Sacrifice in Star Wars

One of the main themes played out in Star Wars is sacrifice, which is often tied to redemption, but not always. Saw Gerrera pays a lot of lip service to “sacrificing for the greater good,” but we rarely see him put that idea into practice himself. But there are other, far more noble characters who do (Can you tell he’s not my favorite person right now? Lol.) With the recent sacrifices made by characters in both The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch, I thought I’d explore characters in Star Wars who truly sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

For the purposes of this post, “sacrifice” denotes a character making a clear decision to give their lives for a higher purpose, as opposed to those “making the ultimate sacrifice” in war, like the clones, for example, or just regular soldiers dying in war (and I’m sure there are examples of soldiers making a clear decision to die to save their comrades, as well). I’m also not including any from books or comics, just to make it simpler.

Anyway, these are the main characters off the top of my head, though I’m sure there are more:

Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope

The sacrifice: Obi-Wan allows Darth Vader to cut him down in a lightsaber battle on the first Death Star.

Obi-Wan clearly stops fighting, raises his lightsaber and steps back, giving Vader the opening to strike him down. This was mostly to allow Luke and his friends to escape. From a story standpoint, Obi-Wan was the wise mentor that had to be removed from the equation to allow Luke to overcome obstacles on his own. And perhaps Obi-Wan felt it appropriate for his “failure” with Anakin, though he had long accepted and let go of Anakin’s turn to the dark side. Plus, he knew he would become a cool Force ghost, and perhaps help Luke better that way.

Pain scale: 5 out of 10. When I first entered the Star Wars universe, I saw The Empire Strikes Back first, so Obi-Wan was already a ghost. When I went back and watched ANH, the death scene was expected. If I had watched SW in chronological order, with prequels first, and the Clone Wars series, I would have been much more attached to him by the time I got to his death, and the score would be higher. He’s now one of my favorite characters, but his death was there from the very beginning.

Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi

The sacrifice: Vader picks up Palpatine, who was electrocuting Luke at the time, and throws him down an air shaft, thereby saving Luke but destroying the life support system of his helmet and chest plate.

Vader sacrificed himself for the life of his son. After years of being a slave to the dark at the Emperor’s side, he finally had enough. It took his son’s compassion for him to be reached, and Luke nearly died himself to save his father. This is one of the examples that involves redemption with the sacrifice. Is it complete redemption? I don’t know–after all the atrocities that Vader committed, what’s enough? Did he truly repent, or was he just focused on saving his son? Whatever the case, it was a very satisfying scene, and truly moving to see.

Pain scale: 5 out of 10. At the time I saw it, it was very shocking, and sad, but it didn’t pain me like some of the others here. Vader was a monster, after all. He was the villain (although a puppet of Palpatine, too, who was the real big bad) and was defeated, though in a very unexpected way. All I can say is that I hope Anakin has found peace in the Force.

Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi

The sacrifice: Luke Force-projects himself onto Crait from his location on Ach-To in order to distract the First Order so the Resistance can escape. The effort drains all of his Force energy, and he dies, disappearing into the Force.

Say what you will about Luke’s character in The Last Jedi, you gotta admit he made a very Jedi-like sacrifice in the film to save the ragged remnants of the Resistance–and his sister, of course. It was quite a clever ruse, and no one was hurt by his actions, proving it was a very Jedi move. Was there an element of redemption in there? Perhaps a little bit. Luke thought he was doing the right thing by staying out of it all, AND he was very grumpy doing it, lol. But he was wrong, by his own admission as a Force ghost in TROS. This sacrifice made up for it and more.

Pain scale: 7 out of 10. It was hard to see Luke, the main character of the originals, fade into the Force. But he went out on his own terms, and that’s satisfying.

Amilyn Holdo in The Last Jedi

The sacrifice: Holdo pilots an empty Rebel ship into a First Order Super-Star Destroyer by going into hyperspace, thereby destroying it by going through it at light speed.

Some people were frustrated with the character of Holdo, mostly because she wouldn’t tell Poe and the rest of her crew her plan to evacuate the Resistance to the planet Crait. While I do wonder why she couldn’t simply tell them the plan, I do think Poe was out of line to disobey her and mutiny. But that’s a debate for another post. She redeemed herself at least in Poe’s eyes by sacrificing herself so the Resistance could get away. A really cool way to go out, all told, and I bet she didn’t feel a thing, lol.

Pain scale: 4 out of 10. We’d just met Holdo in this film so it wasn’t a great wrench to lose her, though it’s always sad when the good guys die. I usually tear up a little bit when Leia says, “I can’t take anymore,” but that’s Leia’s pain I’m feeling, not mine.

Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker

The sacrifice: Ben Force-heals a near-dead Rey, draining what’s left of his own Force energy, and dies.

Ben Solo giving up his Kylo Ren persona and rushing to Exegol to help Rey was a very satisfying part of his character arc. We only got about ten minutes of Ben Solo, which saddens me. The fact that he had no dialogue (except “Ouch,” I guess) is telling–Kylo liked to shoot his mouth off a lot, but Ben’s actions spoke louder than words. Giving all his Force energy to Rey so she could live is a pretty big act of redemption. Almost makes up for him killing his father. Not really, but the scene of his memory of Han Solo goes a long way in helping us forgive him.

