#you ever notice how luke parallels obi wan???

[phoenixkaptain]

Me, sobbing: “Luke… Luke saw.. Luke saw Obi-Wan as… as a part of Tatooine, and he says… he says that Obi-Wan has always been in the desert, as long as he can remember.. and when Obi-Wan died on the Death Star, that was when Luke really felt like Tatooine was no longer home for him, because to him, Obi-Wan was Tatooine and without Obi-Wan, Tatooine is no longer safe. And Luke sees Obi-Wan as his best friend, the way Anakin saw Obi-Wan as his best friend, and Luke isn’t even upset that Obi-Wan lied to him about his father and didn’t tel him about his sister because he’s just glad Obi-Wan is finally telling him and Luke listens to Obi-Wan’s voice without even knowing that Obi-Wan is a Force Ghost and Luke trusts Obi-Wan so much and while Obi-Wan was Leia’s only hope, Luke was Obi-Wan’s and and and and-

[anarchistauthor]

The Last Jedi, the Last Good Star Wars Movie

I'm gonna go ahead and preface this by saying, I have no idea how this will play with my social circle here on Tumblr. I know how my Twitter and Bluesky friends feel about SW, but not y'all. I don't think I've ever even seen a post about it here, and I don't care to go look. Bottom line, I have too many opinions and not enough people who agree with me, so now you have to suffer through this essay. You're welcome.

I was a fan of SW at least as early as I have memories. I'm 29 years old, which means I grew up firmly in the prequel era, and watched them young enough that I didn't even realize older people hated them. Obi-wan was my hero, not my mentor, I never really identified with Anakin and always liked Obi the most. But, and this is important, I loved Star Wars and thought all of it was good. I read one EU book set between episodes 1 and 2, I watched as much of the original Clone Wars series as I could, and I played lightsabers during recess in school. I am at least as nostalgic as every gen xer who laments a bygone era when SW was good because they don't understand that they just liked things better as a kid. But, the difference is, that kind of person tends to despise everything about the sequel trilogy, in my experience. Not so for me.

The Force Awakens was a pretty good movie in my eyes, when I first saw it. I did notice the deja vu, I had very little actual interest in Rey as a character, but just having a female force user at the forefront was huge to me, and it was certainly, at least, a solid foundation for the next two movies. My biggest TFA hot take is that Kylo Ren was the perfect antagonist for this movie, as basically a spoiled shithead who is a fanboy of his grandpa and wants so, so badly to be cool like him. I was also the sort of person who got really invested in the ~mystery~ of Rey's origin, and the speculation of her parentage.

Enter TLJ. My first emotion, at several points during this movie, was dismay. I couldn't believe they just made Rey some random person, after setting up that her background was vague and mysterious! I couldn't believe that Luke never fought anybody and then he died! But, very quickly after, I had time to process my emotions, and I realized that this movie was something special. It manages to "yes, and" TFA while also roasting me for investing so much passion into the questions it rose. "You thought she would somehow be Obi-wan's daughter? Are you serious?" And when you get angry at that, you're met with the obvious question, "Why should it matter?" It shouldn't. We want to see the characters we love come back, but when it comes to this girl, this hero, why should she have to be related to some old dead guy in order to be special? The Force is everywhere, it lives in all of us. That is the central point of TLJ. And, arguably on purpose, this film pissed off Star Wars fans more than anything ever could.

TLJ isn't just a movie that taunts the audience for speculating based on its predecessor, it taunts the audience for being overly invested in the entire franchise. TLJ looks at its series, it looks at the people who watch it, and it demands that you question your relationship with the material. It calls you a fool for assuming that an emotionally-stunted young adult like Luke would become a well-rounded mentor, for assuming that he was incapable of being tempted by darkness, for worshipping him as a pure hero. Because, who is Luke? He was a kid who was bored with simple life, got pulled away into a galactic conflict, and pretty much stumbled his way through saving the world. Even at the final moment, he was very close to murdering his father out of rage. Do you think that's just gonna go away after Palpatine died? Just because Luke put his sword away? No. It also mocks you for assuming Snoke is going to be important just because he's a large man in a fancy chair. He's a parallel to the Emperor, so you assume he'll be the same, and the movie roasts you for it by killing him off unceremoniously. And the Poe plot? That is nothing but one giant own on everyone who loved Poe assuming that the cool guy hotshot was the most important and competent person in the fleet.

The intent of all this playful mockery, I believe, was to get viewers to question how they idealize the past of the franchise. That's what it did for me. But, mediocre white dudes don't like being mocked, as we all know. They take it VERY personally, and they blew up the whole thing. They harassed creatives involved, sent death threats to poor Kelly Marie, and all in all went berserk about this movie for children about space wizards. How dare it move on?! How dare it not just be about my nostalgia?! Not just white, not just men, but I don't feel any need to deny that that's the primary demographic. There was already some backlash to TFA, but TLJ pulled no punches, and the most perpetually-offended fandom in the world lived up to its name. It's really that simple. And as a result, the Disney Overlords scrambled to make them calm down. Enter...Rise of Skywalker.

I. Fucking. HATE this movie. Apart from the fact that it tries to undo everything I loved about TLJ, it's poorly made in more conventional ways. Rushed pace, aimless writing, having no idea what to do with the characters, (not to mention giving the black protagonist a black girlfriend who has all the same backstory and traits as him, lest anyone ship him with Poe) it is the epitome of a movie that only exists for nostalgia, but it can't even do that well. If there's one lesson I've learned from the sequel trilogy, it's that JJ Abrams is not only a trashfire of a director, but he is utterly incapable of reacting to what happened in the previous movie, because he spent so much runtime just calling Rian Johnson a liar! "Rey's not no one, instead she has the most asinine backstory in the history of the franchise." To me, it reeks of a man who despised the way Rian responded to him, and is just desperate to overrule it. As a writer myself, I can't even imagine doing something like that instead of doing my best to work with what came before. The definition of hack behavior.

TLJ was a movie that tried to move Star Wars into the future, to divorce it from idolatry of the past, but ROS is a movie designed with intent to reel it back in, to say, "Hold on, art and creativity are great and all, but Disney gotta make them nostalgia bucks." A return to hero worship, to centering the leads of decades ago, to feeding the lore rather than telling a story. And the fact that it followed a film that told the story it wanted to tell and didn't give a shit how you felt about it, it's just insulting.

This is going to sound like cheesy artist babble, but to me, the art of creation is sacred, in a way. Not literally holy, but just beautiful and meaningful. Even if what comes out is bad, it's worth doing if done with sincerity. That's how I see TLJ. But given the way both fans and the rights holders reacted to it, I'm depressed and pessimistic regarding the future of the franchise. The Phantom Menace was the first movie I loved, and I still like it today. I'm sure I'll love TLJ forty years from now, and I'll probably continue to watch new SW movies when they come out. I don't know if I'll ever love a movie in the franchise again, but I can have hope. This is a movie that proved Star Wars was capable of being better, and that doesn't change just because neckbeards hate it more than they've ever hated anything. This is still going to be the franchise that has TLJ in it, and the haters can't take that from me.

[agoddamn]

Was thinking about fuckable old men, and had some thoughts about mentor figures in stories. Often with a wise mentor/guide, people will either complain about how boringly perfect they are, or be weirdly resentful of any flaws. Even more so if the character is initially presented as very wise, only to later show any flaws (thinking of like Rose Quartz and idk. Dumbledore). It's weirdly common for people to go on about how boring and perfect a mentor is, and then freak out that they're not perfect and instead just a person.

It's like. It seems like a very childish response to me, and whenever I see that kind of behavior from older people, it just screams "I have mommy/daddy issues". Idk where I'm going with this, but you're the #1 fucker of old and pathetic characters so, thoughts?

Tangent: I think I'm like the only person who liked Dumbledore being gay and thought it was believable. Usually, if a narrative introduces an older male and female pair (Dumbledore and McGonagall, from the literal page 1) it's with the intent of eventually setting them up.

Otherwise, if there's no implicit romantic match for a mentor character it's because a similar-age women literally does not exist (Obi-Wan Kenobi pre-TCW)--or because they're so narratively isolated it would be impractical, typically by their imminent death (Yoda). Batman's Alfred has Leslie Thompson to play off of, frex. Dumbledore having no vague chemistry with Minerva whatsoever was noticeable, even way back before the announcement. His fondness for flamboyant fashion is also, in retrospect, classic gay coding. I fully believe that JKR purposely set that up and didn't just go "uhhh yeah Hogwarts was SUPER diverse" after the fact.

(She did do that with a bunch of other things, to be clear, just not gay Dumbledore.)

(As a tangent to a tangent, we can safely blame Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent for all characters ever having a bad case of the not-gays. It all comes back to comics every time!)

Anyway! Real answer!

Yes, I agree that people tend to get a bad case of projection when it comes to older characters. It happens to characters in any form of fiction that features a relatable everyman protag, but older mentor characters seem to get it extra bad.

I think some of it comes from mentor characters typically being presented as entirely supportive figures; they don't get the same narrative real estate--the same opportunity for character growth-- that, say, the rival gets. A mentor's job is to Be Good And Support MC, not have a character arc. Thus, the particular sense of betrayal the audience has when the mentor character has slightly different goals than the protagonist.

And I do mean "slightly different" goals--to use OT Obi-Wan as an example again, think of how angry people get at him hiding that Anakin was Vader. People get angrier than Luke did in the actual canon discussion the characters have about it! Luke and Obi-Wan align in 99.5% of their goals--the only difference is that Obi-Wan feels that Luke has to accept the reality that he may have to kill Vader.

This is a viewpoint that makes perfect sense for his character. Even before the prequels added the backstory that put Obi-Wan in the same position as Luke, where he could have killed him but chose not to deal a finishing blow, it's...not actually all that strange to keep the sordid details of a parent's past from a kid. Kids want to love their parents. Kids don't want to hear, "hey, your dad tried to kill you!" and they certainly don't want to hear that at a formative, tender age.

You can argue the technical logistics of Force connections and whether Luke was more or less at-risk with his knowledge of Vader, but I genuinely believe that the intended real-world parallel was this situation ("I want to let the kid believe he had a good father") rather than...some of the more extreme interpretations I've seen.

Because people hate this lie. In spite of it being a perfectly logical choice for Obi-Wan's character, they hate him for it and rail against him for "stealing Anakin's children." I've seen fics/headcanons/'metas' that go "Obi-Wan had to have been planning on setting him off like a school shooter in 20 years" or "Obi-Wan was planning to use him as a guided missile from the beginning" and...that's just way harder for me to buy than "he couldn't tell this kid who wanted to love his father than Anakin tried to kill him."

tl;dr mentor characters typically don't get character arcs and so people feel betrayed when they have visible needs and desires outside of validating the protagonist.

[squirrelno2]

this is the year in review thing but I reject the gif so. Here we are with whatever this is

I posted 107 times in 2022

19 posts created (18%)

88 posts reblogged (82%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@blackandblue13

@blueskiesandstarrynights

@kote-wan

@keldabekush

@imaginariumgeographica

I tagged 104 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#star wars - 39 posts

#clone wars - 18 posts

#julie and the phantoms - 17 posts

#gifset - 10 posts

#somebodys very good fanart - 9 posts

#andor - 8 posts

#fanfic - 6 posts

#julie molina - 5 posts

#fanfic related - 4 posts

#art - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#no but actually he looks so downtrodden and small and the looks they're wearing in the first one like they're wary of us the audience. ouch

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Me at myself in the mirror at 3:50 in the afternoon one day: the thing about the sequel trilogy of star wars is that Finn was in the perfect position to be a foil to Kylo Ren and a hopeful spin on the character of Anakin Skywalker and the fact that nobody even noticed these parallels is a testament to the power of racism and the fact that bigotry actually makes you a worse writer

No but. Anakin’s out here with his introduction in the prequels as a slave, and it’s poorly done but implied that the pain and fear of that part of his life impacts how he interacts with… basically everything ever, and ultimately makes him susceptible to palpatine’s grooming; your mileage may vary on the ratio of canon to fanon in this interpretation but I think we can all agree being a slave from birth is gonna fuck a kid up and there’s a reason why George lucas chose this particular backstory for him.

So you’ve got Kylo Ren, eschewing a family that cares for him (please don’t talk to me about whatever the fuck was going on in those last jedi flashbacks first of all that’s bad writing babe and second, we’re talking solely about the expectations and possibilities established in force awakens because there’s not enough narrative or character consistency in the sequel trilogy to take. Anything as a whole there) in order to chase after this version of his grandfather that isn’t even the version he died as. Like! Whether you think Anakin/Vader achieved redemption or simply did one good thing at the end of his life, we all know that act of sacrifice on Luke’s behalf is. The definition of Star Wars. Vader choosing to do good in his last moments was what the original trilogy built towards and what the prequel trilogy always knew, and it’s this fucked up spectre over everything Kylo Ren says or does in Force Awakens because he’s out here pleading with the ghost of a man who is not real, he’s chasing Vader instead of Anakin Skywalker and ignoring the choices his own grandpa made in the name of… honouring him somehow???

