My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend. I hope you all had a great holiday this year.

So I finally finished Kenobi, by John Jackson Miller, and Smuggler’s Run by Greg Rucka. Kenobi is a wonderful Legends book about Obi-Wan when he first arrives on Tatooine to watch over Luke. Smuggler’s Run is a short middle grade adventure featuring Han Solo and Chewbacca, and it was a fun, quick read and one that adds to my “Journey to the Force Awakens” collection. They include The Weapon of a Jedi (about Luke), Moving Target (Leia) and now Smuggler’s Run (Han). They’re all set up with someone during the time just before The Force Awakens telling someone else a story about these characters back in the day and their adventures. It’s a neat little set-up.

So now I’ve picked up The Rising Storm, by Cavan Scott, to re-read before The Fallen Star comes out in a few weeks. I want to refresh my memory of the events in that book before I start the new High Republic adventure.

I followed up my viewing of “The Essential Clone Wars” on D+ with Seasons 6 & 7, although I skipped a few arcs of S6 (mostly the ones with Padme and Clovis). The arc with Fives finding out about the inhibitor chips is vital for S7, and then Yoda’s journey to learn about becoming a Force ghost and facing trials is interesting. I watched all of S7, beginning with the Bad Batch arc, Ahsoka’s adventures with the Martez sisters (I thought about skipping this arc, but the sisters have kind of grown on me), and of course, the last four episodes of Ahsoka facing Maul and then she and Rex during Order 66. Amazing, brilliant Star Wars in these last few episodes. It knocks me off my feet every time.

Why Do Fans Think Spider-Man Might Be in the Hawkeye Finale? — Nice suits.

In Marvel, I watched the finale of Hawkeye, and it satisfied. It wrapped things up rather quickly, and that’s fine. Kate dealt with Kingpin, Maya dealt with her cousin, and then also Kingpin, and Clint dealt with Yelena. I actually came to like Jack in a weird way, and how the Larpers tried to recruit him to their group. I’m still not sure what the deal is with the watch and how it ties to Clint’s wife–I’m a Marvel newbie, so I had to look it up. Apparently, it refers to the comics where Clint’s wife Bobbi was SHIELD Agent 19, and then left to become a superhero named Mocking bird. Just a little wink wink to those who are familiar with the comics (which is not me, lol).

And that wonderful, cheesy performance of Rogers: The Musical at the end was great. I was kind of hoping Clint went back to finish watching it and appreciating the homage, but oh well. So not the best Marvel series, but not the worst, either. My ranking is Loki, Wandavision, Hawkeye, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I love Sam and Bucky, but sorry guys, it just didn’t do it for me, lol.

Okay, so I saw Spiderman: No Way Home, and I have to say it was AWESOME!

SPOILER WARNING FOR NO WAY HOME, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT AND PLAN TO, STOP RIGHT HERE!!!!!

I don’t even know where to begin with this movie, because it was just so perfect in every way. First of all, I love Dr. Strange, he’s my favorite Marvel character next to Loki, so seeing him here was just wonderful. Tom Holland is always a great Spidey, just so sweet and vulnerable and with the biggest heart. Seeing all the past villains was cool (even though I didn’t know the ones from the Andrew Garfield movies since I haven’t seen them–yet), but seeing all three Spideys in one movie was just beyond all my expectations. I loved Toby Maguire as Spiderman, and when I saw Andrew Garfield show up, I thought, ooh, can it be? Will we see Toby too? And then there he was, an older and wiser Peter Parker stepping through the portal, and my heart just soared. All three of them learned something from the others here, and it was great to see. There’s plenty of tragedy, too, and it broke my heart: May’s death, and Peter’s friends not remembering him. That poor kid. 😦 Anyway, it was a great movie and ranks right up there with Shang Chi, my other favorite new Marvel movie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Leaked Pics Confirm Multiverse Crossover; Andrew Garfield & Tobey Maguire Spotted In The Climax Scene — Who’s the best Spidey? Answer: all of them.

Sooo–I finally got my Star Wars tattoo! Here it is:

May be an image of 1 person and tattoo — For light and life.

I absolutely love it! It’s my first tattoo (at 50!) and it was a fun, interesting, and slightly painful experience, lol. Not bad at all, though, and well worth it. What do you think of it?

