#when he trains luke he is creating the opposite of what he had created in vader

[percyluvr]

Hiii!!! If your requests are open could you do an injury fic with Luke and a Persephone reader? Where she gets hurt during capture the flag or smth like that and this man starts stressing even if he’s on the opposite team and didn’t know what was going on when she got hurt?

luke castellan x daughter of persephone!reader summary: you get hurt during capture the flag and luke gets worried wc: 885

Luke Castellan is very particular about his capture the flag team, and everyone at camp knew that, which is why it came as a surprise when you and him were on separate teams.

When asked, he would just say that the two of you had decided to have a competition on who could create the better capture the flag strategy, but it was deeper than that. The two of you had a small fight because you felt that he never let you help with the strategy enough, and you felt like he never really let you in on the combat. It was almost like he thought of you as a delicate flower, and when you brought it up, he got irritated, telling you that he wasn't trying to control you, he just didn't want you to get hurt.

You'd gotten mad and stormed out, and now neither of you knew where you stood, and preparing for capture the flag against him wasn't helping at all. The few days leading up to capture the flag were some of the most hostile days each month, and this time was no exception. It may just be a camp war game to some campers, but to others, especially your teammate Clarisse, this was a big deal. Clarisse was always rude and quite hostile towards your boyfriend, but it was worse than ever now.

You and Clarisse were an unexpected duo, but you two had a special connection, considering each other your best friend, so when you told her what happened between you and Luke, she was pissed off, to say the least.

"Thanks for telling me that, I'm gonna hand his ass to him on Friday," she said, running her hand along your arm, trying to comfort you to her best ability.

"Thanks, Clarisse, I can always count on you if I want someone to get beat up," you joked, making her laugh.

The next few days went by quickly, you and Clarisse rigorously training with each other and going over your plan as co-captains. You'd always loved being on the same team as Clarisse before you started dating Luke, and now you finally got to be again.

On the day of capture the flag, you and all the campers headed into the forest, getting into your positions. The game began, and you and Clarisse charged into the other team's territory.

As a daughter of Persephone, you had the ability to manipulate certain plants, which was helpful, especially at camp, because you could control almost all of the plants that were there. Unfortunately, with great power comes a great ego boost, which you fell victim to.

You and Clarisse were basically wiping the floor with your opponents, when you got caught up in your head, confidence overflowing, and tried to create a longer vine, accidentally tripped over it, and fell right into the sword of the camper you were fighting. Luckily, you had managed to move your body so that you didn't get stabbed anywhere fatal, but you did get an incredibly deep cut right under your ribcage, which caught the attention of Clarisse. Seeing you injured fueled Clarisse's rage, and she quickly finished the fight.

Immediately, she picked you up bridal style, rushing you through the woods to the infirmary. She passed by Luke, and at first he ignored it, but then he did a double take after realizing it was Clarisse, and saw you in her arms, blood soaking through your orange Camp Half-Blood shirt. Even though he was in the middle of a fight, he booked it in the direction the two of you were heading, now full of worry.

He finally caught up to the two of you, surprised at how quick Clarisse was. When Clarisse caught sight of him, she cracked her knuckles and gave him the dirtiest look you had even seen in your life. You bit back a laugh.

Luke rushed up to where you were sitting on the bed.

"Baby, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay," he said, voice filled with desperation.

You gave him a pained look, gesturing to the large blood-soaked bandage covering the left side of your abdomen. "Well, I have a near fatal hole going through my side, but other than that, I'm great," you say dryly.

"C'mon, don't be that way. I'm sorry for what happened last week, okay? But see, this is why I'm so protective. I can't let anything happen to you, I don't want to lose anyone else," he whispers, eyes glazed over.

At this point, Clarisse is long gone. Knowing her, she probably left because she couldn't stand to see you and Luke being all 'lovey dovey,' as she calls it.

"Well... yeah. I guess I see your point. But I still think that you should let me help more, please."

"Okay, you're right. I know you're perfectly capable, I'm just scared. I've lost too many people and losing you would be too much to handle, so please be more careful, okay?" He eyes your bandage, giving you a grimace.

You respond by pulling him down to your face by his shirt, and give him a sweet kiss, which he reciprocates almost immediately. It almost made you laugh how quickly he kisses you back, even though it happens every time.

[antianakin]

I think I'm able to perhaps put a few words to why I really dislike that the Ahsoka show had her choose to come to the conclusion that Anakin was GOOD, that he was a good person and good teacher to her, rather than having her refuse to forgive him and just having to let go of him entirely.

Ahsoka is a character who has been, for her ENTIRE RUN on Star Wars, defined by Anakin and her relationship to him. She's never been able to escape that. She was created as an explanation for why Anakin "matured" over the three year gap between AOTC and ROTS, but her lack of existence in the films means she can have no greater impact on Anakin than that. She is wholly irrelevant to his character but she does not EXIST without him. In Rebels, she is only in one season where all of her appearances are fixated on her discovery of Anakin's betrayal and how that impacts her, leading up to their final confrontation where she appears to die fighting him. She comes back only so her relationship with Anakin can be used to help Ezra let go of Kanan. In TOTJ, she has an entire episode dedicated to explaining that the only reason she survived Order 66 was because of some kind of special training Anakin gave her that made her stronger, better, faster than any other Jedi. In The Mandalorian, her appearance was full of subtext about her trauma regarding Anakin and the way she reacts to other Jedi as a result of that. In The Book of Boba Fett appearance, that subtext is still there, primarily in her conversation with Luke where she even tells him how much he reminds her of Anakin. Which leaves us with the Ahsoka show itself and how it REVOLVES around that relationship, from Sabine being turned into Anakin 2.0 to everything in episode 5 to Ahsoka claiming she'll support Sabine in everything because this is what Anakin did for her to Anakin literally showing up in ghost form to Thrawn predicting everything Ahsoka will do because he has some familiarity with Anakin.

Ahsoka CANNOT escape this relationship, she cannot move out from this particular shadow and become her own person because her character seems to ONLY EXIST to be "Anakin's student." She can almost literally not stand on her own at this point. If her story doesn't revolve around Anakin in some way, it doesn't seem to really exist (please keep in mind here that I am mostly looking at HIGH CANON appearances for this because that's what I am familiar with; I'm sure that some comics have probably managed to move away from her relationship to Anakin a little bit sometimes but I haven't read any of them so they're not being counted in this analysis, especially since I don't think they're really impacting her higher canon characterization anyway).

It's even just visible in how other characters perceive her. She is constantly being COMPARED to Anakin, we keep hearing how like Anakin she is. The only time I can think of that she is compared to anyone OTHER than Anakin is when Trace and Rafa tell her that she acts like a Jedi even if she isn't currently calling herself one (bless their SOULS for this moment, they deserved so much better than the hate they got and one single appearance on fucking TBB). We never hear anyone say she reminds them of Obi-Wan, or Yoda, or Plo Koon. It's ALWAYS Anakin even though she's known Yoda and Plo Koon longer and she seems to spend almost as much time with Obi-Wan as she does Anakin.

By having Ahsoka decide to deal with her feelings about Anakin by just... setting aside all the bad shit he did and focusing ONLY on the good moments that he had and letting that define him, it makes it nearly impossible to separate her from him. If he's good, then it's a GOOD thing to compare her to him. If he's good, then his influence on her HAS to have been a good one. For me, it ruins ANY nuance that could have come from going the opposite direction and recognizing that while he had some good moments, he was in fact an overall bad person who was a terrible teacher to her. He betrayed her, he tried to kill her (and only failed because she was saved by someone else), he abandoned her. I don't care WHAT he did before this, this automatically makes him a BAD TEACHER.

And recognizing that Anakin was a bad teacher would force Ahsoka to look at HERSELF more critically, too, to recognize the places where she has made the same mistakes perhaps, where she's started leading herself down a similar path to his, and then choosing to NOT BE LIKE HIM. Anakin should be (like he is with Luke) the personification of her own darkness. Palpatine represented Anakin's greatest demons and personifications, Anakin can represent something similar for Ahsoka. He is an indisputable part of her now, but she doesn't HAVE to become him, she doesn't have to let that CONTROL her. And by making that choice, she frees herself from being defined by him for the rest of her life.

But now, the narrative has bound Ahsoka to Anakin forever. She'll never be anything more than Anakin's student because this has become what defines her as a person and a character. And it just... it sucks. Ahsoka deserved better than that.

[darcytaylor]

I don't understand why they keep ragging on Luke in spaces where he can see it. What's the end goal here? For him to snap and quit the show? People aren't thinking.

The whole situation has been very weird and emotionally charged. I tried to stay away from any of what was happening yesterday. (although I was sent things and have an idea of what is going on)

I think people had an image of who they thought Luke was and since it is not aligning with who he actually is, people are angry. When people are angry people do and say things that maybe shouldn't be said and done.

People's inability to realize that who they created in their mind is not entirely who Luke is (which doesn't have to be a bad thing), is causing outrage. People don't like to be duped, I think people think they were duped.

I have stated multiple times on this blog that people are flawed, people make mistakes, people are nuanced, people can be a bunch of things at once, people can be contradictory in personality, people are complex. All of which Luke is, all of which humans are.

Do I think that Luke hooking up with young adults is a charming trait? No, definitely not. Can I clearly see some questionable actions? Yes, I do have eyes. Do I think that Luke should have kept that shit on his private social media account? Yes, he definitely should have and could have.

But does this actually effect me in any way? No, I don't know the man, and all of us only see a very small part of who he actually is. It shouldn't come to a shock to know that Luke isn't perfect, he's not that version of who they created in their mind.

I know that Nicola has described Luke as being a certain way (people have clung to this), but then people also need to realize that he also has some bad qualities (obviously Nicola wouldn't state those publicly, why would she do that?). I always try to keep in mind that people are good and at the same time people are bad, everybody has both qualities in them.

There is also the belief that if someone who you are a fan of gets any hate, people need to come to their rescue (and vice versa), and while I do think that it is okay to show support or even lack thereof (within reason), this is what riles up every part of any fandom. If people didn't have people to engage with, or people who rile them up, they would get bored and move on.

You have two different groups with opposite opinions, fighting to make their voices the loudest, wanting people to hear them and not the other way around. But this ultimately makes the whole situation loud and for anybody to hear and read. Sometimes coming to someones defence is only going to cause more issues. It's going to create that dialogue and create a space for people to spiral.

So for people who like Luke and for people who don't like Luke, lets all just take a step back and breathe. If you see something you don't like, maybe try not to engage.