Pain scale: 8 out of 10. Even though I swore when I saw The Force Awakens that I’d never forgive him for killing Han, by the time of TROS it really hurt to see him die. Mostly because we had just met Ben Solo, and then he was gone within minutes. I would have liked to get to know him better.

Kanan Jarrus in Rebels

The sacrifice: Kanan uses the Force to keep the flames of an explosion from killing those he loves, and when he uses the Force to push them back out of the way, the flames overtake him.

I was a little late to the party with Rebels, so I already knew through various social media channels that Kanan was going to die. Did that make it any easier? Not by a long shot. In fact, because I knew it was coming, there was a horrible dread clinging to me as Season 4 got nearer. And the fact that he already made a sacrifice, though not willingly–his sight–made it all seem so unfair, even though the blindness endowed him with a deeper wisdom. I do like that he knew his death was coming (thanks to the Lothwolf), so he could prepare for it and say his goodbyes.

Pain scale: 9 out of 10, because I really, really liked this guy. The way the Force gave him back his sight at the last moment so he could see his family was a nice touch, and cranked up the tear factor.

Tech from The Bad Batch

The sacrifice: Hanging over a precipice from a malfunctioning rail car, Tech decides to sever the connection and fall to his death rather than bring the whole squad–his family–with him.

So this is one of the most recent losses, and it is still an open wound for me. It totally blindsided me and I’m still coming to terms with it. I cried about Tech’s death in this post here, if you want more of my grief. It hurts so much more because it didn’t have to happen at all, if it wasn’t for a CERTAIN SOMEONE insisting on blowing up the place with no discernable results at all. There’s a lot of debate about whether Tech is still alive or not, and I’m about 50/50 on it. But until Season 3 comes along and we learn otherwise, I’m in total mourning.

Pain scale: 10 out of 10. Probably because it’s so fresh, so unexpected, and he’s a sweet nerd boy who shouldn’t have died. But he’s a hero in my book.

The Rogue One Crew in Rogue One

The sacrifice: Virtually all the members of the Rogue One crew are killed on Scarif in their attempt to steal the Death Star plans.

So even though I said I didn’t want to include military sacrifices, this one is a bit different, in that the Rogue One crew were, well, rogue. They all made a clear decision to disobey orders, go to Scarif on their own to do what they could, without any expectation of back up. They didn’t necessarily choose to die in the moment–their lives were just taken from them–but they had a pretty good idea that they probably wouldn’t be coming back from this mission, or at least, that chances were low of coming out alive. But they chose to go anyway, and that’s why I’ve included it here.

Pain scale: 8 out of 10. I figured several of them wouldn’t make it out alive, but ALL of them??? I loved them all, but to see even Cassian and Jyn waiting for the blast of the Death Star to consume them….it hurt. Knowing they accomplished their mission and that cursed space station was doomed helped a little bit.

Honorable mentions:

Leia in The Rise of Skywalker

Let’s not forget that Leia, still recovering from her unscheduled space-walk in TLJ, gave up the last of her life force to reach her son across the galaxy. I think it was more a personal need to try to reach her son one last time, rather than sacrifice her life to save anybody, but it turned out she did save Rey from Kylo Ren.

Pain scale: 6 out of 10.

Val from Solo: A Star Wars Story

Okay, so this one isn’t in service for a greater good. They were stealing coaxium from the Empire for Dryden Vos. But I was impressed how Val didn’t hesitate to press that button when her crew was in trouble. Unfortunately, the mission didn’t end well and she died for nothing.

Pain scale: 2 out of 10.

Paz Viszla in The Mandalorian

In the latest installment of The Mandalorian, Paz Viszla, a member of the Children of the Watch, sacrifices himself to try to save his people from Moff Gideon and the Imperials. It takes a whole squad of beskar-plated stormtroopers and three Praetorian Guards to kill him, the guy’s such a big brute. And perhaps there’s a bit of redemption in his sacrifice for the Viszla family, as Pre Viszla (from the Clone Wars, and maybe his father?) was the leader of Death Watch. I appreciate his sacrifice and am saddened, but his disposition didn’t go far to endear him to me, lol.

Pain scale: 3 out of 10.

Did I miss any obvious ones? I couldn’t think of any from the Prequels, what do you think? Whose sacrifice hurt you the most? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Thoughts on Star Wars Celebration 2023 Announcements

So Star Wars Celebration was this past weekend, and it was packed with information and fun. The more I see of Celebration, the more I’m convinced I MUST attend one at some point. Super Star Wars fun! Anyway, here are my brief thoughts on some of the more prominent announcements of Celebration:

Movies! So three movies seem to be in the works–one about the dawn of the Jedi, a Mando tie-in movie, and a post-sequel movie about a new Jedi Order. The first one, supposedly taking place 25,000 years in the past, will show the very first Jedi, perhaps the origin of the Force, etc. That’s cool, I guess, and I’d definitely go see it, but not particularly excited about it. The Mando tie-in is a no-brainer, bringing all the Mandoverse elements together from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, etc. Fun.