And then there’s Finn. Finn who’s been raised since who knows when but definitely childhood given he has no name to remember to be a weapon for the First Order. Somehow I doubt they pay their stormtroopers, somehow I expect their education is more indoctrination than anything, somehow I doubt Finn was ever instilled with a sense that he as a person mattered – Finn’s a slave when we meet him. Unequivocally. And this man who’s known nothing else his entire life turns around and says “actually I think I will do good things or at least stop doing bad ones” and runs the fuck away, freeing himself. (and also Poe. Something something the act of saving others in turn saves you, this is my eternal soapbox but that’s not my point right now)

Finn is afraid, and very nearly runs away from the fight like “I’m safe so it doesn’t matter what happens to others” – when satisfied that Rey is safe (and under the impression that Poe is dead) he feels no strong compulsion to protect an ambiguous “rest of the galaxy” which honestly is exactly the vibes Anakin Skywalker has for pretty much all his life. Anakin would be a hero because the people he cared about wanted him to be. He fought for Padme and Obi-Wan and frigging Palpatine (and Ahsoka, I say, skipping outside the movies for a hot second because I love her) first and foremost, and the Jedi and the Republic because those were the causes his loved ones cared about. Finn has the opportunity to get away, to protect himself for the first time in his life, and he doesn’t have to worry about the few people he cares about so he very nearly goes for it.

Then the thing is, Finn, unlike Anakin, doesn’t let that fear rule him? He turns around and goes back for Rey, follows Poe, stays with the Resistance. He gets to be terrified but he also says that terror isn’t his only motivating factor, and that his self-interest matters less to him than the galaxy – a choice Anakin struggled to make until literally the end of his life.

In conclusion, if the sequel trilogy had stuck to its guns and been about the tragedy of history as a cycle and the way we cling to idealised pasts and torture ourselves over might-have-beens (and also how that inaction and obsession with history allows the rise of fascism bc we spend so much time patting ourselves on the back for defeating ‘the bad guy’ we ignore what gave the bad guy power) – if it had been a well written story Finn should have been a hopeful twist to the story of Darth Vader, a man who faced the same struggles as Anakin but made better, kinder choices, which would bring it nicely full circle considering George Lucas was like. Very into star wars as being about Vader

But nope we had to have whatever that poorly written racist tug-of-war was instead. I don’t know about you but I need better fandoms

6 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

#4

WAIT I stim by singing to myself and the boys canonically improvise with each other - they improvise to stim

That's it that's the post I'm just furthering my everybody-in-jatp-is-neurodivergent agenda

7 notes - Posted December 1, 2022

#3

The way two different people I followed years and years ago for completely different things have posted in the last three days about missing julie and the phantoms... Fucking hell Netflix do you see what you've done. This show was for everyone and you've ruined it. Can you imagine if these people had posted about jatp before now. I might have actually verbally interacted with people I've quietly awkwardly admired for years.

8 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

#2

Midway through Andor and I don't have very solid thoughts, at least not ones that haven't been said already by ppl much better at saying them, but something about seeing the ppl on Aldhani have this religious experience while all this shit goes on behind them. The way the whole chaos of the interspliced scenes quiets for a moment as the sky lights up - and then it's right back to the heist because they don't care because they can't afford to care and it's not their belief anyway

The empire sees the Eye as this thing to gawk at and Cassian and co are looking at the Eye as part asset part obstacle, just something to navigate through, and it would be easy to stay with their perspectives, but instead we get these moments of wonder and community, the culture that these people are trying to protect independently of all this galactic scale stuff - and then of course we also know that the empire is doing their level best to take that away too

I'm not phrasing any of this well but man that aspect of it really got to me and I'm not even sure why, fully

8 notes - Posted December 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I wrote a Big Bang fic!!! the amazing @willexmagic was my partner and made some lovely moodboards which I will be reblogging in a hot second, and I had a lot of fun (and maybe some tears) working on this monstrosity of a Superman AU

If you’ve ever wanted Flynn and Carrie to be Clark Kent and Lois Lane (or even if you haven’t and just want superhero content?) then here is the fic! Featuring my usual favourite things of friend angst, sad Flynn hours, and ensemble cast shenanigans, as well as me wandering wildly through some of my favourite coomic book tropes.

15 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[alexjcrowley]

I was kind of worried for the episode when I saw Reva going after Luke. The point is, we knew Luke wouldn't have been harmed. We knew Owen and Beru wouldn't have been seriously harmed. What's the point. I mean, it made sense in the plot, but I thought it was going to be kind of boring to see, especially because her scenes were alternated with that epic battle between Vader and Kenobi. Reva's part of the episode just felt like low tension. I already did notice the parallels with Anakin, how she looked in that cape, but it still felt to me like "what's the point of this? Why am I supposed to feel tension?"

And then the alternating scenes with Anakin killing the younglings, and seeing her instead of Luke, and Reva bringing Luke back and Obi Wan giving her the speech he hoped he could have given Anakin, he hoped he could have said "it's okay, my young padawan, you still haven't fallen for the dark side, there's still light in you, compassion, kindness", he never could save Anakin but now he gets to to see Reva redeem herself, not anyone who falls for the dark side is lost forever (how this perfectly matches Vader's ending in Return of the Jedi). Not all is lost, even in the heart of those who seek revenge, there's still place for redemption.

And once again, Luke seems to be the mean for that redemption. He fought and killed and he was forged by the war, but still he makes up for the innocent Reva nor Anakin can get themselves to kill.

Reva is a mirror, is the the proof that there's still a chance for Anakin to save himself, that not all those who falls are doomed, she marks a line between he and Anakin, he could choose to save himself but he didn't, she did, in a world made of prophecies and mystical forces, choices still matters, the real doom is to believe there is nothing left to do, that destiny is set in stone.

Obi Wan could have said it was too late for him to help anybody, that he already failed the one who trusted him once, that there was nothing good to ever come out of him again.

Luke could have accepted that the only way to end a war is a fight until one drops dead.

Tala could have said to herself she already did all the things she should have been ashamed of, that she was not worthy to help those she once mercilessly slaughtered.

This is incoclusive and chaotic but I feel like I could go into so many directions, so many details.

I can't stop thinking "like poetry, it rhymes" for everything. Everything in this story. It's like music. I see faces over faces, I se the same moments, over and over, with different endings, different times, the same feelings, tha same sadness, obsessions, hope, fear, rage. I'm 20 but within Star Wars I have lived entire decades, I have seen history repeat himself, I have seen so many stories and so many people, I feel like an old god observing a distant universe. It rhymes, everything, in the big scale of things, there's a rhythm, I can feel it.

[padme-amitabha]

Anidala Week 2021

 Day 1: Missing Scene or Favorite Scene(s)

Anakin Skywalker could not take his eyes off the girl. He noticed her the moment he entered Watto’s shop, even before Watto said anything, and he hadn’t been able to stop looking at her since. He barely heard what Watto said to him about watching the shop. He barely noticed the strange-looking creature that had come in with her and was poking around in the shelves and bins. Even after she noticed he was staring at her, he could not help himself. He moved now to an open space on the counter, hoisted himself up, and sat watching her while pretending to clean a transmitter cell. She was looking back at him now, embarrassment turning to curiosity. She was small and slender with long, braided brown hair, brown eyes, and a face he found so beautiful that he had nothing to which he could compare it. She was dressed in rough peasant’s clothing, but she seemed very self-possessed. She gave him an amused smile, and he felt himself melting in confusion and wonder. He took a deep breath. 

“Are you an angel?” he asked quietly. The girl stared. “What?” 

“An angel.” Anakin straightened a bit. “They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most hardened space pirates cry like small children.” 

She gave him a confused look. “I’ve never heard of angels,” she said. “You must be one of them,” Anakin insisted. “Maybe you just don’t know it.” “You’re a funny little boy.” The amused smile returned.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, looking upset and embarrassed. “I don’t fully understand, I guess. This is a strange world to me.” He studied her intently for a moment, thinking of other things, wanting to tell her of them. “You are a strange girl to me,” he said instead. He swung his legs out from the counter. “My name is Anakin Skywalker.” She brushed at her hair. “Padmé Naberrie.”

Both Anakin and Padmé were laughing now, and their laughter increased as they saw the look on the unfortunate creature’s long billed face. Anakin looked at Padmé and the girl at him. Their laughter died away. The girl reached up to touch her hair self-consciously, but she did not divert her gaze. “I’m going to marry you,” the boy said suddenly. There was a moment of silence, and she began laughing again, a sweet musical sound he didn’t mind at all. “I mean it,” he insisted. “You are an odd one,” she said, her laughter dying away. “Why do you say that?” He hesitated. ” I guess because it’s what I believe…” Her smile was dazzling. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t marry you..” She paused, searching her memory for his name. “Anakin,” he said. “Anakin.” She cocked her head. “You’re just a little boy.” His gaze was intense as he faced her. “I won’t always be…” he said quietly.”

— Terry Brooks, Star Wars : Episode I - The Phantom Menace

This is one of my favorite Anidala scenes ever because their story starts so sweetly. This scene is so unique to them and after watching the OT, it’s fascinating to see a young Darth Vader as a sweet and innocent child. His interactions as a slave boy with a young queen in disguise is also fits with the fairytale-ish tone and themes in Star Wars. Anakin and Padmé’s first meeting is just precious. 

This is probably the only time, Anakin and Padmé can be themselves without older figures telling them what to do. This is one of the few times Padmé is Padmé Naberrie - not Queen Amidala or Padmé Amidala. It’s interesting to see two young people from different social classes and vastly different cultures and worlds sharing a genuine moment of connection. 

I can add very little to this scene but Anakin proves he has enough clairvoyance (as Admiral Motti mocks him in ANH) to be certain he has met the girl he would marry someday. Even in TPM, little Anakin Skywalker is just as much a slave to Watto as he is to the Emperor in ANH. 

Even Padmé is somewhat surprised by his intensity at such an young age. Anakin also emphasizes on his identity as a person so this scene has dark undertones and references to Darth Vader.  

Another scene I love is the chilling visual parallels with Vader and Padmé in ROTS. The stark contrast between their “deaths” but also the similarities show that they are still connected even while their lives hang in balance. 

Padmé gives birth to life and Anakin loses his humanity. She is in a well-lit medical facility and he is in a cold, dark one. Even their heartbeats are in sync as if they are connected via the Force (which could very well be true, since she was slightly force-sensitive from carrying the twins). 

As the mask lowers on Vader, he whispers (since his vocal cords are badly burnt), “Padmé, help me” and Padmé, always on Anakin’s side, hears his plea and tries to tell that to Obi-Wan with her dying breath. It’s very likely that she heard him through the connection they shared like their connection during the ruminations scene and how Leia felt Luke in ESB and but she was unable to respond as she had given birth and probably lost the temporary force sensitivity. 

 As Anakin takes his first breath as Vader, Padmé takes her last. 

Vader rises like Frankenstein’s monster and Sidious marvels at his new “creation”. Padmé dies all in white, like the angel Anakin believed her to be. The parallels are also reminiscent of the “Death and the Maiden” motif.

Anakin has always felt connected to Padmé since he met her and this is the last time he feels their connection. And that’s how he knows Padmé is truly dead and he has lost her forever.  

Even the chorus “I am a Sith Lord but I could not save her” (even though the lyrics are actually Sanskrit) is haunting. This is where the colors of the republic fade and the black and white symbolism of the empire begins. 

Anakin is now Vader - more machine than man - and stands beside Sidious to assist him in building a tyrannical empire while Padmé dies and takes with her all the colors, love, laughter, cultural beauty, and freedom of the Republic era. Padmé was the personification of the Republic - a flawed but well-intended system and her death represents the democracy whereas Vader represents the Empire. 

Her funeral arrangement makes it seem like she’s drowning like Ophelia - implying that she’s returning to where she belongs. (Her planet Naboo is mostly associated with water and Padmé has often expressed her love for water and lakes in AOTC).

Padmé dying of a broken heart is also fits in with the fairytale whereas Anakin finds himself in a very different world after he wakes up - a world where most of the Jedi had been slaughtered and the survivors were declared traitors, a world where democracy doesn’t exist anymore. And he finds himself kept alive my machinery and he cannot die like his beloved, even if he wishes to. He is now very much a part of the new empire - with his humanity and limbs lost - and he gradually accepts his role as the imperial enforcer. 

Anakin and Padme’s story comes to a conclusion here as their reverse arcs are completed. They have both come a long way since TPM and Padme’s experiences mold her into becoming more emotional and in touch with her feelings from the stoic, reserved Queen Amidala whereas Anakin’s dreams, compassion and search for his identity are lost as he becomes his master’s servant and becomes colder and more stoic. Padmé’s journey was to become more human and learning to put love and family over duty and transition from Amidala to Padmé as Anakin’s unfortunately was to become more inhuman and machine-like, from Anakin to Vader. 

These scenes are where the prequel trilogy ends and the originals begin. 

[crystalshard]

For the characters thing! :D -- Ahsoka and/or Cody?

Okay!

Cody

First impression: Barely noticed him in RotS.

Impression now: My competent droid-kicking darling, he needs all the hugs and to get that chip out of his head Dave you had better save my Cody.

