#Anakin Skywalker being himself just in my version

[starwarsmyversion]

I wouldn't do what Anakin does 💀

[saintmurd0ck]

lakeside dreamin'

masterlist

pairing: jedi general anakin skywalker x f!reader

summary: anakin reminisces about your lives together while he's away fighting in the clone wars

warnings: heavy angst, mentions of canon events in TCW, canon typical mentions of warfare, some smut/spice, mentions of sex, minors DNI 18+ only

a/n: to the one anon who requested this maybe a year ago? i saw clone wars anakin and it was over for my brain 🫠 anyway love you guys and leave a comment or reblog if you liked this! 🥺

song pairing: love on the brain (rihanna)

The war was taking its toll.

Day after day, planet after planet, all Anakin knew now was his place on the battlefield. And his role in leading the victory for the Jedi and the Republic, even though their dogma preached peace, not violence. Every skirmish brought a new kind of horror to his once uncomplicated life, whether it was watching Separatist droids and clone troopers alike, cut down as easily as marsh reeds, or the simple fact that his relationship with the Force was dwindling towards something impure. Something he couldn’t make sense of, and would surely raise more questions than answers if he were to confide in his Masters. It wasn’t that he contemplated reaching towards the Dark side, or thought of the kind of evil only the Sith could endure; it was more like an isolating numbness that spread from within, and before long, Anakin felt the cloud settle over his mind.

He was tired of seeing smoke — the kind that billowed in every direction, stinking of despair and lost hope on his front, despite the war turning to the Republic’s favour. It was the sound of unending blaster fire and the repetitive ignition of his lightsaber that haunted his nightmares, and with only the company of his clone legion, his Padawan Ahsoka and the occasional appearance from Obi-Wan, he felt himself starting to slip.

He was overwhelmed, and encumbered with burden. 

Never before had he experienced such guilt, anger and suffering — towards his army, towards the civilians caught in the crossfire, and towards his relationship with you. 

The secret life the two of you led, away from the Order, felt like something out of another galaxy, another lifetime. It was as if eons had passed since he’d last seen you, and yet the world was constantly evolving — not towards freedom, but into a more destructive version of its past. Even for a Jedi General (and, one could argue, because he was a Jedi General), Anakin had little comfort, and much less sway in which systems he visited and what he took part in. Seeing you was absolutely out of the question, but it wasn’t like he bothered to even ask, out of fear of inviting a lecture from Obi-Wan, or Maker-forbid, an audience with Master Yoda. 

At least things like facilitating training for the Onderon rebels allowed him to feel more of himself, and to an extent, a sort of unity with the Council, but all of that was quickly replaced by the more sinister side of the Separatist Alliance, such as the trainwreck on Zygerria. Liberation didn’t exist there. Not until Anakin showed up.

It was these events that really compelled him to look inwards, to not just seek the Force’s guidance, but to use it in tandem with a coping mechanism that would get him through the war. 

And so the vignettes began. Slowly, at first. 

It started off as little glimpses of your life together, slices of euphoric nostalgia that weaved their way into Anakin’s being. He didn’t realise just how much he yearned for you; not simply the way your skin felt on his, but the pureness of your energy, the reminder that good truly did exist in this world. As much as these images were a solace to his sanity, they brought about a sense of malaise. Contrition, actually, if he sought the Force for the purpose of clarity. Even though it all existed in his head, allowing himself these indulgences felt like once again, he was breaking Code. 

But could it really have been that bad, if it honed his focus? If it drew him back to the bigger picture, of the why? Reminding himself of who it was he fought for didn’t erase the atrocities, but it gave him that flicker of hope, knowing that the sum of his actions equalled a better world for you. 

And some selfish, miniscule part of him figured that if he could lead the victory, he’d be pardoned when the Order inevitably found out about the life the two of you shared. It isn’t as if no-one already knew. He was sure Ahsoka was aware. Rex, too. He doubted when it came to Obi-Wan, but then again very little got past his Master. 

While the memories of you lay fresh before his eyes, they seemed to sharpen at specific points throughout the day; often in the thick of battle, or when he woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in a cold sweat, nothing but thin shafts of moonlight illuminating his body. It’s like they were stitched perfectly amongst the real action, scattered at perfect intervals that jerked his body into manoeuvre.

The sweetest images had always featured the lake. 

Armed with nothing more but his wits, his back pressed against the cold, wet stone in a cave on Vanqor, he reminisced about that first night with you by the lakeside. The sweet smell of wildflowers carried in the breeze, heightened by his affinity for the Force. He recalled the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore, and how the two moons cast their milky glow upon the shimmering surface of the water. And you — radiant, almost ethereal in the soft light, and the way your lips brushed against his neck, filling him with the kind of heat that flooded all at once. Not even the screech of the pursuing gundark could have interrupted this moment in time. He felt his breathing go ragged, because he remembered what happened next. He gritted his teeth, thinking about the way he moved inside you, and how you tangled your fingers in his hair, pressing chaste kisses to his mouth, his chest, whispering his name in sinful bliss. The gundark didn’t stand a chance. Not when Anakin’s motivation for getting out alive laid in sweet promise, embedded in these visions.

His name felt the most natural rolling off your tongue, nevermind that that was truly the last real thing he possessed, unmarred by time and the influence of the Jedi. In that moment, when you’d taken him over the edge with you, crying his name so loud he swore someone had heard, he knew he’d give it over to you if you’d asked.

He thought of the lake again when he was in Felucia, crouched low amongst the sillum. His lightsaber grew heavy in his hand, the ridges suddenly awkward in his palm, but the grip he’d started to lose on his lifeline gave rise to something he couldn’t ignore. 

It was another temperate day and the sun had created the most brilliant reflections on the surface of the lake. With the grasses and trees swaying in the wind, Anakin closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force. He didn’t prod or poke, but rather he cast a wide net, a delicate caress, to connect with the life that teemed. It sang to him in a multi-layered harmony, acting as a prominent reminder that the Force flowed in all living things. And when his eyes fluttered open, he watched you carefully as you walked towards the water, your feet crunching on the smooth pebbles that made up the beach. You turned around to give him a dazzling smile, moving with deliberation to slip off your clothes. Your laughter echoed in the crisp air as you dived into the lake, disappearing under a swathe of emerald green, only to resurface in the middle with a large grin plastered to your face. He didn’t hesitate to jump in, to shed his clothing on the spot. A shudder ran down his spine at the thought of what happened shortly after. 

Sometimes it was hard to return to the present, to remember that he’d sleep alone that night while you were only just waking up, systems away, most likely after another fitful slumber.  There were times where he thought these visions would serve no other purpose than to derail him, when the temptation of your touch shadowed his desire for victory. These moments guided him to channel the Force within, so as to remind himself of why he was doing this in the first place. Because it was more than just a coping mechanism. It was an anchor. A thrumming pulse point. A gentle acknowledgement of the life he wanted to come back to.

It’s then that he wondered when enough would be enough, when the war would come to a stalemate, as it so often did in their history. The tide was turning, and he knew it.

And there it was again, that kernel of hope, that ember of light that shone in the depths of his soul. Even reduced to a ghost in his memory, you were tangible, so tangible now. He wouldn’t let the Separatists win. He couldn’t, because there was too much at stake. And so if thinking of you, in these ways, helped him remember that, he wasn’t going to stop. 

Not for anyone. 

[stargirl-writes]

safety net part two

pairing : force healer! jedi reader x anakin skywalker

word count : 1 k

masterlist | part one

summary

finding safety in a world deranged by war became a distant dream until your childhood friend, anakin skywalker, comes back to your life.

tags : angst, fluff, romance, friends-to-lovers

warnings : mentions of dressing a wound

notes

part two of this one but can be read as a stand alone !

also, i think it'd make sense if i say that as a demisexual, angst is my version of a smut haha!