The one I’m most excited–and worried–about is the post-sequel film about the new Jedi Order, with our very own Daisy Ridley reprising her role as Rey. As a sequel fan, this is hugely exciting, and I’m hoping we’ll see other sequel characters joining her, including Finn and Poe, and one very particular Force ghost. But I’m not sure if John Boyega is willing to return to the role, or any of them, for that matter. It wouldn’t be the same without them. I’m frankly surprised that Daisy has chosen to return, considering all the hate her character received, and is still receiving, from the toxic fandom. You can’t let the bullies win, of course, but I hate to see her get more abuse. There are those jaded souls who will say, “Money talks,” and perhaps that’s true, but I feel like she can go in plenty of other directions for her career. So I’m hoping that this is a sign that the idea is worthwhile enough for her to come back to and risk even more tiresome vitriol.

Ahsoka trailer! The Ahsoka trailer was awesome, and I can’t wait for August when it premieres. We got the whole Ghost crew assembled, it seems, with Sabine, Hera, Chopper, and we saw Zeb in The Mandalorian, so I’m guessing he’ll be around. Oh, and Ezra in a hologram, like a Star Wars photo that Sabine has of him. There are plenty of villains, too, with Morgan Elsbeth returning, two new dark Force users with orange lightsabers, and yes, Thrawn. The big news is that the actor who voiced Thrawn in Rebels, Lars Mikkelson, will portray him in live-action. I think it’s a great decision, and seems only natural–come on, the guy even looks like Thrawn, lol.

The Acolyte! This show won’t come out until next year, but I’m very excited about it. It takes place towards the end of the High Republic era, and as a fan of the books, this is very cool. Whatever footage they showed at Celebration was not made public, but it sounds great. There are dark Force users (Sith?) and Jedi and intrigue and lightsaber battles, and come on, who’s not excited for this? Also, Vernestra Rwoh from the High Republic books, who is only 15 at the time of these stories, will be making an appearance here, which I think takes place quite a bit later (100 years? I think). But she is Mirialan, and so perhaps long-lived. I saw a fuzzy photo of her character in the Acolyte, and she kind of looks like Nebula from Marvel, lol.

Andor Season 2! This also will be coming out in 2024, and I’m looking forward to it. I believe in Season 2, every three episodes will constitute a year in time, so things will move right along. No sign of K2SO, but without doubt he will make his appearance. I’m ready to learn of Luthen’s fate and Mon Mothma’s family drama, and what happens to B2EMO?

Skeleton Crew! I haven’t given much thought to this one, but it sounds like fun, and any Jude Law is a good thing, lol. A bunch of kids get lost in space, and their parents are worried, and they meet the Jude Law character, who is at least Force-sensitive. It takes place during the Mandoverse era, so this crew will likely play a part in the big tie-in.

High Republic books! Phase Three of the High Republic books, called Trials of the Jedi, was announced, and I’m VERY psyched. Phase 2 has been quite good, but I’ve been itching to get back to the characters of Phase One. This publishing phase goes right into 2025, with three waves as with Phase One, so plenty of High Republic Star Wars on the horizon. Yay!

Tales of the Jedi S2! I really enjoyed Tales of the Jedi, and I’m glad there will be a Season Two, I just wish we knew more about it. It was simply announced there would be a second season, but no release date, no info on episodes. Oh well. Patience.

Return of the Jedi theater release on April 28th for 40th anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been 40 years since I lined up at the movie theater with other fans in 1983 when I was 12 years old to see Return of the Jedi. Did I ever think I’d be just as obsessed and enjoying all this Star Wars goodness with gray in my hair? Not in a million years, but here we are, and I’m so glad. I will not miss this re-release.

The Bad Batch will get a third and final season! I figured we’d get a Season Three, but I was kind of hoping for four, only because I love these guys so much. But three makes sense if it wraps things up in one more. Or at least, a satisfactory ending, which includes all of the Batch retiring comfortably on Pabu. Kidding, I know I’m asking for too much, lol. There was footage shown of Season 3 but of course, not made public. From descriptions I’ve heard, it looks like the Emperor will be making a visit to Mt. Tantiss, Omega and Crosshair are prisoners together there, and the others are going through a lot of action trying to find them. At one point Wrecker says, “Why are there always monsters?!” Indeed, Wrecker. Out in 2024, but no specific release date.

Visions Season Two trailer! This is Star Wars’ creative experiment with various animation studios, and Season One was very cool and very different. I loved some of them more than others, but each one brings a different flavor to the Star Wars universe. The trailer looks super cool and exciting, and I can’t wait to watch them all on May 4th.

Celebration 2025 in Japan! Celebration will apparently be skipping 2024, but it will take place in Japan in 2025. I was kind of hoping to make it my mission to go to the next Celebration, but Japan is pushing it for me, lol. I’m going to leave it at “The next Celebration in the US,” and sign it in blood. Definite bucket list item, which gives me an idea for my next post!

What did you think of the Celebration news? Did you go? (And I’m so not jealous!) What’s your favorite announcement? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Tech-nical Difficulties

Bad Batch Spoilers!!!

[Deep Sigh]

So, I’ve been in mourning this past week, along with a very large segment of the fandom, over Tech’s death in the season finale of The Bad Batch. I’ve been obsessively reading and replying and commiserating with other fans on several social media fan groups, and the consensus is we’re all devastated .

Oh Star Wars, why do you insist on breaking our hearts?

I haven’t been this heartbroken since Kanan’s death in Rebels. But even then, we had clues. Clearly something very bad was going to happen to him (and I was a bit late to the party, so I already knew he was doomed, but still, it hurt). I didn’t see Tech’s death coming until he was hanging off that rail car and announced Plan 99. But, looking back over Season 2, I suppose there were clues. These episodes were quite Tech-heavy, with him strengthening his relationship with Omega, saving the day with the Riot Race, and the little kind-of romance with Phee. I didn’t know why we were getting so much Tech, but boy, was I pleased. Now? Not so pleased. They were making us love him even more, so when he died, the emotional impact would be epic.

