LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga Mocks The AT-AT Pronunciation
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga not only jokes about movie moments but also openly mocks arguments between fans, like how to pronounce "AT-AT."
Out of all the jokes contained within LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, the joke on how to pronounce "AT-AT" is one of the best. During the game's version of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Leia orders Rogue Squadron to take down the incoming Imperial Walkers, calling them "Aye-Tee Aye-Tees." In response to Leia, Luke acknowledges the orders and calls them AT-ATs. It's one of many funny exchanges included in The Skywalker Saga, but this one in particular stands out as it light-heartedly highlights a long-running discussion in Star Wars fandom.
An AT-AT - or what it's called in the movies, an Imperial Walker - refers to the All Terrain Armored Transports used by the Empire. The AT-AT is the Empire's military backbone, transporting troops and laying down heavy blaster fire support. Their origins can be linked to the six-legged AT-TE or All Terrain Tactical Enforcer, which returns in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's open world and made its first appearance in Attack of the Clones. The AT-AT is not the only Imperial vehicle in the original trilogy to hold the "All Terrain" designation, as there were variants like the AT-STs, which was mockingly referred to as the "chicken walker" by rebel soldiers.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga not only defuses the tiring argument of how AT-AT should be pronounced, but it does so in the best way: through humor. As a result, the game effectively accepts both ways AT-AT is pronounced. The debate over the true pronunciation of the Imperial Walker's actual designation has grown quite tedious at times, and LEGO's Skywalker Saga shows how it doesn't really matter how anyone refers to it, whether that be in Star Wars movies, TV shows, or video games.
In the context of the game and the various playable characters in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, a possible lore reason could explain and accept both ways of AT-AT pronunciation. On the one hand, Leia calling them Aye-Tee Aye-Tees could be due to her background as both a military leader in the Rebel Alliance and as a political figure as part of the Alderaanian royal family. As a Princess and military leader in the Rebellion, it's within the realm of possibility that she learned of Imperial technology through their military designations in manuals.
Once part of the Alliance, she would use their service names according to the Empire, calling the walkers Aye-Tee Aye-Tees as a result. On the other hand, when Luke calls the Imperial walkers AT-ATs, it seems to drift towards slang used by frontline Rebel forces to quickly identify the vehicles. It's similar to how the clones in Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated TV series called Separatist battle droids "Clankers."
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's funny character moments turn serious events in Star Wars into something that can be enjoyed overall, from the lore-hungry fan to the casual watcher. Poking fun at the debate over the AT-AT's true pronunciation is emblematic of that, and illustrates how in tune the game is with the wider Star Wars fandom. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga shows the funnier and lighthearted side of Star Wars, highlighting that something like pronunciation doesn't affect the galaxy far, far away as much as some may like to think.