That’s the scoop for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

A Whole Lotta Star Wars Books Next Year

As a booklover and a Star Wars fan, there’s a lot to be excited about for 2022. There’s a ton of Star Wars books coming out, and I’ve pre-ordered nearly all of them. Looks like I’ll be a very busy reading bee next year! Here’s a run-down of what’s coming up:

The High Republic:

The Fallen Star, by Claudia Gray. January 4th. Adult. The second wave of the High Republic stories is kicked off by this adult novel which continues the Jedi’s struggles against the Nihil. I love Claudia Gray’s novels, so I have very high expectations for this one.

Midnight Horizon, by Daniel Jose Older. Feb. 1st. YA. The young adult entries in the High Republic have been hit or miss with me, but this one concerns Reath Silas, a Jedi Padawan that I’m particularly fond of. So I have high hopes.

There’s also:

Queen’s Hope, by E.K. Johnston. April 5th. YA. I’ve enjoyed the previous two entries of the Padme series (a character who’s often gotten short shrift, in my opinion), and this third in the trilogy promises to be the best of the bunch. It concerns Padme’s marriage to Anakin during the Clone Wars, and I’m eager to see her side of the story.

And then there’s also a new batch of canon Star Wars:

Brotherhood, by Mike Chen. May 10th. (Adult? I think so.) This book centers on Obi-Wan and Anakin on a mission to Cato Neimoidia during the Clone Wars, and maybe we’ll get an answer to Obi-Wan’s cryptic reference to “that business” of Anakin saving him that “doesn’t count.” At any rate, it’s an Obi-Wan and Anakin adventure, and I’m so here for it. Maybe it will coincide with the Obi-Wan series on Disney+?

Stories of Jedi and Sith. June 7th. Middle-grade short stories. This one isn’t as high on my list, but I’m sure I’ll check it out at some point. I recognize a few of the authors and they’re quite good, so I’m betting these stories have a lot to offer.

Shadow of the Sith, by Adam Christopher. June 28th. Adult. No cover yet. This is the one people are frothing at the mouth for–it’s a post ROTJ Luke story (finally!) And it refers to events that will take place in the sequel trilogy: Luke and Lando are pursuing Ochi of Bestoon, a Sith assassin tasked with kidnapping a young girl–Rey. This one comes out on my birthday, and it will make a splendid birthday present to myself, lol.

Padawan, by Kiersten White. July 26th. YA. No cover yet. This one is about Obi-Wan when he is newly apprenticed to Qui Gon Jinn, on a mission to a planet with Force-wielding kids and teens. This one sounds fun, and really, there can never be too much Obi-Wan Kenobi, right?

I’m looking forward to ALL of these books, and I’ll be in Star Wars book heaven for at least half the year.

Are you looking forward to any of these books? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy weekend, my friends!

I haven’t gotten too far in books this past week; still dribbling through Kenobi and Smuggler’s Run. I’m not sure why–I think I’ve just been busy getting ready for Christmas. But it’s okay. I’ll be done with them by the time The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray comes out on January 4th. I’m super excited for this book, which is the adult novel in the next wave of High Republic books. And it kicks off almost an entire year of Star Wars publications I’ve already pre-ordered. I think I’ll do a separate post on those books sometime next week, so stay tuned.

Hawkeye Episode 6 was quite good. We got Yelena Romanov’s appearance, which was fun, but I thought the character kind of laid it on a little thick, if you know what I mean. The banter went on far too long, in my opinion. It’s one of the criticisms I have with the show, which is that I feel the writing could be a little tighter. It tends to meander on unnecessarily sometimes. Oh well. And I heard that Kingpin is probably the big bad in the story, which turned out to be true, but as a Marvel newbie, I have no idea who that is, lol. That’s okay, too. I’ll figure it out. And–surprise!–Kate’s Mom is involved somehow with the big guy. There’s only one show left, and I’m wondering how all of this is going to be played out and wrapped up.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. No, I’m crying.