Favorite moment: When Obi-Wan saved him from an incoming ballistic shell and he went, 'Huh, I'm alive, business as usual then'.

Idea for a story: I have a halfway fleshed out fic called Mirrors and Glass, which involves parallel-universe shenanigans and causes everyone who was carbon-frozen in the Citadel arc to turn up on Mandalore circa 'The Mandalorian', where Djarin the Reluctant Reunifier is trying to sort out a significant mess of a planet/system. There's a lot that goes on, but the Cody-specific stuff includes Cody Kicks Bo-Katan's Ass, Cody ending up as Din's second-in-command, and a great deal of facepalming. (Also, we have adult Ahsoka and teen Ahsoka running around, and Luke is older than his own father. It's probably going to devolve into a farce.)

Unpopular opinion: Cody and Rex didn't know each other on Kamino, or if they did it was only in passing. Think about school, and how you barely know anyone outside your year unless they're relatives or relatives of a friend.

Favorite relationship: Codywan. Also brothers Rex and Cody.

Favorite headcanon: Cody is ever-so-slightly Force sensitive. Not enough to move things with his mind, but enough to have reliable hunches and know when danger's around/where people are without looking.

Ahsoka

First impression: Annoying teenager who thinks she knows everything.

Impression now: (As of the end of Clone Wars) She's grown up considerably and she's been through a lot more than any teenager should have.

Favorite moment: When she went to Mandalore to give a lecture (/investigate some shady goings-on). In that moment, when she was standing in front of the class, I could see how comfortable she was with presentations and teaching. That's something she couldn't have done as a new padawan, and it really showed how far she'd come.

Idea for a story: If I had to write an Ahsoka-centric story, I'd write one about her at the Temple, pre-padawan. I want to know more about the other Initiates she grew up with, about her life before she was dropped off on Anakin's doorstep.

Unpopular opinion: Anakin was the right Master for her. I'm not saying another Master couldn't have done it better, but Anakin's unconventional teaching style gave her the independence she'd need later.

Favorite relationship: Ahsoka and Rex, and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan (platonic). They both taught her a great deal.

Favorite headcanon: That she and Shaak Ti got along really well, and that Shaak taught her about Togruta culture.

[cross-d-a]

Morai appeared in the Clone Wars season finale and I’ve realized that she symbolizes Anakin’s connection to Ahsoka

As we’re all reeling from the Clone Wars finale, I’m struck by the lingering image of a convor circling above Vader as he holds Ahsoka’s lightsaber. Since the convor is so strongly linked with Ahsoka I can only guess that it’s actually Morai and that this is where she begins to guide Ahsoka personally.

I’m sure we’ve all read meta about Morai’s symbolism as the Light Side of the Force, more specifically the Daughter from the Mortis Arc (especially since they share the same colour scheme). After Anakin helps the Daughter transfer her lifeforce to Ahsoka, the convorees begin to appear whenever Ahsoka is being tested. Filoni has even said:

"In some ways, I could say that it's a messenger, it's an observer. It is definitely something. And... I would rather have fans debate—but I would suggest... that whatever that thing is an avatar of has actually appeared in the animated Star Wars universe before. So decrypt from there."

This symbolism continues throughout Rebels where Ahsoka calls Morai by name, actually acquainted with the bird. Morai even leads Kanan to the Bendu when he was in need of guidance.

Ahsoka is intrinsically tied to the convor and through it, the Light Side of the Force. This lingering scene at the end of Victory and Death is absolutely so important, helping tie in the episode, and Vader as we see him, to the rest of the Star Wars universe.

Vader finds the 501st ship at last. We don’t know how long it’s been, how can we? All we know is that snow has covered the ruins and the carefully dug graves. We don’t even know if the troopers with him are clones or normal men. Silent and alone, Vader steps into the ruins. Eventually he stops and observes the wreckage, only to notice a glint in the snow. He bends his knee and reaches down. Almost gently, he brushes the snow away and discovers:

Ahsoka’s lightsaber.

He cradles it in his hand, brushing the snow away again with the other. Then, inexplicably, he flicks it on and we see Vader wielding a blue lightsaber for the very last time onscreen. Who knows why he turned it on. Maybe he couldn’t quite believe it was Ahsoka’s and that she’d lost it once more. Maybe he was testing to see if it still worked or if the colour was still that brilliant blue he tweaked it into.

Maybe it was one last goodbye.

But his gaze follows the point of her ‘sabre and when he reaches the end he sees Morai, soaring high above. He watches her for a long moment and this is when we see his eyes. Darth Vader’s eyes.

Anakin’s.

It doesn’t matter whether they’re blue or a sick-sulfur gold. All that matters is that we see them. We’ve never seen Vader’s eyes through his mask. In this one little moment, in Ahsoka’s lingering presence, we see Anakin Skywalker again.

It’s a clear parallel to Twilight of the Apprentice when Ahsoka destroys the side of his mask with her ‘sabre and Anakin leaks through.

Vader leaves and takes the ‘sabre with him.

It’s so, so obviously clear that he still loves Ahsoka in this moment. That Ahsoka still brings out the good in him. That this is, awfully, their final goodbye as they knew each other.

We always read about how Ahsoka and the convor are linked and how it’s really Ahsoka and the Light Side of the Force that’s linked. But I don’t think we’ve ever really seen anything about how Anakin is linked to the convor and Ahsoka.

The thing is, I think the convor also represents the link between Anakin and Ahsoka.

During the Mortis Arc, Ahsoka essentially dies. The Son kills her, inadvertently mortally wounding his own sister in the process. As the Father grieves, Anakin rushes over to Ahsoka and pleads with the Father.

“You must help her!” Anakin says.

But the Father only replies: “I cannot undo what is done. There is no hope.”

Despite dealing with his own trauma and insecurity and then, of course, eventually Falling to the Dark Side, Anakin has always been a hopeful person. We see this from the very first time we see him: a bright and cheerful slave who only wants to help others.

So of course Anakin pleads again: “Yes, there is. There’s always hope!”

Through his hope and conviction, Anakin convinces the Father to help, and so Anakin becomes the conduit through which the Daughter’s lifeforce is transferred to Ahsoka. As this happens, the main Star Wars theme rises.

This is so incredibly essential to the Star Wars universe, which has always, always been about hope.

Obi-Wan and Bail sequestered the twins away because of hope. The Rebellion rose and thrived and eventually won because of hope.

Luke saved his father because of hope.

Every single goddamn movie is about hope and the perseverance it takes to continue on, one step at a time, no matter how hard it gets.

The Star Wars movies have also always been about Anakin Skywalker. He’s the overarching shadow and the brilliant light in every single one, whether he’s actually in it or not. It’s called the Skywalker Saga for a reason. The only reason Star Wars exists is because of him. He is both villain and hero. He leaves behind a legacy that we can’t shake.

Luke saved his father, but only because Anakin had that little bit of light left in him. That little bit of lingering hope.

And we see it in the finale, in those few moments where Anakin holds Ahsoka’s lightsaber and she points him towards the Light, towards Morai. And we see him for who he is, who he was, and who he will become.

Anakin Skywalker has always been about hope, and because of that Ahsoka survives Mortis. Because of him, she survives everything that killed all the prequel Jedi. She survives the entire original trilogy.

Right after the Mortis Arc, Ahsoka gets kidnapped. It’s the first time she’s ever really been alone and forced to fight to survive. But she manages it, despite the other Padawans on the island giving up or succumbing to their fate. Again, out of everyone, Ahsoka survives. This is also the first time we see the convorees.

During this arc, Anakin is left alone, as well. Fearful and lost, he worries for Ahsoka, but Plo, the Master who found Ahsoka in the first place, guides him.

“What is Ahsoka’s strength?” Plo asks him.

“She is fearless,” Anakin replies.

“That can also be a weakness. Is she a worthy apprentice?”

“No one has her kind of determination.”

“Except you.”

“I’ll find her.”

“This may not be within your power.”

“Whatever you’re trying to say Master Plo, just say it!”

“I am suggesting that perhaps if you have trained her well, she’ll take care of herself and find a way back to you.”

This, again, is so, so important. “Except you,” Plo says. No one has Ahsoka’s determination except for Anakin. No one has her hope except for him. Ahsoka was already a wonderful, resilient person, but Anakin brought it out in her. He taught her, guided her, and now those lessons must guide her as she faces the world alone. This is only reiterated when Anakin and Ahsoka reunite.

“Ahsoka, I am so sorry,” Anakin tells her, clearly very upset.

“For what?”

“For letting you go, for letting you get taken. It was my fault.”

“No, Master, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I should’ve paid more attention. I should’ve tried harder. I…”

“You already did everything you could, everything you had to do. When I was out there, alone, all I had was your training and the lessons you taught me. And because of you, I did survive. And not only that, I was able to lead others to survive as well.”

This is, of course, a recurring theme throughout the Clone Wars and Rebels. Ahsoka perseveres and survives. She saves and guides people in kind. Ahsoka will always be Anakin’s Padawan, his legacy. She embodies all his best qualities, including, of course, his ever-lingering hope.

And that is one of the reasons why Ahsoka is so important: Anakin’s goodness lives on within her. Of course she is her own person, I wouldn’t love her as much as I do if she wasn’t, but being Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan shaped her into the woman we know today.

“You never would have made it as Obi-Wan’s Padawan,” Anakin told her in that very first movie so many years ago. “But you might make it as mine.”

That has never been more true.

If Ahsoka had been Obi-Wan’s Padawan, she’d be dead along with the rest of the Order. If she’d been Obi-Wan’s Padawan, yes she’d be skilled, and yes she would have learned to persevere throughout hardship— But there’s a certain passion for life and hope in Anakin that Obi-Wan simply doesn’t possess.

Ahsoka inherited that from him.

So now we circle back to the convor.

In various cultures owls represent death and wisdom. Filoni has even confirmed that in the Star Wars universe, it is the same. This isn't surprising when Anakin and Ahsoka are constantly facing off death and rising above it, becoming wiser because of it. And, horribly, I'm reminded that this finale is the death of them. They cannot be who they once were, and they cannot be to each other who they once were.

But owls can also represent luck and good fortune.

“Master Kenobi always said there’s no such thing as luck.”

“Good thing I taught you otherwise.”

All throughout her life, Anakin’s lessons and influence guide her, and after the Mortis Arc in moments of great struggle: a convor appears.

What I’m trying to say, I suppose, is that the convor not only symbolizes the Light Side of the Force. It also symbolizes Anakin Skywalker.

And maybe that’s because Anakin Skywalker does embody the Light Side of the Force. Despite everything he goes through and everything he does, Anakin Skywalker clutches onto that bit of hope and comes back to the Light. He brings Balance to the Force.

The convor lingers above Anakin at the end of the Clone Wars after Ahsoka has survived despite the odds. It appears again after their duel in Twilight of the Apprentice. Morai watches Anakin limp out of the Temple, and then returns to Ahsoka after guiding her back from the World Between Worlds.

After guiding her back to Anakin.

“I am suggesting that perhaps if you have trained her well, she’ll take care of herself and find a way back to you,” Plo told Anakin that first time Ahsoka was lost. And he’s right. Ahsoka does find her way back. Again and again and again.

She loves him. He’s her brother and he taught her everything he knew, and she survives because of it. Ahsoka won’t ever let that bit of Anakin go. She won’t ever lose sight of the good in him, or in anyone else.

“I won’t leave you,” she promises him. “Not this time.”

It’s more a promise of hope than anything else. A declaration of loyalty and determination and love. She still believes in him, and she wants, no needs him to know that.

So yes, we talk a lot about how the Daughter and Ahsoka are connected through the convor, but we never talk about how Anakin was that conduit in the first place. The Light and life flowed through him into Ahsoka and so she survived.

As she continues to.

And maybe the ending of the Clone Wars was unbearably heartbreaking. And maybe it’s still making me cry as I write this, but we know how this story ends, and we’re reminded when Anakin, not Vader, looks up into the sky, Ahsoka’s lightsaber in hand and watches Morai circle above.

Star Wars is about hope. It always has been. Despite everything they’ve gone through, there is hope for Anakin Skywalker. And there is hope for Ahsoka Tano, too.

[hail-the-supreme-leader-kylo-ren]

TROS TRAILER BREAKDOWN

Here’s a collection of thoughts/things I noticed in the Rise of Skywalker trailer.

We open with Rey ‘Jedi’ training, with the helmet and droid thingo which is a callback to Luke’s training with Obi-Wan: “Stretch out with your feelings!”. But since she’s dropped the helmet, looks like she’s surpassed what Obi-Wan taught Luke, or the training droid has gone crazy. 

This visually parallels the Force cracking the ground between Kylo and Rey on Starkiller Base at the end of TFA. Also Rey has the ‘red string of fate’ tied around her right-hand (which we also saw in the teaser, see below), so this is likely the same sequence of ‘Jedi’ training with Leia in the forest. ALSO related to the ‘string of fate’, there’s a damn rope there in shot running across the valley.

Cool shot, it brings to mind when we were first introduced to Rey, scavenging a Star Destroyer on Jakku in TFA. I’m certain this is the Death Star ruins, because she does have her bag on her, which we know she brings with her to the ruins from the teaser footage (see below), and that also explains why she’s wet! 

