Five Star Wars Moments That Give Me Joy

My last two list-type posts–about sacrifice in Star Wars and Order 66–-were definitely on the sad side, so I thought I’d write a post listing the moments in Star Wars that give me joy. Star Wars can hurt sometimes (okay, a lot), but let’s face it, we also love it because it’s fun, hopeful, humorous, or just heart-warming in general.

The big victories of the good guys (Triump of Good over Evil) are certainly joyous–the destruction of the two Death Stars and Starkiller Base, the defeat (twice) of Palpatine, etc. are all excellent examples of this. But I wanted to look deeper and point out the smaller, maybe quieter moments and themes that make me stop and think, yeah, this is why I watch. Again, no books or comics, just movies, shows, and animation to simplify it. There’s actually a lot, so I limited myself to five joyous moments or situations in Star Wars (in no particular order):

Not a dry eye in the house with this scene.

The relationship between Din and Grogu (Found family). These two are just a sweet pair. Grogu is initially just a job for Din, but after he delivers the “asset” he changes his mind and goes back to save him. That moment is so satisfying, when he gets on his ship and fingers the little round silver ball the child likes to play with. Nope, he thinks, and goes back with guns blazing. Din knows what it’s like to be an orphan in a dangerous galaxy; he had the Children of the Watch to adopt him and become his found family. He decides he will be the one to look after this child.

Rey/Finn/Poe friendship (Found Family, Friendship). I love that these three are all just good friends; there’s no need for romance between any of them. Sure, there’s plenty of shipping that goes on (Rey and Finn, Rey and Poe, Finn and Poe, etc), and I do have my own opinion on that, but for now they’re all just friends and I like that. All three trilogies had their two men and one woman formula, with a romance thrown in there somewhere. And while I like a good romance, sometimes it’s just not needed.

Yee-haw! Let’s blow this thing and go home.

Anytime Han does something selfless (Being A Better Person). Han worked hard from the very beginning to convince everyone around him (and us) that he was a scoundrel. But we knew better. There’s a heart in there, whether he likes it or not. When he and Chewie come back to help Luke destroy the Death Star, we cheer. We know he’s that kind of guy. When he falls for Leia, when he joins the Rebellion, when he confronts his deeply troubled son to try to connect with him again (and dies for it)–this is why we love him. Even in Solo: A Star Wars Story, when a young Han is desperately trying to build his scoundrelly image, he gives the coaxium to Enfys Nest for her cause. He doesn’t join her, but he gives up a lot of valuable assets, because he knows it’s the right thing to do. We need more scoundrels like him in our lives.

Ezra and a Lothwolf. Kanan also communed with the lothwolf, and those scary spiders!

Anytime Ezra (or any Jedi) communes with an animal through the Force (Compassion). The Jedi are a big part of what I love about Star Wars (the Jedi at their best, that is). Their compassion for all life forms, especially animals, just grabs my heart. We see examples of this with several Jedi, but Ezra in particular seems to have an affinity with them. Lothcats, lothwolves, purgill, an assortment of scary beasts–he connects with them with the Force and can communicate with them at a certain level, getting him and his friends out of some sticky situations. Ezra and other Jedi view the animals as living beings in the galaxy who deserve respect and compassion.

Senator Chuchi, Howser, and Echo. I love how Senator Chuchi is trying to give the clones a voice in the Senate, and just generally help them.

Rex and Echo helping their Clone brothers (Family, Loyalty). The Bad Batch has been focusing on the Clones after Order 66 and what their fate will ultimately be. Clone Force 99 themselves have had to reassess what their purpose is, but clones like Rex, and lately Echo, have felt the call to help their brothers in this new, cruel Empire. Many clones come to realize the wrongness of Order 66 and go AWOL, many are facing decommission in the face of the stormtrooper program, and others are being arrested for “insurrection” and brought to Mt. Tantiss for Dr. Hemlock’s nefarious experiments. When Hunter asks Echo what the point of fighting the Empire is when they can’t win, Echo replies, “It’s not about winning. It’s about helping our brothers.” Well said, Echo.

These are more like situations and themes than single moments, but you get the idea. These are the things that warm my heart, give me joy, and keep me invested in Star Wars. Along with a lot of other things, like awesome lightsaber duels, thrilling space battles, aliens, larger-than-life heroes and villains, and everything else that defines Star Wars.

What do you love about Star Wars? What part of it gives you joy? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Mandalorian Season 3 Thoughts

Since I was kind of lazy about writing up each episode this season, it’s time for a Season 3 cumulative impressions post.

This season was markedly different from the first two seasons, in that the first two were focused primarily on Din and Grogu, their relationship, and Din’s efforts to get him back to his “folk.” Season 3 breaks into a wider world, that of Mandalorians and their quest to reclaim their homeworld of Mandalore. Din and Grogu are a part of that, but are players in a larger story that includes the Children of the Watch, Bo-Katan, and her assembled Mandalorians. I enjoyed it, but if I’m being honest, I enjoyed the first two seasons more. Or maybe I was just side-tracked by the simultaneously-running The Bad Batch, which, if I’m again being honest, was far more compelling to me for some reason. Go figure.

So Bo-Katan didn’t have to fight Din for the dark saber. I thought it was a fairly clever way of getting it back into her hands, as Din never wanted it in the first place.

There was a lot of Bo-Katan in this season, naturally, as she aspires to unite the Mandalorians; but since Din had the dark saber for most of the season, her people trickled away. I found it ironic that Bo-Katan and her people initially ridiculed the Children of the Watch for their silly ways–their no-removing-the-helmet rule, their saying “This is the way,” etc. But she didn’t have a particular laser sword, so she can’t lead them? Mandalorians are weird, lol. But it wasn’t until they were willing to set aside their respective rules–Bo-Katan keeping her helmet on while with the Children, and the Armorer accepting that she straddles both worlds and should take it off and unite them–that they find success.

