Let's talk about strong female characters.

And, more specifically, the problem with them. Don't get me wrong, I am all for a fierce leading lady who can hold her own in any situation. Inspiring, intimidating, capable. All-around badass. But it seems like lately, every other female character we meet is cut from the same warrior cloth, and it's starting to feel a bit predictable.

First, let's give credit where credit is due. The influx of strong, capable, and independent female characters in recent media is undeniably empowering. Seeing women take charge, wield swords, and save the day sends a powerful message to audiences young and old: girls can do anything. And that's a message worth celebrating.

However, there's a flip side to this trend that's worth examining. In the rush to break away from the tired old tropes of delicate damsels in distress, it seems like some writers have swung too far in the other direction. How many recent female protagonists can you name who aren't strong and independent? Who have weaknesses that they aren't afraid of showing, or aren't able to hide? We're seeing a lot of new male leads with these characteristics, which is great, but it's like we've traded one stereotype for another.

All this results in a lot of one-dimensional female characters. I want to see girls who are witty, goofy, immature, sensitive, cocky. While it's great to see women kicking ass and taking names, it's also important to remember that strength comes in many forms.

One of the things that makes characters truly compelling is their complexity. Sure, it's empowering to see a woman single-handedly lead or defeat an army, but what about her flaws? Her insecurities? Her moments of vulnerability? Those are the things that make her relatable, that make her human. That makes her resonate with readers.

Take the classic "strong female character" archetype and add some depth to her. Maybe she's a skilled warrior, but she's also quick with a sarcastic quip. Or perhaps she's fiercely independent, but she's also afraid of being vulnerable with others. Or maybe she's not. Maybe she's not strong or independent or fierce at all. Maybe her strength lies somewhere else. Give her layers, give her contradictions, give her flaws.

And let's not forget about the other roles that female characters can play. The witty sidekick, the comic relief, the immature goofball, the sensitive soul—these are all valid and important character types, and they deserve to be represented just as much as the badass warrior woman.

So, to all the writers out there: by all means, keep giving us strong female characters. But let's make sure they're more than just stereotypes. Let's make them human. Let's give them depth and complexity and nuance. Because in the end, that's what makes a character truly unforgettable.

Hi Squash! 🤗 Do you have any fic recs with badass ladies? Without romance preferably.

Hiya nonnie! I don't read a lot of genfic but I got you! They are pretty queer so definitely see if that's your vibe.

Depending on the archetype you like, hope you find something for you! IMO these fics do a great job of looking at the archetype and subverting it in some sense.

The Nurturing Mother - No Room for the Weak by @perverse-idyll. Ever thought about how Eileen raised Snape and the dynamics of their relationship? Take a minute. Think about it. Then go read this fic. Get your mind blown! Actually make sure you have something to cuddle after reading because you are going to need it. The Older Guide - Rosmerta's Special Brew by @lumosatnight. Professors at Hogwarts are amazing of course. But to teach folks about real life we've got Rosmerta. With her special brew. You are totally going to need this recovery after the intense first fic. It's written in a classic 5+1 format but that works brilliantly for this fic.

The Warrior Maiden - A Horse with no name by eldritcher. Can you be a legit BAMF heroine without actually losing your femininity? The Narcissa characterization in this is a masterclass in writing female characters honestly. She is flawed, ruthless, loyal and absolutely lovable. Also really, really beautiful aroace take on the maiden archetype which I love. Definitely have some tissues ready.

The Independent Young Woman - Flipping the Elephant by therealsnape. Mafalda Hopkirk has a ton of angst like a lot of us about life, marriage, what to do about her goals, what her goals should be... she gets a house and it totally changes her life. Sweet and wholesome fic. You are going to love this after the intensity in the previous one!

The Best Friend - Four Christmases by @squibstress. What does it mean to be Snape's friend? What sort of support/help will he accept from a friend? This fic doesn't soften Snape. McGonagall knows exactly the type of friendship/support he needs. But she isn't a pushover type. Zero percent pushover. 100% badass. A rich, intense dessert fic!

