My Top Five Favorite Episodes of The Bad Batch Season One

As a Bad Batch fan, I would argue that I love ALL of the episodes, lol. And I do. People like to throw around the word “filler” a lot, but I believe that each and every episode has something to offer as far as characterization or plot. Some are just plain fun, and why not? However, I do have favorites, and I do believe that some are “more important” than others. Here are some of my favorites from Season One:

Aftermath. This is the 76-minute premiere of S1, and it’s still one of my favorites. Out of all episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, I think I rewatch this one the most. I love how it transitions from Clone Wars to something new: it starts with the traditional Clone Wars narration, setting the stage for us. But the Clone War ends at the beginning of this episode, with Order 66 (yes, we have to go through it again). I love how we see a young Caleb Dume, who will grow up to become Kanan Jarrus, an integral part of Rebels. And I love how Hunter lets him go.

The premiere reintroduces us to Clone Force 99, who we met at the beginning of Season 7 of Clone Wars. When I watched that arc, I thought they were a little strange and definitely stereotypical characters. They grew on me, but I didn’t think much of them afterward. But this show about them has to go deeper into their characters and make them more three dimensional, and I think this first episode succeeds in that.

This show sets up the premise of the entire first season: the Batch, because of their defects, are immune to Order 66. Except Crosshair. Not only do they have to figure out where they fit in this new Empire, but they have to deal with a schism in their squad and how it affects them. They’re now deserters, with a former brother going after them.

And they meet Omega, their younger clone sister, which adds another element to the mix. Who is she? Why was she created? How will she fit into their squad, and how will that affect them all?

There’s a lot going on in this first (long) episode, and it’s a great introduction to the series.

Rex leads the Batch through the Bracca shipyards.

Battle Scars. Episode 7 sees the return of Rex, and the Batch getting their inhibitor chips removed. Rex takes them to Bracca (known from the game Jedi: Fallen Order, where Cal Kestis hides after Order 66) to an old Jedi Venator’s medical facility, the same kind of place he had his chip removed with the help of Ahsoka. By this time Wrecker has been suffering from frequent head bangs and headaches and his chip is dangerously close to activating. Which it does before they can get the chip out, and he is positively terrifying as he goes after them, intent on destroying them. Even Omega, who he’s formed a close bond with. They finally get him under control, all their chips are removed, and Hunter discovers Rex is covertly working against the Empire. Rex tells them they would be a great help, but Hunter replies he must do what’s best for his squad. Rex disappears into the mist, and we just know we’re going to see him again for another mission.

Reunion. This is Episode 8 and a kind of Part Two to Battle Scars, as it takes place on the Jedi Venator. The Batch decide to salvage some weapons on the ship for Cid to pay off some of their debt to her, but the Scrapper’s Guild has spotted them and alerts the Empire. It’s Crosshair who shows up, and he’s relentless here, going after them with a malicious zeal. They finally escape, but Hunter has been shot and Omega has been kidnapped by Cad Bane, who’s been hired by the Kaminoans to get her back for her special Jango-DNA.

Return to Kamino. Episode 15. In a previous episode, the Batch does Rex a favor and rescues Gregor from an Imperial facility, but in so doing, Hunter gets captured and is brought back to Kamino. Crosshair uses him as bait to lure the others to Kamino as well; we think it’s just to kill them, but no: Crosshair wants to convince them to join him in the Empire. He reveals that he’s had his inhibitor chip removed “a long time ago,” and is giving them a chance they never game him. “Don’t make me your enemy,” he says to them, to which Hunter replies, “Crosshair, we never were.” So I get the feeling he never wanted to kill them (or at least, no longer wants to kill them since having the chip removed) but wants to get them back on his side. It’s not going to happen, of course, and by this time Rampart is done with these clones and orders the destruction of Kamino.

The Batch watches Kamino smolder in the distance.

Kamino Lost. In Episode 16, the season finale, the Batch and Crosshair must find a way off of Kamino City, which has been totally devastated by Rampart and has sunk to the bottom of the ocean. As they traverse the dangerously unstable structure, trying to find a way out, they bicker and argue with Crosshair, who is still bitter, “severe and unyielding,” as Tech describes him. Omega even saves his life with the help of AZ, and he’s still a jerk, lol. What’s interesting in this episode is that we find out that Omega was created before the rest of them and is technically older than they are. They eventually find a way out, and Crosshair returns the favor and saves Omega and AZ from drowning. But back at the Marauder, they offer him a place with them and he refuses. “I’ve made my decision,” he says, and turns his back on them. Even after being left for dead and abandoned by the Empire, he remains loyal. I feel like this is at least part stubbornness on his part. He’s done such terrible things, I think he has to believe he’s on the right side. Or maybe he doesn’t think he deserves to rejoin them. Or maybe he really does love the Empire. Or all of these things, I don’t know. Crosshair’s character arc is truly the most compelling in the series, and continues in Season 2, which I’ll talk about in the next post.