I never really liked Bo-Katan in the animated series. The fact that she was opposed to her peace-loving sister Satine (who, um, wanted to unite Mandalore) and joined Death Watch and initially supported Maul made her more than a bit villainous to me. She came around in the last season of Clone Wars as she fought Maul with Ahsoka, and then received the dark saber from Sabine in Rebels. In The Mandalorian, her character arc came full circle as she ‘fessed up to her past mistakes and worked to bring Mandalorians together. She even earned Din’s respect, and he hers. It was nice to see.

Din’s character on the other hand fell a bit flat for me this season. He sought redemption in the Living Waters on Mandalore and received it within a couple of episodes. I was kind of hoping he’d move beyond that, join Bo-Katan and her people and remove the helmet, but no. He’s remained staunch about the rules, lol. I suppose the Children are the people who saved and raised him, so their traditions run deep in his bones. Mostly, I just wanted to see Pedro Pascal’s face again, but oh well.

“No. No. No. No. No.” Grogu is a Jedilorian.

Grogu is, of course, as adorable as ever. He’s grown, too, stronger in the Force and not needing a nap right after using it. He’s starting to come into his own, with the paintball competition with Paz’s son, going to find Bo-Katan with R5 when Din was in trouble, and helping Din and Bo-Katan fight off Gideon. He’s a big, helpful boy, lol. And I loved his new ride in IG-11. I was hoping for his first words, but I didn’t expect them to be “yes” and “no” in IG’s voice. Grogu is a new sort of Mandalorian–one who is clearly not human, first of all (and I love that he was accepted as Din’s apprentice without hesitation or comment on that), and he clearly has Jedi sensibilities. Not just his Force abilities, but the fact that he makes Jedi-like choices. When Axe and Paz were having their silly fight about a game, none of the Mandalorians intervened–that’s not what you do–but Grogu did. I was so proud in that moment! That’s our boy.

Moff Gideon in his beskar-plated armor. He wanted to combine the strengths of the Jedi and the Mandalorians without understanding the cultural significance of any of them. Typical of the Imperials–taking without understanding.

The finale was a great episode, with lots of action and plot resolution, but it did seem rushed a bit. I was surprised that the dark saber was destroyed, but I suppose it’s symbolic. Mandalorians don’t need their “trinkets,” as Gideon called it, at least not anymore. Gideon’s clones were super creepy, but were destroyed by Din as soon as we learned about them. To my surprise, the season ended with a happy ending–Gideon was killed (unless one of his weird clones somehow escaped and shows up later), his Mandalorian base and clones destroyed, no good guys were killed (at least main characters), and the Mandalorians relit the Great Forge. Din and Grogu got a nice little cottage on Nevarro, and it seemed like a series finale more than anything else. Will we get a Season 4, or will their story continue in the Filoni Mandoverse movie? It truly doesn’t matter to me; I’m just kind of relieved it ended on a positive note. After the trauma of The Bad Batch, I don’t think I could have taken more tragedy.

A few last thoughts:

That pirate king who looked like plastic Easter grass–wow, lol. The camp was strong in that one.
Some complained about the CSI-like episode of “Guns for Hire,” but I thought it was refreshing. The appearance of Lizzo and Jack Black were a bit jarring, but I’ll chalk it up to more Star Wars goofiness.
R5 referred to as a “hero of the Rebellion” warmed my heart.
I loved the Dr. Pershing episode of “The Convert.” I always love seeing Coruscant. I didn’t trust Elia Kane for a second. She’s creepy.
Zeb! Purgill! I just can’t wait for the Ahsoka series.
The Mythosaur was cool. I thought we’d see somebody riding it into battle, like Boba on his rancor, but that’s probably for another season.
The Armorer fighting with just her tools is incredible. Don’t mess with her, lol.
Kelleran Beq! I wasn’t familiar with the character, but now I am and I love him. So glad for Ahmed Best, who deserves all the love.
The Shadow Council was intriguing. Seeing Brendol Hux, Armitage Hux’s father, is a nice tie-in to the sequels. And Pellaon–Thrawn is near!

I think that’s about it. What did you think of Season 3 overall? What’s your favorite moment? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Ranking the Order 66 Scenes in Star Wars

I was thinking the other day how, naturally, the Star Wars stories we get overlap quite a bit, and we see certain events from different perspectives. One big one is Order 66, and we have to relive the pain of the end of the Jedi Order over and over again, lol. What hurts the most is how the younglings and Padawans suffered, and in the instances below I’ve focused on how Order 66 affected them.

Again, I haven’t included any instances in books or comics, just live-action and animation. I’ve ranked them according to how sad it made me feel, or how much the youngling or Padawan suffered (and they all do). It was hard, but this is what I came up with, with the saddest at the top.

The Clone Wars. The Clone Wars ended on Order 66, viewed through the eyes of Ahsoka and Rex. They’re on their way back from Mandalore with Maul in tow when the Order is given. Rex manages to resist it just long enough to give Ahsoka a chance, but then succumbs to the programming. Ahsoka manages to get her hands on Rex and remove the chip, and they both fight their way off the ship as it crash lands. This last haunting scene of Ahsoka shows her grief and her love and respect for the clones who served at her side for so long. It shows how the clones were victims of Palpatine as well; and Ahsoka’s refusal to kill them, Rex’s tears, and the clone graves makes it one of the hardest, saddest scenes in all of Star Wars. The entire episode is amazing.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. This series kicks off with Order 66, showing a group of younglings running for their lives in the Temple. It’s revisited later in the show, as we find out that one of the younglings was Reva. This one was so hard because it actually shows Anakin killing a child, thrusting his lightsaber into her middle, something Revenge of the Sith didn’t do years earlier. It’s shocking and horrible. And then later, to see that youngling floating in the tank in the Fortress Inquisitorious–wow.