I also think that Luke has been trained and told about this aspect of his career. He has been told and has probably seen things like this happen. I don't think that this is what would make Luke quit the show, but I do believe that this will make him less inclined to post or engage with fans on social media.

I actually think that is a good thing (yay for having a positive) in Luke's situation, because it may also filter down into his friend group and relationship and have them stop with the social media games.

[jmrothwell]

OMG ALL THOSE PROMPTS ARE SO GOOD (and I finally caught one of your lists before it's six days old lol). Laying on the floor so hard you wish they’d invent lying down 2 is an Alex Mood to me.

Maybe the chairs on the ceiling were less of a stylistic choice and more of a storage thing. After all that one was hung fairly low and if Alex knocked it, it would swing. Threatening to fall right on top of him.

He didn’t really like the thought of that. But it always occurred to him every time he caught even the slightest glimpse of the polished wood hanging from the ceiling. 

Perhaps he has a death wish since Alex was now laying on the studio floor below them. The steepled ceiling, fairy lights, and new potted plants hanging closer to the ceiling added a surreal level he wasn't really expecting.

Is this what Alice in Wonderland felt like falling down that hole? All disoriented and floaty? 

Which, honestly, he really shouldn’t be feeling all floaty like this. Not with how itchy this particular patch of carpet is. Another train of thought he would really rather not venture down, but is unstoppable now. 

Why was it itchy? He knows it gets regularly cleaned out here. It’s on the rotating cleaning roster. Though considering the last three individuals who were in charge of it were Reggie, Luke, and Carlos and Alex isn’t sure if any of them would have even considered the rugs. 

“Comfy?” Flynn’s voice came out of nowhere, quickly followed by her face leaning over his. Upside down. Her braids reach out towards him. That does not help him stop feeling like Alice. 

“Not really.” Alex says simply. Focus split between talking to her, keeping his breathing steady, and not spiraling into one of the many chasms his brain felt the need to create for no damn reason. 

Flynn hums noncommittally before disappearing from his view. Though she doesn’t go far, he can hear her settling on the floor next to him. “There are better places to lay down.”

“I am aware.”

“Do you like feeling uncomfortable?”

He can’t help the huff from his throat. He doesn’t like it, no. He can’t ever seem to escape it, just has to settle for which discomfort was more acceptable and today that means, “It’s quieter here.”

“Wow.” Flynn says through a disbelieving laugh. “What kind of chaos are they up to if the studio is the quiet option?”

Alex shrugs though he’s not sure if she can see it. “Don’t know about now but when I left, Carlos was unsuccessfully showing Luke something called Guitar Hero, and Reggie had been ranting for nearly an hour about how the Star Wars on the Disney app thing was completely wrong.”

Flynn quietly giggles, “Where was Julie in all this?”

An uneasy heaviness twists in Alex’s chest with the question. Or rather with the answer he gives, “She and Ray went to the Wilson’s.”

“Ah,” Flynn thankfully leaves the topic there. “This is the weirdest ceiling to lay under.”

“Right? Like, do you know why they hung the chairs on the ceiling?” 

“Not really,” Flynn says but doesn’t really sound sure herself. “But is it weird that I want to see if there are weirder ceilings out there?”

It’s the first train of thought in a while Alex feels sort of willing to wander down. “How would we do that?”

“Dear sweet Alex,” The statement and her haughty tone both make him slightly regret his decision. “That is what Google is for.” 

“Okay, please never call me that again.”

“Happily.”

He finally sat up and could finally see Flynn laying down on the floor. Her head next to where his was but feet pointing in the opposite direction. 

She smiles up at him, “Want to go see what we can find?”

“Yeah, all right.” He says with another shrug, following her to the couch. Tries to keep the thought splintering in check as he watches her use her phone in ways he’d only ever seen in sci-fi until a few months ago.

Admittedly, there are definitely some bizarre ceilings out in the world. But the Molina’s seem to be the only ones they can find so far who have chosen to mount chairs to theirs.

[marvelstars]

I always found Obi-Wan and Anakin´s fights interesting because while there is definitely a subtext of a familiar relationship on their part, in fact Vaderkin tells Obi-Wan to go meditate somewhere else, a very insane notion given what he just did and the fact he knew Obi-Wan was send to Mustafar to kill him.

Objectively speaking they are master and apprentice and acording to the cultural themes from myths and legends Lucas took from to create the Jedi Order, a master´s duty is to kill their student if they use their habilities agaisn´t the principles of the master.

Given Obi-Wan killed Anakin first or well, left him to burn to death, Obi-Wan was doing his duty as a member of the Jedi with orders from Yoda and as Vader Anakin understood those actions in this sense, he just had a brief moment in which he silently asked for help which Obi-Wan answered talking about their duty again, Anakin´s as the chosen one and Obi-Wan´s as his master and member of the Jedi Order, effectively rejecting their familiar relationship.

This is also why their second duel on the death star, or even their retconed duel on OWK is not a duel between family members, it´s pretty much a ritual duel between members of opposite force schools or philosophies and that´s how both Obi-Wan and Vader fought in them.

This is also why Vader wasn´t surprised to know his Son was being raised as a Jedi or at least he thought so until he discovered Luke wasn´t as trained as he should have been but recognized his advances on their duel in cloud city.

Vader didn´t discuss with his master when he told him he could be send to destroy them, that was to be expected, he isn´t surprised to know Luke was being trained to kill him, he just argued Obi-Wan could no longer train him and so he wasn´t a danger to Palpatine, which was Vader´s way of trying to keep Luke out of this whole issue but when that didn´t work, he promised he could make Luke fall to the darkside and make him join them or kill him himself but he knew that if it came to that, he could not kill his Son, Luke knew this and so did Palpatine and that´s why when Luke rejected the darkside it was Palpatine who decided to kill him until Vader stopped him knowing that would kill him.

This is also why it´s so interesting read, in one of the novels from ROTJ, when Obi-Wan´s spirit tried to contact and teach Anakin how he could become a force ghost as he lay dying, Anakin´s first question is why? not just because of Anakin´s actions but because he effectively was no longer a Jedi, so Obi-Wan tells him he fulfilled the prophecy as the chosen one but that isn´t enough for Anakin, he stayed silent and only accepted Obi-Wan´s offer when Obi-Wan told him because you are my friend/brother.

In the end, while Anakin respected the fact that being a Jedi was always going to be part of Obi-Wan´s identity, he didn´t want Obi-Wan to help him become a force ghost as a Jedi because he was the chosen one or because he fulfilled a prophecy, he wanted Obi-Wan to recognize him as his brother/friend, as family and in this way heal that old rejection from Mustafar because Anakin himself always saw him as family and after expending so many years following the traditions of the Jedi and the Sith, a tradition that made him leave his mother behind and put him at odds with his family, he was beyond faking tradition post death.

[ancestorsofjudah]

2 Kings 12: 17-18. "The Zoe."

The King and Court of the Kingdom of Israel are charged not to be lax in the enforcement of the Decrees, which the text calls "too brilliant to ignore." It states the way to do this is to start teaching them to children just as the 11th Commandment states, and then when they get their hair, prostitute them out, right there in the Temple Doorway, and make them work for a living with the understanding all the money they earn goes back into society's coffer.

Young men and women who prostitute themselves to party politics, the media, and religion do not turn out well. This has to be patrolled all of the time:

17 About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 

18 But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his predecessors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and of the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem.

This is not what it sounds like. Hazael, the "Vision of Aram", the Vision of the Ripe Fruit that God Sees has a right to attack the Teaching Place and exact tribute, called Gath the Winepress.

Gath is the mechanism of the Torah. To press the animal nature out is to press the sentient self in. As the body and surroundings change the insistence on the pressure changes with it. Societies, governments, faiths, educational institutions, the arts, all of these must be pressed.

Rather than shed blood in an argument or armed conflict with the King of Aram, Joash "What God Knows." provides him with the tribute and the incident concludes.

The tribute included gold oraments that were dedicated by Jehoshaphat, "How God Governs", Jehoram, "what God Harvests", and Ahaziah, "what God Grasps."

Gold is synonymous with the word yacht in Gematria, Number 1189. Yachts sail us away from shore across the Black Sea to the island called Ezion Geber, where one finds the foundation of human existence. Ezion Geber is the place where one finds the religious and political ambitions to do what is right and create a "wisdom tradition" others will follow.

If we follow in the footsteps of the Four Kings of Judah named above, then we find the tradition we need to train and crane ourselves and future generations.

The Value in Gematria for the verses above are as follows:

v. 17: the Value in Gematria is 5761, the Zoe. The noun ζωη (zoe), meaning life: the act of investing energy in bonds rather than in thermodynamic excitation.

The noun ζωη (zoe), meaning life: the act of investing energy in bonds rather than in thermodynamic excitation. When a particle or a person hoards energy or wealth, this particle or person gains mass and speed and ultimately disconnects from all others.

Both hoarding and heat causes loneliness and thus death. Life is the opposite of that (LUKE 12:15).

Sharing wealth requires convention, and speech and script are manifestations of that (JOHN 1:4). Life is a cloud of interactions. Its beginning may be feeble and weak (JAMES 4:14) but it has the potential to bring about God's Kingdom (HEBREWS 12:1, 1 THESSALONIANS 4:17). This noun is used 135 times; SEE FULL CONCORDANCE.

Together with the preposition συν (sun), meaning together or with: the verb συζαω (suzao), meaning to jointly live or live together (ROMANS 6:8, 2 CORINTHIANS 7:3 and 2 TIMOTHY 2:11 only).

v. 18: the Value in Gematria is 9333. טג‎גג‎‎, the roof, gog. "A global discussion on the internet."

To dedicate oneself to the application of the object lessons of the past to the present is the greatest of wisdoms and it is the one human beings at times seem to be the least willing to try.

As never before we can talk to the entire world all at once. One would presume we have much to discuss.

[criticize-me-betuwont]

This is an argumentative essay written in the Rogerian style that I wrote for a writing class. With the Rogerian style there are two main things to keep in mind. The first one is that your thesis should be near the end of the essay, rather than the beginning. Secondly, and probably more importantly, you need to show that you have a clear understanding of your opposition’s point of view. I had a lot of fun writing this one!

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Good Or Bad?

Since Disney purchased the Star Wars franchise in 2012, the cinematic universe has been ever growing. Since Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (directed by J.J. Abrams) in 2015, we have seen four additional live action movies, three live action TV shows totaling four seasons, nine seasons worth of animated shows, about fifteen video games, with much more content on the way. While most of what has been released since Disney’s acquisition has been good, there’s some content that a wide range of people believe is bad. In the past, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (directed by Rian Johnson, 2017) has been widely seen as not only the worst Star Wars movie, but also altogether, a bad movie.

