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incorrectpizza · 2 years

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Why 2022 will be a make it or break it year for Star Wars

Ok, so I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the Kenobi trailer finally dropping. I’m convinced that 2022 will be the year that either saves Star Wars for me or which pushes me to apathy, if not distaste, of the franchise.

While this is, of course, my personal opinion, I believe that this will be the same for many other Star Wars fans. So, hear me out. I’m going to be analyzing each of the major projects in 2022 and detailing why I think their success is so vital to the franchise.

Putting the actual post under the cut because it got a little out of hand.

Reblog & put your own predictions in the tags - I would love to read them!

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT

I want to touch on TBOBF briefly because it was predominantly a 2022 release. I don’t think this show helped Star Wars as much as it could’ve. It proved to be yet another divisive piece of media; I’d say it got much more love, than, say, The Last Jedi or The Rise of Skywalker, but it also didn’t get the level of praise The Mandalorian did. And it stole some key moments that could’ve made the season premiere of that show a real banger.

OBI-WAN KENOBI

This show is arguably the most anticipated piece of Star Wars content since The Force Awakens. People have been begging for Ewan McGregor’s return to Star Wars ever since Disney bought the franchise. This show is likely to draw an outsized audience of “normies” as opposed to the other Star Wars content that’s coming out this year.

This show has an outsized level of hype and is playing with a LOT of beloved legacy characters (even more than the sequel trilogy?!) Already we have confirmed Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, Owen, Beru, and a young Luke Skywalker (albeit from a distance). There are a few others who are heavily rumored but not outright confirmed which I’ll refrain from listing here.

Obi-Wan and Darth Vader having another confrontation will almost certainly be epic, but if done sloppily it could really break lore. Same with Obi-Wan possibly interacting with Luke.

On top of this, they are also dealing with some popular characters from outside the movies. The Inquisitors’ presence - emphasized so heavily in the very first teaser - could confuse or delight fans.

If they screw this show up, it could have a profound impact on the way people view both the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy (albeit to a lesser extent).

To put things succinctly: Obi-Wan Kenobi is an extremely anticipated show which will likely change the way all of Star Wars is seen - for the better or worse.

ANDOR

This show isn’t as big a deal as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but it holds a unique place as the series that could most surprise Star Wars fans. In my humble opinion, Andor could be a shocking success that brings together fans of the prequels, animated shows, originals, books, comics and, of course, Rogue One.

This slice of the timeline is full of possibilities: pretty much any character from the Prequels, Originals, or the time in between could show up.

Perhaps the biggest question is “Will we get to see Jedi?” There haven’t been many concrete rumors about Andor, which means they could totally surprise us with some mind-blowing connections. Could Ewan McGregor have filmed an extra scene or two while he was working on Kenobi? Or maybe a younger Ahsoka Tano will show up here as Fulcrum? Kanan Jarrus hasn’t revealed his identity, but it’s entirely plausible he and/or Hera Syndulla could show up in their roles as young rebellion heroes.

It’s not just Jedi that could show up, though. The show will deal with both the Rebellion and the underworld, opening up a world of possibilities. There’s the possibility of a clone trooper or two cameoing, or even young Boba Fett; Temeura Morrison is still very well connected with Star Wars. Maybe young Fennec Shand could make an appearance as well? We know she’s already bounty hunting by this time. A persistent fan hope is Star Wars Rebels’ Alexsandr Kallus, who would still be an Imperial agent at this time.

Add in the odd, persistent rumors of George Lucas’s involvement, and you get a recipe for something special.

Will Andor be a magical Neapolitan pizza with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella or a sad stale piece of cardboard covered in a dry, just-barely-tomato-esque paste and cheese that looks like it was chewed by a dog?

THE BAD BATCH

So, here’s the thing about The Bad Batch Season Two:

We know absolutely nothing about it.

Aside from the fact that it’s coming, there have been zero announcements, and few leaks or rumors, since the initial announcement of the renewal last year. The latest development? Bob Chapek actually left the show out of the list of the remaining content for 2022 during Investor Day yesterday, and Star Wars Insider changed the sidebar from “Coming Spring 2022″ to “Coming Soon”.

Are there production woes? Could it be cancelled? Or do they just not have an easy spot to slide it into their lineup of content? We know courtesy of Michelle Ang that the show was recording lines months ago.

This show is big for a few reasons. It’s not the most beloved Star Wars animated series by far, but it had a sizeable fandom. It’s also the only animated Star Wars on the horizon in the near future.

Some of Star Wars’ best content has been animated. The Clone Wars and Rebels are both very well-loved. Visions had a fun breakout moment, and Resistance is severely underrated.

I worry that, if The Bad Batch doesn’t get a great second season - and a renewal for a third, if it’s been sketched out - it could be very bad news for Lucasfilm Animation and its fans. I’m thoroughly convinced that Resistance got cut short. If The Bad Batch doesn’t perform up to snuff, I’m afraid they might decide that animation isn’t worth it anymore. With the Rebels sequel storyline moving to live action, there isn’t a very clear direction for Star Wars animation to go after The Bad Batch, and I’m afraid it could become scarce.

LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA

This game has been coming out for so kriffing long that Lego Star Wars fans could be extremely salty if it isn’t everything they’d hoped and dreamed. (I’m not a huge Lego fan, so this is pure speculation, but I can’t say I’d blame them.)

JEDI FALLEN ORDER 2

This is a long shot but if the Jedi Fallen Order sequel gets a killer trailer and/or a release in 2022, it could provide a lifeline to some Star Wars fans who are struggling to enjoy the other content. (I know it’s one of my most anticipated Star Wars projects).

BOOKS & COMICS

I felt weird leaving these out entirely, because they do exist, but there isn’t anything huge going on. Other than The High Republic, which I’m pretty sure everyone has either gone all-in one or abandoned by this point, we have just a handful of books that look to either enhance or cast a dark shadow over a few beloved characters. But these aren’t likely to make a huge splash, so I don’t see them making a big difference to the fandom writ large.

THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 3

I tacked this on at the last moment to remind people that we should’ve gotten a third season of The Mandalorian in 2022. If it weren’t for Disney’s firing of Gina Carano and subsequent rewrites, it likely would have premiered as scheduled in 2022. It could’ve been a fantastic banger of an ending to a year of epic Star Wars (if everything above went well and on schedule). But as things stand, it’s looking like The Mandalorian will come out in 2023 at the earliest.

#star wars #2022 in star wars #this is a Thing #I'm sorry it's so long #the book of boba fett #obi-wan kenobi #andor #the bad batch #lego star wars: the skywalker saga #jedi fallen order #jedi fallen order 2 #the high republic #the mandalorian #baby yoda #star wars news

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nibeul · 3 years

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What always really confused me about the Clones status as war slaves is that it never seems to upset Anakin, a former slave. Like, in "The Hidden Enemy" Anakin gets an expression when Slick points out he and his brothers are all slaves that seems to indicate he realizes this and that it makes him uncomfortable... and then it's never brought up again as far as I remember. Like, they really could have used the status of the clones as slaves, as well as the Jedi's complacency to the slave trade on Tatooine as reasons to his fall, but neither are ever really brought up. Also, is it ever established what happened to the clones in general after Order 66? I know they were used as the first generation of Storm Troopers but what happened after they were retired? There were thousands of them, where did they go?

oh I've thought about this so many times and it never fails to bug me. my guess is it comes from the fact that Lucas literally did not think about the implications of the Clone Army when creating them in ROTS, but it's still an issue and one that... doesn't really have an explanation. Not to mention, the Jedi as a whole were supposed to be super anti-slavery (which we know they weren't since they let prominent groups like the Hutts get away with it/were willing to compromise with said groups and also, ya know, Qui Gon literally telling an enslaved Anakin that they weren't gonna save him or his mom...), so even accepting their role in the GAR goes against what they say they stand for.