Revenge of the Sith. This movie is, of course, our first experience with Order 66, and seeing the clones turn on the adult Jedi is awful, but when we see Anakin turning on his lightsaber with these poor babies, it’s sickening. We don’t even see them die; we don’t have to. Just knowing Anakin kills children is sobering and shocking. Despite this particular scene becoming a meme for (uncomfortable) laughs over the years doesn’t take away from its horror. I still get a little tear in my eye when that sweet boy asks Anakin what they should do, and he answers with death.

The Mandalorian. We get part of Grogu’s memory of Order 66 in The Book of Boba Fett, as well, and we’re left wondering who saved him. We get that answer in The Mandalorian with Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. I don’t think this story is over yet, and it may get even sadder as we find out Kelleran’s ultimate fate; but seeing our sweet baby (even babier here) so scared and helpless rips my heart out.

Jedi: Fallen Order. I’m not a gamer, as I’ve stated many times before, but I’m familiar with Cal Kestis and his story. I got to know him even better in the novel Battle Scars, so his experience of Order 66 is still moving for me. Watching your master be attacked and killed by the clones you served with, and were probably friends with, is terrible for anyone, never mind a kid. He survives and goes on to fight the Empire, but Order 66 will always haunt him.

The Bad Batch. In the Season 1 opener of The Bad Batch, we start right off with Order 66. Jedi Master Depa Billaba is fighting Separatist battle droids when her young Padawan Caleb Dume brings in the Batch for reinforcements. Order 66 occurs during the battle, and Caleb witnesses his Master killed by the clones. The Batch, mostly immune to Order 66, don’t know what’s going on and try to help Caleb, but he only sees clones and runs. Crosshair doesn’t help the situation, as he is the only one of the Batch that reacts to the Order and tries to kill Caleb. Hunter allows him to run away and lies to Crosshair and the other clones about it. We know Caleb eventually grows up to be Kanan Jarrus and fights the Empire with his Ghost crew.

I think that’s it with live-action and animation, but please let me know if I’m missing an obvious one. Between this post and my last one about sacrifice, I seem to be on a theme of “How Star Wars makes me sad,” lol. And it does, but there are uplifting and funny moments, too, of course. Maybe I’ll try to cover that next time!

Which Order 66 scene affected you the most? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Sacrifice in Star Wars

One of the main themes played out in Star Wars is sacrifice, which is often tied to redemption, but not always. Saw Gerrera pays a lot of lip service to “sacrificing for the greater good,” but we rarely see him put that idea into practice himself. But there are other, far more noble characters who do (Can you tell he’s not my favorite person right now? Lol.) With the recent sacrifices made by characters in both The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch, I thought I’d explore characters in Star Wars who truly sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

For the purposes of this post, “sacrifice” denotes a character making a clear decision to give their lives for a higher purpose, as opposed to those “making the ultimate sacrifice” in war, like the clones, for example, or just regular soldiers dying in war (and I’m sure there are examples of soldiers making a clear decision to die to save their comrades, as well). I’m also not including any from books or comics, just to make it simpler.

Anyway, these are the main characters off the top of my head, though I’m sure there are more:

Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope

The sacrifice: Obi-Wan allows Darth Vader to cut him down in a lightsaber battle on the first Death Star.

Obi-Wan clearly stops fighting, raises his lightsaber and steps back, giving Vader the opening to strike him down. This was mostly to allow Luke and his friends to escape. From a story standpoint, Obi-Wan was the wise mentor that had to be removed from the equation to allow Luke to overcome obstacles on his own. And perhaps Obi-Wan felt it appropriate for his “failure” with Anakin, though he had long accepted and let go of Anakin’s turn to the dark side. Plus, he knew he would become a cool Force ghost, and perhaps help Luke better that way.

Pain scale: 5 out of 10. When I first entered the Star Wars universe, I saw The Empire Strikes Back first, so Obi-Wan was already a ghost. When I went back and watched ANH, the death scene was expected. If I had watched SW in chronological order, with prequels first, and the Clone Wars series, I would have been much more attached to him by the time I got to his death, and the score would be higher. He’s now one of my favorite characters, but his death was there from the very beginning.

Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi

The sacrifice: Vader picks up Palpatine, who was electrocuting Luke at the time, and throws him down an air shaft, thereby saving Luke but destroying the life support system of his helmet and chest plate.

Vader sacrificed himself for the life of his son. After years of being a slave to the dark at the Emperor’s side, he finally had enough. It took his son’s compassion for him to be reached, and Luke nearly died himself to save his father. This is one of the examples that involves redemption with the sacrifice. Is it complete redemption? I don’t know–after all the atrocities that Vader committed, what’s enough? Did he truly repent, or was he just focused on saving his son? Whatever the case, it was a very satisfying scene, and truly moving to see.

Pain scale: 5 out of 10. At the time I saw it, it was very shocking, and sad, but it didn’t pain me like some of the others here. Vader was a monster, after all. He was the villain (although a puppet of Palpatine, too, who was the real big bad) and was defeated, though in a very unexpected way. All I can say is that I hope Anakin has found peace in the Force.

Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi

The sacrifice: Luke Force-projects himself onto Crait from his location on Ach-To in order to distract the First Order so the Resistance can escape. The effort drains all of his Force energy, and he dies, disappearing into the Force.

