Wow, I love Star Wars, but this is commitment! Check out these fantastic tattoos:
I’m not a tattoo person, but if I were to get one, it would be tiny. Like this:
Do you have any Star Wars tattoos? Attach some photos below and show us!
This fact makes me happy in so many ways…
In The Last Jedi, after Leia is injured, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo takes command of the Raddus, the command ship of the Resistance fleet (if you can call it that) fleeing the First Oder.
And Poe immediately dislikes her and causes trouble.
Despite knowing that Holdo is Leia’s good and trusted friend (and Poe nearly worships Leia), he immediately distrusts her and whips up a mutiny on the ship. Why?
Because she won’t tell him–or anyone–her plan for escape.
He proceeds to have a hissy fit about it and demands–demands!–to be told what she plans.
Now, at first viewing, I shared Poe’s frustration. Why doesn’t she just tell him and get him out of her hair? But on reflection, Poe’s antics on the Raddus just shows how much growing up he needs to do.
Holdo knows this about him, and maybe this was a test for him. A test he failed miserably. It can be argued that this probably wasn’t the best moment to teach Poe a lesson.
But think about it. Holdo is a Vice Admiral-she even outranks Leia–and Poe has just been demoted to Captain, for his reckless, foolhardy ignoring of orders, a recklessness that caused them to lose their bombers. And she has to explain herself to him? Or to anyone for that matter? I don’t know much about the military, but I’m pretty sure questioning orders from your superiors is frowned upon.
So why does Poe feel he can get away with it? I get it–the situation is critical, they’re up against a wall–but to me, it seems that maintaining the chain of command is essential in these situations.
Is it the purple hair? And I hate to even go here, but it has to be said: is it because she’s a woman? Would he have done the same if Holdo were a man?
Star Wars has been pretty good at getting women equal footing in the Galaxy, especially in the prequels and sequels. They’re everywhere, doing everything and anything, and that’s all to the good.
Still, with this Poe/Holdo standoff, I can’t help but think, “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Maybe I’m just jumping to conclusions. If I think about Poe’s character–Holdo herself called him a “trigger-happy fly-boy”–he probably would have been that way to anyone. He has no patience; he can’t sit still. It’s a mark of extraordinary arrogance to believe that your superiors don’t know what they’re doing or that you deserve to be in the know in all things. He lacks trust in anyone but himself. He even disobeyed Leia, which caused them to lose their bombers, leading to the death of Rose’s sister, Paige. I wonder if Rose knows this?
I also know this is the Resistance, not the First Order. The First Order is a well-oiled machine, with clear hierarchies and chains of command. There’s a lot of order to the First Order, and Poe’s insubordination would not have been tolerated.
But the Resistance isn’t a fighting military machine. It’s a group of people coming together to fight for freedom. Like the Rebellion before it, they’re a rag-tag bunch, and though they try to maintain an orderly chain of command out of necessity, they’re a bit more forgiving. They understand Poe’s value as a pilot. And they just like him. In the Resistance, people are individuals, not cogs in a machine.
Even after Poe’s shenanigans are stopped by Leia, Holdo says, “That one’s a troublemaker. I like him.”
“Me, too,” Leia replies with a smile.
I don’t know if I would have been that forgiving. But in essence, these older women are regarding him like some wayward child who misbehaves. Oopsie! That little rascal almost derailed our entire escape plan. Oh well! He’ll grow up someday, right?
And I’m glad to see that he does in TROS, after some further tests. Even in The Last Jedi, he’s sobered by Holdo’s sacrifice.
Naturally, this showdown between Holdo and Poe was a kind of forced conflict in the movie, as some tension was required in that part of the story. I found it a little over the top on Poe’s part, and Holdo seemed unreasonably stubborn on keeping her plan a secret. Oh well. It seemed to work, I guess.
But the whole thing left me feeling baffled.
What was your take on the Poe-Holdo showdown? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
Mine is K2SO.
If you love a droid not on the list, tell us in the comments below!
Here’s the latest installment of my Women of Star Wars series.
Jyn Erso from Rogue One is an interesting character to analyze, because she doesn’t initially align herself with either the Empire or the Alliance. Who is she and what does she want?
At the beginning of the film, I assumed that after witnessing the death of her mother at the hands of an Imperial, an Imperial who also took her father away, she’d naturally drift toward the Alliance. But no. When we first see her as an adult, she’s a criminal who is busted out of imprisonment by the Alliance for their own reasons.
My assumption was based on adult thinking; I forgot that as an 8-year old, Jyn might have understood things differently. All she knew was that she lost her parents to the Empire; and she was left in the hands of Saw Gerrera, an extremist formerly linked with the Alliance, who taught her how to survive, surely, but who also “abandoned” her. She trusts no one, and just lives day to day to survive.
