Welcome to Day 17 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, in which I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
Today’s question is: Each member of the Bad Batch has qualities that give the team an edge in the field. What’s something different or unique about you, your friends, or siblings, that gives you an unexpected advantage?
When I first pulled this card, at first I saw “Bad Batch,” and I thought, Yay! Finally, a Bad Batch question! And then I read the rest of it and thought, oh crap. Can’t we just talk about the boys and Omega? Because I can’t think of a single thing to answer this question.
Advantage in what? The battlefield? (Clearly, nothing). Work? (Good customer service voice?) Life? Certainly nothing unique (or I wouldn’t be a cashier at the age of 52). I have some decent reading and writing skills, but there’s nothing unique in that.
If I dig deep, deep, deep down, I guess I could say I’m a good listener. While everyone else is jabbering away, I’m listening, observing, coming to conclusions. Maybe seeing or hearing what others don’t. That’s what writers do. And I guess that gives me an advantage if I ever buckle down and decide to pursue writing fiction seriously. Right now I’m distracted by blogging and Star Wars and other people’s creations to focus on my own. I’m having too much fun, and writing fiction with any sense of getting somewhere with it is hard, lol. But maybe someday. Before I, you know, die.
And maybe I interpreted the question wrong and it means what’s your advantage in the Star Wars universe. In which case….still nothing, lol. I’d probably be a waitress in some Outer Rim cantina. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
But enough about me. What’s your unique advantage? Don’t be shy, sing your praises! Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
And because this question referenced the Bad Batch, and because I love them beyond reason, here’s a few images of our beloved crew:
Welcome to Day 16 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, during which I randomly choose a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
Today’s question asks: What is the scariest creature in Star Wars?
That’s a tough one, because there’s so many! Hmmm, will I choose….
The Rancor?
We encountered the rancor for the first time in Return of the Jedi at Jabba’s Palace; then we saw another one again in The Book of Boba Fett (and Muchi, the adolescent female in The Bad Batch). They are indeed ferocious creatures, apparently easily angered, and look as if they’ll tear you from limb to limb with those huge sharp claws. Or will I choose…
The Rathtar?
Rathtars are in The Force Awakens; Han and Chewie are delivering them to some Prince who collects such things. They’d had a bigger crew, but it’s implied the creatures ate them as they rounded them up. They get loose on their ship and wreak havoc; we don’t actually see too much of them, except a big round mouth full of sharp teeth and plenty of long tentacles to pull you into said mouth. Okay, pretty scary. But so is…
The Wampa
So this guy nearly killed Luke Skywalker on the planet of Hoth. The creature whacked him across the face, killed his tauntaun, and dragged him back to his lair. Luke hung upside down, his feet encased in ice, until the beast was ready to eat him. Meanwhile, the Wampa was feasting on something else, presumably his tauntaun. Luckily for Luke, he woke up in time and used the Force to get his lightsaber and got away.
As scary as these creatures are, I think I have to go with…
Bor Gullet
Just…yuck.
Bor Gullet is a Mairan, a slimy, tentacled creature from Rogue One that can read minds, both thoughts and emotions, in its victims. Saw Gerrera uses the creature on Bodhi Rook to find out if he’s telling the truth. It’s repulsive. As it sidles toward Bodhi and wraps its tentacles around him, it just absolutely creeps me out. It may not kill you, but it can make you lose your mind. I think I’d rather die, lol.
Poor Bodhi. His brain is a little addled afterward, but at least he does eventually recover.
There’s plenty of monsters to choose from in Star Wars: the Sarlaac, the Krayt Dragon, the Zillo Beast, the Dianoga, the prequel creatures on Geonosis, the Leveler and the Drengir from the High Republic, and let’s not forget those terrible spider creatures from both Rebels and the Mandalorian. And others I can’t even think of right now.
So which creature do you think is the scariest? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Today’s question is: Do you think Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One who brought balance to the Force? Why or why not?
Oh, boy. If ever there was a contentious subject in Star Wars, this is one of them.
“You were the Chosen One!” I think we can all hear this conversation.
So the Jedi prophecy states, basically, that there will be one (“The Chosen One”) who brings “balance” to the Force. Qui Gon Jinn, who had studied the Jedi prophecies, believed that young Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One, and that’s why he brought him back to Coruscant and to the Jedi Council.