I finished my viewing of Disney+’s “Essential Clone Wars,” which goes up to the last episode of season five with Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order (I’m guessing they consider all of seasons 6 and 7, which are much shorter, as essential viewing, and I agree with that assessment). There’s about twenty or so episodes that were plucked out of seasons 1-5, and they were pretty awesome indeed, especially the whole deal with Maul and Savage Opress, Death Watch and Mandalore, Satine’s death, and the Dark Saber. Ahsoka being accused of bombing the Jedi Temple and subsequently leaving the Order was great, too. That moment she walked away from the Council with Anakin running after her and their parting words had me in tears, I’m not kidding. I think I’ll watch seasons 6 and 7, which will probably get me up to the premier of The Book of Boba Fett on the 29th.

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the death of Anne Rice, the author of The Vampire Chronicles, the Mayfair Witches, and many other books that I devoured back in the day (90’s to early 2000’s). Her books were passionate, fun, mesmerizing and thoughtful all at the same time. Sometimes they were a little outrageous, lol. But she wrote her passions and didn’t apologize for it, and inspired me to do the same at the time (I have several desk-drawer novels from this time, lol). I eventually donated my piles of Anne Rice books to libraries and bookstores, but I do still have the book that started it all: Interview With A Vampire. The story of the vampires Louis and Lestat will always be one of my favorites. She was 80 years old and died of complications from a stroke. Rest in peace, Anne. I hope all of your spiritual questions will now be answered.

Anne Rice~I have enjoyed every book I have ever read by her, which is almost every book she has ever written. Just a few more to go. — I like this woman.

Last week I mentioned that I was in the process of getting a Jedi Order tattoo, and now I actually have an appointment date: Wednesday Dec. 22nd. I can’t wait! I’ll share a pic of it in my next update post.

Finally, Spiderman: No Way Home premieres this weekend, and I’m actually going to see it in the theater, probably Sunday. I can’t remember the last movie I saw in a theater, and I finally have some time (and a movie gift card from last Christmas I haven’t used yet, lol). I can’t wait to see Peter and Dr. Strange, and all those villains! It’s gonna be a blast.

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

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

So my book club picked our new novel to read and I read it all in three days, lol. It’s called The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. It’s about a British woman named Nora Seed who is at a low point in her life and decides to end it. After she overdoses, she finds herself in a place called The Midnight Library, where there are endless shelves of books that represent an infinite number of possible lives she has led, depending on the decisions she’s made. The “librarian” there, Mrs. Elm, encourages her to choose books based on different decisions she might have made, in the hope of finding her “perfect” life. She then goes on an odyssey of possible lives, including ones in which she is an Olympic swimmer, a rock star, a country inn owner with a husband, a philosophy professor, a glaciologist, and many other things.

Rather predictably, most of these lives are most definitely NOT perfect, and she despairs of ever finding a life she’d like to live. But she learns many life lessons along the way. There’s nothing really revelatory here, at least not to me, but Nora’s story is riveting anyway. I love these kinds of stories, ones that deal with a multiverse (with phrases like quantum physics, string theory, and Schrodinger’s cat thrown around, the precise meaning of which is a little fuzzy to me but fascinating anyway). Cool book.

In Star Wars books, I’m still getting through Kenobi and Smuggler’s Run, but I’d put them aside while I raced through The Midnight Library. I’ll probably finish both by next week.

In Marvel, I watched Hawkeye Episode 4, and I’m continuing to enjoy this show. There were a few tender, teary moments when Clint opened up to Kate about Natasha, and being The Ronin. I have to admit I’m a little confused about what’s actually going on, lol, but I’m just rolling with it and going along for the ride. There seems to be a lot of disparate parts to the mystery that ostensibly will come together at the end, including the Track Suits and Echo, the Rolex from the Avenger’s compound, and Kate’s mother’s boyfriend Jack (her mother is giving off strong sus vibes, as well). And then at the end of the episode Yelena Romanov shows up, and sh*t gets real. Real confusing, but I don’t mind. Once it’s over I’ll probably rewatch it with hindsight and it’ll make more sense. I hope.

Last week I mentioned that I rewatched A New Hope, so of course I had to follow up with ESB and ROTJ. It further whetted my appetite for Star Wars, so I decided on a Clone Wars rewatch. I wasn’t up for watching every single episode, however, so I went with the Disney+ listing of “Essential Episodes,” which is more manageable right now. This is such great, quintessential Star Wars; I urge every fan who hasn’t watched yet to let go of any preconceived notions about animated series, because you’re missing wonderful content. I like how they’re quick, half hour episodes that I can fit in at the end of the night. I’m about four episodes in, and can’t wait to see what’s next on the list.