I’ve read the Rogue One novelization, and it gets deeper into the character of Jyn. The book presents her as not just distrustful, but deeply damaged by these perceived abandonments; not only that, she spends many years hating her father. I’m going to delve deeper into the novelization in another post, but for now I’ll focus on Jyn as seen in the film.
We don’t necessarily see that hate for Galen Erso in the film; what we see is a person who has endured many losses, who has had to fight to survive, and who has become bitter with that life. When her father says when she’s a child, “Whatever I do, I do because I love you. Say you understand,” and she replies, “Yes, Papa,” we know that an 8 year old can’t possibly understand what’s happening and why. The loss of her father is painful and bewildering, and she’s angry without understanding why.
When Saw Gerrera leaves her behind because she’s a liability for his group, he left her able to take care of herself. We, the audience, may understand it intellectually, but as a 15-year old, Jyn just sees it as another abandonment. Is it any wonder she has no particular allegiances?
When she agrees to help the Alliance, it’s because she has no choice, really, but we get the feeling that she needs to find her father, if only to get answers. This is a personal quest for Jyn; she’s not there because she hates the Empire, or has any sympathy for the Alliance. She probably hates them both, along with everyone else in the galaxy.
Things start to change for her once she sees her father’s hologram message. She understands a little more about him, what he’s done, and why. It brings up painful, almost paralyzing emotions, and Cassian must pull her away to escape the destruction of Jedha’s Holy City.
Witnessing that destruction, a mere fraction of what the Death Star can do, brings her father’s actions into focus, and she begins to understand the wider implications of such a weapon. It’s not just about her and her anger; it’s about that little girl she saved in Jedha’s plaza, a rescue reduced to nothing because she died anyway, vaporized along with her mother, and everyone else there. She witnesses Chirrut’s and Baze’s loss of their home. The Death Star has become horrifyingly real.
On Eadu, Galen Erso dies in her arms (from Alliance bombs, no less). His last words to her are “It has to be destroyed.” At this point, Jyn becomes determined to do just that–not for the Alliance, but to give her father’s death meaning. It’s still personal. Her father built the damn thing himself so he could secretly put a weakness inside it. This cost him his family, and caused Jyn to live the painful life she’d lived. It has to all mean something. She must finish the job, if she’s to have any kind of personal resolution.
But it’s also not just personal anymore, either. Her confrontation with Cassian after Eadu moves her closer to this. She’s understandably upset when she learns he meant to kill her father all along. This perceived betrayal cuts deep, considering her trust issues. Cassian argues that he decided–on his own, against orders–not to pull the trigger. It’s not enough for Jyn, and she continues to harass him. He counters with, “You’re not the only one who’s lost everything.” Like her, he’s been suffering since he was a child. But, he says, “Some of us decided to do something about it.” Ouch.
She still grumbles, but it’s here that she’s beginning to come out of her own personal, painful bubble. Her faith in Cassian is restored when he gathers the Rogue One team after the Alliance Council decides against attack. The last third of the film shows Jyn being who she was meant to be: a woman with a purpose. She needs to destroy that Death Star not only to avenge her father and give his death meaning; not only to take back some power for herself after a life of powerlessness; but because it’s the right thing to do.
Jyn’s not looking to be a hero, but her sacrifice makes her one, along with the rest of the team. As she and Cassian watch their death approach, there’s sadness in her, certainly some fear, but no regret. She’s done what she’s meant to do.
How do you feel about Jyn’s character? Did she ring true for you? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
I never knew he was such a teen idol! Luckily for us, he wasn’t just another pretty face.
According to Star Wars Coffee, the Kenobi series planned for Disney+ has been moved up to 2022, and the Cassian Andor series is set for 2021, with The Mandalorian seasons 2 and 3 between them.
I was really looking forward to the Kenobi series sooner, but I’ll take Cassian Andor while I’m waiting! And as long as I’m subscribing to Disney+, I’ll check out The Mandalorian, as well. Plenty of Star Wars to keep up with in the future, as well as a new film release in 2022 (possibly based on the High Republic).
Are you looking forward to these series? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
(Check out Star Wars Coffee for news, analyses, and film clips on all things Star Wars).
This is rather creepy. WTF George?!
For some reason, I’ve just watched Rogue One for the first time. I’m not sure why I resisted watching it until now, but I’m kicking myself, because it’s absolutely amazing! I don’t even know where to begin, so I’ll just list a few (there’s so much!) of the things I loved about this film:
It has nothing to do with the Skywalker storyline. Let me rephrase that: it doesn’t directly have anything to do with the Skywalkers. It does quite literally tie in with A New Hope, and a Skywalker appears in the form of Darth Vader, but it’s not about that family. And don’t get me wrong; I love the Skywalker saga. Star Wars is the Skywalker saga. But it’s so refreshing to see this world from a different perspective. None of the characters are “special” in any way, they don’t have grand bloodlines. They’re just ordinary people, fighting for what they believe in. Jyn Erso, as the daughter of an important Imperial engineer, is the only one with any prominent name, but even she starts out as a criminal. There’s no Star Wars royalty here; it’s just about The People.
