The real-world inspiration for the planet that fans of The Mandalorian saw Ahsoka Tano on has been revealed by the episode’s writer and director, Dave Filoni. Season 2 of the very successful Disney+ series is rapidly picking up momentum, with more information about Din Djarin’s quest as well as The Child, aka Baby Yoda, being consistently divulged.
It still remains to be seen just what direction the popular Star Wars spinoff will ultimately head in, but so far fans haven’t been disappointed. Straight from the beginning, the intrigue over the character of Baby Yoda has kept fans guessing as to who the little creature is and why he’s able to conjure the Force so effortlessly. But as the series builds its extensive storyline, more twists are apparent—as are characters. The series remains deeply entrenched in Star Wars lore, connecting characters from the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as Star Wars Rebels. Most recently, fans were treated to a live-action appearance of famed Jedi Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson.
Tano’s appearance was a particularly significant one, as she was able to reveal not just what Din Djarin needed to do next in his journey, but also some very interesting facts about Baby Yoda. Filoni wanted to give the episode a haunting quality, filled with foreboding. To achieve this, he tapped into the reality of his life in Northern California. Severe wildfires annually hit the region, and Filoni recently told Vanity Fair that modeling Corvus after this gave him a form of control over the episode:
In all honesty, [that] just comes out of my own personal experience living in an area [in Northern California] where there are fires. My wife and I have been evacuated three of the last four years, every fall. So I guess I’m just telling a story and can some way control it for myself. But yeah, I’ve known a lot of people that are terribly affected by it, and it’s a powerful, powerful thing. I just thought it would be really haunting. There is a foreboding feeling, I think, through the episode and what transpires in it, so it’s got its magic moments. Where you see life in the sets and where you don’t is part of the story. Most of the sets are dead and burnt, but then when you encounter Ahsoka there’s a little bit of green and life around her. That’s all just emblematic, little visual cues that you can tell to reinforce story points.
The scorched planet is perhaps the best sort of environment in which to reveal a character as spectacular as Tano. Without any potential distractions, the gloom of Corvus seems to fall away and allow audiences to focus on Tano and the information she’s able to provide. Compared to other planets seen in The Mandalorian, Corvus is one of the least visually intriguing, but the events that take place on its barren geography are some of the most vital that the series has yet to offer its audience.
Now five episodes into its second season, The Mandalorian is carefully connecting many of the numerous characters and planets of the Star Wars universe. The series provides ample indications that what began as a rogue Mandalorian and a mysterious baby will end up as something much bigger. Filoni’s desire to keep certain aspects of the series familiar to himself is further evidence of a production that is doing everything it can to keep things grounded but still fantastical—something that Star Wars has always managed to pull off.
Source: Vanity Fair