What’s your favorite episode(s) from Season 1? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Bad Batch Fan Art

In anticipation of Season Three of The Bad Batch premiering February 21st, I thought I’d get us hyped up with a few BB posts leading up to it. (All right, I’m already hyped up, lol). A good fan art post is always fun.

Here’s a Tech piece that’s new to me. I don’t think his goggles ever glow like that, but it’s cool!

Howzer of the fabulous hair.

I think this one of Crosshair is really interesting. Who does Crosshair see when he looks in the mirror? Looks like he shot the mirror, so maybe that’s your answer, lol.

I like this one of Fennec Shand; the coloring matches a part of her helmet.

Another imagining of grown-up Omega.

This black and white of Hunter is intense.

What do you think of these images? Who do you hope to see in Season 3? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Who Are the Guardians of the Whills?

“The Force is with me,
And I am one with the Force;
And I fear nothing,
Because all is as the Force wills it.“―The Guardian’s Mantra

I think most of us were introduced to the Guardians of the Whills in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Cassian and Jyn are on the streets of Jedha, looking for leads to the missing Imperial pilot. Jyn is distracted by a blind man begging on the street who somehow knows she’s wearing a kyber crystal necklace. He offers to give her a glimpse of her future for the necklace. “The strongest stars are made of kyber,” he tells her.

Jyn asks Cassian who the man is, and he says he’s one of the Guardians of the Whills. They used to protect the Temple of the Kyber, but the Temple is no longer there so they are just “causing trouble for everybody,” he tells her. That man turns out to be Chirrut Imwe, a Guardian who, along with his companion Baze Malbus, helps them steal the Death Star plans on Scarif.

The Guardians of the Whills were a religious order founded in 482 BBY. They primarily guarded the Temple of the Kyber on Jedha as well as the pilgrims who made their way there from around the galaxy. The Guardians were armed with lightbows, a weapon that they built themselves as part of their training.

Guardians are not necessarily Force-sensitive like the Jedi, but they can sense the presence of the Force, while their compatriots, the Disciples of the Whills, prefer to listen to and interpret the will of the Force.

We see some of the Guardians in their original glory in the High Republic during the Convocation of the Force on Jedha. When fighting breaks out between Eiram and E’ronoh’s forces, it’s the Guardians of the Whills who assist the Jedi in trying to bring order back to the city.

If you want more of Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus before the events of Rogue One, there’s a short junior novel called, aptly enough, Guardians of the Whills. It tells of how Chirrut and Baze initially help Saw Gerrera in his fight agains the Empire, but change their minds when they disagree with his tactics and help a group of orphans escape the planet instead. It’s a great little book, with sayings and prayers about the Force from various Force-cults on Jedha at the beginning of each chapter.

In darkness, cold. In light, cold. The old sun brings no heat. But there is heat in breath and life. In life, there is the Force. In the Force, there is life. And the Force is eternal.“―Sunset Prayer of the Guardians of the Whills

Star Wars Chat Pack: How can you be more like a Jedi?

It’s time for another Star Wars Chat Pack question!

Star Wars Chat Pack, written by Kelly Knox.

Today’s question: What are some ways that you can be more like a Jedi in real life?

Well, a lot, lol. But I try. I’d like to think I’m patient, kind, helpful to others (most of the time). In tough situations, I try to ask myself, instead of What Would Jesus Do? (which, by the way, is also a good question to ask), What Would a Jedi Do?

I struggle with fear, anger, doubt, just like any other person. Just like a Jedi, too. One way a Jedi deals with these negative emotions is through meditation. To quiet their mind and touch the Force. I’ve tried meditation many times over the years, without succeeding in a consistent practice. So much for patience!

Rey meditating. And floating herself and rocks. I’d be happy just to get the meditating down.

But I’d really like to keep trying. I’m not only inspired by the Jedi but was encouraged to try it decades ago when I was into yoga (and I failed to make that a practice, too, lol). These days, I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books like Jen Sincero’s Badass books and others, and they all, every one of them, recommend meditation to really make a difference in your life. Not only to help with things like mindset (change your mind, change your life) but just to touch the Source. Not to get all hokey here (remember Han’s comment about “hokey religions”? yeah) but since becoming re-obsessed with Star Wars, I’ve come to be more cognizant of George Lucas’ inspirations for the Jedi and the Force. The Force is simply another variation of the Source, the Creator, a Higher Power, God. And midi-chlorians, like quantum physics, brings science into it all.

Anyway, all this to say that I’d like to meditate more and make it a regular practice. I was doing it for a while when I was working on the Jedi Journal posts. Which I’d also like to get back to, lol. (Hint to self: less scrolling through Facebook will free up more time–imagine that!).

I’ll keep trying. In the meantime, let me know how you would like to be more like a Jedi in real life. Meditation? Lightsaber lessons? (I would totally do that if I didn’t think I’d pull a muscle or seriously injure my old-ass self, lol). Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Update for January 2024

Hello friends and welcome to my entertainment update for January! Here’s what’s been entertaining me lately:

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. This book caught my eye when it first came out in 2013 and has been on my mental book list ever since. I found this used edition at my local Salvation Army for a few bucks and decided it was time to read it. It’s about two magical creatures from two different cultures: a golem from Jewish tradition and a jinni from Arabic culture. A golem is a being made from clay in human form and brought to life, meant to protect their master. A jinni (genie) is, well, you know; but my understanding of these spirit creatures is being expanded by this book.

