#anti sith code

[nescio7]

One thing I like about the Sith Code is that it reveals a core belief when you contrast it with the Jedi Code, specifically the way it’s written. The Sith codes uses a lot of me’s and my’s, showing that it’s a very selfish ideology. It doesn’t say that “Our Chains Are Broken” and not even “The Chains Are Broken” but “*My* Chains Are Broken”

The Jedi Code, by contrast, doesn’t even use pronouns. Like the Jedi, it’s very focused on something beyond the self. It doesn’t talk about what the speaker gains from their force abilities, but how the force is used to make the galaxy a much safer and more enlightened place.

Edit: typo

[starbeltconstellation]

Excellent tags. 👏👏👏

Another thing I’m loving is the re-emphasis on the fact that the Dark Side, for most people, is misery and pain.

Wallowing in your own and then turning it outwards and inflicting it on others.  Because if I’m not happy you sure as hell aren’t allowed to be happy!  The need to drag down someone else in the Light, twist them, corrupt them, make them as miserable and angry as you are because at least then you’re not alone, except you ARE alone because the Dark Side poisons every positive relationship you could ever have and makes you incapable of relating to people in a normal fashion, makes you obsessed, makes you cling to, makes you attached to the idea of this person and how they can make you feel.  Makes you selfish to the point where you don’t even care and you’ve lost your empathy.

It’s a downward spiral of abuse and a cycle of revenge and loathing yourself and desperately searching for any kind of self-worth to define yourself by and scrabbling after more and more power because if you just have a little bit more, it might make things all better.

The Dark Side is empty misery and it will not satisfy.

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

On one side, Star Wars has an Order of space Magic monks whose main mission is fighting for peace and justice in the galaxy. On the other, it has what is basically space nazis.

The anti-Jedi pro-Sith crowd baffles and scares me in equal messure.

[avo-kat]

block and move on block and move on block and move on block and move on block and move on block and move on

theres literally 0 point in willingly exposing urself to bullshit. if u see bullshit, unfollow, block, move on. there is nothing to be gained from this. nothing.

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

BASIC INFO

I use mostly she/her, but I'm alright with any pronouns.

This is a fandom space only. I'm here to have fun, not to discuss current issues or politics (I do that enough in real life already).

Bigotry is not tolerated. It doesn't have a place in my blog. Being a bigot can and will get you blocked.

No reblogging posts to throw negativity. I'm not here for debate, I'm here to have fun with my silly posts and whoever interacts without being a dick.

I reserve the right to block you and kick you out of my space if you're behaving like an asshole.

I love asks. You can ask me whatever you want. The only thing I request is that you do this off-anon. This is only to prevent more assholes sneaking into my space.

I don't start arguments, fights and debates. I've always found it counterproductive, needlessly-infuriating and a waste of my time. However, I finish them. The block button is my friend and I'm not afraid to use it.

STAR WARS FANDOM

Pro Jedi, if the name of my blog didn't clue you in. Jedi hate will get you blocked faster than you can say "Star Wars".

Anti Sith, like any reasonable person with media literacy. They're space nazis, social darwinists, genocidal maniacs who in all their thousands of years of existance have done nothing but try to run tyrannical empires and fail miserably and obsess over the Jedi. The nicest thing I can say about them is that some of them are really fun to watch and have a decent fashion sense. Therefore I am also anti Galactic Empire and anti First Order, the governments they (try to) run.

I may as well say this, although I'm sure most of the fandom will have me crucified: Mandalorian/Mando critical. Unlike the Sith, I don't think all of them (or even most of them) are evil and I'm willing to be charitatable to them. I want to LIKE them, but the fandom glorifying them has soured them a lot to me.

Adding to the above point: Anti Mandoclone. The Clones aren't Mandalorian, they are their own people with their own history and experiences. They might have Mandalorian influence (and it's an idea that has merit and potential if executed well), but they are not Mandalorian and I doubt they'd want to be.

Anakin Skywalker critical. I don't hate him, I like him, he's fun to watch/read about and his character is very dear to me. But he's a villain and an asshole and I'm not ashamed to point out that part of his character.

My canon is the PT, the OT, TCW, Rebels and Rogue One. Any other source material is up in the air, and I pick and choose what I like and leave the rest. So if you see me ignoring a part of a book/comic but posting about another, you know why.

Masterposts

My Rambles' Masterpost (pro Jedi, anti Sith, Mandalorian critical…)

The Many Names of Peace Masterpost

Fic recommendation list

[saphronethaleph]

State's Evidence

“So,” Qui-Gon Jinn said, with a disarming smile. “Viceroy. I’d ask you to sit, but it’s your table.”

“Thank you,” Nute Gunray said, somewhat nervously. “I… yes.”

“Is something wrong?” Obi-Wan asked.

“No,” Nute replied, quickly. “I wanted to… yes.”

He adjusted his clothes, needlessly.

“Now, Viceroy,” Qui-Gon went on. “If you’d like to state your opening position on the negotiations?”