Generally, I think there were three main plausible responses to the Clone Army from the Jedi (for those who actually acknowledged that the clones were enslaved anyway):

Viewing it as a "necessary evil" and were willing to fill their role in the hierarchy. By reasoning with themselves that it was for a greater purpose, they're basically absolving themselves of guilt/responsibility. This also goes into the "well if I don't do it then someone else will" mentality where they see it as a must. -> We can also talk about the concept of "acceptable slavery" here and how we perceive Jedi who "treated the clones nicely" vs someone like Krell who saw them as expendable and sub-human

Completely distancing themselves from the source (while actively criticizing from afar, in some cases). They might acknowledge that the clones are enslaved but refuse to actually do anything about it and instead remove themselves from the war effort entirely. They see it as something that's bad, but not something they should do anything about either. If they avoid being put into roles like "General", they avoid feeling responsible. They still remain a Jedi but have completely avoided aiding the war effort in its entirety while also remaining silent about the clones themselves with the occasional sympathetic comment.

Leaving the Order. This one can kinda go with the above I guess, though I'm sure there were Jedi who saw what was going on and outright refused to be part of an institution that was actively participating in the enslavement of the clones. I'm sure there were former Jedi (and maybe even active Jedi) who helped clones desert, though we haven't seen any in canon, so I guess it's up to the fans to have that (without the white savior vibes please :|).

I think it's also important to talk about "well, who's guilty then?" because in the broad sense, the entirety of the Order is responsible, but then it varies at an individual level. Like let's look at Plo Koon who's canonly very forgiving but draws the line at slavers and actively tries to kill them on sight multiple times in the comics. I enjoy Plo Koon as a character; I like doodling him, I like reading fics with him, but he's also a High Council Member and upholds the system which keeps the clones enslaved. His character arguably contradicts itself, but because he is portrayed as nice and caring, the argument against him is "lessened"/he is not held to the same level of accountability someone like Krell is. We excuse him—and other Jedi—from the fact that he is helping to lead an army of enslaved men because he is nice.

In Anakin's case, part of me wonders if he doesn't really think of the clones as enslaved because the clones are not enslaved in the same way that Anakin was enslaved. He has a set idea of what slavery is based on his own circumstances and the way that the clones are enslaved doesn't seem to fit the bill so he doesn't really register it. Being confronted with the fact that his childhood might not be so different from what the clones are currently going through made him uncomfortable, and as such, he pushed the thought away/decided against addressing it. That's more so an in-universe explanation since I already mentioned why the story's probably set up this way but yeah. Idk how much I want to get into that, so I'll leave it at there for now.

For what happened to the clones after Order 66, they fought for the newly established Empire and continued to be produced until the Kamino Uprising (which I think was like... 16-12BBY, somewhere in between that??). Palpatine pretty quickly started integrating natborns into the Empire's military wing though the clones still made up the bulk of it for a while since the Empire needs more than one or two years to make a complete shift. Most of the clones died before they could ever retire from old age, I believe the last active clones were Vader's fist (the 501st) and the majority of that battalion was wiped out during the Battle of Hoth. Bottomline, they deserved better than what they got.

I'm 90% sure clonehub's talked about this, so I recommend checking out her blog.

#cw slavery #nibeul says fuck #nibeul talks #I'll probably need a mug of tea before I breach this topic any further #if I do end up doing that #but yeah again go check out clonehub because she probably has more on this than I do #nibs asks

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cyratania · 3 years

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I saw this post and couldn't help it, so here have a story. XD @misskirby Please take my humble contribution to this legendary au. 😂

The Force, as it would seem has two things it would like to do; Mess with people or is the wise cosmic power that connects everyone and everything in life.

Today is not one of those days.

Or at least that seemed to be the only plausible reason for the imperial shuttle to beak down causing Darth Vader to have to come down to Tatooine. Yes, Tatooine to get the parts necessary for the ship to be fixed.

Of course, this is when baby Luke Skywalker, 3 years old decides to come out onto the street, bumping straight into Darth Vader's leg.

Obviously, this wouldn't have been an issue if baby Luke did not indeed have the Force. However, he does, and a Force bond springs into existence, causing Darth Vader to stop and stare at this child.

He brushes his force presence with the child and jerks back.

He pieces a few things together.

Namely, the hows? The whens? And eventually, he realizes that, hey, maybe that evil boss he works for who's been lying to everyone for more than a decade has actually been lying to him all this entire time.

So in true Skywalker fashion, he picks up the child and runs as fast as his metal legs could go to the nearest ship, leaving his men in a flurry of confusion ultimately deciding to follow him.

On the other side of the planet, Obi-wan Kenobi had just started his 742nd day on Tatooine (not that he was keeping count) when he felt a presence he had not felt in a long time 3 years. Opening the door he found Darth Vader sprinting across the sand with a child and not just any child, but Luke Skywalker. Trying to figure out his best course of action for this, what does he decide to do?

Follow Darth Vader of course.

Now we move to the last person on the Force's messing-with-people list. Firmus Piett. Firmus Piett was just an ambitious Imperial officer. He was also currently staying back on one of the ships keeping guard when a very agitated Vader with a squealing child runs in fastening the child on the seat and jabbing random hyperspace coordinates.

In the panic, Piett did not notice a certain Jedi master sneak aboard the ship.

This is when they stumble into each other. This ruckus causes Vader to come out of the cockpit with the child who has now quietened down, fascinated by the lights on Vader's chest.

A pause.

"Kenobi, what are you doing in my ship?"

"Well if you must know Darth," He points to the baby, "I'm here to take back my son."

Vader lets out something that suspiciously sounds like a laugh, before continuing, "First of, your girlfriend was dead the last I heard, and second, 'Darth' really?"

"I found someone on Tatooine-"

Vader is full-out wheezing, which is probably bad for his lungs but he can't seem to stop.

Kenobi huffs, "Yes, Darth, now give me my son."

Vader snorts again, "Sure, one moment." He turns to the baby, "Hello Luke, could you tell me what your name is again?"

"Wuke Skywakeh"

Silence.

Vader looks pretty pleased for someone with a mask, the same could not be said of Obi-wan however. The two are in some sort of glaring competition when Piett coughs. Both heads swivel towards him and he now has to face the wrath of two glares. Raising his hand in surrender he asks, "I just would like to know where the ship is uh heading my Lord."

Vader appears to answer, before stopping turning and checking the navigation.