Anakin would appear every Wednesday.

The clone war broke out and healing Anakin became more difficult. For every wound that you closed, another would appear.

By the fourth week of your treatment, his bionic arm was nearly finished. You've gone to extensive lengths to gather beskar alloy. Which worked out in the end, because Anakin's synthetic arm became a sort of shield.

There was absolutely no reason for him to keep coming to your med-bay station. You knew he could've easily submerged himself in a bacta tank, which he developed a deep hatred of, or used a stim, but he persists.

And you can't entirely find it in yourself to not welcome him.

Anakin was a part of your childhood that felt like how home always felt. Even if you can no longer identify with most parts of your past, Anakin was... well, it was nice having him around.

"I'm starting to get the idea you're hurting yourself to see me" You teased one late night when Anakin welcomed himself to your quarters.

He lets out a soft chuckle, shrugging his shoulders.

You step forward, hand finding a way to his cheek out of instinct.

Exhaustion. Warmth. Excitement. 

You withdrew your hand, he was alright.

His gaze felt warm on your skin, you caught your eyes locked with his.

Your heart races and you step back, searching for something to occupy yourself with.

"I still don't get how you do that" Anakin's voice echoes from behind. You open the drawer of your closet to find your kit.

When you turned, Anakin was curiously stirring the pot of soup you were preparing.

"Do what?" You asked absentmindedly, laying out the cotton, the antiseptic, and the salve neatly on the table.

"You can tell how I'm feeling by touch?" Anakin searches the cupboards for the bowls and cutlery.

"I've been trained to" You answered, then gestured Anakin to sit down so you can dress his wound.

Anakin walked over and started taking off his robes. He winces under his breath. Recognizing his careful movements, you helped him unbutton his shirt.

A large blaster burn was marking the back of his shoulder to his collarbone.

"You should've gotten this checked by a med droid" You lectured, surveying the wound.

"Thought I could use gentler hands" He still delighted in himself.

You huffed a laugh. Then, you began cleaning the wound.

"I'm applying the salve now" You narrated what you were doing, a habit you developed after realizing Anakin does not like being surprised by the sensation.

He nods and you continue. Finally, you focused your intent on fully healing the wound. You closed your eyes, focusing on breathing at a steady pace. It had been a few moments before the skin was new again.

"Thank you" Anakin mutters, rolling his shoulder to feel the pain had gone away.

You stood up and turned the heat off the soup. Anakin pulls the chair and waits for you to sit. Once again, it was just you and Anakin sharing a table, isolated from everyone else. The way it always used to.

However, when morning comes, the reality of it dawns on you. You can only ever steal a few moments of safety with Anakin, but the truth is there'll always be a war.

On most days, it felt like the losses were unending. On most nights, Anakin would make time to hold you as you wept when the weight of it all felt too heavy.

You weren't really the person to cry in front of other people. But with Anakin, you fall to pieces. Perhaps, you were comforted by the fact that he won't judge you, even if some nights you'd utterly be inconsolable.

"We'll be alright" He'd promise.

Even the fact that you have Anakin Skywalker so definitely became a cause of fear.

Because there he'll always be. You know his eyes like they are your own. You can hear his laughter when he is not laughing. You can come to Anakin and there he'll always be.

What happens when he's not?

You hadn't even realized how much you were depending on Anakin. Because it was always about taking care of each other.

So it came unexpectedly.

One quiet evening Anakin insisted on staying the night.

And you let him in, holding the door wide open so he'd know he could leave anytime he wished.

"I didn't think I'd ever be this happy to be back on Coruscant" You sat on the edge of the bed. Taking a deep breath as you leave the tormenting memories of the day fade away with the light.

"I make you happy?" Anakin half turns with a boyish smile.

His resilience was something you admired. You were certain he was carrying an equal amount of grief. And yet, here he was. Brave and confident, so competent, so certain that he, too, has something to offer.

"Of course, you do," You said, to yourself or Anakin, but you couldn't decipher.

He was telling a story of how he started implementing this game with Ahsoka, a competition of some sort to revert her focus away from the truths of the war. His words blur as you stare and think to yourself, Oh.

He has that power over me now. 

It felt like a surrender. In a world terrorized by a raging war, he built a home that made you feel safe.

He notices your silence and sits down next to you, his finger tracing the necklace he gave you, and you find yourself running yours through his hair.

"We're going to be fine," Anakin said. "It's okay, it's going to be alright," he said in a firmer tone.

He'd been there when you needed him to. So, he'd always reassure you.

"I'll always take care of you, you know what, right?"

"That's my line" You chuckled.

Anakin mirrors your smile. "Right, well, I mean it".

Your mind quiets, and you can't hold the pose of defiance when Anakin presses your head to his chest.

"Doesn't it get tiring? Fighting and fighting..." You trailed, voice barely above a whisper.

"It does." He answers. "But we have to, otherwise, it's like handing the galaxy in the hands of a cruel tyrant"

You turned your face upwards to hear more, and your nose touched his.

"Alright, chosen one" You teased his heroic remark.

He grimaces at the title. He still doesn't believe it to be true. And you'd never miss the opportunity to call him that.

"At least you're already chosen by someone" You looked up through your lashes.

Anakin shakes his head and his lips curl to the side. "Well, you're my chosen one"

did anyone catch the dramatic irony haha!

[crazylittlejester]

Warriors is such an intelligent strategist and I know in my heart he would make an incredible villain. He’s terrifyingly smart, good at planning, and with that whole arc with him getting too confident?? I can absolutely see him getting power hungry and greedy and if he’s strong enough to defeat a fully triforced Ganon, I have no doubt he could easily take over Hyrule and be practically unstoppable. I can see him being manipulative and cunning, and absolutely merciless. And it could be such an interesting fucking story arc for him too: The first of Hylia’s heroes to be corrupted by the horrors of war and a thirst for knowledge and power? I could totally fucking see him having an Anakin Skywalker-like twist to the dark side where he becomes convinced the only way to save Hyrule is to take a firmer control of it and run it himself. and god ABOVE would I LOVE to write a fic where the chain meets that version of him in an alternate timeline with regular Wars right there with them all to witness the monster he avoided becoming because he made the decision to be KIND instead, a servant to the throne rather than a conqueror of it. the fucking ANGST potential good LORD. And I can also just imagine the physical differences between those two very different versions of one man

but then a little voice in the back of my head screams at me because I don’t wanna write a fic making Warriors cruel or heartless because I’ve been seeing an oddly large amount of people villainizing him for the sake of creating more Wild or Legend angst and I don’t wanna add to making him a horrible person when he’s probably one of the most kind and caring members of the entire group (if also a little shit sometimes) 💔

[marvelstars]

"All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their bodies somewhere." "I've been working on a scanner to try and locate mine, but no luck." "Any attempt to escape…" "And they blow you up. Poof!"

―Shmi and Anakin Skywalker

One of the things that always get my attention in the phantom menace is how easily the people who would take care of Anakin from his 9 years to a young adult could ignore so easily the way his upbringing would affect him but if you see TPM movie, you get why.

Shmi and Anakin are living in horrorific circunstances, they know their owners, Gardulla and Watto can blow them up anytime they want with all legality on Tatooine so what´s left to them to stay not only sane but also kind under such circunstances is to keep what Viktor Emil Frankl called "mental/emotional freedom" they may not be owners of their own bodies but they are owners of their own mind and they can choose to be kind in their circunstances because they "WANT TO BE KIND" not because some code tells them they have to be kind or compassionate.