The “present” of the novel takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City, but we get flashbacks of the Jinni’s long life in Syria, though he doesn’t remember how he was put into the flask in which he is found by Arbeely, a tinsmith in Little Syria. Turns out he was imprisoned by a wizard a thousand years ago. The golem, on the other hand, is very new, having been created by an old rabbi wizard named Shalmaan in Poland for a man named Rotfeld, who wanted a wife and companion as he embarked on a journey to the New World. Unfortunately, Rotfeld died on the ship over from a burst appendix, and the golem is left alone. In the city, a Rabbi named Avram recognizes what she is and takes her in to help her. Both creatures must learn to navigate this bewildering new world.

It’s a big book (over 400 pages) and it’s a slow burn; I’m about a fourth of the way through and they haven’t met yet. I’m reading it rather leisurely, but it’s very intriguing and compulsively readable. I’ll check in again when I finish it, hopefully at next month’s update.

Cobalt Squadron, by Elizabeth Wein. This is a junior novel that takes place between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, centering on Rose Tico and her sister Paige. I’ve been in the mood for more sequel stories, and this is one I hadn’t gotten to yet. We see Paige Tico die at the beginning of The Last Jedi in the bomber run against the First Order, and Rose later grieving for her. We are led to understand that they were very close, but we don’t get to see that in the film. So we get it here in this book, as they serve together on the bomber Hammer of Cobalt Squadron. The bombers of Cobalt and Crimson Squadrons are on a mission to help Atterra Bravo, a planet that’s being blockaded by The First Order. They must perform a series of supply drops to the planet while evading asteroids (some of which are armed with automatic cannons) and First Order TIE fighters. The bomber supply runs are dangerous and nerve-wracking, but Rose remains brave and determined as long as her sister Paige is in the gunner turret. In fact, Rose can’t imagine going on a mission without her sister. By the end of the story, she’s ready to be separated from Paige, after the destruction of Hosnian Prime puts them on different ships–Rose on Amilyn Holdo’s Ninka, and Paige on the Hammer, where she’ll be killed. It’s a sad foreknowledge, but I enjoyed this book where they could serve together one last time.

What If… S2. I’ve been a bit picky about the Marvel projects I’ve watched lately, having skipped most of the live-action shows and only viewing the latest movies (the notable exception being Loki Season 2). I enjoyed the first season of the animated show What If…? but when I saw that Season 2 was out, I thought, meh. I don’t know why, I guess I just wasn’t ready. But once I finally watched the first episode, I was hooked all over again. Each episode just got better and better. While the episodes explore variations of our heroes (and villains) in several different multiverses, there is an over-arching story arc involving Peggy Carter aka Captain Carter, continuing on from Season 1. I wasn’t particularly interested in her at first, but she’s grown on me. I loved every single episode here; they’re super fun, often hilarious, and could be heartbreaking as well. I also love how at the end of the last episode, the multiverse here is somehow connected to the World Tree multiverse that Loki is now holding together, though only vaguely. I’m hoping we’ll get more information on that in a Season 3.

Echo. This series is billed as a “Marvel Spotlight” as it’s only five episodes long, just long enough to focus on Maya Lopez, a character introduced in the Hawkeye series. While that series didn’t wow me as much as I’d have liked, I was intrigued by this character who is deaf and has a prosthetic leg. That doesn’t stop her from being totally badass, of course. There’s plenty of action here, but the heart of this series is Maya’s story. We got a little bit of it in Hawkeye, but it’s expanded on here, and let me tell you: it’s fantastic.

Maya comes from a long line of gifted Chocktaw women, and her Native heritage is front and center in this show. The crux of Maya’s story is her need to choose between her birth family in Oklahoma (which includes her estranged grandmother Chula, her cousin Bonnie, another cousin named Biscuits, and her uncle Henry); and her uncle in New York who happens to be the villain Kingpin. I don’t know much about Kingpin, other than he runs a criminal empire. He also loves Maya very much (or what seems to serve as love, for him). After her father died, he took her into his organization and she became an integral part of it, doing a lot of his dirty work. Fueled by rage and a sense of abandonment by her birth family, it took Hawkeye to open her eyes to her uncle’s ruthlessness. Oh, and he killed her father. At the end of the Hawkeye series, she shoots Kingpin in the face, believing him dead.

But of course he’s not. He pursues Maya to Oklahoma, presumably to kill her, but really to try to make amends and bring her back into the organization. But Maya’s having visions of her ancestors and must decide who she wants to be and where her loyalties lie.

I didn’t think I was going to watch this series, but I’m so glad I did! Don’t sleep on this gem if you can help it.