"Wonderful, you have absolutely no idea where we are going."

"Shut it, Kenobi."

"Seriously, what is with the 'Kenobi'?"

"What's with the 'Darth'?"

Piett sighed since apparently, he was going to be stuck with non-stop bickering for the foreseeable future, he wouldn't be getting answers any time soon, he checked the navigation maps which told him Darth Vader had just sent them on a course to Dantooine. Spleendid, this was going to be a long 20 hours.

Read the rest on here Ao3 by the_starlight.

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phoenixyfriend · 3 years

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anakin :0

send me a character & I’ll answer the following about them! general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff best quality: His complete dedication to protecting the people he loves. worst quality: His terrifying dedication to protecting the people he loves. ship them with: Mostly Padme and Rex, but I'm flexible. brotp them with: Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, on the obvious level. Fox, after a recent realization I had in writing about the plausible dynamic they could have post-O66 and what it would mean after time-travel. needs to stay away from: I mean... everyone needs to stay away from Palps but Anakin needs to stay especially far away.

misc. thoughts: He's really fun to play with in the sense that he's a lot of horrible neuroses and traumas wrapped up in a package that usually means well, up until he has a textbook psychotic break, but bigger, and goes full Vader, and poking at that 'maybe there's still room to save him' period is just. He's one of those uneven bouncy toys where you drop it and you can never predict what direction it's going to go in because it's built to surprise you.

One of these, but made of knives:

#star wars #anakin skywalker #Phoenix Answers Memes

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bardicindignation · 3 years

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April Fool's Day Fic Snippet

In honor of April fools, I offer unto y'all an extremely cracky scene from a Star Wars fix-it au that I may or may not eventually get around to actually writing.

For context: Anakin started coming back to the light just a few years after the rise of the Empire and has, along with Cody and another person, been leading an undercover rebellion against the empire. Their general modus operandi for finding jedi is to a. let them go if they can without arousing suspicion, b. fake a pirate attack while in transit to let them escape, or c. fake their deaths.

They've just reported the death of Quinlan Vos when this starts.

(Also, if this looks at all familiar, it's because it was inspired by this fic by cosmicocean on ao3.)

Fuck fuck kriffing-bantha-nerf-herding-motherfucking-hutts.

Anakin...might have been panicking. Just a bit.

He’d prepared for a lot, but Moff karking-son-of-a-bantha Tarkin sweeping unannounced onto his kriffing bridge while he was in the midst of informing a jedi that he was supposed to have already killed that he, you know, wasn’t going to be killed. Or tortured. Or used as bait for other jedi.

(‘In the midst of’ was an exaggeration. ‘About to’ was more accurate.)

And said jedi was standing in full fucking view of the entire fucking bridge because the bridge was supposed to be full of people he trusted and not Wilhulf fucking Tarkin and HOW HAD THIS HAPPENED???

Tarkin looked at Anakin, at a very much alive and entirely unrestrained Quinlan Vos (thank the Force Anakin hadn’t returned the man’s lightsabre yet), at Cody, Appo, and the others (frozen and also panicking under their blank stormtrooper armor), at the bridge crew (Captain Piett was going to start hyperventilating any moment now), and back to Anakin.

“I’m sure,” he said smoothly, an insufferably smug smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, “that you have a very good explanation as to why you have not executed the jedi scum as reported, Lord Vader. I’m sure the Emperor would love to hear it.”

So. Anakin was panicking, reminding himself that, as insufferably horrible as he was, Tarkin was one of the few men he couldn’t get away with killing without a good reason and, had he mentioned, panicking. So. Much. Panic. So he really couldn’t be blamed when all higher brain function fled, and what came out of his mouth was,

“What jedi scum?”

Kriff, kriff, kriff. He could feel Cody judging him from across the room.

Tarkin spluttered.

“What jedi scum?! The-the one standing right there beside you!”

Fuuuuuuck.

“I see no jedi.” Anakin told him.

So. Much. Judgement.

Tarkin lost his temper.

“THE JEDI TRAITOR QUINLAN VOS IS STANDING DIRECTLY TO YOUR RIGHT! HE IS HOLDING A TEA CUP!”

Mmhm. Yep. Okay, here he went, one Anakin Skywalker BS special, coming right up.

“This is not the jedi traitor Quinlan Vos.”

“What?” said Tarkin, eyebrows shooting up.

“What?” said definitely-jedi Quinlan Vos at the same time, though thankfully Tarkin hadn’t seemed to hear him.

Anakin groaned inwardly, drew himself up to Darth Vader’s impressive height and loomed.

“This,” he repeated impatiently, “is not Quinlan Vos, nor is he a jedi. This is…” Anakin frantically scoured his brain for a name and plausible explanation, “Informant Sergei.”

Complete silence fell. Anakin heard Cody cough slightly. If Captain Piett wasn’t careful, his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Vos was staring at him. He was pretty sure that Aphra (and when had she gotten here?) had started to film.

“Informant Sergei.” Tarkin said flatly.

Anakin loomed more aggressively. He was committed now. This was what he was going with and so help him, he was going to make this padawan-framing bastard believe it.

“Did you not hear me the first time?” he asked scathingly, channeling his master at his most irritated, and went on without waiting for an answer. “Informant Sergei has been working with me since the Clone Wars, and has stayed loyal to our cause throughout. His resemblance to his cousin Quinlan Vos has been a boon in gathering intelligence from those more...sympathetic to the old Order and was instrumental in leading Vos to his demise.”

There. He could work with that. Now, he just had to (somehow) get Tarkin to buy it. Which, going by the look on his face, hadn’t happened.

That was okay. Anakin hadn’t had the chance to bullshit someone this thoroughly since the Clone Wars; he had backlog.

The ball was in Tarkin’s court now. Immediately, he turned on Vos.

“What’s your name and what are you doing here?” he demanded sharply.

Vos glanced at Anakin, who was panicking again, then back to Tarkin. A lazy smile spread across his face.

“I’m Sergei Vos, that bastard Quinlan’s cousin on our dad’s side. I’m here to collect my reward for aiding in his capture.”

Anakin held back a sigh of relief, and his sense of Cody and the men relaxed fractionally. Vos hadn’t been one of the best undercover jedi for nothing, even Obi-Wan would’ve had a hard time beating that poker face.

Tarkin wasn’t done yet.

“Trooper! Have you worked with this Informant Sergei,” said, of course, in tones of deep disgust, “on previous assignments?”

Cody, bless him, didn’t miss a beat.

“Infromant Sergei has been a fine asset to the Empire.”

Anakin was going to have to get him something good the next time they went planet side. And it didn’t stop there.

“He’s a killer sabacc player,” Aphra chimed in, still filming.

“If you get them in good light, you can tell the difference pretty easily.” Lieutenant Needa, fresh out of the academy.

“Vos had a scar on his arm where Sergei bit him when they were young.” Grey.

“I lost my virginity to Informant Sergei.”

It took every ounce of willpower Anakin had not to turn and stare at Piett in utter disbelief. What the fuck was that?

...Vos winked lasciviously in Piett’s direction.

“And what a night it was.”

Okay. Whatever. Anakin had started this, he’d bear the consequences.