Say what you will about Luke’s character in The Last Jedi, you gotta admit he made a very Jedi-like sacrifice in the film to save the ragged remnants of the Resistance–and his sister, of course. It was quite a clever ruse, and no one was hurt by his actions, proving it was a very Jedi move. Was there an element of redemption in there? Perhaps a little bit. Luke thought he was doing the right thing by staying out of it all, AND he was very grumpy doing it, lol. But he was wrong, by his own admission as a Force ghost in TROS. This sacrifice made up for it and more.

Pain scale: 7 out of 10. It was hard to see Luke, the main character of the originals, fade into the Force. But he went out on his own terms, and that’s satisfying.

Amilyn Holdo in The Last Jedi

The sacrifice: Holdo pilots an empty Rebel ship into a First Order Super-Star Destroyer by going into hyperspace, thereby destroying it by going through it at light speed.

Some people were frustrated with the character of Holdo, mostly because she wouldn’t tell Poe and the rest of her crew her plan to evacuate the Resistance to the planet Crait. While I do wonder why she couldn’t simply tell them the plan, I do think Poe was out of line to disobey her and mutiny. But that’s a debate for another post. She redeemed herself at least in Poe’s eyes by sacrificing herself so the Resistance could get away. A really cool way to go out, all told, and I bet she didn’t feel a thing, lol.

Pain scale: 4 out of 10. We’d just met Holdo in this film so it wasn’t a great wrench to lose her, though it’s always sad when the good guys die. I usually tear up a little bit when Leia says, “I can’t take anymore,” but that’s Leia’s pain I’m feeling, not mine.

Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker

The sacrifice: Ben Force-heals a near-dead Rey, draining what’s left of his own Force energy, and dies.

Ben Solo giving up his Kylo Ren persona and rushing to Exegol to help Rey was a very satisfying part of his character arc. We only got about ten minutes of Ben Solo, which saddens me. The fact that he had no dialogue (except “Ouch,” I guess) is telling–Kylo liked to shoot his mouth off a lot, but Ben’s actions spoke louder than words. Giving all his Force energy to Rey so she could live is a pretty big act of redemption. Almost makes up for him killing his father. Not really, but the scene of his memory of Han Solo goes a long way in helping us forgive him.

Pain scale: 8 out of 10. Even though I swore when I saw The Force Awakens that I’d never forgive him for killing Han, by the time of TROS it really hurt to see him die. Mostly because we had just met Ben Solo, and then he was gone within minutes. I would have liked to get to know him better.

Kanan Jarrus in Rebels

The sacrifice: Kanan uses the Force to keep the flames of an explosion from killing those he loves, and when he uses the Force to push them back out of the way, the flames overtake him.

I was a little late to the party with Rebels, so I already knew through various social media channels that Kanan was going to die. Did that make it any easier? Not by a long shot. In fact, because I knew it was coming, there was a horrible dread clinging to me as Season 4 got nearer. And the fact that he already made a sacrifice, though not willingly–his sight–made it all seem so unfair, even though the blindness endowed him with a deeper wisdom. I do like that he knew his death was coming (thanks to the Lothwolf), so he could prepare for it and say his goodbyes.

Pain scale: 9 out of 10, because I really, really liked this guy. The way the Force gave him back his sight at the last moment so he could see his family was a nice touch, and cranked up the tear factor.

Tech from The Bad Batch

The sacrifice: Hanging over a precipice from a malfunctioning rail car, Tech decides to sever the connection and fall to his death rather than bring the whole squad–his family–with him.

So this is one of the most recent losses, and it is still an open wound for me. It totally blindsided me and I’m still coming to terms with it. I cried about Tech’s death in this post here, if you want more of my grief. It hurts so much more because it didn’t have to happen at all, if it wasn’t for a CERTAIN SOMEONE insisting on blowing up the place with no discernable results at all. There’s a lot of debate about whether Tech is still alive or not, and I’m about 50/50 on it. But until Season 3 comes along and we learn otherwise, I’m in total mourning.

Pain scale: 10 out of 10. Probably because it’s so fresh, so unexpected, and he’s a sweet nerd boy who shouldn’t have died. But he’s a hero in my book.

The Rogue One Crew in Rogue One

The sacrifice: Virtually all the members of the Rogue One crew are killed on Scarif in their attempt to steal the Death Star plans.

So even though I said I didn’t want to include military sacrifices, this one is a bit different, in that the Rogue One crew were, well, rogue. They all made a clear decision to disobey orders, go to Scarif on their own to do what they could, without any expectation of back up. They didn’t necessarily choose to die in the moment–their lives were just taken from them–but they had a pretty good idea that they probably wouldn’t be coming back from this mission, or at least, that chances were low of coming out alive. But they chose to go anyway, and that’s why I’ve included it here.

Pain scale: 8 out of 10. I figured several of them wouldn’t make it out alive, but ALL of them??? I loved them all, but to see even Cassian and Jyn waiting for the blast of the Death Star to consume them….it hurt. Knowing they accomplished their mission and that cursed space station was doomed helped a little bit.

Honorable mentions:

Leia in The Rise of Skywalker

Let’s not forget that Leia, still recovering from her unscheduled space-walk in TLJ, gave up the last of her life force to reach her son across the galaxy. I think it was more a personal need to try to reach her son one last time, rather than sacrifice her life to save anybody, but it turned out she did save Rey from Kylo Ren.

Pain scale: 6 out of 10.

Val from Solo: A Star Wars Story

Okay, so this one isn’t in service for a greater good. They were stealing coaxium from the Empire for Dryden Vos. But I was impressed how Val didn’t hesitate to press that button when her crew was in trouble. Unfortunately, the mission didn’t end well and she died for nothing.

