Category: Prequel Trilogy

Upcoming High Republic Books I’m Excited For

The time is upon us, dear readers, when Phase 3 of the High Republic is near. And I don’t know about you, but I’m super excited! Here’s what we’ve got coming up:

Eye of Darkness, by George Mann, November 14th, 2023. Wave 1 of Phase 3 starts with the adult book The Eye of Darkness by George Mann. After the fall of Starlight Beacon, Marchion Ro has erected a Stormwall around a portion of the Outer Rim, called the Occlusion Zone, which he rules. All worlds within that section are subject to the whims of the Nihil leader. Those Jedi caught behind the Stormwall, like Avar Kriss, must fight to protect these worlds. Outside the Wall, Jedi like Elzar Mann and Bell Zettifar must find a way to tear down the wall and free those behind it from Ro’s reign of terror; all the while enduring the threat of the Nameless, creatures that feed off of Force-users and drain the very life from them.

Escape from Valo, by Daniel Jose Older and Alyssa Wong, January 30th 2024. This is the middle-grade book that focuses on Padawan Ram Jamoram and others, trapped behind the Stormwall in NIhil-controlled space.

Defy the Storm, by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland, March 5th, 2024. This young adult novel focuses on Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and her scientist friend Avon Starros. They work to find a way through the Stormwall to save those trapped on the other side.

I’m looking forward to getting back to these Phase 1 characters after backtracking a hundred or so years in Phase 2.

And now for something completely different….there’s a pre-Phantom Menace novel coming out by John Jackson Miller in April of next year:

The Living Force, by John Jackson Miller, April 9th 2024. This one sounds really interesting; I’m just going to copy and paste Amazon’s blurb about it:

“In the year before The Phantom Menace, Yoda, Mace Windu, and the entire Jedi Council confront a galaxy on the brink of change.
 
The Jedi have always traveled the stars, defending peace and justice across the galaxy. But the galaxy is changing, and the Jedi Order along with it. More and more, the Order finds itself focused on the future of the Republic, secluded on Coruscant, where the twelve members of the Jedi Council weigh crises on a galactic scale.

As yet another Jedi Outpost left over from the Republic’s golden age is set to be decommissioned on the planet Kwenn, Qui-Gon Jinn challenges the Council about the Order’s increasing isolation. Mace Windu suggests a bold response: All twelve Jedi Masters will embark on a goodwill mission to help the planet and to remind the people of the galaxy that the Jedi remain as stalwart and present as they have been across the ages.

But the arrival of the Jedi leadership is not seen by all as a cause for celebration. In the increasing absence of the Jedi, warring pirate factions have infested the sector. To maintain their dominance, the pirates unite, intent on assassinating the Council members. And they are willing to destroy countless innocent lives to secure their power.

Cut off from Coruscant, the Jedi Masters must reckon with an unwelcome truth: While no one thinks more about the future than the Jedi Council, nobody needs their help more than those living in the present.”

As always, some great-sounding canon books coming up in the months ahead, and I’m totally there for it.

Are you planning on reading any of these books? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy Weekend my friends!

Last week, I wrote of my struggles to get through Ronin: A Star Wars Visions novel. I’m sad to report I haven’t made much progress on that book, but I still have hope I will finish it…someday.

In the meantime, I picked up Master & Apprentice, by Claudia Gray. It’s a re-read, but it’s one of my favorite SW canon books by one of my favorite SW authors. With the recent news that Hayden Christiansen will be in the Ahsoka series (OMG, yay!), it got me thinking about the upcoming Obi-Wan series, which naturally got me thinking about Obi-Wan himself, which led me to picking up this book. It’s a book about Padawan Obi-Wan and his relationship with Qui Gon Jinn, and an important mission, of course. I wrote about my thoughts on this book on my other blog The Star Wars Reader (which I’ve been shamefully neglecting lately), and you can read it here if you’d like.

This contains: Master & Apprentice (Star Wars)
This one’s definitely worth a reread.

On my Kindle, I’m still reading the middle-grade book Moving Target by Jason Fry and Cecil Castellucci, a story about Leia between Empire and Return of the Jedi. I’m enjoying it and will probably finish it this coming week and share more of my thoughts on it then.

In movies, continuing with the train of thought above with Obi-Wan, in reading Master & Apprentice I thought about The Phantom Menace, and so decided to watch it. Which naturally led to Attack of the Clones and then of course Revenge of the Sith. So there was an unplanned prequel marathon this week, and I keep thinking, How could I have not loved these back in the day? Lol. I was young and ignorant, prejudiced against anything new in Star Wars. I’m so glad I’ve seen the error of my ways. 🙂 I’ve learned, in my dotage, that I’m so happy with any kind of Star Wars that is offered, that they are gifts, and I am grateful, lol.