This is a family who has personally seen slaves being blown up, from kids, to women to adults of any age, a family who lived inside Gardulla´s the Hutt palace, you only need to remember ROTJ to understand this is a mother who had to explain to anakin what sex was from a very young age so he could tell her if someone wanted to take advantage of him that way even if she could not stop them from taking advantage of her Son.

QUI-GON: You should be proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward.

SHMI: Well he knows nothing of greed.

So when the Jedi came to Tatooine, given the stories both Shmi and Anakin heard about them, most notably the story about them freeing slaves from the former Sith Empire some thousands of years ago, they didn´t expect much but at least they expected the problem to be recognized but Qui-Gon has to explain to them that they are on Tatooine on accident and that they are not here to free slaves and when you get to Coruscant you learn that the Jedi are mostly concerned to what happens in the Senate to put much attention to what happens in the wider galaxy.

So we get in an scenario where Anakin is send to the Temple by his mother to give him a chance of a normal life but the world in which he gets to doesn´t even have the lenses to begin to understand his pov and not only that, they expect him to adapt himself to them, not the other way around.

You think? I don´t know Yoda, If I were a 9 year old who still has a ticking bomb inside my body(Qui-Gon didnt had time to get him to an infirmary), who had to leave behind my mother in such circunstances and who now is surrounded by adults called masters, who can read my mind, you know, the only thing left free for a slave like Anakin, I guess I would be pretty afraid too and not because I am falling to the darkside but because it´s a normal human reaction but Jedi are just not that empatethic in this version of the Order right?

So what we get is that Anakin gets to live in a place with people who certainly have good intentions, who see themselves as the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy but who mostly believe this means doing what the Senate tells them to do, they are completely unable and unwilling to even begin to understand Anakin, most of them, even Yoda have too sheltered lives to begin to understand where Anakin is coming from and it shows painfully as part of the tragedy, because where they see Anakin, they see pain/anger/hate and where Anakin sees them, he sees ignorance and lack of empathy that he at times sees as cruelty but both sides try to make it work, acting as if that´s not what they see on each other.

So even if Obi-Wan did his best to understand Anakin he´s still too sheltered to understand him they way his mother did, he believes Anakin having a problem with food snacks is a sign of him being greedy /asking for special treatment instead of being a sign of someone who has been starved before as punishment and a natural reaction is to keep food and insects around so he doesn´t die of hunger, Obi-Wan is just disgusted by it.

But you know someone who certainly grew up as sheltered as the members of the jedi order, as part of a noble house in a mid rim planet but who has plenty of life experiences and isn´t so set in his ways that he can recognize the signs Anakin is showing for all to see? who has travelled to Tatooine and many other worlds as part of his Sith training? Palpatine, this is why he allowed Anakin to stay in the Jedi Order, he knew he would just grow up bitter and resentful of them because they were just too set in their own ways to try to understand and that for him, was just preparation for him to be turned into a Sith. He can be the one adult who understands where Anakin is coming from and he doesn´t even need to lie.

So when I see this character seen in the fandom as someone spoiled (lol) who gave Obi-Wan a hard time every chance he got, I wish Lucas had been more direct in telling this part of the story because there´s just so much of this tragedy lost in translation that isn´t even funny.

But you know who also had the means to get to Anakin and completely understand what the hell happened, who was from the same world? Who knew how to get to him in his own language despite years of being submerged in the darkside? Yes, his Son Luke, so I guess this is how the story rhymes.

[antianakin]

@theneutralmime

Okay, so there's two things being discussed in here that I will try to answer separately.

The first is about Obi-Wan "lying" to Luke about the Darth Vader/Anakin distinction and implying that they're separate people. I tend to agree with you that Obi-Wan isn't doing this for his OWN sake, but is in fact doing it for Luke's because Luke ISN'T READY to hear the truth yet. Mark Hamill has said that he sort-of sees the moment on Bespin when Luke falls away from Vader as almost like a suicide in some respects. If you take that as your interpretation of what happens in that scene, then it's pretty clear that Obi-Wan wasn't wrong about Luke not being ready for this particular truth.

Even if you don't take that as your personal interpretation, I feel like assuming that Obi-Wan was separating Vader and Anakin for his OWN benefit is just a disingenuous reading of the text. Once the truth is out and Luke calls him on it, Obi-Wan has no issue discussing the topic more overtly. And Obi-Wan is incredibly calm when facing Vader in ANH, there's no obvious conflict in him during that sequence. He knows who he's facing, he knows what it means to him, and he's prepared to manage it. He's completely in balance, which is why he's able to just let himself go in the end. If Obi-Wan were truly incapable of handling the whole CONCEPT of Anakin being Vader, I feel like we'd have seen way more distress in him in this film and in this sequence, and we'd see him attempting to try to continue the practice when conversing about it with Luke in ROTJ.

What they have Obi-Wan do in the Kenobi show is actually the OPPOSITE of what everyone assumes is happening. Obi-Wan isn't forced to separate them in his head because he can't deal with the pain of thinking about it, he's just choosing to mourn the version of Anakin that he remembers, the version of Anakin he raised and loved. He HAS to move on, he has to let go, or he'll remain as stuck in the past as Anakin himself is and won't be of any use to anyone. I do love that the separation seems to come more from Anakin himself than from Obi-Wan, something that the Kenobi show didn't even begin. We see Anakin say something similar to Luke in ROTJ and Ahsoka in Rebels, too. Anakin being incapable of coming to terms with what he's done and therefore having to separate who he was from who he's choosing to be is ENTIRELY in character for him. Anakin CAN'T accept change, he CAN'T accept reality, that's such a major core of who Anakin is and why he does the things he does. What Obi-Wan is doing is just accepting that Anakin has CHANGED, that he's choosing to be a Sith, and so he can mourn the person he remembers while accepting that the person who currently exists is now his enemy (and not someone he can save).

Which leads nicely into your second question which is about whether Obi-Wan WANTED Luke to kill Anakin or not. Let's look at what the dialogue is.

Luke: There IS still good in him. Obi-Wan: He's more machine now, than man. Twisted and evil. Luke: I can't do it, Ben. Obi-Wan: You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again. Luke: I can't kill my own father. Obi-Wan: Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope.

Now, personally, this doesn't scream to me of Obi-Wan WANTING Luke to kill Anakin so much as it does Obi-Wan recognizing that so long as the Sith remain alive and in power, there will never be peace.

However, you will notice that Obi-Wan never actually SAYS that Luke has to kill Vader. He says that Luke has to FACE Vader. This is important because the OT is, for many reasons, LUKE'S story. It's not actually Anakin's. And one of the major things happening for Luke across ESB and ROTJ is that he has to face his own darkness and accept it in order to rise above it. That's what Vader represents. Vader is not the tragic hero Anakin Skywalker at this point, he's just the physical manifestation of Luke's own darkness. Obviously you can choose to look at this scene with all of the context of Anakin's story from the Prequels and TCW and all the numerous other things that have been released since then that explore Anakin's character further and add more nuance to him. But the truth of the matter is that this scene was written long before any of that was out there in the world. Lucas had some idea of how that story was going to look, he'd written out a certain amount of it, but it wasn't something that was SUPER impacting the story being told in THIS film. This film is NOT Anakin's story. It just isn't.

And the other thing that happens in this scene is the revelation of Leia as Luke's sister. So not only are they discussing the manifestation of Luke's darkness, but they're bringing in a representation of LIGHT, as well, of Luke's GOODNESS. His love for Leia, for this person who's done nothing but fight for peace and freedom since we've met her, who's most well-known line is about HOPE, who is constantly being dressed in white to help get all of that across. THAT'S the other side of the coin. So this scene is telling us that obviously Luke HAS good in him, of course he does, but that he also needs to accept that he has the capacity for darkness, too, or that goodness can be corrupted towards evil, the same way his father's was.