In Star Wars news, we got some pretty exciting announcements lately, such as:

The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Ahsoka S2 announced. On top of the three movies that have been talked about the past few months (the Rey New Jedi Order movie, the James Mangold Dawn of the Jedi movie, and the Dave Filoni Mandoverse movie), suddenly out of nowhere we get an announcement stating there will be a movie about Din and Grogu called, originally enough, The Mandalorian and Grogu. There was some debate about whether or not this movie will replace a season four of The Mandalorian, but I think the consensus is that it will not. There will be a S4 of The Mandalorian and this movie. At some point. There are no anticipated release dates for any of these films or shows, including the near-afterthought announcement of an Ahsoka Season Two. I was happy to hear about that. Of course, as is always the case, things may change. I’m just going to sit back and wait and see what they bring us and not hold my breath for anything, lol.

Bad Batch S3 Trailer. And of course, we got the first trailer for The Bad Batch Season 3, which I’m super-excited about, as you may imagine. I posted a brief reaction to the trailer the other day and am just counting down the days to February 21st when it premieres.

So that’s it this month. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Highlight: Avar, Stellan and Elzar

If you know me, you know I’m a big High Republic fan and share information on the books whenever I can. I thought I’d do a High Republic post once a month or so, highlighting an aspect of this era of Star Wars for those who are unfamiliar and are curious.

This post I’d like to focus on the three main Jedi characters that have been introduced: Avar Kriss, Stellan Gios, and Elzar Mann. It seems every Star Wars story has a trio of main characters consisting of two men and a woman. The OT has Luke, Han and Leia; the PT has Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme; and the ST has Poe, Finn and Rey. So why not the High Republic?

This trio happens to be all Jedi, which I find intriguing. They were Padawans together, the best of friends, growing up in the Temple and becoming Jedi Knights. By the time of the first book, Light of the Jedi, Avar and Stellan are Masters, while Elzar has yet to achieve that rank. Elzar is…a bit different. Let’s get into the character of each here.

Avar Kriss. Avar is prominent in the first HR book Light of the Jedi, but then shows up in the comics for most of Phase 1, where she often fights the Drengir (plant monsters, lol), often with the help of the Hutts, with whom she has made a temporary treaty. In time she becomes the Marshal of Starlight Beacon, the High Republic’s much-touted space station. Every Jedi in this era connects to the Force in their own particular way. Avar “hears” it as a song, and every living being exudes a different note. As Padawans, she and Elzar had a, ahem, relationship; this wasn’t expressly forbidden in the Temple at the time, but not exactly encouraged, either. Once they became Jedi Knights, they moved on from the relationship and focused on their Jedi duties. Well, Avar did, but Elzar is having trouble with his lingering romantic feelings for Avar.

Stellan Gios. If there ever was a poster boy for the Jedi Knights, Stellan is that Jedi. Handsome, charming, good at public relations, and dedicated to the Order, he’s dazzling in so many ways. Stellan sees the Force as a constellation of stars (as his name suggests), and Avar and Elzar look up to him and consider him their “polestar.” He’s the only one of the three who has trained a Padawan: Vernestrah Rwoh, a gifted Mirialan and the youngest Jedi to become a Knight in a very long time, at fifteen. Stellan plays a large role in the Battle of Valo against the Nihil and becomes an even bigger hero by saving the Chancellor, Lina Soh. While Avar is away from Starlight Beacon on her quest to find Lourna Dee, a Nihil leader, Stellan steps in and takes her place. Stellan believes Avar is becoming obsessed and perhaps starting down a dark road (and this may be true, but I haven’t read the comics, in which this story is told). Avar becomes rather resentful of Stellan stepping in and criticizing her; so by the time of The Fallen Star, they’ve had a kind of falling out. But it’s in this book that Stellan finds out who he truly is, beyond the shiny image of the Perfect Temple Jedi. Trapped on the doomed station, without the Order to guide him, without his Force powers (as the Nameless runs rampant on the station), he must dig deep within and find resources he never knew he had. Stellan ends up sacrificing himself to save others, going down with the station. I’ll admit, I got teary-eyed, lol.

Elzar Mann from the cover of Light of the Jedi.

Elzar Mann. Elzar is the most conflicted of the three Jedi, at least as the story goes on. Elzar, unlike his friends at the beginning of the story, is not a Master yet. The Order is a little hesitant to bestow that title on him, as Elzar has proved to be rather “experimental” in his Force abilities, trying things that aren’t sanctioned by the Order. He’s powerful, but they feel he’s a bit reckless, or at least, unpredictable. He reminds me a lot of Anakin, and I think he’s supposed to, the difference being in how the Order deals with such things. During the Battle of Valo, Elzar draws on his rage at the Nihil, using the dark side of the Force to pull a Nihil ship out of the sky. Afterward, he feels terribly guilty, and the Order sends him to an island with Orla Jareni, a Wayseeker (another way the Order is different from the prequel Jedi: a Wayseeker is a Force-user from the Temple who operates independently, outside the strictures of the Order). Orla helps him reconnect to the Force, stressing patience and persistence. Elzar sees the Force as an ocean, its powerful waves and its deep, quiet depths. Elzar struggles with his feelings for Avar; he respects her and their duties as Jedi, yet it’s still there. By the time of The Eye of Darkness, they’ve become closer in their grief over Stellan, and once the Stormwall is up and they’re separated, feelings on both sides have intensified. They’re reunited at the end of the book, and I see a passionate forbidden affair in the works, one that could ultimately lead to tragedy (sound familiar?).