In coming attractions, I’ve heard that Shang Chi 2 is in the works, and I couldn’t be more happy about it; also, Eternals is coming to D+ on January 12th, and I’ll be tuning in since I didn’t get to the theater to see it. This is why I love D+; as a busy working mom, I can watch stuff on my schedule (which tends to be late at night when everyone else is in bed, lol). I don’t get to the movie theater much these days and I miss it, but D+ is the next best thing.

Oh, and despite the fact that I’m not a gamer, I have to say that the preview of the new Star Wars game Eclipse is awesome! It’s set in the High Republic era, which I’ve been loving in the novels so far, and I’m really hoping that down the line a book version of the story will come out (I’m still waiting for a Fallen Order book–Disney/Lucasfilm? Anything?) Gamers seem to be really excited about this game, and I can’t blame them.

Quantic Dreams Announces Star Wars Eclipse At The Game Awards

There’s one more Star Wars-related item I’d like to mention, and it’s that I very probably will be getting a Star Wars tattoo very soon. I was supposed to do this for my fiftieth birthday this past summer (my first tattoo ever), but I let it get away from me. I’d like to get one before the end of the year. I’ve been in touch with a local tattoo artist (from a shop recommended by a friend), but we don’t quite have an appointment yet. But very soon. What I want is simple: the Jedi Order symbol, somewhere on my right arm. Of course, once it has been inked I will share a pic of it here.

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

The Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars

Disney+ has added a few “Vintage” Star Wars content recently, including the Ewok movies “Caravan of Courage” and “The Battle for Endor,” something called “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee” and an Ewok cartoon. I’m not particularly interested in any of that.

What I am interested in is the “Genndy Tartakovsky” Clone Wars animated series that ran on Cartoon Network in 2003. Back then, it was just a cartoon that I didn’t care about, for kids, a spin-off of the prequels that I didn’t like. I wasn’t a kid, didn’t have a kid, and had no use for Cartoon network, lol.

Now, of course, my eyes have been opened to the wonderful, imperfect prequels, and I adore Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars. How could my curiosity not have been aroused? So I watched it (the original 15-minute shows are grouped into two hour-long “volumes.”)

At first, it seemed so alien to me, I didn’t think I was going to like it. There was very little dialogue, a whole LOT of battles, explosions, and shoot-em ups, and I thought, yeah, 8-10 year-old boys (or girls) would eat this stuff up, lol. Even the Clones didn’t speak too much; they communicated through hand signals, which was actually pretty cool.

In the first volume, we see how Dooku and Ventress meet, and how Anakin pursued Ventress, battled her, and defeated her. Mace Windu goes up against some battle droids, and just seems like Superman he’s so amazing. Kit Fisto does some battle underwater, while Obi-Wan leads the Clones in battle in an unnamed city (perhaps Christophsis?). Typically, I felt there wasn’t enough Obi-Wan. There can never be enough Obi-Wan, lol. Towards the end of Volume One we meet General Grievous, who goes up against Ki-Adi-Mundi and other Jedi.

In Volume Two, there are still a lot of battles, but much more dialogue and actual storytelling. Yoda and Padme go to the rescue of Luminara and Bariss Offee, who have done battle with droids in the Illum Temple and become trapped. Eventually, the whole things coalesces into an over-arching story arc that is reminiscent of the plot of the book Labyrinth of Evil (which, published in 2005, probably took its cue from this series). Grievous is sent to attack Coruscant and kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, while Shak-Ti and two other Jedi are tasked with protecting him and getting him to a bunker deep within the city. Anakin and Obi-Wan, meanwhile, are sent to a planet to help the natives get their warriors back from the Separatists, who are transforming them into gruesome monsters (I’m not sure why? But I’m glad this little side-plot didn’t make it into the novel Labyrinth of Evil, lol). It was supposed to be a final test for Anakin, since he didn’t take the Jedi Trials in the usual way. The events of Volume Two lead right up to the beginning of Revenge of the Sith.

In the end, I did enjoy this version of Clone Wars. I like the Manga-inspired animation, and there’s some humor in there, too. The Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars is just a lot of fun.