Tarkin looked nonplussed, but less certain of himself. Time to drive it home.

“If,” he said forbiddingly, “you are quite finished interrogating my staff, Grand Moff Tarkin.”

Tarkin glared at him.

“I expect Informant Sergei’s information to have arrived at my desk when I reach it.”

“Of course.”

“And if I find out that any of it is inaccurate…”

“You will not.”

One last incredulous look around the bridge later, Tarkin was striding out as abruptly as he came.

#my fanfic #star wars #anakin skywalker #wilhuff tarkin #quinlan vos #april fools day #yes #this is utterly ridiculous #but i made myself laugh when I wrote it #which is the important bit really lol #hope y'all enjoy it!!#informant sergei au

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clonehub · 3 years

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Nothing in Star Wars works like it does in the real world. Physics does not work otherwise we would not hear sounds in space and there would be no space fleet. Why should biology work as it should? This is not science fiction. This is Star Wars where there are Jedi who can survive in space and not die (Plo Koon, Leia, Kanan) and Vader managed to survive, being burned 100%. By the way, he also became permanently white. What if Echo's skin was also permanently damaged and a year in the freezer + experiments made it irreversible? There is no need to transfer real problems to fiction, in which everything is explained by the Force, midichlorians and everybody clones to each other.

There's this thing called suspension of disbelief that plays a huge role in whether sci Fi and fantasy can be enjoyed.

People either don't know or don't care about sounds in space enough for their disbelief to be present. People don't care enough about prosthetics to worry about that when anakin get sliced and diced.

You know what people actually generally know more about and therefore care about? Physics and biology as it affects the human body. If a character in star wars fell to what should be their death--as in flat-faced belly flop on the pavement, wed all think it was stupid because regardless of how good the medicine is, that's just not the kind of thing that seems plausible even in universe. Lots of people thought Leia surviving outer space was stupid. You should have heard how people in my theater reacted to that scene. Vader is already a white man so idk what the hell you're talking about anon, and that's a pretty far "what if" because if there's one thing you bitches don't know how to do, it's rely on actual facts to back of your arguments and staying away from a bunch of useless hypotheticals that don't actually have a bearing on what I'm saying.

Are you really telling me that if anakin has been de limbed three times and set on fire, and you'd seen him immediately after with completely normal skin and all his arms and legs, you wouldn't think it was at least a little bit odd? People thought it was weird that Darth Maul came back. Scifi and fantasy has limits my guy.

#ask

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airplanned · 2 years

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@snarky24 Harry Potter seems to do this — it reveals a lot of backstory at the climax to explain the actions of Professor Snape in Book 1 and especially Book 7 as well as Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew in Book 3. They are revealed as a twist, and the books aren’t from their POV so it’s plausible that it wouldn’t be revealed until then. The only other example O can think of is Gone Girl, where the narrator is actually unreliable and you find out what she’s really up to halfway through. That’s all I got.

Oh yeah, I can think of a whole lot of examples where we get antagonist backstory at the climax. Pretty much every Scooby Doo episode does this, right? Most mysteries or any story where who the bad guy is is a twist. Darth Vader announcing that he’s Luke’s father kind of does this (although that’s just exposition and not a full on flashback). This guy was talking about doing this with the main character, whose POV you’re in.

After thinking about it for a few days, my main gripe with this suggestion isn’t pacing issues (although, yikes) but rather that you wold have to break the rules of POV to do this. Your character has to specifically NOT THINK ABOUT THE THING through the whole book. In fact, Gone Girl was the only example I could think of when he was talking, which is notoriously frustrating because it goes beyond unreliable narrator to straight up lying to the reader. So I think it’s interesting that the only examples he gave (other than his own work) were movies and TV shows, where there’s a more omniscient POV. Maybe an omniscient POV would work?

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silverducks · 4 years

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Star Wars IX - The Rise of Skywalker

Saw TROS for the first time last night and, as if often the case, I just need to get a few thoughts out there.

I’ve always loved Star Wars, but more in a just love watching the films way, rather than being involved in the fandom. Maybe that’s way, and I know this is an unpopular opinion, I really enjoyed the film, and indeed the whole of the new trilogy.

I was soooo disappointed in Avengers: Endgame earlier last year; that I just didn’t try to expect anything from the final Skywalker Star Wars film. I couldn’t take another favourite franchise ending in disappointment! Maybe that’s another reason why I just, overall, really enjoyed it and came out of the cinema feeling overall happy with it. For me, it was a shaky start, but an overall action packed and satisfying ending to the saga.

I will say, the original trilogy which began over 40 years ago is still by far the best, but this trilogy was also very, very good and I loved it! It brought me back to a world I loved so much, with some of my old favourite characters returning and giving us some fascinating new ones. The prequel trilogy was entertaining enough, but I didn’t connect the same to the world and the characters as I did in this, newer trilogy. Maybe that’s another reason why I just really, really enjoyed this.

Spoilers below:

I will say though, it could have been better – the plot was a bit too messy, which makes me think it got re-written too many times. I know some re-writes were inevitable after Carrie Fisher’s sad death, but I think this was the main reason the film suffered. The plot was too all over the place. It also didn’t tie in well enough to the last film – due no doubt to the different directors having different ideas. I think it would have been better if they’d started to search for the Sith homeworld, and the hints of Palpatine, in TLJ rather than the what was mainly a film filler adventure between Rose, Finn and Poe. This would have given much more cohesion and they would have had more time in the final film to finish story and character arcs properly.

There were a few missed opportunities, too many characters weren’t given the screentime they deserved and perhaps, at times, it just tried too hard to echo its original predecessors.

At first, I eye-rolled at the idea of bringing back Palpatine, but then, as the story went on, I grew to really like it. It helped explain a lot of the questions that were still unanswered from the first two films, such as why the First Order came to power so quickly, and who was the real puppeteer. And yes, the film took a lot of narrative short cuts, lots of little things were suddenly introduced to explain things like, oh the Sith can do this now, etc, but as this is a fantasy/sci-fi series, those sort of things don’t bother me too much, as long as they’re kind of plausible. Which, for me, they were.

It had all the elements I love about Star Wars – the light sabre fights, lots of different planets, the rebellion almost being over, but rising again and defeating the evil empire, lots of fights/battles in space which are just so entertaining to watch. I really enjoyed all that and once the film got into the second half, it felt much more settled and balanced and I was swept away in the awesome epic world of Star Wars once more.

And I’m a bit of a Reylo shipper, so I was very pleased to see this continue in this film, with Rey wanting to see Ben return to the light side. And I’m glad that it was actually through his parents (and not just Rey), that he finally did come back to the light side. I do think they could have made more of Ben/Kylo Ren’s character arc in this, and I would’ve loved a longer fight seen with him and Rey against the emperor. But I’m just really pleased he did redeem himself and that him and Rey finally had some (albeit small) time together.

I was pretty disappointed they killed his character off though – I know why they did, because they wanted to echo the Darth Vader story arc, because there’s still a very strong notion that to be fully redeemed you have to give the ultimate sacrifice and die and because they truly wanted to end the Skywalker line. But it would have been much more interesting if they’d kept him alive and he’d been able to redeem himself by doing more good works throughout his life. And it’s a shame that all the Skywalkers have now died – all via a sacrifice for someone they loved. The end of a dynasty like no other, and I’m happy Rey took their name, a nice way to remember them.