I misquoted him in a previous post, but I think I got the gist.

But it’s a double-anguish, because–IF, in Star Wars fashion, he might still be alive, the only outcome I can see is Tech being taken by Hemlock and turned into something really awful. And that would break my heart even more. (I was going to be upset if Crosshair suffered that fate). So, given the choice of him being dead or being turned into a monster, I’d choose him dying as a hero. And he IS a hero, even if he does come back in whatever form. When he was hanging from that railcar, he knew the only way to save his family was to cut the line. That decision will not be erased by some “miracle” of him coming back. It wouldn’t be “for nothing,” as some fans suggested. In my opinion, he’s forever a hero.

That’s it. That’s the post. I loved Tech, and now he’s gone (forever? Only Season 3 will tell).

You will be missed, my awkward but still badass friend.

My Favorite Star Wars Character From Each Major Project

Hello friends!

I was casting around for an idea for my next post, and decided to slack off and go to Facebook instead. The first thing I saw was a post on one of my favorite Star Wars Facebook groups (Star Wars Fans Who Actually Like Star Wars). The poster posited this question: who is your favorite character from each Star Wars project? Ah, perfect!

So without further ado, here’s my list:

Prequel trilogy – Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“Oh, I’m not brave enough for politics.”

Clone wars – Ashoka Tano.

“You’ll find I have many qualities for you to dislike.”

Tales of the Jedi – Yaddle.

“Already so many have suffered, for what you call peace.”

The Bad Batch – Tech.

“Just because I process things differently doesn’t mean I don’t feel them the same way.”

Jedi Fallen Order – N/A, although I’m reading Battle Scars and so far I have to say Merrin.

Rebels – Kanan Jarrus.

“Battles leave scars. Some you can’t see.”

Solo – Young Han.

“I have a really good feeling about this.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi – Young Leia.

“The Senate’s boring. It’s people in itchy clothes arguing.”

Andor – Mon Mothma.

“As long as everyone thinks I’m an irritation, there’s a good chance they won’t see what I’m really doing.”

Rogue One – Cassian Andor.

“I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old.”

Original trilogy – Han Solo.

“I think you just can’t bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight.”

Battlefront 2 – N/A

The Mandolorian – Grogu.

The Book of Boba Fett – Fennic Shand.

“In difficult times, fear is a surer path.”

Resistance – Neeku.

Star Wars Squadrons -N/A

Sequel trilogy – Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.

Star Wars Visions – Master Tajin from The Elder.

“No matter how powerful you become, know that it will not last forever.”

The High Republic-Elzar Mann.

I don’t have a quote for Elzar, either, lol.

The categories are from the original poster, but I added The High Republic on at the end since it’s such a big project and I love it.

There are so many wonderful characters from Star Wars and it’s so hard to choose! There are other characters I love that didn’t make it onto the list, like Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Rey, Chewie, and a slew of awesome droids. But breaking it into categories helps narrow it down.

So who are your favorite characters from these projects? List them all, or just pick a few of your favorite projects, and we’ll talk about it!

What I’ve Been Reading

Hello friends! It’s been awhile, as I’ve been busy with a move to a new apartment, but I always make time for reading. Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:

Station Eleven, by Hilary St. John Mandel. This is a re-read; I read it originally when it first came out, before the TV series based on it came out. I love a good dystopian novel, but this is one of my favorites. End-of-the-world stories are usually full of tropes, but this one is refreshingly original (besides the virus-kills-most of humanity-trope to begin with). It consists of alternating timelines before and after the Georgia Flu kills 99% of humanity, and begins with the death of an actor onstage: Arthur Leander, playing King Lear. Arthur dies that night, the night before the virus sweeps through the nation, and the world, but a lot of the flashbacks have to do with Arthur and his life, the people around him, and how they intersect and connect in the aftermath. Twenty years after the end, The Travelling Symphony travels through sporadic towns and communities, putting on plays, mostly Shakespeare, and playing classical music (“Because survival is insufficient”). Part of this group is Kirsten Raymonde, who had played one of Lear’s daughters as a child in Arthur’s last performance that fateful night. Kirsten is obsessed with a rare comic book that was written and drawn by Arthur’s first wife, Miranda (though Kirsten doesn’t know this). The comic, called Station Eleven, is itself symbolic of the survivors in the aftermath of the flu: like the people of the Undersea, they miss their old home and only wish to return to it. The book is what I consider a literary dystopian novel; if you’re looking for lots of action and explosions and such, you won’t find it here (though there is a sinister Prophet, who is also connected to Arthur). What you will find is a story about art and memory and home and regret and just a really great book that I can’t recommend enough. I haven’t seen the series–has anyone seen it, and would you recommend it?