Pain scale: 2 out of 10.

Paz Viszla in The Mandalorian

In the latest installment of The Mandalorian, Paz Viszla, a member of the Children of the Watch, sacrifices himself to try to save his people from Moff Gideon and the Imperials. It takes a whole squad of beskar-plated stormtroopers and three Praetorian Guards to kill him, the guy’s such a big brute. And perhaps there’s a bit of redemption in his sacrifice for the Viszla family, as Pre Viszla (from the Clone Wars, and maybe his father?) was the leader of Death Watch. I appreciate his sacrifice and am saddened, but his disposition didn’t go far to endear him to me, lol.

Pain scale: 3 out of 10.

Did I miss any obvious ones? I couldn’t think of any from the Prequels, what do you think? Whose sacrifice hurt you the most? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Thoughts on Star Wars Celebration 2023 Announcements

So Star Wars Celebration was this past weekend, and it was packed with information and fun. The more I see of Celebration, the more I’m convinced I MUST attend one at some point. Super Star Wars fun! Anyway, here are my brief thoughts on some of the more prominent announcements of Celebration:

Movies! So three movies seem to be in the works–one about the dawn of the Jedi, a Mando tie-in movie, and a post-sequel movie about a new Jedi Order. The first one, supposedly taking place 25,000 years in the past, will show the very first Jedi, perhaps the origin of the Force, etc. That’s cool, I guess, and I’d definitely go see it, but not particularly excited about it. The Mando tie-in is a no-brainer, bringing all the Mandoverse elements together from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, etc. Fun.

The one I’m most excited–and worried–about is the post-sequel film about the new Jedi Order, with our very own Daisy Ridley reprising her role as Rey. As a sequel fan, this is hugely exciting, and I’m hoping we’ll see other sequel characters joining her, including Finn and Poe, and one very particular Force ghost. But I’m not sure if John Boyega is willing to return to the role, or any of them, for that matter. It wouldn’t be the same without them. I’m frankly surprised that Daisy has chosen to return, considering all the hate her character received, and is still receiving, from the toxic fandom. You can’t let the bullies win, of course, but I hate to see her get more abuse. There are those jaded souls who will say, “Money talks,” and perhaps that’s true, but I feel like she can go in plenty of other directions for her career. So I’m hoping that this is a sign that the idea is worthwhile enough for her to come back to and risk even more tiresome vitriol.

Ahsoka trailer! The Ahsoka trailer was awesome, and I can’t wait for August when it premieres. We got the whole Ghost crew assembled, it seems, with Sabine, Hera, Chopper, and we saw Zeb in The Mandalorian, so I’m guessing he’ll be around. Oh, and Ezra in a hologram, like a Star Wars photo that Sabine has of him. There are plenty of villains, too, with Morgan Elsbeth returning, two new dark Force users with orange lightsabers, and yes, Thrawn. The big news is that the actor who voiced Thrawn in Rebels, Lars Mikkelson, will portray him in live-action. I think it’s a great decision, and seems only natural–come on, the guy even looks like Thrawn, lol.

The Acolyte! This show won’t come out until next year, but I’m very excited about it. It takes place towards the end of the High Republic era, and as a fan of the books, this is very cool. Whatever footage they showed at Celebration was not made public, but it sounds great. There are dark Force users (Sith?) and Jedi and intrigue and lightsaber battles, and come on, who’s not excited for this? Also, Vernestra Rwoh from the High Republic books, who is only 15 at the time of these stories, will be making an appearance here, which I think takes place quite a bit later (100 years? I think). But she is Mirialan, and so perhaps long-lived. I saw a fuzzy photo of her character in the Acolyte, and she kind of looks like Nebula from Marvel, lol.

Andor Season 2! This also will be coming out in 2024, and I’m looking forward to it. I believe in Season 2, every three episodes will constitute a year in time, so things will move right along. No sign of K2SO, but without doubt he will make his appearance. I’m ready to learn of Luthen’s fate and Mon Mothma’s family drama, and what happens to B2EMO?

Skeleton Crew! I haven’t given much thought to this one, but it sounds like fun, and any Jude Law is a good thing, lol. A bunch of kids get lost in space, and their parents are worried, and they meet the Jude Law character, who is at least Force-sensitive. It takes place during the Mandoverse era, so this crew will likely play a part in the big tie-in.

High Republic books! Phase Three of the High Republic books, called Trials of the Jedi, was announced, and I’m VERY psyched. Phase 2 has been quite good, but I’ve been itching to get back to the characters of Phase One. This publishing phase goes right into 2025, with three waves as with Phase One, so plenty of High Republic Star Wars on the horizon. Yay!

Tales of the Jedi S2! I really enjoyed Tales of the Jedi, and I’m glad there will be a Season Two, I just wish we knew more about it. It was simply announced there would be a second season, but no release date, no info on episodes. Oh well. Patience.

Return of the Jedi theater release on April 28th for 40th anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been 40 years since I lined up at the movie theater with other fans in 1983 when I was 12 years old to see Return of the Jedi. Did I ever think I’d be just as obsessed and enjoying all this Star Wars goodness with gray in my hair? Not in a million years, but here we are, and I’m so glad. I will not miss this re-release.

The Bad Batch will get a third and final season! I figured we’d get a Season Three, but I was kind of hoping for four, only because I love these guys so much. But three makes sense if it wraps things up in one more. Or at least, a satisfactory ending, which includes all of the Batch retiring comfortably on Pabu. Kidding, I know I’m asking for too much, lol. There was footage shown of Season 3 but of course, not made public. From descriptions I’ve heard, it looks like the Emperor will be making a visit to Mt. Tantiss, Omega and Crosshair are prisoners together there, and the others are going through a lot of action trying to find them. At one point Wrecker says, “Why are there always monsters?!” Indeed, Wrecker. Out in 2024, but no specific release date.