One of the most egregious "not a typical girl" thing is when they make the rough-and-tough survival-artist fighter lady bad at cooking. Aside from the sexism, it just makes no sense. Like. You're telling me this woman knows ten different ways to kill a man and can survive for weeks in the wilderness, she's an independent woman and proud of it, but she doesn't know how to cook?

Cooking is a survival skill. A very basic, very important one. It's also not very difficult. She can fix an engine, but she can't figure out how to make pasta? Come on.

The only reason to make her bad at cooking is because cooking is seen as a female thing and she is Not Like Other Girls and sneers at anything feminine. Like the ability to make food for yourself.

ALSO btw every single person I know who trains and wants/needs their body to be in good shape is decent at cooking because they all end up cooking, because it just makes sense to make sure you're getting the right nutrition, enough protein etc, when you're trying to build muscle and endurance. Your body needs fuel and the better the fuel, the better the performance. So you learn about nutrition and cooking.

The only reason to make a female character bad at cooking is because cooking is seen as a female thing and she is Not Like Other Girls and sneers at anything feminine. And we've decided that the ability to make food, an actual survival skill, is feminine and therefore silly and beneath the dignity of tough warriors.

It's a stupid stereotype and it makes no sense and it ends up making her seem like an incompetent child who needs other people to provide her with one of her most basic needs and who, realistically, isn't getting the nutrition she needs to be tough and strong. You can't be an independent woman (or man, or person, or whatever) if you can't even feed yourself.

How about badass warrior types who make a fantastic spaghetti bolognaise and just make people slightly uneasy with how quickly and precisely they can slice a tomato or their insistence on always using the biggest possible knife, how about ripped fighters who exchange tips on how to add more protein to your meals because that's way more realistic than "eww no cooking is for GIRLS".

🔥 for Galadriel? Thanks!

Hmm, let's do two! One for canon Galadriel in Tolkien's texts, and one for RoP Galadriel, because I can XD

✨ I enjoy a Galadriel who, for all her differentiating herself from the Feanorian side of the family and marrying into and ruling a Sindar-Silvan realm, has moments when the pull of her Noldor blood is too strong, and as much as she may try to hide it, she thrives among politics, strategizing, and making; and, through her love of crafting, finds a certain amount of kinship with Dwarves. She seems like she's made for life in Eregion and Ost-in-Edhil, with their workshops and their proximity to Khazad-dum and -- and this is where most of the "unpopular" portion comes in -- I can see this aspect being what draws Celebrimbor to her. I honestly enjoy the idea of a one-sided interest on Celebrimbor's part, and what that means for his pursuit of ring-making, not only in terms of a shared vision with her to preserve Middle Earth, keep life from fading, carrying on with their lives independent of Aman's influence, etc., but also the added complexity to the Galadriel-Annatar dynamic that he finds himself being pulled on two ends by... and, perhaps, primarily for the nightmare it makes of Annatar's life for getting this damn elf to Go. Away.

✨ I've seen comments about how those of us who dislike RoP Galadriel do so because we deny her the possibility of being a badass warrior elf lady; that we can't accept that she can swing a big sword and kick ass, participate in battle and order people around. I can only speak for myself but, that's really not it! She absolutely can, and should, wear armor and be authoritative and be a fierce fighter on the battlefield. Tolkien comments on her strength not only of will, but of body. One of her names is Nerwen ("Man-maiden"). Sauron is canonically afraid of her. She presents (mostly) as calm and collected in the Third Age, but I imagine that back in the First or even Second Age she was much more impulsive and heavy-handed. So, it's not that she can't be all those things -- it's because she is a terrifying, powerful, intelligent, skilled independent woman, portraying her as an ineffective brat, to the extent that one of the human characters finds her similar to his teenage human daughter, vastly diminishes her character. Which is all the more unfortunate, as she is one of the few female characters that plays a prominent role in Tolkien's universe and one of the very few named characters still alive in Middle-Earth that bore witness to all three Ages of it.