Recursion, by Blake Couch. Blake Couch is one of those authors who writes crazy stories about mind-bending subjects, like alternate universes and parallel timelines (such as his book Dark Matter, which I read a few years ago). This one is about memory, and how our sensory perceptions of memory are so vital; the characters in this book can actually travel into a vivid memory (with the help of a super-tech “memory chair”) and relive the moment physically, change it so the outcome is different, and continue living along that new timeline. The way the event originally happened becomes a “dead memory.” Yeah, mind-bending. I’m not finished with it yet, I’m about three quarters done with it, but it’s enjoyable, even if I’m totally confused sometimes, lol. It’s fun, but what I call a “junk read.” I won’t remember a darn thing about it a few years from now, whereas I remember so many moments from the book above, scenes that will stay with me forever.

Jedi: Battle Scars, by Sam Maggs. My latest Star Wars read, and the latest published, just last week. I just started it, so I don’t have much to say on it right now, except that it’s based on the video game characters of Jedi: Fallen Order. I’m not a gamer, but I’ve always wanted to know more about the story of Cal Kestis and the Stinger Mantis crew. I’m such a ding-dong about video games that I didn’t realize there was a whole story involved, a story that’s a part of the canon lore, and not just characters slashing things with lightsabers, lol. This story takes place between the events of Fallen Order and the upcoming sequel to the game, Jedi: Survivor. All I know is that in this book the group encounters a defecting stormtrooper, and the Inquisitor the Fifth Brother. That’s all I need to know and I’m in. 🙂 I still won’t be playing the video games, but I’m glad I at least have the opportunity to get to know these characters in a book.

What have you been reading? Have you read any of these books, and what did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Book Update

Hello friends!

While I was waiting for The Battle of Jedha to be released on February 14th (it’s the hard copy script of the audiobook that was released in January), I thought I’d jot down an update on a few other Star Wars books I’ve been reading lately.

Quest for the Hidden City, by George Mann. This is the middle-grade book in the first wave of High Republic Phase 2 books. It follows Jedi Knight Silandra Sho and her Padawan Rooper Nitani, part of a Pathfinder team, as they investigate another missing Pathfinder team on the planet Gloam. Pathfinder teams explore the Outer Rim and invite frontier worlds to join the Republic. They’re made up of a Jedi Knight and their Padawan, a pilot, an engineer, a medic, and a droid or two. As Silandra and Rooper investigate, a mysterious and terrifying creature threatens the team. A fun book for High Republic fans.

The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, by Ryder Windham. Released back in 2008, this one is a Legends book about Obi-Wan Kenobi and his exploits through the Prequels and Original trilogy. As a big Obi-Wan fan, I thought I might like this one, and I did. Even though much of it concerns scenes from the movies that we’re already familiar with, it also adds some insight and context from Obi-Wan’s point of view, as well as events from some comics and other sources. It’s framed by scenes of Luke Skywalker visiting Ben’s Hut on Tatooine just before he and the others rescue Han from Jabba the Hut. He finds Ben’s journal there, and instructions on how to build a lightsaber, and that’s the Legends story of how Luke got his green lightsaber. A fun, easy read about Obi-Wan–what’s not to love?

Star Wars Rebel Force: Target (Book One), by Alex Wheeler. This is a (Legends) junior novel series that takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back (at least this first one does). I just started reading it, and am enjoying it so far. This one is about an Imperial assassin that is after the pilot who is responsible for the shot that destroyed the first Death Star. Luke, Han and Leia are on a mission for the Alliance, involving getting some funds for the Rebellion on the planet Muunilinst, and the assassin–known as X-7–deceives them into trusting him. That’s as far as I’ve gotten. I’ve been loving these quick, easy reads, and haven’t been able to get into anything more challenging. Which is why I couldn’t read…

Alphabet Squadron, by Alexander Freed. I’ve been avoiding this series about Rebellion pilots since I’ve started reading Star Wars books, mostly because I don’t care for pilot stories. But I was running low on major publications to read while I wait for the next High Republic books. It was either this series or the Thrawn series (another one I haven’t been too interested in, although I love his character in Rebels). So I thought I’d give it a go. But a few chapters in, I gave up. Either I’m really not interested in this aspect of Star Wars (which is my suspicion) or I’m just too muddled and busy right now to get into any challenging read. Probably both.

So the junior reads have been ideal for me lately. And The Battle for Jedha is a script, not a big novel, so I suspect it will be easier for me to go through as well. I’m not an audiobook fan, but I didn’t want to miss this crucial High Republic story, and I’m looking forward to it.

So that’s what I’ve been reading in Star Wars. I also threw in Stephen King’s The Shining and Doctor Sleep for a little horror fest to start the year, lol.

What have you been reading lately? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Kisses

In honor of Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought I’d get all romantic and revisit the best Star Wars kisses from the films and rank them. Why not? From least favorite to favorite, here we go! (I’m not including cheek, forehead, or hand kisses, just full on lip-locks, lol):

Lesbian kiss at the end of TROS. I don’t have a problem with two women kissing, in Star Wars or anywhere else, but this split second scene seemed weird and arbitrary. These two are secondary characters, which is fine, but at least give us a bit of history for them. One or two quick scenes establishing their relationship, so by the end of the movie their reunion is more satisfying. But I’m glad Star Wars is at least trying to get a bit more representative, especially in live action.

Rose and Finn in TLJ. This kiss wasn’t particularly surprising, considering all the time these two spent together on their mission. But then, boom, next movie, nah, they’re just friends. I kind of liked the idea of these two together, but Rose’s character (and Finn’s, as well) was brushed aside in TROS.

Anakin and Padme on Naboo in AOTC. “I don’t like sand.” Awkward first kiss, lol. Kind of sweet, though.

