#By the ahsoka series he's like 51

[mayawakening]

Shout out to Kallus' knees, probably sounds like someone opening a bag of chips when he stands up.

[natlacentral]

'I've got to pinch myself': Paul Sun-Hyung Lee on playing Iroh in 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'

Presumably the people outside a local car dealership a couple of years ago who heard Paul Sun-Hyung Lee let out a “huge whoop” during a phone call with his agent didn't fully grasp the significance of that celebratory sound.

The Toronto actor beloved as the internet’s “Appa” thanks to “Kim’s Convenience” and a popular part of the “Star Wars” universe, too, was about to become the internet’s favourite uncle.

Lee had landed the role of Uncle Iroh in “Avatar: the Last Airbender,” Netflix’s much anticipated live-action reimagining of a well loved animated series (not to be confused with James Cameron’s “Avatar” films).

“Honestly, I have moments where I think I’ve got to pinch myself because, even as a youngster, I never would have believed that I could be a part of these things, because I never saw anybody who looked like me reflected in any of these shows,” the Korean Canadian actor said, reflecting on his roles in “Airbender” and the “Star Wars” spinoffs “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka,” in which he plays the popular Captain Carson Teva.

As Iroh in “Airbender,” Lee has stepped into the robes of another fan favourite character.

First, a bit of a primer: “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” which debuts Thursday, is about a 12-year-old boy, the “Avatar” of the title, on a quest to save the world from the rapacious Fire Nation, which has gone to war with the Earth, Water and Air peoples. Despite his youth, Avatar Aang (played by Vancouver actor Gordon Cormier) is a powerful “bender,” honing his ability to manipulate air, water, earth and fire.

Aang and his friends — Katara, a water bender (played by Indigenous Canadian Kiawentiio), and her brother, Sokka (American actor Ian Ousley) — are being hunted by fire bender Prince Zuko (American Dallas Liu), who’s accompanied by his wise and compassionate Uncle Iroh, himself a fire bender and a former Fire Nation general.

If that all sounds kind of geeky, well, that’s right up Lee’s alley.

The 51-year-old has well-established nerd bona fides as a fan of “Star Wars” and other science fiction (he shares his love of the genre on his Bitterasiandude Inc. YouTube channel). He caught up with the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (which aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, then moved to Netflix) while he was still working on the CBC comedy “Kim’s Convenience” (2016-21), in which he played a South Korean immigrant who runs a convenience store in Toronto. 

In 2018, as new fans were discovering “Kim’s” worldwide after the series moved to Netflix, the streaming giant announced its remake of “Airbender,” setting in motion Lee's ascent into another dream role. 

“Almost immediately I got fan casted (as Iroh) by all these people on the internet,” Lee said in a Zoom interview. “I was very, very flattered, but I was doing ‘Kim’s.’”

A few years later, though, “Kim’s” had ended and Lee got an audition for what was billed as a basketball movie called “Blue Dawn,” as a coach who had come out of retirement to guide his nephew.

Although he’s “more of a baseball, hockey guy,” Lee taped the audition and then forgot about it, until a callback a couple of months later. Except now, the retired basketball coach Howard was named Iroh.

“There’s only one Iroh that I know of,” said Lee. “And so I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is for “Avatar”’ … right away I got super nervous. The stakes went up and I really wanted this part.”

But, after doing a chemistry read with Liu and not hearing anything for a couple of weeks, Lee assumed he had missed out on the role, which is part of the lot of an actor … until his agent called just as Lee and his wife were about to sign a lease on a new vehicle.

“So I excused myself, leaving the salesman completely befuddled. I went outside and that’s when I learned that I landed the role. And immediately let out this huge whoop. I had forgotten that I was in a public area and there were lots of people outside, and they all suddenly looked at me and I said, ‘It’s OK. It’s good news. It’s great news.’”

There was one more hurdle to overcome, though. 

“Airbender,” which shoots in Vancouver, overlapped Lee’s schedule for “The Mandalorian,” which films in Los Angeles. And playing Iroh meant shaving off the middle part of the moustache that Lee sports as Captain Teva.

“Luckily I was able to have my cake and eat it at the same time,” said Lee. “Lucasfilm was like, ‘Oh, we’ll just build him a little fake moustache to put on while he’s shooting (“The Mandalorian”).’”

Lee isn’t certain how familiar the producers of “Airbender” were with his work on “Kim’s Convenience” — it's an established fact that “Mandalorian” producer and director Dave Filoni was a “Kim’s” fan before he cast Lee — but he considers his latest job to be another of the many blessings accruing from the CBC series.

“‘Kim’s Convenience’ was such a wonderful launching pad for my career,” Lee said. “I mean, that show was kind of my coming out party in terms of the film and TV world.”

Lee, who was born in South Korea but immigrated to Canada with his parents when still an infant, struggled to find good film and TV roles as a young actor in the 1990s and early aughts. 

After graduating from drama school at the University of Toronto, he did a lot of theatre work, but onscreen “I played a lot of doctors, a lot of store clerks, a lot of window dressing-type caricatures, not characters.”

And yet, he persisted. 

Despite not seeing himself reflected in the television he devoured as a kid and from which he developed his love of storytelling, “I thought, well, heck, if there’s nobody (else Asian) out there, maybe there’s a shot for me to get in … that was kind of foolish thinking because maybe you’re the only one because a lot of people have tried and haven’t been able to get through. But I was just too stupid and too stubborn to quit, so just kept at it.”

Now Lee hopes to provide inspiration for the young Asian actors coming up behind him.

On the set of “Airbender,” which has many Asian actors in its cast, Lee became particularly close with Liu, the 22-year-old Chinese-Indonesian-American actor playing his beloved nephew. Just as Iroh is protective of Zuko, for whom he becomes a surrogate father, Lee said he wanted to nurture Liu.

“Every chance that I got to just sort of give him little pearls of wisdom based on my experiences … I couldn’t help but want to see him succeed,” Lee said. “This kid is a superstar,” he added.

Now that Lee himself is part of two much-loved pop culture franchises, “my cup runneth over,” but he still has entries on his acting bucket list.

“Not to sound greedy, but I’d love to do ‘Star Trek’ because that's filming right in our backyard. I’d love to do a ‘Ghostbusters.’ All those geeky playgrounds I never got a chance to play in. I want to be in a rom-com. I want to be in a Western, the genres that I grew up watching …

“But I’ll take it as it comes and I’m grateful for what I have. And if this is the only thing I ever do again I will be thankful for it because a lot of people don’t get these opportunities.”

[firefly-fez]

I don’t care what the Ahsoka show says or how it depicts Rex’s age, in my star wars growth acceleration occurs via a treatment in a growth acceleration chamber and is not a genetic comopent but an environmental treatment they have to be continually exposed to. The cadets who left Kamino in TBB were no longer subjected to it after Kamino was destroyed and grew up normally. Boba and Omega were never subjected to the treatment and that is why they aged normally. 99 was a early generation clone that they did experiments on to test the growth acceleration treatment process, which is why he ended up much older than the others. As far as I know this is consistent with prior star wars lore as hardcase references a growth acceleration chamber as the reason he has ADHD is “hyperactive”.

Rex and every other clone who survived the war and the Empire lived a long, happy, normal human lifespan and you will pry this headcanon from my cold, dead hands

Assuming that clones are aged up to peak physical condition for combat, which I will estimate at 18 years old, and that as a generation one clone he reached this age at the beginning or just prior to the clone war, that would make him, biologically, 4 years older than Ahsoka, and thus 36 years old by the time of Star Wars: Rebels, 40 years old by the time of the Battle of Yavin, 44 years old at the Battle of Endor, and 51 by the time of the Mandalorian and presumably, the Ahsoka series timeline. Clones may not have been built to last, exactly, but I maintain the Kaminoans would have found clones who could age out of combat usefulness too quickly to be a detriment to their goals and thus they would have used an environmentmal means of age acceleration.

This theory assumes that the actual development of the clone army took ~10 years which seems like a reasonable timeframe for a high-tech sci-fi society like star wars. This allows for any Kaminoan testing, genetic modification, designing and implementing inhibitor chips, and various experimental attempts into age acceleration and other genetic factors to have taken place in that 10 year timeframe, until they had their first viable clone generation ready by (approximately) 22 BBY. The argument could be made that completion of the Kaminoan project for right when the clone war began is unlikely, but Palpatine was pulling the strings all along and the whole point of attack of the clones is that the timing was incredibly suspicious.

Anyway, I invite other star wars fans who write about Rex and want to get around the age-acceleration issue to join me in prolific use of this theory. As far as I know it is consistent with although not directly supported by, star wars canon. They never specify the means of age acceleration, I don’t know why most fans assume it’s genetic, especially as Hardcase’s comments imply it was an external treatment.