“We object in the strongest possible terms to proposition 31-814D,” Nute said, seeming to recover his aplomb slightly. “The Free Trade Zones should not be liable to taxation – that is why they are called Free Trade Zones.”

“That’s not actually the reason,” Obi-Wan supplied. “The ‘free’ term refers to the fact that there are no differential tariffs applied. A five percent tax on all profits garnered within a Free Trade Zone, for example, would not violate the principle of the Free Trade Zone.”

He smiled. “Otherwise, after all, the term ‘free’ could equally be taken to mean that all trade in the Free Trade Zones should be carried at cost – or for no charge at all.”

Nute and Rune both winced.

“However,” Obi-Wan went on. “It would presumably be a reasonable alternative resolution for the Free Trade Zones to be confirmed as tax-free… for all carriers. There have been alarming reports of non-Trade-Federation-affiliated trade carriers facing heavy tariffs, meaning that there is a general sense that the Free Trade Zones are only free for the Trade Federation and their corporate partners… which is what has led to the proposition, as it’s seen as restoring fairness.”

Obi-Wan shrugged. “I’m sure that, between these factors, we can find out a resolution fair to all parties.”

“What I’m curious about, though, is why you’re blockading Naboo,” Qui-Gon went on, with a smile for Obi-Wan. “I’m aware that Senator Palpatine of Naboo is a prominent supporter of the legislation, but he’s hardly the only one, and his constituents are hardly likely to punish him for an anti-Trade-Federation position if the Trade Federation has just ruined their name in the Chommell Sector.”

Nute frowned.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” he admitted, then paused.

A frown creased his brow, then he put his hands on the table.

“It’s too much,” he said. “The only thing I can do is back down.”

“From the blockade?” Obi-Wan asked, curiously.

“From the plan,” Nute said. “The… the plan was to invade Naboo! To raise pressure! But – but Darth Sidious didn’t warn us there would be Jedi Knights!”

His hands clenched and unclenched. “I couldn’t do it with you on board, and – and to kill Jedi? Even if it could be done, it would be a disaster! The Jedi have lasted a thousand years as the guardians of peace and I know I’m not the first to think about trying to-”

He broke off, and the two Jedi exchanged glances.

“You were planning with someone called Darth Sidious?” Qui-Gon asked, carefully. “You’re sure of that?”

“Yes,” Nute confirmed. “He said he was a Sith…”

“We have recordings of our last few conversations,” Rune added. “And his com codes… I’m fairly sure he’s closely associated with the Senate, he said that by the time our private army had to be used then using it would be legal.”

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged glances.

“...com codes?” Qui-Gon repeated.

“I wonder where this is going,” Obi-Wan said.

Then he glanced at Nute and Rune. “Thank you both for coming forwards with this information… it’s certainly going to be better for you than if you hadn’t, though the exact details are going to depend on the specifics…”

Palpatine tapped his foot on the floor of the Naboo senate box as a banal debate about procedure continued, endlessly.

When was that delegation going to reach Naboo? He needed to push events to the next critical juncture – if he was going to become Chancellor, then it wasn’t enough to be just one of a number of anti-Trade-Federation voices. He needed Naboo to be a martyr that would push him into the top seat.

Worse, there had been a strange feeling in the Force recently. It might just mean that Maul was already planning to kill him… the young Sith was a blunt instrument, really, but a useful one, and it would take Palpatine years to replace him.

Unless he could properly turn Dooku, that was. There was real possibility there.

His comlink chirped, and Palpatine glanced down at it.

A call from Nute. Of course.

He refused the call, then a moment later the comlink began chirping again.

“Is something wrong?” asked the Senator on the next pod over.

“Probably not, but I’d better check,” Palpatine replied, making sure to set the comlink to voice only before answering.

“I am busy,” he hissed.

There was a moment of silence, and Palpatine frowned at the comlink before putting it to his ear.

It sounded very faintly like someone had just said ‘now’.

“THIS COMLINK BELONGS TO A SIIIIIIIIITH!” suddenly exploded out of the speaker, loud enough to echo off the far walls, instantly silencing the debate and drawing every eye. Palpatine flinched, the comlink clattering to the floor of the box, and it kept wailing. “HIS NAME’S DARTH SIDIOUS AND HE ENCOURAGED THE TRADE FEDERATION BLOCKADE! HE MIGHT BE A SENATOR OR AN AIDE BUT THE JEDI SHOULD ARREST HIM EITHER-”

Palpatine finally managed to stamp on the comlink, smashing it to pieces with a snarl on his face, then looked up.

Every single eye in the Senate was fixed on him.

“...prank call?” he tried, but even to him it didn’t sound convincing.

[darth-jess]

To the Anti-Jedi/Pro-Anakin Crowd

Pt. 3 of It's Okay to Love the Jedi and Anakin at the Same Time

(See my other posts –> It's Okay to Love Anakin and the Jedi at the Same Time, and To the Anti-Anakin/Pro-Jedi Crowd)

The Jedi Order (regardless of whether you ascribe to Canon or Legends) is an incredibly beautiful religious order that survived for thousands of years with a philosophy of compassion and understanding, as well as a dedication to preserving life and protecting those who could not protect themselves.

