Hey there, Rebelscum fans! This week on the site we’re headed to Tatooine to check out the Boonta Eve Classic with the podrace. Make sure to read our “Expand Your Mind” article first in order to read about how the sequence was conceived of, its impact on the saga, and why The Phantom Menace was so groundbreaking. However, we’ll certainly be hearing more about the podrace with additional articles, videos, and insights.


Anakin’s chief rival is the notorious Dug Sebulba, who enjoys taunting the nine-year-old child ahead of their climactic face off. Tatooine has a unique racing culture, and Sebulba is the most prominent victor among them. Watto even notes that “he always wins!”, and many of the most wealthy merchants in the area have bet big on Sebulba’s assumed victory. Of course, this is in large part thanks to the fact that the Dug is a notorious cheater who intentionally sabotaged other racers.


Sebulba is a unique villain within the Star Wars franchise, as he didn’t pose a galaxy wide threat that could cripple the Republic or Rebellion. While elements of the criminal underworld are present in the entire saga, Sebulba wasn’t even a bounty hunter or smuggler. He was simply a bully, and provided Anakin with a necessary first hurdle in order to prove his merit with the force.


Sebulba’s appearance wasn’t as prominent in The Phantom Menace marketing as some of the other key characters like Darth Maul and Jar Jar Binks, but soon after the release he became a big part of the tie-in material, specifically the Episode I racer games. Much of the podrace was kept a secret; when “Weird Al” Yankovic debuted his famous parody song “The Saga Begins,” he was able to write almost all of the lyrics ahead of the film’s actual release due to spoilers. One of the few things that Yankovic was unclear on was whether or not Sebulba survived.


While Sebulba survived the end of the Podrace (his vehicle disintegrates and he utters the iconic swear word “Poodoo!”), he oddly hasn’t been featured in all that many Star Wars Legends projects. Sebulba’s poster shows up in episodes of The Clone Wars and Anakin mentions him in a few projects, but sadly the later adventures of the famous Dug are largely unknown.


However, Anakin did face off against Sebulba once more in the young adult novel Jedi Quest - The Dangerous Games when the Dug challenges him to a rematch eight years after the Boonta Eve Classic. He’s also apparently active within the Galactic Civil War era, as lucky fans who got to visit the newly restored Star Tours - The Adventure Continues have the opportunity to enter in the podrace.



Other Dugs have appeared in different Star Wars projects. Most notably, one curses out an older Anakin in Attack of the Clones during the exciting Coruscant speeder chase, but its been confirmed that this is not Sebulba. A Dug was digitally inserted into the 2011 Blu-Ray release of Return of the Jedi within Jabba’s palace as well, and their homeworld Malastare was frequented throughout The Clone Wars.

What do you think, Rebelscum fans? Where would you like to see Sebulba’s story go next? Do you have a favorite piece of merch? Let us know in the forums, and as always, may the Force be with you!