Although, because they did kill off all the Skywalkers, the ending overall felt too bittersweet. Star Wars was always about hope, but (whilst the evil empire is gone for good), for Rey it looks like she’s got a lonely life ahead, just carrying on as the last Jedi. She’s outgrown her friends now and has a great burden to carry, with nothing really left to hope for. If they’d have saved Ben Solo, they could have had a peaceful life together.

I also like how they stayed away from a love triangle too – Rey and Finn were definitely just friends now, even if at times it hinted Finn still had feelings for her. I hope now he can move on and either fully accept the feelings he has for Rose (who sadly was in it too little), or perhaps that new character who he met – the ex stormtrooper like himself.

I will say again though, the film wasn’t without its faults. It was perhaps trying to spin too many plates and give fans too much of what they thought they wanted. It tried too hard, and lost some of the focus and character/story arcs that it needed. And as much as I loved Rey’s journey as a character, it felt too much all about her at times. I would’ve like to see more of Ben/Keylo Ren’s journey too, as he was the other half of the main characters and the young Skywalker. It felt a little disappointing that, for the last film in the Skywalker saga, the last Skywalker wasn’t given as much focus.

I do think as well, his death was a bit sudden. He sacrificed his life for Rey, joined the light side once more, but he just suddenly disappeared and that was it. There was no mourning for him really, no long look at a grieving Rey and he didn’t even get to show up as force ghost. Although, part of me wonders/hopes that there is a reason for this – that perhaps he came back to life as well. That when Leia’s body disappeared, the last of her spirit went into Ben and saved him, so he didn’t appear as a force ghost because he’s not really dead...

Anyway, like a lot of film series these days, I would say the reason the film and trilogy wasn’t as good as it could have been (although I did still love it) is because too many different writers and directors get involved, each with their own, often conflicting ideas. This lack of cohesion and continuity I think is the film’s and trilogy’s biggest downfall and I truly hope that when they make another Star Wars trilogy, they have the whole story and character arc mapped out in advance, and the same team of people are involved in the whole production.

#Star Wars #Rise of Skywalker #The Rise of Skywalker #Star Wars Episode IX

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ahsokasloyalty · 5 years

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I have a theory kinda of my own, don’t judge me, everyone does

After watching the new trailer for The Rise of Skywalker I have my own theory. Hell, who doesn’t.

Well we saw, dark Rey, right? There has been a theory floating around that in the end Kylo and Rey will change sides and it will be Ben Solo on the light side and “Darth” Rey on the dark side.

Since the beggining I thought this was a pretty cool one and after the new trailer the feeling has probably tripled for me and I even see it as more plausible for several (actually just two) reasons.

First: I’m gonna be a little bit more cynical with this one. Obviously Rey turning to the dark side, might be just a damn bait, which I partly think it is, because ‘playing it save’ and trying to make the movie look more interesting than it actually is, right? But still, there is evidence of something like this happening...

Whether this is a vision, dark twin, donor of a DNA for clone Rey or actually Rey, I think it’s safe to say, there is something regarding dark version of Rey happening. I won’t be mad, if she actually turns dark. I think that it would be pretty epic, although those who think, it’s actually Rey, assume, she will just flirt with the dark side and by the end of the movie turn back to light. If that is the case, it’s kinda lame by my opinion.

Now what reason do I have to believe that this might be the twist and ending result for this movie? Well, Disney still wants money. There isn’t any other trilogy (except for the Rian Johnson’s one that is supposed to be something entirely different) announced, but this could be a set up for another one. I think Rey might be the Anakin Skywalker of this trilogy to become the next big bad set up for another trilogy.

Now this is quite pesimistic look on things, but we did just have five years in a row with it’s own Star Wars movie and don’t be mistaken, it is for the money. (The only reason for the Clone Wars to be back is to lure the fans back - and yes I am gonna still watch it, I love season 7 already.)

So... Welcome to prequels 2.0, maybe??

Second: Well, now with the obvious reason...

Now, whether, Ben is Solo or Organa, he is definitely Skywalker. This franchise always followed the path of Skywalkers (A little bit of Shmi, Anakin, does Padmé count?, Luke, Leia, Darth Vader, does Han count?, and of course Ben)

Now I’ve seen theories stating that it has to be Anakin, because he is still the Chosen One and Disney gave him a lot of work for establishing balance again. Might be true, sure, but I don’t think it’s plausible. I did hear something that might be from the set (possible spoiler alert?) that the prequels and originals were in the trailer, because we learn something about the past and the Force itself (end of possible spoiler).

The next obvious, to go with, is Luke. This is by my opinion the most probable one, you know him being the supposed mentor in this trilogy, wherher failed or not, Force ghosting as we know it, and over all this sounds the most realistic to me.

And then we have Ben, for now still Kylo. Like I’ve stated before, he is a Skywalker. Kylo Ren might just rise back to light and finish what his grandfather before him and become Ben Solo/Organa Skywalker again. Now if you look at the name and mix it a little with another title you get Rise of the Jedi or Return of Skywalker, the results are kinda the same. I know this is just stupid game with words with no real evidential value, but if you apply those two names back to Return of the Jedi or The Rise of Skywalker in this context, it doesn’t really change the meaning. Sure it doesn’t sound so cool, but it holds the same worth in the name.

It could also be Rey, but I think we’re past this. If this happens and Kylo turns back to light, Rey turns to darkness keeping the balance that, I guess, it would be awesome and I would personally love it, if done properly.

Now I’m kinda curious about others opinions, so I’m gonna go full YouTube and ask: What do you guys think?

#star wars #the rise of skywalker #kylo ren #ben solo #ben organa #anakin skywalker #luke skywalker #darth vader #rey #shmi #padmé #han #theory #leia skywalker #leia organa #dark rey #star wars trailer #disney is still super greedy

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anonymouscomrade · 4 years

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just got back from seeing a Star War and... you know, i don’t think Rise of Skywalker is quite the radioactive tire fire half the internet was making it out to be? like yeah it’s not the most satisfying conclusion one could make to a nine-film series but it wasn’t garbage either

thoughts, etc

“surely this can’t be The REAL Palpatine, it’s gotta be a clone, or an AI, or someone using his name” but nope it’s the actual guy, how the fuck could you possibly have survived Return of the Jedi

on that note, who did Palpatine fuck. i mean it’s been over half my life now since the prequel trilogy but even in those he was a crusty old asshole, right? and also when could he have even gotten his bone on? my head hurts just thinking about it

who’s this cowboy robot--- fuck yeah Lando

Rey healing that giant snake i think is the first time we’ve seen someone using the force as healing magic in the films but that’s like, the first ability you get as a light-side jedi in KotOR so hey

CHEWIE NOOOOOOOOO (yeah it’s the wrong shuttle that got blown up and it turns out he’s fine later but this trilogy killed Han Solo for real in the first one so it was entirely plausible)

you know what, General Hux getting taken out like that is pretty damn satisfying

“the Endor system”? Endor is a fucking moon, they’re not gonna name the whole damn system after it no matter how significant of a battle took place there, and also i hope i don’t have to look at a damn ewok