[xskywalker21]

I posted 2,421 times in 2021

137 posts created (6%)

2284 posts reblogged (94%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 16.7 posts.

I added 965 tags in 2021

#ahsoka tano - 167 posts

#anakin skywalker - 167 posts

#star wars - 132 posts

#clone wars - 108 posts

#anakin and ahsoka - 93 posts

#star wars the clone wars - 87 posts

#my art - 59 posts

#snips and skyguy - 57 posts

#skyguy and snips - 51 posts

#ahsoka and anakin - 44 posts

Longest Tag: 111 characters

#they better show scenes in the ahsoka series to show how much they went through or people new to her won’t know

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Ahsoka recovering

(aka Anakin about to whoop some ass)

166 notes • Posted 2021-11-05 01:20:12 GMT

#4

“I will do such terrible things….”

your bro does some bad shit when you’re gone

215 notes • Posted 2021-10-10 08:46:27 GMT

#3

See the full post

288 notes • Posted 2021-11-03 01:58:04 GMT

#2

Deleted Clone Wars Scene (1/??) Anakin lends the Twilight to Obi-Wan

lmaooo I wish they kept this scene 😭 Ahsoka asking Anakin if he fixed it and he’s like 😳😬

295 notes • Posted 2021-10-13 08:26:58 GMT

#1

See the full post

318 notes • Posted 2021-10-29 21:54:41 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[doc-notarealone-salas]

I posted 6.467 times in 2021

83 posts created (1%)

6384 posts reblogged (99%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 76.9 posts.

I added 67 tags in 2021

#youtube - 11 posts

#star wars - 10 posts

#arcane - 7 posts

#spoilers - 6 posts

#the owl house - 6 posts

#arcane league of legends - 6 posts

#arcane netflix - 6 posts

#tlok rewatch - 5 posts

#toh spoilers - 5 posts

#chile - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 123 characters

#im big shakarian supporter but you have to admit that male shepard and garrus have the best bromance that has ever existed.

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

328 notes • Posted 2021-07-31 15:22:51 GMT

#4

Props to Vi who to took "fuck the police" and "eat the rich" to a whole new level

442 notes • Posted 2021-12-06 09:55:50 GMT

#3

I think my favorite thing about Luke showing up at the S2 finale is the fact that if take away the "fan service" and the nostalgia of everything, it makes all the sense in the world for him to appear. Most of moments like these are just kinda "deus ex machina" and only exist to appeal the audience and ignores the logic of the plot. But in this case, Luke is the only one who could have answered.

Like, who else could have?

Ahsoka? Already said no.

Ezra? Missed In Action

Leia? Probably not training anymore (I'm not sure when she stops or when she even begins, and if she still is then she still a rookie).

Cal Kestis? We don't even know what happens to him after the game. He could be dead for all we know.

Luke is literally the only Jedi who could have answered and they still grabbed us by surprise because we didn't expect they would put such an important character in series about a bounty hunter dad and his adopted green son.

Yet, when it happened, it made all the sense in the world and that made 10 times better.

553 notes • Posted 2021-10-04 10:05:09 GMT

#2

Prensa extranjera: Chile se encuentra en un momento crítico de su historia, deben de estar realizando sus elecciones de manera seria y organizada.

Chile:

777 notes • Posted 2021-05-17 01:07:48 GMT

#1

I just realize that

1240 notes • Posted 2021-10-29 08:48:57 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[shadowsong26fic]

yo.

Soooooo yeah. I know I’ve been kinda least-in-sight lately and have a very overdue Precipice chapter in the wings, etc., etc. Uh, basically, my BB got behind and then a little bit away from me. Deadline is not an issue in terms of completeness, but it’s gonna be quite a bit messier than I like at this stage in an event like this. Well, I’m planning to Power Through over the weekend and hopefully I’ll get more tweaking done than I expect? We shall see.

ANYWAY. I don’t know how March will look--more on that in Monday’s Coming Attractions post, of course, but work will get SUPER BUSY, along with other ongoing challenge commitments--but I’m still hoping to start posting my regular fics again? Lol. At least finishing Arc Seven so I can move on to Promises and Preludes because I’m super excited for some of the stuff happening there.

But for now, since I know I haven’t posted much lately, and because I’ve been rereading the Valdemar series so it’s been on my mind, I’ve decided to share some more from my Jedi of Valdemar AU! Specifically, this is the Ginormous Timeline of Doom that covers everything from, like, two years before Anakin gets to Haven to Leia’s kids’ generation getting Chosen, etc. (working in a Blended Canon because that’s how I roll) Obviously, this includes many spoilers for the AU in question--and also, because I like to keep certain plot points/character beats consistent, a few things for other fics. Also, this is an admittedly niche-appeal crossover with a fair amount of self-indulgent stuff in here JSYK.

Let’s see, what else...oh! Those of you who read the Family of Spies AU will recognize some OCs from there. One of them actually technically originated in the Valdemar AU, even. Nikolai and his brothers, who get mentioned here, are OCs of mine who in the regular timeline/galaxy are Kallus’s sister’s sons.

Also, Much Much Credit to Roommate TK for serving as a sounding board/helping with brainstorming/letting me use some of her OCs in this XD

I think that’s all the disclaimers I need so...here we go! Feel free to comment, question, etc., on anything in this post or whatever else you’re curious about!

Valdemar AU Rough Timeline (covering 64 goddamn years; including ages and broken into three arcs because easier to count, etc.):

[ARC ONE]

-3 – Obi-Wan is Chosen (by Hondo) - Obi-Wan is 13; Padme is 11; Anakin is approx. 6; Bail is 15; Breha is 14; Palpatine is 40

-2 – Padme is Chosen (by Sabe) - Obi-Wan is 14; Padme is 12; Anakin is approx. 7; Bail is 16; Breha is 15; Palpatine is 41

-.5 – Padme’s parents and Mace are killed; Bail is Chosen as Queen’s Own; Palps becomes Lord Regent/Lord Protector (I haven't decided which title I like better yet) - Obi-Wan is 15/16; Padme is 13/14; Anakin is approx. 8; Bail is 18; Breha is 17; Palpatine is 42/43

0 – Anakin arrives in Haven after being Chosen by Ahsoka - Obi-Wan is 16; Padme is 14; Anakin is approx. 9; Bail is 18; Breha is 17; Palpatine is 43

2 – Obi-Wan is put into full Whites - Obi-Wan is 18; Padme is 16; Anakin is approx. 11; Bail is 20; Breha is 19; Palpatine is 45

3 – Padme is put into full Whites and Palpatine’s regency ends with a deceptively smooth transition of power - Obi-Wan is 19; Padme is 17; Anakin is approx. 12; Bail is 21; Breha is 20; Palpatine is 46

5 – Bail and Breha marry - Obi-Wan is 21; Padme is 10; Anakin is approx. 14; Bail is 23; Breha is 22; Palpatine is 48

6 or 7 – By now, the OT3 and a select few in their inner circle know that this is a Lifebond situation (not that they’re doing anything about it until Anakin, at minimum, has his Whites/finished his internship/etc., but they’re Aware and planning their futures with that in mind) - Obi-Wan is 22/23; Padme is 20/21; Anakin is approx. 15/16; Bail is 24/25; Breha is 23/24; Palps is 49/50 ((Note - I am going with an OT3 lifebond here for several reasons, including the fact that I don’t think Obi-Wan would be a very good Companion for Anakin (i.e., it would go like canon/Gala and Tylendel and No One Wants That), and this still showcases their extremely tight connection and also I like the OT3.))

8 – Anakin is put into full Whites; Dooku leaves Court and begins stirring up Trouble; discussion of when/who Padme should marry picks up/starts in real earnest. - Obi-Wan is 24; Padme is 22; Anakin is approx. 17; Bail is 26; Breha is 25; Palps is 51

9 – The civil war officially erupts - Obi-Wan is 25; Padme is 23; Anakin is approx. 18; Bail is 27; Breha is 26; Palps is 52

10 – Anakin loses his arm - Obi-Wan is 26; Padme is 24; Anakin is approx. 19; Bail is 28; Breha is 27; Palps is 53

11 – Dooku lays siege to Haven; Anakin and Ahsoka sneak out of the city and kill him - Obi-Wan is 27; Padme is 25; Anakin is approx. 20; Bail is 29; Breha is 28; Palps is 54

11 or 12 – Padme and Anakin marry (and make a similar private vow/commitment to Obi-Wan; Anakin gets the legal title because Obi-Wan emphatically does not want to be King, but doesn’t think he could refuse the responsibility if he was Padme’s legal spouse even if the Council/etc. would let him. Also Anakin becomes Weaponsmaster’s Second somewhere in here, but not 100% sure on exact timing, but almost certainly before the wedding.) - Obi-Wan is 27/28; Padme is 25/26; Anakin is approx. 20/21; Bail is 29/30; Breha is 28/29; Palps is 54/55