The Council, especially Yoda, does not agree that Anakin should be trained, never mind that he’s the Chosen One. And later, Yoda expresses doubt about Anakin, believing that they could have “misread” the prophecy.
Once Anakin turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, Obi-Wan gives up the notion that Anakin is the Chosen One. When Maul asks if the one he’s protecting on Tatooine is the Chosen One (Luke), Obi-Wan replies yes. He’s simply making the assumption here, believing Anakin’s turn disqualifies him from that honor.
Who we talking about here?
But later, in Return of the Jedi, we see that when Vader/Anakin kills the Emperor, he’s destroyed the Dark and brought Light back to the Force, and therefore, in a roundabout way, he is indeed the Chosen One. If that’s how you want to look at it, and I do.
The problem is the word “balance.” There are those who believe that “bringing balance to the Force” means the dark and the light have equal influence. And while that’s true in a Cosmic Force kind of way (as in there is always dark as well as light), I think people interpret it to mean that there is evil in the galaxy in proportion to the good, and therefore there should be as many Sith as there are Jedi.
But some, like myself, don’t see it that way; and I don’t believe George Lucas himself saw it that way, either, at least when it comes to this prophecy. I think what Lucas intended was that “balance” means Anakin destroyed evil, and now the Force is back in balance. As if the darkness unbalanced it, tainted it. That makes sense to me. So in this sense, yes, Anakin is the Chosen One.
Now, there are those who feel that the sequel trilogy, in particular the fact that Palpatine somehow “returned,” negates Anakin’s sacrifice. I don’t believe this is true. For one thing, Anakin didn’t kill the Emperor to specifically “bring balance to the Force.” I don’t think that’s what was going through his mind. He killed him to save his son. Period. It was personal, not cosmic, although the results were cosmic in nature–he did, indeed, bring balance with his actions. Prophecies are funny that way. But he sacrificed himself for his son; obviously Luke would have died if Vader/Anakin hadn’t intervened. How can that be negated?
This is why the Emperor ended up going down that shaft.
“But Palpatine (evil) came back!” the critics will argue. “How can that be if Anakin brought balance?”
Yes, of course he did. For a time. For that specific time in history. But if you look at our own history (and the history of the SW galaxy, for that matter), evil always returns. Always. You fight it and defeat it, and enjoy your victory for a time, and then it rises again. And again, and again, and again. It is the way of the world, of the galaxy, of the universe. The fight never ends. Even if it wasn’t Palpatine, it would have been some damn evil entity. Snoke himself said, “Darkness rises, and the Light to meet it,” to Rey and Kylo in the throne room. Anakin did his part; now it’s their turn.
Finally, Palps is gone! But just wait. Someone else will come along to ruin the galaxy.
Anyway, all of this to say, yes, I believe Anakin was the Chosen One, and he brought (temporary) balance to the Force.
What do you think? The Chosen One prophecy is kind of a clunky concept in Star Wars, rife for misinterpretation, and personally, I think the saga could have done without it. But it’s there, and this is what I make of it, anyway. Let me know what you think in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 14 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack and write an answer.
Today’s question is: Bad news:You work for the Empire. Good news: You get to choose your boss. Who is it?
For me, I think it would be Thrawn. Most of the Imperial bosses I’m familiar with are terrifyingly evil (the Emperor, Darth Vader), arrogant and cold (Tarkin), too ambitious for their own good (Krennic), and just plain inept (fill in the blank). There’s not many I’d want to work for, lol.
Too scary.
WAY too scary…and a tad bit insane.
Heart made of ice.
Would sell his own mother for a promotion.
But Thrawn…he’s different. Still a bad guy doing bad things, but he’s actually smart, doesn’t waste his resources (ie, you or me), and though he’s well aware of his talents, he doesn’t throw it in your face. He’s intimidating and formidable, but he seems to inspire loyalty in his minions, probably because of the above reasons. He doesn’t seem to rule by fear (though I’d fear him if I angered him), but by competence and results. And he’s unfailingly polite, for the most part.
So if I had to work for the Empire, I’d pick Thrawn, but he’s still an Imperial, so I’d want to defect to the Rebel Alliance. But because he’s Thrawn, he’d figure it out way ahead of time and do away with me. For strategic reasons, of course; nothing personal. In which case I’m better off picking someone more inept, lol. Oh well.
Whichever Thrawn you prefer, he’s always imposing and calculating.
