This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes 1 & 2.Star Wars: Skeleton Crewintroduces Port Borgo, a new pirate empire that’s actually a 30-year-old Legends reference. Set five years afterReturn of the Jedi, and concurrent withThe MandalorianandAhsoka,Skeleton Crewis a unique TV show starring a bunch of kids lost in theStar Warsgalaxy. The first two episodes see them whisked away from their homeworld, the mysterious At Attin, and transported to a pirate shadowport.
InStar Wars, “shadowports” are spaceports known only to members of the criminal underworld. There are no records of them on official maps; the moment they’re discovered by a galactic government, they’ll be shut down in a forceful raid. But this particular shadowport isn’t actually new; it’s a fantastic deep cut into theStar WarsExpanded Universe,a location that first appeared in a 30-year-old novel and has finally made its way into live-action.
Port Borgo Makes Its Debut In Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Port Borgo is a key shadowport for the galaxy’s criminal underworld
TheSkeleton Crewcharactershave found their way to Port Borgo, a shadowport build into an asteroid on the Outer Rim. Canonically, it was first mentioned in Daniel Wallace’s 2018 reference bookStar Wars: Smuggler’s Guide, where it was marked on a map owned by Maz Kanata. According to this map, Borgo Prime is situated near to the Hydian Way, one of the galaxy’s most important hyperspace routes.There are known to be countless shadowports around the Hydian Way, which has always been frequented by pirates.
This is a very familiar sector of space. It’s actually quite close to some other key planets inThe Mandalorianera - notably Nevarro and Mandalore. As seen inThe Mandalorianseason 3, pirates have taken advantage of the Empire’s collapse to launch attacks on the Hydian Way; one group even attempted to gain control of Nevarro. Attentive viewers will recognize a survivor fromThe Mandalorian, Marti Matulis' Vane, who managed to escape Nevarro when Din Djarin and the Mandalorians fought back.
Port Borgo Appears To Be An Old Nihil Base
It matches with pirate bases we’ve seen before
Port Borgo matches with shadowports that have been seen before inStar Wars: The High Republic, potentially meaning this facility was established by a group of pirates known as the Nihil who operated 200 years before the Skywalker saga. Opposed to the Jedi, the Nihil had acquired information from Force-sensitives that allowed them to chart unusual hyperspace routes and identify a lot of uncharted star-systems.It’s possible this particular system was discovered by the Nihil, although it may well predate them.
Subtle references inSkeleton Crewepisode 1 hint that At Attin was lost during theHigh Republic Era. It’s reasonable to assume this is when the Onyx Cinder, the spacecraft the kids stumbled on, was lost; if so, it’s important to note the droid SM33 had Port Borgo’s coordinates in his memory banks. Again, this suggests a link with the Nihil, because Port Borgo has been active for at least 200 years.
Port Borgo’s Legends Origin Revealed
Port Borgo is an important Star Wars Legends reference
Although Port Borgo was first mentioned in canon back in 2018, it has an auspicious history that runs back 30 years. In Legends, Borgo Prime was originally a colony established by an ancient alien empire called the Rakata. These aliens ruled the galaxy long before the founding of the Jedi Order, enslaving Force-sensitives to help them travel the stars, and they’ve recently been established in canon;Andordirectly referenced them, whileThe Bad Batchintroduced a potential Rakatan superweapon. Another, the Star Forge, was alluded to inStar Wars Rebels.
By 19 ABY, it became an important financial center for the Remnant, appearing in Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta’sYoung Jedi Knightsnovels.
In Legends, the asteroid was hollowed out by miners, and they left behind the equipment that could eventually be used to make it inhabitable. Originally a shadowport, it was inhabited by merchants, information brokers, and it was eventually claimed by theImperial Remnantafter the Empire discovered it. By 19 ABY, it became an important financial center for the Remnant, appearing in Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta’sYoung Jedi Knightsnovels.
What Does The Future Have In Store For Port Borgo?
Will its canon story follow the same pattern?
It’s striking to see that canon’s Port Borgo corresponds perfectly with the version seen in Legends; it’s even crafted into an asteroid, perhaps meaning it too was once a Rakatan colony. The interesting question is whether Port Borgo’s future will correspond with the Legends arc. If it does, then it’s possible this shadowport will eventually be claimed by the Imperial Remnant - or, rather, by the First Order. If so,Star Wars: Skeleton Crewcould be a whole lot more important to the overarchingStar Warsnarrative than it seems.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