Visions Season Two trailer! This is Star Wars’ creative experiment with various animation studios, and Season One was very cool and very different. I loved some of them more than others, but each one brings a different flavor to the Star Wars universe. The trailer looks super cool and exciting, and I can’t wait to watch them all on May 4th.

Celebration 2025 in Japan! Celebration will apparently be skipping 2024, but it will take place in Japan in 2025. I was kind of hoping to make it my mission to go to the next Celebration, but Japan is pushing it for me, lol. I’m going to leave it at “The next Celebration in the US,” and sign it in blood. Definite bucket list item, which gives me an idea for my next post!

What did you think of the Celebration news? Did you go? (And I’m so not jealous!) What’s your favorite announcement? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Tech-nical Difficulties

Bad Batch Spoilers!!!

[Deep Sigh]

So, I’ve been in mourning this past week, along with a very large segment of the fandom, over Tech’s death in the season finale of The Bad Batch. I’ve been obsessively reading and replying and commiserating with other fans on several social media fan groups, and the consensus is we’re all devastated .

Oh Star Wars, why do you insist on breaking our hearts?

I haven’t been this heartbroken since Kanan’s death in Rebels. But even then, we had clues. Clearly something very bad was going to happen to him (and I was a bit late to the party, so I already knew he was doomed, but still, it hurt). I didn’t see Tech’s death coming until he was hanging off that rail car and announced Plan 99. But, looking back over Season 2, I suppose there were clues. These episodes were quite Tech-heavy, with him strengthening his relationship with Omega, saving the day with the Riot Race, and the little kind-of romance with Phee. I didn’t know why we were getting so much Tech, but boy, was I pleased. Now? Not so pleased. They were making us love him even more, so when he died, the emotional impact would be epic.

I misquoted him in a previous post, but I think I got the gist.

But it’s a double-anguish, because–IF, in Star Wars fashion, he might still be alive, the only outcome I can see is Tech being taken by Hemlock and turned into something really awful. And that would break my heart even more. (I was going to be upset if Crosshair suffered that fate). So, given the choice of him being dead or being turned into a monster, I’d choose him dying as a hero. And he IS a hero, even if he does come back in whatever form. When he was hanging from that railcar, he knew the only way to save his family was to cut the line. That decision will not be erased by some “miracle” of him coming back. It wouldn’t be “for nothing,” as some fans suggested. In my opinion, he’s forever a hero.

That’s it. That’s the post. I loved Tech, and now he’s gone (forever? Only Season 3 will tell).

You will be missed, my awkward but still badass friend.

My Favorite Star Wars Character From Each Major Project

Hello friends!

I was casting around for an idea for my next post, and decided to slack off and go to Facebook instead. The first thing I saw was a post on one of my favorite Star Wars Facebook groups (Star Wars Fans Who Actually Like Star Wars). The poster posited this question: who is your favorite character from each Star Wars project? Ah, perfect!

So without further ado, here’s my list:

Prequel trilogy – Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“Oh, I’m not brave enough for politics.”

Clone wars – Ashoka Tano.

“You’ll find I have many qualities for you to dislike.”

Tales of the Jedi – Yaddle.

“Already so many have suffered, for what you call peace.”

The Bad Batch – Tech.

“Just because I process things differently doesn’t mean I don’t feel them the same way.”

Jedi Fallen Order – N/A, although I’m reading Battle Scars and so far I have to say Merrin.

Rebels – Kanan Jarrus.

“Battles leave scars. Some you can’t see.”

Solo – Young Han.

“I have a really good feeling about this.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi – Young Leia.

“The Senate’s boring. It’s people in itchy clothes arguing.”

Andor – Mon Mothma.

“As long as everyone thinks I’m an irritation, there’s a good chance they won’t see what I’m really doing.”

Rogue One – Cassian Andor.

“I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old.”

Original trilogy – Han Solo.

“I think you just can’t bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight.”

Battlefront 2 – N/A

The Mandolorian – Grogu.

The Book of Boba Fett – Fennic Shand.

“In difficult times, fear is a surer path.”

Resistance – Neeku.

Star Wars Squadrons -N/A

Sequel trilogy – Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.

Star Wars Visions – Master Tajin from The Elder.

“No matter how powerful you become, know that it will not last forever.”

The High Republic-Elzar Mann.

I don’t have a quote for Elzar, either, lol.

The categories are from the original poster, but I added The High Republic on at the end since it’s such a big project and I love it.

There are so many wonderful characters from Star Wars and it’s so hard to choose! There are other characters I love that didn’t make it onto the list, like Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Rey, Chewie, and a slew of awesome droids. But breaking it into categories helps narrow it down.

So who are your favorite characters from these projects? List them all, or just pick a few of your favorite projects, and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Book Update

Hello friends!

While I was waiting for The Battle of Jedha to be released on February 14th (it’s the hard copy script of the audiobook that was released in January), I thought I’d jot down an update on a few other Star Wars books I’ve been reading lately.

Quest for the Hidden City, by George Mann. This is the middle-grade book in the first wave of High Republic Phase 2 books. It follows Jedi Knight Silandra Sho and her Padawan Rooper Nitani, part of a Pathfinder team, as they investigate another missing Pathfinder team on the planet Gloam. Pathfinder teams explore the Outer Rim and invite frontier worlds to join the Republic. They’re made up of a Jedi Knight and their Padawan, a pilot, an engineer, a medic, and a droid or two. As Silandra and Rooper investigate, a mysterious and terrifying creature threatens the team. A fun book for High Republic fans.