14 – Leia is born; her parents are not 100% sure who her biodad is but don’t particularly care. - Obi-Wan is 30; Padme is 28; Anakin is approx. 23; Bail is 32; Breha is 31; Palps is 57 ((Note: Luke is Leia’s Companion, as I’ve posted before, which is why he’s not here :D))

16 – Lavinia is born 2 years after Leia; her mother dies in an accident shortly thereafter - Obi-Wan is 32; Padme is 30; Anakin is approx. 25; Bail is 34; Breha is 33; Palps is 59

[ARC 2]

-4 – Leia is Chosen (by Luke); Lando and Amilyn arrive in Haven as Bardic students - Obi-Wan is 43; Padme is 41; Anakin is approx. 36; Bail is 45; Breha is 44; Palps is 70; Leia is 13; Lavinia is 11; Ezra is 12; Lando is 15; Amilyn is 12; Kanan and Hera are 25ish

-2 – Ezra is Chosen (by Ventress because the Kingdom clearly needed a little Pure Chaos) and joins Leia’s inner circle - Obi-Wan is 45; Padme is 43; Anakin is approx. 38; Bail is 47; Breha is 46; Palps is 72; Leia is 15; Lavinia is 13; Ezra is 14; Lando is 17; Amilyn is 14; Kanan and Hera are 27ish

0 – Kallus defects and comes to Haven with Zeb; Lando goes off on his Journeyman period - Obi-Wan is 47; Padme is 45; Anakin is approx. 40; Bail is 49; Breha is 48; Palps is 74; Leia is 17; Lavinia is 15; Ezra is 16; Lando is 19; Amilyn is 16; Kanan and Hera are 29ish; Zeb and Kallus are 35ish

1 – Pellaeon becomes Lord Marshall; Lavinia is Chosen (by Thrawn) and exposes her father’s crimes; Palpatine flees Valdemar (going West, discovering he has a latent Mage-Gift, and meeting Mother Talzin); Kanan is blinded as Palpatine has his minions try to kill the three people responsible for his downfall (Kanan, Lavinia, and Pellaeon) - Obi-Wan is 48; Padme is 46; Anakin is approx. 41; Bail is 50; Breha is 49; Palps is 75; Leia is 18; Lavinia is 16; Ezra is 17; Lando is 20; Amilyn is 17; Kanan and Hera are 30ish; Zeb and Kallus are 36ish; Pellaeon is 50

2 – Zeb and Kallus get their first kids; Ezra is put into full Whites; Amilyn goes on her Journeyman period - Obi-Wan is 49; Padme is 47; Anakin is approx. 42; Bail is 51; Breha is 50; Palps is 76; Leia is 19; Lavinia is 17; Ezra is 18; Lando is 21; Amilyn is 18; Kanan and Hera are 31ish; Zeb and Kallus are 37ish; Pellaeon is 51; Orryn and Mirah, are approx. 5

3 – Han meets Lando and is Chosen (by Chewie); I’m guessing Jacen is born around now, too? - Obi-Wan is 50; Padme is 48; Anakin is approx. 43; Bail is 52; Breha is 51; Palps is 77; Leia is 20; Lavinia is 18; Ezra is 19; Lando is 22; Amilyn is 19; Kanan and Hera are 32ish; Zeb and Kallus are 38ish; Pellaeon is 52; Han is 22

4 – Zeb and Kallus by now have all five kids probably? - Obi-Wan is 51; Padme is 49; Anakin is approx. 44; Bail is 53; Breha is 52; Palps is 78; Leia is 21; Lavinia is 19; Ezra is 20; Lando is 23; Amilyn is 20; Kanan and Hera are 33ish; Zeb and Kallus are 39ish; Pellaeon is 53; Han is 23; Nikolai is 14/15; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 9ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 7

5 – To the delight of their friends, Han and Leia finally start sleeping together and there is substantially less UST floating around - Obi-Wan is 52; Padme is 50; Anakin is approx. 45; Bail is 54; Breha is 53; Palps is 79; Leia is 22; Lavinia is 20; Ezra is 21; Lando is 24; Amilyn is 21; Kanan and Hera are 34ish; Zeb and Kallus are 40ish; Pellaeon is 54; Han is 24; Nikolai is 15/16; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 10ish; Mirah and Orryn approx. 8

6 – Lando and Lavinia start sleeping together regularly, but it’s Just Casual Let’s Not Make It Weird - Obi-Wan is 53; Padme is 51; Anakin is approx. 46; Bail is 55; Breha is 54; Palps is 80; Leia is 23; Lavinia is 21; Ezra is 22; Lando is 25; Amilyn is 22; Kanan and Hera are 35ish; Zeb and Kallus are 41ish; Pellaeon is 55; Han is 25; Nikolai is 16/17; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 11ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 9

9 – Shamie tells their dads they want to be a Sunpriest, studying with Chirrut in the Haven Temple; if he hasn’t already, Palpatine decides he no longer needs Mother Talzin and kills her; he starts building his power base/collection of client states in earnest - Obi-Wan is 56; Padme is 54; Anakin is approx. 49; Bail is 58; Breha is 57; Palps is 83 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 26; Lavinia is 24; Ezra is 25; Lando is 28; Amilyn is 25; Kanan and Hera are 38ish; Zeb and Kallus are 44ish; Pellaeon is 58; Han is 28; Nikolai is 19/20; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 14ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 12

10 – Leia and Han get married; Lavinia and Lando finally admit that Okay It’s Probably Not Casual - Obi-Wan is 57; Padme is 55; Anakin is approx. 50; Bail is 59; Breha is 58; Palps is 84 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 27; Lavinia is 25; Ezra is 26; Lando is 29; Amilyn is 26; Kanan and Hera are 39ish; Zeb and Kallus are 45ish; Pellaeon is 59; Han is 29; Nikolai is 20/21; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 15ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 13

12 – Jaina is born; Lavinia and Lando probably Officially Get Married or something - Obi-Wan is 59; Padme is 57; Anakin is approx. 52; Bail is 61; Breha is 60; Palps is 86 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 29; Lavinia is 27; Ezra is 28; Lando is 31; Amilyn is 28; Kanan and Hera are 41ish; Zeb and Kallus are 47ish; Pellaeon is 61; Han is 31; Nikolai is 22/23; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 17ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 15

[ARC 3]

-2 – Anakin dies. - Obi-Wan is 62; Padme is 60; Anakin was approx. 55; Bail is 64; Breha is 63; Palps is 89 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 32; Lavinia is 30; Ezra is 31; Lando is 34; Amilyn is 31; Kanan and Hera are 44ish; Zeb and Kallus are 50ish; Pellaeon is 64; Han is 34; Nikolai is 25/26; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 20ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 18; Jaina is 3

-1 – Obi-Wan dies, then Padme; Leia becomes Queen (Han is also technically King at this point, crowned and everything, but this is generally considered Leia’s reign rather than Leia and Han’s reign as Co-Consorts) - Obi-Wan was 63; Padme was 61; Bail is 65; Breha is 64; Palps is 90 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 33; Lavinia is 31; Ezra is 32; Lando is 35; Amilyn is 32; Kanan and Hera are 45ish; Zeb and Kallus are 51ish; Pellaeon is 65; Han is 35; Nikolai is 26/27; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 21ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 19; Jaina is 4

0 – Bail dies; Lavinia becomes Queen’s Own; Thrawn Chooses Pellaeon (who is a little bit What about the whole thing) - Bail was 66; Breha is 65; Palps is 91 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 34; Lavinia is 32; Ezra is 33; Lando is 36; Amilyn is 33; Kanan and Hera are 46ish; Zeb and Kallus are 52ish; Pellaeon is 66; Han is 36; Nikolai is 27/28; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 22ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 20; Jaina is 5

1 – Elena and Alysia are born - Breha is 66; Palps is 92 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 35; Lavinia is 33; Ezra is 34; Lando is 37; Amilyn is 34; Kanan and Hera are 47ish; Zeb and Kallus are 53ish; Pellaeon is 67; Han is 37; Nikolai is 28/29; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 23ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 21; Jaina is 6

2 – Baby Anakin is born - Breha is 67; Palps is 93 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 36; Lavinia is 34; Ezra is 35; Lando is 38; Amilyn is 35; Kanan and Hera are 48ish; Zeb and Kallus are 54ish; Pellaeon is 68; Han is 38; Nikolai is 29/30; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 24ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 22; Jaina is 7; Elena and Alysia are 1

4 – Palpatine starts his real push at the Border and so there is War; Lavinia and Rolan go to work building a network through his client-states; Kallus has probably taken Cassian on has his Second by now - Breha is 69; Palps is 95 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 38; Lavinia is 36; Ezra is 37; Lando is 40; Amilyn is 37; Kanan and Hera are 50ish; Zeb and Kallus are 56ish; Pellaeon is 70; Han is 40; Nikolai is 31/32; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 26ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 24; Jaina is 9; Elena and Alysia are 3; bb!Anakin is 2; Cassian is 35ish (maybe a bit older?)