I will do what I must, and rewatch the prequels.

Anyway, in Marvel: I watched the 2015 version of Fantastic Four. I thought I’d check out this updated version, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it as much. And I was right. I guess this is supposed to be a more “woke” version, and Michael B. Jordan does add diversity to the group, while Sue Storm isn’t Reed’s romantic interest here, or as sexualized as Jessica Alba’s Sue was (yeah, I admit that was kind of cringy). But here’s the thing: the fun factor is absolute zero. There’s no chemistry whatsoever between the characters. And Dr. Doom’s madness stems more from a hatred of the world rather than a personal hatred of the F4, which makes him a bit…dull. The whole thing was dull, in fact, lol. I don’t see why it even had to be remade. I’m assuming it was kind of a flop, because there’s been no more movies with this crew, and I’m glad. I want a reunion with the original cast–now that would be fun!

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Not very fantastic.

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

Star Wars Fan Art: Anakin Skywalker

Anakin is interesting, as there are two sides to him: the Jedi hero, and the conflicted human being tempted by the Dark Side. I wanted to feature mostly Anakin images here, and maybe do a Darth Vader post later, but I think these images contain one or the other aspect of himself (or both).

I love, love, love Jake Bartok’s Medieval Star Wars series, and his Anakin is no exception. I love how his sword shines blue here, as well as the inclusion of the metal hand wrapped in a bandage. He’s clearly heroic Anakin here, but there’s also something in his eyes that looks menacing and intense.

Jake Bartok on twitter.com

This image of Clone Wars Anakin is wonderful. We only ever saw an animated version of Anakin fight with the Clones in the war, so this one with Hayden Christensen seems to fulfill a deep need, lol.

Andreas Bazylewski on etsy.com

I thought this one was really interesting, as it portrays Anakin had he won the battle with Obi-Wan, destroyed Palpatine, and became Emperor himself. He cuts a regal figure.

Alvaro Fernandez, 9gag.com

This is the one in the bunch that I can’t find an artist for, but I wanted to include it. It’s a kind of flip on when Anakin was using the Force to float a ball above his hand when he was with Padme in AOTC. But here he’s gone Dark Side and the ball is the Death Star. Very cool.

There are many images of a split Anakin/Vader, but I like this one the most. I like the realism, the suggestion of dark energy around him, and the red shadows suggesting blood. It’s a very vivid, arresting image.

Anakin Skywalker by TwoFacedHero on etsy.com

Do you have any favorite images of Anakin? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Friday Fashion Show: Padme Amidala

Today I just wanted to do something fun and frivolous, and thought I’d put on a Padme Amidala fashion show. She’s the best-dressed woman in the galaxy, and absolutely beautiful. I haven’t included any outfits she wore as Queen of Naboo (maybe some other time), but just the ones she wore as Padme–Senator, wife, mother. These are by no means all of them; this post would probably go on forever, as every new scene seemed to require a new outfit.

No matter what the occasion, Padme did it in style.

PADME AMIDALA PURPLE SENATORIAL GOWN tutorial
Anakin’s first glimpse of her after ten years.
Padme Amidala (clone) ❤ liked on Polyvore featuring c padme amidala and movie
I’d choose simple garb for traveling, but not Padme.
The backless lake dress is one of my favorites.
This picnic dress is another one of my favorites.
I call this one the Dominatrix outfit. Poor Anakin.
Wish I was this gorgeous in the morning.
The Tatooine outfit marries desert sensibility with understated fashion. I love this one.
Perfect for aggressive negotiations.
The wedding dress of dreams.
The precursor to Leia’s buns.
Beautiful nightgown, but how does she sleep with those pearls?
I love the copper headpiece and the hairdo here, but the outfit, not so much.
Natalie Portman | Padmé Amidala | Star Wars
This is so lovely, but I can’t remember it in the movie. Cutting room floor?
Senator Padme Amidala, 'StarWars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'. Final senate appearance headpiece, designed by Trisha Biggar.
“So this is how liberty dies.” Her hairpiece is similar to the Rebellion/Resistance symbol.
Padme Amidala's "water gown". This is Episode III, during her funeral. She's wearing the charm of the necklace Anakin gave her! It's on her ring.
Even in death, she’s stunning.
And who can forget the wings of Clone Wars?

Thank you for attending the Padme Amidala fashion show, I hope you enjoyed it.

What’s your favorite Padme outfit? Let me know in the comments!