Did you watch this series back in the day? What did you think of it? If you’re watching it for the first time, what’s your opinion? Let me know in the comments, and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Fan Art: Ahsoka Tano

There’s a TON of Ahsoka Tano fan art out there, and there are many that are fantastic. It was hard to choose just a few for this post, but I came up with a few favorites:

I think I’ve posted this one on here before, but I love it so much I had to do it again. I think it was created before Season Two of the Mandalorian, before Grogu and Ahsoka actually met; but this prescient artist clearly imagined a tender moment between them.

35 Cool Pics and Memes to Entertain Your Brain. — S. Menyhei, ebaumsworld.com

I love this one with Ahsoka’s talisman, Morai, and the symbols of the World Between Worlds.

The energy and brilliance of this one is wonderful.

This one is just as bright and colorful, but softer, less fierce and more luminescent.

#TanoTuesday - Twitter Search / Twitter — Clone Squadron Radio on twitter.com

Ahsoka’s relationship with Rex is special, and I love this one of them together as their world shatters and falls apart.

Media Tweets by Ksenia Z. (@lorna_ka) / Twitter — Ksenia Zalentsova on twitter.com

Ahsoka the White. The colors are beautiful here.

I began this post with the artist S. Menyhei, and I’ll close out with the same artist, this time of Ahsoka and Vader during their confrontation on Malachor. The first was quiet and tender, while this one is dynamic and full of emotion. The many sides of Ahsoka.

What do you think of these images? Do you have any favorite Ahsoka fan art? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Fan Art: Satine Kryze

After having a very interesting conversation with Julie G from Darkside Creative about fan theories, OTP’s and odd pairings, I was inspired to look for fan art of Duchess Satine Kryze. There’s plenty of fan art of “Obitine” or the romantic relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine, and I think I’ve shared a few on this blog before. But I wanted to find some of just Satine. There’s not as much, and many seem a bit too cartoonish to me. But there were a few I found that I liked:

This one borders on cartoon-like, but it’s also elegant and lovely.

This one includes Obi-Wan, but I liked the style of it and how she might have occasionally indulged in missing him in private, when she showed only strength and serenity to the rest of the world.

This one looks like an official royal portrait or something; the aforementioned strength and serenity show through in dramatic black and white.

I adore this pencil drawing that shows a softer, more feminine side to Satine.

Clone Wars: Droids and Younglings

I have a confession to make: while watching Clone Wars for the first time, I skipped a few episodes. In particular, I skipped the episodes about 3PO and Artoo having adventures, and also the Ahsoka arc with the younglings.

I know, I know: sacrilege. Without knowing much about them, I deemed them frivolous and impatiently skipped over them to the more serious, exciting episodes with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka. I can always go back and watch them later, I told myself. And that’s exactly what I’ve done. And here’s what I’ve learned: there are no frivolous episodes in Clone Wars.

First, the youngling arc: Season Five, Episode 6 (The Gathering), Ep 7 (A Test of Strength), Ep 8 (Bound for Rescue), and Ep 9 (A Necessary Bond).

Ahsoka With Jedi Younglings — Ahsoka and the younglings.

The Gathering tells the story of Ahsoka bringing a group of younglings to Ilum for an important rite of passage: to find their kyber crystal for the lightsabers they will build. Ahsoka and Yoda are there, but the younglings must find their crystals themselves. There’s a time limit, as the cave opening will freeze shut after a certain amount of time, and the younglings must learn some important lessons about themselves during their quest.

In A Test of Strength, Ahsoka and the younglings’ ship is attacked by pirates who want their valuable kyber crystals–and Hondo Ohnaka is the pirate leader! If I knew that, I would have watched it immediately. Hondo is one of the best characters in the entire series.

Hondo Ohnaka | Wookieepedia | FANDOM powered by Wikia — Hondo Ohnaka

In Bound for Rescue, the younglings decide to rescue Ahsoka from the pirates, who had captured her in the previous episode. They manage to do so by impersonating carnival performers, but get caught again on the run.

In A Necessary Bond, the Separatists have taken over the planet they’re on, and the pirates choose to work with Ahsoka and the younglings to now save Hondo; he has some ships hidden somewhere that they can use to escape the planet. It’s during this episode that Hondo becomes fond of a youngling named Katooni, and we see he’s really just a big softie.