It’s refreshing, but still has all the familiar Star Wars elements. I love seeing the whole “New Hope” look again. The ships, the uniforms, the technology, the Rebel base on Yavin 4–everything just screams Episode 4, but obviously the special effects are even better. It’s New Hope next level. There are plenty of familiar faces, too: bringing Grand Moff Tarkin back is amazing, but I have to admit, he’s a little creepy. Darth Vader is electrifying in his brief scenes–and seeing him in that bacta tank reminds us that even though he nearly burned to death 20 years ago, he’s probably still in constant pain. Yikes. Seeing Gold Leader in his X-Wing, as well as Porkins, and was that Biggs Darklighter, Luke’s buddy from Tattoine? Cool. Two aliens, whose names escape me, from the Mos Eisley Cantina that Cassian and Jyn run into on Jedha (and are cranky as ever). Leia, played by an actress who looks remarkably like Carrie Fisher (or was that CGI too?). Bail Organa, Mon Mothma. It was fantastic seeing all these original characters.
It’s a story I never knew I needed to know. Way back when, I just took it for granted that the Rebels “somehow” got the Death Star plans, and the story began there. Turns out, it was waaaay more complicated than that. In fact, it’s one hell of a story, one full of anguish, pain, excitement, tragedy, and hope. It forces me to look at A New Hope in a different light: good people died to get this information–not just faceless unknowns, but characters we’ve come to care about. You damn well better blow up that thing! It also explains why the Death Star had such a vulnerability–it wasn’t just a random mistake, it was purposely put there. It’s more believable.
It’s edge-of-your-seat exciting. The entire third act had me biting my nails anxiously, every muscle tensed, even though I knew they would succeed in their mission. It didn’t matter; I was in an agony of suspense. How would they accomplish this impossible task? Who would live, who would die? My eyes often glaze over during long action sequences, but not this time. Every moment counted.
I’ve finally found the droid I’ve been looking for. K2SO is quite possibly the first droid I’ve ever loved in Star Wars. Sure, R2D2, BB8, and DO are adorable, but they don’t speak our language, and it’s hard to relate to them as more than just cute pets. And don’t get me started on C3P0–he’s mostly just annoyed me for the past 40 years. But this guy (as well as Solo’s L3) is a droid character I actually came to care for. I laughed at almost every sentence that came out of his, well, mouth. He’s funny and likable, sarcastic, while still having that touch of droid innocence. And those long, skinny legs! Loved, loved, loved him. I truly grieved when he unquestioningly gave his life for the cause.
Not everyone in the Empire is evil. Finn from the sequel trilogy is the first character we see that defects from the “bad guys”. It’s always interesting to see a more balanced view of both the “good” guys (who are not always perfect) and the “bad” guys (who are often just human beings like the rest of us). Galen Erso is a man with a conscience–as an Imperial engineer, he recognizes that the weapon he’s working on is truly monstrous and must not be allowed to exist. He risks his family (and ultimately loses them) and commits treason to make sure this is so. There’s also Bodhi Rook, the Imperial cargo pilot who defects and brings Galen’s message to Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera. In the earlier trilogies, the galaxy seemed to be made up of black and white; the sequel trilogy and the stand alone films explore the fact the there’s quite a large area of gray in life.
The main character is a woman. It may seem unnecessary to point this out, but I don’t think so. It’s still kind of a big deal for me. Along with Rey, she’s the heir to Princess Leia, who was a strong female character who nevertheless wasn’t the main hero of the films–Luke was. Padme was just as strong in her own way, but again, it wasn’t her hero’s journey–it was Anakin’s. In Rey, we finally get a proper female protagonist; and Jyn is her complement in Rogue One. There may be others in the canon, like Ahsoka Tano in The Clone Wars, but I’m not familiar with that story. If so, that’s fantastic. I’m planning on writing more on Jyn Erso in my Women of Star Wars series, so stay tuned.
I absolutely loved all the members of Rogue One. This group of people really lodged themselves in my heart–Jyn Erso, the prodigal daughter who is determined to give meaning to her father’s death; Cassian, the tough, crafty Rebel intelligence officer with a heart; Bodhi Rook, the erstwhile Imperial pilot whose stutterings are charming and endearing; Chirrut Imwe, the Force-sensitive Guardian of the Whills, blind and amazingly deadly with a staff; his loyal companion, Baze Malbus, who carries a big gun and an even bigger love for his friend; and of course, the irrepressible K2SO. Thrown together by circumstances, they make a great team and get the job done. I adored every one of them.