When you think about who Anakin is at his core– someone who very literally risks his own life to help others with no thought of reward as a nine year old boy– he easily embodies what it means to be a Jedi, and Qui-Gon recognizes this.

For me personally, it doesn't make sense to love Anakin and hate the Jedi Order, because Anakin truly loved being a Jedi. And the only thing more important to him than being a Jedi was being with Padmé.

We pro-Anakin people can discuss all we want about how the Jedi wronged Anakin, but it will never change the fact that being a Jedi was his calling and he loved it. It was his passion. He felt like he was truly doing good as a Jedi. Which is why Padmé never asked (and never would have asked) Anakin to leave. She knew how much it meant to him, she understood the purpose it gave him.

We also cannot ignore the fact that the Jedi Order is not perfectly represented by its members. Just as we cannot pick out one single person from any religion and say, "All people from that religion are like this" we also cannot pick out one (or even a few) Jedi and say the same.

I think a lot of people are overly critical of the Jedi Order because there were many Jedi who were not perfect Jedi. Yet this is a bit of a ridiculous standard to hold anyone to. Every single Jedi, Master Yoda included, was often tested by their circumstances and sometimes they failed.

Even the very best do not always succeed.

Yet, the failings of the Jedi Order in the Prequels are not due to a flawed core ideology, they are due to the mistakes of good people with good intentions, under the intense pressure of war and the manipulations of a Sith Lord.

What it means to be a Jedi is an ideal that no one will ever fully embody. Because ideals, while perfect in conception, are interpreted and played out by imperfect people– because everyone is flawed, no one is perfect, it's a fact of existence. Jedi like Yoda and Qui-Gon are a few of the (many) Jedi who do a wonderful (if imperfect) job of embodying the Jedi Ideal. But then you have Jedi like Ki-Adi Mundi (at least in Legends) who is so emotionally distant he seems less compassionate and more cold.

I firmly believe it is unfair to judge the entire philosophy of the Jedi Order by its members who do a poor job of embodying the Jedi Ideal, or even on the mistakes better Jedi make.

The Jedi Order is not some cult that forces people into it– parents can decide whether or not to give up their child to the Jedi, and that child can choose to leave at any time.

Even in the Revenge of the Sith novelization, Anakin decides he's going to leave the Jedi Order when he finds out Padmé is pregnant. He could have left the Jedi Order at any time before that, he could have lived happily with his rich wife. But when Anakin makes this decision, he is not running from the Jedi, he is running toward his family.

If he could have remained a Jedi and had a family with Padmé, he absolutely would have.

Anakin truly believed in being a Jedi. He made it a part of who he was as a person, and even though he broke the Jedi code of conduct on multiple occasions, he still believed in it. It's why in the Revenge of the Sith novelization he feels so awful about the way he killed Dooku– he understood it was wrong, and not the Jedi way, and he doesn't feel good about it.

Nearing the end of the Clone Wars, Anakin may have lost faith in (at least some of) the decisions of the Jedi Council, but Anakin doesn't ever lose faith in the Jedi as a whole– until he's given no other choice, when Mace Windu is about to kill Palpatine.

(See my post –> Was Mace Windu About to Defeat Sidious? and my post –> Anakin's Breaking Point where I use quotes from the ROTS novelization and the movie to discuss Palpatine's terrifying manipulation of Anakin and the battle in the Chancellor's Office.)

The only reason he betrays the Jedi is because he believes it is the only way to save Padmé, and this is made abundantly clear in the Revenge of the Sith novelization. He doesn't hate the Jedi, but he cannot imagine living without Padmé.

Even when Anakin says, "From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!" in Revenge of the Sith, it's more because the Jedi are standing in his way. The Jedi would not make him a Jedi Master– and he didn't really care about the rank, it was more that he wanted to read the secret texts in the Jedi Archives that only Jedi Masters could read to find a way to save Padmé. And then, Palpatine will not teach him how to save Padmé until the Jedi are destroyed.

In conclusion to this three post series, the Jedi Order wronged Anakin in so many ways, and we can't overlook that. But it was less due to Jedi philosophy, and more due to Jedi politics and the interpretations of certain Jedi at the time.

Also, Anakin wasn't brainwashed by the Jedi– he regularly disobeyed the Council and carved out his own path. And yet, being a Jedi was still very meaningful to Anakin and we can't overlook that either.

I realize I'm probably leaving stuff out, but this post was getting too long. If you have any problems or concerns, feel free to send me an ask about it!

[starbeltconstellation]

💔🥲💔🥲💔

STAR WARS REBELS 2.06, Brothers of the Broken Horn

[plo-koons-favorite-padawan]

Last line challenge from @biscuityskies

Actually putting two snippets in here. As a treat! I'm not sure who to tag so you can consider this your invite to post anything you want!