So a while ago I made a post about the trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon. It has since been released and can we just have a round of applause for the fact that there is no male love interest?

Just... soak it in guys. An independent woman in an almost canon wlw relationship.

Bà Triệu, the Vietnamese Warrior

"I'd like to ride storms, kill orcas in the open sea, drive out the aggressors, reconquer the country, undo the ties of serfdom, and never bend my back to be the concubine of whatever man."

Lady Triệu (226-248 CE), as she is sometimes called in the West, was a 3rd-century Vietnamese warrior and freedom fighter.

At only 19 years of age, she led a military resistance of 1,000 fighters against Wu invaders. Her older brother was a headman who, after she rebuked his recommendation she settle down, supported her military efforts. After her brother's death, she took over and led the army in 30 separate battles.

Sources described her as 9 feet tall with 3 feet long breasts, riding an elephant into battle.

The Wu Dynasty responded by sending its reinforcements to outnumber her army and their best general. Despite this, Bà Triệu held out for another half year of resistance. All told, she fought for four years, her entire adult life. At 23, rather than surrender, she killed herself on Tung Mountain.

Vietnamese independence continued to struggle, and the Vietnamese memory never forgot her. A folk hero, she features heavily in Vietnamese history (and is completely absent from Wu accounts, which focused on the rebel leaders they were able to bribe).

Favorite Chinese dramas 2020 edition

I’m a bit late, but here are my favorite Chinese dramas among those I watched in 2020, in no particular order.

-The Story of Yanxi Palace

My favorite cdrama so far and one of my favorite shows as well. This drama is fast-paced and has a perfect balance between emotion and light-hearted moments. It’s a bittersweet story, yes, but never too dark. There’s always a glimmer of hope. The protagonist is awesome, she’s clever, angry, vengeful and yet fallible. Watching her overcome the obstacles in the palace is delightful. I also liked the emphasis put on female friendship and sisterhood. 

-Legend of Lu Zhen/Female prime minister

I liked this drama for its message about women’s professional independence. For once, it doesn’t follow concubines, but working women in the palace. The cast is dominated by complex and powerful female characters, who serve as foes, rivals or mentors to the heroine. The romance between the two leads is also very cute. This shows takes a lot of liberties with real-life history, though, so it may not be for you if you want a drama that strictly follows reality.

-Oh my general

I admit that I wasn’t totally hyped by the beginning of this drama, but it did improve quite a lot and it’s now one of my favorites. I especially like the relationship between the two main characters : Ye Zhao and Yujin don’t fit in the traditional gender roles of their time. Yet, none of them is asked to change. They love and support each other as they are. Yujin isn’t a warrior, he’s elegant and delicate, but is also clever and observant. Besides, this drama has many awesome female characters who team-up together to save the realm. 

-Maiden Holmes

This show has a perfect balance between cute moments and a dynamic story. The plot isn’t the most original or complex, but it’s highly entertaining. It’s short and it never drags. The characters are likable and the friendship between them is very sweet. The female characters are determined and competent. I have to say that I was sad when it ended because I wanted more!

-Arsenal military academy

This drama is the proof that you can have a story set in a male-dominated environment and still have awesome female characters. The female lead is, for instance, a badass, courageous and determined young lady. I especially liked the aesthetic of this drama, the action scenes and the feeling of camaraderie between the characters. The love triangle takes a bit too much place in my opinion, but thankfully that didn’t prevent me from enjoying this drama. 

-Legend of Fu Yao

Another drama with an awesome female lead! Fu Yao is a total badass and her fight scenes are amazing. I loved watching her grow from a slave to a confidant young woman. I liked the fact that the plot took the characters to explore different locations, it was like a whirlwind of action and adventure. The only reproach that I have is that the ending felt a bit rushed. 