6 – Jaina is Chosen (by Winter) - Breha is 71; Palps is 97 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 40; Lavinia is 38; Ezra is 39; Lando is 42; Amilyn is 39; Kanan and Hera are 52ish; Zeb and Kallus are 58ish; Pellaeon is 72; Han is 42; Nikolai is 33/34; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 28ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 26; Jaina is 11; Elena and Alysia are 5; bb!Anakin is 4; Cassian is 37ish

6/7 – Final battle with Palpatine; Lavinia’s diplomacy fragments his army; Ezra and Ventress and their Semi-Controlled Chaos carve a path; Leia slays him on the field - Breha is 71/72; Palps was 97/98 (but doesn’t look it because Magic); Leia is 40/41; Lavinia is 38/39; Ezra is 39/40; Lando is 42/43; Amilyn is 39/40; Kanan and Hera are 52/53ish; Zeb and Kallus are 58/59ish; Pellaeon is 72/72; Han is 42/43; Nikolai is 33-35; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 28/29ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 26/27; Jaina is 11/12; Elena and Alysia are 5/6; bb!Anakin is 4/5; Cassian is 37/38ish

8 – Poe is Chosen (by Baby/BB-8) and comes to Haven; Breha has probably passed away by now but I’m not sure exactly when - Leia is 42; Lavinia is 40; Ezra is 41; Lando is 44; Amilyn is 41; Kanan and Hera are 54ish; Zeb and Kallus are 60ish; Pellaeon is 74; Han is 44; Nikolai is 35/36; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 30ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 28; Jaina is 13; Elena and Alysia are 7; bb!Anakin is 6; Cassian is 39ish; Poe is 14

13 – Lavinia dies; Finn and Rey are Chosen (by Shaak-Ti and Rolan, respectively) and come to Haven; Rose comes to Haven and she and bb!Anakin enter Healer’s Collegium at the same time - Leia is 47; Lavinia was 45; Ezra is 46; Lando is 49; Amilyn is 46; Kanan and Hera are 59ish; Zeb and Kallus are 65ish; Pellaeon is 79 (and has Retired by now); Han is 49; Nikolai is 40/41; Julyta probably the same or a bit older(?); Shamie is 35ish; Mirah and Orryn are approx. 33; Jaina is 18; Elena and Alysia are 12; bb!Anakin is 11; Cassian is 44ish; Poe is 19; Finn and Rey are 13; Rose is 11

Not in the timeline because Space (and also too many additional characters/ages to add): - Anatole and Ziya probably get married somewhere around when Leia and Han do (year 10 of part 2); he’s 22/23 and she’s about Nikolai’s age. Pavel goes into the Guard at roughly the same time, at 18/19; serves with distinction during Palpatine’s invasion; transitions to spying/covert ops type stuff somehow, working as an agent for whoever the Herald Spymaster is at this point (maybe Cassian? Doubling as Weaponsmaster (when said position is filled by a Herald) makes a lot more sense than doubling as Monarch’s Own, and those are the two we’ve seen…plus it would make sense with Cassian’s canon backstory.)

- Sergey, Alexsi, and Sofya are probably born in reasonable intervals over the next 10 years; Sergey will eventually be Chosen. Spellings on the boys’ names are still subject to change.

- Irene is still a Healer; though she’s a few years younger than bb!Anakin and Rose, probably 4 or 5 when they enter the Collegium.

- Bodhi and Jyn are still a big ol’ question mark (though I'm leaning towards her being the Companion and him the Herald?).

- Baze and Chirrut are around Kallus and Zeb’s age, maybe 5-10 years older. Chirrut is the Priest in the Haven Temple; Baze is retired Guard and currently a blacksmith.

[gffa]