From my Codywan fic (on my extended Clone Wars timeline AU—this is year 7):

The journey to Moraband saw the revival of the 212th hull-ball tournaments. Cody watched Wooley lead Team Bridge Command against Team Parjai, who were the undefeated champions, in the opening rounds. Five days in, Team MedSurg upset Team Bomb Squad in the day’s quarter-finals. Cody, as the highest authority on the rules by which the game is played, found himself adjudicating point disputes. He started using his HUD to give him an action-replay to analyze particularly close calls. Watchdog acted as a second pair of eyes when necessary.  Obi-Wan commed him every night. He filled Cody in on details of his Temple life. He had been mobbed by Jedi Initiates that morning in one of the meditation halls. He was spending more time teaching. He was thinking about taking another Padawan, after the war. They spoke in code about information not available in reports: Vos was alive. Fox had eaten a meal that day. The full journey took three weeks. By the end, Parjai were still undefeated, and most of the men had moved on to gambling at cards. Vos was still alive. Fox was going for a lot of long runs.  Cody had decided somewhere around year two of the war that ferruginous planets were his least favorite. The reddish, oxidized soil rubbed into armor or mixed with sweat on skin always looked like blood. It took days to polish the red scuffs out, and that was after the actual blood was all washed away. Obi-Wan had told him that Moraband used to be known as Korriban, that it was the homeworld of the ancient Sith race. Cody was not sure what else he could have expected, other than this blood-colored mess of mountain ranges and sandstorms that vomited hundreds of thousands of battle droids into the galaxy each week. Watchdog stood with him on the bridge, looking out at the rotation of the planet as the atmo transports were prepared.  “Ugly fucking thing, isn’t it?” he asked. Cody hummed in agreement, hands folded behind his back. “First wave leaves in fifteen. Figured you’d want to be on it.” “Thank you, Watchdog. Keep everything locked down up here,” Cody said, nodding to him. “You have the bridge.” Watchdog saluted.  In the lift, Cody sent a typed message to Obi-Wan’s comm. Landing soon. Will report tonight. The doors opened to a rush of astromechs and GNK droids. Mechanics, pilots, and troopers flowed along walkways and into larties, into Nu-Class shuttles, and smaller fighters.  Moraband did not get any prettier when they got closer to the surface. Breaking atmo revealed hideously jagged mountain ridges. The droid foundry was ten heavily-armed kilometers from the drop zone. Cody was not looking forward to the trek.  He never got that far.  He was glad that he was wearing his jetpack, because when the first round of anti-air artillery hit the LAAT, he had less than two seconds to react to the gaping hole in the hull, to the sudden absence of eight other troopers, to the breach alarms wailing, before the next blast hit. He grabbed two of the other men and leapt out the side of the ship. His jetpack was not designed for this heavy of a lift, and they were falling too fast. The propulsion was sputtering; the explosion of the ship above them hailed flaming debris and blasted them towards the surface of the planet. His comms were screeching in his ears as fighter pilots scrambled to support. The ground was coming too fast. One of the men, Quarter, was shouting to drop him so that he could save himself and the other man, Piecemeal. He started to beat on Cody’s wrist, but Cody held on. The ground was coming too fast. Cody’s jetpack sputtered out, and they fell the remaining one-hundred and sixty feet to the surface of the planet. Cody went out on impact.

From my QuinFox fic (same timeline, this is year 1):

Fox’s office was empty when he opened the door. It was empty when he tugged his helmet off and set it on the shelf by the door. It was empty when he keyed the door closed and locked. It was not empty when he turned around.  “So,” said the man leaning against Fox’s desk. “Pretty interested in Kenobi, hm?” He had a lightsaber clipped to his belt. The gold tattoo across his nose and cheeks flashed in the light.  Fox had a hand on his blaster. “Don’t move,” he warned.  The man raised his hands. “I come with peace in my heart and curiosity in my mind. You’re a great slicer, for what it’s worth. Took me forever to figure out that it was you.” “That what was me?” Fox was grinding his teeth. His right hand was itching. “You pulled Obi-Wan’s records. Don’t totally understand why you covered your tracks so thoroughly, though. That’s what I want to know.” He stepped forward, hands still raised. “It’s not like you were breaking any regs. What gives?” “Get out of my fucking office,” Fox snarled. “Ooh, you’re mean,” the man said, smiling at him. Fox stepped back and adjusted the grip on his blaster. “I like that in a guy.” Fox knew he was blushing. Idiot.  “And shy, how charming.” The man had crossed his arms. He had a matching gold tattoo on his bicep.  Fox called to mind the standard punishment for murdering a superior—firing squad—and weighed his options. “How did you get in here?” “Oh, it’s a fun trick. But if I explain it, it’ll ruin the fun.” “I’m not very interested in fun,” Fox retorted. “Somehow I don’t think that’s true,” the man said. “But if you insist…” He vanished. “Fuck,” Fox whispered, followed by a much louder, “Fuck!” when the man reappeared inches from his face.  “Part of the job,” the man said, smirking at him and not the least bit uncomfortable being within striking distance. Fox swallowed. “You’re a Shadow?” The man nodded, spreading his arms.“Quinlan Vos, at your service. No need for any formalities—I’m not technically a member of the GAR.” “Fox.” “So, back to my original question. Why so interested in my friend Obi-Wan?” “I think you probably already know. Why come if you know who I got them for?” “You caught me,” Vos said, smiling. He had a small gap between his front teeth. “I know you got those records for your batchmate, who they call Kote.” “Cody,” Fox snapped. “Cody, sorry. He wouldn’t have had access to those without going through Obi-Wan. You don’t have a Jedi overseeing you,” Vos said. “So you can get any records you want.” Fox raised his eyebrows. “I fail to see how any of this warrants sneaking into my office.” “Well, this was more for fun,” Vos admitted.  “You have a strange definition of ‘fun,’” Fox said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. “And you don’t?” Vos had one eyebrow raised. “Well, you’ve had your fun,” Fox said. “So, now you can get out.”