Balance means making the choice to face your own darkness and accept it in order to be able to control it so that you do not succumb to it. And balance is what makes the Jedi who they are. Luke will never be a true Jedi until he achieves balance, and he can't achieve balance until he faces his darkness. So sure, what's happening on the surface is that Obi-Wan is telling Luke that he has to be willing to face the possibility that he's going to have to kill his own father. Other people have pointed out that, with additional context from things like the Prequels and even the Kenobi show, Obi-Wan is saying that Anakin likely won't GIVE Luke another option and that Luke needs to be able to do better than Obi-Wan, finish the job Obi-Wan was unable to complete before. And I'm happy to sort-of incorporate that more Watsonian idea into the Doylist concept of Luke just needing to face his own darkness, but the Doylist one HAS to come first and so many people choose to ignore it in favor of just getting mad at Obi-Wan for telling Luke he might have to kill his father or everything is doomed. Looking at it like that is really such a surface-level reading of the scene that ignores all of the deeper meaning of the entire story Luke has gone on over the course of three films, to me.

[gavfleetout]

Just finished The Blackened Mantle. It’s a Kurosawa styled edit of Revenge of the Sith, also using flashbacks to phantom menace and Attack of the Clones, and man it was good. Even with just the black and white it brought a whole new vibe. I watched the version with the sepia tones flashbacks, which I think is better because even with the color coding it was still a bit hard to tell what was going on. But that’s my only complaint honestly. The rewritten dialogue was great, and because of the Japanese dub the lips not matching wasn’t off at all. They were able to combine story threads of the prequels and make it very cohesive it’s impressive.

But the best thing is that the story feels like a tragedy. This is how it ends. This is the only way it was ever going to end. Anakin can’t not try to save Padme. Obi-wan can’t bring himself to kill Anakin. They focused on that, narrowed the story and showed how Anakin descended, but they also softened it. He kills the sand people, but it’s never clarified which ones, they get called savages and swept under the rug, so I think it’s supposed to assume just the warriors? And he also doesn’t kill the younglings himself. It makes his fall feel gradual and believable.

It takes a good story, focuses on one aspect, and tells it real well. The style of it is also phenomenal while the overall story is the same, the small changes elevated it. It’s not revenge of the south, it’s something different. And the title is really good it could mean so many things. Like the responsibility that obi-wan has to take up now, or that Anakin fell and now his role in the galaxy is changed. Or it could refer to Luke and Leia and their darkened burden of being skywalkers and how their lineage has changed.

It’s a great film edit, almost three hours, and you can watch it and then go straight into the OT, with certain elements making even MORE sense than they did before. (Obi-wan internalizing that Vader killed Anakin as his way of thinking, not just some trick wordplay). It’s great, is what I’m saying. I highly recommend. It’s not just revenge of the Sith, but better. It’s an entire reworking of the prequels to make something new, which is still the same. Seriously go check it out.

[adragonsfriend]

Reading Darth Plagueis,

by James Luceno.

Ok I finished this book. It was a wild ride, here are some highlights, (anything in quotes, " ", is in fact, a direct quote). Spoilers, I guess.

———

“At some point, probably when he was focused on murder, a rock or other projectile had pulped a large area of his lower back.”--Plagueis

Yeah man that always happens to me too when I’m focused on murder

———

Me thinking, *Plagueis is way too normal for a sith,* about five seconds before the narration goes *Plagueis was hungry. he thought about eating the eggs of some sentient lizards and also the sentient lizards themselves, but restrained himself*

———

Plagueis, a banker: nOt all mUNns R bAnkErS u kNoW

A pirate who wants a bribe: be better for you if you were some financial wizard

Plagueis, a literal wizard:

———

Captain La (the random pirate): how do u know my name

Plagueis: *truthing* I sliced you ship’s systems,

Plagueis: *lying* it’s not like I’m a telepath or something

———

*at the evil rich people party*

"Republic senators, at least those that weren’t present, would be subjected to ridicule—"

I love how the narration says "subjected" like Bail Organa would give fuck about some assholes making fun of him

———

Plagueis in a business meeting as hego damask:

Repeats himself multiple times conducting experiments in trying to force suggest to a resistant species

His assistant: bro what r u doing ur making us look bad

———

omg young Palpatine is so Anakin coded. Genuinely he throws tantrums it’s perfect

———

Tag this accidental baby acquisition some random dathomiri lady just handed maul over like a sac of potatoes

———

Sidious, about to gaslight, girlboss, gatekeep, mansplain, manipulate, and threaten to manslaughter Nute Gunray within an inch of his life all in the span of a 2 minute zoom call: *wearing his Sith cloak on their holocall* what is up my guy? did u get the rare collectible bird I sent u anonymously a while back?

Nute Gunray: uhh…yes…um… its very nice…who are you and why r u hiding in that hood bro?

Sidious: it's the traditional clothing of my Order

Gunray: ur a cleric?

Sidious: "Do I seem like a holy man to you?"

Me: the only holes I see here are in your logic, morals, ability to feel compassion, and *waves hand all encompassingly* vibes

———

Dooku: if one more Jedi dies because of the indolence of the republic, I’ll leave the Jedi and refuse to look back

Palpatine: *listening attentively*

———

Plagueis & Maul: (separately) gloat about being Sith Lords to people they’re about to kill

Sidious:

Sidious: these idiots cannot keep a secret to save their lives—

———

Plagueis ACTUALLY believes Sidious is about to appoint him co-chancellor. what an idiot.

———

Padme shocking both Sith at every turn during the Naboo crisis is sending me

———

Oooh Sidious' murder rant is incredible. He's like Plagueis you manipulated and abused me, now i'm gonna kill you so I can go do that to other people without you hanging over my shoulder. It's like the evil but still cathartic version of Zuko's speech to Firelord Ozai.

———

Dooku: That zabrak guy was definitely a Sith. There has to be another one, probably the master

Sidious, standing right next to him in a shadowy warehouse wearing a black cloak: “how would one even begin to know where to look for this other Sith?”

———

“For an instant, Palpatine perceived a touch of his younger self in Skywalker”

This book needs to stop. Maybe consider pulling its punches sometime. The only mark of disapproval I have here is that this is portraying Obi-Wan as an asshole for the five seconds he’s present

———

Bad news, the book did indeed stop. I have been gravely injured, but also greatly amused. The experience of reading this book is just constant vacillation between *wow so Sith Lord, so scary, so evil* and *Plagueis, my guy, that is the dumbest ideology I’ve ever heard. maybe if you took a nap (for the first time in 20 years) you’d finally say something that made sense*

I will also confess that I was taking detailed notes about Plagueis for an AU idea I have that I will not be starting for at least another year because I am married to BHOT and I refuse to be like the rest of you sorry fucks with 17 wips (ignoring that fanfic is in fact the only genre of writing I do not have at least 17 wips in)

[hanasnx]

Hi! I just read the post you made about Anakin's kinks, that's awesome, I was so invested in the entirely thing lol, so, could you do a version of Vader's kinks? Just if it's okay for you ofc, thank you anyway and have a good day!

thank you for enjoying it i had a fun time reading through a bunch of kink articles 💀💀

funnily enough i’ve thought about this before and how much they’d differ!

i feel like anakin skywalker is very sexually adventurous, and he wants to try everything. everything is exciting and new and explorable and enjoyable to him he really loves doing the weirdest sexual shit and i tried to highlight that curiosity in my original post here

i do wanna say vader’s kinks are going to differ because i believe vader is not as sexually adventurous. he’s done a lot, figured out what he likes and does not like, and therefore he’s decided his boundaries which are often unshakable. i definitely thinks he prefers to do things to you rather than the other way around as vader. being in chronically in control.

