By now, I think you’ve probably noticed my tattoo that begins on my shoulder and extends down to my pinky finger. Even if you’re not a big Star Wars fan, I bet you recognize it. I’ve been seeing it around everywhere, in a lot of their new projects.
But this symbol actually goes back to the ‘80s and had a totally different meaning before Disney bought the franchise and decided to jettison tons of the old continuity. This symbol actually had a really cool backstory.
Originally, this symbol was the family crest of Lord Darkblaster from the Planet Thunderkill. He was the patriarch of a clan of bounty hunters/neutral Force users who patrolled the galaxy and became legendary for their feats of courage and ruthlessness during the Battle of Skull Planet.
But since Disney changed everything, you probably know it as the royal insignia of Prince Cuddles from Planet Wuv, curator of the Garden of Rainbows and Dreams. I’ll be honest, I have seen a few episodes of Disney’s Pre-K show, Prince Cuddles’s Outer Space Adventures whenever I find myself up around 6:00 AM, and it’s actually not a bad show. It does a really good job teaching things like empathy and words that are tricky to spell (I could have sworn that “apprentice” had one more “P”). But I still prefer the old backstory, especially since I have it permanently etched onto my body.
I got this tattoo when I was in my early 20s, right after I read the fourth book in the Lord Darkblaster trilogy, The Bounty Hunter’s Murderer’s Revenge. Darkblaster is gifted the symbol after engaging in ritualistic mortal combat with the dreaded Serpent of the Deep, besting it with his flamethrower/ice blaster combo weapon. I know! It was incredible. I was so taken with the whole story, that I got the tattoo that night.
And even though I enjoyed the Prince Cuddles episode where he earned the symbol by bringing the virtues of compassion and finger painting to the inhabitants of the Bunny People Homeworld, I still think I prefer the image of the symbol being smelted onto Lord Darkblaster’s shield rather than when it was sewn onto Prince Cuddles’s blankie.
And I’m not trying to say that Prince Cuddles is a bad character or anything. His courage and strength of character during his battle with the Tickle Monster was truly commendable, as is his dedication to his daily snack of carefully chopped vegetables, never giving in to the pull of the Dark Side and trading them to a classmate for sweets. But I still don’t think it compares to Lord Darkblaster’s perseverance and resourcefulness when, after being the only survivor of the Empire’s brutal space battle over the Moon of Toxic Forest Mists, he crashed landed into the Pit of Unending Doom and had to endure the tortures of the Saber-Tooth Eagles.
And, I should add, Lord Darkblaster also finished his vegetables in that adventure, too, which is why you can see vegetables in the crest here, here, and here.
Way back when, only hardcore fans recognized this symbol. It was like a secret code that we used to recognize each other with. But now, everyone knows what it is. And, as much as I enjoyed riding Prince Cuddles’s Sleep-Coaster last time I was at Disney World, I found myself having to explain over and over again that my tattoo actually predates the new continuity.
Anyway, it’s been fun getting to know you, but I should probably be heading back, especially if I want to catch Prince Cuddles’s Outer Space Adventures tomorrow morning. But I think you have my number if you want to get coffee again sometime. And next time, I’ll make sure to ask you a question, too.