[Those last 2 shots are from the first teaser trailer] Note: Rey, Poe and Finn all have bags, and Poe has an injured his arm and has wrapped his scarf around the wound. 

Poe is making a speech to the Resistance, and note he has his left arm injury properly bandaged now (the wrappings are white).

Here’s a shot of the Resistance in a ship or hanger, and they look under attack as blaster fire shoots in the background. Most Resistance folks are running away, but (Dominic Monaghan), Connix, and Rose aren’t retreating but looking on at something horrible unfolding. Rose keeps moving towards what’s upsetting her (probs Finn being hurt less be honest), and it kind of looks like Dominic is calling “Rose” to get her attention and convince her to retreat to safety like everyone else. Also note that the orbaks riders are already there with the Resistance.

Here’s Finn, Poe, and Chewy and it looks like they’re in the same forest that Rey’s training in, so this is probably the Resistance’s new “headquarters/base”. Note that Poe has his injured arm wrapped up in his neck scarf he wore on Pasaana, so he hasn’t given his Resistance speech yet, and both Poe and Finn have their saddle bags.  

She is one angry bean! Also, note no bag. 

Kylo/Ben’s Darcy moment. #imdead

He looks SO sad and serious approaching her. 

He flips his lightsaber up and over slowly, so that the ‘blade’ is facing away from Rey, which to me looks like a “I don’t want to fight you” move. 

I have no idea what this iceberg floating in space is, but its visually EPIC. Note there’s some kind of ‘factory’ on the top left hand part, that is producing steam from lots of pipes. And there’s also some form of ~buildings~ underneath it too with steam also, but on the underside of the berg the structures are made up of cube forms. Is this perhaps where Palpatine’s headquarters is, secretly hidden in the Outer Rim?

Here is Palpatine’s throne, which has the newly created ‘Sith’ symbol on the back of the chair. Also note that there is blue flashing lightning happening in the background of this scene. 

Here are an Imperial Star Destroyer powering up and rising from the icy cold water. Is this on the ice-berg?? This explains where the Imperial fleet came from that we saw in the teaser trailer. There is also blue flashing lightning happening in the background of this too.

I don’t read/view any other SW materials besides the films, so I don’t recognise any these ships except the Falcon but this is obviously the Resistance’s fleet ready and assembled to fight Palpatine’s Imperial Fleet/The First Order.

This is Rey in her bloat/ship going on solo to the Death Star ruins.

Note Rey’s look of concern/disbelief in the background, at what Babu Frik is doing to C-3PO’s memories/system. 

That looks like a droid or person in shiny armour on the right, that captures BB-8′s and Dio’s attention in Babu Frik’s workshop. 

So the gang is in Babu Frik’s workshop all wearing big ass jackets, and Zorii Bliss is there so this obviously take’s place on Kijimi. And Poe is still wearing his scarf, which likely means that they haven’t visited Pasaana yet and he hasn’t been injured yet. 

They cut to this shot, bit this is not Babu Frik’s workshop, this is likely at the Resistance base as you can see the Resistance members in the background are in their beige uniforms, and those rebels/resistance green map/screens are visible too. 

Same with this shot, it’s not the same scene as the workshop. Poe isn’t wearing his scarf and jacket.

Finn, Poe and Chewie are on board a First Order ship. Note the lighting panels look very similar to the ones in the Empire magazine photo of Kylo in the FO hanger (see below). Poe does not have an injured arm, and both him and Poe have their saddle bags on. 

On Pasaana, during the speeder chase, BB-8 cuts into a cylinder of something that leaks yellow dangerous stuff. Also I think Chewie is in the background, so BB-8 is on his speeder.

Rey is then seen throwing it at the following Storm Troopers that are trailing her on another speeder, and the two Jet Troopers in the air. 

Meanwhile on the other speeder, Finn C-3PO and Poe seem to be having a successful time against the Troopers. Note Poe is wearing his scarf, Finn has his saddle bag on, and C-3PO seems okay he’s cheering like Finn.

This ship that is shooting at the First Order X-Wings and Star Destroyer looks very much like the Resistance Y-Wing seen in the lego that has the characters of Poe and Zorii, so one of them could be piloting this. 

Here we see an epic shot of BB-8, Finn, and Jannah leading her people on their orbaks on the side of ... a Star Destroyer?? Note the blue lightning happening in the background and the Imperial Fleet in the sky behind them. 

This is the Emperor’s throne room in the Death Star ruins, so this happens likely before their watery fight outside. Rey still looks pretty angry, with her saber lit, but Kylo/Ben is giving super patient vibes with no saber lit. HE WANTS TO SORT THIS SHIT OUT.

Here’s Finn, with Jannah behind him on the similar Death Star ruins we’ve seen Rey and Kylo fighting on. Looks like Finn is yelling “REY!!!!”, maybe he’s watching their fight ensue. Or maybe she’s being captured again, mirroring TFA. He’s still got his bag on.

Here’s Rey and Kylo destroying (on purpose or accident?) the stand that holds the charred Vader mask. Note Rey has a dagger in her left hand, and it looks to me like Kylo is reaching out with the force for the Vader mask with his left hand. Are the fighting over it, or both wanting to destroy it?

Here Finn and Poe and C-3PO all look very serious, Poe has his gun out. We can assume this is Pasaana because of he’s wearing his scarf, and the cave’s colour/texture looks very much like the rocky formations of Pasaana (see below). The blue light cast over Finn on the left is likely coming from Rey’s lightsaber. This looks to be from the same scene as the image that was shown at D23 (see below). Also Rey, Finn, and Poe all have their bags on them!

Here we get a true sense of how big this epic last star “war” really is. Again there’s more blue lightning in the background. (I don’t understand the science behind how the resistance members are breathing right now, maybe the ships are very low and still within a planet’s atmosphere?) Also I’m not a ship guru, but are they riding on a FO ship? What ever ship it is, it seems to be an ally ship, as not in the same formation as Palps’ Imperial fleet. 

Cue more trademark Palpatine blue lightning flashes. Ben looks SO cut up. He’s also very dirty which reminds me of this D23 photo of him (see below) where he also looks pretty miserable. He definitely looks like he’s stepping up to face something epic (probably Palpatine or Dark Rey) to help save Rey/the day.

Then we get Rey facing Palpatine, and he seems to be in an apparatus that is keeping him alive/helping him hover/stand/whatever he’s doing while he’s intimidating her. She looks so smol. There’s some runes carved on the floor. Also, there’s more blue lightning happening.

Then lastly, we get this shot of Rey, with more blue lightning action. This shot is a little eerie, with the lightsaber reflecting in her iris making her look almost like an AI robot. But then faintly she smiles and it seems genuine.

[fictionsthings]

Anakin for the character meme?

First of all: *insert incoherent screeching*

Second: This is a lot and I apologize (especially if it doesn't make sense.)

How I feel about this character: Ok, I have a lot of feelings about Ani and they're not all coherent so bear with me. I love him so much but he makes me so sad. Anakin is such a tragic character. So much shit happens to him.

Age 9: Freed from slavery (which is good) and taken from his mother, who is still enslaved (not good AT ALL). He is thrust into a new environment with a bunch of strangers, the majority of whom are hostile towards him. (*coughTheJediCouncilcough*)(HE'S NINE, YOU ASSHOLES! OF COURSE HE'S GOING TO BE SCARED!)

Little Ani is so brave. I never would have been able to leave everything and everyone I cared about, even if my mom wanted me to, even if it meant a better future for me. Not to mention that he literally goes in to battle THE NEXT DAY and NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING!

Age 19: Has nightmares about his mother's death which eventually come true when she dies in his arms, and then kills every Tusken Raider he deems responsible for her death (and not just the men. But the women- and the children too.) He then loses his hand to Count Dooku the next day.

Since my grandfather died this year, I find myself tearing up when Shmi dies. Sure, my grandpa and I weren't super close, but I still loved him very much and for weeks after his death, I could hardly bring myself to do anything. I can only imagine what it must have been like to lose a mother and then have to hide the fact that you were even grieving from the majority of the people in your life.

Age 22-23: Has nightmares of Padme dying in childbirth and becomes reasonably terrified of losing her and their child(ren). He goes to Yoda for advice, but unfortunately, Yoda's advice is shit and doesn't help him at all in any way, shape or form. Palpatine uses Anakin's fear to manipulate him and make him come over to the Dark Side, making Anakin think that it's the only way to save Padme, only for Ani to lose everything he ever loved instead. When Anakin first woke up in the Darth Vader suit, one of the first things he asks is "Where is Padme? Is she safe?" When Palpatine said that Padme was dead, Anakin literally destroys almost every thing in the Medcenter in his grief. Palpatine then relied on Anakin's attachments to ensure that he would remain Palpatine's slave apprentice because Palpatine was the only thing Anakin had left. Not only that, but Anakin felt that he was too far gone to redeem himself. (Note that it was Luke's belief in what goodness Anakin had left that helped him return to the Light. More on that later.)(I fucking hate Palpatine. He has literally been manipulating Anakin since he met the kid on Naboo.)

I would like to say that the majority of people I've seen/talked too agree that it was Palpatine who killed Padme. Anakin was supposed to die on that beach on Mustafar. Palpatine wanted Anakin's power leashed to him, so Palpatine saved him by using Padme's life force. It makes sense. Palpatine has known Padme for years. He mentored her in politics. He knows her, and so it would be easy to identify her in the Force and then steal her life, even easier if she is already weakened from emotional (Anakin's fall and use of the Force on her) and physical stress (her pregnancy and labor). The parallels between Anakin's "repairs" and revival and Padme's childbirth and death make it subtle but obvious all at once. (I also want to punch Palpatine's damn teeth in for smiling at Anakin's pain.)

I'm also half convinced that Palpatine planted those nightmares of Padme in Anakin's mind to draw him closer to the Dark Side.

Age 41-42: Finally kills Obi-wan Kenobi and feels so lonely (and maybe sad, I'm not sure) that Yoda can feel his pain all the way from Dagobah and Yoda feels sorry for him. (I would also like to note that Anakin knew to be off the Death Star in ANH because he had a Force Vision and decided not to tell anyone else because everyone else sucked and you can't change my mind.)

If you- a Dark Lord of the Sith- can make Yoda- Grandmaster of the Jedi Order- feel bad for you, then goddamn you must feel awful. (I'm feeling even more sad, wtf? I didn't realize it was possible)

Age 44-45: Finds out that he has a son and that Palpatine lied to him for literally half his life. Think about that. He has spent approximately 22 to 23 years as Darth Vader and he had a son out there. Literally, nothing is more important to Anakin than Family. He is angry that Luke was kept from him and he is vengeful. (In the Darth Vader comics, he goes to the Lars Homestead to punish the people who "stole" Luke, only to find out that they're already dead.) He singlemindedly searches for Luke for years, and then he finally gets to him on Bespin (after he hurt his son's close good friends.) There's the fight, then he literally cuts off his son's hand and THEN he tells Luke that he is his father. (Anakin, I love you, but you have pretty bad timing.) Then Luke literally chooses to fall, choosing the possibility of death over taking his father's hand.

Even if you're a Sith Lord, that has to hurt. Note that Anakin only made the offer to take down the Emporer and rule the galaxy as father and son once. Luke rejected him (which, I'll admit- perfectly reasonable) and I'm not sure why Ani rejected Luke when Luke pretty much offered the same thing in ROTJ, but something happened and I need to find out what. I may tear my heart out in the process, but it's whatever.

Age 46: Emperor Raisin Face keeps on saying that Luke will either join them or die (which granted, Anakin said in ESB, but still) and so Anakin is reasonably desperate to get Luke over to the Dark Side so he doesn't die. Anakin senses Luke going to the Forest Moon of Endor and decides to pop down for a visit when the Emperor says that Luke will go to him. Luke does indeed go to Anakin, and immediately tries to appeal to Anakin's goodness, to his paternal side. Anakin tries to deny him, says that the name Anakin Skywalker "no longer has any meaning" to him and that "I must obey my master" and continues to deliver his own son to the Emperor. During their fight in the throne room, Anakin finds out that he not only has ONE child, but TWO. He then makes the happy mistake of trying to provoke Luke into fighting him. It works and Anakin loses his hand again. And just when he thinks that Luke might kill him, with the Emperor egging him on, Luke tosses his saber away, rejecting the Emperor and saying, "I am a Jedi, like my father before me." When the Emperor attacks Luke with the Force Lightning and Anakin literally crawls back to the Emporer's side, Anakin eventually answers Luke's calls for help and tosses the Emporer down a chasm. Anakin dies just before Luke can get him off the Death Star and after telling telling that he (Luke) was right about him (Anakin) and that Luke already saved him.

Can I just say that the "I must obey my master" line breaks my heart? Because it absolutely shatters it. As I've gotten older and understood more as I've watched these movies, I have cried at this scene and I will cry when I watch it again. That is not just a threat, it is a promise. It breaks my heart. He sounds so defeated. And I always feel so relieved and happy when he comes back to the light.