Padme and Anakin at their wedding on Naboo in AOTC. Okay, it’s official. Nothing will stop our love!

Leia and Luke on Hoth in front of Han in ESB. Most cringe kiss, at least after learning they’re siblings. But she was making a point, dammit! And the faces of both the men afterward are priceless.

Padme and Anakin on Geonosis in AOTC. Truly, deeply. Their first admission of love–before being brought out to slaughter, lol. A bit over the top, but if you think you’re going to die, why not?

Leia and Han in the Ewok Village in ROTJ. A brief embrace and smooch after Luke and Han escape being dinner for the Ewoks. First time seeing Leia with her long hair down, so who can blame him?

Han and Q’ira in Solo. Admit, these two are adorable. Not meant to be, but I like his taste in strong women.

Padme and Anakin on Coruscant in ROTS. These two haven’t seen each other in months, and their reunion is truly touching. And when she tells him she’s pregnant, after a moment of worried surprise, Anakin seems genuinely happy. You really want them to hold on to this forever. 😦

Rey and Ben at end of TROS. So this kiss was kind of weird, but I did like it. The Reylos went nuts, and though I could go either way with Reylo, I thought this was sweet. I was just really happy to see Ben Solo genuinely smile for the first time in probably years. Rey gave him that gift, and I won’t begrudge him that.

Leia and Han in Jabba’s Palace in ROTJ. “Someone who loves you.” After years of waiting for this reunion when I was a kid, this was so satisfying.

Leia and Han on Endor in ROTS. Han’s face when Leia tells him Luke is her brother is priceless, and now he’s free to get the girl. I love happy endings.

Leia and Han on the Falcon in ESB. “You need more scoundrels in your life.” This one’s a contender for #1, because it’s their first kiss, and is the culmination of all their sexual tension bickering. The top spot has more emotional weight, but this one is an iconic Star Wars kiss.

Leia and Han on Cloud City in ESB. “I love you.” “I know.” Their admission of love, and who knows if they’ll ever see each other again???? Best kiss in Star Wars, hands down.

Honorable Mention:

Deleted scene of Han and Leia on Cloud City. When I was a kid, I read a picture book of The Empire Strikes Back, and this scene was in it. I could have sworn it was in the original theatrical release as well when I saw it in the theater in 1980, but on subsequent viewings, it wasn’t there. As an adult, I thought maybe I’d imagined it. But here it is, and it never should have been dropped. You can’t have too many scenes of Han and Leia kissing, lol.

Most of them are Leia and Han or Padme and Anakin, the two power couples, and clearly I’m more a fan of the former. Did I miss any? What’s your favorite Star Wars kiss scene? Let me know in the comments and we’ll gossip about it!

For more galactic romance, check out my post on the best Star Wars love stories here.

Ranking the Star Wars Live Action Series

I don’t normally do this sort of thing. I’ll rank various scenes, moments, characters, etc, in all of Star Wars, but not individual productions. I haven’t done a personal ranking of the films, for instance. I love them all for different reasons, and so I pick things out of all of them. I haven’t ruled it out yet, though, lol.

I thought I’d rank the Disney+ live action shows, since they’re all so different. There’s only four so far, so it shouldn’t be hard, right? (I’ll do an animated show ranking at some point, too. Apples with apples, and oranges with oranges). Once Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte come out, it will obviously change. But so far, here’s what I’ve got, from least favorite to most favorite:

Book of Boba Fett. This show had some definite strengths, such as the expansion of the Tusken Raider culture, and Boba’s journey from almost-dead bounty hunter to respected member of that tribe. But it has many, many weaknesses: no clear reason why Boba wants to become a “respectable” Daimyo of Mos Espa (but still an overlord, when you get right down to it), and when he does achieve this, he almost immediately decides, well, maybe he doesn’t want it. Fennec Shand is a cool character, but she has almost no characterization in the show. The Vespas (or Mods, or whatever you want to call them) are kind of cool, but are so jarring to the tone of the show it seems they just don’t belong there. There are so many potentially interesting characters introduced–Garsa Fwipp, Krrsantan, the Mayor, the Pykes, even Cad Bane–but they get so little characterization they fall flat. The whole show just seems like a random jumble of characters and ideas with no real cohesion. Oh, and putting Mando in there for a few episodes was a mistake. While I loved seeing them on the one hand, he and Grogu stole the show on the other, weakening this show that’s supposed to be about Boba Fett. The rancor was a great metaphor for Boba, though.