I really ended up enjoying this arc, especially Hondo, and the droid Huyang, who has taught the Jedi younglings how to build their lightsabers for a thousand generations, including Yoda.

What made me sad was wondering if any of these younglings lived through Order 66. Wahh!!

So on that note, onto the droid episodes and arcs:

S3 Ep 8: Evil Plans. Cad Bane kidnaps 3PO and Artoo to get information for his next mission. I actually kind of like Cad Bane, and he made this episode worth watching.

Cad Bane returns in an excerpt from the new Star Wars: Clone Wars book #Gaming #News #Entertainment — Cad Bane

S4 Ep 5: Mercy Mission. In this one, Artoo and 3PO are sent with a group of Clone troopers on a relief mission to a planet that has suffered in the war. While there, they discover the planet’s natives need help to keep the peace with another group of natives that lives beneath the ground. Without the clone troopers ever knowing (and who also hold them in some contempt), the droids heal the breach, and become unsung heroes.

S5 Ep 6: Nomad Droids. On their way back from the relief mission, the Republic ship they’re on is attacked by Separatists, and the droids crash land on another planet. They again unwittingly solve a crisis between the planet’s natives and some droids running the show ala the Wizard behind the curtain.

S5 Ep 10: Secret Weapons. Artoo and a group of astromech droids are chosen to go a mission to retrieve an encrypted code disk on a Separatist ship which will help the Republic in the war. The droids were all fun, and I especially like the pink one called QT (get it?), but I can’t believe I missed out on Colonel Meebur Gascon, a 12 inch-high bundle of bluster who led the group:

Meebur Gascon | Wookieepedia | FANDOM powered by Wikia — Meebur Gascon

This guy is great, and SO entertaining. He begins the arc with a disdain for droids, but by Point of No Return he grudgingly admires them and their abilities to get the job done. One of the best comic relief characters since Hondo, in my opinion, a hidden Clone Wars gem.

S5 Ep 11: A Sunny Day in the Void. After bravely retrieving the code disk, our little group becomes stranded on a desert world. After Colonel Gascon suffers from the heat, the droids quarrel about who will lead them. By the end of the episode, they find a settlement.

S5 Ep 12: Missing in Action. In the small community they find, they discover a Clone soldier with amnesia doing dishes in a diner. Yes, really. He turns out to be Gregor, and after remembering who he is, helps the group escape the planet to a Jedi ship orbiting above. Gregor seems in possession of all his marbles here (once he overcomes the amnesia), so I’m not sure how he got so goofy in Rebels. I’m not sure how he even survives in this episode, as he seems to give his life to help the group. Anyone know?

S5 Ep 13: Point of No Return. On the Jedi ship, Gascon and the droids discover that the Separatists have commandeered the ship, and are en route to a Republic conference on a space station with plans to destroy it. Now they must prevent the battle droids on board from carrying out their devious plan.

Turns out these skipped episodes were really quite good, and I learned a lesson to not judge a book by its cover–or rather, an episode by its main characters. Kind of like the characters in these arcs: both the younglings and the droids are underestimated in these episodes, and they prove everyone wrong–even me. I am glad I had these additional Clone Wars episodes to watch, however, since I was missing the show quite a bit. A little Clone Wars gift to myself!

If you’ve watched Clone Wars (or Rebels, for that matter–in which I did not skip any), have you skipped any episodes? Which ones and why? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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QT-KT - Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki — QT-KT

Ahsoka Tano: From Padawan to Rebel

My next installment of Women of Star Wars: Animated Edition is Ahsoka Tano.

Ahsoka Tano is Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan in Clone Wars. She’s a young togruta with big blue eyes, and presumably was going to be Obi-Wan’s new Padawan since Anakin had achieved Jedi Knighthood. The particulars of how she became Anakin’s apprentice rather than Obi-Wan’s is detailed in the Clone Wars movie; turns out that Ahsoka has a slight rebellious streak. Despite his initial resistance to taking on a padawan, Anakin himself says to her: “You may not have done well as Obi-Wan’s padawan. But you might do okay as mine.”

The pair make a good team, despite being a bit too similar and getting on each other’s nerves at first. Ahsoka calls him “Sky Guy” and Anakin calls her “Snips”, referring to her initial snippiness.