@wierdstrangee has a post on a list of vader’s kinks ! i just saw it today :) here. let’s see if i can add anything

kinks he shares with anakin:

! ── more sadist than masochist when it comes to sex, he’s not as agreeable when it comes to receiving pain from you as much as anakin was. when you’re in charge, he much prefers a softer approach. to feel taken care of. (there might be exceptions). when he’s in charge, he enjoys your back talk, and putting you in your place.

! ── bondage: specially with the force since his skills are more fine tuned by now and it’s fun in the right circumstances when he has enough energy. otherwise it’s extenuating

! ── voyeurism: he’d make you give him a show. let you know he’s in charge. if you’ve had a disagreeable attitude because you’re horny, he’d sit in his thrown, spread and open body language, “show me how much you want me.” because the humiliation and frustration of fucking yourself in front of him, is all too sweet

! ── exhibitionism: he likes teetering on the edge of everyone on his ship knowing he’s fucking you. not too much, but just enough to have them questioning it with no evidence to prove it

! ── roleplay/kidnapping/corruption: like strangee said, he’d enjoy playing the big bad villain “tainting your purity.” i LOVED that line. y’all should def read strangee’s post ovmgmgmmg. he himself though doesn’t enjoy receiving it as much as he used to as anakin

! ── dirty talk, humiliating (f receiving), degregation (m+f receiving), “daddy”, edging (f receiving bcos he honestly uses you to edge himself), breathplay (still holds his breath, and still likes to hold yours for you <33), impact play (m+f receiving), face/tit fucking, marking, dacryphilia, overstimulation (f receiving), breeding (f), trickery/coercion rp (f receiving), cum swap, bareback, thigh riding, sensory deprivation

anakin’s kinks vader is no longer open to:

! ── anal: is fine on you but he doesn’t want you to do anything to him, he’s not as open to it as he was before and it reminds him of how weak anakin was begging like that and being at someone else’s mercy in this specific regard.

! ── mechanophilia/technophilia: it’s eh. he takes himself too seriously to enjoy being degraded about this subject, and since he’s matured he looks down on his young self for even thinking something inanimate like that was in the least bit sexy. sex androids served purposes only to weak minded individuals, slave to their rawest and most animalistic desires of procreation. he’s high above that now, sex is no longer necessary for him. merely a simple pleasure

! ── knifeplay/gunplay: boring

! ── foodplay: too messy

! ── his other previous “no’s” still stand

kinks vader has discovered only just now with you:

! ── misusing his lightsaber. he really likes it when you hold his against him. the saber separating the two of you as you point it at him, threatening him to sit down and obey you so you can do whatever you want with him. use him for your basest desires. it’s something he’ll let you best him at every so often, just to keep your confidence high <3

conclusion:

no matter how much vader tries to be a different person than his former self “anakin”, he’s got the same shadow. as if “anakin” was merely a sheet of skin vader shed like a serpent. so there’s not a whole lot of new things he hasn’t tried and certainly now of all times he wouldn’t miraculously gain the kink. however, if you’re not satisfied, hit me up again :) i’ll look through the kink lists online again and see if there’s anything i missed and can dig up. i really enjoyed discussing his psychology in this one. thanks for the ask!

[lea-noah]

never forgive me

"Master, please never forgive me. Master, Hate me. Kill me. [anything] please..."

obikin edit from Across the Stars series made by l e a n o a h | # 1 | # 2 | # 3 | # 4 | # 5 | # 6 | # 7 one of my favourite (heartbreaking again 😭) obikin fanart ❤️❤️❤️ by @mandhos pin | deviantart c | 09. 01. 2024

The lockscreen Version. 👇 Free to use and share (please credit or link) Thanks.

fanart : @mandhos overlays : Carllton textures : erinaeErae psd : ciaracoloring

[ inspired/based on ]

Guilt. There’s no other feeling more human than guilt. Nothing can expose the human flaws, its own confines better than guilt. For only then, you’re made aware of your human condition. The utter misery and absurdity of it. [...] No, you must have everything, given everything you ever could wish for, power, fame, luck, love, have the world at your knees or thinking yourself above it all, above death itself, above everyone, for only you have the right to have it all and do whatever you want with it. You are free, you are able and justly entitled to decide what should or shouldn’t happen, what is your own, who is yours and belongs to you. For you are none other than Anakin Skywalker. The one and only Chosen One this galaxy had ever known, the legendary Jedi, the “Hero with No Fear” every being in this galaxy has heard about, fearless since the famous hero forgot he’s just a human. He didn’t forget. He acted like he did, because it was easier. It was easier to live in the illusion of him being invincible, ‘cause otherwise… he would remember what he really is, like when his mother died. A human. No, less still. A small pathetic weak human and he knew it then. Fear. Even with him still having his cherished “all”, he threw himself to gain even more. To get more admiration, more recognition, more honor, praise, love… but most of all, power. Only more power, the supreme power could face his fears. Could crush it. Erase it forever. Wipe out this annoying defect blemishing his existence. He’s no ordinary human. He’s above it. For he has it all and can have even more. Yes, he can. He will… it’s what he thought.

He never actually asked himself why was he offered so much?! Why was he given everything that made him feel important, feel wanted, feel…happy. Oh, the answer is never simpler. Because it will make a karking good show of watching him lose it all. It will be so much satisfying to see everything he had, crumble before his very eyes, no, better yet, blasting it all with his own hands, will it not? Falling to degraded mindless scug, no, even lower, for he became nothing more than a slave…willingly. To Palpatine, to power, to fear. He threw away anything left human in himself because he was afraid to live as one. Anakin Skywalker would have been dead to the world and to himself foremost, since to think himself alive, to call himself with that name again, would mean to accept everything he did. Everything he destroyed. Everyone he killed. At last, accept he is only a human or even less, for he can change nothing. He’s helpless. He can’t erase his deeds or revive the ones he killed. He can’t ask forgiveness from the loved ones he betrayed, as he never will be forgiven. He has no right to be forgiven. He may die for the world, for the whole galaxy, save it, save every living soul on it. He may burn alive for them, let his screams of pain entertain them, let his blood wash the dirt on their soles, let his tears choke a whole flaming river, let his knees grow in stone and it still wouldn’t be enough. It will never be. And this he knows now, it’s what is called guilt. His guilt. To want to do all of that only to lessen it. A fraction. A scrap. A breath lighter to take in, a tad less feeling like rotten sand are filling his lungs. Like the air carries screams of whom he slayed. He’s dying. That’s what humans do. Worse yet, as he’s doing it himself, slowly, oh, so very slow, with every taken breath, with every strangling beat his heart dares to pound. His body knew of pain that nearly wiped out his mind with its intensity, however even that paled beside what his guilt feels for him now. And it gets worse. Since he is given it. A second chance. Warmth. Love. Trust. Happiness if he chooses to forget everything. He’s given so much, more than he ever had… and with every small smile, warm hand or caring gaze he’s gifted with, everything that Obi-Wan gives him, with it Anakin Skywalker dies. His guilt is killing him, and the slashes are getting heavier, sharper, unbearable more. For he understands he doesn’t deserve any of it. He can’t have it. He shall not. He was not forgiven. He will never be.

| Chapter 24 "Guilt and Peace" from "Chosen: from the Ashes" by lea noah

[starwarsmyversion]

I can't 😭😭😭

[kaledya]

Hi.

What can I say? At being in front of an statue of Machiavelli in Italy was a message of the universe telling me: "Write the goddamn fanfic"

But now ignoring jokes, I have lots of concepts that I made:

First of all: The fanfic or Constantine will have a total of 15 chapters, 5 for each moment (in his Childhood, in his young adulthood, and in the current day), this to have an structure that I like.