[aeskanera]

Originally for my own reference, but posting in case it helps anyone with character building for ocs, I went through all the original story companion bios and made a list of all of the likes/dislikes organised into categories

Peace/Kindness/“Light Side”

protecting the weak

punishing bad guys

being nice to ladies

kindness

charity

selflessness

standing up for the weak

mercy

protecting those close to you

sincerity

fighting bullies

morally correct actions

helping the weak

humility

honesty

helping those in need

acts of mercy

friendship

compromise

peace

helping people

encouraging others to defend themselves

sparing enemies

Violence/“Dark Side”

hurting for profit

hurting women

cruelty

bullying

slavery

killing innocents

casual violence

pain

prejudice

unnecessary violence

corruption

murder

refusing to help

chaos

anti alien sentiment

extreme violence

scary things

violence as a solution

mean people

revenge

random cruelty

rudeness

spite

using power against the weak

betrayal

hurting innocents

ruthlessness

violence

anger

causing suffering

destruction

killing powerful enemies

killing the weak

betrayal of allies

Specific Groups/Organisations

the republic

the empire

the sith

dark jedi

the jedi

bounty hunters

republic military

mandalorians

Stuff Related to the Above Groups

working with sith or imperials

republic authorities

mocking force users

imperial memorabilia

killing force users

mystical jedi nonsense

cooperating with sith

serving the empire

force persuade

destroying the republic’s enemies

mercenary work

mocking the empire

following the sith code

hurting the republic

protecting the republic

acting like a mercenary

defeating the empire

republic memorabilia

patriotism to the empire

pro republic messages

testing force powers

pro empire sentiment

killing imperials

hurting imperials

secrets of the force

mercenary behavior

fighting jedi

mercy to the empire

Authority

disrespecting authority figures

respecting authority blindly

insulting authority

mocking authority

laughing at authority

pointless infighting

authority

anarchy

kissing up

patriotism

breaking the law

anti authority behavior

leadership

duty

political backstabbing

taking orders

professionalism

propriety

mocking people

obedience

unprofessional or emotional behavior

freedom

rules

diplomacy

rewarding hard work

ideology

self sacrifice for the greater good

respect

Fights

fair fights

a good fight against worthy foes

personal honor

callous sacrifices

combat challenges

dishonorable acts

aggressive pursuit of victory

challenges

power

backing down from a fight

testing yourself

keeping secrets from allies

second chances

displays of strength

honor

keeping promises

excuses

action

blowing things up

adventure

avoiding fights

exploring unknown territory

courage

efficiently eliminating enemies

fighting overwhelming odds

selling out

inaction

legendary conquests

cowardice

heroism that involves danger

danger

looking like a hero

weakness

Ego and Greed

self interest

profit

making money

greed

selfish actions without clear aim

scams

selfishness

wastefulness

indulgence

getting something for nothing

getting paid

attention

looking bad

praise

getting involved

bragging

personal gain

Material Interests

treasure

secrets

luxury

new tech

technology

respect for unusual people or beliefs

exploring alien cultures

clever word play

snobs

discovery

underworld goods

romance

droid maintenance

flirtation

secrecy

trophies

military gear

history

weapons

mysteries

gadgets

courting

aiding scientists

destroying science

cultural items

delicacies

beautiful women

artifacts

learning

Intelligence

the stupid or uneducated

risking your neck for nothing

being taken advantage of

clever solutions

failure

long term thinking

failure to take initiative

recklessness

efficiency

pragmatism

thinking through a problem

irrational behavior

cleverness

logical thinking

brevity

self restraint

seeking peaceful solutions

being funny

patience

stubbornness

resolve

complications

talking

rational choices

talking things out

[starbeltconstellation]

This is exactly the main reason why “grey Jedi” can never be a thing. Everyone always thinks they can dip their toes in the water of the dark side just a tad and come out unscathed.

And every time, without fail—

They’re wrong.