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My Five Favorite Things About Revenge of the Sith

I’m continuing my series on my five favorite things about the Star Wars movies with Revenge of the Sith. Take a look at my previous posts on The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Favorite Scene

The Opera Scene. To me, this is the most pivotal scene in the film, when Palpatine tells Anakin about Darth Plagueis and his ability to stop people from dying. It plays right into Anakin’s darkest fears and desires, luring him into Palpy’s hands. In a movie full of battles, duels, and chases, this quiet scene of dialogue is the key that opens the door to Anakin’s fall. It’s brilliantly sinister, and the weird Mon Calamari opera “music” only adds to the dread one feels in this scene, reminding us that we ourselves are watching a tragic opera play out before us.

Favorite Duel

Battle of the Heroes. Is there really any question on this one? This movie is chock-full of lightsaber duels: Obi-Wan and Anakin vs. Dooku, Obi-Wan vs. Grievous, Yoda vs. Darth Sidious. They’re all fantastic, impressive and exciting as any lightsaber duel, but this one is special–it’s between two individuals who were once friends, and are now enemies. It’s heartbreaking to watch, and the fact that we know the inevitable outcome makes it worse.

Favorite Line

Funniest Moment

A coughing cyborg. Revenge of the Sith isn’t exactly a laugh-fest, but I’ve always gotten a kick out of General Grievous, the cyborg who has a pesky cough. On first viewing, I thought he was a robot and didn’t understand how he could cough. Once I figured out he actually has some lungs in there, it made more sense. It was only recently that I learned Grievous was once a man, and in the book Labyrinth of Evil it explains how he came to be the cyborg we all know and love. I’m still not sure where the cough comes from, though. Does he stress-smoke death sticks?

Most Impactful Character

Palpatine/Darth Sidious. It was a close race between Palpy and Anakin here, but I had to concede to the Dark Lord of the Sith. The whole Skywalker saga hinges on his machinations. The man is an evil genius, bringing all his long-awaited plans into action and fruition in this climactic film. Kudos to the amount of patience required, the long planning, the brilliant acting job of being the mild-mannered Chancellor that this guy employed to play his Jedi-destroying, Galactic Empire-creating endgame. He’s crafty, he’s cagey, he’s powerful, and he absolutely loves being the evil bastard he is. He’s got the evil cackle to prove it. None of the conflict and pain evident in other “villains” such as Vader and Kylo. Nope, he’s the real deal, and he proves it in this best film of the prequels.

I love all the prequels, but ROTS is on a whole other level that is just spectacular, and picking all the favorite moments was difficult. Order 66 gutted me, Padme’s pain choked me up (no pun intended), Obi-Wan is, as always, wonderful. And Hayden Christensen’s performance of the tortured Anakin was incredible. His turn really does break one’s heart.

What are your favorite moments in Revenge of the Sith? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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My Five Favorite Things About Attack of the Clones

I’m continuing with my “Five favorite things” theme on all the films with Episode 2, Attack of the Clones. You can check out my five favorites of The Phantom Menace here.

Favorite Scene

The Battle of Geonosis. This is the climax of the movie, when all the s**t hits the fan. For me, it really starts with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme battling the beasties, and then the Jedi arrive led by Mace Windu. AND THEN Yoda arrives with the clones to mop things up. It’s really a great sequence of events, a lot of action, battles, and things blowing up. AND THEN, it all leads to…

Favorite Duel

Yoda vs. Dooku. Obi-Wan and Anakin get to duel Dooku first, but they fail spectacularly and quite quickly, with Anakin losing an arm and Obi-Wan getting a boo-boo on his leg. (I have this sneaky feeling that Dooku has a soft spot for Obi-Wan, as he’s his Padawan’s Padawn. Kind of like a grandson). But then Yoda arrives to fight HIS Padawan, and the battle really begins. This is the first time we’ve seen Yoda fight with a lightsaber, and it’s fantastic. He limps in with his walking stick, and then proceeds to jump and whirl and fight circles around Dooku. I think I laughed and clapped with delight the first time I saw this duel, it made me so happy. Dooku knew he was in trouble and had to distract Yoda by threatening Obi-Wan and Anakin, and then he made his escape. So cool.

Favorite Line

“The day we stop believing democracy works is the day we lose it.” –Queen Jamilla of Naboo

Funniest Moment

Most Impactful Character

Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan simply rocks in this movie. He does some Jedi-CSI investigating to find Kamino and discovers the clone army, finds Jango, fights him, and follows him to Geonosis. Without all this, the Jedi never would have rooted out Dooku and his Separatist cronies. And the only way any of this occurred is because Obi-Wan “we’re not getting into an investigation” Kenobi dived out Padme’s window to follow the assassin droid.