Between all the movies, shows, books, and comics, there are plenty of other Imperial bosses out there, but these are the ones that came to my mind. Who would you pick? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 13 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
Today’s question is: If you were a Jedi hiding in the secret rooms of the Hidden Path, what phrase would you carve into the wall?
This is an interesting one! I love the idea of the Hidden Path, a secret group that helps Jedi and other Force sensitives hide from the Empire. It was introduced in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. In it, Obi-Wan reads the names and phrases carved into the walls; one phrase he recites out loud: “Only when the eyes are closed can we truly see.” A comment on finding the Force within ourselves.
So what would I carve if I were a Jedi passing through? Well, it sounds kind of boring and simple, but think I’d carve, “The Forcewill be with you always.” A reminder that, no matter what your situation, no matter how dark or hopeless things are, the light is still there. The Force will never abandon you. Unless, like Obi-Wan in the series, you abandon it. And even if you do, all you have to do is reach out for it, and it will be there. Keep faith, keep hope alive, protect the Light.
I hope we see more of the Hidden Path in any future projects that take place during this time. A mention or part of a live-action show; or a book or animated series specifically about the Path. I think it might have been mentioned in the game Jedi: Survivor. But I want more, lol.
So what would you carve on the walls of the Hidden Path? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 12 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I pick a random card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
Today’s question is:
In The Rise of Skywalker, C-3PO’s mind is wiped to uncover a vital clue. Would you make the same choice if you were in a similar high stakes conflict? What type of greater good would compel you to make such a sacrifice?
Sith-3PO
First of all, let it be said that C-3PO’s memory is backed up on R2D2, so is there really a sacrifice here? Threepio pointed out that it wasn’t exactly reliable, and there was a chance it wouldn’t be able to be retrieved. I suppose Poe, Finn and Rey had to decide if they were willing to take that (probably small) chance.
And who really likes Threepio, anyway? Just kidding. He was never my favorite–okay, I thought he was extremely annoying in the Original trilogy. But in TROS, I found I really liked him. I think he was just written well, and was actually amusing rather than annoying.
And there’s the “He’s just a droid,” argument, but that brings up a whole other can of worms. In Star Wars, droids are nearly sentient–in fact, they are sentient, at least ones like Threepio, and that brings up the whole “droids are slaves” ethical questions, etc. etc. That’s another post. But the fact of the matter is, droid or not, Threepio is their friend, and they had to make the decision. They made it pretty quickly, though, and decided it was worth the risk.
“What are you doing there, Threepio?” I’ll admit, when he answers, “Taking a last look at my friends,” I got a little choked up.
Anyway, back to the question. I suppose you have to decide how to interpret it. Sacrifice someone’s memory, like with Threepio? Or sacrifice their life? I’m going to go with any kind of sacrifice, especially a life. A mind-wipe? That’s tough, but at least they’re alive. I guess for a droid, it’s akin to death.
In that particular scenario, I would have agreed to take the risk. But if I had to risk a human (or alien) friend? Like, their life, not just their memory? That’s thornier. If that friend was willing to do whatever was asked, insisted on it, I’d probably agree, even if I didn’t like it.
It depends on the situation and the stakes. Something like defeating the Emperor (again) so he doesn’t take over the galaxy (again) is pretty important. If it’s my child? No. Nope. My spouse? No, unless he did it to save our child. Myself? Probably, but I don’t think my family would like that, obviously. I’d want to know my child would be cared for (she has a disability). But I’d want her to live in a better galaxy. It’s such a hard question, without any specifics. Real world stuff? (Shrugs) I don’t know. Thinking about things like this ahead of time, as opposed to deciding in the moment, when you’re faced with a decision, could be very different.
That’s the best I can do with this question, lol. What about you? How would you answer this question? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 11 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, in which I pick a random card from the Star Wars Chat Pack and answer the question.
Today’s question is: What is your favorite Darth Vader moment?
Huh, this is the perfect complement to yesterday’s question (what is your favorite Luke Skywalker moment).
So there are plenty of awesome (evil) Darth Vader moments, like:
The light at the end of the tunnel.
Rogue One hallway scene. I think we had all forgotten just how terrifying Darth Vader was supposed to be. This scene in Rogue One cured that, lol. Vader inexorably chasing down the Rebels with the Death Star plans, slaughtering as he goes, is chilling and horrifying.
