What's Up With The Lego Blockade Runner?

[Biddybot]

Hey all, long time no chat. This is a question for you Lego experts. The rebel blockade runner is selling now in Canada ($300 at Toys R Us, by the way), but for some bizarre reason all the boxes I've seen have been marketing it as the 'Tantive IV'. This is apparently the French name for this vessel (a google search for 'guerre des etoiles Tantive IV' will get you more info), yet the rest of the box cover is in English. What gives? Is this a billingual compromise because they couldn't jam all the English/French words on the box? Just kinda curious. And apologies if this has been discussed before...it just strikes me as such an odd bit of marketing.

Vader's ship, the one that was chasing Leia's 'Tantive IV', is referred to on French sites as the 'Devastator', by the way, another tidbit new to me.

[Sea Skimmer]

Both names are well established as being those of the ships, and that’s in English. This is nothing remotely new.

[Publius]

Quite so. The Princess Leia's blockade runner (a CR90 corvette) is named the Tantive IV. It is the same general concept as saying that Darth Vader's Star Destroyer in the first film is the Devastator (she had been the Lord Tion's flagship until his death; she was later destroyed at the Battle of Endor).

Alternatively, one might point out that there is no difference between "the Lord Nelson of the Nile's flagship" and "H.M.S. Victory", or "John Paul Jones's frigate" and "the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard".

Publius

[Biddybot]

Okay, thanks for that info. I'll certainly buy that this vessel was always called the 'Tantive IV' (the one in SW: ANH, that is), but have honestly never heard anyone refer to it by name before. Too bad its proper monicker didn't catch on when Star Wars first came out. We'd likely have fanfics about what happened to the 'Tantives I, II and III' by now, if it had.

This name drew a total blank at a collecting forum at different site--they only knew it as the generic blockade runner. Makes you wonder how this Lego kit--and others--are being marketed in English-speaking countries overseas.

(PS: OT admin note to 'the Boss'...whatever software it is that's still locking up my computer when I try to access this site at work, it must also be in use at a German social insect and ant forum (ameisenforum.de)--get the same exact result there now!)

[Sea Skimmer]

Given the technological stagnation and general peace in the Starwars galaxy for most of the last 25,000 year’s the earlier vessels probably just wore our and got scrapped

[Drooling Iguana]

Actually, I seem to recall defending Tantaves I-III in one of the missions in the X-Wing computer game. It's been a while since I've played it so I'm not quite sure, though.

[Darth Yoshi]

The Tantives were a half-squad of corvettes, weren't they? Kind of like how Luke was designated Red 5, each member of the Tantive group would have its own number.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Once in a contest in Star Wars Insider Tantive IV was the answer to a trivia question.

I didn't win the contest...

[Boba Fett]

Actually, I seem to recall defending Tantaves I-III in one of the missions in the X-Wing computer game. It's been a while since I've played it so I'm not quite sure, though.

It was six CR90. One of them was the Tanive IV, waiting foe the Death Star plan datatransfer.

When the transfer was complete, she left formation.

Note: Personally I think it's quite stupid to name six corvettes the same and only the numbers are different but that's how it was showed in the X-wing game.

I rather think Tantive is a planet. So Tantive IV is named after the planet's fourth moon, which is inhabitated.