Andor. I’m going to start by saying that Andor is a fantastic show. It’s well-written, well-acted, brilliant in so many ways. I love the very different tone and feel to it, a “serious,” more grown-up Star Wars. I loved seeing Mon Mothma explored (and wish we’d had more of her), and Luthen Rael is a wonderfully complex character who demonstrates the “darker” side of the Rebellion. I liked getting to know more about Cassian’s past and what motivates him. But it’s a definite slow burn, and I can see how it might put some viewers off. I think it’s worth the build up, but it’s only third on my list because it just didn’t have the same emotional impact as the top two. And that’s a must for me. I have to be moved in some way, my heart strings need to be pulled, it has to “get me in the feels,” as they say, to propel it to the top of my list (this is true for all shows I watch, but especially in Star Wars). It’s a brilliant exercise, and a great addition to the lore, and I’m looking forward to Season Two. But not my favorite.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. So I had to seriously think about which of the two remaining shows would come out on top, and it was so close. And it was the Kenobi show out of all of them that produced the most emotional impact, to be honest. Seeing Ewan McGregor play Obi-Wan again, and Hayden coming back as Darth Vader, and exploring the baggage between those two, just zooms me to the moon. Little Leia is delightful, and I’m so glad she got to know Obi-Wan on this adventure. Learning about The Path was great, and I hope maybe the creators will do more with that in the future. The Inquisitors were so cool to see in live-action, even if the execution was a bit clumsy. And that’s why this show is number two instead of one for me–the execution wasn’t always perfect. Just thinking about the scene where Obi-Wan is hiding Leia under his coat on the Fortress Inquisitorious is painful to me in its incredible dumbness, lol. But for the most part, it hit all the beats: Obi-Wan on his character arc, going from despair to hope; seeing Owen and Beru’s characters expanded; Vader is absolutely incredible here, hot with hate, impatient, vicious, far from the Dark Side Zen we see in the films, and so had his own character arc to go through (they each had to let the other one go); Obi-Wan finally seeing Qui Gon’s Force ghost. And the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader is without doubt the best part of the whole series, and for me, probably the best scene in ALL of Star Wars (and there are some great ones, as we know). Just *chef’s kiss*.

The Mandalorian. Of course it’s The Mandalorian at the top spot. Everything about it is almost perfect. There are some weaker episodes than others, but all in all, it’s probably the best Star Wars show produced. The Volume is ground-breaking and used to great effect here, while it was kind of a liability in the Kenobi show. It feels like Star Wars while telling a story we’ve never seen before, in a time period that we’ve all been curious about. And Din and Grogu’s story, their relationship, their journey, is so appealing. The thing I love about this show is that it’s so accessible: you don’t necessarily have to be a Star Wars fan to love it. All the trimmings are there, the things a fan would appreciate, but you don’t have to be familiar with them to understand the story. It’s the only Star Wars show my husband, a very casual Star Wars fan, will watch with me. He loves it. He doesn’t always understand the little details, and certainly doesn’t recognize any “easter eggs,” but it doesn’t matter. He gets it. This may change as the show goes on, but for now, anyone can love this Star Wars western. And I mean, Grogu, hello??? Plenty of feels, culminating when Din says goodbye to Grogu in the S2 finale. Oh, and some guy named Skywalker shows up. Woo-hoo! And the music. It’s so different from John Williams, which defines Star Wars, but Ludwig Goransson’s score measures up to the spirit of the show. Fabulous. I can’t wait for Season 3!

How would you rank the shows? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Mando Excitement and Bad Batch Thoughts

Hello friends!

With the release of the latest Mandalorian Season 3 trailer and the upcoming release date of March 1st, I decided to do a Mando rewatch of Seasons 1&2, as well as the two episodes in The Book of Boba Fett (and perhaps all of BoBF). Since it seemed so far away for so long, I hadn’t really thought about the show for the last year or so, but I’m definitely getting back into that Mando vibe. The spaghetti western beats, the music, and of course, Baby! I forgot how much I love it. Here’s the trailer for S3, in the off chance you haven’t seen it yet:

As expected, it looks like we’re going to get more focused on Mandalore, what it means to be a Mandalorian in this post-Empire period, what role Din Djarin will play, and of course, Grogu’s growing Force powers. I won’t unpack everything in this trailer, but suffice it to say, I’m psyched!

And of course I’ve been watching Season 2 of The Bad Batch. I really missed these guys, too. Here are some thoughts on the first four episodes:

Eps 1&2 “The Spoils of War” and “The Ruins of War”: The two-part opener has our crew going on a mission for Cid, but also for themselves–if they can snatch some of Count Dooku’s “War Chest” that the Empire is confiscating, then they can retire to an easier, safer life, which is something Hunter in particular would like for Omega. Echo thinks they should be doing more against the Empire, and makes his thoughts known to Hunter; unfortunately, Omega overhears and misunderstands him, thinking she’s put a wrench into their style of life. This makes her particularly keen on succeeding in the mission.

While not spectacular as a season opener, it’s still entertaining, and I really like how it focuses on character development. Echo and Tech, in particular, get more screen time; Echo has a few touching moments with Omega, and Tech has a learning moment with Romar. Tech also comports himself admirably in combat with the clone regs, despite a broken leg. Wrecker, not normally the innovative one, throws together a new weapon out of Separatist wreckage, and Hunter has to do a bit of tech work that, well, Tech usually does. Romar also reminds Omega just to be a kid.

The clone reg in charge of defending the War Chest mission for the Empire, Wilco, makes his report to Rampart, telling him that it’s Clone Force 99 that tried to steal the treasure. Thinking they had died on Kamino, and in fear of consequences for his failure, he tells Wilco to change the report and lie. Wilco refuses, and Rampart kills him. Truly, the clones are too good for the Empire. Despite the inhibitor chip (the influence of which seems to be waning), some clones are still operating under the principles of the Republic, as Cody will demonstrate in Episode 3.

Cody and Crosshair at the Battle Memorial on Coruscant. I’m assuming these are names of fallen clones.