Many members of the Star Wars community believe this film to be bad. The humor that is thrown in throughout the film continuously takes away from the agency that is supposed to be given to the plot. A plot that gives the good guys mere hours to find a way to save themselves, while continually finding themselves distracted by things that are seemingly unimportant. The main distraction being when Finn and Rose arrive on Canto Bight and spend a large amount of time messing around, getting into trouble, and setting animals free. Additional distractions include infighting on the Resistance’s flagship and Luke’s refusal to train Rey in the ways of the Force.

A majority of the main and side characters were widely disliked. Admiral Holdo was thought to be too new of a character to suddenly be in charge of effectively the last of the “good guys” in the entire galaxy. She’s introduced in the film after General Organa is incapacitated and after Poe prepares to assume command. Her command of the Resistance was given with very little trust to the characters that we’ve seen grow and develop from the last film. Rose Tico is often thought to be a pointless addition to the film. Her main purpose in the film is seen as causing the main distraction, taking away from the agency of the plot, as well as creating a love interest for Finn that feels incredibly forced. When General Leia Organa is blasted into space, she uses the Force to float herself back onto their flagship. This is seen as breaking the “rules” of the Force and being just plain cheesy. Luke Skywalker defies what the audience was hoping for, and is in fact a hermit that holds no power and has no desire to help those in need. Supreme Leader Snoke was set up to be The Big Bad Evil Guy and yet he is killed with relative ease and is quickly forgotten about. Captain Phasma is the First Order’s leader of the stormtroopers, sporting awesome chrome armor, who is also killed with relative ease and quickly forgotten about.

It’s hard to argue that there aren’t some dull story elements, or moments that were perhaps drawn out too far. Whether or not the film stays true to what Star Wars should be, the film can still be a little hard to follow (keep in mind that this is the second film in the trilogy that is the third trilogy in the Star Wars saga. It’s confusing, I know). I find myself agreeing that some of the characters did not live up to their full potential. A good portion of the conflict throughout the film is between Poe Dameron and Admiral Holdo. These two characters are on the same team and essentially create an artificial conflict that could have been entirely avoided had they properly communicated with each other. Holdo had no reason to keep Poe in the dark about her plan, and Poe should not have gone behind Holdo’s back to implement a mutiny and a plan of his own. They should have worked together to create a plan that would get the least amount of people killed. Not to mention that Holdo’s character is new to this film and we have yet to be given a reason to trust her other than “she holds the highest rank”. Captain Phasma as well as Supreme Leader Snoke were set up in both the previous film as well as the first part of this film to be formidable opponents to our stars. Both of these characters were given deaths unworthy of the status that they were given. Snoke doesn’t even die fighting, he is outsmarted by his apprentice. Snoke was set up to be the smart evil mastermind behind the entire First Order. It’s hard to believe that he was outsmarted in the way that he was. Phasma’s death almost felt like an accident.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi has qualities that make this film not only a decent movie, but also an important addition to the Star Wars franchise. In all the other mainline Star Wars films before Episode VII, the main cast consists of white men, one white woman, and one black side character. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens gives us a main cast that consists of a white woman (Rey), a black man (Finn), a Guatemalan man (Poe), and a white man (Kylo Ren). This is the most diverse Star Wars cast yet, and The Last Jedi diversifies it even more by adding in a Vietnamese woman (Rose), as well as several more prominent women side characters who actually hold positions of power within the film (Leia, Holdo, and Phasma to name a few). Of course, adding in a more diverse cast and not actually giving them an important role in the film doesn’t do a whole lot. However, I would argue that the diverse cast in the film are given opportunities to stand up and be a face for the franchise (the same cannot necessarily be said of the next film Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, as much of the cast from this film end up taking a back seat). The entire trip to Canto Bight that so many dislike, actually shows us an incredibly important theme that is seen throughout Star Wars, yet isn’t addressed in a meaningful way. The theme is about how war is bad and causes oppression, and how the capitalist corporations stand to make a lot of money from continued war. We are led on this journey primarily by Rose who introduces Finn to the realities of war in the galaxy. Admiral Holdo is a woman who, despite having a powerful man try to usurp her position as the current leader of the Resistance, is able to hold her ground and lead her people to safety. People say that Leia using the Force to save herself when being blasted into space breaks the verisimilitude of the film. This specific point I have to counter as one has to remember, the Force is just magic. Its full powers and rules are unknown to us, and we already know that Leia can in fact use the Force. I would say that her using the Force in this way is perfectly reasonable and “realistic”.

Luke Skywalker is definitely not the main character, but he does have a prominent character arc that speaks true to his character, and characters similar to him throughout the history of Star Wars. He runs away from the realities of the world thinking that he’s failed both the Jedi and his family. Upon realizing that not all is lost, he is willing to give his life to fan the spark of hope that burns throughout the galaxy.

This film gives us two excellent set pieces, both of which actually happen at the same time. The first is what has been called by fans “The Holdo Maneuver”. Admiral Holdo gives her life to give the Resistance more time to escape to the planet below, ultimately securing their survival and eventual victory in the next film. She takes their flagship and puts it in hyperspace on a direct path with the First Order’s capital ship. In what is shown on screen as a silent but extremely deadly act, we are given what I believe to be one of the most breathtaking pieces of cinematography in the entire Star Wars franchise. Immediately before and after this we are shown the lightsaber fight of Rey and Kylo Ren versus the Praetorian Guards. This fight is wonderfully choreographed and is visually pleasing to watch.

When I first saw Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi in the theater I wasn’t as impressed as I was hoping to be. My second time watching it in the theater I actually fell asleep at one point, and that remains the only time I’ve ever fallen asleep in a movie theater. However, I must ask that one considers the points I’ve brought up when watching this film in the future. A lot of these points were brought to my attention by some close friends and I decided to give the film another try (out of many tries). After thinking about the points I’ve addressed here, I found myself far more sutured into the film than ever before. I’m not trying to force anyone to think that this is the best Star Wars film or anything like that. I would just like people to consider that this film may have some things in it worth paying attention to, and accepting that they may be important, both for the franchise as a whole and for communities of the world, as a whole.

Works Cited

1. Ramoncarrasquel. “All the Star Wars Games.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 11 Oct. 2016, https://www.imdb.com/list/ls066518707/.

2. Reed, Sabrina. “When Did Disney Buy Star Wars?” Dork Side of the Force, FanSided, 16 Apr. 2021, https://dorksideoftheforce.com/2021/04/16/when-did-disney-buy-star-wars/.

3. “Vice Admiral Holdo.” Disney Wiki, https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Vice_Admiral_Holdo.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

When Obi-Wan says, "Goodbye, Darth," at the end of the Kenobi series, he's accepting Vader's claim that Anakin is dead, and that Vader, not Obi-Wan, is the one who killed him. He's let go of the crippling guilt that he's carried for the past ten years.

But. In A New Hope, when Ben is talking to Luke about his father, he says, "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, a former pupil of mine, betrayed and murdered your father."

Obi-Wan no longer blames himself for killing Anakin, but after all this time he is still taking accountability for part of it: he's saying, "I had a role in this. I might not have killed Anakin--but I helped create the thing that did." He's paying one last respect to the memory of his good friend. And determining that he will do what he must to enable Luke to do what he could not: bring Anakin back to life.

[beyond-far-horizons]

Retrospective for Darth Maul

The more I get into Clone Wars/Rebels the more sadness I feel for Maul. Yes he’s a vicious character who’s done terrible things I’m not trying to deny that, but he really epitomised the result of the Dark Side path alongside Vader. 

Spoilers for Clone Wars, Rebels and a bit of Solo and the Mandalorian.

I always loved him as this Evil Badass in Ep 1 and in some ways I wish they hadn’t made him quite so pitiable esp in Rebels, yet his journey and character development is so rich and Sam Witwer plays him so well.  

What I find so sad and intriguing is that despite being so shaped and ultimately brought down by the Sith Code, he still at core driven by a need for loyalty and love. He craves a special bond with someone - his brother, his mother, Ahsoka, Ezra, even in some twisted way Sidious at least until half way though CW. But because he was kidnapped and raised by Sidious the only way he can conceive of such a bond is via the Sith Rule of Two. You can see how perplexed Savage Oppress is when Maul insists on it in their relationship. And how affected he is by being replaced by Dooku and later Anakin. He uses the Sith Code to survive for years after being cut in half by Obi Wan.

Ahsoka is interesting because they truly are equals in a way, he still at times tries to assert dominance (”follow my lead”, “the Padawan needs one more lesson...”) but he reaches out to her in a vulnerable manner the way he never does with others. Now people forget how cunning he is, he’s had info from Jesse and he was trained by master manipulator  - the effete Sidious - so he’s presenting himself in the way that would most appeal to her ex-Jedi sensibilities, but his need is palpable. Why reach out his hand like that? Does he seriously expect her to take it? And what - hold hands with him? Shake his hand? I know it’s a visual motif from Vader and Kylo Ren, but Vader makes sense - Luke is hanging off a bridge and needs to be pulled up, Kylo has touched hands with Rey before, they have a Force Bond and there’s definite romantic undertones to their previous interactions. Maul and Ahsoka have been enemies up til now, but it’s like he needs that physical connection with her. Yes he’s manipulating her and not to be trusted, but the underlying truth is that they are both outcasts, opposites on the same spectrum; they are in a unique position and as such it’s a real shame the creators didn’t take that forward in some way, because it would have been really interesting and a unique opportunity to explore both their characters and the use of the Force unrestricted by Jedi and Sith ideologies.

Ezra is the saddest though. Maul is much older now and has clearly been on his own or more cloistered away from others, despite his criminal empire, for a long time. His home on Dathomir is testament to that. He literally only has the vengeful spirits of the dead to keep him company ffs! I appreciated the Darkside Yoga impression and the tension this creates when Ezra meets him on Malachor (again another lonely hellscape to get marooned on - Maul do you want to go to Korriban/Moraband to make it a hat-trick? Maybe kick Darth Bane’s arse for his sh*tty ideology while you are there?). But after a while you realise just how desperate Maul is for some kind of companionship that is relatable to him in any way. It’s creepy but also weirdly understandable? Ezra in Maul’s twisted logic is tailor-made for such a bond - he’s an emotional Force sensitive orphan who hates the Sith/Empire and is looking for training, family and purpose - all the things Maul can relate to and can provide. But because Maul has been raised by the Nightsisters and Sidious and twisted by the Dark Side, his only way of relating to the kid is to take him as an apprentice which means the Rule of Two. Ezra’s friends and current Master are a threat, not more potential allies and companions. So Maul attacks them multiple times and loses Ezra’s trust and potential friendship. 

