Many things in A New Hope, formerly known as just Star Wars, made it one of the biggest, best and most culturally significant hits in pop culture and cinema history, one these being its many iconic locations. The planets, moons and spacecraft viewers get to visit in the film are all fantastic, but specific locations such as cities and areas of ships are where the brilliance and imagination truly lie.
Whether it comes down to the wonderful production design or the unforgettable characters who dwell in them, some of the best Star Wars locations are found in A New Hope. Even after all these years of sequels, prequels, TV series and more Star Wars media, some of the most indelible images come from the places fans see in the movie that started it all.
Yavin IV
Yavin IV is a memorable location even though fans do not get to see too much of the moon in A New Hope. Both the hall in which the iconic medal ceremony takes place and the exterior of the rebel base of the planet are fantastic.
Of all the central locations in A New Hope, viewers spend the least amount of time here, and there are lots of things many Star Wars fans don't know about Yavin IV. Yet the jungle moon is still fondly remembered and beloved for its memorable scenes. As is the case throughout the film, the production design is on point, making Yavin IV an ideal location for a rebel base.
The Dune Sea
A vast stretch of desert with seemingly endless amounts of sand and some native dangers, the Dune Sea is hardly the most appealing of Star Wars locations for the characters to visit.
For the audience, though, the Dune Sea is fantastic. Watching R2-D2 and C-3PO trek through the imposing dunes en route to find Obi-Wan (and, inadvertently, Luke Skywalker) is awesome. The Great Pit of Carkoon, aka the Sarlacc pit, lies in the Dune Sea, although it doesn't appear until Return of the Jedi. What viewers can see watching over the Dune Sea in A New Hope are the bones of at least one enormous Krayt Dragon, which C-3PO walks past in a gorgeous shot.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's Hut
Fans spend only a brief time in Obi-Wan's hut, but in the years since A New Hope's release, interest in the Jedi Master's unassuming home on Tatooine has grown as fans try to piece together parts of his life in exile. It's one reason why the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series could change how fans view the original Star Wars trilogy.
The hut was not only a home for Kenobi but also featured a cave underneath, which he used as a workshop and a cellar to store food. Of course, fans don't see that in A New Hope, but knowing such behind-the-scenes details adds richness to the scene when audiences visit the location with Luke. For those who know the long, dramatic history of Obi-Wan Kenobi while watching the iconic scene set in his modest hut, it becomes one of the film's most interesting, low-key locations.
Mos Eisley
The most wretched hive of scum and villainy on Tatooine (and perhaps in the whole galaxy), Mos Eisley is also one of the most iconic locations in all of Star Wars, with an eclectic collection of beings as well as distinct architecture that has stuck with fans for more than 40 years.
The imagination and production design that viewers see in every inch of the infamous spaceport town are phenomenal. Even with the computer-generated special effects George Lucas added to the film over the years, the charm of Mos Eisley (or intentional lack thereof) absorbs the viewer, and it is the Star Wars location that best captures the essence of Tatooine and the Outer Rim.
The Meridian Trench
Also referred to as the Polar Trench, the Meridian Trench is situated on the north pole of the Death Star and is the setting for one of Star Wars' best, most iconic and most exhilarating sequences.
It is in the Meridian Trench that the Death Star's weakness is located, which Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance exploit to obliterate the planet-destroying space station. The Death Star trench run is the Star Wars saga's greatest space battle, but on top of that, the care and detail with which the trench was designed and brought to life make the location as stunning to look at as it is crucial to the narrative.
The Tantive IV
The spaceship Tantive IV is the first location A New Hope audiences see, with its stark white walls serving as an unforgettable backdrop to introduce cinema's greatest villain: Darth Vader.
There is some significance in the Tantive IV being the first ship and first location fans visit in the saga. It kicks off the story, and it's where viewers first meet C-3PO, R2-D2, imperial stormtroopers, rebel soldiers, Princess Leia and Vader. Even if the set were poorly designed, which it certainly is not, it would still be one of the film's best locations for that significance alone.
The Death Star Prisoner Block And Trash Compactor
The most striking exterior in A New Hope is that of the Death Star, but the terrifying space station is also pretty spectacular inside, with its endless hallways, bridges, and various other imposing and dangerous areas.
The prisoner block scenes followed by the trash compactor sequence show the very best the Death Star has to offer in terms of interior locations. The design and detail that reveal these inner workings of the imperial space station are enough to make the locations some of the best in A New Hope, and that's not to mention the heart-pounding drama of the scenes that take place there.
The Lars Homestead
The Lars moisture farm is the setting for the humble life that Luke Skywalker lives with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru before he takes to the stars with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it is the saga's best home to date (excluding the spaceships of the galaxy that characters live in).
The piece of farmland is not flashy or filled with intricate, beautiful architecture, but the history behind it all, its view of Tatooine's binary sunset, and its significance as Luke's childhood home make it a vital component to A New Hope and a location fans remember fondly.
The Millennium Falcon
Fans spend a lot of time inside Han Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon, not just in A New Hope but throughout the original trilogy, but nobody has any complaints about that.
The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy is not the prettiest spacecraft around, nor does it feature one of the strangest ship designs seen in the Star Wars movies, but the unassuming Corellian smuggling vessel is easily the most iconic ship in the whole saga. From the cockpit with Solo and Chewbacca to the laser canons to the main hold with the Dejarik table where Luke undergoes Jedi training with Obi-Wan, every inch of the Falcon is adored by Star Wars fans, who treasure every minute spent in the ship.
Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina
As fantastic as the time spent traversing the stars in locations like the Death Star and Millennium Falcon is, there is nothing quite like the first time Star Wars fans experience Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina and all the wonders and imagination packed into it.
In terms of the design of the cantina itself, there is not too much to note: it is, on its face, a simple cantina. What makes the location so memorable in A New Hope is the assortment of weird characters viewers meet during their time there. From Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes playing the iconic "Cantina Band" music to Ponda Baba and Dr. Cornelius Evazan terrorizing Luke to Han's deadly encounter with Greedo, the production design, costuming, drama and dark humor in the cantina define A New Hope and the Star Wars saga.