The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, by Ryder Windham. Released back in 2008, this one is a Legends book about Obi-Wan Kenobi and his exploits through the Prequels and Original trilogy. As a big Obi-Wan fan, I thought I might like this one, and I did. Even though much of it concerns scenes from the movies that we’re already familiar with, it also adds some insight and context from Obi-Wan’s point of view, as well as events from some comics and other sources. It’s framed by scenes of Luke Skywalker visiting Ben’s Hut on Tatooine just before he and the others rescue Han from Jabba the Hut. He finds Ben’s journal there, and instructions on how to build a lightsaber, and that’s the Legends story of how Luke got his green lightsaber. A fun, easy read about Obi-Wan–what’s not to love?

Star Wars Rebel Force: Target (Book One), by Alex Wheeler. This is a (Legends) junior novel series that takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back (at least this first one does). I just started reading it, and am enjoying it so far. This one is about an Imperial assassin that is after the pilot who is responsible for the shot that destroyed the first Death Star. Luke, Han and Leia are on a mission for the Alliance, involving getting some funds for the Rebellion on the planet Muunilinst, and the assassin–known as X-7–deceives them into trusting him. That’s as far as I’ve gotten. I’ve been loving these quick, easy reads, and haven’t been able to get into anything more challenging. Which is why I couldn’t read…

Alphabet Squadron, by Alexander Freed. I’ve been avoiding this series about Rebellion pilots since I’ve started reading Star Wars books, mostly because I don’t care for pilot stories. But I was running low on major publications to read while I wait for the next High Republic books. It was either this series or the Thrawn series (another one I haven’t been too interested in, although I love his character in Rebels). So I thought I’d give it a go. But a few chapters in, I gave up. Either I’m really not interested in this aspect of Star Wars (which is my suspicion) or I’m just too muddled and busy right now to get into any challenging read. Probably both.

So the junior reads have been ideal for me lately. And The Battle for Jedha is a script, not a big novel, so I suspect it will be easier for me to go through as well. I’m not an audiobook fan, but I didn’t want to miss this crucial High Republic story, and I’m looking forward to it.

So that’s what I’ve been reading in Star Wars. I also threw in Stephen King’s The Shining and Doctor Sleep for a little horror fest to start the year, lol.

What have you been reading lately? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Kisses

In honor of Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought I’d get all romantic and revisit the best Star Wars kisses from the films and rank them. Why not? From least favorite to favorite, here we go! (I’m not including cheek, forehead, or hand kisses, just full on lip-locks, lol):

Lesbian kiss at the end of TROS. I don’t have a problem with two women kissing, in Star Wars or anywhere else, but this split second scene seemed weird and arbitrary. These two are secondary characters, which is fine, but at least give us a bit of history for them. One or two quick scenes establishing their relationship, so by the end of the movie their reunion is more satisfying. But I’m glad Star Wars is at least trying to get a bit more representative, especially in live action.

Rose and Finn in TLJ. This kiss wasn’t particularly surprising, considering all the time these two spent together on their mission. But then, boom, next movie, nah, they’re just friends. I kind of liked the idea of these two together, but Rose’s character (and Finn’s, as well) was brushed aside in TROS.

Anakin and Padme on Naboo in AOTC. “I don’t like sand.” Awkward first kiss, lol. Kind of sweet, though.

Padme and Anakin at their wedding on Naboo in AOTC. Okay, it’s official. Nothing will stop our love!

Leia and Luke on Hoth in front of Han in ESB. Most cringe kiss, at least after learning they’re siblings. But she was making a point, dammit! And the faces of both the men afterward are priceless.

Padme and Anakin on Geonosis in AOTC. Truly, deeply. Their first admission of love–before being brought out to slaughter, lol. A bit over the top, but if you think you’re going to die, why not?

Leia and Han in the Ewok Village in ROTJ. A brief embrace and smooch after Luke and Han escape being dinner for the Ewoks. First time seeing Leia with her long hair down, so who can blame him?

Han and Q’ira in Solo. Admit, these two are adorable. Not meant to be, but I like his taste in strong women.

Padme and Anakin on Coruscant in ROTS. These two haven’t seen each other in months, and their reunion is truly touching. And when she tells him she’s pregnant, after a moment of worried surprise, Anakin seems genuinely happy. You really want them to hold on to this forever. 😦

Rey and Ben at end of TROS. So this kiss was kind of weird, but I did like it. The Reylos went nuts, and though I could go either way with Reylo, I thought this was sweet. I was just really happy to see Ben Solo genuinely smile for the first time in probably years. Rey gave him that gift, and I won’t begrudge him that.

Leia and Han in Jabba’s Palace in ROTJ. “Someone who loves you.” After years of waiting for this reunion when I was a kid, this was so satisfying.

Leia and Han on Endor in ROTS. Han’s face when Leia tells him Luke is her brother is priceless, and now he’s free to get the girl. I love happy endings.

Leia and Han on the Falcon in ESB. “You need more scoundrels in your life.” This one’s a contender for #1, because it’s their first kiss, and is the culmination of all their sexual tension bickering. The top spot has more emotional weight, but this one is an iconic Star Wars kiss.

Leia and Han on Cloud City in ESB. “I love you.” “I know.” Their admission of love, and who knows if they’ll ever see each other again???? Best kiss in Star Wars, hands down.

Honorable Mention:

Deleted scene of Han and Leia on Cloud City. When I was a kid, I read a picture book of The Empire Strikes Back, and this scene was in it. I could have sworn it was in the original theatrical release as well when I saw it in the theater in 1980, but on subsequent viewings, it wasn’t there. As an adult, I thought maybe I’d imagined it. But here it is, and it never should have been dropped. You can’t have too many scenes of Han and Leia kissing, lol.