So these are the main three Jedi introduced into the High Republic, among many, many Jedi, lol. I’ll occasionally do a post on other Jedi from the High Republic, as well as many other people, events, and concepts that I find interesting.

For Light and Life!

The Bad Batch S3 Trailer is here!

Okay, Bad Batchers, it’s finally here!

I came home from work last night and the internet was abuzz with the long-awaited new trailer for Season 3. The show premieres on Februray 21st with three, count ’em, three episodes. Woo-hoo!

Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it yet:

I don’t normally break down trailers, but let’s talk about this, because I’m super-excited.

We see a lot of familiar faces returning here: Phee, Rex, Fennec Shand, Cad Bane, Hemlock, of course, besides the Batch, which seems to be made up of Hunter and Wrecker at this point. I didn’t see Echo at all, but maybe he’s on Coruscant helping Rex and Riyo Chuchi? At one point, and you’ll miss it if you blink, it looks like Crosshair is in a vehicle with Hunter-or at least someone in Crosshair’s armor. So maybe he somehow escaped Tantiss, and now they’re going back for Omega?

We see Omega at one point passing Crosshair on Tantiss (and he looks quite defeated), Omega in a room being scanned somehow as she’s holding a tray or something, and Omega looking fierce as she pilots some kind of ship, perhaps.

We see another one of those weird assassin clones that we saw in Season 2, and I was soooo scared it might be Tech, but then we see the guy without his helmet talking some poo-doo, and he looked just like the reg clone from before. Whew! But then, at least he’d be alive. Or it could just be trailer trickery…at any rate, we’ll have to wait and see how that debate turns out.

It seems that lovely Pabu finally sees the arrival of Imperial troops. But I’m not worried–Shep told Hunter that if they do come, they’ll be ready. I believe the mysterious Arkium holds the key, but again, we’ll see.

The biggest and most shocking surprise is at the end of the trailer, when we see none other than Asaaj Ventress make an appearance! She’s clearly in her Light-side form, as seen in the novel Dark Disciple, with her blonde hair and yellow lightsabers. Readers of the book may well be confused, because in that book-spoiler!-she dies, at least several years before the events of this series. But I trust that the writers know what they’re doing, and I’m pretty excited to see her in the show. All will become clear.

Needless to say, I can’t wait for February 21st. We even have a list of episodes and their air-dates:

What do you think of the trailer? What are your hopes for Season 3? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Deep Dive: Is Ahsoka Tano a Jedi Even Though She Left the Order?

Welcome to the first installment of my Star Wars Deep Dive.

These are questions I might ponder now and then or that have been brought up in the fandom before and discussed and picked apart, possibly ad nauseum, but that I’d like to give my particular thoughts on. I ask these questions, not because I have a definitive answer, but because I want to know what I think, lol. So here we go!

Ahsoka walks away from the Order…and Anakin.

In Clone Wars Season Five, Ahsoka Tano leaves the Order after undergoing a trial that accuses her of setting a bomb in the Jedi Temple. Barriss Offee turns out to be the treasonous Jedi, and Anakin proves to the court that Ahsoka is innocent. But Ahsoka feels the Jedi Council did not support or stand by her during this crisis. Feeling betrayed, she walks away.

The question: Is Ahsoka still a “Jedi”?

Perhaps its semantics, but it’s an interesting question. In Rebels, Maul calls her a “part-timer” on Malachor. In that same episode she faces Darth Vader. Believing he killed Anakin, she says, “Then I will avenge him.” Vader states, “Revenge is not the Jedi way,” to which Ahsoka replies, “I am no Jedi.”

So by her own admission, she’s not a Jedi. And, more importantly, she is willing to seek revenge, a definite no-no for the Jedi. She is operating outside the bounds of the Jedi Order.

Case closed? I don’t know. Ahsoka may say she’s no Jedi, but apart from this event, she continues to act like a Jedi, to a great extent: she is always working for good, helping others who need it, joining Bail Organa’s fledgling Rebellion as Fulcrum; you know, fighting the good fight. When she meets the Martez sisters in Clone Wars Season 7, she helps them when she doesn’t really have to. Because that’s what she does. That’s what Jedi do. You can take the Jedi out of the Temple, but can you take the Temple out of the Jedi?

Perhaps Ahsoka is a Gray Jedi? Now, “Gray Jedi” is a kind of Jedi that was played around with in Legends, but George Lucas himself disputes the term, claiming that there is no such thing. You are either Light or Dark side. If you even consider dabbling in the dark side, you are no Jedi. So “Gray Jedi” would be a contradiction in terms. Call yourself a “Gray Force User,” I guess, if you want to straddle the two aspects of the Force. I have nothing against that. But don’t call yourself a “Jedi,” as that implies Light side only.