-Legend of Zhen Huan/Empresses in the palace

A classic among palace dramas. This is for you if you want schemes, a cruel and dangerous environment under an appearance of refinement and diverse and nuanced female characters. The drama is slow-paced and depicts the transformation of its protagonist particularly well. I nonetheless felt that the story was a bit draggy sometimes. This is also a somewhat depressing and heavy show, though the ending is quite cathartic. 

-The legends

Another fantasy/martial arts drama I liked very much. The CGI may not be that great and some costumes look a bit cheap, but it’s a very entertaining story otherwise. The drama has plenty of strong female characters, I mean look at the gif above, with diverse personalities. Each character has furthermore a story to tell. 

🕯Anon said: just wanna say I adore your writing and how you write Reiner and the kids and the other warriors is my favourite thing ever !! I just wanna give them all hugs :) do u have any hcs for the types of jobs you see them all doing in modernverse ?🕯

The types of jobs they have in modern au

{Annie, Bertolt, Colt, Marcel, Pieck, Porco, Reiner, Zeke, }

{Implied Reiner x reader}

{ "Porto" 1935 by Renato Natali 1883-1979 }

Annie is an Animal rescue worker.

Having had experience as a dog trainer before, it wasn't hard to find a full time job at her local shelter after graduating high school, having volunteered there before.

With time, effort and a lot of energy she made her way into the position of "animal control officer" now she spends her days busting animal's abusers doors and rescuing injured or neglected pets.

With long shifts and a high maintenance job, her time was all poured into her work. Usually she'd be exhausted after a long day.

Despite that, she's fulfilled and satisfied with her job. Not having to deal with a lot of people is a plus too, it's a hard job yes but she prefers it this way.

Her friends are bumped about not being able to see her a lot but they understand, plus she keeps in touch with them by lurking in the group chat only to send a snarky remark to stir the pot every now and then.

Bertolt sees her everyday because they work at the same animal shelter, even if their jobs are different they still walk home together, she also met some different people like Hitch and Marco at her job.

The kids love her job, they think it's badass, especially Gabi and Udo. Gabi because Annie gets to kick people in the face and Udo because he genuinely cares about animals.

She'd never tell anyone this, but part of the reason she wanted the job was because she felt guilty for her past self and wanted to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves.

Bertolt is a veterinarian.

Having changed his mind post graduation and going to college instead of with Reiner, he graduated after 4 years of studying and is currently working with Annie at the local shelter while also planning to open his own clinic one day.

He takes some animals under his personal care for weeks or months even till they get adopted, he fears something bad will happen to the weak or ill ones if left at the shelter overnight.

Just like Annie, the job takes a lot of his time, not to mention caring for animals off of work. So he's in the same situation as her, but for the sake of his best friend he still finds time to visit and hang out once a week.

Reiner and him still text daily, it's mostly pictures Bertolt took of the animals, Annie on her break, interesting plants he finds along the way. And Reiner replies with pictures of the kids.

They still find time to play basketball together, they try to keep it a secret from Annie because she will kick their ass in it.

Bertolt is comfortable with his job, he feels like he belongs and likes being needed. Yes the long hours are a con but seeing the fruits of his labour grow and get better day by day makes it all worth it.

The kids like visiting his house because there usually will be a new dog or some animal in there every month or so, Reiner makes sure they don't bother the animals. 

Something he's never told anyone is a big part of the reason he changed his mind last minute was because Animals feel much safer and secure for him to work with than humans.

Colt is a college student working part time.

He's majoring in nursing, being a four years degree he's trying to balance his studies with work and taking care of Falco.

Zeke offered him to work full time after graduation at his clinic, since he's been working part time there for a while and the pay is good, plus it's really convenientnal.

He has worked different part time jobs in the past like a barista, flower shop assistant, tutor, kindergarten teacher, etc.

Between all his responsibilities he barely has time for himself, his courses end right before his work starts and the small bits in-between is spent on Falco and his friends. Zeke and Pieck try to take some of his responsibility but he refuses saying it's the least he could do to Falco.

He's really good at his job like multitasking, reading people, gaining their trust and having high stamina that he could stay for night shifts even.