Guess who’s crying because STAR WARS is full of feelings again? ALL OF US, THAT’S WHO. This is another collection designed to have at least a little something for almost everyone, whether you’re here for a ship or a certain era of the Saga or the greater SW tapestry, whether you want to cry about Anakin Skywalker or want to keep crying about the Rebels, whether you’re here for Leia Organa feelings or just want to roll around in a time travel that will hopefully eventually fix everything, there should hopefully be at least one fic that appeals! Star Wars fandom is so good at providing things to read (so much so that I still have at least a dozen novel-length fics on my reader that I haven’t even been able to start yet!) and so many of them are so, so worth your time to read. Bless all the authors making it even better to be a fan of this ridiculous series about space wizards and aliens and smugglers and good kids doing their best against an evil regime that wants to crush everyone! STAR WARS FIC RECS: TIME TRAVEL RECS: ✦ Drifting Starlight by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & qui-gon & cast, time travel, 60.3k    Just before the fateful Battle of Naboo, Qui-Gon Jinn is brought to the future, to the Clone Wars. He doesn’t know why or how, but he knows one thing for sure: He never, in a million years, expected the galaxy to end up like this. ✦ The Dark Path Lit by Sun and Stars by A_Delicate_Fury, obi-wan & luke & leia & han & cast, time travel, 33.8k wip    After a disaster on the cosmic scale that Obi-Wan is still trying to wrap his mind around, he finds himself back in the early days of the Clone Wars, Commander Cody loyally at his side, Anakin at his back, and Sidious plotting against the Jedi at every turn. ✦ Death, Yet The Force (so rise and shine) by EclipseMidnight (EternalEclipse), obi-wan & mace & tahl & cin drallig & qui-gon & depa & cast, time travel, 14.9k    In which the most eclectic group of time travelers wake up in 949 ARR (51 BBY) and attempt to unravel what the Force wants them to do and begin to take the necessary steps to ensure the survival of the Jedi in the future ✦ In Time by Ripki, obi-wan & anakin, time travel, 23.6k wip    When a mysterious holocron sends [Obi-Wan and Anakin] through time, they don’t only have to confront their past and future – but the present as well. ✦ Worldwalker by rainglazed, ezra & kanan & cast, time travel, 25.5k wip    Time travel AU where Ezra Bridger meets Caleb Dume the day after Order 66. ✦ twin suns by tripletmoons, obi-wan & cast, time travel, 1.5k    Obi-Wan Kenobi is six years old when he meets Ben. It goes like this: he falls asleep in the Temple and wakes up in the sand. PREQUELS RECS: ✦ So, How Was My Funeral? by Ibelin, obi-wan & anakin & yoda & mace, 5k    “Obi-Wan, I need you to know two things. First, I love you so much.” Anakin looked his master in the eye, demanding full acknowledgment. “And second, I am going to kill you.” ✦ Though Lovers Be Lost by panharmonium, obi-wan & cast, 4.5k    When they tell stories about his life, will they speak of loss or love? You cannot have one without the other, after all. ✦ Catechin by ambiguously, mace & depa, 2.1k    Three times Mace Windu and Depa Billaba took tea together. ✦ untitled by swhurtcomfort, obi-wan & anakin, 1.7k    Anonymous asked: Hey, can I request an Obi-Wan with a bad fever getting taken care of by Anakin who is too stubborn to admit hes also sick? ✦ Old Sins Cast Long Shadows by zarabithia, ahsoka & obi-wan & anakin & padme (& building background obi-wan/padme), 12.8k wip    In this universe, when Palpatine asks if Anakin is going to kill him, Anakin does. While Anakin ultimately wins, it costs him his life. In this universe, the twins are raised by Ahsoka, Padmé, and Obi-Wan. ✦ We Will Abide by naberiie, plo & shaak, 10.3k    Light. Dark. Balance. Beneath the Jedi Temple, far below the chaos of Coruscant’s Galactic City, ancient halls and corridors sleep in silent darkness. Padawans Shaak Ti and Plo Koon are determined to explore them. ✦ memories like ashes at our feet by ambiguously, anakin & ahsoka, 4.2k    Darth Vader was gravely injured in the explosion of the Sith Temple. Now Anakin Skywalker has no memory of what he’s doing here with Ahsoka. ✦ valley of the shadow by darlingargents, obi-wan & luminara (& barriss), 1.6k    In which Luminara finds out. ✦ Queen of Peace by Sassaphrass, obi-wan & padme & cast (background anakin/padme), 20.2k    Padmé Amidala lives. Democracy is dead, The Jedi are Dead, and her beloved husband Anakin Skywalker is dead. But, Padmé is still alive. Her children are still alive. And maybe, just maybe, there is still hope. So, she’ll just have to keep going, and pray that someday all these terrible sacrifices will have been worth it. ✦ The Mathematics of Repair by panharmonium, obi-wan & anakin, 4.6k    For raw teachers and rough-edged students building in the rubble: tiny steps are enough, provided they carry you in the right direction. Immediately post TPM, in short snippets. ✦ Scavenged Parts of Broken Hearts by crowleyshouseplant, mace & paxi, 3.1k    Paxi Sylo meets Mace Windu a second time. ✦ On the Third Day by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & bail & breha & leia, 3.4k    Vader’s patience has run out. ✦ Nothing by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & dooku, ~1k    A single split-second decision changes everything. ✦ A Ghost’s Embrace by AceQueenKing, shmi & padme & leia, 1.4k    Shmi Skywalker watches over her granddaughter, but she isn’t alone. ✦ Space Twins by glorious_clio, obi-wan & luke & leia & bail, 1.1k    Obi-Wan is tasked with bringing Luke to Tatooine. For his part, Bail brings Leia home to Breha. ✦ Eternal Darkness by Darth_Vodka, jedi & cast (& jocasta), 5k    When the newly anointed Darth Vader leads the 501st Legion to the Jedi Temple to execute Order 66, a last ditch effort to preserve the Jedi Order has unintended consequences. ✦ these little things called pyrrhic victories by RestlessWanderings, obi-wan & anakin, 3.6k    Or, the one where Obi-Wan follows Yoda’s orders and kills Anakin, which changes some things but leaves others the same. ✦ Tag by Imadra Blue, obi-wan & yoda, ~1k    A three-year-old Obi-Wan follows Master Yoda around the Temple. ✦ See No Evil by GirlwithCurls98, ahsoka & anakin & yoda & cast, 9.7k wip    When Ahsoka suffers a head injury, she loses something she thought would always be there. With the help of her friends, she learns how to adapt to her new reality, and how she can use it to her advantage, all while searching for a cure. ✦ A First Time for Everything by Ossian, obi-wan & anakin, 1.1k    Post-TPM, Obi-Wan and Anakin find a connection ✦ Time to Go by JediShampoo, obi-wan/padme & cast, 4.9k    Obi-Wan is leaving Alderaan and taking Luke with him. He and Padme must say their goodbyes. Stuff happens. ✦ An Interlude (The Passing of Some Days) by victoria_p (musesfool), obi-wan & leia & bail/breha, 1k    Bail makes some calls. ✦ buy a dog by panharmonium, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon, 2.4k    You ask of my companions. Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog as large as myself that my father bought me. They are better than human beings, because they know but do not tell. -Dickinson OBI-WAN/ANAKIN RECS: ✦ Titles, Traditions, and Other Forms of Attachment by MarchofBirds, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, 25.5k    Or: How Anakin’s relationship to the term “Master” changes throughout different stages of his life. ✦ Both Deserve Happiness by zarabithia, obi-wan/anakin, 1.3k    The Republic falls, but Anakin doesn’t. Together, Obi-Wan and Anakin lead the hunt to find Palpatine. Eventually, they have to face the fact that their relationship has changed. ✦ Tumblr Prompt Drabbles by Adelphrexia, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 1.5k wip (sort of)    A collection of Obikin drabble requests originally posted on my Tumblr. Mostly smut, any warnings will be posted on the chapter they apply to. ✦ Lucky me by orphan_account, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, hooker au, 1.9k    Anakin might never have been found by the Jedi, Obi-Wan and he still are lucky enough to meet each other. ✦ Cuddle by Captain Starseeker, obi-wan/anakin, 1k    When having a rough, over worked day, it’s nice to just sit down and cuddle with your loved one. ObiAni fluff ✦ Yes, Master by Little Green Voice, obi-wan/anakin, 12.1k    It wasn’t only the words. It was the way they were said. And, if he was completely honest, it was also a little the words. Not so much about the ‘yes’ though, as it was about the “Master”. ✦ Pursuit by Icse, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, modern au, 16.3k wip    Ben Kenobi wasn’t interested in taking on a working student, […] still, he can recognize talent when he sees it and agrees to take on Anakin as his working student. He certainly didn’t plan on falling for him. ✦ Tagalongs by zarabithia, obi-wan/anakin & luke & leia, modern au, 3.4k    Leia has cookies to sell, and her father is along for the ride. Had he known that someone as handsome as Obi-Wan Kenobi was going to purchase some, Anakin might have taken more than five minutes to get dressed. ✦ Naughty Padawans by salixbabylon, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, spanking, 1.4k    Obi-Wan, completely fed up with his padawan, tries something definitely *not* in the Master’s Handbook. ✦ Secret Fire by ambiguously, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, 2.7k    Masters, especially human masters, would sometimes take their young students aside and offer them this experience. It was perfectly normal. ORIGINAL TRILOGY RECS: ✦ As Old As Rhyme by ambiguously, padme & luke, ~1k    Every night, someone sits next to Luke on his bed and sings a lullabye in a low voice in a language he doesn’t know. ✦ The Belonging You Seek by WiliQueen, luke & leia & ahsoka & cast, 30.9k wip    A chance discovery gives Luke and Leia a glimpse into who Anakin was, and leads them to more than they ever expected. More questions, more answers… and more family. ✦ Hear Me by crowleyshouseplant, anakin & leia & luke & cast, 3.2k    Leia struggles to reconcile Luke’s experience with his father and hers with Darth Vader. ✦ Spar by glorious_clio, liea & luke & wedge & han, 3.2k    Luke is desperate to learn the ways of the Force. Leia can’t really help him there, but she knows how to wield a blade. REBELS RECS: ✦ Is It Gremlins? by ncfan, sabine & kallus, 8.3k    This was not how Sabine expected to spend her afternoon. ✦ pas de deux by glorious_clio, kanan/hera, 1.9k    After spending all day in the cockpit, and with one more chore to complete, Hera Syndulla feels the urge to move. But even a simple moment can come with a hangup or two. Luckily, she has a supportive partner. ✦ Celestial Navigation by ambiguously, zeb/kallus, 1.7k    Kallus doesn’t understand why Zeb’s not sad. ✦ Bank of Coals by Eclectic_Goddess, kanan/hera & ezra, 1.4k    “You should get some rest.” “I’m fine.” “That would be more convincing if you could keep your eyes open when you said it.” ✦ The Joy of Nescience by ambiguously, kanan & depa & ahsoka/rex, 2.1k    Three times Kanan Jarrus did not want to know. ✦ Symbios by bam_cassiopeia, ahsoka & sabine & aphra, 4.1k    Sabine and Ahsoka go on a quest for a boy and his purrgils. ✦ An Unexpected Encounter by codenametargeter, kanan/hera & hondo & katooni, 2k    It’d been enough of a surprise when Ahsoka Tano had turned out to be alive. Kanan definitely wasn’t expecting to find another member of the Jedi Order so soon and definitely not amongst Hondo Ohnaka’s pirate gang. SOLO RECS: ✦ Feelings Are a Luxury and This is War by igrockspock, han/qi'ra, 1.3k    Feelings are a luxury Qi'Ra can’t afford. ✦ tell me, get my shit together by paperclipbitch, han/lando & chewbacca & cast, solo spoilers, 5.3k    “I thought we were actively avoiding each other after the Trandosha Shitshow,” Han says. “We’re actively avoiding each other after the Iridonia Shitshow,” Lando corrects him, “the Trandosha Shitshow is That Which We Do Not Speak Of.” ✦ Falcon Heart by crowleyshouseplant, lando & l3, solo spoilers, 3k    Lando is reunited with an old friend. SEQUELS RECS: ✦ Relax and Fly Casual by igrockspock, han & ben & cast, 4.1k    A father-son smuggling trip is not the kind of quality time Ben had in mind. ✦ each offering of tenderness by victoria_p (musesfool), rey & leia & finn & poe & chewbacca & rose & r2-d2, 3.1k    “I can fix it,” Rey insists. “I can fix anything.” ✦ Waste Management by shadydave, leia & rey & finn & poe & rose, 10.4k    “Uh, hi,” says Finn. “We’re here to rescue you?” FULL DETAILS + RECS HERE!

[rebelsofshield]

Ranking Rebels: The Top Ten

It’s been several months now since Star Wars Rebels concluded and we learned the fates and futures of the surrogate family that lived in the halls of The Ghost. Rebellions were sparked. Sacrifices were made. There was a lot of critical theory about art. Fruit was stolen. Droids sang. Pufferpigs puffed. It made for a beautiful, if not always perfect, four year story that will become a cherished part of the Star Wars mythology.

With a new animated series on the horizon, what better time to take a look back at Rebels history. Not all episodes were created equal. For every, “World Between Worlds” there is a “Blood Sisters.” Just as I did for The Clone Wars, I plan to rank every episode of Star Wars Rebels from worst to best. As always, feedback and discussion is appreciated!

