Star Wars’ Concept Artists Created Close To 50 Different Dexter Jettster Designs

ILM animation director Rob Coleman once wrote on Star Wars Insider Magazine how the animation team had rather little to work on when bringing Dexter Jettster to life. At the time of the shoot, they knew the design of the character and his dialog, with some of crew from the art department having added the four arms and the greasy cook look in the time since the session when the head design was chosen. Still, while they had some clues about Dexter’s personality from the script, the character hadn’t been cast, so the vocal performance and what it would bring to the character was a big unknown for the animators who would actually make the character move and act like a living being. The only thing they knew about what he would sound and act like came from Lucas, who mentioned Dexter would be a bit like the character actor Ernest Borgnine. 

Dexter Jettster is an important character because, much like the podracing scene in “The Phantom Menace,” this was an echo of Lucas’ old career sneaking its way into “Star Wars.” The diner scene looks straight out of “American Graffiti,” with the look of the diner resembling the greasy spoon from the Oscar-nominated film. As Coleman wrote, “Production designer Gavin Bocquet and his team set out to create a classic American diner with a ‘Star Wars’ spin. Creatures from a variety of systems were to congregate there for their morning repast, as Dexter and his staff served up their blue plate specials.”

Also important to note is that Dexter had a full life before we met him at his diner. He was active during the High Republic era, working as a hyperspace prospector who was good friends with the Pirate Queen Maz Kanata.