Moral of the story is: I want to give him a hug and officially adopt him as my son. (Real talk though, if I met him in real life, I would just do my best to not piss him off.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

- Padme

That's it.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I have many.

- Obi-wan and Anakin

- Ashoka and Anakin (I have yet to see Clone Wars but I've seen a lot of fan content)

- Captain Rex and Anakin (I have yet to see Clone Wars but I've seen a lot of fan content)

- Luke and Anakin

My unpopular opinion about this character:

I'm not sure if this counts as an unpopular opinion, but if you didn't notice, I don't call Anakin by Darth Vader in this and that is because he was always Anakin Skywalker, he was just in denial. Also, it doesn't feel right for me to call him Darth Vader. I used to clarify if I meant Vader or Anakin, but at this point it's just... Why seperate the two? They are the same person. I call the suit "Darth Vader", yes, but honestly it's just to clarify when I'm talking about in ROTS because Anakin is "Darth Vader" both in and out of the suit in that movie.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Anakin can't go back to being the man he was, but he never stopped being Anakin. He changed, yes, drastically even. He went by a different name, yes. But he was still Anakin Skywalker. It just took him awhile to figure that out. (Hence why he wasn't in the Darth Vader suit as a Force Ghost)

One thing I wish would happened / had happened with this character in canon:

I wish that he and Leia had been able to make some sort of peace. Leia doesn't have to forgive him, Force knows she has every right not to, but it would've been nice if she could have made peace with her parentage in canon.

I actually read a fic like that here on tumblr recently. I'll have to see if I can find it for y'all.

Found it! -> x <-

[madegeeky]

HUGE SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SW COMING UP

I’m going to tag this (and, on the very unlikely chance, any other spoilery posts I make about RoS, the new SW movie) with “wowow” (without quotations) because I don’t want to end up in the SW or RoS tag for a variety of reasons and last I’ve heard even if I were to do “geeky talks RoS” it might still show in the search/tags so, this is my way around it. 

This originally had a few sentences saying that I’m not really emotionally invested in this movie because I’m not a huge SW fan but, hey, after writing this all up guess who’s just really fucking intensely angry? This writing is so bad it actually fucking hurts the original fucking SW and while I’m not a die hard fan, I am someone who can appreciate the importance of the original trilogy on the pop culture and movie making. And, wow, it is super not fucking okay, what this movie does to the original trilogy. Also, I haven’t seen the movie and you would literally have to pay me thousands of dollars at this point to do so; all this info comes from the wikipedia plot synopsis. Seriously, fuck this movie.

Before we get into the nitty gritty let’s take a second to note it’s really fucking dumb as fuck to have different directors and writers for a trilogy in general, let alone a SW trilogy. I don’t think it would have completely saved this movie but a lot of it is undoing the last movie so I think it would have been at least slightly better if it hadn’t felt the need to do that. 

ANYWAY HERE’S 84 BULLET POINTS OF VITRIOL! May they be cathartic and/or hilarious for everyone. MAJOR SPOILERS INCOMING PEOPLE

the writers are so fucking unwilling to make Kylo Ren the true villain of the SW sequel trilogy that they bring back Palpatine, who was killed in the original trilogy

which, by the way, was a fucking huge moment in the original trilogy, as well as one of the most memorable

you know, because it’s the moment where Darth Vader turns his back on the dark side to save his son

so, hey, thanks for retroactively taking away from one of the most powerful moments in the the entire star wars series

(seriously, fuck every single person that was okay with this)

let’s just go ahead and put Kylo under the influence of another evil person

because then what he does isn’t really his fault

(fuck you, writers)

Rey is actually Palapatine’s granddaughter

she learns this through Kylo

because fuck you fans

and also because the writers can’t think of anything original

gotta have a male relative to kill or it wouldn’t be SW

i so fucking hoped that this was just Kylo fucking with Rey’s head

but, nope, then Rey remembers assassins killing her parents

(seriously, fuck you, writers)

Hux is a spy

which is a shit plot point to write in

it just doesn’t add anything to the story or to the any of the characters that we care about

you know what would have been awesome?

using a storm trooper who heard about Finn and realized that they, too, had a choice in whether to save or kill

I mean, they could have used Finn as a rallying force for storm troopers to realize that they have a choice, that they can choose to be more than they ever thought they could be

you know continuing the theme from TFA of how what makes us is our choices and actions, not where we come from

as well as echoing the theme of Return of the Jedi where Vader does the same thing

but, nope, they’d rather do this dumb as fuck twist with a white guy with barely any personality saving the day instead of using a black man to inspire people to stand up and say no

(because fuck you, Finn, apparently)

this missed opportunity is so fucking maddening because it would have been so fucking amazing

(you know, I thought this whole thing would be easier to read the second time; it’s actually worse, so much worse)

Rey kills Kylo

(fucking hell fucking yeah)

Rey heals Kylo because she feels Leia dying and I guess she feels bad or ?????

(fucking fuckity fucking fuck you fuck you fuck you, writers)

Luke appears as a force ghost to tell Rey that she should go defeat Palpatine like he defeated Vader

EXCEPT THAT LUKE DIDN’T FUCKING DEFEAT VADER

HOLY FUCKING FUCK DID THE WRITERS EVEN SEEING THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY

VADER DIED FROM PALPATINE’S LAST FUCKING ACTION AS VADER FUCKING KILLED HIM 

EXCEPT OH WAIT NO HE DIDN’T BECAUSE FUCK THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY AND EVERYTHING IT STANDS FOR PALPATINE’S ALIVE NOW

holy fucking fuck this makes me so legitimately angry

not only is just bad as fuck writing but it’s literally taking away from the original trilogy

which are important movies not only for pop culture but for fucking filmmaking as a whole

(fucking fuck you for this entire plot thread in fucking particular you absolute fucking fuckers)

Kylo talks to a vision of Han and then he’s completely good again

you know like Vader turned good

you know, that huge moment in the original trilogy where Vader watches his son being tortured by Palpatine

and realizes that he has a choice here and for the first time in a very long time, decides to put someone over himself, to save instead of condemn, to be more than he ever thought he could be, to realize that caring for people is actually a strength not a weakness

and he kills Palpatine which in turn leads to Vader’s death which is important because it makes his last act, the last thing he did before he died, an act of compassion and love

EXCEPT OH WAIT HE DIDN’T KILL PALPATINE DID HE BECAUSE FUCK THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY

yep, they absolutely should be trying to draw parallels between Kylo’s redemption arc and Vader’s because they both have the same emotional impact what with Kylo having to be talked into making the compassionate, loving choice and Vader coming to the realization on his own

just such a good writing choice

seriously, though, can you just imagine if they’d done this in the original trilogy

half way through Return of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi’s ghost just fucking shows up to Vader and they have a heart-to-heart and suddenly Vader is good again

holy fucking shit can you just imagine?

(I’m running out of ways to say fuck you to the writers, just fuck them so much)

Rey kills Palpatine

you know, just like Luke killed Vader

BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED AFTER ALL 

IT WASN’T PALPATINE KILLING VADER AS HIS FINAL ACT BECAUSE VADER HAD DECIDED TO CHOOSE COMPASSION AND MAKE HIS FINAL ACT AN ACT OF LOVE BY KILLING PALPATINE

EXCEPT OH WAIT PALPATINE ISN’T DEAD BECAUSE FUCK YOU ORIGINAL TRILOGY

(this movie hates the original trilogy just... so fucking much. so fucking much)

Rey dies

but then Kylo saves Rey by giving her his lifeforce and thus dies

DID I MENTION THAT THEY KISS BEFORE HE DIES

they literally killed Kylo twice in this fucking movie and both moments were just the most unfulfilling moments to happen in this entire disappointment of a movie

but anyway apparently the only ONLY WAY WOMEN GET SAVED IS BY ROMANTIC LOVE 

KYLO AND LUKE BOTH GET SAVED BECAUSE OF FAMILY MEMBERS

but wait didn’t Rey save Kylo

only because of fucking Leia, so yeah, it’s still because of a fucking family member, not a romantic choice

AND IT’S NOT LIKE REY HAS MADE ANY CONNECTIONS IN THE EARLIER MOVIES THAT COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN USED 

IT’S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE FINN WHO’S BEEN SHOWN TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST TEMPORARILY HOLD HIS OWN AGAINST SOMEONE AS POWERFUL AS KYLO REN

FINN WHO LITERALLY WAS LEAVING TO SAVE HIMSELF IN TFA BECAUSE HE WAS DONE WITH FIGHTING WHICH, BY THE WAY, AS A STORM TROOPER WHO TURNED AGAINST EVERYTHING HE’D EVER KNOWN HE ABSOLUTELY DESERVED AND WAS AN ENTIRELY UNDERSTANDABLE THING TO DO 

BUT AS SOON AS HE FINDS OUT THAT REY HAS BEEN CAPTURED HE FUCKING GOES TO SAFE

BECAUSE THEY ARE A FUCKING FOUND FAMILY BUT FUCK FOUND FAMILY I GUESS

IT’S NOT LIKE YOU COULD HAVE USED THAT LIGHT SABER BATTLE BETWEEN FINN AND KYLO TO HAVE BEEN A HINT THAT FINN HAS FORCE POWERS

AND YOU COULD HAVE HAD HIM HEAL REY WITHOUT KILLING HIMSELF

YOU KNOW, LIKE REY DID EARLIER IN THE MOVIE WITH KYLO

AND ALSO HAVE A BLACK MAN BE A POWERFUL FORCE USER

BUT NOPE THE ONLY HEALING POWER FOR WOMEN IS ROMANTIC LOVE AND BLACK MEN DON’T GET TO BE POWERFUL JEDIS IN THE SEQUEL TRILOGIES

(FUCK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH JUST FUCKING FUCK YOU TO A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY FROM THIS FRANCHISE AND IT’S FANS)

did you notice that there’s no fucking mention of Rose at fucking all

listen, even if you don’t like her character she fucking deserved better that this

if only because of all the absolute fucking racist and sexist as fuck shit that she got for the second movie

by making her such a minor character that she’s not even mentioned in the plot synopsis

the writers have, whether intentionally or not, validated the fans who did this and their absolutely fucking disgusting behavior

AND FUCK THAT ALL THE FUCKING WAY FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

Fuck every single person who was involved in writing this. There’s not a single beat or moment in this movie that isn’t ruined by some other moment in it, it ruins everything in the first two movies, and it literally retroactively ruins some of the most powerful moments of the original trilogy. Fucking toss this fucking piece of shit in the trash, burn it, salt the ash that’s left, mix it in some molten medal, create a metal hand giving the middle finger, go to the mariana trench, and then fucking throw the metal hand into its depths to never be seen again. This is some of the worst writing I have ever fucking read and I consume an obscene amount of shitty horror movies so I have a lot of fucking experience with bad writing.

In conclusion, to the writers, let me say FUCKING FUCK YOU FUCK YOU STRAIGHT INTO THE FUCKING MARIANA TRENCH BECAUSE YOU’RE NO BETTER THAN THE FUCKING TRASH YOU WROTE AND YOU SHOULD BE PUT SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN’T FUCKING TOUCH ANOTHER FUCKING MOVIE

[theshijlegacy]

Rise of Skywalker ramblings

Saw RoS last night and loved it. 

I’d seen the mixed reviews and was a bit apprehensive going in, but was pleasantly surprised in a lot of ways.  It kept some of the spirit of TLJ that I liked while still delivering a lot of the “safer” Star Wars story that I expected.  Being part of a super enthusiastic opening night crowd is always fun too.  And it’s nice to see that I’m not the only person who liked the whole 7-8-9 trilogy!

Spoileriffic thoughts below.

--Rey Palpatine was one of the theories I’d kicked around, but it would have been nice if she really was nobody, like the Force doesn’t care who you’re related to. Timeline-wise she would have been better off as his great-granddaughter but I completely buy Sheev having lots of kids and/or having some later in life.

--I’d been running with the “Skywalker is the new name for Force user” theory for a while, but I’m OK with Rey adopting it as her last name.  She doesn’t have to be a Palpatine and the name of the family that saved the galaxy is continuing.

--HOLY CRAP FINN IS FORCE SENSITIVE.  I would love it if that was what he wanted to tell Rey.  (Best answer from Reddit: “I’m in love with Poe and don’t know how to tell him!”)

--Ben Solo didn’t make it to the end!  I was convinced he’d get a redemption arc and live happily ever after. Props to JJ/whoever for going in that direction, especially with the Jedi fadeout.

--The opening crawl getting right to "oh hey the emperor isn't really dead.” So happy they didn't drag out the “when-do-we-see/hear-the-emperor???” mystery

--Sheev Palpatine and his motherfucking contingencies for contingencies, plans-within-plans shit.  This guy was a thousand steps ahead of everyone else, all the time.  Got a glimpse of that in Empire’s End too.

--LOL the tank of Snoke clones.  Sheev loves his clones, in both canon and legends!

--Poe’s lightspeed skipping.  Poe being an ex-spice runner.  Poe and Zorii!  Poe in general.  Poe is great.

--Luke/Leia training flashback!!  Leia's lightsaber!!!!  Which she presumably built herself!!!!!