“Now you will suffer, Obi-Wan.”
Basically anytime he shows up in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Vader is determined and merciless in this series as he hunts down Obi-Wan. The street scene, in particular, in which he tries to lure Obi-Wan out of hiding by killing innocent bystanders, is a shocking reminder of what lengths he’ll go to. Burning Obi-Wan, nearly choking Reva, and burying Obi-Wan with boulders add to his relentlessness. Oh, and pulling down that transport he believes is filled with the refugees and ripping it apart with the Force is impressive. Most impressive. He’s just a monster in this series, driven by rage and his need to destroy Kenobi.
There are some more poignant scenes, however, such as:
“Anakin is gone.”
“I am not your failure, Obi-Wan.” This exchange between Vader and Obi-Wan in the Kenobi series is just so heartbreaking. Obi-Wan is in tears, telling Anakin he’s sorry for everything, and Vader says this, adding, “You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.” At first, I thought maybe he was trying to make Obi-Wan feel better. Then I thought: nah. This is Vader we’re talking about. He’s boasting, confirmed by that evil little smile as he said it. Despite accusing earlier in the series, “I am what you made me,” he does a 180 here, taking responsibility. Basically, he’s a mess, a big wad of pain and suffering wrapped up in a dark cloak of evil. I found it unutterably sad.
But I think my favorite moment is this one, for obvious reasons:
Killing the Emperor. I suppose you could say this isn’t Vader anymore; it’s Anakin Skywalker saving his son. Still, Vader or Anakin, the man in the suit and mask decided he was done with Palpatine’s bullsh*t and wasn’t going to let him destroy his son. I can tell you that was the most electrifying (no pun intended) moment of the Original trilogy for me. I left the theater stunned and changed. I was 13 years old and I thought I’d seen the height of cinema, lol. Nothing’s come close since, except maybe The Lord of the Rings trilogy twenty years later. And I do think it’s held up over the years; I still get emotional watching it. I don’t think it needed the “Nooooo!” added onto it. Actions speak louder than words, George. But oh well. Still a good scene.
So that’s my favorite Darth Vader moment. What’s yours? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 10 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
Today’s card asks: What is your favorite Luke Skywalker moment?
Oh man, there are so many! Here’s just a few that I love:
The Mandalorian entrance. As soon as I saw that X-Wing, I got excited. Is it really him? The black glove! It is him! When Grogu called out to a Jedi on Tython, I figured somebody would answer. I didn’t really think it would actually be Luke Skywalker. But really, who else was there at the time? Ahsoka had already said No thanks, Ezra was on Peridea, and who knows where Cal Kestis was. It was truly awesome to see Luke in his prime again, kicking some Imperial droid butt (even if it was a deep-fake; it still made me happy) and saving Din, Grogu and friends. Loved, loved, loved it.
Fighting Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi. This was truly a remarkable moment: Luke distracting Kylo Ren and the First Order so the Resistance could get away, and he wasn’t even really there. Force-projecting himself across the galaxy (I didn’t even know that was a thing! but of course it is, why not?) is a tremendously powerful thing to do, proving that Luke is at the height of his powers here. I mean, of course it took his life, but what a sacrifice! The most Jedi thing a Jedi can do: fight back without really fighting. The look on Kylo’s face when he disappeared is priceless.
Saving Han Solo and his friends from Jabba the Hutt. When we see Luke enter Jabba’s palace and negotiate for Han Solo, this is really the first time we see him so confident, so sure of himself, and it’s awesome. In A New Hope, he’s a green kid, in The Empire Strikes Back, he’s full of questions and doubts, but here there’s a new maturity and confidence in his powers, and it’s great to see. Wow, he really is a Jedi! Once he entered Jabba’s palace, the whole place was doomed, lol.
I love Return of the Jedi Luke, but my absolute favorite moment, from that movie and everything else, is this one right here (and I don’t think I’m alone):
When Luke throws his lightsaber away, refusing to kill his father and saying these words, he’s stepped into next-level Jedi. He nearly kills Vader, and “wins” the fight, but he realizes he’d pay for that victory with darkness. Just as his father did. Which is no victory at all. His true victory is resisting the dark side and standing up to the Emperor, basically telling him to do his worst (which he does, of course, nearly killing him, giving Vader the chance to save him). This act in itself brings Anakin back from the clutches of Vader; Luke saves his father with compassion. And that, my friend, is Luke’s greatest moment, in my opinion.