Endor not being destroyed kinda settles that particular argument about the Death Star’s wreckage falling and annihilating it

okay Dark Rey had a pretty cool lightsaber, not gonna lie

ohhhhhhhhh the thing Finn was gonna tell Rey is that he can feel the force too, wasn’t it

all my fistpumps at Poe looking up and seeing Lando and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon leading the cavalry as the Star Wars theme song hits

hot take: anyone who thought Kylo Ren wasn’t gonna see redemption by the end of the trilogy wasn’t paying attention, and using his and Rey’s weird force connection to pass the lightsaber was cool as hell

yeah the kiss was a bit much but he also died immediately after so whatever. redemption doesn’t necessarily mean living happily ever after, just ask Darth Vader

seeing the sequel trilogy trio meet up at the after-party was cool, i kinda like that there wasn’t any sort of romance between them

“man i wonder how many original trilogy characters they have left to mention? maybe Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?” >cuts to Rey at the ruins of Luke’s old home on Tatooine “wut”

wait Rey has a new yellow lightsaber, just off-hand? i thought getting a new lightsaber was supposed to be a Big Deal

“Rey who?” “Rey Skywalker” fuck yeah

movie was okay but any questions it answered just raised further questions

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k-she-rambles · 5 years

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Jeez Louise, this is nonsense, but okay:

Why I think the Reyincarnation Theory (Rey is somehow a reincarnation of Anakin) is plausible:

Okay so. The Rise of Skywalker has a lot of things to do as a film. It has to conclude the sequel trilogy and thematically link all nine movies as “the Skywalker Saga.” But there’s a problem.

For various reasons, Han, Luke, and Leia, the original trio, can’t be used to do this (they’ve been written out, Carrie Fisher’s untimely passing, etc.). Their legacies are important, but the sequels solidly focus on new characters. We don’t have an in-focus Skywalker in the sequel trilogy at all, do we?

(Yes, yes, Kylo Ren, sure. But he doesn’t actually count. He’s an antagonist, purposefully designed to be a bit pathetic --it’s no accident that Snoke eventually snaps at him that he’s playing at being evil, and he’s actually a more successful villain and much more Vader-like after he symbolically breaks his mask and stops trying so hard. Heck, maybe he embraces the spirit, at least, of the Sith code (through power my chains are broken; the Force will set me free...))

Anyway.

They’ve partially solved the problem of linking the movies by bringing back Palpatine. Nothing like a returning villain to do the job, and I’ll be very surprised if they don’t retcon it so that he was somehow influencing Snoke (see also: Palpatine’s tendency to keep his apprentices as pets more than full apprentices, Snoke's comment about Hux being a dog, Palpatine's ‘always a bigger prize’ mentality towards promising youngsters, etc).

But bringing back Palpatine creates a whole new narrative issue: It makes Anakin’s story (finally breaking free of his limited choices out of love and destroying his master, supposedly bringing balance to the Force) unfinished. I’ll get to that later.

Then there’s that bizarre subtitle. The Rise of Skywalker? What the heck does that mean? It’s an awkward title, especially since we’re used to using it as a family name. Luke Skywaker, a Skywalker, another Skywalker. But here it’s phrased in a singular way, like a title, or the full name of a person. What if someone in the sequel trilogy is not a Skywalker, but “Skywalker” full stop? The only person available for the job, really, is Rey.

Where does Rey come from, anyway? It would seem pretty out of character for Han, Luke, or Leia to have a secret kid that they just...dropped off somewhere. Luke grew up without knowing his parents. I don’t think he would like doing the same to another kid. Kylo Ren said that Rey’s parents were nobodies, and he was telling the truth from what he knew. Rey certainly sensed no lie. But when she looked for answers in the Dark Side nexus, she didn’t see whoever dropped her off on Jakku. She saw only herself. Could it be more accurate to say that Rey’s parents were no-one?

Back to the structure of the series. Looking at the Original Trilogy by itself, Anakin being saved in ROTJ is not the catharsis of Anakin’s story, but of Luke’s. Luke, who idolized Anakin and hated Vader, had that thoroughly kicked out from under him, and came back angry and certain that there was still hope, still another way, a way out, and being proven right (tell your sister you were right).

Anakin’s story in the first six movies does reach a conclusion: he saves his son out of a free choice of love after decades of being defined by hate and a life of limited choices, destroys the Emperor and so the Empire.

And yet.

We have to ask the question: did Anakin bring balance to the Force?

The sequel trilogy seems to say no. The First Order rises from the ashes of the Empire and gains power. Whatever Snoke’s deal is is going on. Luke has come to the conclusion that rebuilding the Jedi Order will only perpetuate the problems that led to its fall and Darth Vader being a thing. (He’s not wrong, but uh, TLJ possibly could have handled that better. Luke grew up on Tattooine, never knew the Republic or the Jedi Order as it was, and never showed any hesitation about following the spirit rather than the letter of the Rules. He’s maybe not the right character to deliver that message, and certainly not so cynically.)

And Palpatine, apparently, is back.

So Anakin’s story reached a conclusion, but it was temporary. The Chosen One prophecy is potentially unfulfilled. There was a redemption, but there was no rise, no triumph. But there could be!

If Rey is somehow Anakin, or meant to finish what Anakin started (see what I did there?), it would explain a lot!

There’s Anakin’s lightsaber, which “calls to Rey,” and triggers visions, which are an Anakin thing in the movies. Despite Kylo Ren’s claim on it, whenever he and Rey fight over the saber, it hesitates, but ultimately ends up with Rey.

There’s the lovely line in TFA about the same eyes in different people.

There’s Rey’s fighting style, that overhand pressing forward that Anakin loved so much.

There’s Kylo Ren’s obsession with Darth Vader, and come to think of it, isn’t it weird that there’s zero inkling of Anakin’s Force ghost telling Ben to sit down and reevaluate his choices? Except, perhaps, that nebulous call to the light and Rey’s determination to give him a chance to do that, even though he doesn’t end up taking it.

There’s Rey’s facility with droids and Binary, and teaching herself to fly.

There’s that new trailer --Rey and Kylo fighting like Ben and Anakin, but with water all around instead of fire. And then Rey in a dark cloak with a saberstaff, looking ready to kick someone’s butt.

I’m not any good at conclusions, but I think it’s really plausible that the “road trip” aspect of TROS is going to be chasing the slow revelation of who Rey used to be and how she can finally bring balance to the Force --by ending the Jedi and the Sith, and creating a third way that is an appropriate blending of the two.