He says when Ezra confronts him about his betrayal of them on Malachor - “I betrayed your friends, I would have remained loyal to you.” And I think he would have. Now would that have been a terrible relationship if Maul’s character hadn’t changed - yes, completely. Maul only knows the Dark Side way of doing things but he does retain this core of attachment that both the Jedi and the Sith would deplore. 

His outburst to Ezra on Dathomir is so revealing (paraphrased) -  “Forget your memories! Forget your attachments! Our destinies converge on a planet with twin suns. We can walk that path together...as friends! As brothers...”

*Cries* He’s not even trying to hide it now, there’s no big bad Sith, no Master and Apprentice - one to embody the power, the other to crave it, Maul at his heart needs a friend, needs a brother. He might have been shouting to himself to let go of his memories and attachments and because he can’t we know it leads to his end on Tatooine which is heartbreaking. Obi Wan sees this and I’m glad he’s able to give his old foe rest at last. It speaks to Obi Wan’s character that despite what Maul has done to him he can ‘rise above’ the Dark Side and not hate Maul. But also I just wish it hadn’t ended that way? It doesn’t help that I thought Maul was still alive in the OT because of Solo and I was so hoping for a Maul/Ashoka reunion in the Mandalorian and her new show. I just wanted him to be this cool anti-villain that explores the spectrum of Light and Dark, maybe get some form of peace or balance...a Grey Sith? The fact he *still* calls Ezra his apprentice the last time he sees him just makes it worse. 

I wanted more for him... 

[benthelastskywalker]

Hi there! I love your analysis of Ben and Rey, so I was wondering if you'd read the latest screenrant article about Rey. I only skimmed it, because the article basically seems to justify the retcon of Rey Nobody in TROS, which is not something I was on board with, as I felt the characterization created by Rian in TLJ was unique and brilliant.

One quote from the article read along the lines of "Kylo Ren emotionally isolates Rey, separating her from her potential mentor, Luke Skywalker." It also claims that Kylo "gaslights" her constantly. That is the polar opposite of what I was seeing in those force bond connections. Luke makes little effort to actually connect with Rey as a mentor. Her few moments with Kylo have no effect on Luke's behavior toward her. From the beginning of their "training", after much hostile hermit behavior, it's clear that Luke fears the dark in Rey, much like he did with Ben. Again, not sure how Ben is responsible for that dynamic between Luke and Rey. Lol the force bond moments come off as two lonely souls connecting in a way that neither have experienced before. Ben doesn't manipulate Rey in these moments. To me, it seems the article is just written by an anti, and they're not subtle. But I would love to see you dissect some of this!

I've never been a fan of screenrant and I've been avoiding it ever since they claimed that Reylo had "fizzled." Clearly, they aren't paying attention. So, no, I've not read the article and won't be able to properly counter their arguments without knowing exactly what they said.

However, as for that one quote, the only thing Ben does in regards to Rey and Luke is to tell her that Luke tried to kill him. Which Luke admitted to when Rey confronted him about it! Ben doesn't know that Luke wasn't going to go through with it, so for all he knows Luke would have killed him if he hadn't woken up and he's probably afraid that Luke will try and kill her too. He's trying to warn her! "Creating emotional distance between Rey and her mentor." Wow. Way to bury your head in the sand and ignore what's really going on there, screenrant.

As for "gaslighting" Rey...gaslighting is trying to make a someone believe they're crazy. And when did he ever do that!? He was simply trying to make her realize the truth about her parents in those scenes!

I know they say love is blind, but honestly so is hatred. These people just hate Kylo and Reylo so much, that it's blinded them to the good things and all they see is the bad.

And the Force bonds scenes are about two lonely souls connecting. That's the whole point.

[stupidfatpenguin]

“Do you think it’ll work?”

Luke mulls over the question and watches Grogu by the pond where he skilfully stalks an unsuspecting amphibian, only occasionally halting his pursuit to look to where his father and Luke have escaped the heat in the temple shade, observing them with a hunter’s surveying eyes before returning to his prey.

Not for the first time Luke wonders just what kind of predator this species must be, if they have any natural enemies, and if all are so in tune with the Force as Grogu is and Yoda had been.

“It might.”

Din sighs when he hears the answer, even though Luke had given it with optimism. There is a sort of lingering desperation to him lately that he works hard to conceal, but which only serves to further endear him to Luke, like so many things about him do. But even the Jedi is starting to feel his patience wearing thin.

Grogu’s impression that the marks Din left on him in private moments were hurting Luke had been amusing initially, albeit a little embarrassing. He had thought the youngling’s protective impulse sweet, a reflection of his father’s own near self-sacrificing tendencies, but even Luke had failed to predict the extent of which they would be acted on.

follow up to ‘a healing touch’ read more below the cut, or read the rest on ao3 

At first, it was like they had made a game of it: Din’s arsenal of experience and skills as a hunter pitted against Grogu’s stubbornness and control of the Force.

Grogu had quickly realised that the “harm” that befell him happened in the night-time when he could not watch them for any signs of their presumed fighting. Luke had laughed himself stupid when Din had told him about the night in the corridor, when his son had caught him on his way to Luke’s rooms and had consequently begun finding ways to sleep in them to ensure that his father wouldn’t lay hands on him, but the humour had begun to fade when Grogu’s insistence began testing his own restraint.

The other day, the tension built up from their days of unintended abstinence had snapped. They had retorted to hiding away in the hangar once Grogu was put down for a nap, finding each other in greedy moments stolen in Din’s ship and promises given with such fervour Luke could still feel it when he pressed the bruises on his hips that had lingered long after.

The marks had been left with more care, still red and vicious with the evidence of ardour and claim, but below the collar of the tunics and shirts Luke had begun wearing more rigidly—even on the days the heat and humidity was no less than choking.

Of course, even that effort had been in vain when Grogu, the very next day, had climbed Luke’s back to seek his attention, pulled the shirt just so and found the evidence of their rendezvous.

Grogu’s increased vigilance (and the aid of his abilities that he was gaining control over so rapidly Luke had begun to wonder if he drew some sort of motivation from his mislead scheme to “protect” him) had made it even harder to find any sort of respite.

It wasn't that he required the sex—the appeal of the Mandalorian he had invited to his bed went far beyond this after all—but it was, admittedly, nice. To feel wanted, and to feel desired the way he did when Din’s mouth and hands were on his skin, to feel so deeply and overwhelmingly loved the way he did when Din’s eyes stared into his in the aftermath, lax with devotion and bliss.

Now, this silly misunderstanding had made those moments scarce. Standing close was now a cause of scrutiny. A prolonged touch would be cause for distraction or interruption. They couldn’t even attempt to spar—Grogu was quick to pull Din away from him if he ever reached for a weapon. Neither he nor Din could tell how much longer this could go on for.

So he has to try. He will have to try and explain to Grogu that what is between his father and Luke is something good that he doesn’t need protecting from. Something that had over time become something strong and unrelenting, something so bright and infatuating that the only way to describe it with words would be… love.

He glances at Din, tripping nervously beside him, and feels his own love for this man swell in him then. “It might be best if you leave us alone for this. I have a feeling you will be too much of a distraction right now.”

Din looks like he wants to disagree, but his son meets his gaze then with a large, blue frog stuck in sharp teeth, and he thinks that Luke might be right.

“Alright,” he says to Luke. “I’ll be inside if you need me. I should get dinner started.”

He steps close to Luke, as if to kiss him goodbye as he would often do, but now he hesitates, nods instead and goes to do as he has said.

Luke watches him leave and feels an aching bitterness he hasn't really felt before at being denied such a simple thing, and vows then that he must find a way to end this silly misunderstanding—to free Din once more to the whims of his own wants that he had kept locked away so tightly under his beskar, until one day Luke had woken to lips on his shoulder and the helmet had stopped staying on when they were alone, the three of them… or even just the two of them.

He turns to his student and calls out.

“Grogu!”

The child turns to him at once like a magnet to its opposite pole and radiates an admiration and sense of belonging that never fails to make Luke feel like maybe he can be a teacher to this child in spite of all the ways he falls short.

“Come here! I want to ask you something.”

They sit down in the grass as if to meditate, but it is not the depths of the Force they’ll be exploring today.

Luke is suddenly uncertain where to start, wonders just how Grogu comprehends concepts such as family and love beyond his bond to Din… and that really is the key, isn’t it? As if a light clears away the cloudy darkness, it becomes obvious to him that this is one way to go about this.

“Grogu,” he begins, gaining the child’s unwavering attention as he reaches out to him, lets their thoughts and feelings mingle until a clear, unperturbed connection has formed between them.

Master, he senses the thought, laced with anticipation and excitement, but kept calm, as he had likely been taught on Coruscant. Grogu’s mind flashes to a memory that shows that this is indeed true, but before he can tell Luke more of this training Luke sends an impression of Din—of when Luke had first met the two, on the bridge of the Imperial light cruiser to which he had followed Grogu’s call.

“Show me.”

Grogu knows his meaning at once, and his presence fills with feelings and impression, something that had started small and uncertain but had grown and grown, a love so bright and pure and at the centre of it all is Din. The memories flitter by so quickly—some familiar, others are new to him—but in the mass of them is Grogu’s undeniable sentiment. Father. Clan. Safe.

Luke smiles, encouraging. “Yes. That feeling. Remember it well. It is the love that created your bond with him.”

Father. Warm, safe, love. Grogu radiates joy and content, and Luke reflects it, touched deeply by the love between the two, of all they have been through that had brought them together.

“Now,” Luke waits for Grogu to prepare, and then sends an impression of himself. “Show me our bond.”

What happens then is unexpected. It is almost overwhelming. The sense of belonging and gratitude and adoration and awe—and Luke is suddenly beginning to realise that Grogu’s depth of affection towards himself has grown far deeper than he had thought to anticipate.

Love? Grogu suddenly asks, and for a moment Luke is struck silent until it dawns on him that—yes, that is exactly what this is.

“Yes.” He breathes the word between them, but it rings loud and certain over their bond. “This, too… it is not so dissimilar to the way your father loves you.”

Grogu preens with this knowledge, is then a vast sea of impressions of moments between his father and himself, between Grogu and Luke, and they are all filled with such bubbling emotions of warm, safe, happy, love, love, love, that the Force itself seems to hum with them.

Luke stills a laugh that is ready to spill from his chest; he must reign this back onto the path he has set. Focus, little one.

I focus.

Luke marks his approval, and then heeds his own instructions.

“Now. Come search my feelings.”

