Beggar ' s Canyon / Legends Beggar ' s Canyon was a massive canyon on the desert planet of Tatooine . Description . Beggar ' s Canyon was a canyon that cuts through the Ben ' s Mesa . It was formed by a junction of three rivers millennia ago when the planet had water and vegetation . It was home to the ferocious canyon krayt dragon , as well as the somewhat less dangerous womp rat . The canyon was inhabited by hermits who were chased out of Mos Espa . Beggar ' s Canyon was used as a part of the Boonta Eve Classic podrace . It also served as a place for bored youths who lived in and around the town of Anchorhead to show off their piloting skills to each other . Pilots would compete by racing inside its treacherous walls using the Incom T - 16 skyhopper . They would also hone their targeting skills and earn some credits by attempting to blast womp rats as they raced at breakneck speeds . Beggar ' s Canyon is also known for the Stone Needle , an unusual rock formation that rose 18 . 2 meters from the canyon floor . Occasionally the Stone Needle figured into these races , since passing through or " threading " it could help a pilot shave off at least five seconds from his or her time . However , it was an incredibly risky thing to do and many pilots decided that their life was more important than a race . There were only two pilots known to thread it . The first was Biggs Darklighter , who almost destroyed the Stone Needle on a number of occasions . The second was Luke Skywalker , who lost his stabilizer while passing though the Needle , much to the consternation of one of his peers , " Deak " . Both Darklighter and Skywalker would later use their piloting skills to aid the Alliance to Restore the Republic in its war against the Galactic Empire . History . During the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY , Anakin Skywalker was driven onto an access ramp by Sebulba , sending his podracer several hundred feet in the air . Skywalker recovered and jumped ahead of Sebulba ' s racer . He became the first person to do such a feat in podracing history . Six months after the Battle of Yavin , two T - 16s were flying through Beggar ' s Canyon when the Empire raided Mos Eisley . While Skywalker was a member of the Alliance , the Black Sun put a bounty on his head and bounty hunters hired by Jabba the Hutt were sent to Ben Kenobi ' s hut to capture him on their swoop bikes . Luke hijacked one bike and headed towards his well - known canyon ; he managed to lose half of them who could not maneuver its narrow turns or pass the Stone Needle . Behind the scenes . Beggar ' s Canyon was first mentioned in — the first " Star Wars " film . In the video game " " , Beggar ' s Canyon was the location of a training center for new Rebel pilots known as Anchorhead Base . It was completely destroyed when it was attacked by a flight of TIE Fighters in 0 BBY . Players could navigate Beggar ' s Canyon in three different stages of " Rebel Assault " . The first involved piloting a skyhopper and avoiding the walls of the treacherous canyon . At one point they were given a decision to take follow the leaders of the training flight through an " easy " stretch , or to go by themselves down a more difficult stretch of the canyon . Going through the difficult stretch resulted in more points being awarded to the player . In the next stage , from a top - down perspective , the player would navigate the skyhopper through the canyon , shooting down target drones as he / she progressed . The last stage involving Beggar ' s Canyon occurred a few chapters later . It was nearly identical to the first , except for the fact that the player ' s objective was to chase down and destroy the TIE Fighters that had destroyed Anchorhead Base while piloting an X - wing . The concept of the training center appears only in " Rebel Assault " and this information is considered apocryphal due to " Rebel Assault ' s " canon status . This idea was probably derived from Luke and Biggs ' s use of the canyon during their teenage years . In another scene of questionable canon ocity , Beggar ' s Canyon is again featured in a later game , " . " The Beggar ' s Canyon race bonus level could be unlocked by scoring at least a Bronze medal in all the normal levels . In the mission , Luke Skywalker ( the player ) races fellow Rogue Squadron pilots Zev Senesca , Dak Ralter and Wedge Antilles through the twisting confines of the narrow canyon , all in T - 16 Skyhoppers . At various points , the player can choose to take different branches , some of them offering shorter routes to the finish line . However , the fastest routes are also the narrowest and most winding , requiring the most piloting skill to navigate successfully . Finishing the race in first place , ahead of Wedge , requires Luke to take the most difficult route . The Stone Needle is visible at the end of the canyon race course , and Luke can fly through its " eye " . The game ' s 2001 sequel , " , " includes Beggar ' s Canyon in the training session , as does " "