[1][2][3] The film's director and co-writer, J. J. Abrams, first mentioned its name at Star Wars Celebration in April 2015, identifying Jakku as the setting in the trailers and revealing that it is where the character Rey (Daisy Ridley) lives.

[7] In the film, Resistance X-wing pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) comes to Jakku seeking vital information held by explorer Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow).

He escapes with the help of turncoat stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), but Poe is presumed dead when their stolen TIE fighter crashes in the desert.

The scenes on Jakku were filmed in the UAE section of the Rub al Khali desert, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

[12] Some have criticized Jakku as being essentially the same planet as Tatooine, the home world of both Luke and Anakin Skywalker (from the original and prequel trilogy, respectively), with only its name being unique.

[1] The 2015 action shooter video game Star Wars Battlefront features downloadable content (DLC) titled Battle of Jakku,[18][19] which includes two multiplayer maps set on the planet.