Previous Installments: 66-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11

10. Rebel Assault

The attack on the Empire’s factories on Lothal was an operation that had been building for seasons. With Hera finally receiving approval to lead a squadron of X-Wings to the grassy plains of Ezra’s homeworld, “Rebel Assault” opens up with a triumphant and brilliantly executed dogfight that Steward Lee directs to near perfection. Seeing classic Star Wars starfighters chase each other through blockades and high atmosphere is the stuff of dreams and Rebels delivers, before smartly transitioning into a tense and bleak second half. Hera’s attack fails and as a result she and Chopper are left to sneak through the locked down streets of Lothal’s capitol as Imperial forces close in around her. Lee dials back on the music and allows the episode to fall eerily quiet which does wonders in ratcheting up the unease and tension. It ends on a killer cliffhanger that opens up Rebels for an incredible final stretch of episodes and makes for a great midseason finale.

9. Fire Across the Galaxy

While it showed signs of confidence and maturity throughout its first season, it wasn’t until its first finale where Rebels finally felt like a show that had come into its own. Whether it’s the ensemble’s thrilling attempt at rescuing their friend and mentor from the clutches of The Empire, Kanan’s cathartic and wonderfully choreographed duel with The Grand Inquisitor, or the universe altering reveal of Ahsoka Tano at its conclusion, “Fire Across the Galaxy” is filled to the brim with excitement, adventure, and character. The fact that writer Simon Kinberg is able to fit as much content into a single twenty two minute episode is stunning and it is even more impressive that it comes across as wonderful as it does. By its conclusion, most of its central cast has grown and the series has taken its first step into a larger world and cemented itself as a Star Wars story that will be worth remembering.

8. The Siege of Lothal

Darth Vader was a specter that loomed over Rebels since its premiere. Kanan and Ezra could only go so long before attracting the attention of the galaxy’s most famous Sith Lord and with Ahsoka Tano now in play, the appearance of the Dark Lord seemed inevitable. Before Rogue One, Rebels brought Darth Vader back to the screen in menacing and iconic fashion. Whether its James Earl Jones’s effortless voice performance, Henry Gilroy’s script, or Bosco Ng and Brad Rau’s direction, Vader fills every frame he is a part of with a dark presence and in the process tests the Ghost Crew like never before. It makes for a stunning premiere that not only impacted the main cast but hinted at some of the iconic and emotional stories that were to come throughout Rebels’ second season.

7. The Honorable Ones

“The Honorable Ones” was a risk from the get-go. Even if it played off a familiar trope of two adversaries being forced to survive in dangerous conditions, Kevin Hopps’s script had the challenge of carrying a full episode that is essentially two conflicted men arguing and also providing a nuanced view of war without undermining Star Wars’ purposefully simplistic morality and condemnation of fascism. Hopps succeeds by making “The Honorable Ones” about Kallus the man rather than the organization he represents and in the process allows for two series best performances out of Steve Blum and David Oyelowo. In the process, both men are able to come to an understanding about each other as beings and about their own struggles even if they cannot reconcile the conflict they find themselves embroiled in. It makes for a powerful script and would set up one of the series’ best long term character arcs in Kallus’s eventual defection to the Rebellion.

6. Jedi Night

Until its conclusion, “Jedi Night” plays out like classic Rebels fun. The crew conducts a rescue of a team member and loved one the sorts of which have played out through the show dozens of times. Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy pepper the script with moments of action and levity and while the stakes are high, there is a sense of playfulness that echoes throughout. In actuality, “Jedi Night” is a sort of pre-emptive eulogy for the man it is about to sacrifice. Kanan Jarrus slowly sheds and reforms his appearance, his identity, and eventually his life to rescue those he loves and director Saul Ruiz does this through smart visual cues that play off well with both the script and Freddie Prinze Jr.’s incredible performance. “Jedi Night” feels like a collective breath before its act of tragedy and sacrifice and the result is gut-punching but also unforgettable.

5. Twin Suns

“Twin Suns” is an artful and beautifully directed closure of not only Ezra’s character in the third season of Rebels but also of one of the most winding and tortured character arcs in the franchise. After decades of turmoil, Maul’s life comes to a close. From its opening frames, director Dave Filoni creates a clear visual language that emphasizes open space, isolation, and character action and in the process prepares us for what is to come. It makes for one of the most creatively inventive installments the show attempted and this, of course, culminates in its incredible final moments. Stephen Stanton’s masterful recreation of Alec Guinness’s Obi-Wan Kenobi is jaw dropping and it makes his moments of wisdom passed onto Ezra feel genuine and his pity and remorse towards Maul oddly heartbreaking. Filoni’s decision to stage this final battle between the decades long adversaries as a Kirosawa-like samurai film represents one of his best directorial decisions to date and the result is unexpected but entirely appropriate and even poignant.

4. A Family Reunion-and Farewell

Rebels’ final episode could have stretched on for hours and fans would likely have lapped it up. Trying to conclude this four year story of family, resistance against tyranny, and maturity in adolescence in forty four minutes seemed like a near impossible challenge. The result is an episode that makes every second of that runtime count with an explosive final charge for Lothal’s independence that brings aboard a sprawling ensemble of the Ghost Crew and some of their most iconic allies. It is super charged with action and heroism, but it is ultimately the conclusion of Ezra Bridger’s emotional arc that makes “A Family Reunion-and Farewell” sing. Taylor Gray’s performance here is mature and emotionally resonant as Ezra finally comes to term with the loss of his family but also how best to honor those who are caught under tyranny and oppression. It marks a moment where Ezra not only becomes an adult but also a hero to which the galaxy can aspire to. Even then, this isn’t even taking into account the incredible series epilogue that not only provides a much needed conclusion to the series’ beloved characters but hinted at new adventures to come. It makes for a powerful and near perfect finale to a show with a legacy that will stretch on for years to come.

3. Trials of the Darksaber

Like “The Honorable Ones,” “Trials of the Darksaber” is one of the rare episodes of Rebels that slows down the action to focus entirely on character. However, this Sabine-centric episode foregoes any sort of plot oriented B-Story at all and instead bunkers down for an emotionally raw tale of a master and student. Directed by Steward Lee and written by Dave Filoni, “Trials of the Darksaber” begins with a visually dynamic lore-dump about the blade that passed hands from Pre Vizsla to Darth Maul and now rest in the hands of Sabine Wren. With the importance of this strange weapon now understood, Sabine now faces a responsibility that could change the tide of the war to their favor. Forced to not only conquer her own insecurities but also face the trauma of her past, Sabine undergoes a rigorous training under Kanan that culminates in an emotional outburst that lays all bare. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Tiya Sircar provide phenomenal voice performances that feel vulnerable and genuine and it makes for an episode that is quite unlike anything else in the series and one of the highpoints of Rebels as a whole.

2. A World Between Worlds

For decades one of the few story concepts that Star Wars never touched was time travel. In a universe where lightspeed travel was as simple as taking a bus and a magical energy force could lead to all manner of strange abilities, the power to traverse time and space was always off limits. That is until “A World Between Worlds.” Selling Star Wars fans on this concept would’ve been risky from the start, but it helps that this installment of Rebels is close to perfection. We knew from early on that there was something special about Lothal and the Jedi Temple that lay hidden at its center. With the Emperor’s interest and the mystical behavior of the Lothwolves adding onto this mystery, it slowly became apparent just what kind of realm was lying hidden beneath the coned walls of this strange building. The design and execution of the World between Worlds itself is one of Lucasfilm Animation’s best creations. With twisting and churning pathways that seem to stretch through space in infinite directions and populated by ethereal voices that connect throughout the Star Wars saga, this pathway into the stars feels like something ancient, unknowable, and mythic. The result is suitably awe inspiring and entrancing. Even better, writer and co-director Dave Filoni, alongside Steward Lee, ground this world in a key emotional arc for its characters. In addition to allowing fans to see Ahsoka Tano one more time before the close of the series and show a tease of what the next chapter of her story was, Filoni and Lee position this realm as a key emotional turning point in Ezra’s grieving over the death of Kanan. Ezra is given a taste of ultimate power in the hopes of saving those he loves, but is forced to realize that the past shouldn’t be changed and not everyone can be saved. It’s an emotional beat that is key to the final steps of his series long arc and rings true as the episode comes to a close.