Because the dark side eats at you. The second you use it, is the second that you have given it the ability to have power over you.

Because that’s the crux of the matter. Everyone always thinks they can control the dark side. What always ends up happening, however, is that the dark side winds up controlling them.

Quick heads-up. This quote?

"The Dark Side is always there, it is experienced daily by people. It's like a huge cancer, alive, festering - both a reminder of the moral state and, at the same time symptom and symbol of a very sick society."

It's not from George Lucas.

The person who originally posted it online attributed the source to Lucas' interview with Bill Moyers in "The Power of Myth". But it isn't mentioned in that.

John C. McDowell used the quote in an essay of his that was published on The Third Way in 2007, and his reference was his own book "The Gospel According to ‘Star Wars’: Faith, Hope and the Force". If you look at that one, he references something called "Power of the Force" from 2001.

No such interview or publication had come out under that name, that year. There was a book called "The Power of the Force: Spirituality of the Star Wars Films" published in 2000, written by David Wilkinson. So maybe McDowell was referencing that? But I don't have the book and can't find a digital copy online.

That said, if you look up parts of the quote you find a similar quote in "The Films of Akira Kurosawa" by Donald Ritchie, the earliest edition of which dates back to 1965, in the description of the Kurosawa movie "Drunken Angel".

So yeah, no. Probably not from Lucas. I'm 99% sure.

HOWEVER

Lucas did compare the Sith's relationship and their (and the other SW villains') selfish ways to a cancer.

At the end of the day, Star Wars remains about selfishness vs selflessness, a theme partially illustrated by:

the symbiotic relationships between Jedi Masters and Padawans, who help each other grow, inspired by Buddhist monks...

contrasted with

the "cancerous" relationship between Sith Lord and Apprentice, who keep using each other until one finally kills the other.

[open-hearth-rpg]

May the Fourth: Star Wars Minicon 2025

Free online ttrpg event-- seats still available in some events.

Come check out our Open Hearth’s celebration of all things Star Wars, with community members posting a variety of games set in the Star Wars Universe-- any era, any version, any genre, any system. This runs Thursday May 1st through Sunday May 4th with a con wrap-up closing ceremony on that final day.

You can see all the sessions here. Sign up for our community on Playabl and you can get into sessions. Everything's run with a layered set of safety tools and follows our community code of conduct.

Events with open seats:

LAST DUEL

Thurs May 1 2000 US Eastern

Last Shooting is a 2-player game about star-crossed counterparts. Originally designed to emulate mecha fiction, we will use its intuitive, diceless rules to represent two Force-sensitives as they grow from padawans into bitter rivals on the galactic stage

HOUSE COOLING

Friday May 2 1230 US Eastern

Using ARC: Doom. The first order has landed on Ograne, a scrap-sorting backwater only notable for being a hideout and rest stop in between more meaningful planets. However, at least for now you call this place home, and if the those imperial bucketheads manage to fort up then you'll never get rid of them and this place will never be what it was.

STAR WARS NEXT TRILOGY WRITERS' ROOM

Saturday May 3 0900 US Eastern

Using Ben Robbins' Microscope. The year is 2012 and Disney has just bought the rights to Star Wars. Now they have to figure out what happens in the universe and set up the next trilogy. You play writers putting together a future history and timeline, taking the previous two trilogies as canon. We set up the next stories-- with the caveat that we have to have it so at least a few fan favorite characters appear in the history.

TATOOINE MANHUNT

Saturday May 3 0900 US Eastern

A chance to revisit the WEG classic "Tatooine Manhunt" adventure using up-to-date rules with Outgunned's Action Flick setting "Star Raiders.". We'll be heavily riffing off the original adventure (which is a linear sequence of about 15 combat encounters) to create something new and exciting!

ESCAPE FROM DAIYU

Saturday May 3 1000 US Eastern

It's time for a little nostalgia! Let's go back to the game that started it all: Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, first edition, from West End Games (1987). An Imperial defector with vital information is stranded on the crime-ridden world of Daiyu. Play as an elite team of Rebel operatives who must make contact with this individual and whisk them off-planet to rendezvous with the Rebel fleet... without any Imperial entanglements!

AGAINST THE SITH CONSPIRACY

Saturday May 3 1300 US Eastern

It's long ago in a galaxy far far away, more than 30 years since the Battle of Yavin. While the New Republic rules the Cold War with the First Order intensifies. Failing to inspire action in the Senate, Leia Organa has founded the Resistance to act outside Republic restrictions. It is she who has tasked our group of dedictaed, though maybe not very nice, anti-heroes to thwart a First Order plot to find her brother, Luke.

SCUM AND VILLAINY: HUTT SPACE

Sunday May 4 1300 US Eastern

Bothan intelligence has informed the Rebellion that the Empire is constructing a new state of the art fighter craft, the VT-49 Decimator, in the imperial shipyards orbiting Nar Shaddaa. As Hutt Space is technically neutral territory, the imperials should have only a light garrison protecting their facility. As always their hubris shall be their undoing; this is an opportunity the Alliance cannot afford to pass up.