#long post #i am a nerd #sorry for becoming a star wars blog #hi yes I love rey's saberstaff #rey's parentage #tros theories #tros speculation #rey is anakin #the reyincarnation theory

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necropsittacus · 5 years

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ok this could have been a fun essay if i had actually ever finished it or gone in depth with any of it or really Made it an essay rather than an opinion piece.

but it’s so old that that’s unlikely to happen at this point, and i did mean to post it eventually, so here it is, under a cut. it’s just sith triumvirate feelings.

i really enjoy the sort of ?not villain decay, i think that’s a different thing, but something in the same like, order of concepts? we get with sion after nihilus is introduced

like, sion is introduced with essentially a survival horror scenario where no one knows what the fuck is going on, as “a perversion of the dark side” more than e.g. malak ever was, “if that’s the new dark lord we should all be scared” kind of deal?

he’s got his own brand of horror, and remains genuinely very threatening in his own right even to the very end, but there’s pretty much always an option to try to talk him down or argue, in a way that there really isn’t with nihilus--he’s fucked up and threatening, yeah, very much not a Nice Person or probably remotely sympathetic to normal people, and also can be argued to fall into the “lovecraftian abomination sith lord” category himself (there’s a good post about that i don’t have the energy to go looking for right now). but relative to darth nihilus, and the amount of cosmic horror shit going on THERE, he’s still fundamentally just a guy with yeah some fucked up supernatural shit going on, but still fairly comprehensible human motivations. say what you will about the morality of things like “revenge” and “trying to prove yourself via murder” or his issues about traya, none of those are wildly outside what most people could plausibly come up with, it’s more about the methods and the supernatural shit being thrown in (i would say that how i interpreted his ideas about the force and his own existence is weird and, yeah, probably outside the realm of what most people would come up with, but it makes sense to me from a mental illness perspective, so, again, not inhuman by any means)

but nihilus? even visas’s take on nihilus (and i think there’s probably some argument to be had about whether that description is actually reflective of any kind of ideology on his part or if she’s reading what he showed her like that in an attempt to make some kind of sense of it and his Actual motivations are really no more than hunger), that sort of “the world is so ugly and chaotic it should be destroyed, and i am doing a good thing by wiping everything out completely” what i call omnicidal depression occasionally, is NOT within the purview of normal human motivation. in my experience even most of the people irl who talk about wanting the end of the world, if they really mean that, just mean because of humanity or have some misguided ideas equating capitalism to human nature. visas’s description of what was up with nihilus didn’t sound like that, it sounded like the issue was life itself. that’s already getting into “lovecraftian abomination” rather than “nasty human villain” territory, and the fact that he actually has the power to go through with it...

like, of course the sith are scary already, even with only the Standard Set of Force Powers, they’re supposed to be a real threat, and sion’s got his own weird creepy shit, but adding that kind of eldritch abomination factor just raises the stakes so much that by comparison the guy who’s literally too angry to die, whose main motivation is the destruction of the entire jedi order at all costs, who doesn’t care about power or glory or not getting hurt, only about Death and Carnage and Revenge, seems perfectly reasonable to like, argue with, even try to talk to your side

and the deleted scene where they fight, if it can be called that, reinforces that difference in power level/stakes even more--that even sion who wants to fight Everyone most of the time, and generally believes himself capable of it, doesn’t really want to start shit with nihilus unnecessarily, that even with all the drama and “jesus christ what the fuck how are you not dead” around him nihilus is a lot stronger, enough to not even bother with a lightsaber

and then also the fact that sion has multiple lines that are either obviously referential to vader or just identical to vader lines? i don’t think that’s a coincidence (would be difficult) or purely to point out that this is Star Wars Media™. star wars does have a Tendency to reuse lines, but i think there generally is some actual significance to which ones get copied where

like, that’s got to be deliberate, making him into some sort of parallel to vader--the terrifying Openly Sith face of the empire, but who eventually was redeemed, who chose his son in the end--and of course sion doesn’t get a redemption arc per se, and i’m honestly glad for it, but weren’t there a couple throwaway dialogue options where you could have the exile Want to go in that direction or something? i need to replay this

and even without that--i think even the comparison sets him up as more i guess human? i can’t words this right sorry, in contrast to nihilus, who is utterly beyond comprehension, beyond being reasoned with, for whom even the faintest suggestion of redemption would be impossible, even absurd--the tragic side of what the dark side can do to people, as much as the fear

where nihilus has no OT parallel imagery, he’s just his own thing

there really isn’t any point to this, no thesis or argument or anything, it’s just a feeling i had more than a year ago cleaned up a little bit

#txt #long post #sw

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elsajeni · 5 years

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May the 4th 2019 Letter

Dear Yoda,

Hi! Thanks for checking in! You’ve seen my general likes/DNWs in my sign-up already, but let me restate it here so it’s all in one place, and then we’ll get to the ship-specific stuff...

Likes: family feelings; bantering or bickering; moments of humor even in the darkest situations; misunderstandings that turn out all right in the end; poly relationships; casual relationships; hurt/comfort.

Sexy Likes, if you go in that direction: light bondage; lots of talking during sex, both sweet and dirty; realistic funny or awkward moments. If you're writing about teen characters (since some relationships I've requested would lend themselves to that), I'd rather not have anything explicit on-page, but I'm fine with offscreen or fade-to-black implied sex.

DNWs: rape/non-con unless specified; incest; explicit scenes with underage characters; detailed description of bodily fluids; drastically different AUs (what-ifs and canon-divergent fics are fine, this is about coffeeshop AUs, A/B/O, etc.); infidelity; unrelentingly dark and grim stories (I like a glimmering of hope).

Star Wars canon preferences: I'm sure you can tell from my request list that I love and miss the old EU/Legends content. For any request that features Legends characters, I'd be very happy with a purely Legends-based fic, but I also love gluing the loose ends of Legends continuity into the loose ends of sequel trilogy continuity; please feel free to mix and match Legends and canon material.

Relationship-specific prompts:

X-Wing Division:

Biggs Darklighter/Luke Skywalker

I like this best as a teen relationship that grows a little awkwardly out of their friendship, is fun while it lasts, and transitions pretty easily back into friendship when it ends. That said, whatever you do with this pairing, it’s going to be a little bit tinged with sadness; if you prefer it a LOT tinged with sadness, I’d also be delighted with a fic taking place in the brief window between when they reconnect in the Rebellion and the Death Star run.

Alternately, get weird with it – find a way for Biggs to survive, or bring him back from the dead. Write that Space Winter Soldier AU that I secretly kind of love, or Luke being haunted by the literal ghosts of his past.

Wedge Antilles/Luke Skywalker

I would really like something that brings Wedge into the sequel trilogy timeline, and especially a look at what Luke’s choice to isolate himself means for their relationship. Was Wedge ever on Ahch-To with him? Have they been in contact at all since he disappeared? When he’s found, is Wedge in a rush to see him again, or are his feelings more complicated? (As you may be guessing here, this is an area where I am very comfortable with a “not actually dead” AU! If you like a more tragic tone, though, do feel free to go with the canonical ending of TLJ.)

I’d also love this as a more early-relationship fic -- if you go that route, I’m interested in the pressures that their respective positions and commitments put on a relationship, and especially the difficulty of maintaining a relationship with someone who keeps disappearing on incomprehensible Jedi business.

Wedge Antilles/Wes Janson

Let’s be honest, I’m mostly looking for more Wraith Squadron/Starfighters of Adumar-style shenanigans here. Alternately, this is a pairing that lends itself to hurt/comfort – both of these guys have more than enough canonical close calls. Or why not a bit of both? If you’re feeling ambitious, you could fix Isard’s Revenge for me by writing their reunion post-Distna, after they’ve both believed each other to be dead for weeks.

