So as a Star Wars fan, over the years I’ve wondered why some characters have different accents that don’t seem to be related to species. And upon beginning the Thrawn novel (very minor spoilers here as well as for Queen’s Peril) I think I’ve figured it out.
The accent that we would call British originates from the Mid Rim, or the center of the galaxy in Star Wars. This is where Coruscant is located, which is why many of the senators, especially Palpatine, are all British.
This isn’t the case in the Outer Rim, where planets like Tatooine and Mandalore are. This is why the characters from here, like Bo-Katan and Luke, are American.
It always bothered me, though, that Satine and Bo-Katan have different accents despite being siblings. But here’s the thing—for politicians not from the Mid Rim, they acquire the accent to match.
The reason I know this is because in Queen’s Peril, Padmé and her handmaidens painstakingly create a unique voice for Queen Amidala—not just for the sense of anonymity, but of professionalism. All politicians in the galaxy use that voice. That’s why in the prequels, whenever Padmé or another handmaiden is under the Amidala “mask,” she uses a British accent. I believe it’s the same for Satine.
Not only that, but it’s revealed in Thrawn that Governor Pryce (also in Rebels) deliberately rid herself of her Outer Rim accent. That’s because most Imperials are from near Coruscant, which is the hub of the Empire. Anyone else acquires it. That’s also why Cadet Vanto sticks out from everyone else; his roots in Wild Space cause others to take notice to his accent.
Sometimes, when it’s not required, characters don’t switch their accents. Because Jango Fett was a foundling, he wasn’t born on Mandalore, meaning he wasn’t born with an American accent like most Mandalorians and there was no need for him to acquire it.
That’s why protocol droids are British too: it’s considered the more professional version of Basic, and more non-Basic speaking beings are likely to understand it.
So basically: the British accent is like the transatlantic accent of the Star Wars world. For Mid Rim citizens it is their natural drawl, for others it’s the professional accent of trade.