One of several variations I’ve seen of the “Gray Jedi Code.”

So is Ahsoka a “Gray Force User?” So, okay, she was willing to seek revenge for Anakin. That’s not very light-sidish. However, I’m willing to argue that she was reacting to strong emotions of the moment, learning that Anakin was “killed” by Darth Vader, this dark being in front of her. Does that make her evil? No. Does it make her “Gray”?

Well, let’s compare Ahsoka to Baylan Skoll. Now there’s a candidate for a Gray Force User if there ever was one. Trained by the Order, not Sith, but working outside the bounds of the Jedi Order (that doesn’t exist anymore, of course). I don’t believe he or Shin are tapping into the dark side (I may be wrong on this). But here’s the difference between Baylan and Ahsoka: Baylan is using his Force powers, not for Good, but for his own selfish purposes. We don’t know the details of that purpose, but he truly believes that what he’s after will change things up in the galaxy (or galaxies), I’m guessing for the better, in his opinion. So I think, if my understanding of Gray Force User is correct, that Baylan fits this description. He’s doing morally questionable things in pursuit of a higher purpose, one that he believes is worth it.

This is not what Ahsoka is. She never uses the Force for selfish purposes (except for that one teensy little time when she was willing to kill Darth Vader in revenge for Anakin). Since then, it has always been for good. True, she certainly dresses in gray garb, and is falling prey to dark side emotions: fear, mostly, of the power in herself and others, of misusing that power. But I think it’s only to show a stark contrast to when she becomes Ahsoka the White: someone who doesn’t fear the Force, who doesn’t fear connections, who doesn’t fear living fully in the life that she was given. Her faith has been restored.

So no, I don’t think Ahsoka is a Gray Force User.

However…

Let’s talk about Huyang for a moment. Huyang, her droid companion who has served the Jedi Order for about, oh, 25,000 years, still acts and thinks as if the Order is still around. He scolds Ahsoka about her unconventional choices, of going against protocol, of basically doing things that are unbecoming to a Jedi, lol. But let’s be honest: she’s just doing things the way she and Anakin used to do things: unconventionally, and well, maybe a little recklessly. Things that would make Obi-Wan shake his head in disapproval. They were mavericks in their own way. And Huyang does concede that she “comes from a long line of unconventional Jedi,” which includes Anakin and Qui Gon Jinn.

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Huyang.

So, what does all this mean? Do I believe that Ahsoka is still a “Jedi”? In my opinion, yes. Even though she walked away from the Order, she is still a Jedi in her heart. After all, she’s taken on a Padawan and intends to teach her the ways of the Jedi. Perhaps not the strictures of the Order, but what it really means to be a Jedi: to serve others through the Force.

But this is just my opinion. What’s yours? Do you think Ahsoka is still a Jedi? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Favorite Lightsaber Battles From Ahsoka

I don’t think there’s more live action lightsaber battles in any Star Wars series than in Ahsoka. Seriously, every one of the eight episodes had at least one, sometimes two or three lightsaber duels. Which is awesome, of course, so I thought I’d list my top five favorites here.

Ahsoka vs. Anakin in the World Between Worlds. This encounter was thrilling in every way, from the teasing banter at the beginning, to Ahsoka’s “I will not fight you” and Anakin’s answer, “I’ve heard that before,” to the final lesson being learned.

I loved seeing Anakin’s signature moves here, even more so than as a Padawan against his master in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Here, he is the Master, seemingly in control of the entire duel, pushing Ahsoka to her limits, exhorting her to “live or die.”

That is the lesson: Ahsoka has been living a half- life, really since Order 66 but especially since learning Anakin had turned to the dark side and became Vader. She was fearful, cautious, afraid of connection, of the darkness in herself and others. It was why she refused to train Grogu; it was why she walked away from training Sabine.

After the vision of her younger self in the Clone Wars, of coming to terms with being a child soldier, she turns the battle around, faces the darkness within herself, overcomes it, and declares, “I choose to live.” In other words, she regains her faith in herself, in the Force, and in the Light. She decides to live fully rather than the gray half-life she’d been living. Anakin’s transformation from dark side demon to charming Anakin–“There’s hope for you yet”–is brilliant, and Hayden’s performance is flawless.

This battle is charged with intense emotion, and that always makes for the best lightsaber duels.

Ahsoka vs. Baylan (Round 1) on Selos. This is the meeting we’d all been waiting for: Ahsoka confronting the mysterious Baylan Skoll. Ahsoka and Sabine are after the map that leads to Thrawn, and Baylan, of course, must let it finish its work downloading coordinates to Morgan’s ship.

Baylan begins by trying to throw Ahsoka off balance by bringing up Anakin and his fall. Ahsoka doesn’t take the bait, and they circle each other for quite a while, changing stances, feeling each other out. Baylan is a big, imposing man, and he slashes at Ahsoka with powerful, controlled moves.