--3-way Finn/Poe/Rey hug.  And the sound of a thousand fanfics being composed…

--More First Order defectors who had been kidnapped as children.  (Also a plot point in Empire’s End, complete with a 6-year-old-ish Armitage Hux ordering around a group of kidnapped-and-brainwashed child recruits)

--Hux being the mole, not because he agrees with the resistance, but because he hates Kylo Ren.  I bet he was hatching a plan as soon as Snoke was killed.

--Force-healing onscreen!  And it wasn’t just “Force magic” (which I also would have been OK with), it was actual taking life from one to give to another.

--Rey was noticeably better at lightsaber fighting.  She was… not great in TFA.  Only slightly better in TLJ.  Her year of training really shows and I like that we’ve seen a pretty clear progression.

--Rey stopping that transport with some Kyle Katarn shit and Kylo trying to get it back and OH SHIT REY SHOT OUT FORCE LIGHTNING  

--Palpatine: GLADoS edition has been added to my recent “horrifying scene that works but really gives me the creeps” list (also includes flashback to Coulson resuscitation/brain surgery with him repeating “just let me die” on Agents of SHIELD, Brainy getting rebooted on Supergirl)

--Aside from his GLADoS-esque support arm complete with wires, I liked undead-Palpatine's look - missing fingers, whited-out eyes, and his transformation after he stole life from Rey & Kylo.  Especially the red-lined robes.

--Got serious Endgame vibes at the end with all the ships showing up. Husband unit also pointed out the parallel of “I am inevitable”/”I am Iron Man” and “I am all Sith”/”I am all Jedi”

--OMG ALL THE JEDI SPEAKING TO REY.  I didn’t recognize everything at first but I heard Obi-Wan (young & old), Yoda, Mace Windu, Ahsoka(!!!!!), and Anakin.  Per the credits, voices also included Qui-Gon(!), Luminara Unduli, Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia, and Kanan Jarrus(!!!!!).  Two notable absences: Cal Kestis and Ezra Bridger.  I can accept Cal’s fate as TBD since Fallen Order just came out, but this is really good news for Ezra.  I am now super super interested to see where these two have been.

--Kept the Rey/Kylo force-connection deal.  It weirded me out in TLJ but I’m really glad it was kept here.

--Wedge coming back for one last ride!  (and aging pretty well, wow)

--RIP Snap.  :-( I’d grown a bit attached to him after the Aftermath trilogy, but I think Norra and Brentin would have been proud.

-- ForceGhost!Luke has a new attitude; I guess being dead for a while tends to mellow you out.  I am still 100% OK with his character in this trilogy.

--Kylo not being as good at fighting after he dropped the dark-side allegiance – specifically the 6v1 fight against the Knights of Ren before he got the lightsaber.  Like he'd been into it so deep for so long he forgot how to fight without it.

--Han coming back one last time for some Ghost Dad Advice

--THANKS FOR NOT KILLING CHEWIE!!  I was seriously worried

--Rey fights herself!

--Where can I buy a replica of that Sith wayfinder?  I do like shiny force-user crystals/holocrons/etc

--Rey finally builds her own lightsaber!  And it’s yellow.

--TAKE THAT REYLOS: Oh you want a kiss huh?  There’s your kiss!  AND NOW HE’S DEAD.

--That whole scene.  Kylo staring at dead Rey.  Kylo force-healing Rey and bringing her back to life.  And now they’re staring at each other, and I’m thinking don’t kiss you idiots, don’t fucking do it.  FUCK they did.  I actually booed out loud.  (I will not deny being a little bit happy that Kylo died immediately after)

--All of the “are you happy Ep 7 & 8 haters???” stuff: Rey is super powerful because she’s Palpatine’s granddaughter, someone bringing up a “why don’t we Holdo this” argument and getting shot down with good reason, showing Leia’s Force powers with a flashback to being trained by Luke AND having her own lightsaber

--The urgent timeline got kind of.. muddled?  Forgotten?  They had 18 hours or 12 and still had time for all those spacejumps and Lando gathering friends from all over?

--A bit too on-the-nose with some of the ROTJ parallels.  Lando in disguise saving the day on a desert planet! Speeder bike chase!  Emperor taunting Our Hero while their friends are losing a huge battle outside!  A Skywalker dies so Our Hero can live!

--Also wondered if one of the writers played SWTOR: Emperor who really isn’t dead uses Super Mega Force Lightning and tries to jump into Our Hero’s body to take over their mind.

After chewing on this for a day, here’s my ranking of Skywalker/Palpatine saga films from best to worst:

5 > 8 > 9 > 4 > 7 > 6 > 3 > 2 > 1

And including Solo and Rogue One:

5 > Rogue One > 8 > 9 > 4 > 7 > 6 > 3 > Solo > 2 > 1

tbh I’m so far into the “inject all Star Wars content directly into my veins pls” territory that I can’t say I hate any of it, and even the cringiest prequel moments are leaps and bounds ahead of a lot of other junk I’ve watched/read/played.  So much about Star Wars is just FUN, and I will gladly handwave away most of my nitpicks (SpeedForce, I ain’t gotta explain shit) for the sake of enjoying the story.  Even the ridiculous stuff that I poke fun at is still a part of the whole mess; it can’t all be great or even good or OK and that is fine with me.  [NOTE: I have not watched the Holiday Special but the husband unit is weirdly enthusiastic about me doing so; it may happen yet this year.] 

I really like this comment from the A.V. Club.  More cynical than my overall take on the whole shebang but I totally know with where they’re coming from.  I don’t agree with all the responses but it’s a pretty good discussion.

[swan2swan]

Changed my mind, let’s go back to this garbage:

If anyone ever actually bothered to study Luke’s character arc, they’d notice that it peaks when he throws his lightsaber away. That’s it!

That’s the conclusion!

“Only what you take with you” is no longer a measure to hold him to because that’s a test he finally passed. This isn’t a consistent-character-thing, this isn’t a callback, this is a character flaw that he overcame. Yeah, it’s simple and short, but it’s the most defining moment of Luke Skywalker’s arc and it’s what truly sets him apart from every other protagonist including all the ones who try to imitate him just because this is the “right” thing to do and the usually just turn around and shoot the bad guy anyway because the bad guy tries to sneak-attack them. 

That’s it. Right there. Luke takes the lightsaber and he throws it away. I know it became a hi-lar-ious moment of subverting expectations in the sequel trilogy, but if we look back to when people took these moments seriously and characters were allowed to have depth and proper arcs and grow, we can see that Luke Skywalker overcame everything because he was the only Jedi who was fully willing to throw his lightsaber away and accept the consequences. Yoda never did that, Obi-Wan never did that, Qui-Gon never did that, even Ahsoka never did that.

It’s also important that Luke says “You’ve failed, Your Highness”, because he’s addressing the Emperor as if he’s one of his subjects--he’s refusing to take the orders of evil, because Palpatine is the embodiment of evil, so he’s also doing what Anakin never did. You think Vader saved Luke because he spared the guy’s life, or because a few screams got through to him? No. He saved Luke because Luke showed how easy it was to just say “no” when the Emperor told him to kill someone. Palpatine told Anakin to kill Dooku, and Anakin did. Palpatine told Anakin to kill children, and Anakin did. Palpatine told Luke to kill Anakin, and Luke said “no”. 

It’s not just the whole arc of Luke Skywalker, it’s the whole arc of Anakin Skywalker, all condensed into one single moment, and for people to even think of having a developed Luke Skywalker parallel his impulsive, youthful, two-handed self on a swamp planet while he still believed his father was a noble hero and that being a Skywalker was something to be proud of is astonishingly myopic.

GOOD. DAY.

[youremyonlyhope]

The Last Jedi

Here we go. The most controversial Star Wars movie ever (unless Rise of Skywalker has reviews that are just as mixed. I haven’t read any so I don’t know how it’s been received yet.) I actually really really enjoyed the Last Jedi, but I haven’t rewatched it since I saw it in theaters.

Also, unrelated, but literally just a few hours ago I met Oscar Isaac. I was doing a caroling event where I work, and he came by with his son to watch. During one of our breaks, he asked if his son could try the microphone and he held him up so he could whisper and sing stuff into the mic. It was adorable.

I seemed to be the only person who recognized who he was, though one of my co-workers said he had thought so too but he wasn’t sure until I confirmed it. So I went up to Oscar and said hi, asked if he was Oscar Isaac, shook his hand, and thanked him for coming. He says that it was great and that his son loves to sing.

I always joked that I’d bump into Oscar one day since he lives in Brooklyn, but I didn’t think it’d actually happen. And not while I’m wearing a Star Wars shirt and Star Wars socks (which he obviously couldn’t see since I was bundled up in a coat and a scarf and boots but whatever). And definitely not the day before I’m supposed to see the Rise of Skywalker.

I’m still freaking out oh my god. Ok. Time to rewatch the Last Jedi.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... This was the first Star Wars movie I’d seen in theaters in like 12 years at this point. Seeing those words on a giant screen again was amazing. “Certain that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker will return and restore a spark of hope to the fight.” I love that line. I love any and all comparisons of Luke to hope. Yes I am biased. But also, restoring the spark is exactly he does in the end so yes, I love it. It’s just now hitting me that we’re picking up exactly where we left off. Having 1 night between the two movies is every different than having 2 years. ...Was that whatsherface from Game of Thrones, Catelyn’s creepy sister? (IMDB says yes) *BB8 beeps* “Happy beats here buddy, come on.” BB8 sort of said the thing! Also, OH MY GOD I JUST MET OSCAR ISAAC AND NOW HERE HE IS ON MY SCREEN WHAT THE HELL. Was today even real? Oh General Hugs. “Skinny guy. Kinda pasty.” Knowing Oscar and Domnhall are friends makes this better. Oh BB8. Very honorable of Billie Lourd’s Lieutenant Connix to make sure she’s in the last ship leaving the base so everyone else leaves before her. I forgot about the chain reaction of bombs destroying their own Resistance ships... You know, Paige dying while dropping the last of the bombs was already emotional. Rewatching it after you know she’s Rose’s sister makes it worse. First Binary Sunset of the movie. General Hugs has a very good upset face that makes me not feel bad for him at all. More like I want to punch him. Snoke can use the Force across the galaxy... forgot about that. I realized I didn’t mention this in the last one, but I remember the crew complaining that when they filmed the end of Force Awakens it was a cloudy day, but then when they went back to the island for TLJ it was super sunny. And now that it’s been pointed out, I noticed it immediately. Luke throwing the lightsaber. I can’t remember if I was spoiled for this but I feel like when I watched it, I wasn’t that thrown off by it. Something else I didn’t mention at the end of Force Awakens is that I LOVE this set. The stone houses are amazing. Oh porgs. Also, that porg looking into the lightsaber always gives me anxiety. The first words we hear Luke say in 40 years are an annoyed “Go away.” which at least is less whiney than the Tosche Station. Oh Chewie’s like “DUDE. WE NEED YOU.” “Wait... where’s Han?” Awww. Throwing in a little Vader’s theme in there. More temper tantrums. People getting mad at Luke calling a lightsaber a laser sword (in a purposefully mocking way) even though George Lucas himself called them that in some interviews. Yes, it’s not a laser sword, but Luke is trying to show how ridiculous he thinks the idea of him taking down everything is by calling a lightsaber that. I remember being like “Luke... no let’s not just milk that thing... oh ew” I do love the shot of Luke using the giant stick to cross to the other cliff and kill the fish. God that’s a steep hill. “No one’s from nowhere.” “Jakku.” “Alright that is pretty much nowhere.” That’s funny. “It’s time for the Jedi to end.” Remember when that line in the trailer made the fandom literally break down? I love knowing that behind the scenes, Carrie had to slap Oscar a billion times. Also, I do not blame Leia at all. So many people were mad about Leia and Holdo demoting Poe, but Poe was too fearless in that moment. Yes, he destroyed the ship and it worked out, but they lost so many people and they already didn’t have many to begin with. It was worth it, but at a very high cost. So I don’t blame her. Heyyyyyy it’s that girl from that Black Mirror episode and what was that other show? Chewing Gum or something? (IMDB says yes it’s Michaela Coel) See and Poe’s already learning a little by asking permission. Of course... later on he doesn’t ask permission... but whatever. Leia’s Theme... causing me pain. Oh, Kylo didn’t kill his mom. We’re supposed to be happy about that? The bar is on the ground. The utter horror I felt the first time the control room was destroyed and Leia was pulled into space. Oh I love the moment when Leia flies in. Because I’d heard that in the books and comics, we get to explore Leia’s Force abilities and stuff but we don’t get it in the movies besides “I feel that Luke’s in trouble.” Which sucks, because she is the “other” if Luke didn’t work out, so she’s just as strong as Luke if she got trained. They should have just trained both kids honestly, why did they pick the boy? Not saying Obi-Wan and Yoda are sexist... but they’re probably sexist. Also, foreshadowing. I actually noticed the hologram of the ship and Leia flying through this time. Oh Chewie. I like the porg that literally has his jaw dropped in horror. Knowing now that the dice were kind of a symbol of Kira (was that Emilia Clarke’s character?) and Han’s relationship makes me not like them as much. Still, cute throwback that they’re still on the Falcon. We can just ignore they weren’t there in Force Awakens (I kept an eye out and didn’t see them) The way Luke laughed when he said “R2!” I just... my heart. “Nothing can make me change my mind” *R2 plays the Leia hologram* I literally just went “AWWWW” out loud because I forgot that that’s why R2 started playing it. Oh my heart. That hurt the first time. Luke standing over Rey, but offering to help her. Parallels. Oh Admiral Ackbar. I love Holdo’s dress. I love the draping. Someone teach me how to make it. “Thank you for making me aware.” Yeah Poe, she already knows. Stop mansplaining. This is literally a case of mansplaining, why would Poe think he’d have to explain to a commander that there’s no fuel? Yeah it’s a little harsh, but is Holdo wrong? All of these fanboys complain about Canto Bight, but forget that it was Poe’s idea. Then they go and say Holdo was too mean should have put Poe in charge. Guys. Poe’s impulsive. We love him, but he’s the ultimate Gryffindor with no fear and will just do anything without considering consequences. I do wish Holdo had been more open like “I have a plan. You don’t need to know all the parts of it. Just let me do what I need to, ok?” instead of “Just follow my orders.” but still. Oh poor Rose. “Doing talking....” Oh she’s so cute. “I’ve had to stun 3 people trying to use this escape pod.” We love a girl who can fight. Yeah. Once again. Not mad at Rose. Finn does have some selfish tendencies, he’s well meaning but ultimately selfish (or at least, only thinking of Rey). So I do not blame Rose for stunning him.