He bids Grogu come into his own mind, and once he has Luke begins sharing his own impressions of Din up through their time together, careful to filter away any thoughts or feelings that he would not have his young student know, but the aching feelings he holds for Din remains, and his heart is light with them as he lets himself feel them, too, in their purest form.

Grogu, he finds, is focusing carefully, but there is something akin to confusion in him, even as the words in his thoughts appear clear and bright.

Master… love?

“That’s right,” Luke encourages, focusing on the feeling of relief that washes over him whenever Din’s ship enters the atmosphere, chasing away a lingering loneliness he sometimes still struggles to let go of. “What is between your father and I—it is a little different. But this, too, is love.”

The inevitable impression of himself, covered in bruises that seem far larger and more concerning than they do in actuality, flows through their bond.

Father hurt Master Luke.

Luke wonders for a long moment how to possibly go about this.

“He doesn't hurt me,” he says, truthfully. “It’s… it’s how he shows he loves me.”

Confusion continues to flitter through their connection, and Luke decides suddenly what might convey this the best.

He sends an impression of Din leaving. Of his ship breaking the atmosphere and of Grogu watching with his Mudhorn pendant grasped between his hands. Then, he shows an impression of himself, fingers touching the mark on his neck, and sends a pulse of longing and waiting through the bond.

So that I can remember him when he is not here.

The confusion gives way to a a slow dawning of understanding.

Luke wonders at his own resourcefulness.

Grogu retreats fully from his mind, and Luke lets him go, feels like something has changed in him. They sit bathing in the afternoon light, a serene sort of calm between them.

Grogu moves first, gets up and walks slowly over to Luke, who pulls him into his lap when he reaches for him.

“Do you see it now, Grogu?”

The child coos and emits nothing but affirmation, and he begins pulling on the sleeve of Luke’s left arm. Luke humours him, lets him touch and study the skin there… and is too late to stop him when he bites down on his arm with a chomp.

-

tl;dr: Luke explains love and relationships to Grogu. He succeeds--in a way.

[therealvinelle]

Hi there! I just saw your ask about the doomed happy endings of...everyone, basically, and something stuck out to me: the concept of Carlisle and Jasper forming a two man vegetarian coven. Could you elaborate on that? Any headcanons?

Sure!

So, this one is possible, but first I must make the note that Carlisle only turned Edward because after centuries of solitude and failing to either find likeminded or convert others to his way of life, he decided to create his own vampire and train this one to live as did.

To us this is the beginning of the story, a par de course in the life of Carlisle - of course he bites Edward, Esme, Rose, and Emmett, that’s how the story went!

For Carlisle, however, this was the last way out, something he dreaded resorting to and likely never would have if Elizabeth Masen hadn’t been who she was.

What this means is that if Carlisle and Jasper team up to form their two man vegetarian coven, then the rest of the Cullens don’t happen. It’ll just be those two.

With that in mind, how would this even happen?

Carlisle needs to meet Jasper before Edward. This means at any point between 1863 and 1919 (Edward died in the autumn). This could happen, because Carlisle travelled all the world, he could have passed through Middle America at some point.

A problem immediately presents itself: Jasper was with Maria at the time, and while he was miserable, he loved her and couldn’t imagine a different life. He hadn’t pieced together what his gift did to him when he killed humans, because he was constantly killing people anyway. He was Darth Vader before finding out Luke Skywalker is alive, and his world was endless war, death, and bloodshed.

Not only would it take a lot for Carlisle to persuade him, but I doubt it would occur to Carlisle to try and persuade this scarred over killing machine into a god-fearing vegan lifestyle in the first place. He didn’t get through to Aro, nor Siobhan, nor any of the wonderful people he’s met over the years. Jasper is one terrifying motherfucker, if Carlisle ran into him in the wild he’d likely pretend to be on the phone with Aro, “Oh you’re expecting me in Volterra next week and would come searching if I didn’t show, good to know. What’s that, you’d definitely avenge my death? Cool. Say hi to my best friend Jane.” even though phones hadn’t been invented yet, and then run in the opposite direction.

But there’s also the Luke Skywalker path.

Jasper had, in his own words, nearly no humanity left. There was only killing and blood. He was desperately unhappy, the problem was he didn’t know it.

If Carlisle looked at him the right way and saw that, saw that pain...

If Carlisle told Jasper about his life, about his ideals and altruistic existence, it would be for Jasper a completely absurd experience, this yellow-eyed pacifist living a life he couldn’t even imagine. He’d be fascinated.

Remember, in 1938 it would only take Peter one conversation to persuade Jasper to leave Maria.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Jasper wouldn’t drop everything, “I’m a hippie now! Make love, not war, Maria, bye.” within five minutes (Well, I say that, but if Carlisle caught him in the right moment I can also see Jasper having such a bizarre time meeting this alien that he just follows Carlisle like the pied piper) but this vampire living such an impossible, different, life would intrigue him. Carlisle would be like a man who lives free from capitalism to us, impossible but oh so alluring. You can’t put someone like that out of your mind after that.

And Carlisle, in turn, seeing Jasper’s interest would return to see him again, not expecting him to follow the diet but hoping to at the very least get this rough diamond away from his current life. He wouldn’t be able to leave him, his faith and morals would make that unthinkable for him.

Carlisle is gifted extremely charismatic, and sooner rather than later he would have Jasper convinced he doesn’t have to continue killing for the sake of killing in an endless cycle of violence (knowing how miserable Jasper only had to realize he was, I think Carlisle would seal the deal on their second meeting).

From there, there are two paths. 

A, they part ways, and Jasper’s depression doesn’t cease because he’s still killing humans. Carlisle’s words returns to him, and he tries animal blood. Realizing that this is the right path to him, he embarks upon a road trip to track down the pacifist blond, wherever he is in the world now, and it ends with a scene likes the airport scenes in romantic movies, where Carlisle sees his yellow eyes and they run towards each other in slow motion.

B, Carlisle gets Jasper to try it, “What’s this, I’m not miserable anymore!” and now Carlisle has a BFF/life partner.

Either way, they’d be a delightful, unlikely duo and I’m here for the buddy comedy.

[kcatta-wodahs]

Making Lore Out of the Angel Event

Im the definition of 'its not that deep but I'm going to dig a hole to make it that deep'

In this case its me making it that deep because otherwise this event is upsetting so I'm making some dark lore theories to make it make sense to me.

I'll have a lot of spoilers below. For the event and everything I know, which is up to like lesson 32 I think.

Basically, TLDR; this was an attack by Michael/their Father on Devildom. Simeon and Diavolo have successfully negated the threat by turning it into a game.

TLDR Thesis; The Celestial Realm is governed through careful mind control. The Demon Bros are not "avatars" because of being demons- they have been cursed by their Father to suffer as no other demon nor angel has to.

First we hear direct from Michael, and he's giving these bangles that appear to brainwash the main cast.

This was an attempt by their Father to bring them back under his control. By control, I mean this literally.

I've felt for a long time that the way the Celestial Realm seems to be run is... shady. It's a utopia to outside appearances only, and those who have been most deeply embroiled in the Great Celestial War know this.

The Great Celestial War was over free will, rather than the specifics of Lilith's situation. She was the catalyst for a long-time-coming revolt against the rulers of the Celestial Realm.

My logic for this:

The reason for Lilith's expulsion goes against the current action plan of the Celestial Realm. Peace between the realms? Sure, but their Father is bound to realize that you put angels, humans, and demons together you're going to end up with more angels like Lilith, who fall for other races. Why would he accept this truce if he lost his favored children over an issue that is very similar? Did he have a change of heart? Heavens no.

Luke's behaviour towards the demon's seems case-and-point. Luke is not the strange one out of the angelic transfer students- Simeon is. Not only that, Simeon is chosen not in an attempt to promote peace, but to protect Luke from being influenced. (Which is, again, the whole point\of the exchange program.)

That time we went to the Celestial Realm for real - Lucifer was worried. Scared, even. This can be explained by, you know, the War and Lilith.. but I wonder if it may be more sinister. Like perhaps being brainwashed.

Diavolo and Barbatos weren’t required to wear bangles to become less “demon-like” for the “party”. This is because the bangles were a ploy to get the brothers back.

My theory is that when an angel begins to show signs of rebellion or questioning the divine order, they are forcibly stopped. Michael is that enforcer, and these 'gifts' are a method of stopping them.

The bangles cause a person to act *perfectly angelic* against their free will. The people affected become all smiles and sunshine, so clearly nothing could be wrong with it, right? They’re happy, right?

No. Very not right, and we can see that through Satan.

Poor Satan is always the exception to the rule of the Brothers, as his circumstances are different from everyone else's.

In this case though, he's the one who provides insight on this mind control. 

Let me remind you of the quotes Satan gives us during this time:

“I feel worked up.” “I don’t feel like myself at all.”

“It feels like something foreign is forcing my heart to be calm.” “Like my heart... becoming tranquil.”

Satan has never been an angel. He has never experienced this before. He has something the other brothers don’t: self-reflection. Satan can tell the difference between his feelings and feelings that are being imposed upon him. He tells you what he feels - “worked up” and “not like himself” and he is not smiling during this. He’s clearly unhappy, even though an angel might say he should feel unburdened by losing his anger.

He even mentions this.

“Normally, that wouldn’t seem like something bad, right?” “Something isn’t right.” “Maybe you shouldn’t come near me when I’m in this state.”

Satan is under the effects of the bangle, being forced to act angelic, but he can tell something “isn’t right.” He clearly shows that he thinks this is a “bad” thing, not because being calm is bad, but because it’s not “normal”. And can I remind you that he’s the Avatar of Wrath? The Sin that is most likely to be dangerous to be around - and yet it’s only when his anger is forcibly quelled that he thinks you should stay away from him. He knows that this is not something to desire. He knows that it is not happiness.

“I can’t concentrate on reading today.”

I mean, he’s obviously going through a lot, so that’s fair. But I have the theory that if he were to try and research this condition he wouldn’t be able to either. I have a theory about the Garden of Eden. My theory is about Paradise.

Remember when Eve ate the fruit? Do you know what that fruit was? Sin?

No. That fruit was knowledge.

Specifically, knowledge of good and evil. Now, why would this knowledge be something to keep from those under the control of the Celestial Realm? It sounds rather like they might be able to then make their own decisions of what is right and wrong.

Satan has known this from the beginning. Knowledge is power. The Ruler of the Celestial Realm, the other demons’ Father, knows this, too.

Why are there no other Avatars?

Sin was not something inherent to Devildom. Sin is a judgement sent from the Celestial Realm. There are no other Avatars because they are a wholly angelic creation. There are other posts that have examined the Sins as outlets, and how each of the brothers are attempting to find ways to allow themselves to express their sin so it does not overtake them.