He relies on coffee a lot.

Falco sees him as a real life superhero, they weren't that close before but after the incident he really started appreciating his big brother. 

Something he keeps inside is that despite pursuing this job because he genuinely wanted to make a difference in people's lives and help the sick, he also felt a crushing guilt after his parents passed away, and so he's trying to save other people's lives now instead.

Marcel is a pilot.

It's a dream he always had since middle school, soon after graduation he joined the military to gain enough flying hours and experience to apply to a commercial airline after taking some mathematics, aviation and some general flying courses.

He was officially hired as a pilot after getting his first class medical certificate to check his health.

His work isn't measured by hours to him but by days, he needs to be available 24/7 in case of an emergency call. Now he's working overseas and far away from his friends.

You've actually never met Marcel, only seen pictures of him and received letters. The person he keeps in touch with the most is Porco.

He likes his work, it's his dream. He doesn't like the work hours and being so absent from his friends and brother, he misses them so much at times.

Pieck is a tattoo artist.

Her shop is actually her old flower shop after she decided to change her career. She's always been good with plants and taking care of them, at that time Colt worked as her assistant. 

It wasn't till later after some years of practice and training under other artists that she was confident enough about her skills to start the project 

Her art is full of life, mesmerising and beautiful. She puts her soul in every piece and has gained a good reputation because of it, plus having really high ratings and strict hygiene rules, no health inspector could ever challenge her.

Having her own independent work meant that she has a very flexible schedule, being mostly free ment she could pursue other hobbies like gardening.

A peaceful and simple life where she can indulge in her art and be happy is all she ever wanted

Porco is a frequent customer of hers that gets a family discount, Zeke came once before and later sent his friend, a really tall and blonde woman who became her most frequent customer.

Zofia thinks her work is really cool and wants to go and just watch her do her thing, but it's frowned upon to have a kid just sitting at a tattoo shop.

Despite changing into this career, the town people still think of her as the sweet flower shop lady.

Porco is a bartender.

That job came to him by accident more than anything, he was working part time as a bouncer in a local bar but a slot was open after the old bartender suddenly quit and he gave it a chance.

He didn't expect to love it so much, neither did he know about his hidden talent in mixing drinks. So he took it as full time and changed to better bars after gaining the experience he needed.

Being naturally charismatic and good at influencing people, while also multitasking in making drinks and keeping a conversation going, he was instantly a hit in whatever place he worked at.

Working the night shift ment he's mostly free in the morning, he tries to help Pieck with her gardening and is actually attempting to grow some plants at his house.

Naturally whenever there's a gathering, he's the one mixing drinks and being the self assigned bartender who openly judges his friends for their choice in drinks. The charismatic persona being thrown out the window and replaced by a no mouth filter.

He genuinely cares tho, he's the one taking care of someone when they drink more they can handle. It's mostly Colt who underestimates his drinks and is left clinging to Porco who drives him home.

Because of his line of work, tattoos and general brash personality, the kids' parents don't like him even one bit. They're suspicious of him no matter how many times Reiner assures them he's trustworthy.

It's actually only Colt who trusts Falco with him, and maybe Zofia's mom who is at the bar every weekend. 

Reiner is a firefighter.

With his mother pushing him into this line of work, he applied for the physical and psychological exams after graduation before getting accepted. He wasn't unprepared per say but actually being in that line of work was more than he could ever prepare for.

It instantly took a great hit at his mental health, so much in fact that he was thankful Bertolt changed his mind last minute and didn't follow him in this job.

It was both everything he ever wanted, like saving people, helping children, animals and knowing it's him who saved them even if it means putting his own life at risk.

But also everything he hated, like the hunting faces and screams of the people who were far too gone for him to save, the recurring nightmares and constant guilt paired with imposter syndrome.

He works a 24/72 shift, meaning he works for a whole day before getting 3 days off. Approximately only working 7-8 days a month, not to mention unpaid leave, sick days and holidays.