The orange lightsabers are never explained, and maybe they don’t need to be; but Baylan and Shin are clearly not Sith. They’re not Jedi, either, though Baylan is formerly of the Order. I haven’t figured out if they use the dark side of the Force or not–they use the Force selfishly, for their own ends, but are they truly evil? Let me know your take on this, please.

At any rate, the stakes are high in this battle; and when Shin shows up, Ahsoka thinks she’s killed Sabine. This momentarily weakens her, and Baylan gets the upper hand, pushing her toward the edge of the cliff. Ahsoka manages to knock Shin out, but when Sabine then shows up, Ahsoka tells her to destroy the map. But at this point, Baylan presses his advantage, and Ahsoka falls into the sea.

Ahsoka vs. Morgan Elsbeth on Peridea. I thought Morgan’s transformation into a true Dathomirian witch was cool and made her character more interesting; it was a shame it didn’t last very long. But Morgan went out fighting with her flaming green sword, the Sword of Talzin, in her battle with Ahsoka in the last episode. This duel was even more epic than their fight in The Mandalorian; here, both women have been transformed: Ahsoka is now Ahsoka the White, and Morgan is now Shadow Morgan. Light vs. Dark, and the stakes couldn’t be higher, as Thrawn is now making his escape. Unfortunately, Ahsoka loses one of her lightsabers in this battle, but she is ultimately triumphant, slicing Morgan across the midsection.

Sabine Wren vs. Shin Hati (Round 1) on Lothal. Besides Ahsoka’s fight with the droids on Arcana in the first episode, this is the first proper lightsaber duel we see in Ahsoka, and it’s between the Padawans, Sabine Wren and Shin Hati. Besides our surprise at how good Sabine has become with the lightsaber, it’s the first time we’ve seen two women duel in live-action (I think?–besides Ahsoka and Morgan in The Mandalorian, but it’s not a true lightsaber battle as Morgan has a Beskar staff rather than a laser sword). The aesthetics are striking, with Sabine’s green and Shin’s orange sabers lighting up the night. And Sabine taking Shin’s lightsaber through the middle is shocking. Even though we know that she must live through the injury, she clearly loses the battle. Plus, Sabine with long hair.

Ahsoka vs. Baylan (Round 2) on Peridea. It was inevitable that these two should meet once more here on Peridea, and this time Ahsoka is a bit more prepared. Again, the stakes are high, but it’s more about saving her friends than any strategic goal (like getting to the map in the first duel). The battle is just as beautiful and brutal as the first, but again, Baylan is a wall that Ahsoka cannot topple. He says, “You can’t defeat me,” and she replies, “I don’t have to,” and she’s right: it’s just a distraction until Huyang can come in and save the day.

I love all the lightsaber duels in this show; I haven’t even mentioned the two duels Ahsoka had with Marrock, and Sabine and Shin’s rematch. But these were my top five if I had to choose for brevity’s sake. I love how Dave Filoni approached the battles from a samurai perspective: from the brutal, slashing moves more reminiscent of the Originals and Sequels (as opposed to the dancing choreography of the Prequels), to Ahsoka’s garb, to the ethereal flute music, to the term “bokken” Jedi (a Japanese term meaning “wooden sword,” and how Baylan refers to Jedi trained outside the Jedi Order, after its fall). Wonderful.

Do you have a favorite lightsaber battle from Ahsoka? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

I rank the Star Wars books that came out in 2023

Since I’m on a roll with ranking Star Wars content, I thought I’d give my highly subjective ranking of the Star Wars novels that came out in 2023. From most to least favorite, here’s my list:

The Eye of Darkness, by George Mann. It was a close contest between this one and Rise of the Red Blade, but this one was more anticipated by me and didn’t disappoint. It begins Phase 3 of the High Republic, getting back to many beloved characters from Phase 1 after the destruction of Starlight Beacon. Marchion Ro has erected a “Stormwall” around a section of the galaxy that is called The Occlusion Zone. This area is inaccessible to the rest of the galaxy, trapping many worlds behind it, along with many Jedi and Padawans. These Jedi, among them Avar Kriss and Porter Engle, are trying to help those trapped under Marchion’s rule, as well as finding a way through the Stormwall; on the other side, the Jedi, particularly Elzar Mann and Bell Zettifar, and the Republic are trying to find a way through as well. I loved every minute of it.

Rise of the Red Blade, by Delilah Dawson. Delilah Dawson is one of my favorite Star Wars authors. In her own words, she loves to write about “violent women,” lol. She wrote about Phasma’s origins in Phasma, and the Resistance spy Vi Moradi in Black Spire, which I greatly enjoyed. This one tells the story of Iskat Ikaris, a Jedi Padawan who, after Order 66, becomes an Inquisitor. Most of the book chronicles her experiences in the Jedi Order and how they, let’s say “mishandled,” Iskat and her dark side tendencies. We spend most of the book witnessing her frustration at being held back and not allowed to use her strengths in the Force. She seems to be made for battle, and her skills are extraordinary. But the Jedi are keeping secrets from her, and Iskat feels alienated and angry. We come to sympathize with her, while at the same time dreading her descent into the dark, which of course we know is coming. Very compelling story of a woman caught between worlds.