From the get-go, we are shown that these Sins are a defining point for the brothers, but we’re also shown that they cause more trouble than anything else. Again, part-and-parcel of being a demon, right?

So why aren’t other demons like this?

Look at Diavolo and Barbatos, or even just the background demons who work across Devildom. Look at No. 2. They are all far more complex, and could even be considered normal. No. 2 is specifically meant to be based off of Mammon and his greed, but is much more rounded when we interact with it.

If Diavolo is meant to be the ruler of demonkind -- the paragon of what a demon should be -- then why would he not be the epitome of all of these Sins in one? What is Diavolo, instead?

Diavolo is accepting.

Hold up a moment here. What? Sorry y’all but it sounds to me like Mr. Demon Daddy King trusts his son enough to pass the kingdom on to him... so that must mean that Diavolo is behaving as a demon should.

Barbatos doesn’t question Diavolo’s choices. Nobody does. He’s an all around popular ruler. Devildom seems to be quite.. the opposite of what we’ve been trained to expect, huh? Trained by who exactly?

What are the Demon Brothers?

Cursed. They don’t act like other demons because they’re not like other demons. When they rebelled against their Father, they were punished for this act, but I posit that the punishment and the exile were two different acts. Their Father knew that leaving the Celestial Realm was not punishment to those who desired free will. So instead, he gave them Sin. Something that Demons are not normally bound to.

But how would the brothers know this? They only know what they’ve been taught by angels about demons. Surely these new, pressing desires come from turning into demons..? 

So, why was this not taken seriously?

Short answer: it was. But in the way that aligns with Diavolo’s ultimate goals.

Diavolo wants peace. 

Let’s Talk About Simeon

Simeon is an enigma and a half isn’t he?

Simeon is close with Michael, closer than Luke in any case. Now, I’ll be honest, I can’t remember if it was a fanfiction I read that said this or if it was canon so uh - forgive me. But Simeon was chosen to accompany Luke as an exchange student so that Luke would get some education. Simeon says this is to help relations, as Diavolo wants, but of course that’s what you would say as a sleeper agent?

Now, don’t get sad. Because we love Simeon here and we support him.

Simeon is wise and neutral. He seems to support the brothers, and even still wishes to foster a relationship with them. This could be seen as an attempt to bring them back, or some such, but I like to think that Simeon knows what’s wrong with the Celestial Realm.

Simeon, however, doesn’t think that a revolt can solve it. Simeon is working with Diavolo to create a form of peace - and has been transparent about the fact that Michael chose him to prevent Luke from being corrupted. I like to think he’s also been transparent with Diavolo about Michael’s actual goal. 

Simeon believes that the races should co-exist and love freely. How could love be evil, after all? Whether or not this is a new concept to him (because of his falling for you) or if this is just who he is, I’ll leave up to you and your preferences, but since he is now no longer undateable, it is established that he does not believe love between angels and humans to be bad - as his Father did with Lilith.

What happened, then?

My theory is that Simeon told Diavolo that Michael had given him a task - to give these bangles to the brothers to remind them of the joy they were missing by disobeying the Divine Order. Either that, or to brainwash them into coming back home. 

Simeon’s position would be revealed to Michael if he didn’t give the brothers the bangles, but he does not want to instigate another war either. So he told Diavolo Michael’s plan. 

Diavolo wants peace, and he knows that with time, the brothers can overcome this mind control as they had in the past - especially with his help. 

So thus comes the “party”. 

An excuse to make the bangles seem like a “harmless” gift, that had only gone wrong because of strange magical interference, when really they had done exactly what they were supposed to.

And a wonderful way to maintain peace while leaving the Celestial Realm to stew in their own pots. 

Simeon gets to maintain his facade for everyone - and put on a show for Michael as being loyal. He also gets to show Luke that perhaps being wholly angelic isn’t the way for some people, letting him learn a little more about peaceful coexistence. Nothing happens to ruin Diavolo’s grand plan for peace, and he gets to learn more about the curse that is set upon his friends - One that he hopes to be able to break someday, so they can live their lives unfettered by their Father.

[dameronology]

old times & new times {luke skywalker x reader}

luke skywalker + 2) ‘you pushed me away’ (from the angst prompts) for @mszosterstark 

i’m so sorry this took so long!! i’m still working through requests from like...october?? i hope you enjoy! ❤️

-jazz xx

Luke Skywalker should have been happy.

The war was over and the Rebebllion had won. The Empire was in a million little pieces over the moons of Endor and it felt like the sun was finally starting to peak through the cracks of years’ worth of storm clouds. He had a family by his side and his future as a Jedi was looking brighter than ever. This was everything he’d wanted for so long; it was everything he’d fought for, everything he’d envisioned. He’d never been a the grass is always greener kind of guy but Luke knew there was something missing.

It was you. 

Back in the days of the war, when he’d sneak to your room at 4AM or when you’d slip out of the base to go for an early morning walk, you would spend hours talking about your future. At the time, neither of you had known whether or not you even had one, but it had a fun coping mechanism; pretending, acting like you were certain that the Rebellion was gonna pull through. You’d day-dreamed about where you were gonna live and how you were going to get married. Whilst Han and Leia were a few feet away going back and forth, you and Luke were the very opposite. Solid. Secure. Permanent.

There was a sense of irony to that statement now, considering that the two of them were better than ever and Luke had managed to lose you entirely. He couldn’t even recall how it happened and that was probably the worst part. He’d just been...busy. Stressed and torn in a million different directions by the war. It was the usual story of not realising what you had before it was too late. By the time Luke even realised that he’d been taking you for granted, you were already out the door. The new galaxy was calling, full of opportunity and excitement, and you weren’t going to wait. Ironically, it had been a world that he had helped to create - and he’d lost you to it.

Luke would have asked - begged, even - for a second chance if he knew where to find you. But that was the thing: he couldn’t. He’d asked around but nobody seemed to know. Someone thought they’d seen you on Naboo, and another pilot could have sworn you flew past him on his way to the Outer Rim. You were everywhere and no-where. Seen by everybody and seen by no-one.

Life sometimes had a funny way of working out; when you spend hours searching high and low for something, you won’t find it, then the minute you stop, it’s right in front of you. If Luke had known that was the case, he wouldn’t have bothered looking in the first place. He almost felt his soul leave his body when you walked into the New Republic base, arms linked with Leia as you laughed together. His sister hadn’t half given him a bollocking when she found out how he’d treated you. Really, it was a miracle there were no sharp objects within the vicinity. 

Your eyes met from across the room -- you stopped in your tracks, the smile falling from your face and your brow furrowing. It could have been worst, right? You could have burst into tears, or gone right up to him and smacked him. 

‘Luke.’ You forced a smile. ‘Hi.’

‘H-hey.’ He hadn’t stuttered in a long time; not since he was trying to chat up his cute neighbour on Tatooine. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you here.’

‘Likewise.’ You replied. ‘I thought you were out on Coruscant these days.’

‘I am most the time.’ He said. ‘But I guess I’m all over the place.’

‘In more ways than one.’ Leia muttered. ‘I’ll give you two a minute.’

The Princess released her grip on your arm, shooting her brother a look that said if you try anything, I’ll know. Of course, she wanted nothing more than you both to be happy but it was simply in Leia’s nature to look out for you. After giving you a brief pat on the shoulder, she looked between the two of you and floated away, leaving a trail of expensive Alderanian perfume in her wake. 

‘It’s been a while.’ You awkwardly shuffled on your feet, eyes falling to the floor. 

‘Where have you been?’ Luke gently asked. ‘I, uh...I was looking for you, for a while.’

‘Everywhere, actually.’ You replied. ‘I guess I’ve been doing a bit of everything.’

‘But you’re back here now?’ He had a hopeful glint in his eye that you hadn’t seen since long before the war. ‘For good?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe.’ You shrugged. ‘Why?’

‘You know why.’ Luke muttered. ‘I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left.’

‘I’m not the one who left, Luke.’ You reminded. 

‘I got home one day and you were gone.’ He shot back. 

‘That’s not the full story.’ You quietly sighed. ‘You pushed me away.’

He’d cocked it up; let the person in the galaxy slip through his fingers, right in front of his very eyes. People were lucky to find what you had two had once in their life, let alone twice. He knew he was never going to find someone like you again and frankly, he didn’t want to. He wanted you and only you, and he would have gone back in time and relived the horrors of the war if it meant convincing you to stay. 

‘I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t change anything but I am.’ Luke slowly reached a hand out towards yours. His fingers gently brushed the back of your palm, and you didn’t push away. That was a good sign, right? 

‘I know.’ You offered him a small smile. ‘But in the grand scheme of things, life isn’t bad, right? We won the war. The Empire’s gone. That’s all you ever wanted.’

‘I wanted it with you.’ He replied. ‘I spoke about this kind of future with you. It doesn’t feel right to have all this without by my side.’

‘I get that, but if you’d focused solely on our relationship, we might not have all of this. You did what you had to do and I respect that.’

‘That’s the past now - the war, the Empire, letting it consume my life.’ He put a hand under your chin, prompting you to finally look up at him. ‘Please let me make it right?’

You missed him - you couldn’t deny that. You’d been thinking about him a lot, wondering how he was doing and whether you should reach out. Thanks to Leia, you knew that he’d been okay (sometimes barely) but you couldn’t help but feel like you should have been there. He still had a lot riding on his shoulders - rebuilding the New Republic, training to be a Jedi, sorting out the remaining Imps - and you’d always been his support system. In return, he’d been yours. There were days when you still needed him and it had hurt to be without him. 

‘How?’ You asked quietly.

‘I’m free tonight.’ Luke replied. ‘Let’s go to Tatooine, to that little diner we used to love.’

‘Luke, Tatooine is ages away-’

‘- I have my X-Wing!’ He insisted. ‘C’mon. It’ll be like old times.’

‘Do we want it to be like old times?’

‘Then it’ll be the first of new times.’ He flashed you a smile. ‘Please?’

‘Yeah, okay.’ It didn’t take much convincing, not when Luke was involved. ‘I’d like that.’

He leant forward, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek. ‘Thank you.’ 

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

First I gotta say that I love you and your work, it's incredible and I enjoy every post✨

My brother said that Qui-Gon and Luke are grey jedi and that Luke has a red lightsaber as backup or something like that. And I'm looking at him with mad side eye and just wanted to ask your opinion on it?

❤️❤️❤️ Aaaaaw, so sweet!!!!