In a lot of ways, I think Attack of the Clones, out of all the movies, is the most fun.

What are your favorite AOTC moments? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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My Five Favorite Things About The Phantom Menace

I thought I’d go through all the Star Wars films and list a few of my favorite things about them, because why not? One a week, starting with Episode 1 all the way through 9, as well as Rogue One and Solo. Let’s start, shall we?

Favorite Scene

This isn’t a specific scene, but I loved how Padme Amidala disguised herself as one of her own handmaidens, and Sabe often was dressed as the Queen. It was smart, clever, and fooled almost everyone–I’m still up in the air as to whether the Jedi were fooled or not. They looked fairly surprised when Padme came forward and admitted to being the Queen when she spoke with Boss Nass, but I’ve seen others claim that they knew. What do you think?

Favorite Duel

This one’s pretty easy, because there’s only one duel of note in this film: Duel of the Fates, between Qui Gon, Obi-Wan, and Maul. It’s the first major lightsaber duel of the prequels, and it’s graceful, frenetic, and deadly in a way that the duels from the OT weren’t, like a dance. Maul’s double-bladed red lightsaber is awesome, and his moves are equally impressive. Qui Gon’s death at his hand is heartbreaking, as is the tender way Obi-Wan cradles him and promises to train Anakin right before he dies. Obi-Wan, by the way, proves he’s a master lightsaber duelist when he kills Maul, the first Sith the Jedi have encountered in a thousand years. Well, we thought he killed him, and so did Obi-Wan.

It’s also interesting to note that Dave Filoni himself pointed out that it’s called the Duel of the Fates because it’s Anakin’s fate that hangs in the balance with this duel. If Qui Gon had not been killed, would Anakin have eventually turned the Dark side? Perhaps not, as Qui Gon might have been the strong father figure that Anakin needed, whereas Obi-Wan was more of a brother or friend and inevitably failed in that role. And I’m not saying it’s all Obi-Wan’s fault Anakin turned; I think it’s obvious several factors were at work.

So it’s an important duel for that reason; not to mention the fact that Maul actually survives, and his injuries at the hand of Obi-Wan fuels his rage and his vendetta against him throughout much of Clone Wars and Rebels.

Favorite Line

Some people should heed Qui Gon's words more often.

Funniest Moment

Jar Jar Binks is definitely the comedy relief in this movie, and I have to say that although I thought he was pretty silly when I first saw this back in the day, I’ve come to love the goofy guy. There’s an innocence to him that’s touching, and he does help the cause in many ways. I’d have to say the funniest moments are the ones during the Battle of Naboo, where he clumsily swings weapons around and actually does some damage. It’s not laugh-out-loud, certainly, but gets a little chuckle out of me.

Most Impactful Character

Qui Gon Jinn wins this category. He’s pretty much the dramatic center of the story, and he’s always been one of my favorite Jedi. But I’ve decided to make this category the most impactful character, and not necessarily my favorite. Qui Gon is impactful here because it’s he who discovers Anakin (for better or for worse), frees him from slavery, and brings him back to Coruscant. It’s Qui Gon who pleads for Obi-Wan to train Anakin as a Jedi. It’s Qui Gon who steadfastly believes that Anakin is the Chosen One. Basically, if it wasn’t for Qui Gon, there would be no Skywalker saga; there would be no Star Wars. That’s quite impactful.

So, if I was forced to rank the Star Wars movies (and I see a lot of people ranking them on fan sites), this one would probably be last, as it often is with a lot of fans. Poor Phantom Menace. But I hate ranking the films, as I do love all of them in their own way. It’s like ranking your children, or picking a favorite child. I find something to love in all the Star Wars movies, and TPM has a lot to love.

What are some of your favorites in The Phantom Menace? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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Because of Obi-Wan

Why is the prequel trilogy so wonderful?

Why am I obsessed with Clone Wars?

Why is Maul so full of hate?

Why did Maul kill Satine?

Why was Grievous defeated?

Why did Luke grow up safely on Tatooine?

Why did Anakin/Vader lose his legs and burn to a crisp?

NOT why Padme rejects Anakin on Mustafar.

I could go on and on…it’s–

Because of Obi-Wan.

Oni-Wan Through The Years
Perhaps not the most powerful Jedi ever. But certainly the greatest.

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Like to read Star Wars? Check out my sister blog, The Star Wars Reader. I regularly review Star Wars books, both canon and E/U Legends.