What’s your favorite Luke Skywalker moment? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 9 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
Today’s card asked: Star Destroyers have striking one-word names, as with the Inflictor and the Finalizer. What intimidating name would you choose to christen a Star Destroyer?
At first I thought, oh no, a ship question. I do not geek out about ships. At all. Sure, some are beloved and instantly recognizable–the Millennium Falcon, the Ghost, the Razor Crest. But Star Destroyers? They all look the same, and I can’t keep them straight. And don’t even ask me about “classes.”
They do have pretty cool names, though. Names to strike fear into the heart of the their enemies.
This one’s called the Gorgon. That’s pretty cool, actually.
Thrawn’s ship, the Chimaera. Now that’s a cool ship.
So what would I name one? I don’t know. At first, I thought of dumb, jokey names: the Bulldozer, the Boogeyman, the Urinator, the Dominatrix, the Condescender, the Belittler. The Bossofyou, lol.
But if I was being serious? It’s hard to come up with an intimidating name without sounding stupid. I had the bright idea of the Intimidator, but googled it, and it’s already taken. Then other names I thought of: the Predator. The Reaper. The Merciless. The Incinerator. All of these existed in either Legends or Canon. My list was getting smaller and smaller. Then I thought: the Ravenous! Nope. First Order ship. Dang! This is actually hard.
How about something grim like the Sepulcher?
The Shadow? Well, there’s a “Shadow Class,” so maybe not.
The Assassinator?
The Leveler? (That’s actually one of the names for the creature that drains Force users in the High Republic.)
The Dagger? Because they’re pointy, you see.
How about the Unraveler? I kind of like that. I googled it, and there doesn’t seem to be a ship named that. So I guess my name of choice would be:
The Unraveler! As in, your mental health will unravel when you catch sight of this ship.
Well, that turned out to be a fun creative exercise. What would you name your Star Destroyer? Jokey names or serious, let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Welcome to Day 8 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, in which I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.
The question I picked was: Who do you think has the coolest-looking helmet in Star Wars?
Good question, because there are sooo many! Here’s just a few that I really like:
Bo-Katan Kryze. I’ve always loved Bo-Katan’s helmet, with the Nite Owl design. Looking it up on Wookieepedia (my very best friend lately), it states that the Nite Owl insignia was often worn by female Mandalorian warriors, though exactly what the owl signifies is up for debate. I just think it makes the helmet pretty–in a cool, tough kind of way, of course.
The Armorer. Maybe because it’s made of gold beskar, or maybe because I love the fur that tufts out below it, or maybe because it’s got the little horns on the top, but I love the Armorer’s helmet. Some say the horns are remnants of the Maul-influenced Death Watch, which would make sense as it’s believed the Children of the Watch are descendants of that group.
Tech. I love all of Clone Force 99’s distinctive helmets, but Tech’s is my favorite. I think it’s because it’s open and we can see his big eyes, lending him a human touch. The visor is cool, too, which he can pull down anytime he needs data or translation. The funny side buns with antennae are quite charming, as well.
Captain Enoch. This one’s so bizarre I don’t even know what to think. We’ve never seen anything like this in Star Wars, as far as I know (please inform me if I’m wrong). But there’s no denying that Thrawn’s Captain has a very cool helmet. And very creepy, too. Not much is known about him yet, but I’m sure we’ll see more of him in the future.
These are all very cool, but I think for my favorite I have to go with….
Jedi Temple Guard. I’ve always been fascinated by the Jedi Temple Guards. I can’t say why, except that they’re kind of mysterious to me, which is helped along by the very cool helmets they wear. You don’t normally see Jedi wearing helmets, so they stand out in this way. The helmet denoted absolute emotional detachment and conferred anonymity, requirements of a Temple Guard in their duty. It was a great honor to be selected from the Order to become a Temple Guard; they were some of the greatest fighters the Order had to offer. The Grand Inquisitor used to be a Jedi Temple Guard before he turned to the dark side. Besides their helmets (and entire uniform) I love their yellow double-bladed lightsabers.
What’s your favorite Star Wars helmet? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Your source for everything Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is the companion blog to the @AllThingsKenobi Twitter. Because our love doesn't always fit into 280 characters.
Star Wars and Other Obsessions 