Now, the Executioner himself

Who is Arzel?

You might have some old memories when I show you this picture

Yup, of course he will have a different design for this AU.

But if you want to know what to expect of him im his Villain Arc:

I took inspiration in Ultron (I like that villain) mainly because I think a Villain that wants to change everything in a more wicked way that the protagonist (Charlie) actually fits well, also I admit his hate to Constantine has that as one of it's inspirations.

Sauron (both Lord Of The Rings, Hobbit, and even other books that didn't got it's adaptation), but of course, I use sauron as a reference for him, and another character related to Evil and Eyes (I know Sauron in the Book isn't a giant eye in a tower), let's say Arzel is inspired in Sauron, but Roo is inspired in both Sauron and Morgoth.

Vergil (Devil May Cry), you might don't know this one, but the important thing is his Siblings-Rivalry to, he and Constantine aren't brothers, but let's say they get to be close, that before something I ain't gonna spoil because it's in the final act of the Young Adulthood of Constantine.

And here 2 Starwars characters that gave me an idea of it:

Vader, both his relationship with Palpatine and his fall to the darkness are taken note, but I won't copy paste it, do not worry 😅

General Grievous (2003, not the movies version), before this robot was an had asma, and covered his coughing, being a cyborg in a droids ship, he was an Jedi slayer that could handle various numbers of them (and he didn't used his 4 arms until the very own end)

But let's stop talking about my OC!

And let's talk about a the concept of the cult of Evil.

Let's say they're secretly hided, not even Heaven knows it's existence (plot armour? Nah they have magic or something (?)) and they mainly have the typical "Antichrist" role when some of them go to Earth for deals.

Basically in this concept Roo is the actual devil.

This is mainly because Lucifer isn't evil and does not try to take the soul of every human being.

Of course Roo won't appear and say "i'M tHe DeViL >:D"

It's just an similar concept and way of making it.

I'll probably both start with the Hazbin Hotel fanfic before I lose my ideas.

But also continue with Constantine's fanfic.

I hope I can mix both Action, Comedy, Drama and Musical parts in it.

Because I want to keep the essence of both your AU and the OG.

LMAO and Seriously your plan sounds like a great plan! You really divided the periods into chapters beautifully.

An yes! I remember This art! Good old days.

ULTRON!! I'm so glad to hear that ULTRON is one of my favorite villians He gave me Vibe, which reminded me of what would happen if Stark tried to find brutal answers to problems, and it was great that he was similar to Tony in personality.

And seriously, considering the contrast with Charlie, you've really chosen a great inspiration!

--

Sauron is also a great choice, he is a truly fearsome, powerful and intelligent enemy. It's seriously a good choice both visually and in character!

--

Virgil!! I Love devil May cry And I really loved those fights between Dante and Virgil, this is a great inspiration too!

--

Anakin skywalker the fallen Angel.. Darth is a great choice in the future, I think a villain inspired by such quality villains will be great.I can't wait to see it!

-Grevious is also a really good choice, he has always been a dangerous villain.

---

I think it really makes sense that you connect the concept of evil to Roo, it's a smart choice!

-I can't wait to see any fanfiction you write, I really think you're very creative and you'll do wonders!

I'm sure you will do it and I wish you good writing.

----

And if possible, could you describe Arzel to me with references (face, clothes, etc.)

[r-2-peepoo]

So when Obi-Wan dedicates his life to Anakin because he loves him, it's seen as admirable or at the very least is an interesting and worthwhile story beat to you, wrapped in an interesting tragedy. But if Padmé has compassion for Anakin after he's lost his mind (her husband btw, which is just as significant as Obi-wan being his master if not more because they're bound family) it means you were robbed of a Padmé who acted like a person'? I'm not following.

You said, “He loved him so much, even when anyone else would've given up, and in the end, Anakin was the one who killed him."

Sound familiar? So why does Padmé get treated with weird kid gloves but Obi-Wan is praised for his characterization?

Especially when Luke himself did the same thing as Padme and no one hand wrung about how they were robbed of a ‘real person' then

Firstly, it wasn’t Padmé’s compassion that was the problem. That’s actually my favourite trait of hers. It actually was very little to do with how she herself behaves and more about how the narrative treats her.

Obi Wan got to try to reason with Anakin and fight back. He got to defend himself when Anakin threatened him. Padmé was choked until she was unconscious and then died shortly after and that’s it for her. Obi Wan lives another nineteen years and gets his own show and is acknowledged as one of the most important Star Wars characters of all time. Padmé gets alluded to a couple of times and that’s it.

Luke gets his own trilogy of movies, in one of the most iconic characters of the franchise, features in TBOBF and The Mandalorian AND comes back in the sequels. He is the infamous Luke Skywalker, not Anakin’s son. That’s not what he’s known for. I just wanted more emphasis on Padmé’s political accomplishments than her being Anakin’s wife.

And Obi Wan doesn’t directly dedicate his life specifically to Anakin. I was being hyperbolic for the post. It can be viewed that way, but it’s not literally what happens. I just felt like posting something melodramatic about Obi Wan. He spends his life protecting Anakin’s children, not Anakin. But for the record: I don’t even like calling them Anakin’s children. He caused them nothing but pain, however Padmé only couldn’t raise them because Anakin took her away from them. As far as I’m concerned, Leia has two mothers and a father. One of the mothers is Padmé but the father is definitely not Anakin. He is blood related to them and that’s it. It was just for the post.

Everyone who knew Anakin eventually ends up having compassion for him at one point or another, and I don’t think I’ve ever said I don’t like that Padmé does. Anakin’s story is sad and her compassion is so moving and is a huge part of what makes ROTS so powerful. There’s nothing wrong with it, it's the fact that she dies shortly after and most of what she does in the prequels is centred around Anakin. Her scenes which show her as a key founding member of the rebellion were cut, the version of the script where she carried a dagger to fight Anakin was never even written and there were so many concepts for her that were scrapped which would’ve fleshed her out more.

This was also just one post. It’s far from all my feelings on the topic, although I’m not sure which of my ones about Padme you’re referring to. I post about Obi Wan because he’s my favourite, it’s not deeper than that but I have many many complicated feelings about his treatment as a character too. I dislike basically every single Obi Wan centric storyline in TCW because they’re out of character, but it’s simply too controversial a topic to get into. I can justify that take easily. I’ve written a literal dissertation on the topic with a full bibliography, but like I said, I don’t like arguing on the internet. It’s pointless and no one ever changes anyone’s minds on anything. I think Obi Wan in animation is the worst representation of him that there is, but it’s just too lengthy of a conversation to have online. You probably look at that statement on its own with nothing backing it up and make a million assumptions about me and my ability to critique the media I consume, and I don’t blame you. It just takes too long to have these conversations properly and there is little payoff. I just feel more strongly about Padmé so I dip into that conversation now and then, but I always regret doing it because there are always people who misunderstand, as is the case with every opinion posted on the internet.

By the way, the reason I didn’t mention Padmé in the post about Obi Wan is because I was thinking specifically about his relationship with Anakin at the time, not because he doesn’t think Padmé is important. A lot of the time, I don’t like to get into the specifics of Padmé’s character arc because she makes me too sad, not just as a character, but because of how many female characters have been treated in exactly the same way. Once you spot these pattern of how women are treated in media, it colours everything you watch after the fact.

I do regret calling Padmé “Anakin’s wife” in that post btw. The intent was to highlight how everything Obi Wan does comes back to Anakin, but I want her to be more than that and that’s my entire issue with her character. I know what I meant but it doesn’t read in the way I want it to.

