The Wackiest 'Star Wars' Codenames And Their Hidden Meanings
There’s no shortage of strange names when it comes to Star Wars. From Yarael Poof, to Bib Fortuna, all the way to Ello Asty, the list goes on. Some of these names end up rolling off the tongue and sounding cool, while others aren’t so lucky. Whether by design or by accident, some of these names just end up sounding ridiculous. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, various characters or groups of characters in universe have codenames, aliases, and/or nicknames. Presumably to hide their given names, some like the rebel spies that go by Fulcrum sound cool, while others are equally silly to us earthlings. In addition to the characters of the franchise, movies, other projects, or secret plot points are often given amusing codenames on set as well, to ensure word doesn’t get out. Here’s a few of the more silly or weird codenames in Star Wars.
Identifying TIE Models
In the heat of battle, clear and precise communication can mean the difference between life and death. With that in mind, fighter pilots of the New Republic had a large array of short-hand words and phrases they would employ during combat. Unique among them are the code names for the variety of TIE models they would encounter in battle. The most common was the standard TIE, which was referred to as an “eyeball” due to its defining ball shaped cockpit. Specialized units were named by the features that distinguished them from a standard TIE. An interceptor was a squint, the bomber was a dupe, defenders were a trip, and so on. These codenames were invaluable and made call outs to friendly forces far more streamlined.
The Ewok Pilot
Kettch was of a rare breed, an Ewok who flew a fighter craft with the aid of prosthetic limbs that enabled him to reach the controls. At least that’s what New Republic pilot Wes Janson would have you believe. First appearing in X-Wing: Wraith Squadron by Aaron Allston, Kettch was initially nothing more than a prank aimed at squadron commander Wedge Antilles. His legend quickly took on a life of its own, however. At one point, the members of Wraith even bought a stuffed plush and hid it all over their base of operations. This all culminated during an infiltration mission, wherein Wedge’s comms were scrambled so that he sounded and communicated as an Ewok. The ill-advised ruse worked, fooling the Imperials into believing there was indeed an Ewok at the helm of a TIE Interceptor. Much to his dismay, Wedge was then forced to adopt Kettch as his codename for the remainder of the mission.
There Is No Spoon
There is no denying the impact the Jedi Order had on the history of the galaxy. For generations, they served the ruling republic as peacekeepers. During the Clone Wars they even served as generals, commanding the clone troopers in battles across multiple planets and galaxies. Being such a prominent presence in the military didn’t always inspire gratitude in those they had come to rescue, however. This decline in popularity gave rise to a derogatory term among those that didn’t welcome the Jedi: Spoonbenders. This was a clear jab at the Jedi’s propensity to manipulate objects through the Force, likening it to a cheap parlor trick.
The Blue Harvest
When A New Hope arrived in theaters in 1977, it was a cultural phenomenon. It had achieved something no one had seen before. By the time its sequel The Empire Strikes Back arrived, the hype for the franchise was at an all time high. With the bookend to the trilogy on the way, the development team had to take measures to ensure no information was leaked to the press. So in an effort to hide in plain sight, all work on the film was done under the fake codename Blue Harvest. There were even ads marketing it as an upcoming horror film. The name was selected as a parody of the novel Red Harvest by Dashiel Hammett, which, at the time, already had a litany of works adapted from its plot.
The Rise of Skywalker
Love it or hate it, one thing that’s undeniable about The Rise of Skywalker is that it had a generous amount of plot twists across its runtime. In the information age, with the internet at our disposal, it’s a small miracle when a plot twist survives until a movies release. To safeguard two of his most important guest stars, the film’s director J. J. Abrams devised codenames to avoid any potential spoilers. The first to be revealed in the film was the Emperor himself, Palpatine. He was given the mundane alias Trooper 13 in an effort to downplay his critical role in the film. Next up was Kylo Ren’s vision of his father Han Solo. His codename was The Janitor, as it was his influence that led his son to clean up his act and return to the light side.