Editorial: Houjix to Monnoks – A Love Letter to Dejarik
Few moments throughout Star Wars films and animation inspire such delight in me as seeing dejarik appear on screen. This frivolous “prop” of sorts, which holds near zero narrative significance and contains no clashing lightsabers or smoking blasters, never fails to immerse me in the galaxy. Painstakingly crafted and filmed using stop motion animation by legendary artists, Phil Tippett and Jon Berg, this seemingly ubiquitous galactic game is the result of hours of meticulous labor for only a few brief moments on screen. And yet, its impact, I submit, extends much farther than a couple of minutes of comedic relief.
As committed as fans are to Luke’s hero’s journey in A New Hope, this narrative template is tried and true. Star Wars stands out from the pack by showing you the world Luke inhabits, along with all of its quirks, dangers, and charms. Dejarik is a prime example of exemplary world-building. You don’t need to know the rules of the game, or even its name to appreciate the endearing detail that a space freighter has a game programmed into a table. And despite the fact that we first see a Wookiee and a droid playing the game, we can relate on a human level to the need to pass the time during a tedious journey or to an opponent acting like a sore loser.
Thus, dejarik accomplishes a list of achievements in its short time on screen–it reveals something alien and fully outside the parameters of typical-to-us game mediums, it humanizes our non-human characters, it teases charming details about this new world, while reminding us we are in terra incognita. Also, it’s bright and colorful and looks really cool.
For these reasons, dejarik has a proven enduring quality, showing up in The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, The Bad Batch, Rogue One (as a physical version!), The Force Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker, Solo, and countless books and games. Not only have we seen it on the Millennium Falcon, but in other ships, cantinas, and encampments, demonstrating world-building continuity and weaving in nostalgia without being overbearing. On one occasion the game even took a narrative front seat when Omega displays an unusual prowess for the game and spends an entire episode playing it and successfully paying off a debt to Cid during The Bad Batch season 1. They made a lofi video of this exact episode, which I highly recommend. Check it out below.
When dejarik inevitably crops up on our screens again, I hope you feel as immersed in the world of Star Wars as I do at that moment. And with that, I’ll leave you with these parting words of wisdom–let the Wookiee win.
When she isn't watching her friends and family's eyes glaze over at the mention of The Clone Wars, she's at the park with her dog, Melvin, or on the couch with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Physically, she lives in Ohio; spiritually, she lives in Naboo.