Cataclysm, by Alyssa Wong. This is an adult novel of Phase 2 of the High Republic and was a stronger installment for me than its predecessor, Convergence. It highlights the renewed violence between the two planets Eiram and E’ronoh, and the part played by the Path of the Open Hand in the war. But the main character arc is that of Axel Greylark, the disgraced son of the Chancellor, who is approached by Jedi Knight Gella Natai for help in the conflict. Axel must ultimately decide if he wants to truly help the Republic (represented by Gella, who he’s developed feelings for, and his mother, the Chancellor) or remain a part of the Path of the Open Hand–and the supposed “freedom” the group offers from the weight of his past and family name.

Path of Vengeance, by Cavan Scott. This is the companion Young Adult novel to Cataclysm, and here we get to see more closely the machinations of the Path of the Open Hand through its mysterious leader the Mother, as well as what happens with Marda and Yanna Ro, ancestors of Marchion Ro of the villainous Nihil. We see the Battle of Dalna from multiple viewpoints, both Jedi and Path members, and witness the Mother’s unleashing of the terrifying Nameless–creatures that can turn Force-users into ash. Marda’s story, in particular, is of interest, as it’s she who sows the seeds of the future Nihil. Her path from sweet, gentle believer in the Path to a cold, ruthless leader is chilling.

The Battle of Jedha (Script), by George Mann. I’m generally not into audiobooks. I know some people love them, but I have to read a book rather than listen to it to fully absorb its story. I’d much rather read the script than listen to it, and that’s what I did with the Battle of Jedha, since I didn’t want to miss the story it tells. Representatives from the warring planets of Eiram and E’ronoh have gathered on Jedha to sign a peace treaty, but it’s sabotaged by the Path of the Open Hand with an explosion. The two enemies blame each other, and their forces begin fighting in the streets. To add to the confusion, a Nameless creature has escaped and is destroying many Force-users present in the Holy City. Jedi Master Creighton Sun and Jedi Knight Aida Forte, with the help of the Guardians of the Whills, try to stop the battling armies as well as investigate who caused the explosion in the first place. This is my first audiobook script, and I enjoyed reading it; it’s like reading the script of a play, that’s all.

Tales of Light and Life, by various authors. This is a book of short stories taking place in the High Republic. Some occur during Phase 2, and some are “prequels,” of sorts, to Phase 3. I liked all of them, though some were better than others. The most important, from a plot standpoint, is “After the Fall,” by Claudia Gray, which tells a story about Bell Zettifar soon after the fall of Starlight Beacon in Phase 3, and which reveals the fate of the Wookiee Jedi Burryaga. My favorite story, though, is “A Closed Fist Has No Claws,” by Tessa Gratton, which is about what Mardo Ro is up to after the events of Phase 2, and how she sets the remnants of the Path toward their destiny as the Nihil.

Crimson Climb, by E.K. Johnston. This book is about Q’ira from the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. I wrote about it here in one of my Updates if you’d like to read it, but basically, it’s about what happens to Q’ira after Han escapes from Corellia, but she doesn’t. It chronicles her rise through the Crimson Dawn ranks and how she becomes Dryden Vos’ lieutenant. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t as if I tore through it eagerly. I do think it might be the first part of a trilogy, which would be great and I’d be here for. Despite all the stories of Q’ira taking place in the comic world, I think there’s more room for her in novels, as well.

Quest for Planet X, by Tessa Gratton. The middle-grade books of the High Republic have been consistently good, nearly on par with at least the young adult entries. This one is pretty good, but not one of my favorites. It takes place during Phase 2 concurrently with the young adult book Path of Vengeance; as is often the case, it focuses on some Jedi Padawans or other young people and their stories. This one stars Jedi Padawan Rooper Natani; Skye Graf, a young member of the powerful Graf prospecting family; and Dass Leffbruck, the son of an independent prospector. Dass and Sky recruit Rooper to help them on a race between the Grafs and the San Tekkas to chart new hyperspace lanes; however, their real mission is to find the mysterious Planet X (where, incidentally, the Nameless creatures are from). However, they run into some members of The Path of the Open Hand and must decide if they’re going to help the Jedi during their fight on Dalna.

Jedi: Battle Scars, by Sam Maggs. This one excited me at first; I’m not a gamer, and so felt like I was missing out on some important Star Wars lore with Cal Kestis and his crew. I so badly wanted a novel with these characters, so I, too, could participate in their coolness, lol. But this book falls short of what I was hoping for. It wasn’t terrible; it just wasn’t that great. The romance between Merrin and the female Imperial deserter was cringe-worthy at best. I’m all for romance in Star Wars, but this was like really bad fan-fiction (and I’ve written fan-fiction, lol). The rest of the plot was fine, I suppose, but I guess I was hoping for more characterization of the main characters, probably because I don’t play the games and didn’t really know them that well. Cere, in particular, really interested me, but I was left wanting. Very much my least favorite book of the year.

So these were the Star Wars novels that came out in 2023 and my thoughts on them. Did you read any of these books? Which was your favorite? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!