Falynn Sandskimmer

Listen. I’ve been marching up and down carrying this banner that says “FALYNN SANDSKIMMER DESERVED BETTER” for so long. My arms are so tired. You take it for a minute, won’t you?

Let her survive and prove herself and be happy, with Myn or without (slight preference for without, tbh!). I’d love to see her get over the embarrassment of thoughtlessly insulting Piggy and develop a real friendship with him. Or write me something from her past -- teen Falynn raising hell in Mos Eisley, or the misadventures in her early career that put her on track for Wraith Squadron.

Threesomes Division:

Lando Calrissian/Mara Jade, Lando Calrissian/Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker

I liked Lando and Mara’s EU relationship, and wasn’t too happy with the “it was a cover” retcon – show me the time, or times, that it wasn’t just a cover. Or, how about an earlier meeting in their lives, when Mara was brand-new to Karrde’s organization, or during the few days they must have overlapped at Jabba’s Palace?

I’ve always liked Luke and Lando as a romantic pairing, too, so why not bring it all together? Three people who all care deeply for each other, who aren’t often in the same place at the same time, but when they are, well… let’s meet over a mug of hot chocolate and see where the evening takes us. (I’d prefer this with everyone on more-or-less equal footing – not with Luke and Mara as an established/married couple and Lando as the outsider.)

Wedge Antilles/Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker

I’d love to see this as a V gradually changing shapes into a more even triad, as Wedge and Mara come to see more in each other than Commander Square Corners and a barely-trustworthy reformed assassin. I’m most interested in this as a getting-together or early-relationship fic, with everyone sorting out their feelings and their respective claims on each other.

Wedge Antilles/Leia Organa/Han Solo, Lando Calrissian/Leia Organa/Han Solo

Another two that go together! With either of these, what I’d most like to see is Leia and Han inviting a friend (or, in Lando’s case, a friendly ex) into their bedroom as a one-time fling or a casual, but ongoing, FWB arrangement; I’m less interested in a long-term triad. If it’s Lando, I’d love to see a little tension between him and Leia as they sort out the boundaries of their respective claims on Han, but ultimately I do want this to be a happy, fun encounter for everyone involved. If you go with Wedge, I’ve always been very fond of his close friendship with Leia in the EU, and I’d like that to be his closer tie to her and Han.

Long Shots Division:

Leia Organa & Beru Whitesun

I would be MOST interested in this as a roleswap AU where Leia is the twin raised on the Lars farm. They thought Luke was headstrong and too like his father -- what a challenge raising Leia would have been. I’d love to see a look at that alternate childhood for Leia, and her relationship with her aunt in particular.

Alternately, find a way for Beru to survive, and to meet her boy’s new friends and family -- does she figure out who Leia is? (Did she know there was another baby?) What do they think of each other? Is Leia a little dismissive, maybe, of a Nice Mom Who Makes Cheese, or do they connect right away?

Mara Jade/Gara Petothel | Lara Notsil

Is this ridiculous? Yes. Do I love it anyway? Yes.

The most plausible version of this is maybe Mara/ “Kirney” during Lara’s Intelligence training -- the timeline is ambiguous, but it doesn’t seem crazy to think they might have been on Imperial Center at the same time, or that the Emperor’s Hand might have been sent to some of the society parties where Kirney made herself at home. Alternately, I think they could have some very interesting things to say to each other later on, after they’ve both changed sides (at least once) and are dealing with what the Empire did to their heads.

Garik “Face” Loran/Ton Phanan

This is in the Long Shots Division because I have a weirdly specific desire here: ghosts. Give me Ton hanging around after death -- where else does he have to go, after all? Haunting all the Wraiths, or just Face, or trying to figure out how he can go haunt some Imperials and ruin their day. Making Face miserable, or still making him laugh (and is he real, or is this some kind of coping mechanism, and does Face want to find out which?), or not seeming to know he’s dead. Just... Ghost Ton. Pls.

Alternately, I’d also be happy with them getting into shenanigans and having lots of pleasant casual sex during happier days. But I love ghosts.

Oola/Leia Organa

There wasn’t a LOT of time for dancers to hang around unwatched at Jabba’s Palace, and they were only there together for a couple of days (and even that, only if we fudge the timeline a little). But sometimes it only takes a couple of days, and sometimes all you need is a few bright stolen moments.

Miscellaneous Division:

DJ/Talon Karrde

I’ll be honest, I don’t really have a plan here, I just think this is a fantastic idea. I was thinking about Karrde the whole time DJ was on screen, and half-expecting him to turn out to BE Karrde, and I am delighted by the idea of this pairing. I think there’s something interesting here about grey areas, and the “rogue with a heart of gold” archetype, and what, realistically, it means to play both sides against the middle when one side is clearly and melodramatically evil.

Mara Jade & Darth Vader

I’m interested in Mara’s childhood and youth, and the sort of... just-under-the-surface yawning horror that we know is there, but that’s not really dug into much in the EU. Give me something with her and Vader encountering each other -- as rivals for Palpatine’s attention, as tentative allies, as student and teacher, or as...

Mara Jade/Darth Vader

... something more than any of that. This could go in a lot of different ways, from something as relatively innocent as an uncomfortable attraction between two people with no one else to talk to, to something as dark as the Emperor ordering one of them to the other’s bedroom. Whatever direction you go with it, I do want it to treat the power dynamics and age dynamics here seriously, and to lean into the darkness that’s present in what we know about Mara’s childhood and youth – no one here is having a good time or doing something they’ll be happy to look back on.

(This is the one sort-of-exception to the “no rape/non-con” clause; it’s a pairing that lends itself to questionable or compromised consent, and I’m into that. The line between what’s “dubcon” and what’s “non-con” is blurry, but as much as possible, I’d prefer that you stay on the dubcon side of it -- deceit, coercion, and uncomfortable power imbalances, yes; violence, physical or Force-based force, or explicit non-consent that’s ignored, no.)

(This is NOT an exception to the “no explicit scenes with underage characters” clause. If you write this with Mara as a teen, please keep anything explicitly sexual off-screen.)

Winter Celchu/Leia Organa

I’d like to see this as a youthful experiment between friends – something casual that doesn’t last, but that remains a fond memory and a little bit of an in-joke.

Obi-Wan Kenobi/Owen Lars/Beru Whitesun

Obi-Wan – Ben, now – stays nearby, after he leaves the baby with them. Maybe it’s to keep an eye out, to make sure Anakin’s child doesn’t draw any undue attention. But maybe it’s not just that.

I’d love basically anything you do with this – a one-time fling that everyone is a little embarrassed about in the morning; an arrangement that sees Obi-Wan stopping by the homestead infrequently for dinner and conversation and, after the kid goes to bed, a night of companionship; a full-on AU where Luke grows up with Uncle Ben as essentially a third parent. (Whatever you do here, Luke will obviously be around! But I am more interested in this focusing on the relationship between the adults, not on any of their relationships with Luke.)

#exchange letters #may the fourth be with you

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