And now I will take a nap since I have to go to a show tonight. And then I will finish the last 3/4-ish of the movie when I get home later.

Annnnd I’m back!

See. Rose has good reason to be mad at deserters. Ok so it wasn’t Poe’s idea to go to the Star Destroyer it was Finn’s. I will give him that. But still Poe went along with it. “That... wasn’t exactly my...” Oh 3PO. I wish Maz had had a bigger scene. More Lupita please. I have one question: from what angle is this hologram filmed? And how does the camera follow her? I guess it’s multiple hologram cameras, but still, it followed her as she rolled and ran around. Also, did Finn call Maz or did Poe call her? Because as far as we know, only Finn knows her. It seemed like they both had the idea to call her, but that Poe had it first. Did Finn tell Poe about Maz? I’m glad they showed Finn handing Poe the binary tracker thing, since for a second I was like “What if Rey had popped up next to Finn on the Star Destroyer?” I’m glad Rey’s first instinct is to shoot Kylo. “Can you see my surroundings?” “You’re gonna pay for what you did.” “I can’t see yours.” Why do I remember that line so vividly? Why does it make me feel so unsettled? Rey, my sweet Rey, I wish you had just told Luke that you saw Kylo. I love Luke’s explanation of the Force. And him messing with Rey was funny. I love when Rey’s reaching out and feeling life, death, peace, violence, etc. And I love Luke saying the Force doesn’t belong to the Jedi, because it doesn’t. The Jedi failed years ago. “You didn’t even try to stop yourself.” Luke’s horrified. But also, Rey’s just like an extreme version of Luke. Yoda knew that Luke’s emotions could make him vulnerable to the dark side, Rey’s already vulnerable. Yeah, I don’t blame Luke for being scared of Rey after he feels like this is Ben all over again. Oh my god. I love the porg that has a metal piece over its head. That actually made me laugh out loud. Poor Chewie.

I just had to refresh tumblr because my draft wasn’t saving. It brought me back to my dashboard. Where there was a spoiler for the new movie and it wasn’t tagged. PLEASE tag your spoilers people.

The water hitting Kylo still confuses me. Say what you will about the Canto Bight plot... the costumes are AMAZING. The costumes literally make the whole side plot worth it to me. Literally I was just in awe by all the costumes during every single scene. And the set! The set’s fantastic too! I literally just paused every single second to take in all of the costumes. Do I care if the Canto Bight trip ended up pointless? Nope! Because it gave me some of Star Wars’ best costumes. Oh... to be an extra in the Canto Bight scene... Just show up... And put on a beautiful outfit... And do nothing else but pretend to drink, talk, and gamble... That’s the dream. Oh hi Mark Hamill! That was cute that they let him voice that little thing. I remember noticing the thing and being like “...is he important?” and nope, it’s just Mark doing an extra voice. Oh I love the Fathiers. Aww and it’s the little Force sensitive boy. I have thoughts about that kid that I can get into later. The way BB8 jingles with the coins. I love it.

Rey: *Does a move with her stick* Rey: *Does the same exact move with the lightsaber* Fanboys: She’s too good too fast! Mary Sue!

As I said throughout all of the Force Awakens, she’s just applying the skills she already had. If anything, a lightsaber’s easier since it’s half the length and she doesn’t have to worry about the back of it hitting her. LOL, remember when we thought this shot was an epic shot of Luke training her? Good times. Oh that poor fish nun. Everything Luke says about the Jedi is true (also did I not say they failed earlier in the post? Luke agrees with me). Rey’s right that a Jedi got Ani to come back from the dark side, but the Jedi’s system enabled him to turn in the first place. Soooooo yeah. Oh Luke. Don’t blame yourself. Kylo was already basically gone. Sure, seeing his uncle standing over him with a lightsaber definitely didn’t help... but it’s not the only thing that made him turn. Who is this captain of the medical ship? He looks familiar. (IMDB says he’s Danny Sapani. I probably recognized him from the Crown) Oh BB8. Finn, did you learn nothing from Rey? Put the cover back on the vent! Awww the Fathiers have such sad eyes... I love the Resistance ring. Can I buy one? Ok. The shot of the bubble egg lady singing felt like it was much longer the first time, but it’s really only a split second. I. LOVE. THE. CANTO. BIGHT. SET. I know it’s a real town in like Italy or somewhere near the Mediterranean. I want to go. I love it. I love that the first thing Luke does when he decides to use the Force again is to seek out Leia. Oh poor Adam became a meme after this. He just has a very wide and bulky body, ok? God Luke looks so scary in Kylo’s flashback. “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.” That reflection scene is so visually stunning. So in a way, it’s like Luke is failing Rey like he failed Ben. He’s not helping her in the way she needs, so she’s being lured by the dark side instead. I love the walls falling around Luke. “Did you do it? Did you create Kylo Ren?” Rey, he already told you earlier that he believes it’s his fault, so the answer from him is yes. I can’t remember if we hear this story of Luke and Kylo one more time after this or not. “Then he’s our last hope.” Ok ew. No. Kylo is not allowed to be compared to hope. Only Luke, Leia, or Obi-Wan can be. Oh for a second I thought that torch was a lightsaber. YODA!!!!! I think I had been spoiled for Yoda showing up. It was definitely still exciting though. “The sacred Jedi texts!” Oh Luke. Oh memes. Not as whiney as I remembered. “But that library contained nothing that the girl Rey does not already possess.” Because Yoda knows she stole the books. Oh Yoda. I love Yoda. Oh Rose. Ok, so I will give it to Poe that at this moment it doesn’t seem like Holdo has a good plan. Abandoning ship isn’t necessarily cowardly, but on the surface it does seem like it puts them in more danger. Literally earlier today I watched a video about the layout of the Millennium Falcon, and the escape pods were mentioned. And I thought to myself, wow that must be something from the novels since we’ve definitely never seen that in the movies. Welp... I was wrong... Rey’s in one now. I was about to be like “Do they not care that an escape pod just docked?” before I saw Kylo. LOL the iron coming down like a ship. I feel like I remember being completely terrified when Rey stepped in front of Snoke. Oh BB8. Bumping into stuff. I remember being super relieved that DJ (has he told us this is his name yet? I can’t remember) gave back the medallion. Captain Phasma! Hey girl hey! Leia shooting Poe is still funny to me. Also Lieutenant Billie Connix is smart.  I love the scene of Holdo and Leia saying goodbye. Also, Holdo’s purple hair with her bright blue eyes is super striking. Good choice. Snoke puts down the lightsaber. Unknowingly sealing his fate. Literally when Snoke reveals he connected their minds, I was like OF COURSE. Because the whole time I’m like neither of them are strong enough to do this. “She was more interested in protecting the light than she was seeming like a hero.” See. And that’s the flaw in both Poe and Finn. And Rey to an extent. They’re thinking about the big picture, but in context of smaller things like seeming like a hero, saving Rey, saving Kylo, etc. But Holdo’s thinking of only the big picture. I knew DJ betrayed them, I just forgot how badly.

And here’s another annoyance (which I was sorta trying to touch on earlier). Everyone hates the Canto Bight plot, yet they complain about Holdo trying to take charge. If Poe just let Holdo take charge and ignored Finn and Rose’s idea, then her plan would have been a complete success. No Canto Bight, no DJ to betray them, all the transports make it to Crait unnoticed, and the First Order eventually destroys a ship that’s empty except for Holdo. They complain about Holdo, but don’t think about the fact that Holdo could have prevented another plot they hated if the main characters had just listened to her.

And then Snoke hits Rey and literally puts the lightsaber back to where it will kill him. Ok literally I just misread a caption that said “Lord Vader” as “Lord Voldemort” and I was very confused. Taking a second to say that I love this set of Snoke’s throne room. Been thinking it forever, but Kylo picking up the lightsaber off the ground and seeing the reflection in the smooth red floor is amazing. Kylo igniting the lightsaber through Snoke is amazing. Also, I typed “Ben igniting” before literally freezing for a second and being like “...ok that’s a lot to unpack” I guess when he does something good my brain thinks of him as Ben instead of Kylo. ALSO, arm #16 and #17, I love that Snoke’s arms were cut off too in true Star Wars fashion. And I am VERY excited to see this fight scene again. I told myself not to pause at all during the Kylo and Rey team up fight, but I paused literally a second into it because Binary Sunset yes.

And my idiot brother and my mom are texting in the family group chat so it’s popping up on my screen throughout this scene. Ugh.

All of these red knight weapons are so cool. And I forgot about the one that gets chopped up... Oh my god one is a sword that transforms into a whip. LOVE. IT. And I love the quick lightsaber ignite through the head. Love it. Woah how is there still 44 minutes? I remember this battle being much closer to the end. I was wondering when the red walls went away, but I rewinded and saw that they had been slowly burning away after Rey made something hit them. Nice touch.

Ugh my brother and mom will not stop texting.

“You have no place in this story.” Wow Kylo, harsh. Oh shoot I forgot about the lightsaber breaking until they started their Force tug of war with it. I’d always wondered what would happen if someone lightsped through something... I want to say that I realized what she was doing before they told us, but now I realize that they basically told us what she would do when the First Order guy said “they’re preparing to hyperspeed.” so I guess I just caught on to the obvious hints.

God that moment still gives me chills. The silence. The way it sort of goes black and white. The multiple angles. So good.

I know for a fact that I spent the rest of the movie from this point on with my hands over my mouth in a constant stake of shock/fear/anxiety. Oh BB8. Some people thought this was ridiculous. But I had just spent the last few months rewatching the prequels before seeing this, and compared to the stuff R2 does, BB8 clumsily controlling a walker is nothing. Oh how I love Gwendoline Christie. I FORGOT THAT WE SAW HER EYE IN THE MASK. I hope Phasma survived. She’s so awesome. Ok my quality is like horrendous right now so I’m gonna refresh. LOL I FORGOT ABOUT GENERAL HUGS NEARLY ATTEMPTING TO KILL KYLO. Oh I forgot how much I love Crait as a set location. OH AND THE ICE DOG THINGS! LOVE THEM! Poe petting BB8 when he comes back kills me. I like those space age two person laptops. “People believe in Leia.” *Binary Sunset plays* My heart. Ok for a second I was like “This first person camera is like a war movie” and then it turns and we see the trench and I’m like “...ok... ok fine but that was very literal.” The red footsteps. Just... guys this set is so AMAZING. Ugh, these red streaks of dust behind them are so amazing. And when Finn passes in front of the camera, it gets covered in the dust and blurs part of the lens. Just like the Rathtar goo in the Force Awakens. I wonder if that’s going to be like... the thing of the sequels. One shot that has the camera lens partially covered by something. Also, I just wasted time trying to figure out if there’s an official name for that or not... oh well. The winding stripes left behind as they weave around... just... amazing. YEAH! GO CHEWIE! GO REY! Oh my god I forgot about the porg roaring. “Oh, they HATE that ship!” I’M DEAD. Look at the salt and how it forms the crystals in the trench. I love it. I FORGOT ABOUT THIS SHOT OF THE CAVE FULL OF THE RED SALT. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I remember when the trailer had the first shot of the gorilla walkers, and I didn’t notice at first that there were normal AT-ATs next to them, and then I realized these things were twice as big as AT-ATs and I was horrified. See, and now Poe has learned that you can’t always be a hero and is making a good decision. I forgot about Finn’s speeder literally melting as he gets closer. I don’t understand the people who were mad that Rose stopped Finn. I for one was HORRIFIED at just the thought of Finn dying this way and thankful she stopped him. “That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.” The kiss is pointless but I love the line and sentiment behind it. Oh god. Ok. Here come the emotions. Binary Sunset is playing. I was a wreck. And a little of Han and Leia’s Love Theme as she sees the dice. I remember actually noticing that in the theaters and half-sobbing. Oh god the forehead kiss. Oh and he winks at 3PO as he walks by. My heart. This is the specific shot of the gorilla walkers and the AT-ATs in a line that freaked me out. That shot of Luke standing up against all the First Order walkers and ships. Amazing. That shoulder brush though. Kylo’s so dumb, he literally just watched that lightsaber get destroyed, he HELPED destroy it. He should have known something was up, it couldn’t have been repaired that quickly. Purposeful shot of Luke’s feet not moving the salt. That Matrix back bend though. “I will have killed the last Jedi.” He said the title. Also, is that the only time it’s said? Because they say it a lot in Force Awakens but I don’t think so yet in this movie.. “And I will not be the last Jedi.” Ok so now it’s said again by Luke. Purposeful shot of Kylo’s shoe leaving a footprint as he runs to Luke. I’m pretty sure I probably shrieked when he tried to slice Luke in half.

