There are aspects of the Star Wars prequel trilogy that many fans couldn't get behind. Certain things demystified the Star Wars universe in ways that left some a bit miffed. However, the addition of podracing in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is mostly seen as a ton of fun. As a fun moment that felt true to what one might see out of sci-fi sporting events in Star Wars, it’s not hard to see why so many love podracing.
With all that love came a wave of video games that allowed players to take control of their favorite podracers in a variety of high-octane levels. While it may be true that podracing is, at its heart, a unique form of racing, it is so much more than that. Podracing is dangerous, exhilarating, and undeniable, making it a fascination for people around the world.
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How Does Podracing Work?
Believe it or not, podracing is actually a simple concept. It's everything else surrounding podracing that gets more complex. At a glance, the sport is nothing more than a simple race. Each racer's objective is to make their way around the outlined track the predetermined number of laps to cross the finish line first. Obviously, podracing can be a bit more complex thanks to the loose rules, and the intricate podracers themselves. Sadly, the sport itself wouldn’t be around long once the Galactic Empire rose to power.
Podracers may vary in design to some degree, but the vehicles tend to have the same few features. The small repulsorcrafts are usually piloted by a single racer, who uses two engines connected to an antigravity pod to zip around the track. Some variability comes through because most, if not all, podracers were custom. This meant that anyone could feasibly enter any podracer of similar dimensions to the standard that is used. The self-made nature of podracers adds to the danger of the race, but they also push each pilot (or their mechanics) to make the fastest and most controllable podracer possible. It seems that it wasn’t uncommon for criminals to use podracing for profit, thanks to all the money that can flow in through the sport.
How Dangerous Is Podracing?
Standard Podracer | |
|---|---|
Top Speed | Roughly 900 km/h |
Standard Features | Repulsorlift engine in pod and two additional engines linked by an energy binder |
Rules | May be custom-built, but seemingly required to be somewhat standard in design, including low altitude hover. |
Species | Typically, alien species who are capable of fast reaction times. It is thought that humans couldn't compete until Anakin Skywalker took part. |
Anyone who’s seen The Phantom Menace or played any Star Wars podracing video games should already know how dangerous the race can be. Unfortunately for those involved, the brutal nature seen in the movie seems to be how most races go. Podracing is so dangerous that a racer suffering a brutal death in a crash isn’t out of the ordinary, and is worth broadcasting across the galaxy. The danger stems from the immense speed racers are expected to go in the middle of a race. Many believed this meant that only aliens with higher reaction speeds, rather than humans, could participate in the races.
One of the most important things to note about the danger of podracing is a significant lack of rules. Whether it’s due to the difficulty of policing the events, having full coverage to know what’s going on, or corruption due to the involvement of criminal syndicates, there isn’t much to keep competitors safe. One doesn’t even need to comb through hours of creative expanded lore to understand the danger of the lack of rules, when the series has done the work for fans. In an article on the official Star Wars website, podracing is discussed in depth; notably, how few rules there are:
Although there are rules and regulations, they’re treated more as guidelines. Officials and referees exist but even they are easily bribed, threatened, or distracted by pilots and their crews to circumvent the “guidelines” they’re intended to enforce.
How Did Podracing Start?
Like many other aspects of Star Wars lore, no one really knows the exact place where podracing was birthed. Even more fascinating, it seems like this form of racing began rather modestly. Simple animal-drawn cart races on various planets are seen as the earliest form of podracing (at least in the Legends Canon). From there, it seems that early landspeeders were used to up the stakes of the races that were already occurring.
The form of podracing that fans know and love was said to have started around 100 BBY on Malastare, when one brilliant alien made a decision that would change the scene forever. Instead of using a standard landspeeder, the alien known as Gustab Wenbus showed up with a custom racer that outclassed any and all landspeeders in the area. This change sent ripples through the entire racing community. At that point, creating the fastest podracer possible became the new normal. Not even a full century later, Anakin Skywalker would take place in the fateful podrace that would result in his freedom from a life of slavery.
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Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
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