... Wait, Luke has a red lightsaber? *furious typing* Ah, yes. It’s in like three Legends books, and therefore worthless. 

Just kidding - but here lies the first problem. What continuity is your brother even working with? Because you cannot - and I will die on this hill even though it’s just basic common sense, cannot - attempt to reconcile the Legends EU and Lucas’ vision for Star Wars into one cohesive universe. The characters don’t work, the themes don’t work, the timelines don’t work, the ideas don’t work. 

Here is a bit of an explanation on why I believe that to be the case, and the quotes backing it up, but basically, Lucas, Filoni and LucasFilms all confirmed that the extended universe was not to be considered on par with the movies and TCW in any way. I’m not saying this to criticize the EU itself, or to say people don’t have a right to find it immensely entertaining/meaningful. I’m saying this to explain why you cannot take pieces of the EU (yes, even the old EU) to try and contextualize the movies - unless Lucas/somebody on the creative team of a piece of ‘higher’ canon expressly admitted to having taken something directly out of Legends.

Now, is there such a thing as a “Grey Jedi” in the movies, or TCW? No, there isn’t, but we’ll come back to that. 

The second problem is the very definition of Grey Jedi. Depending on who you ask, what decades-old Legends book you go on from, Grey Jedi are either individuals capable of using both the Dark and the Light, or simply rogue Jedi. 

Breaking it down case by case: I - Are Luke or Qui-Gon rogue Jedi? II - Do Luke or Qui-Gon use both the Light and the Dark?

I (A) - Qui-Gon is characterized as a bit of maverick, but he is by no means a complete outlier to the Jedi. I’ll just drop these two very interesting posts here and here that are a bit off-topic but make some great points about Qui-Gon loving the Order and definitely identifying as part of it.  We get many, many instances of the Council itself approving of him. They overrule Yoda’s vote to not have Anakin trained, they still assign Qui-Gon very important missions like the one to Naboo, and they don’t pull him out of said missions when Qui-Gon shows up with a random kid he claims to be the incarnation of the Force itself. That is indicative of a high degree of trust, to say the least - so you can say that he is ‘rogue’ in the sense that he used to eff off to wherever to do his own stuff, but he never claimed to be anything other than a Jedi, he never left the Jedi, and he never criticized the Order in the movies or TCW (yes, you can check - he never once directly says anything about them being wrong for not doing things his way; just that he will do what he feels he must.)

"Tu-Anh was something of a maverick. Much like my own master, Qui-Gon Jinn. She would disappear for long periods, conducting rogue investigations. Her activities often unknown to even the Council." ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Jen June on Tu-Ahn[src]   

So yeah, rogue somewhat, but still a Jedi Master, trusted to the point that they would have had him on the Council had he chilled a bit. 

He also never does anything in the movies that sets him apart as oh-so-different from his fellow Jedi. Arguing with the Council? Everybody does that. Anakin does, Obi-Wan does, Yoda does, Ahsoka does, the younglings do - they argue with Obi-Wan in the Ilum arc. Being compassionate/nice to people? Check out the Disappeared, two entire episodes that have Mace befriending Jar Jar Binks. Here’s a list of instances of the Council being incredibly nice. Here, here and here is Mace being kind and compassionate. Qui-Gon liking Anakin? Here’s the Council and Anakin bantering. Here’s Yoda caring about Anakin. 

Again, Qui-Gon wanted Anakin trained as a Jedi, and trusted his straight(er)-laced Jedi Padawan with it in the end. There is nothing in the movies or the show saying Qui-Gon was completely separate from the Order, or in radical opposition to them.

I (B) - Luke is the Order reborn, so he cannot be rogue, as the only thing he can measure himself against is himself. There is no longer a standard to be rogue in comparison to. Considering the state of the galaxy when he becomes a Jedi, Luke simply cannot function in the same way the Jedi who came before him did, but that doesn’t say anything about a rejection of the values of the PT Order. What it means to be a Jedi - being kind and compassionate, being in control of yourself, seeking peace before violence - is embodied by Luke. Furthermore, Luke loves Yoda and Obi-Wan - the quintessential Jedi characters - deeply, and finds much of his identity in being a Jedi. 

“I am a Jedi, like my father before me” would be a really weird line if Luke actually meant “but like, not a Jedi like those Jedi. I’m a me-Jedi. A not-like-them-Jedi.”

I can’t make this into a Luke meta, because it’d be too long, but I don’t get the idea that Luke could represent a rogue Jedi when, at the time of his creation, he was the one and only embodiment of an active Jedi Knight we got to see. Like, what were we supposed to compare him to to determine he was rogue/doing things ‘better’? 

Luke’s story is about becoming a Jedi and getting his father to become a Jedi again as well. That story makes little narrative sense if he’s supposed to be defined in opposition to the rest of the Jedi (that, at this point in time, we didn’t know) as instead of being defined as one. 

And again, the Jedi of old display just as much compassion and kindness as Qui-Gon or Luke.

-

II - No, Luke and Qui-Gon don’t use both the Dark Side and the Light, because that’s literally not how the Force works - and don’t take my word for it: here’s Lucas explaining it in details. You don’t get to do both. The Dark is selfishness. You can’t be selfish and selfless and the same time. You can’t crave power and holding innocent people’s lives as more important than even your own.

The words “light side” were never uttered in the movies and only really appear in the Mortis arc, and I dare anyone to claim they truly understand everything about it beyond “it’s a microcosm of the Galaxy/the whole Star Wars saga.” The Jedi never claim adherence to a “light side,” they say they seek balance. The idea that balance is 50% evil and 50% good is baffling to me and I blame the SWTOR video games and their in-game mechanics. (Look, if I pour 50% poison into my sugar when I’m making a cake, everybody is still dead in the end. And if I slaughter only half of the people I’ve got it for and forgive the other half, I’m still creating that many circles of hatred and revenge.)

-

Finally - if Luke or Qui-Gon were meant to be “Grey Jedi” Lucas would have called them that. It’s not the case. It’s not anywhere in the movies or TCW, hence, it’s not what he intended. They can be interpreted this way, but it’s still not what the movies where trying to say. 

[chocolateslatte]

🚨The Rise of Skywalker Detailed Review and Spoilers Ahead🚨

George Lucas: “If the boy and girl walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand in the last scene, it adds 10 million to the box office”

The “fairytale” we got: A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away, there was a curse of pain and death in a family that just went on and on.  They were never able to break it and they all die, the end. 

Well, you did it JJ, you little punk...you ruined 40 years of cinema. Kids are coming out of theatres crying, they can’t understand. I guess this was the “fun and hopeful ending” you were speaking of during the press tours.  Are you on crack or something, or just sadistic....why would you promote it like that!? Did you forget Star Wars at its core is a story of hope, light, a fairytale in space for children? They did it...they united Reylo’s and Fanboys through hate. 

JJ you do realize tragical romances are only tragically romantic if there was romantic buildup? Romeo and Juliet married in secret, Anidala did as well and flirted in the fields. How was this supposed to be satisfying? A five-second beginning, middle, and end. How this went through multiple execs is beyond me.... I would have understood if Reylo was Rian’s creation. BUT JJ LITERALLY was the one who told Rian to go forth with it...he created Reylo so you can’t say the last Jedi derailed things on that front. JJ wasn’t brave enough for his own vision. This movie was like “the crimes of Grindlewald”, a lot of stuff happening that made me feel nothing. 

Okay, first things first. The OG trilogy was necessary, the prequels were necessary to set up that Vader did not start off bad. What was necessary about the sequels? They just dismantled everything the Skywalker family worked for. Why did we have to see ALL of our favorite characters die? Was the aim that a villain can only be redeemed through death? How original. I’m convinced what they were planning for since force awakens was a journey from villain to hero...but instead we got this a 10min redemption resulting in death a la Vader. Why call Adam Driver’s character a “Disney Prince”?When did Happy endings become so controversial? We go to the movies to feel hope, to escape reality...George Lucas understood that. JJ’s trilogy is uninspired, bland and contributes nothing to the saga. JJ went as far as to recon his own “The Force Awakens”.It had the chance to define generations but no. Literal and utter garbage. Rian made some odd choices but he was bold, unafraid and had the vision. HE knew emotion was at the heart of Star Wars.

WHERE DID THE SKYWALKERS RISE? MORE LIKE RISE OF PALPATINE,  HE BLOODY WON

BUT my problem is not with the ending, it’s the bloody entire movie. This movie made me realize that it's not Reylo that I am a fan of, it was Ben, Leia, Han, Ani, Padme, and all those other characters. I’m upset because this movie is not my Star Wars: of family, love and above all else hope. This is just a 2.5-hour video game with no emotions. This trilogy was all angst with NO payoff.

Okay, you will never ever convince me Palpatine was planned the whole time. This whole movie was retcon for the Last Jedi that pissed off the fanboys. Lucas films did not have an outline for the three films and Rian derailed whatever they wanted to do....except they didn’t even tell him what they wanted! This should be a cautionary tale of why you need to plan. Kylo ain’t bad, Snoke is gone....well pull out Palpatine I guess. This whole film is JJ’s mad scrambling.  Alright, I will humor you, tell me how Palpatine came back when he fell down a shaft and exploded....not *boom boom because of force*. The force in this movie is not canon George Lucas force, it’s just an easy out whenever JJ wants one. 

1. Opening Crawl: As soon as I saw this I knew all the leaks were true, I wanted to bolt from the theatre. When I saw them in August I laughed cause it was so ridiculous it couldn’t be true. How could Disney let a whole movie leak? The plot seemed like a bad fan-fiction. Actually, fanfics are way more true to lore. Anyway, so Palpatine “announces” that he’s back. Is this the shrewd Chancellor Palpatine we know? Certainly, not...why in the world would he announce it rather than keep on the DL and just attack. Yo Palps ain’t this dumb why would you let them (the resistance) prepare?? Because of plot...well okay. 

2. Did Last Jedi even happen:  this film is the sequel to the force awakens, like TLJ never happened...except it’s acting like there was some movie in between that JJ made. Okay, so why is Kylo trying to run Rey over with his tie fighter...he doesn’t really want to kill her. It’s just meaningless action shots.  And don’t get me started on exposition, the dialogue: “hey look its the Knights of Ren”. Except they do nothing. Cool cool.  Kylo’s character goes back to Force awakens era like no development had occurred...except he’s not even there he’s just messing around not even being a real villain.  JJ’s specialty is set-up and he does this beautifully....but he can not wrap up and follow through. 