1.  Twilight of the Apprentice

How could it be anything else? The season two finale of Star Wars Rebels is not only the best of the series, it is arguably the best product that Lucasfilm Animation has released, and some of the most powerful material in the entirety of the franchise. “Twilight of the Apprentice” is an atmospheric, emotional, and suspenseful hour of television that is filled with betrayals, sacrifice, revelations, and character altering decisions. It leaves a trail of changed lives in its wake and the series would never be the same after. Written by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Steven Melching and directed by Dave Filoni, “Twilight of the Apprentice” would see the convergence of several generations of current and former students of the Force on the planet of Malachor. There Ezra’s frustrations with Kanan’s teachings combined with his own empathy for those in need would lead to his near seduction to the Dark Side by a reemerging Darth Maul. Kanan’s inability to trust fully in his student would be a partial catalyst in his blinding by the same former Sith Lord. And Ahsoka, poor Ahsoka, would come face to face with the man that used be her master. It makes for a dark and painful installment of television, but the incredible voicework by the full cast sells the experience and thrilling lightsaber duels abound. It is hard not to find yourself wrapped up in the saga that unfolds even before the final fifteen minutes elevate this installment into the realms of a classic. Ahsoka’s confrontation with Darth Vader was clearly a fascination of Filoni’s and the resulting product is as apocalyptic, tragic, and mythic as one could hope or dread for. Ashley Eckstein, James Earl Jones, and Matt Lanter sell the moment with heartbreak, anger, and disbelief, Kevin Kiner provides a beautiful musical score, and Filoni crafts a risk taking and iconic sequence. Like all great Star Wars, “Twilight of the Apprentice” ends with a wordless montage set to music. It’s a cinematic moment that feels earned and appropriate and may just be the best Star Wars that we have seen in years.

------------ So, there you have it. Rebels has been ranked. As always, feel free to reach out to tell me where you agree, disagree, or if you just want to chat about the show. I loved getting to critique this series and offer my thoughts as it crew into a truly great piece of television. I feel that I grew as a writer and a person with this show and getting to share my excitement, speculation, frustration, and adulation for it has been a highlight of my life for years now.

Thank you all for your readership and friendship.

May the Force Be With You

Nic

[fang11803]

I posted 14,078 times in 2021

258 posts created (2%)

13820 posts reblogged (98%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 53.6 posts.

I added 75 tags in 2021

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#its not enough attention to clain you were celestia and beast boy in a past life so now you're doing transdimentional travel with your mind?

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

if Rex or his eventual death is only mentioned Once in a throwaway line in the Ahsoka series, im gonna sue

42 notes • Posted 2021-01-02 21:51:50 GMT

#4

Rex: It's captain, sir (derogatory)

51 notes • Posted 2021-01-16 02:39:46 GMT

#3

Everybody is like "ooooh Joey is just the dumb muscle BFF to protagonist Yugi, lol dog jokes!" and it's like NO he's clever, does math WAY faster than the other characters (and me) and he's basically the audience's proxy to help them learn duel monsters, and is ALSO a great role model when it comes to putting in The Work to get better at things that you like or help the people you love! k thanks

53 notes • Posted 2021-05-14 21:11:01 GMT

#2

Second Lugia commission! Holographic cards are harder to cut, but it sure is pretty!

69 notes • Posted 2021-09-17 22:36:37 GMT

#1

208 notes • Posted 2021-08-25 04:18:03 GMT

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Ranking Rebels: Episodes 20-11

It’s been several months now since Star Wars Rebels concluded and we learned the fates and futures of the surrogate family that lived in the halls of The Ghost. Rebellions were sparked. Sacrifices were made. There was a lot of critical theory about art. Fruit was stolen. Droids sang. Pufferpigs puffed. It made for a beautiful, if not always perfect, four year story that will become a cherished part of the Star Wars mythology.

With a new animated series on the horizon, what better time to take a look back at Rebels history. Not all episodes were created equal. For every, “World Between Worlds” there is a “Blood Sisters.” Just as I did for The Clone Wars, I plan to rank every episode of Star Wars Rebels from worst to best. As always, feedback and discussion is appreciated!

Previous Installments: 66-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31, 30-21

20. Flight of the Defender

Season four of Rebels saw the series at its most serialized and nowhere is this more evident than in “Flight of the Defender.” Rather than telling a self-contained narrative or theme, “Flight of the Defender” organically continues the plot threads building in previous episodes and forwards them while also introducing new key points such as the Lothwolves. It may not reach the creative heights of some of the series’ best but in terms of efficient storytelling, it may be some of the best work that the crew produced. The sound work by David Acord’s team is also stellar here with an incredible chase sequence that unfolds throughout the episode’s second act that its elevated greatly by its aural landscape.

19. Visions and Voices

Even more so than “Twin Suns,” “Visions and Voices” feels like a culmination of Maul’s character in both The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. His strange brotherly affection for Ezra leads to a connection that he hopes will lead to a direction in his now aimless life. In the process, he takes the young man to his dying home world of Dathomir. It connects all eras of the former Sith Lord’s life for a suitably creepy installment that not only furthers Ezra and Maul’s dynamic but also revives lingering lore elements from The Clone Wars.  

18. A Call to Action

Even given the dramatic events of “Gathering Forces” much of Rebels still felt like it was playing in a safer playground than most Star Wars media. It was easy to see that the show targeted a younger audience with a sense of buoyant galactic adventure, and it had begun to do this well. However, Rebels, like most smart stories, knows the dangers of letting an audience feel safe, and “A Call to Action” smartly upends the first season’s status quo. Tarkin’s arrival signifies a danger that the Ghost Crew are not prepared for and brings with it deadly consequences for both Imperial and rebel alike. It culminates in a brilliantly tense standoff that leaves viewers waiting with baited breath for the closing of the season.

17. An Inside Man

While many viewers suspected that Kallus was the latest iteration of the Fulcrum moniker early into the third season, there is still a joyous irony in seeing Kanan and Ezra learn this truth. Watching Kallus switch from loyalist to dissenter makes for a fun character arc and smartly switches the relationship that the team holds with the Empire itself. Having this revelation occur in a tense undercover mission in the bowels of Thrawn’s Lothal factory makes for a quick moving and suspenseful episode. While it is far from the most consequential death the series would face, Thrawn’s murdering of Sumar marks a clear tonal shift in the competency and brutality of the Imperial military. Like Tarkin before him, Thrawn signifies a more calculated and less forgiving adversary and this would only grow as the series progressed.

16. Legacy of Mandalore

While it certainly could have used a bit more breathing room to fully come into its own, the long awaited reveal of Sabine’s family doesn’t disappoint. Following the emotional catharsis of “Trials of the Darksaber,” viewers knew going in that this would make for a tense family reunion. Writer Christopher Yost crafts a story that smartly pits Sabine’s loyalty to her family and them to her against the greater cultural and political rulings that have shaped their lives. It’s a rich storytelling landscape that feels fit to burst in a twenty two minute runtime. Even still, the final battle between Gar Saxon and his commandos against Clan Wren is a brilliantly staged set piece and Sabine’s lightsaber duel atop a frozen lake is even stronger.

15. Heroes of Mandalore

“Heroes of Mandalore” is a strange installment in that it almost feels like it belongs moreso as an epilogue to the series’ third season than a premiere of its fourth. Its plot is mostly self-contained and separate from much of the themes and arcs that would propel Rebels into its finale. That being said, taken on its own, “Heroes of Mandalore” works as a self-contained mini-movie that concludes Sabine’s long running character arc while also furthering the lore of the planet at its center. In the process, writers Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching, and Christopher Yost craft a story of planetary revolt, when to cede/take responsibility, and the importance of culture and the dangers of weaponizing it, into a sprawling and emotional forty four minute epic.

14. Kindred

On a basic level most fans will remember “Kindred” as the episode in which Kanan and Hera finally, finally, finally kiss. This moment, wonderfully voice acted by Freddie Prinze Jr and Vanessa Marshall is a tragic instance of emotional payoff that rewards fans for four years of patience. It feels melancholy, even at the time where Kanan’s ultimate fate was not yet known, but there’s a tenderness to it that carries through “Kindred” as a whole. Even with the wolves, the killer Noghri, and one of the most badass hyperspace jumps this side of Amilyn Holdo, “Kindred” is concerned with this found family of freedom fighters and just how they have come to trust and support one another, and that is what really makes this show special.

13. Zero Hour

After a full season of planning and plotting, Grand Admiral Thrawn finally conducts his masterstroke in “Zero Hour.” What follows is a tense, hour long fight for survival as Thrawn’s forces bare down on the scattered and outgunned rebel forces. Filled with great action, heroic sacrifices, and an ominous and deadly turn by Tom Baker’s Bendu, “Zero Hour” is an explosive finale to a season that ran the gamut in both quality and subject matter. While no major characters outside of Admiral Sato would fall, director Justin Ridge carries a feeling throughout that any character may fall to the pounding of turbolasers and the advancement of Imperial forces. While it may be the weakest of Rebels’ season cappers in how it lacks some of the hard hitting emotional moments or surprises that made those installments classic, “Zero Hour” still makes for a thrilling hour of television and a rewarding payoff for episodes of teasing.

12. A Fool’s Hope

With just one episode to follow it, “A Fool’s Hope” feels climactic from its first frame. Writers Henry Gilroy and Stephen Melching stage the entire twenty two minute run time like one long final stand against an encroaching Imperial army. The result can’t help but feel tense and directors Dave Filoni and Saul Ruiz play off this with an expertly employed digital camera that sweeps in and out of battle and shootouts. It creates a brilliant sense of scale and geography and makes for the best directed action of the series. Even if the plot surrounding this moment can’t help but feel a little predictable in comparison, it is in these explosive moments of heroism and sacrifice that “A Fool’s Hope” excels.

