Skip to main content

A mysterious Star Wars fan built a life-sized AT-ST walker

Outside the AT ST Walker
There are Star Wars fans and then there are serious Star Wars fans. The Australian fan who built a life-sized replica of an AT-ST walker from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi is clearly one of the latter.

Almost eight months ago, a number of images were posted online by someone who spotted something that looked suspiciously like the familiar transport vehicle (an “All Terrain Scout Transport” if you want to get technical) used by the Empire’s soldiers, parked in someone’s backyard. The photographer responsible for the pictures eventually mustered up the courage to go find out why an AT-ST would end up in someone’s backyard, and ended up posting a close-up video of the transport, which apparently does more than just stand there inspiring awe.

Both the photos and video were posted by someone going by the name of “Mr Kernish,” who reportedly spotted the AT-ST while working near the house where it’s located, and who was compelled — for obvious reasons — to take some photos. (After all, it’s not every day you see an AT-ST in the wild.) The response to the photos he posted on Imgur then prompted him to approach the owner of the house to get some more information about the impressive homage to the iconic vehicle, and he recorded a pair of brief videos showing the moving gun turrets, eye-ports, and sound effects the AT-ST’s creator incorporated into the movie-accurate replica, as well as the interior of the cockpit.

Inside the AT ST Walker

Solar panels on the top of the AT-ST power the turrets and the rest of the walker, and the cockpit of the AT-ST contains a hodgepodge of circuit boards and other electronics, as well as some red lights that turn on when the eye-ports are closed. There’s also a plaque identifying the AT-ST as “Tempest Scout 2,” the AT-ST that Chewbacca commandeers in Return of the Jedi during the Battle of Endor (the one with the Ewoks, for the less Star Wars-savvy readers), and a lightsaber affixed to one interior wall next to an emergency stop button.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the AT-ST, however, is that its creator chose to remain unidentified. Rather than post photos of his/her creation online or otherwise promote it, the AT-ST’s creator simply enjoys it and would have likely continued to do so without any attention whatsoever if “Mr Kernish” hadn’t discovered it. Basically, building a life-size AT-ST was no big deal for its owner.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
The Acolyte’s first trailer embraces the Dark Side of Star Wars
Amandla Stenberg in The Acolyte.

Since the launch of Disney+ in 2019, there have been four live-action Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian and Andor. But the one thing that each of those shows had in common was that they followed the hero of the story. This summer, The Acolyte is flipping the switch on that by putting the spotlight on Mae (Amandla Stenberg), a former Padawan in the Jedi Order who seems to have quite a grudge against her onetime masters. That may be why Mae is attacking and apparently killing Jedi with knives in the first trailer for The Acolyte.

The Acolyte | Official Trailer | Disney+

Read more
Star Wars could’ve had Christopher Walken as Han Solo and Jodie Foster as Princess Leia
An old man talks in Dune: Part Two.

The great thing about a hit movie is that you tend to find out things during interviews, premieres, and press conferences that would have never surfaced otherwise. Dune: Part Two is one such movie. In the lead-up to the movie's blockbuster opening weekend, we've discovered Josh Brolin's hidden talents as a poet and photographer, Javier Bardem's dedication to his children, Zendaya's love for the sci-fi classic Metropolis, and Austin Butler's appreciation for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The most recent revelation, however, tops all of those. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Christopher Walken, who plays Shaddam IV, the film's fearsome Emperor, explains why he came out of a four-year break from acting in films and joined Dune: Part Two. One reason was due to his admiration for the first film, which cemented Denis Villeneuve's status as one of the best sci-fi directors ever, and his appreciation of the sequel's impressive cast, which also includes Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Dave Bautista.

Read more
10 surprising facts about Star Wars you didn’t know
Han Solo points at himself in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Thanks to its status as one of the most popular franchises in the history of movies, Star Wars has a hoard of fans that rivals any out there.

It's also got plenty of trivia that has accumulated for decades, and if you're someone who digs deep on everything from Star Wars shows to even the Star Wars movies that don't happen, then you might be interested in some of the facts we've assembled here. Here are 10 facts about the mega-franchise that may surprise even some major fans.
Obi-Wan was supposed to survive

Read more