The latest episode of The Mandalorian has revealed what happened to Tatooine after Luke - and the Empire - left. When the planet Tatooine was introduced in the first Star Wars film, Luke Skywalker insisted it was one of the most remote worlds in the galaxy. "Well, if there's a bright center to the universe," he declared, "You're on the planet that it's farthest from." For all that's the case, Tatooine has become one of the most important - and most frequented - worlds in the entire Star Wars franchise, probably exceeded only by the sometime galactic capital of Coruscant.

Return of the Jedi left Tatooine in chaos, with the ruling Hutt cartel overthrown when Leia killed Jabba the Hutt. Chuck Wendig's Aftermath novels, set in the years immediately after Return of the Jedi, revealed that criminal gangs briefly attempted to take over, but they were driven back by locals - and fans now have more information as to what happened after Jabba was killed.

Related: Star Wars Confirms Why Jango & Boba Fett Can't Be Mandalorians

The Mandalorian episode 5 sees its titular hero head to Tatooine, and the episode lovingly recreates the desert world using elements and frames from A New Hope. It shines a fascinating light on what happened to the Skywalker family's homeworld after the Galactic Civil War finally came to a head. It subtly hints that the killing of Jabba and the defeat of the Empire caused Tatooine to decline even further, meaning the planet of the double suns is now even more remote than ever before.

Mos Eisley Cantina Lost Custom & Is Run By Droids

Jabba-The-Hutt

The Mandalorian heads to Tatooine because he needs a safe haven from the Bounty Hunters' Guild. Tatooine is the safest place for him because he knows that the Guild no longer has a presence there. This is significant, in that it confirms that both the Hutt crime cartels and other criminal organizations have left Tatooine; both would provide a source of employment to the Bounty Hunters' Guild, meaning there would be a Guild chapter house there.

Mos Eisley had prospered under the Hutts. As Tatooine's principal spaceport, it had become a hive of criminal activity, with its cantina favored by pilots, smugglers, bounty hunters, and various Hutt associates. But with the Hutts gone, none of these groups have any reason to travel to Tatooine any more, and as a result Mos Eisley has fallen into disrepair. The spaceport itself is run by a woman named Peli Motto, and she seems to struggle to make ends meet, assisted only by reprogrammed pit droids from the old Podraces.

Even the cantina is run by a droid now, an ironic twist given it had a "no droids" policy in the first Star Wars film; the droid in question appears to be EV-9D9, who served at Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi. It's possible that Tatooine locals have now returned to Mos Espa, a city that was more influential back before the Clone Wars and was featured in both Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.

Stormtrooper Helmets Are On Pikes

Stormtrooper helmets on the Tatooine ground in The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian's first trailers featured an ominous shot of Stormtrooper helmets in the sand and on spikes, and it turns out those shots were from Tatooine. This is a particularly interesting development, because the Empire never actually had much of a presence on Tatooine; it left the arid world to the Hutts. While Stormtroopers did explore Tatooine while hunting for C-3P0 in the first Star Wars film, it's safe to assume they returned to the Devastator, the Imperial Star Destroyer that had pursued Leia Organa to Tatooine. So when did Stormtroopers arrive on Tatooine, even if they didn't survive the experience?

It looks as though some Imperial forces arrived on Tatooine after Jabba's death in Return of the Jedi, although it's difficult to say whether this was an actual Imperial outpost, or rather was some would-be warlord attempting to hide from the New Republic. Whatever the case may be, the locals clearly didn't appreciate the Empire arriving on their doorstep. Those helmets are a fairly obvious way of warning other Imperials that they are unwelcome, and that the people of Tatooine can defend themselves. Having been slaves to the Hutts for so long, Tatooine's people aren't keen to wind up subjugated by the Empire.

Related: The Mandalorian's Helmet Rules Create A Star Wars Plot Hole

Imperial Credits Are Now Accepted

Peli Motto holds Gorgu in her arms as she looks in the distance in The Mandalorian.

One subtle detail from The Mandalorian episode 5 stands out; the Mandalorian offers payment in Imperial credits, and Peli Motto is willing to accept it. Back in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Watto insisted that galactic currencies were worthless on Tatooine, forcing Qui-Gon Jinn to pursue alternative means of obtaining parts for a damaged spacecraft. It's possible that this changed in the decades that followed. In any case, notice that the Mandalorian doesn't bother trying New Republic credits at all; that may just mean he doesn't have any to give, but more likely, the New Republic's currency has yet to be accepted by Rim-worlds like Tatooine.

Has The Empire Left Tatooine?

Of course, the interesting question is whether or not the Empire is still on Tatooine. The people of Mos Eisley felt the need to display Stormtrooper helmets as a warning to Imperials, perhaps implying they didn't believe the Empire was truly gone. Tatooine is so remote that an Imperial outpost or settlement could go completely unreported, with the New Republic never realizing they were there.

There is one piece of circumstantial evidence supporting this. The Mandalorian episode 5 introduced assassin Fennec Shand, an elite mercenary who had made her name killing for all the top crime syndicates. While it's possible Shand headed to Tatooine simply to hide out, she claimed to be trying to make a rendezvous at Mos Espa. Fennec Shand had apparently hit upon hard times, with the New Republic arresting all her previous employers, and she'd be looking for alternative employment. An Imperial Remnant, of course, would be more than happy to hire a killer of Fennec Shand's caliber - and note that she was meeting her contact at Mos Espa, which doesn't have a spaceport. If Shand was indeed seeking a new employer, then they're based on Tatooine.

-

Tatooine was the first world viewers were introduced to in Star Wars, and as a result the world is fondly remembered. As such, it was really only a matter of time before The Mandalorian returned there, but this episode subtly hints that the planet may still be of far greater galactic significance than even the Mandalorian would have believed. The very fact Tatooine is situated so far from the bright center of the galaxy makes it a natural hiding-spot for those who prefer the shadows - even now the Hutts are gone.

More: Is The Mandalorian Disney’s Biggest Betrayal Of Lucas’ Star Wars Vision?

Key Release Dates