The ending crushed me–and then filled me with hope all over again. As the characters began to die off, I knew it was inevitable. Someone has to die. But all of them?! As Jyn and Cassian stumbled down to the beach and watched their doom approach, my throat closed. Does it have to be this way? my heart wailed. And the answer is, yes, of course it does. They went into this knowing they may not come back. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for it, and they did. Do I like this? No. Did it give the film more emotional heft, and make the events of A New Hope more poignant? Yes.
I haven’t even mentioned Orson Krennic, the main antagonist, or said much about Saw Gerrera, or discussed the less-than-flattering light of the Alliance in this movie, but I’ve gushed for too long here, an you get the picture. Perhaps another blog post is in order?
These are some of the reasons I loved Rogue One, a just about perfect Star Wars movie. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch it again.
Did you love Rogue One? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
Here’s my latest focus on the Women of Star Wars. I chose these two secondary characters to look at together, since they’re both masked and a bit mysterious.
Captain Phasma
I realize there’s a Star Wars book on Phasma’s backstory (and a comic as well), and perhaps you’ve read it. I have not. And that’s fine, because I intend this blog to focus mainly on the films, and what we can glean from them. If that limits my analyses of characters or plot points, so be it.
That being said, I did read The Last Jedi novelization, and there was a great little tidbit in there that revealed volumes about this character.
I find Phasma interesting even though she has a very limited role in the films. She principally acts as Finn’s antagonist. She’s cold, efficient, almost like a robot beneath that flashy silver armor. We don’t know much about her, we don’t even see any of her face until the end of TROS–only that one cold blue eye peeking out in rage before she dies.
But in TLJ novelization, Finn recounts that there were rumors in the barracks about her–that the First Order had found her on some backwater, pre-Industrial type planet, and that she’d been some kind of wild, Amazon-like Queen. I find this fascinating. I’m guessing the First Order gave her a choice–join them or die. Phasma is a survivor, and so she chose life. They gave her a place of superiority and a chance to use her formidable skills.
Though she’s not a Queen anymore, she does have some power. As a queen, she would have expected obedience and loyalty, and I think that’s why Finn’s defection rankles her so much, why she takes it so personally. It appalls her.
This little piece of information about her former life changed my opinion about her. It made her a bit more three-dimensional to me, a person with a past. Sure, she’s one of the “bad guys,” but I understand her a little more. And I’d like to think that when she agreed to join the First Order, one of her stipulations was that shiny, bad-ass armor–fitting for a Queen.
Zorii Bliss
Another female character whose face we don’t completely see is Zorii, Poe’s mysterious comrade from the past.
I’m guessing they were lovers, or close to it during Poe’s spice runner era, but something went wrong–he left for the Resistance. This is what set her off and made her not too happy to see him when he arrived on Kimiji. He abandoned her and their independent way of life, for a cause she may have seen as hopeless. Like most in her profession, she probably felt that it’s best to live outside the law no matter who rules, and not join (kind of like DJ in TLJ, but less icky).
After a bit of persuasion from Rey, she does agree to help them find Babu Frik, and even gives Poe her prized Captain’s medallion to help him get past the First Order fleet. Clearly, she still has a soft spot for him. Either that, or she has a spark of resistance in herself as well. This plays out at the end of TROS, when she joins the fight at Exegol. But she still won’t give in to Poe’s flirty suggestions. I kind of like this girl!
What I find interesting about both Phasma and Zorii is that they are masked. Female characters have always and forever been judged on their looks, but you can’t with these two–their faces are covered, and so we must judge them by their actions and words, not what they look like (although Zorii’s form-fitting outfit clearly marks her as female–there you go, guys!). We only get glimpses of their eyes, the proverbial “windows to the soul”. We see the cold rage of Phasma in that blue eye; and the reluctant compassion in Zorii’s eyes.
These are two women in the Galaxy who choose not to be victims, and do what they can within the crappy situations they find themselves in: Phasma through power and intimidation; Zorii through freedom and choice.
What did you think of these two characters? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
Voice-Driven Reviews + Nerdy Extras
Your chronological journey through a galaxy far far away.
Movie reviews, TV analysis, and genre deep-dives
Discovering deep wisdom through the art of narrative
Author Page
Book blog for reviews and nerdy thoughts
Insights to your favorite films and fandoms from your everyday Al.
Thoughts from the world of sport
I talk about media by/about women. Also, Star Wars!
Drawing lessons and art by Carol Rosinski of Toad Hollow Studio.
A site dedicated to analyzing the history and connections that bind the Star Wars galaxy
Exploring every corner of the Star Wars universe.
... observations from a lifetime of geekiness.
Let's Talk About Books!
A nerdy girl blog
Thinking and nerding since 1972
Star Wars and Other Obsessions 