Anakin Skywalker was a slave in Episode 1 who escaped Tatooine thanks to the help of various characters. One character received almost no recognition in the film – none other than Anakin’s best friend.
Who is the best friend? Kitster Banai is a boy who lives on Tatooine and is a slave just like Anakin. The two are about the same age and good friends. They belong to the slave dealer Watto and do their best to survive their dangerous daily life in Mos Espa.
In the pod race, which is supposed to provide the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn with spare parts for his spaceship and grant Anakin his freedom, Kitster Banai plays an important role.
No thanks for the freedom
What does Anakin owe to his friend? Kitster Banai is part of the pit crew at the pod race and thus a skilled tinkerer on the fast vehicle.
As in our reality, the teams behind a racer are enormously important for their success. It is well known that Anakin wins the race and thus gains his freedom from the slave dealer Watto.
He celebrates the victory with his new friends, the Jedi and Padmé Amidala, but ironically, the supposedly best friend is forgotten. Kitster Banai remains in captivity while Anakin leaves the planet shortly thereafter.
Without receiving any real thanks, that was the end of the friendship between the two. What seems ungrateful on Anakin’s part can be explained partly by the impulsive nature of a child, and partly perhaps by the turn towards the dark side of the Force. This requires a certain degree of ruthlessness and lack of empathy.
Did Kitster Banai ever gain his freedom? Some years later, it finally happens when he is rescued during a mission by Sabé, Padmé’s protector and lookalike. He leaves Tatooine and lands on the planet Gabredor III.
Anakin and he meet again: about four years after the Battle of Yavin (Episode 4), Kitster Banai serves Darth Vader to liberate the colony on Gabredor III. While Vader recognizes his old friend, he does not.
What would have happened if Anakin had never left Tatooine remains speculation. What is certain is that Kitster Banai made a significant contribution, even though his appearance lasts only 2:06 minutes. Whether there would be a Darth Vader without him is questionable. You should keep an eye out at the scrap yard of the slave dealer Watto: Those who pause “Star Wars: Episode 1” at the right moment can discover a hidden reference
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