Speeder bike

Last updated

Speeder bikes (also known as "jumpspeeders" or "hover bikes") and swoop bikes (or just "swoops") are small, fast transports that use repulsorlift engines in the fictional Star Wars universe. Return of the Jedi includes a prominent speeder bike chase; speeders and swoops also appear in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (added in the 1997 Special Edition, but absent on every earlier print), the animated TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels , and the Star Wars expanded universe's books, comics, and games.

Contents

Origin and design

Various concept sketches came from producer George Lucas' call for a "rocket-powered scooter" in Return of the Jedi. [1] While Industrial Light & Magic's (ILM) Nilo Rodis-Jamero designed a blocky vehicle with a large engine, Ralph McQuarrie's designs were more fanciful but with less of a sense of the vehicle's power source. [1] The final designs resulted in full-scale Imperial speeder bikes used by the actors for film against a bluescreen, along with miniatures mounted by articulated puppets. [1] ILM used a steadicam recording at 1 frame per second to record the speeder bikes' path through the forest moon of Endor—in reality, a California forest. [2] Playing the footage at the standard rate of 24 frames per second caused a blurring effect, which ILM used to simulate the vehicles' high speed; what was shot at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) looked like 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). [2] [ contradictory ]

The BARC speeder in Revenge of the Sith was designed to appear like a predecessor to the speeder bikes in Return of the Jedi. [3] ILM's Doug Chiang designed Darth Maul's (Ray Park) speeder in The Phantom Menace to resemble a scythe, and Chiang's initial designs for the droid army's STAP vehicle resembled the speeder bikes from Return of the Jedi. [4] [5] An all-CGI swoop appearing in A New Hope stems from a design created for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire , and the swoop also appears briefly in The Phantom Menace. [6]

Depiction

In the Star Wars universe, speeder bikes are a type of "repulsorcraft," vehicles which use anti-gravity devices called repulsorlifts to hover above the surface of a planet. Compared to other repulsorcraft, speeder bikes sacrifice unnecessary systems in order to achieve greater speed or agility. [7] Swoop bikes, being little more than an engine with seats, are similar but better suited for operating at higher altitudes. [8] In the Legends video game Knights of the Old Republic, swoop racing is a main part of the story with the player having to work for The Hidden Beks, a swoop gang, by infiltrating rival swoop gang, The Black Vulkars, and competing against them in a swoop race in order to rescue Bastila. [9] "Swoop racing" is described as a dangerous, fast-paced competition between skilled pilots. [10] [11]

Types of speeder bikes

Cultural impact

The speeder bike, specifically the 74-Z as seen in Return of the Jedi, has been ranked as one of the top vehicles of the Star Wars universe, described as the "ultimate superbike" and "cooler than Boba Fett." [22] The speeder bike scene in Return of the Jedi has also been described as one of the top ten most thrilling chase sequences in the Star Wars saga. [23]

Many fans of the Star Wars series have also been inspired to build life-size "working" replicas. In 2016, a group of fans used Jetovator water-propelled jet packs to create several 74-Z replicas to film a recreation of the speeder bike chase scene. [24] Vintage Works of Green Bay, Wisconsin built a replica 74-Z speeder bike in 2017 using a Zero electric motorcycle. [25] Also in 2017, a team from Lithium Cycles worked with YouTube prankster Jesse to build a pair of 74-Z bikes using their Super 73 electric street motorcycles which they showed off on the streets of New York City. In order to give the appearance the vehicles "hovered", the team placed mirrors underneath the bikes to shroud the wheels. [26] [27]

Although lacking the anti-gravity technology ascribed to speeder bikes, real-life hoverbikes utilize different principles of levitation with the goal of achieving a similar effect. Mark DeRoche of Aero-X maker Aerofex said it was "a tribute to George Lucas' team" that their prototype hoverbike – a low-altitude tandem duct aerial vehicle – resembled Star Wars speeders. [28] The HoverSurf HoverBike has also been compared to Star Wars speeder bikes, though it achieves flight by the same methods as a traditional quadcopter. [29]

Since their inception, speeder bikes have been included in several Star Wars product lines, including Lego models and Hasbro miniatures. [30] [31]

In real life a one-person, or unmanned cargo, flying vehicle with four jet motors at the corners using artificial intelligence to maintain stability that has been described as a "flying motorbike" and named "Speeder" was under development in 2022, an idea that emerged from work with the US Navy. By early 2022 several full-size prototypes had been built. Top speed was 200 miles per hour (320 km/h), and flight endurance was 60 minutes. [32]

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

Jedi, Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the Star Wars franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depicted as a religious, academic, meritocratic, and military (peacekeeping) organization whose origin dates back thousands of years before the events of the first film released in the franchise. The fictional organization has inspired a real-world new religious movement and parody religion: Jediism.

Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe. Star Destroyers were produced by Kuat Drive Yards, later Kuat-Entralla Engineering, and serve as "the signature vessel of the fleet" for the Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire, the First Order, and the Sith Eternal in numerous published works including film, television, novels, comics, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TIE fighter</span> Fictional Star Wars combat spacecraft

The TIE fighter or Twin Ion Engine fighter is a series of fictional starfighters featured in the Star Wars universe. TIE fighters are depicted as fast, agile, yet fragile starfighters produced by Sienar Fleet Systems for the Galactic Empire and by Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems for the First Order and the Sith Eternal. TIE fighters and other TIE craft appear in Star Wars films, television shows, and throughout the Star Wars expanded universe. Several TIE fighter replicas and toys, as well as a TIE flight simulator, have been produced and sold by many companies.

Droid (<i>Star Wars</i>) Robots in the "Star Wars" franchise

In the Star Wars space opera franchise, a droid is a fictional robot possessing some degree of artificial intelligence. The term is a clipped form of "android", a word originally reserved for robots designed to look and act like a human. The word "android" itself stems from the New Latin word "androīdēs", meaning "manlike", itself from the Ancient Greek ἀνδρος (andrós) + -ειδής (-eidḗs), itself from εἶδος.

Clone Wars (<i>Star Wars</i>) Fictional war in Star Wars

The Clone Wars are a series of fictional conflicts in the Star Wars franchise by George Lucas. Though mentioned briefly in the first Star Wars film, the war itself was not depicted until Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The Clone Wars are also the setting for three eponymous projects: a 2D animated series (2003–2005), a 3D film (2008), and a 3D animated series. They have featured in numerous Star Wars books and games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Grievous</span> Star Wars character

General Grievous is a character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He was introduced in the 2003 animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, before appearing through computer-generated imagery in the 2005 live-action film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Wood reprised the role in the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

<i>Star Wars: Clone Wars</i> (2003 TV series) American animated television series

Star Wars: Clone Wars is an American animated television series developed and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network Studios for Cartoon Network. Set in the Star Wars universe, specifically between the Star Wars prequel trilogy films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, it is amongst the first of many works to explore the Clone Wars. The show follows the actions of various prequel trilogy characters, notably Jedi and clone troopers, in their war against the droid armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Sith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landspeeder</span> Fictional vehicle type from the Star Wars universe

Landspeeders are fictional anti-gravity craft used through the Star Wars 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.

All Terrain Walkers are armored fighting vehicles from the Star Wars universe that traverse the landscape on mechanical legs. They are used by the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, and the First Order for ground assault, reconnaissance or transport. Throughout the saga walkers have played a pivotal role in the fate of characters and the outcome of battles. Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) is responsible for their animation and design, often using models, stop-motion animation, and relevant matte paintings to depict their presence in the films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sith</span> Organization in the Star Wars series

The Sith are the main antagonists of many works in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark side of the Force and use it to seize power by any means necessary, including terrorism and mass murder; their ultimate goals are to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. The various antagonistic factions in the franchise, namely the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the First Galactic Empire, the Imperial Remnant and the First Order all originated, with the Sith. Sith, known individually as Sith Lords, are, by nature, ruthless. At any point a single individual assumes absolute authority amongst their kind and is granted the honorific Dark Lord of the Sith. Sith culture is based on perpetual treachery and betrayal. The fate of Sith Lords is, typically, to be murdered and replaced by their own apprentices. Sith teach their apprentices to revere the dark side of the Force, to give full reign to aggressive emotions such as rage and hatred, and to believe that others are expendable in the pursuit of power, it makes the Lords' demise inevitable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahsoka Tano</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars franchise

Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She was introduced as the 14-year-old Togruta Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) before appearing in the subsequent animated television series ; the sequel series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018); in the live-action film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) as a voiceover cameo; and in the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022), voiced by Ashley Eckstein. In 2020, Ahsoka made her live-action debut in the second season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. Dawson reprised the role in a 2022 episode of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, and the 2023 series, Ahsoka.

Stormtrooper (<i>Star Wars</i>) Fictional soldiers in the Star Wars franchise

Stormtroopers are soldiers in the fictional Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. The term originates from the original SA of the Nazi party in Germany before Hitler's rise to power, Sturm Abteilung (Stormtroopers) abbreviated to SA. Introduced in the original Star Wars film, the stormtroopers are the shock troops/space marines of the autocratic Galactic Empire, under the leadership of Emperor Palpatine and his enforcers, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, during the original film trilogy (1977–1983) and Rebels (2014–18). The prequel trilogy (1999–2005) and The Clone Wars (2008–2020) explores their predecessors in the Galactic Republic's clone troopers, clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, used by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to "win" the Clone Wars and later to take over the government and exterminate the Jedi. After this, in The Bad Batch (2021–present), stormtroopers are established as human recruits, trained by clone troopers gradually being phased out of active service; at the time of the original trilogy, only a few stormtroopers are clones, with the only known legion to still contain a significant number of clones being the 501st Legion, a.k.a. "Vader's Fist", with many stormtroopers remaining in service to Imperial remnants following the Empire's fall under Moff Gideon and Grand Admiral Thrawn in The Mandalorian (2019–present) and Ahsoka (2023). In the sequel trilogy (2015–2019), the First Order employs stormtroopers under the leadership of Supreme Leader Snoke and his enforcers, most notably Kylo Ren, General Hux, and Captain Phasma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darth Maul</span> Star Wars character