So it both gave him a really tight schedule on some days and on others more free time than he knows what to do with, that's why he naturally took the main role of being the kid's caretaker. Looking after his little cousins genuinely helped him and he liked playing the big brother role.

Especially to Gabi, he was the only stable adult in her life. It's common knowledge that you call Reiner first for anything concerning her before her parents because he's more likely to answer and be available.

After meeting you, his life improved to the better as you moved in and became a trustworthy person in his life, someone he can depend on to take care of his little cousins on the days he works.

Not to mention that after you persuaded him to see a therapist, his mental health began improving too.

Gabi may or may have not committed arson at one point, she still wants to be a firefighter despite that and follow in Reiner's footsteps.

He hasn't told anyone beside you this, but he really fears for her, but doesn't have the heart to tell her no.

Zeke is a doctor.

Previously he worked in a hospital but was able to open his own clinic afterwards, Colt was a great help to him at that time when he was getting on his own feet and even worked a lot of unpaid hours.

After that he insisted Colt works an official part time job there with a much higher pay, till he graduates at least. Plus the experience will greatly improve his resume.

Zeke is brilliant at his job, he'd be a perfect doctor wasn't it for the fact he's a huge hypocrite who doesn't follow the advice he gives his patients. 

He does a side job in his free time that honestly no one of his friends know what it is, but they know it gained him a lot of connections and made new friends.

Something he always keeps buried inside was that he really never expected himself to become a doctor especially after what his dad did to his mother, and yet here he is. In some way it's like his own personal stepping stone to prove he's a better man than his father ever was.

Bonus:

Falco: middle schooler

He does volunteer work on the weekends, sometimes Udo joins him.

Doesn't want Gabi becoming a firefighter.

Likes all videogames , just all types.

Likes watching cartoons and medical shows with Colt who covers Falco eyes whenever an adult scene is on

His favourite food is chicken nuggets

Wants to try coffee

Is good at PE

Reads comic books

Likes yellow and blue

Gabi: middle schooler

Takes self defence classes and really wants to go to summer camp

Wants to be like Reiner, aspires to be as strong too.

Likes shooter videogames or really hard ones.

Likes watching Anime and cartoons

Her favourite food is Pizza

Wants to try energy drinks

Is also really good at PE and surprisingly good at puzzles.

Likes red and pink 

Udo: middle schooler

Takes music classes at the weekend, wants to go to science camp

Kinda wants to be like Reiner or an astronaut.

Likes calming videogames

Likes watching anime and Minecraft let's play

His favourite food is mac and cheese 

His favourite drink is strawberry milk

Is good at language classes and creative writing, he also just likes animals a lot.

Likes green and black

Zofia: middle schooler (could've been in a special program)

Takes music classes with Udo

Wants to be a lawyer

Likes co-op Videogames 

Likes watching true crime and youtubers drama

Her favourite food is Donuts

She likes strawberry milk and ice tea 

Is good at all classes

Likes white and purple

Why is there so much love for Mihrunissa? Is it just because people love Mustafa and Mustafa loves her? For me, she was so dissapointing - she was supposed to be like this badass warrior lady, but then she didn't use her fighting abilities that much and ended up a damsel in distress instead. Like what was the point of this character, she literally gets kidnapped, marries Mustafa, gives birth to Mehmed and kill herself when Mehmed dies.

"People love Mustafa and Mustafa loves her" is a big part of it, but there are other reasons to like her for me personally. The Mihrünnisa fans I know and have encountered love her independently of him.