Episode 3 “The Solitary Clone”: This exceptional episode catches us up with Crosshair, and reintroduces Captain Cody. Crosshair was finally rescued from Kamino after, I don’t know, 32 rotations or something, after being left for dead. And yet he still remains loyal to the Empire, something that even Rampart questions. “I’m a soldier of the Empire,” he responds. I’m starting to think that Crosshair stays with the Empire, despite removing the chip, because he doesn’t know how to do anything else except be a soldier. The rest of the Batch aren’t soldiers anymore, not really, and their future is vague. Perhaps he doesn’t know who he is outside of his assassin skills. The rest of the Batch are willing to find out who they are beyond soldiers, but Crosshair is stubbornly refusing, perhaps out of fear. Anyway, that’s my take on it.

So Rampart has a mission for him, although he’s not in charge–Cody is. Fans have been wondering what has happened to Cody after Order 66 (at least in canon), and I’m happy to see that he’s questioning the Empire and himself. (In Legends, he remains loyal to the Empire, which makes me sad, lol). So he and Crosshair are assigned to go to Desix to rescue an Imperial Governor named Grotton after he’s taken prisoner by the world’s rightful governor, Tawni Ames. The planet was a Separatist world during the Clone Wars, and feels the Empire has no jurisdiction there. The Empire, of course, feels differently.

We get a really amazing sequence of events as Cody’s team makes their assault and battles B-1 battle droids and droidekas, and it feels like old times with clones against battle droids again. But this time they’re fighting for the Empire, and the rules have changed. Cody and Crosshair are impressive as they work together to gain access to Grotton, but Cody negotiates with Tawni Ames (definitely Kenobi’s man) and convinces her to release him. He seems not to understand that the Empire does not negotiate, that the principles of the Republic do not apply here, and Grotton commands him to shoot her. Cody hesitates, but Crosshair doesn’t and kills her. Cody watches helplessly as stormtroopers arrive on Desix, and realizes this is not a galaxy he recognizes.

Back on Coruscant, Cody asks Crosshair if they’re making the galaxy a better place. Again, Crosshair replies with “We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done.” Cody remarks that what makes them different from battle droids is that they make their own decisions, and have to live with them. Later, Rampart tells Crosshair that Cody has gone AWOL, and I’m so happy about that! I’m hoping he comes across Rex and we see him again, fighting against the Empire. But now Crosshair is, once again, all alone. The regs don’t like him, and now even Cody is gone. And despite his loyalty, the Empire doesn’t trust or respect him. What’s it gonna take, Crosshair??? Lol. I’m really looking forward to his arc this season.

Episode 4 “Faster”: Some fans might call this one “filler,” and maybe they’re right in a way. I don’t care for the word, though; I prefer “breather.” It is a bit jarring after the super-heavy episode 3, but it’s nice once in a while just to have a bit of fun. And this one focuses on Tech, who is my favorite at the moment.

This one has Tech, Wrecker and Omega (Hunter and Echo are off on a transport mission) accompanying Cid to Safa Toma, which hosts a form of podracing called “Riot Racing.” Cid has a droid racer named Tay-0 who’s quite annoying and funny, and who loses the race to a racer owned by a Dowutin named Millegi. Cid and Millegi, who seem to have a shady past together, made a bet on the race, and now Cid owes him credits she doesn’t have. Omega, who seems fond of Cid but probably shouldn’t be, proposes another race. But Tay-0 gets busted up and Tech decides he’ll step in and be the racer.

Tech employs his own strategy to win the race: instead of focusing on hurting or disabling the other racers, he gets rid of his own weapons in order to go faster; he also takes a risk on a shortcut, using his pilot skills to win the day. Using thoughtfulness over aggression is very Star Warsy, and I think George Lucas himself, who had a need for speed, would appreciate this episode.

I think this episode also sets up some trouble ahead with Cid. When they’re leaving, they’re warned by Millegi that their loyalty to Cid will not be rewarded in kind. Perhaps a Cid betrayal will spur the Batch on to bigger and better things. I can’t wait to find out!

Some High Republic Fan Art

Hello friends! I’ve been busy lately taking care of my 87-year-old dad who fell a few weeks ago and was in the hospital for a bit and is now in rehab. As I often do when I want a quick, fun post, I thought I’d put together another fan art showcase, this time from the High Republic. Enjoy!

This one is from one of my favorite artists, Jake Bartok. Here he’s brought to life characters from the latest adult High Republic novel, Convergence. On the top is Jedi Knight Gella Nattai, and to the left is Axel Greylark. On the bottom is Phan-tu Zenn from Eiram, and next to him is Xiri from E’ronoh. Phase 2, Wave 1.

Here’s some concept art of Jedi Knight Silandra Shoh, from the middle grade novel Quest for the Hidden City, which I’m reading right now. She’s unique in that in addition to a lightsaber, she carries a Force shield, which is pretty cool. Phase 2, Wave 1.

Here’s one of Bell Zettifar and Ember, because I love them. Phase 1.

At first I thought this was Ty Yorrick, the former Jedi who is now a “monster hunter.” But Ty has a purple lightsaber. So I believe it is Indeera Stokes, Bell’s new Master. Both women are Tholothians. Phase 1.

Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss embrace after the events of The Fallen Star, in which Starlight Beacon, helmed by their best friend, Stellan Gios, falls into the sea on Barazza and is destroyed. Phase 1, Wave 3.

star the rebel by jgss0109 on deviantart.

Have you read any High Republic books? Do you have a favorite character? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!