There’s also the fact that there are a certain kind of Anakin fans who get very defensive when you criticise him, and it’s hard to discuss Padmé at length without doing that, so I have probably a dozen drafts just about her that will never see the light of day. I’ve been more Anakin-critical lately, but I don’t like online discourse if that isn’t clear. I don’t mind having a calm conversation with someone, but arguing with people on the internet is a waste of time to me.

The difference ultimately is that Obi Wan is male. I hate that that’s what it comes down to but it does. You cannot analyse Padmé in a vacuum because sexism is integral to all the problems I have with how she’s written and how she’s treated. There’s no long running history of men being killed to define female characters in media. There’s no long history of men being treated violently or objectified by women. I’ve never posted my opinions on Satine because they are too long and complicated but she ultimately faces this fate too. Star Wars has had male writers for the longest time and you can tell. If the women aren’t dying, something else is happening to them. George Lucas particularly always gets so close to making amazing characters and then falls short.

Leia is this super intelligent, brave, free-thinking political figure and member of the rebellion BUT she’ll spend a huge part of the last movie in the slave bikini. A really cool female Jedi is established in the prequels BUT we barely see her and also she’s basically just wearing a bra to fight in a war despite being a General. Ahsoka is going to be Anakin’s padawan which is such an exciting concept BUT she’s fourteen and barely clothed. Satine has a super intense backstory and very strong political views she risked dying for BUT her legacy is being murdered to get to Obi Wan and the most popular fan theory which the actors even encourage is that she got pregnant as a teenager (do not get me started on that).

Even Hera falls victim to the pregnancy trope, although we can’t blame George for that one. I find it hard to believe that someone who is so important to the rebellion is getting pregnant in the middle of it. Why does it always come back to pregnancy? If you like that trope, fair enough. I do not. I hate it almost every time but that’s more to do with how it’s handled rather than the fact it happens in the first place.

And then there’s Rey. I love her so much, but I don’t even want to get into all the ways she was done dirty by the writing of the sequels because sequels discourse is so overdone and exhausting. I have a lot I like about them and at this point, that’s what I’d prefer to focus on.

I can’t go through everyone because it would take so long, but the only significant female Star Wars character whose treatment I don’t have a single issue with is Omega and her show only ended a month ago and I am fearful for her potrayal in the future now that she’s an adult. I want better for my girls and Padmé treatment is just the biggest example. Her arcs in TCW are not significant enough for me that they offset her arcs in the prequels. Padmé didn’t even have to die then. It actually broke canon at the time that she did. She likely wouldn’t have lived super long, but we could’ve seen a little more of her fighting the Empire had she survived, but George would rather push the star-cross lovers narrative than let her stand on her own two feet.

I don’t mind many of Padmé’s choices on their own, I just wish she got more to do outside of him. She isn’t being treated with kid gloves, I just want more for her. Her relationship with Anakin shouldn’t be downplayed, but she had over a decade of political experience before she even started her relationship with him. I’ve read the novels about her and they are beautiful and I want more of that.

I’m just tired of women being used as tools to develop men when they have so much more potential than that. What I’m asking for really is more Padmé, not to change any of the creative decisions that have already been made. Add to it, don’t diminish it.

TL/DR: Padmé’s compassion is her strength and her love for Anakin isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s her best quality. I just want to see more of her. A few posts don’t represent my complete range of opinions. Even this post doesn’t do that. It’s a very long conversation, but hopefully this post makes sense.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

You know what, I want a fic where ikran racing is like a super big thing (think like the Pandoran version of derbies and all that) and is a big part of the culture. Nobody knows what to do with Spider who, being a human, doesn't really stand much of a chance but still seems intent on participating, so they just make him the clan ikran groomer to keep him out of trouble. Enter Neteyam, his best friend Lo'ak's older brother who's on the fast-track to take their father's place as ikran racing champion---or at least he was. Recently he's been having major trouble and things aren't looking good.

Imagine over the next few months Spider, who has like a shit-ton of knowledge about ikrans due to the fact that he's been the caretaker of pretty much all of them since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, helps Neteyam in secret to fix whatever's happening meanwhile they sort of fall in love even though they really shouldn't (for various reasons). Think of all of the themes that could be explored! Think of the angst! Neteyam strikes me as a brooder, so think of all the brooding!

And what's even better? This could also work for all you locorro people out there. Picture, if you will, a Lo'ak who's stuck in the shadow of his father (the greatest ikran racer known to Na'vi) and Neteyam, who seems to be following in the footsteps of their father's greatness. Desperate to prove himself, he comes to Spider for help (let's just say he and his ikran don't really. . . vibe) and Spider agrees despite all of his misgivings and fast-forward through a whole training/bonding/falling in love and finding themselves montage and boom!

How would either of these end? Idk. But man do I want this and if I don't get it I may just have to take matters into my own hands. (For some reason I just dig chill ikran caretaker Spider and high-strung, works himself to the bone to achieve perfection Neteyam or desperate to prove himself despite the fact that both him and his ikran are a mess Lo'ak.)

HOLY FUCK this is my favorite ask of all time. Alright that's it new tag folks: the people need this fic we are begging for it (please explore I have gone back and tagged appropriately).

Hey buddy hey fam I am a huge huge Star Wars fan and you are gonna come in here with your fucking Anakin Skywalker podracing au fic and think I'm not gonna sniff that shit out instantly? Ur crazy dog.

-Spider is like, THE guy for the Omaticaya's ikran care. It's tradition that if you want to participate in ikran racing then you care for ikran for a year before you complete your iknimaya, but Spider has been doing this shit for years longer than anyone else.

-He's like an expert all of them love him, he's like the Hiccup of the Omaticaya he knows all their weak spots, their favorite foods, things they're allergic too, plants that bother them, their favorite places to be scratched: kid could probably ride everyone's ikran even without a rider, but only a select few people have noticed.

-Toruk Makto is the most famous ikran racer because motherfucker rides a toruk. He doesn't participate on toruk anymore after a big legendary competition, and the only person that rivals him is his equally legendary wife (who's better than him it's just toruk that makes Jake better lol)

-Neytiri is as good as she is because unlike a lot of other ikran riders, she does all the care for her ikran alone. It is something she has instilled in her family, but, they are busy. Busy running and leading their clan. So sometimes, Spider steps in. But still the amount of time they dedicate to their ikran compared to others means it's hard not to notice Spider's expertise

-I love the idea of Neytiri being like "yeah no one but me or Spider can touch my ikran, hands off"

-it's a slow build but that equal passion is their connection

-OBSESSED with the idea of the Neteyam and Spider version (getting too many asks about them, we gotta make a ship name poll lol), my bad if I focused heavily on that I might reblog later with the locorro one.

-Neteyam and his ikran bonded but have they bonded. He NEEDS to live up to the level of precision and skill that his parents have with their ikran. Hell, flying is how his parents fell in love! They go on date nights once a week still to fly together, bonded through their love of the sky. He just can't figure out how to translate his thoughts into actions through his ikran. His too wired and anxious all the time, and his ikran's thoughts are always a mile a minute.

-He knows Neytiri only trusts ONE other person to care for her ikran, and that person doesn't have anything to lose either so he goes to Spider and begs him to keep this a secret and to help.

-Without tsaheylu, Spider's bonds with the ikran are formed through a building of trust, care, empathy, and affection through actions. If Neteyam wants to build a bond and he can't trust his mind or his ikran's mind; maybe he can trust actions.

-Oops the bond is formed between Spider and Neteyam too, they slipped and fell into trust, care, and empathy born of actions!

-Neteyam like "how do my parents fall in love flying, flying is stupid and stressful and scary" and then Spider's wrapping his hands around his waist to encourage him to make his movements lighter and he's like 😳

-the jeytiri parallels i'll kill myself frfr

-Lo'ak is still in his year of ikran care pre iknimaya, so he's just around and bitching all the time in the background about how annoying Neteyam is and how perfect he is and Spider is like 😶 yeah he's so perfect 🤭 he's so annoying.

