We know in the first movie from statements by Quin Gon that Tatooine is not part of the Republic. It is part of his reasoning for why salvery existed.
So by ANH has Tatooine been made part of the Empire or is it still outside? We know there are Stormtroopers on the planet but that would mean little since an Imp Star can basically do whatever it wants when it comes to such minor planets like Tatooine.
We also have Lukes throwaway statement about how he hates the Empire but that it is so far from here. Now this could go two ways. It could be that he is just talking about how he lives on a dirt shit backwater planet out on the rim. Or it could mean that Tatooine is still not technically part of the Empire and so really it isnt his problem directly.
One item in favor of it being in the Empire is that TAtooine cant be that far out in the middle of nowhere since it is close enough to Naboo to make it there on a damaged hyperdrive.
So it is possible that Tatooine being considered a backwater nowhere is due to it being a mostly POS desert planet with few resources and nothing to do with its actual location.
Tatooine. PArt of the Empire?
Moderator: Vympel
The planet has a small garrison of stormtroopers, and, I believe, a governor. Nothing substantial, but just enough to impose Imperial currency on the planet.
"He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot, but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."
"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."
He only says they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems and that Owen would soon be another cog in the Imperial machine.
There's also the fact that the Stormtroopers ask for ID at Mos Eisley. Why bother doing that if the planet isn't integrated into the Imperial system?
By the time of the Bounty Hunter Trilogy, Tatooine and the rest of the Arkanis Sector have fallen to Rebel control. With the mention of Tatooine seeing a liberation struggle after Endor (thus explaining the victory scene there), the Imperials who were planning to counterattack in the BHT, did so on Tatooine but were then driven off again.
There's also the fact that the Stormtroopers ask for ID at Mos Eisley. Why bother doing that if the planet isn't integrated into the Imperial system?
By the time of the Bounty Hunter Trilogy, Tatooine and the rest of the Arkanis Sector have fallen to Rebel control. With the mention of Tatooine seeing a liberation struggle after Endor (thus explaining the victory scene there), the Imperials who were planning to counterattack in the BHT, did so on Tatooine but were then driven off again.