I’m going to say right up front that I much preferred Clone Wars Anakin over movie Anakin (they almost seem like different characters to me), and I think Ahsoka has a lot to do with that. The fact that he has someone to feel responsible for makes him grow up a little bit; he also comes to care for her and risks his life many times for her. I just find it kind of funny when he dispenses sage Jedi wisdom, like stressing patience, when he can’t even take his own advice!

Ahsoka had some great arcs in Clone Wars; she grew from an impetuous, eager youngster who wanted to prove herself into a thoughtful, cunning, and brave Jedi warrior. But I feel she really came into her own when she actually walked away from the Jedi Order. Accused of murder, expelled from the Order, and put on trial, she’s eventually exonerated (with help from Anakin). But when the Jedi Order welcomes her back in, she refuses to rejoin them. Her hurt and betrayal at their lack of loyalty opens her eyes to other options; she decides to find out who she’s supposed to be and what she’s supposed to do on her own.

Ahsoka’s decision to leave the Order devastates Anakin. He understands, but Anakin himself values loyalty to a fault. Ahsoka knows this, and her guilt at leaving him comes back to haunt her in Rebels.

While Ahsoka is absent from Clone Wars during Season 6, she returns in the seventh and final season. After a much-too-long arc with the Martez sisters, she meets up with Bo-Katan, who enlists her help to liberate Mandalore from Maul. Her confrontation with Maul is thrilling and satisfying. It’s during the trip back to Coruscant with the imprisoned Maul that Order 66 takes place. It’s Ahsoka that liberates Captain Rex from the inhibitor chip in his brain that forces him to attack her, and together they escape the other clones who want them both dead. (Maul, unfortunately, escapes).

The final few scenes of Season 7 Clone wars is haunting and heartbreaking, with Ahsoka contemplating the death of clones she’d fought with, and the devastation of the Jedi Order. She drops her lightsaber into the snow. Later, Darth Vader picks it up, wondering, perhaps reminiscing, watching a lone bird circle above, Anakin’s eye just visible through the red lens of his mask. This whole sequence gives me the shivers.

We don’t see Ahsoka again until Rebels, after 15 years have passed. It wasn’t until the book Ahsoka, by E.K. Johnston, came out that we knew what she’d been up to in the meantime. After Order 66, Ahsoka and Rex parted ways, agreeing it would be safer for them both to do so. She wandered from place to place, hiding her identity and Jedi abilities, calling herself Ashla and repairing droids and mechanicals for a living. It’s in this book that she ends up facing an Inquisitor and defeating him. She takes his double-bladed lightsaber and makes them her own, “healing” the red, bleeding kyber crystals and turning them white. She also meets up with Bail Organa, and decides to join the Rebellion in a specific capacity: running his intelligence networks as Fulcrum. It’s a good book, and I recommend it.

It’s in Rebels that we see the fully adult Ahsoka Tano, when Fulcrum’s mysterious identity is finally revealed. She comes to know the whole Ghost crew, and is reunited with Captain Rex. These are some of my favorite scenes of Rebels. When they learn of the existence of a Dark Lord of the Sith, Ahsoka feels something familiar about him, and has her suspicions. She’s believed Anakin dead all these years, but her confrontation with Darth Vader in a Sith Temple on Malachor proves to her that Vader is, indeed, her former Master. “I’m not leaving you,” she says. “Not this time.” At these words, we see Vader pause, as if she’s gotten through to Anakin somehow. But only for a moment. “Then you will die,” Vader replies. She only survives the duel because Ezra, in a later timeline, pulls her through to the World Between Worlds.

We don’t see Ahsoka again until the final episode in Season 4, when she appears at the very end to meet with Sabine. They’re going to search the galaxy for Ezra, who disappeared with Thrawn in the last battle on Lothal. When they were in the World Between Worlds fleeing the Emperor, Ezra says, “When you get back, come and find me.” “I will,” Ahsoka replies. “I promise.” Ahsoka Tano keeps her promises.

What do you think of Ahsoka Tano? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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Satine Kryze: Political Idealist

Welcome to Women of Star Wars: Animated Edition!