Darth Maul, later known simply as Maul, is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as a powerful Sith Lord and Darth Sidious' first apprentice. Though seemingly killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of the film, Darth Maul returned in the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Star Wars creator George Lucas had intended for the resurrected Maul to serve as the main antagonist of the sequel film trilogy, but these plans were abandoned when Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. The character nonetheless reappeared in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels and the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, voiced again by Witwer; Park physically reprised the role in Solo. Since his initial defeat in The Phantom Menace, Maul has become an independent criminal mastermind and endured as Obi-Wan's archenemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clone trooper</span> Fictional class of soldiers in the Star Wars series

Clone troopers are fictional characters from the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. First introduced in the live-action film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), they have since appeared in various other Star Wars media, including Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018), Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021–present), and Tales of the Jedi (2022–present) as well as comics, novels, and video games set in both the Star Wars Legends expanded universe and the current canon.

Technology in <i>Star Wars</i> Overview of the technology available in the fictional universe of Star Wars

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 are in existence and others under development. In the introduction of the Return of the Jedi novelization, George Lucas wrote: "Star Wars is also very much concerned with the tension between humanity and technology, an issue which, for me, dates back even to my first films. In Jedi, the theme remains the same, as the simplest of natural forces brought down the seemingly invincible weapons of the evil Empire."

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Imperial speeder bike (Behind the Scenes)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm . Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  2. 1 2 Burns, Kevin and Edith Becker (2004). Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (Documentary).
  3. ↑ "BARC speeder (Behind the Scenes)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  4. ↑ "Sith speeder (Behind the Scenes)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  5. ↑ "STAP (Single Trooper Aerial Platform) (Behind the Scenes)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm . Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  6. ↑ "Flare-S swoop (Behind the Scenes)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  7. ↑ Barr, et al. (2017), p. 188-189
  8. ↑ Barr, et al. (2019), p. 315
  9. ↑ "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic/Swoop racing - StrategyWiki". StrategyWiki. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Star Wars Sporting Events". Star Wars Kids. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  11. ↑ BioWare. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Personal computer). LucasArts.
  12. ↑ Walker (2018), p. 36
  13. ↑ Barr, et al. (2019), p. 311
  14. 1 2 Walker (2018), p. 28
  15. 1 2 Barr, et al. (2019), p. 296
  16. ↑ "Count Dooku's Speeder". StarWars.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  17. ↑ "Imperial patrol speeder". StarWars.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  18. ↑ David, Margaret (2020-11-11). "The Mandalorian Season 2 Features One of Star Wars' First Traffic Stops". CBR. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  19. ↑ Phipps, Keith (2019-12-06). "The Mandalorian Recap: Bounty Flaw". Vulture. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  20. ↑ Keyes, Rob (April 11, 2019). "Mandalorian Speeder Bike Revealed At Star Wars Celebration 2019". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  21. ↑ "Outer Rim speeder bike". StarWars.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  22. ↑ Evans, Dean. "Ranked: The top six vehicles from the Star Wars universe". Driven.co.nz. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  23. ↑ Sherlock, Ben (19 July 2019). "The 10 Most Thrilling Chase Sequences In The Star Wars Saga, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  24. ↑ Grossman, David (9 December 2016). "Watery Jetpacks Become Star Wars Speeder Bikes" . Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  25. ↑ Brandt, Eric (12 July 2017). "Check Out This Real-Life Star Wars Speeder Bike". TheDrive.com. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  26. ↑ Bullard, Benjamin (26 March 2021). "Homemade Star Wars Speeder Bikes Turn Heads on Streets of NYC". Syfywire.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021.
  27. ↑ STAR WARS SPEEDERS IN NEW YORK - The Speeder Build. YouTube (Video). Super73. 30 October 2017. With links to other videos showing the "hovering" bikes in action.
  28. ↑ Barry, Keith. "Jedi Hover Bike Is as Awesome as It Looks, But You'll Never Fly One". Wired. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  29. ↑ Richard, Mike (24 March 2019). "The HoverSurf Hoverbike Is a Real-Life, Star Wars-Esque Speeder Bike". TheManual.com. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  30. ↑ Bartholomew, Peter (7 January 2015). "Review: 75090 Ezra's Speeder Bike". Brickset.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  31. ↑ Bartholomew, Peter. "Bandai: Star Wars Speeder Bike w/ Biker Scout 1:12 Model Kit Review". The Fwoosh. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  32. ↑ Morris, Ben (18 March 2022). "How a jetpack design helped create a flying motorbike". BBC News.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.