I just now remembered that I’d actually kind of wondered if he’d be a Force projection or something when he first showed up. Because I’d just watched Return of the Jedi like a week earlier and saw Obi-Wan do it, so I wondered if Luke was doing it too. Especially when Poe said Luke was distracting the First Order. It passed my mind and was confirmed when Kylo couldn’t hit him. And here’s where I started to feel like my world was crumbling...

Oh god. My eyes are wet. It hurts. But when I watched it the first time, I really felt like my world was absolutely falling a part and ending forever while I watched Luke die. With the stupid binary sunset in front of him just like when he was a teenager and when he was a baby. One of the first things he ever saw was the binary sunset. I was like “This is beautiful, but that doesn’t mean I’m not completely in pain and dying.” That shot from above of Kylo with the stormtroopers, mirroring a shot from the prequels of Ani. Nice. So do they still have that connection even if Snoke’s dead?

HEY! Hey. Those dice were still visible to Kylo even after Luke was dead... was Leia Force projecting them to Kylo? It wouldn’t take as much work as doing it to everyone else at once from lightyears away. One person, your son, would be easier. So maybe... maybe Leia’s the one continuing the projection of the dice. I’m gonna stick with that theory thanks.

Awww BB8 asked Rey about his antenna, just like when they first met. Remember when people were like “Are Poe and Rey gonna be a thing?!?!?” and of course I’d much prefer that over Reylo thanks. The books! Somehow, that obvious shot of the books goes over so many people’s heads. So many complaints about the books getting burned, when they literally show us that Rey saved them. I had never noticed the bunks in the Millennium Falcon either until I saw that video earlier, and I’m glad I got to actually see one in use since Rose is sleeping in one.

Oh GOD the entirety of the Resistance can fit on the Millennium Falcon... that is NOT good.

I LOVE the scene of the kids retelling the story of Luke. I must have already gone in depth about this 2 years ago, but I love it. Luke became a legend in the end. He didn’t necessarily want to be one, but he’s become one. It was exactly what was in the opening scroll, he restored the spark of hope. That subtle use of the Force by that little boy. With Binary Sunset playing. And I love that last shot of him holding the broom up like a lightsaber.

I nearly forgot that they put in “In loving memory of our princess, Carrie Fisher” at the end. That’s what got me to finally cry. 40 straight minutes of covering my mouth in anxiety, then feeling like my world was crashing down around me as Luke died. Having it dedicated to Carrie made me just start sobbing so hard. Watch that happen again tomorrow.

I remember when I left the theater, at first I was like “What if the boys is Rey’s brother?!” but then... I realized that a huge point of the movie went over my head for a second there.

The fandom got so caught up in figuring out who Rey’s parents are, whether it’s Obi-Wan or Luke or Leia or even Palpatine, that they were mad when Kylo said they were no one. But like... guys... not every single Force user is related to the Skywalkers or anyone else we already know. There were hundreds of Jedi in the prequels, because anyone can be Force sensitive. Obi-Wan’s parents were nobody, Qui-Gon’s parents were nobody, Mace’s parents were nobody. They didn’t come from long lines of Force users (at least in movie lore), BECAUSE THE JEDI WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO HAVE KIDS. The Skywalkers aren’t even a long line, it’s just 3 generations at this point. So literally none of the Jedi of the past came from powerful Force users (or at least from ones who got the chance to become Jedi) since that literally goes against the code.

Luke found at least 11 other Force sensitive kids to train alongside Ben, their parents were all definitely nobodies since he’s the last Jedi. Ben is an anomaly, Luke and Leia are anomalies, the Jedi don’t have kids! The fandom got so caught up in figuring out who Rey could be related to, that they forgot that for millennia the individual Jedi were not related to anyone.

Anyone can be Force sensitive. Anyone can be a Jedi. Rey is an example of that. That little boy is an example of that. That’s why I love that the little Force sensitive boy was the final shot of the movie. He was meant to reassure and remind us after the Rey parentage reveal that anyone can end up Force sensitive. They don’t need a famous/powerful parent. They can come from anywhere and be anyone. And I love that that’s the final note of this movie.

Some people were not reassured. Some people couldn’t handle the idea that Rey’s powerful just because she’s Rey, not because she’s someone’s daughter. She HAS to be related to someone to be that powerful, right? But every Jedi before her who was just as powerful wasn’t related to anyone, so why does she have to be?

ANYWAY! I was actually worried over the last 2 years that I’d rewatch The Last Jedi and not like it as much as I did in theaters. I still like it a lot. Even the Canto Bight scenes get redeemed by the costumes and the set being so amazing. But I love the message of don’t be a hero, this is bigger than just you. And I love the message that even if you’re “nobody” from “nowhere” you could still be Force Sensitive and you could still be a Jedi. I love Luke’s send off, I love that he does end up reigniting the spark and being a beam of hope again. I love it.

And I’m excited to see the Rise of Skywalker tomorrow.

[squirrelno2]

Me at myself in the mirror at 3:50 in the afternoon one day: the thing about the sequel trilogy of star wars is that Finn was in the perfect position to be a foil to Kylo Ren and a hopeful spin on the character of Anakin Skywalker and the fact that nobody even noticed these parallels is a testament to the power of racism and the fact that bigotry actually makes you a worse writer

No but. Anakin’s out here with his introduction in the prequels as a slave, and it’s poorly done but implied that the pain and fear of that part of his life impacts how he interacts with… basically everything ever, and ultimately makes him susceptible to palpatine’s grooming; your mileage may vary on the ratio of canon to fanon in this interpretation but I think we can all agree being a slave from birth is gonna fuck a kid up and there’s a reason why George lucas chose this particular backstory for him.

So you’ve got Kylo Ren, eschewing a family that cares for him (please don’t talk to me about whatever the fuck was going on in those last jedi flashbacks first of all that’s bad writing babe and second, we’re talking solely about the expectations and possibilities established in force awakens because there’s not enough narrative or character consistency in the sequel trilogy to take. Anything as a whole there) in order to chase after this version of his grandfather that isn’t even the version he died as. Like! Whether you think Anakin/Vader achieved redemption or simply did one good thing at the end of his life, we all know that act of sacrifice on Luke’s behalf is. The definition of Star Wars. Vader choosing to do good in his last moments was what the original trilogy built towards and what the prequel trilogy always knew, and it’s this fucked up spectre over everything Kylo Ren says or does in Force Awakens because he’s out here pleading with the ghost of a man who is not real, he’s chasing Vader instead of Anakin Skywalker and ignoring the choices his own grandpa made in the name of… honouring him somehow???

And then there’s Finn. Finn who’s been raised since who knows when but definitely childhood given he has no name to remember to be a weapon for the First Order. Somehow I doubt they pay their stormtroopers, somehow I expect their education is more indoctrination than anything, somehow I doubt Finn was ever instilled with a sense that he as a person mattered – Finn’s a slave when we meet him. Unequivocally. And this man who’s known nothing else his entire life turns around and says “actually I think I will do good things or at least stop doing bad ones” and runs the fuck away, freeing himself. (and also Poe. Something something the act of saving others in turn saves you, this is my eternal soapbox but that’s not my point right now)

Finn is afraid, and very nearly runs away from the fight like “I’m safe so it doesn’t matter what happens to others” – when satisfied that Rey is safe (and under the impression that Poe is dead) he feels no strong compulsion to protect an ambiguous “rest of the galaxy” which honestly is exactly the vibes Anakin Skywalker has for pretty much all his life. Anakin would be a hero because the people he cared about wanted him to be. He fought for Padme and Obi-Wan and frigging Palpatine (and Ahsoka, I say, skipping outside the movies for a hot second because I love her) first and foremost, and the Jedi and the Republic because those were the causes his loved ones cared about. Finn has the opportunity to get away, to protect himself for the first time in his life, and he doesn’t have to worry about the few people he cares about so he very nearly goes for it.

Then the thing is, Finn, unlike Anakin, doesn’t let that fear rule him? He turns around and goes back for Rey, follows Poe, stays with the Resistance. He gets to be terrified but he also says that terror isn’t his only motivating factor, and that his self-interest matters less to him than the galaxy – a choice Anakin struggled to make until literally the end of his life.

In conclusion, if the sequel trilogy had stuck to its guns and been about the tragedy of history as a cycle and the way we cling to idealised pasts and torture ourselves over might-have-beens (and also how that inaction and obsession with history allows the rise of fascism bc we spend so much time patting ourselves on the back for defeating ‘the bad guy’ we ignore what gave the bad guy power) – if it had been a well written story Finn should have been a hopeful twist to the story of Darth Vader, a man who faced the same struggles as Anakin but made better, kinder choices, which would bring it nicely full circle considering George Lucas was like. Very into star wars as being about Vader

But nope we had to have whatever that poorly written racist tug-of-war was instead. I don’t know about you but I need better fandoms

[bxmbshelle]

I’m not sure if someone has ever mentioned this, but I feel like it’s important to bring up.

Before the Sequels (or at least, before the Last Jedi which is when there seemed to be A LOT of hatred for the Sequels), everyone hated on the Prequels all the time. Everyone’s least favorite character was Jar Jar, everyone had some personal vendetta against George Lucas, that was just the thing. The status quo. Don’t you dare even think that there is some good part of the Prequels because no, they are a movie made by Satan himself.

And then the Sequels happened.

The Sequels (specifically TLJ) are so hard to talk about because they are, for some reason, so controversial. I’ve seen some people call TFA and/or TLJ the best Star Wars movies, while others called them even worse than yes, the prequels.

I always knew there was hate towards the Sequels but I never realized how terrible it was until I started talking to other Star Wars fans.

I talked to these people on Omegle (yes, the dreaded place) in the Star Wars tag and what they had to say was... Interesting.

I remember being asked who my least favorite character was and I said Jar Jar, and added “but that's probably what everyone says lol” and the person responded saying that most people say Rey or Rose are their least favorite.

Huh.

I feel like in recent years there has been some sorta... Redemption for the Prequels. I think mostly this is in part from the iconic memes but also do to the fact that the Sequels is the new thing to hate on, people are moving on from beating the dead horse that is the Prequels. Everyone’s... okay with them, at the least.

Back to my conversations with people on Omegle, most of them were Prequel fanboys. Those whose first introduction to Star Wars were the Prequels, those who didn’t grow up with Luke and Leia and Han but instead grew up with Anakin and Padme and Obi-Wan.

Those who grew up with their favorite movies being bashed, being hated and being torn apart by everyone who did grow up with the Original Trilogy.

From the few I have interacted with, these people refuse to believe that the Prequels can have any flaws and view them threw rose-tinted glasses. Many of them started the chats off with “I will not interact with prequel haters” or something along the lines.

Now, here's where the point I’m trying to make finally comes across.

These people, who cant bare to see their favorite movies bashed and hate being bashed for liking the prequels, go out and bash and tear apart the Sequels and Sequel fans.

While I don’t want to act like the Sequels are god sent or anything, I do believe people are taking this too far. I can’t be the only one who sees these parallels, can I?

Just for starters, Jake Llyod ceased acting do to bullying for his role, and Hayden Christensen whos role has forever tainted his resume. Sounds vaguely similar to Kelly Marie Tran, who left social medial do to all the hatred she got.

These Prequel Fanboys who just want to destroy the Sequels forget that the sequels are some kids Prequels if that makes sense. Rey and Poe and Finn are these kids heroes, their Luke and their Leia and their Han. These are the first PG-13 movies their seeing in theaters, their movie that could start a life long obsession with Star Wars. 

Yes, I know, just because a movie has young fans doesn’t mean we cant bash it, and I don’t want to act like the Sequels don’t warrant any criticism but I feel like theirs a pattern that nobody is noticing. Make me younger in another 20 years we have the “New” trilogy or whatever it’ll be called, will the Sequel Generation hate on it? Bash it, destroy it, and be glad that finally theirs another set of movies to hate on besides their beloved Sequels? Or do you think we’ll finally learn from the Original and the Prequel generations, that we cant let our anger for a movie get so far to ruin peoples lives and their careers?

After all, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, and we all know where that leads.