I’ve profiled several prominent women in the world of Star Wars films, including Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, Jyn Erso, Rey, and Q’ira. It’s been awhile since the last post on this subject, but I was busy watching Clone Wars and Rebels; now I have several more inspiring women to write about, including Satine Kryze, from Clone Wars.

Duchess Satine Kryze ~ The leader of Mandalore during the Clone Wars, Duchess Satine of Kalevala was a controversial figure. She longed to move Mandalore beyond its violent past and instituted a government that valued pacifism. Though Mandalore did begin to rebuild under her guidance, the dark shadow of the Clone Wars made the Duchess' goals difficult to achieve.

Satine Kryze is the Duchess of Mandalore during the Clone Wars time period. She is the leader of a group of star systems that don’t wish to get involved in the Clone Wars, on either the Republic or Separatist sides. Satine is a staunch pacifist, which is a bit bewildering as it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mandalorians. (Think of Djar Dinn in The Mandalorian: “I’m a Mandalorian. Weapons are my religion.”)

The Mandalorians are traditionally a warring culture, filled with warriors obsessed with weapons and combat. It’s this obsession with war that caused Satine to do a complete about-face and try to change the Mandalorian way into nonviolence.

I don’t claim to know or understand all of Mandalorian history, but what I do know is that during a particularly violent time in their history, a young Satine had to be protected by Jedi Knights: Qui Gon Jinn and his young apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They spent a year protecting the young Duchess, and it was during this time that Satine and Obi-Wan fell in love.

When the violence was over, Satine’s world had been decimated, and her experience caused her to become a pacifist, determined to turn Mandalore into a nonviolent world. Despite their feelings for each other, Obi-Wan and Satine parted ways, he to continue his Jedi training and she to rebuild her shattered world. This is all backstory, only told through dialogue between Obi-Wan and Anakin in “Voyage of Temptation”, Season 2. (And I would dearly love a novel or comic concerning this story. Why hasn’t anyone written one yet????).

Satine Kryze. This is probably my least favorite of her outfits. No offence, but I think it looks like a freak six-winged dragonfly is sitting on the back of her head with tea bags hanging from it! :)

It’s also during this episode that Obi-Wan and Satine bicker constantly and argue about the merits of pacifism. I truly believe Obi-Wan understands Satine’s decisions and admires her for it, but his feelings for her causes him to worry about her safety. He thinks Mandalore should join the Republic and defend itself against the Separatists. Satine will have none of it. She knows herself and her mind, and stands firm in her ideals. It’s clear to me that she thinks Obi-Wan, and the Jedi in general, betrayed their own ideals by getting involved in the Clone Wars to the extent they have. “I remember a time when the Jedi were not generals, but peace-keepers,” she says to them.

Their bickering is also a symptom of their unresolved feelings for one another. In that same episode, when Satine believes she’ll never see Obi-Wan again, she confesses her love for him. When pressed (and one must press Obi-Wan when it comes to his feelings), he admits that, “If you had said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order.” In typical Obi-Wan fashion, he tells her he loves her too, without, you know, actually saying “I love you too.” But it’s enough. In the third episode of the arc, she appeals to the Galactic Senate not to intervene in her world in the name of the war, and with Obi-Wan’s help, she succeeds.

In Season 3, Padme helps Satine uncover corruption on Mandalore, but Obi-Wan doesn’t see her again until Season 5. In “The Lawless”, Satine has been imprisoned by Maul, who has taken over Mandalore with the help of Death Watch. Obi-Wan, without the Council’s blessing, returns to Mandalore to help her.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze... their story is often unknown by people who have never seen Clone Wars.

He frees her, but they’re caught by Maul. Maul uses Satine as a tool for revenge, impaling her on the Dark Saber simply to cause Obi-Wan pain. Before she dies, she tells Obi-Wan “I have loved you always. And I always will.”

I love the character of Satine, not only because she’s the love interest of Obi-Wan, but because she’s a three-dimensional character in her own right. She’s a ruler who managed to change a violent world into a peaceful one–for a time, anyway. She stood by her ideals, some might say stubbornly, when it seemed foolish to do so; even when the man she loved urged her to do differently. She was a ruler who tried to stay above the fray of politics and follow her ideals. Perhaps it was naive, but I admire that.

As Anakin tells Obi-Wan in Season 2, “She’s an extraordinary woman.”

And Obi-Wan answers, “Indeed.”

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