3. Rose Tico: yup last Jedi never happened, she has nothing to do. She and Finn are irrelevant. Finn has reverted to being obsessed with Rey. Cool Cool.  I honestly feel so bad for the lovely Kelly Marie Tran. How did you relegate a relatively big character into the sidelines?? Why introduce two new characters this late. Rose could have filmed in for them...but alas we must snub Rian at every turn because that’s just how petty JJ Abrams is. ( don’t get me wrong Jannah was cool)

4. The Rise Of Poe Dameron: Finn has been relegated to a side character who does nothing and just yells “REY!”. It was a great setup, a stormtrooper who was force sensitive but doesn’t want his life to be fighting for nothing. You could have explored trauma, the discovery of the light but nope nada. Tell me the point of his character journey. So flat and static. And with Jannah and the ex stormtroopers they could have gone with the arc of these lost, sad kids coming together to find family. 

5. Leia:  Okay you’re telling me our Princess would give up on her son before he was born, just throw away her lightsaber and accept Ben’s fate? Cool alright. And she knew about Rey Palpatine and didn’t say anything...my princess would never.

6. Mary Sue Rey: Ahh Rey this girl feels no emotion in this movie...just like the audience. Sure she’s trained but she can just do stuff with the “force” that even Jedi masters can’t. Stopping a whole starship, something even Yoda could barely do...yup she can do it. Beat Kylo all the time except one, yup she can. Manipulate the force in mind-boggling ways, heal people...sure Luke couldn’t but Rey certainly can.  Cause she is the chosen one...hell even Ani wasn’t this talented and he had years of training. Poe and Finn have a genuine connection, Rey just seems disjointed (totally understandable why)...but if so the ending is even worse. She doesn’t even find peace with her friends. She’s not realistic and human like Luke and Leia were. 

 Force sensitivity in the galaxy:  What a perfect setup, the boy with the broom at the end of TLJ that was force sensitive. The message is that the power to use the force was spreading through the galaxy. No longer confined to the elite. People were hearing of Luke’s battle of Crate and rising.

7. Kylo/Ben: I still maintain that he, other than Ani was the most nuanced character in the whole saga. His arc from Force Awakens to Last Jedi had progressed. How great that even someone from the legendary line of skywalker and solo could fall to the dark again. He wasn’t flat, he was a tortured boy that was conflicted since the first movie. How great would it have been to see him as a conflicted supreme leader, which was set up in TLJ. But *gasps* a plot of his very own, no can do, this is the nature of JJ’s crush on Rey and Daisy. 

Disney released comics that made us sympathize with him, to see that all along he was manipulated by Snoke, and Palpatine the voices in his head. Neglected by those who were supposed to love him. Adam Driver was cast perfectly, he had almost no lines that weren’t related to Rey’s charcater arc. If he were a woman I’m sure everyone would be offended. That single line’s delivery “Dad-”

Come on Poe had more lines than him, and Driver according to JJ was half of the protagonist. He was pitched an arc opposite that of Darth Vader that’s why he signed. Man JJ really did do everyone dirty. 

8. Ben had no lines while redeemed other than “ow”...I am so sorry ADAM that this nasty ass JJ did this to you...this part was 100% improv by Adam, I am willing to bet my life on it. You know why “ow” was brilliant? Cause it meant he felt pain and emotion, he was no longer hiding behind the hardness of Kylo REN. Adam’s performance as Ben left me speechless, he was convincing as Kylo, intimidating...but as BEN he shines in the way only Solo’s can. The way his eyes become determined once he accepts he must give his life, and he does so happily for the love of his life. His soulmate. Star Wars and JJ never deserved the talent that is Adam Driver.

9. They are supposed to be equals in the force yet they missed the opportunity to fight Snoke together. Tell me how they are equals. He existed only to further Rey’s plotline. 

Oh and the other Jedi including Anakin whisper and help Rey...when his own grandson has been asking for help in distress for like 30years. Nice real nice.

10. Finally Reylo:  it felt unearned cause there was no buildup, JJ just threw it in for kicks forgetting all the P&P parallels he was shooting for. An afterthought. Driver and Ridley’s acting saved the day, they had no lines.  Adam Driver is truly one of the finest actors. You could see the difference between Ben and Kylo in his subtle gestures...the sass was pure Han Solo.  

11. And then the death: I wouldn’t even say we won, but at what cost. We won in no way. Had he died fighting I would have understood, but this death was so unnecessary and put in just for the fanboys. Let me say again I would have been okay with death had it been justified.  How is this any different than Vader x Luke. JJ can only copy not create. How crazy that you can just bring people back from the dead...Anakin is here like, am I joke to you? I could have brought Padme back say what???? What was the point of his whole fall to the dark. The force is infinite, that’s the whole point...once you know how to use it you can’t run out of it like juice. Oh, and Ben did not become one with Rey but rather the Force according to the Disney website. So why pray tell did he not appear as a force ghost? I’m convinced JJ was on crack.  

12. No Mourning BEN no acknowledgment:  5 seconds! And then she moves on from losing her soulmate, half of her soul. She loses it over Chewie but nothing, no emotion not even a second over her other half. Seriously? No one ever knows Ben came back...nada. JJ set up Reylo, time and time again he has said that he crafted the story around the romance. He was left scrambling after Last Jedi and this was a last-ditch shock ending. No Reylo theme song, no across the stars

13. Last Jedi told us you don’t have to come from a powerful family to be important. THE WHOLE thing was that you could be force-sensitive and be a nobody. Nobodies can become somebody. A Hero is not born but made. The force lives in all beings, not just powerful families. It inspired me, what a great message to young guys and gals. Kylo’s line, “you come from nothing, you are nothing...you have no place in this story” finally turns out true. You have to come from something to have a part in the Star Wars story. And Rey had darkness inside her cause she was human. Because none of us are pure, we are shades of grey. But no, it’s cause darkness only runs in families. In the Last Jedi when she wants to see her family all she sees is herself and a shadow (Ben) who joins with her. Please do explain this JJ. And if this granddaughter thing was set up I would have had no problem...but they pulled it from their asses. You can have nothing but mean something. But no pander to the fanboys. In the end, a Palpatine lived and all the skywalkers ended....and we are supposed to have hope. Palpatine really did win. 

14. Rey’s biggest fear was ending up in the desert alone, we were told “the belonging she seeks is ahead not behind” and “there’s someone who could still come back”. They mentioned she felt just as alone with the resistance. Only the other half of her soul understood her. This is truly tragic and sad...I am so heartbroken for her. And don’t tell me she isn’t there to stay...the soundtrack is called “a new home”. Enjoy the rest of your days being exactly where you started Rey....but hey at least you got a droid boo. I’m convinced this is not the balance JJ envisioned in the first movie. At one point in TFA Rey looks up sees an old woman alone, scavenging in the desert. This rattles her to the core and it starts her journey of wanting a better, different life. I am so sorry Rey. Okay so you may say she has the resistance and her friends...but let’s consult the last Jedi. In the end when everyone is on the ship...Rey is surrounded by friends yet looks more alone than ever. No one but Ben, maybe Luke, Leia, and Han understood her pull to the dark.

How sad that these two hopeless souls who had never known a moment of belonging and true love, found it for all but a few seconds.

I will quote: “preventing female characters with strong, compelling narratives from experiencing love, intimacy, and affection is just as regressive as reducing them down to sexual accessories. Assumes that women must choose between a romantic interest and depth of character”

Men really can not write good female characters, can they? A woman really can’t be a badass and end up with the love of her life

15. The Skywalker’s and Redemption: How truly truly sad that Han and Leia gave their life for their son who also died at a young age. ALL the Skywalkers and Solo’s have a tragic end. This is not what George Lucas wanted. What a tragic way to end this saga...they weren't able to break the curse. AND to all those troubled kids out there that lashed out and made terrible mistakes in their youth....doesn’t matter what you do dying is the only way out. You could have exiled him, made him pay in other ways. Nothing can be done to make up for your sins but death, no amount of good means that you can come home. To the young boys that get wrapped up in terror organizations, sorry the only way you can be redeemed is death...don’t bother changing and coming back. They could have exiled him, had him start an academy with Rey for Jedi kids. He could have spent the rest of his days redeeming himself. Why tell us he was literally preyed upon, haunted, and manipulated as a child. Even in a fantasy world, a victim of mental illness and abuse can not catch a break. Ben as a child could not fall asleep due to the demon-like voices in his mind. Everyone abandoned him in his time of need. Ben never desired power like Anakin, he went over to the dark because “the voice” of his grandfather promised belonging. I am shocked that this is the message Disney sends us. Oh and yeah you can totally take on the Skywalker name for kicks...the disrespect I swear

16. The worst bit is that I am 90% sure there was another ending that was scrapped.  There was a promo shot of Jannah in a field, soft lighting, lush planet. It was exactly like P&P. Daisy Ridley said the lasts scene was known to only Her, Jannah on that panel (Driver was away). Convinced Jannah was looking at Rey and Ben starting a new life away from the desert which she and Luke hate so much. Hence the production of “A New Home” soundtrack. Hence why the “Farewell” song played behind Reylo kiss was hopeful. Why Luke’s soundtrack when he became part of the force was not triumphant. Why the death scene was sudden and cut weird and no sorrow from Rey. CAUSE THEY SCRAPPED THE ORIGINAL ENDING LAST MINUTE.  Everyone knows JJ was still editing one month before. The concept art which was supposed to be released this month has been pushed to March. Why you ask? They need to remove the pages with a happy ending. He just didn’t have the guts, pandered to everyone and yet no one. He was successful in creating a beautifully filmed action-filled movie with none of the heart of Star Wars.

And then she goes and buries Anakin’s saber on freaking TATOOINE. He HATES Sand and Luke wanted to get away from there as soon as possible. Of course, a Palpatine would torture them that way. But nostalgia is the cash cow so. JJ can only generate nostalgia, not create original stories. IF he had any creativity she would have buried it at Padme’s grave.

The fanboys say “leave the romance for the romance movies”....have you seen the original trilogy or the prequels? Star Wars has always had hope and romance entwined with it. 

SO AFTER 40 YEARS...PALPATINE WINS...HIS BLOODLINE LIVES ON

...and people thought the prequels were bad 

JJ you also said that your goal was for people to come out of the movie feeling more hopeful and happy then they went in...yet here I am. My roommate literally had to console me and buy me ice cream. I am just so numb. I am sure the casual fan will enjoy this, as seen from the rotten tomatoes ratings. I think the critics were too generous with this one, 

Star Wars is very simple at its core, Good vs Bad and Dark vs Light. The kids are expected to understand that a Palpatine being the only one who lives is hopeful? That is the conclusion of three generations of Skywalker sacrifice...

This is how the Skywalkers are remembered...In Tragedy and Curse??