-Kiri has her ikran but would rather die than race, she feels it's inhumane to make the ikran race without asking them first. So she's just bitching the entire time, moping around Neteyam like "why do we have to race, who would even want to?" and Neteyam just REALIZES Spider does.

-He becomes determined to help him be able to race as well. I haven't decided how yet...

Anyways this is how it goes when Spider can:

[inafieldofstarflowers]

I just will always support the star wars prequels because there was a story to be told there—I’ve heard so many people complain that “it’s boring because there’s too much politics” but that’s the point. It’s the prequel for the personal story of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and how he becomes Darth Vader, but it’s also the prequel for the state of the galaxy and how it became an empire, and it’s so well done, from the setup in The Phantom Menace of a Senate that isn’t really working and is obviously corrupt to the culmination in Revenge of the Sith when the Republic welcomes the Empire with thunderous applause. It gives weight to who Palpatine is in the originals because you learn that he didn’t just seize power and have a takeover, he planned it out. Yes, he stepped on people to do it and seized extra powers, but he did it using legitimate channels for the most part, because that made it easier to shift from being a Chancellor of a Republic to the ruler of an Empire. It adds so much to him as a villain.

That, on a similar note, is why I don’t love the sequels: for the most part, the story they told wasn’t answering or tying up what was left in question at the end of the originals. Those questions are about how to rebuild and what it looks like to establish a legitimate government and if there will be a new jedi order under Luke and how they cleared up the remnants of the Empire. Instead, the stories took us to a new major conflict and all of that had to come as exposition, and we were shown versions of the characters from the original trilogy who had been changed as a result of events we didn’t see, and who felt like entirely different people in some cases (specifically Luke). This story that was created detracts from the moment of Luke standing tall and resisting the dark side even at his own expense, and of Vader’s ultimate decision to sacrifice himself for Luke, living up to the Jedi he once was, who his son has told him he could still be, by changing Luke’s character and by bringing Palpatine back.

Anyway, kind of rambly, but those are my thoughts on the prequels vs sequels debate.

[antianakin]

In response to your previous post, why do you think people still love Anakin despite all the selfish and violent things he has done?

Just for archival sake, this is the post I assume you're responding to.

I love when you guys force me to drop the bitter old hag act and be more legitimately analytical about characters I dislike lol.

The somewhat less analytical response to this post is that people like him due to protagonist bias, Hayden Christensen being considered attractive, and Darth Vader having a lot of nostalgia from the OT.

However, while I think those things are always a major aspect in why people like the character, the more analytical version is that Anakin is a character created to be relatable. He's got flaws that most of us can look at and recognize in ourselves and even though he does become a monster because of them, he is also capable of saving himself in the end and doing something heroic despite that, he is allowed to get better and stand next to confirmed good guys like Yoda and Obi-Wan as what seems to be equals, he is capable of being loved by someone as kind and good as Luke Skywalker DESPITE his many flaws and heinous choices. And like... that's an impressively compelling character journey, to see someone become the worst version of themselves it is possible to be and still be loved enough to make the choice to be better.

And it's not like I haven't enjoyed my fair share of selfish characters who do heinous things in my day, even within Star Wars itself. Some of my favorite characters include people like Saw Gerrera and Luthen Rael and Cassian Andor and Reva Sevander, ALL of whom made some pretty nasty choices or acted selfishly at some point or another. Reva is literally built to be a parallel and then foil FOR ANAKIN.

So it's not like I don't necessarily see the appeal of Anakin as this massively flawed character with sympathetic motivations for his immensely awful choices, someone who wanted to be good and, for a little while, WAS good, but who was led towards a dark path that he knew he shouldn't take but took anyway because he let his fears control him. Anakin making the mistakes he does is literally a cautionary tale, you're SUPPOSED to relate to him and see yourself in him, the story kind-of doesn't work if you don't in some ways.

So I think a lot of people who like him probably just see a lot of themselves in him, both good and bad. They project onto Anakin and sympathize with his motives and his struggles and, even though they know he's a screw-up, they root for him. They want him to get better because if someone like Anakin can get better, then so can they, so can we all. Anakin is a cautionary tale saying that even those of us with the best of intentions can lead ourselves down a road of selfishness if we aren't careful about our motives, but he's also a hopeful tale saying that even the WORST of us can lead ourselves back to a road of selflessness if we're willing to put in the effort. So you can feel sympathy for the first half and take strength from the second half of his story, depending on where you are in your life.

This is obviously all sort-of said in like the best faith interpretation of why people might like Anakin. There's plenty of people who like him as a power fantasy, people who see Anakin as this impressive strong character who takes down his abusers and takes control of his narrative by defying the prophecy and killing the Jedi. And, you know, everyone gets to take what they want out of stories of course, but boy do these people and I take VERY different things out of Star Wars. I curate my internet experience so I never have to have anything to do with these people, but they absolutely exist.

And at the end of the day, all of that is wrapped up in a character who, in one trilogy, is played by a very classically attractive actor who gets to kiss Natalie Portman and is occasionally funny, and in the other trilogy, is represented as this cool-looking villain in an imposing black costume with a skull helmet and cape and some memorable quotes. So while the deeper reasons for people's enjoyment of his character definitely exist, the surface-level ones are still there and can enhance that enjoyment a lot.

And I'm sure there's any number of other, smaller things that impacted people's reactions to Anakin. He was introduced as a child in TPM and so people who were expecting this young adult character already in the throes of darkness might've ended up seeing him very differently and relating to him on a whole different level. People might've ended up rooting for him because the representation of the Jedi was so far away from what they THOUGHT Jedi would be that they ended up liking Anakin simply because he's pitted against the Jedi they didn't like. Maybe some people didn't like him until TCW and they really appreciate THAT version of Anakin quite a lot, maybe especially his relationship with Ahsoka. Maybe some people just really fell for the doomed romance plotline with Padme. Maybe some people like him because Obi-Wan and Luke like him and those dynamics are intriguing to them.

But for me, Anakin has just never felt all that compelling. I was introduced to the Prequels first as a kid and I was far more invested in Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon (who were way funnier than Anakin ever was) and Padme (who had really pretty costumes). I didn't HATE Anakin by any means, but he wasn't all that funny, he didn't have the cooler action scenes for the first two films, and the romance plotline didn't hook me. I didn't mind Anakin as an accessory to Obi-Wan, but that was about as far as I went.

As I got older and more into the fandom, though, I started learning a lot more about the Jedi and why they WEREN'T the true villains of the Prequels the way everyone said they were and what Lucas's messages had actually been intended to be, and the romance with Padme just kept aging like milk, and my investment in the Jedi often meant defending them AGAINST people who saw them as no more than Anakin's abusers at worst, or a repressive society that unintentionally led Anakin to darkness at best. Arguing FOR the Jedi usually meant arguing AGAINST Anakin and pointing out all of the places HE was wrong and selfish and why the Jedi were RIGHT not to trust him. And the more passionate I got about defending the Jedi, the less and less I ended up liking Anakin. I wasn't overly invested in him in the first place, so it wasn't hard to take me from neutral to decidedly negative. Had I enjoyed him more as a kid, either in the Prequels or the Original Trilogy, maybe I would've landed in a different place with him, but I didn't. It didn't feel like any great loss to decide I didn't like him that much anymore. By comparison, I liked Padme a lot more as a kid and so even though I often find her just as selfish as Anakin, I like her a lot more usually.

So I get why people find him compelling, I really do, but he just doesn't speak to me. I highly doubt he ever will anymore.