[darklinaforever]

When the antis say that Rhaenyra's dialogue about her and Daemon being part of a whole means that they are actually not in love and just want what the other has (or Rhaenyra only want be Daemon), makes me laugh softly.

As I've said before in a better post than this, it's one of the most cliché romance tropes in existence. Aspiring to have what the loved one has, more precisely that part of the loved one that we would like to have (or even which we sometimes completely lack) and which means that in the end there is completeness between the two beings. through their union.

Together they give each other what they have always wanted and what they need.

More precisely, it is a cliché of romance that we find among couples generally coded as soul mates, which is what Daemon & Rhaenyra are.

Reylo also closely follows this pattern, even if we are not told directly.

Rey for example, longs for a family, to be linked to a name, to have a real defined place in the history where she is, and does not understand how Kylo Ren / Ben Solo can leave them behind, while Kylo Ren / Ben Solo aspires to this anonymity that Rey has (at least until episode 9 ruins everything...) because being the last of a great lineage as much as the Jedi side that Sith weighs on him and he wants to leave the past behind him, and in the end their union, if it had had a logical outcome would have resolved all that.

Rey being with Kylo Ren/Ben Solo would have finally had the family she wanted by starting it with him, and Kylo Ren / Ben Solo would have had her desire to see the past die fulfilled in the form of the union he would have had with Rey who would have established a balance in the force and a renewal of the Jedi order in surely a grayer and different form from the one we always knew and which was frankly rotten.

What I'm trying to say is that once again the majority of people who criticize Daemyra and Rhaenyra's response from the angle of proof that it is not a romantic union or that they do not like it more today... well they must not really know the trope and its codes.

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

Star Wars Masterpost

Pro Jedi/In Defense Of The Jedi

The Jedi didn't free Shmi and why that's not a slight against them

The Jedi aren't stuck in their ways just because they don't allow marriage

The Jedi aren't stuck in their ways just because they don't allow marriage (addendun)

Jedi culture tag (derogatory)

Jedi culture tag (derogatory) (meme)

Villains Praising the Jedi (and fandom not getting it)

Sith (derogatory) VS Jedi (affectionate)

On the Jedi's limited numbers (+ an anti)

"Cal and Kanan fix the mistakes of the Order and stop repressing what makes them human" Shut up

Inconsistency in anti-Jedi arguments

"There's being critical and there is slander"

Fandom experience (derogatory)

Age is not an immediate disqualifier

Friendly reminder about emotional mindfulness

Jedi kidnapping (affectionate) VS Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

If you're gonna critize the Jedi they have to be wrong

The Jedi's political power: canon vs fanon

Most Jedi don't struggle with attachment

Mace Windu and actively fighting fascism

Jedi Order: broke vs woke

When others are the best versions of themselves

I wouldn't want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi

Antis stop projecting your religious trauma onto the Jedi, the Sith are right there

No, Luke doesn't save his father with attachment

Fandom experience (derogatory)

The Jedi made the right decision in using the Clone Army

Pro Jedi community rite of passage

Jedi Culture/Jedi Positivity

If the Jedi have no fans I'm dead

Heart of a Jedi

A Jedi's Weapon

Multilingual Jedi Babies

Why the Jedi stopped wearing white headcanon

Non-Master/Padawan Jedi Relationships

Jedi Positivity (community)

Collective Jedi Parenting

Q: Who's the best Jedi? A: Yes

Many Jedi are orphans

My interpretation of the Jedi Code/Meditation Mantra

Mace Windu Best Jedi

Obi-Wan Best Jedi

Gushing about Reva

Gushing about Reva (II)

Reva/Vader parallels

Jedi-antis when jedi-enthusiasm-blog likes the Jedi

"Be with me" AKA cool tribute to the Jedi I found on YouTube of all places

"The importance of Luke Skywalker"

"What Jedi used to be" AKA why we love the Jedi

Tag game

Force-sensitivity and being aroace

Star Wars History ( @saturnidiot thank you so much)

When The Night Is Darker, The Stars Shine Brighter (my AO3 series)

"So be it, Jedi"

Anti Mandalorians/Mandalorians Critical

Why Mandalorian Culture and Mando'a don't make sense

Jedi kidnapping (affectionate) VS Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

Mandalorian culture and how people fall for fascist rethoric

Fanon dissonance

Slugthrowers don't kill Jedi anymore than blasters (you know why this is here)

Anti Sith

The Sith are not oppressed by the Jedi

Darth Vectivus is a bastard (derogatory) and I love him

Peacekeepers vs nazis in a galaxy far far away…

The Sith don't have balance (joke unfortunately not mine)

Obi-Wan roasting the Sith

Sith are nazis

If I find myself agreeing with Sith philosophy…

"I think the Sith are better than the Jedi" What flavor of stupid are you?

