-distance shots, they used reflective material, gelatin on the camera lens, and shadow effects. A small blur could be seen under the speeder, which George Lucas called "The Force Spot" (stated in Special Edition Tape).
Production designer
In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...
Roger Christian used an angled mirror and a broom attached to the vehicle's underside to create, at certain angles, the illusion that the craft was hovering and kicking up dust.
''Star Wars'' creator
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
used digital technology to enhance the landspeeder effects in the Special Edition of ''A New Hope''.
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded on May 26, 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when he began pro ...
's (ILM)
Doug Chiang
Doug Chiang (; born 16 February 1962) is an American film designer and artist. He currently serves as vice president and executive creative director of Lucasfilm.
Early life
Chiang was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His dad had gone to Michigan in th ...
designed the
Naboo
Naboo is a fictional planet in the '' Star Wars'' universe. A bountiful world with a mostly green terrain, the planet was the homeworld of two independent societies: the native Gungans, who dwelt in underwater cities, and the human Naboo, who l ...
Flash speeder with a "race car look" while the Gian speeder's appearance is ILM's response to Lucas' request that the Naboo troops have "a
pick-up truck with guns."
The landspeeder was put on display in the exhibit ''Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination'' that moved between various museums in 2008.
Depiction
Within the ''Star Wars'' universe, speeder is a generic term for any "repulsorcraft" or vehicle which uses
anti-gravity
Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to ...
repulsorlift
The space-opera blockbuster, ''Star Wars'' franchise has borrowed many real-life scientific and technological concepts in its settings. In turn, ''Star Wars'' has depicted, inspired, and influenced several futuristic technologies, some of which ar ...
technology to hover and fly above a planet's surface. Landspeeders more specifically use repulsor technology to hover just above the ground, while they cannot achieve any great height they are cheap and fast. Many different types of landspeeders exist in the ''Star Wars'' universe to fulfill a variety of roles, including for personal transport.
;In ''Star Wars'' Film and Television
*X-34 Landspeeder: In ''A New Hope'',
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
(
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...
) pilots an X-34 landspeeder, which he later sells before leaving
Tatooine
Tatooine () is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was first ...
to join the
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic (colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional stateless interstellar coalition of republican dissidents, imperial defectors, revolutionary factions and anti-imperial ...
. Reference material identifies the X-34 as a civilian vehicle manufactured by SoroSuub Corporation. At long, the X-34 can accommodate a pilot and passenger, while magnetic clamps behind the seating can accommodate
droids or other cargo. Other features include retractable windshield which can enclose the cockpit, terrain scanner and night-vision headlights.
[Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 140-141] With three turbine engines, it has a top speed of and maximum altitude of .
[Walker (2018), p. 43][Barr, et al. (2019), p. 327]
*Flash Speeder: Flash speeders appear in ''
The Phantom Menace
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' as one of several patrol vehicles used by the Royal Naboo Security Forces. Designed for street patrol and high-speed pursuit by the SoroSuub Corporation, the Flash speeder is long with seating for a pilot and passenger and maximum altitude of . It is armed with a single pursuit/defense blaster on a 360° swivel mount.
[Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 48]
*Gian Speeder: Gian speeders appear in ''The Phantom Menace'' as another landspeeder used by the Royal Naboo Security Force. Unlike the Flash speeder though, reference material identifies the Gian speeder as a heavier vehicle only employed for tactical situations. Also manufactured by the SoroSuub Corporation, the Gian has a top speed of .
[Walker (2018), p. 40] Its narrower body makes it harder to hit from the front or rear at the expense of maneuverability and its tougher hull is reinforced with armor to withstand glancing hits. Larger than the Flash speeder with a length of , the Gian speeder seats a pilot, gunner and two passengers.
[ Standard armaments include two side-mounted light repeating laser cannons, with the option of a hood-mounted heavy laser cannon. Each weapon is independently powered in the event the speeder's main generator is damaged.][
*M-68 Landspeeder: The M-68 landspeeder first appears in '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' when ]Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
(Alden Ehrenreich
Alden Caleb Ehrenreich (; born November 22, 1989) is an American actor. He began his career by appearing in '' Supernatural'' (2005), and Francis Ford Coppola's films ''Tetro'' (2009) and ''Twixt'' (2011). Following supporting roles in the 2013 ...
) and Qi'ra
Qi'ra is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, first appearing in the 2018 film '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' and portrayed by English actress Emilia Clarke. The character was introduced in the 2018 prequel novel ''Most Wanted'' by ...
(Emilia Clarke
Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal as Daenerys Targaryen in '' Game of Thrones''. She has received various accolades, including an Empire Award, a Saturn Award, ...
) hijack one to escape the White Worms gang. Within the ''Star Wars'' universe, the M-68 is described as a popular street racing
Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal form of auto racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is considered an ancient hazard, as horse racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street racing in automobiles is ...
model manufactured by Mobquet Swoops and Speeders. Nicknamed the "street blaster bolt", the M-68 has a top speed of and is available in both hardtop
A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, which for modern cars is typically constructed from metal. A hardtop roof can be either fixed (i.e. not removable), Convertible#Detachable hardtop, detachable for separate storing or retractable ha ...
and open-air models.[Barr, et al. (2019), p. 315]
*A-A4B Truckspeeder: When Han and Qi'ra attempt to flee the White Worms gang in ''Solo'', they are pursued by Moloch in an A-A4B Truckspeeder. Described as a heavy, rugged design, the A-A4B was built in-universe by Trast Heavy Transports with armored caging over the driver's seat and front grille, turning the landspeeder into a batter ram during high-speed chases.[
]
Cultural impact
Luke Skywalker's X-34 landspeeder was one of fifty fictional vehicles selected for display at the Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest automotive museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organization specializi ...
's ''Hollywood Dream Machines'' exhibition which focused on the most significant or important vehicles to feature in the science fiction and fantasy genre. The X-34 was chosen not just for its role in the plot but also it's thematic contribution to the film.
Many ''Star Wars'' fans have been inspired to build "working" full-scale replicas of Luke's X-34 landspeeder. Daniel Deutsch built a drivable replica in 2007 using parts from an electric golf cart
A golf cart (alternatively known as a golf buggy or golf car) is a small motorized vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course with less effort than walking. Over time, variants were introduced t ...
and fiberglass molding
Fiberglass molding is a process in which fiberglass reinforced resin plastics are formed into useful shapes.
The process usually involves first making a mold and then using the mold to make the fiberglass component.
Mold making
The fibergla ...
. The replica achieved fame when it was highlighted by former 'N Sync
NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
member Joey Fatone
Joseph Anthony Fatone Jr. (born January 28, 1977) is an American singer, dancer, actor, and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband NSYNC, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reali ...
and rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
. Celebrity YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
inventor Colin Furze created another replica in 2019 in celebration of the release of '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''. The only known full-scale metal model of the X-34, it was sold on eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
for £50,000, with all proceeds going to BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
’.
Landspeeders have served as a source of inspiration for ''Star Wars'' fans across artistic communities. Digital artist Brad Builds created a landspeeder version of the
. French photographer Renaud Marion reimagined 9 classic cars as landspeeders as part of a project called Air Cars. Reimagined models included the
s are often compared to ''Star Wars'' landspeeders in popular media. The SkyDrive SD-03 flying car specifically was inspired in part by Luke Skywalker's landspeeder.
Landspeeders have featured heavily in ''Star Wars'' merchandising since their inception. Examples includes
toy, and a cat bed.