Most of them are Leia and Han or Padme and Anakin, the two power couples, and clearly I’m more a fan of the former. Did I miss any? What’s your favorite Star Wars kiss scene? Let me know in the comments and we’ll gossip about it!

For more galactic romance, check out my post on the best Star Wars love stories here.

Ranking the Star Wars Live Action Series

I don’t normally do this sort of thing. I’ll rank various scenes, moments, characters, etc, in all of Star Wars, but not individual productions. I haven’t done a personal ranking of the films, for instance. I love them all for different reasons, and so I pick things out of all of them. I haven’t ruled it out yet, though, lol.

I thought I’d rank the Disney+ live action shows, since they’re all so different. There’s only four so far, so it shouldn’t be hard, right? (I’ll do an animated show ranking at some point, too. Apples with apples, and oranges with oranges). Once Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte come out, it will obviously change. But so far, here’s what I’ve got, from least favorite to most favorite:

Book of Boba Fett. This show had some definite strengths, such as the expansion of the Tusken Raider culture, and Boba’s journey from almost-dead bounty hunter to respected member of that tribe. But it has many, many weaknesses: no clear reason why Boba wants to become a “respectable” Daimyo of Mos Espa (but still an overlord, when you get right down to it), and when he does achieve this, he almost immediately decides, well, maybe he doesn’t want it. Fennec Shand is a cool character, but she has almost no characterization in the show. The Vespas (or Mods, or whatever you want to call them) are kind of cool, but are so jarring to the tone of the show it seems they just don’t belong there. There are so many potentially interesting characters introduced–Garsa Fwipp, Krrsantan, the Mayor, the Pykes, even Cad Bane–but they get so little characterization they fall flat. The whole show just seems like a random jumble of characters and ideas with no real cohesion. Oh, and putting Mando in there for a few episodes was a mistake. While I loved seeing them on the one hand, he and Grogu stole the show on the other, weakening this show that’s supposed to be about Boba Fett. The rancor was a great metaphor for Boba, though.

Andor. I’m going to start by saying that Andor is a fantastic show. It’s well-written, well-acted, brilliant in so many ways. I love the very different tone and feel to it, a “serious,” more grown-up Star Wars. I loved seeing Mon Mothma explored (and wish we’d had more of her), and Luthen Rael is a wonderfully complex character who demonstrates the “darker” side of the Rebellion. I liked getting to know more about Cassian’s past and what motivates him. But it’s a definite slow burn, and I can see how it might put some viewers off. I think it’s worth the build up, but it’s only third on my list because it just didn’t have the same emotional impact as the top two. And that’s a must for me. I have to be moved in some way, my heart strings need to be pulled, it has to “get me in the feels,” as they say, to propel it to the top of my list (this is true for all shows I watch, but especially in Star Wars). It’s a brilliant exercise, and a great addition to the lore, and I’m looking forward to Season Two. But not my favorite.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. So I had to seriously think about which of the two remaining shows would come out on top, and it was so close. And it was the Kenobi show out of all of them that produced the most emotional impact, to be honest. Seeing Ewan McGregor play Obi-Wan again, and Hayden coming back as Darth Vader, and exploring the baggage between those two, just zooms me to the moon. Little Leia is delightful, and I’m so glad she got to know Obi-Wan on this adventure. Learning about The Path was great, and I hope maybe the creators will do more with that in the future. The Inquisitors were so cool to see in live-action, even if the execution was a bit clumsy. And that’s why this show is number two instead of one for me–the execution wasn’t always perfect. Just thinking about the scene where Obi-Wan is hiding Leia under his coat on the Fortress Inquisitorious is painful to me in its incredible dumbness, lol. But for the most part, it hit all the beats: Obi-Wan on his character arc, going from despair to hope; seeing Owen and Beru’s characters expanded; Vader is absolutely incredible here, hot with hate, impatient, vicious, far from the Dark Side Zen we see in the films, and so had his own character arc to go through (they each had to let the other one go); Obi-Wan finally seeing Qui Gon’s Force ghost. And the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader is without doubt the best part of the whole series, and for me, probably the best scene in ALL of Star Wars (and there are some great ones, as we know). Just *chef’s kiss*.

The Mandalorian. Of course it’s The Mandalorian at the top spot. Everything about it is almost perfect. There are some weaker episodes than others, but all in all, it’s probably the best Star Wars show produced. The Volume is ground-breaking and used to great effect here, while it was kind of a liability in the Kenobi show. It feels like Star Wars while telling a story we’ve never seen before, in a time period that we’ve all been curious about. And Din and Grogu’s story, their relationship, their journey, is so appealing. The thing I love about this show is that it’s so accessible: you don’t necessarily have to be a Star Wars fan to love it. All the trimmings are there, the things a fan would appreciate, but you don’t have to be familiar with them to understand the story. It’s the only Star Wars show my husband, a very casual Star Wars fan, will watch with me. He loves it. He doesn’t always understand the little details, and certainly doesn’t recognize any “easter eggs,” but it doesn’t matter. He gets it. This may change as the show goes on, but for now, anyone can love this Star Wars western. And I mean, Grogu, hello??? Plenty of feels, culminating when Din says goodbye to Grogu in the S2 finale. Oh, and some guy named Skywalker shows up. Woo-hoo! And the music. It’s so different from John Williams, which defines Star Wars, but Ludwig Goransson’s score measures up to the spirit of the show. Fabulous. I can’t wait for Season 3!

How would you rank the shows? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!