What flavor of stupid are you?, an addendun because somebody doesn't have basic literacy

The Sith Are Nazis Pt.2

Anti Anakin/Anakin critical

Anakin is not mentally ill

Others

Star Wars Lines (Pt.1) (Pt.2) (Pt.3) (Pt.4)

Opinion on Ahsoka

The Dark is generous and it is patient

Sabine as the successor to Tarre Vizla

Opinion on Rey

The Force is fine the way it is

Gray morality in the Prequels

[virtual-dragon-almond-bakery]

I am going to state my opinions on Star Wars: I'm Jedi critical, but NOT anti Jedi (I don't think they deserved their fate) or pro Sith. The reason I won't write posts that criticize Siths is because...they're pretty obviously fucking evil and I don't have to. They're literally heavily Nazi-coded and I'm autistic...do the math

[batmancomicanalysis]

Star Wars: the political subtext

Many criticise modern films such as Disney’s post-Lucas Star Wars sequels for their overt "leftist" political messaging, claiming that Hollywood has been "infiltrated" by “woke” ideologues. And there is no doubt that the Disney Star Wars films are thinly-veiled political allegory, regardless of what Bob Iger says:

“Please note that the Empire is a white supremacist (human) organization.” - Chris Weitz

“…Opposed by a multicultural group led by brave women.” - Gary Whitta

But from a pro-European perspective, the original Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983) was replete with ethno-suicidal themes; the symbolism was always much the same. This should not be surprising: George Lucas is one of Hollywood's most successful directors, he's been a "leftist" since his student days at the latest and has since married an African woman, with whom he had his first biological child.

The key collective conflict in Star Wars is between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance.

The Empire: totalitarian, inhuman (faceless "Stormtroopers", most iconic figure is a cyborg), homogeneous/uniform, cold/austere, dictatorial, ultra-technological, genocidal (the Imperial “Death Star” destroys the planet which looks most similar to Earth, Alderaan), exclusively patriarchal (women are never seen among its ranks) and Northern European at core, a hybrid of Nazi Germany and the British Empire (the nation which opposed Nazism the longest, making the Empire a stand-in for the traditional Western order generally)

The Rebels: multiracial (Lando Calrissian is African, Han and Leia are played by Jewish actors), multispecies (Chewbacca), droid-inclusive (C-3P0, R2-D2), gender egalitarian (founded and led by a woman Mon Mothma and Leia is one of the three biggest heroes, implied to have Jedi potential similar to Luke's: "There is another" - Yoda), third worldist-coded coalition, the Empire’s symbolic inversion and antithesis

The primary philosophical battle is between the Jedi and the Sith. The Jedi are a monastic order led by Yoda; a humanoid midget alien and Asian-coded sage, whereas the Sith are led by a grotesque and seemingly decrepit British-accented Emperor.

Jedi: Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Stoicism

Sith: Darwinism, Nietzscheanism, Machiavellianism, Sadism

The former is a universalist metaphysical syncretism broadly aligned with liberalism while the latter is linked to anti-Christian European philosophy and is intended to evoke Nazism. However, the Jedi philosophy, like liberalism itself, is deeply hypocritical: Obi Wan and Yoda deceive Luke with the intention of having him kill his father and sanction the killing of countless non-combatants in their war against the galactic sovereign. And the hatred which Jedi philosophy condemns is, in real life, repressed and transferred against illiberal/European symbols, despite Luke’s (inconsistent and suicidal) pacifism towards The Emperor (after his initial attempt to kill him in a moment of rage). Most crucially however, Star Wars utilises a false binary of light and dark, placing the forces of love and hatred in blanket opposition to each other, when in reality one cannot have love without hating that which threatens it.

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Christ to Luke (Skywalker)

On the most personal symbolic level, the main conflict is between Aryan protagonist Luke Skywalker and his father Darth (a portmanteau of dark and death) Vader (an abbreviation of “invader”; a nod to Western colonialism). Jedi master and surrogate father figure Obi Wan lies to Luke, telling him that Vader “betrayed and murdered your father", manipulating “white saviour/white ally” Luke into fighting to destroy his father’s Empire. Ultimately, the corrupted chalk-white patriarch Vader finds redemption in death by destroying the Empire he built and lead with Palpatine (a transparent allegory for Hitler/Satan) and killing his master, resulting in Vader's ascension to immortality along with his former masters Obi Wan and Yoda.

While viewers (particularly in America) may feel that the Rebel Alliance solely represents America (the accents of the three primary heroes followed by the narrative are distinctly American, "The Empire" as Britain exclusively in their mind) based on a superficial reading which omits key facts (Lucas's claim that the primitive forest-dwelling indigenous Ewoks represent the Viet Cong, the heavy British-coded involvement in the Rebel Alliance), Star Wars trains the Western audience to see itself from the perspective of the third world, conditioned to feel exhilaration at their symbolic overthrowal and desiring to emulate Luke's example.

Had the Rebel Alliance been exclusively composed of European men, The Empire been a multicultural cesspool and the villain been a hooked-nosed Emperor with a Middle-Eastern accent, there would be no obscurantism about the political allegory.