11. Shroud of Darkness

After several episodes of absence, Ahsoka Tano returns to Ezra and Kanan with the intent of finally doing some “Jedi business.” The three return to the temple on Lothal where each former and current apprentice is given a guiding vision toward their future. Ezra discusses just how to fight back against the oppression of the Sith with a projection of Yoda. Kanan faces down a former adversary and in the process gains his knighthood. And Ahsoka, poor Ahsoka, gets closer to learning a secret that threatens to tear her apart. Director Saul Ruiz does a strong job of grounding an episode that takes place almost entirely in a dreamlike plane, and in the process allows the character at its center to learn and grow. The results are great mix of ominous and rewarding and begin to lay the seeds for what would be an unforgettable finale.

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Ranking Rebels: Episodes 40-31

It’s been several months now since Star Wars Rebels concluded and we learned the fates and futures of the surrogate family that lived in the halls of The Ghost. Rebellions were sparked. Sacrifices were made. There was a lot of critical theory about art. Fruit was stolen. Droids sang. Pufferpigs puffed. It made for a beautiful, if not always perfect, four year story that will become a cherished part of the Star Wars mythology.

With a new animated series on the horizon, what better time to take a look back at Rebels history. Not all episodes were created equal. For every, “World Between Worlds” there is a “Blood Sisters.” Just as I did for The Clone Wars, I plan to rank every episode of Star Wars Rebels from worst to best. As always, feedback and discussion is appreciated!

Previous Installments: 66-61, 60-51, 50-41

40. Rise of the Old Masters

After several relatively light episodes, Rebels offers its first glimpse at the danger and drama of the galaxy in “Rise of the Old Masters.” Famous for both its grim bait and switch regarding Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and for the introduction of Jason Isaac’s delightfully sinister Grand Inquisitor, the fourth episode of the series makes a tonal switch but the fun character work and sharp voice performances keep the first season’s friendly sheen intact. Ultimately, “Rise of the Old Masters” succeeds the most in how it begins to further the dynamic between Kanan and Ezra and how both of their insecurities play into their relationship of master and apprentice.

39. The Lost Commanders

When it was first revealed that Captain Rex would be returning to Star Wars Rebels, the cheers in the Celebration exhibition hall were deafening. One of the most beloved characters from The Clone Wars, Rex seemed like a natural fit for The Ghost crew’s dynamic and offered a fun connective tissue between both series and two different eras of Lucasfilm Animation. While it is relatively low on plot, “The Lost Commanders” delivers on Rex’s return (and the less successful or memorable appearances by Gregor or Wolffe) by delving into character and more specifically the complicated dynamic between Kanan and Rex. Rex respects Kanan almost out of sheer programming and for what the Jedi meant to him in wartime, and Kanan mistrusts Rex for almost the same reason and for the own painful role that clones played in his past. Freddie Prinze Jr and Dee Bradley Baker perform greatly and the lay the groundwork for one of the second season’s stronger character arcs.

38. Gathering Forces

Picking up directly where “Empire Day” let off, Rebels’ first two part story arc concludes in a fast paced and action packed showdown between the Inquisitor’s forces and Kanan and Ezra. While some of the misgivings about “Empire Day” carry over (Tseebo and his relationship with Ezra just never hits the emotional beats that the script seems to want it to), “Gathering Forces” succeeds in providing a tense conclusion to much of the first half of the season’s storylines. The lightsaber duels are well choreographed and brutal and Ezra’s unexpected turn towards the dark hits a tough emotional beat that sets up powerful stories to come.

37. Relics of the Old Republic

While “The Lost Commanders” concerned itself with familiarizing both The Ghost crew and the Rebels viewership with the clones, “Relics of the Old Republic” tests this new relationship by putting it in a sand clouded standoff between walkers. The result is visual engaging and exciting, but is again successful in how it pushes Kanan to explore his prejudice and his past. In the face of heroism and sacrifice Kanan is forced to recognize the personhood of beings he doesn’t trust and comes one step closer to reconciling with his trauma. It’s a great moment and part of what makes him one of the show’s best characters. There is also undeniable power in finally seeing an older Ahsoka and Rex reunite after so long. I’m pretty sure The Clone Wars revival could just be a series of hugs between characters and fans would be satisfied.

36. Stealth Strike

Even if Kanan did gain a grudging respect for Rex at the start of the second season, the two didn’t fully come to appreciate one another until the incredibly fun, undercover, buddy comedy that is “Stealth Strike.” While it may be uneven in tone and recalls a little too easily visual cues from classic Star Wars media, seeing Rex and Kanan go undercover as Stormtroopers to rescue their allies makes for a very fun conceit that lends itself well to character driven humor and smart action scenes. While Ezra and Zeb’s reconciliation maybe felt rushed in the first season, “Stealth Strike” offers an earned conclusion to an in-ship rivalry that feels natural and cathartic.

35. Path of the Jedi

After the traumatic events of “Gathering Forces,” the decision to step away from the action and offer an episode that is fully steeped in character and Jedi philosophy is a smart creative move that benefited Rebels greatly in its first season. Allowing the at the time seemingly convenient (Filoni really loves the long game) Jedi Temple to act as a catalyst for Kanan and Ezra to explore their fears and insecurities about exploring their future as Jedi and as mentor and pupil works well and is benefited by sharp direction by Dave Filoni. There is also a certain pleasure in hearing Frank Oz return to the role of Yoda after decades of absence.

34. The Future of the Force

While much of the story concerning Ezra, Zeb, and Kanan’s attempts to rescue Force-sensitive children from the claws of the Inquisitorius feels like an unnecessary retread of The Clone Wars’ “Children of the Force,” “The Future of the Force” delivered on something that fans were demanding for years. That something? An adult Ahsoka Tano kicking Dark-Side butt. Ahsoka Tano’s late minute rescue of a beaten Ghost Crew is the sort of thrilling character reveal that creates instant excitement and the joyfully choreographed duel that followed was a visualization of years of fandom dreaming.

33. Spark of Rebellion

Rebels arrived with high expectations and more than its fair share of skepticism. The Clone Wars had been cancelled at its creative peak and seemingly replaced with a show that in its first glimpses appeared to lack both the budget and edge of the fan favorite series. Luckily, “Spark of Rebellion” quickly assuaged fans fears. While it was still struggling to find a visual style that benefited its resources and definitely played things fast and light, writer Simon Kinberg quickly establishes a playful sense of adventure and populates it with an ensemble that by episode’s end is already starting to come into focus. It makes for a well-paced and refreshingly upbeat premiere that promised good stories to come and one can’t ask for much more out of a pilot.

32. Steps into Shadow

In the face of the events of season two’s grim finale, “Twilight of the Apprentice,” it only makes sense that Rebels would take the time to explore the emotional impact that it would have on its male leads. Kanan had lost his sight and Ezra was being tempted by the Dark Side. Both deserved time and reflection. While “Steps into Shadow” does a good job of exploring the fallout of both of these events, especially in consideration with Kanan’s unique dynamic with the mysterious Bendu, it feels like the beginning of a longer story arc for both characters. However, it would ultimately serve as the bulk of both of these storylines as both Kanan’s disability and Ezra’s flirtations with the dark would quickly fade into the background. It makes for the most frustrating aspect of Rebels’ third season and it is hard not to judge “Steps into Shadow” more harshly with this added context. However, this doesn’t fully rob what is all in all and emotionally engaging and exciting premier for a strong season of television.

31. Hera’s Heroes

Returning to the surface of Ryloth for the first time since The Clone Wars’ third season, “Hera’s Heroes” offers an intriguing story of family legacy and the importance of culture in the face of colonial/imperial regimes. While Hera’s arc here may not conclude in a manner that fully capitalizes off the rich emotional and textual landscape that writer Nicole Dubuc establishes, the personal story created is an intriguing one. Forcing Hera to reclaim a part of her past from a home that has been literally repurposed by a fascist regime carries with it its own weight, but pairing it with a character like Thrawn who sees her culture as both tool and a curiosity catapults it into even more weighty territory. It also helps that Thrawn himself is an outsider in the humano-centric ranks of the Imperial military and for once we see a snap in his cold exterior as the Empire’s xenophobia and ignorance slips through. It’s a fascinating moment and one that should have been further explored in later episodes of the series. On a different note, what happened to Cham Syndulla? This episode marks the last time that Hera’s more extremist father would make an appearance inStar Wars Rebels, which feels odd considering how it closes and also like a missed opportunity. I would have loved to see Cham and Saw Gerrera talk about their opinions of the larger Alliance.