The release of the Star Wars prequel trilogy didn’t only mark the return of one of the most beloved franchises of all time but also the resurgence of George Lucas to the role of a director, which he had not occupied since the release of the original film in 1977. Although Lucas showed the same degree of diligence in crafting an ambitious story, he also placed many fun Easter Eggs within all three films. Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones features an appearance by the alien bartender known as Dexter Jettster, who gives important information to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) about the origin of the Kaminoan saberdart used by Jango Fett (Temura Morrison). Dexter was modeled after the Academy Award-winning character actor Ernest Borgnine, and his name is shared by another member of the Lucas family.
Dexter Jettster Was Named After Jett Lucas
Dexter runs a diner on Coruscant that is clearly modeled after the old-fashioned burger joints that often appear in popular culture depictions of America in the 1950s and ‘60s; in fact, it bears a lot in common with one of the main locations in American Graffiti, Lucas’ film that was loosely inspired by his own childhood. Although he is a member of the alien species known as Besalisks, Dexter was named after a nickname given to Lucas’ son, Jett, who the family had affectionately referred to as “Jettster.” Jett Lucas would himself have a cameo in Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith as a Jedi padawan who bravely fights members of the 501st Clone Battalion when Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) shows up at the Jedi Temple to discover what really happened.
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Given how deeply indebted the entire Star Wars franchise is to Akira Kurosawa samurai epics, John Ford westerns, Joseph Campbell’s philosophies, and classic science fiction serials like Flash Gordon, it is not surprising that Lucas would draw from another work of classic cinema in order to inspire one of his signature aliens. Although he did win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his emotional performance in the Best Picture-winning drama Marty, Borgnine was best known for the dozens of “character parts” he played in countless films over the course of his career, such as The Wild Bunch, The Dirty Dozen, Escape From New York, and Red. Although the film only briefly hints at his backstory, it was important for Dexter to appear as if he had an extensive history in the galaxy far, far away.
Dexter Jettster Has a Larger Role in the Expanded Universe
Although he only has one brief scene in the film, Dexter serves an important role in providing the viewer with information about Obi-Wan, as the prequel trilogy does not explain where he came from, how he became a Jedi, or what he did outside of his service to the Order. Although Obi-Wan can appear to be very stern when talking with Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), the appearance of Dexter serves as a reminder that he can be a more jovial, light-hearted character who is willing to befriend more salacious characters; this serves as a more direct correlation to the portrayal of Obi-Wan by Sir Alec Guinness, who is willing to find a pilot in the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine. The scene itself was also an example of Lucas finding a more interesting way to deal with exposition; although it was necessary for Obi-Wan to learn more about Kamino and the cloning facility to advance the mystery, it would at least be more entertaining if he gathered this information from an idiosyncratic alien.
Dexter would quickly become a fan-favorite character who was given a backstory in the initial Star Wars Legends material, which established that he had befriended Obi-Wan when he was a padawan to Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson); in the aftermath of Qui-Gon’s death, Dexter became one of the few people that Obi-Wan could share his grief with. The recent canon novel From A Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi revealed that Dexter had actually survived the events of the Galactic Civil War and saw the rebellions on Coruscant after the Death Star II was destroyed during the Battle of Endor. As is often the case in the Star Wars franchise, the most minor of characters can have the most exciting legacies.
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