Yes, I was very happy that Mustafa found his soulmate at last. Their chemistry is amazing for the amount of it we've seen and they awesomely complement and bounce off of each other. Both truly cared for the other and we're shown that she loves him as much as he loves her, a "balance" we haven't seen in such a way ever since Efsun. And even with her it wasn't in its fullest extent. (she worked for an arc, but did I see her and Mustafa as endgame? No. And that isn't because she actually served Hürrem. She, like every woman of Mustafa's unfortunately or not, is specifically designed with her narrative role in mind, hence Efsun's potential to grow beyond it is limited. Mihrünnisa didn't need that, because she came near the end of Mustafa's journey, not in the beginning or middle, so it fitted for her to be a more "complete" character, in conjunction with his own more "complete" development.) Mihrünnisa wasn't willing to coddle him like he expected her to due to his status in the hierarchy (as we see in their sword fight), yet clearly took his feelings into account (not speaking for rebellion directly in front of him) and was ready to do anything for him to be safe. It's like she had a better understanding of him than any of his women.

I get why her story may disappoint and I support the claims that there wasn't enough of her because of limited time (and how can I ever refuse more Mihrünnisa? ♡), but the toning down of her badass fighter warrior aspect and the "tomboyish part of her" in general honestly isn't something I hold against her in particular. This issue begins to plague all "tomboyish women" in the franchise sooner or later (Armin, Aybige, Helena, Diana/Fahriye... I actually believe that when it came to this, Farya, for all she is, was handled the best.) and call me biased, but for MC, both Helena and Mihrünnisa still got it comparatively better than the rest to the point it looked more like a result of them being placed in other environments than this show-wide problem it actually is. Mihrünnisa had only one scene as setup for her fighting skills as far as I recall, and while the "damsel in distress" plot of hers can turn one off, I didn't expect as much focus on her tomboyish traits after so many sloppy attempts before.

I love that Mihrünnisa's purpose in the story was so underlined and clear - it is precisely what allowed her to breathe more on her own. She wasn't swallowed by yet another love triangle that would involve her with drama done over and over again. This purpose was based on Mustafa first and foremost, true - for him to finally find the true love he was searching for, to find it in the most tense period of his life where his relationship with his father was getting more and more strained, to find it when he didn't seem in the mood for anything at all after he was sent to Amasya. And while he seemed to have moved forward in S04, Taşlıcali still remarked that he hasn't seen the prince to be this happy before he fell in love with Mihrünnisa. A last good thing in Mustafa's life adds further to the sense of tragedy in his storyline. But not only that - Mihrünnisa served as a stronger reminder to the injustice in both SS's decisions to kill Mustafa and Mehmed in the season which most openly criticizes SS, and the system as a whole, which revels in taking innocent people's lives for the games of power and survival in the harem. She absolutely was a necessary character. She's more simplistic, two-dimensional and arc purpose-driven, yes, but she's a case where that works and little is set up that contradicts it. Her stable characterization is not something usually seen in the franchise- she has noble principles, yet she's realistic enough to see that dethroning Süleiman is the only way for them to win.

She has her agency nonetheless- she worked with Atmaca and the organization that protected Mustafa, she was the one who convinced Mahidevran to agree with her marriage to Mustafa. She had the allies and political skill the castle of Amasya could rely on once a rebellion came to pass, too bad we didn't see it in action. She had good relationships with her father, Mahidevran, Nergisşah. Her relationship with Mahidevran is unique among the mother in law/daughter in law relationships in the franchise and it's clear Nisa looked up to her a lot. Her presence alone adds flavor to the family dynamics in Amasya. She was a good mother to her son. She is as restrained as she's courageous when the situation demands it, as also seen in E126.

Bo’s redemption - or the lack thereof

Every time we get an episode of Star Wars that has Bo-Katan in it, tumblr is full of everything from “OMG I love her, she’s the coolest and sooo badass!” to “OMG I hate her, she’s a terrorist!”. And I might say you are all right.

One of the things that comes up periodically is Bo-Katan’s redemtion - or the lack thereof - depending on how you see her character in general (see above).

In my opinion, Bo has no real redemption arc. And I don’t think we’ll ever get one. As to why, I think it helps to retrace her steps...as far as we as viewers know them.

The first time we see her in mid-season four of TCW, she is a faceless (literally) Death Watch lieutenant on Carlac. She slaps Ahsoka’s ass, burns down a town, helps kill the townspeople and tries to kill Ahsoka and Lux Bontari as they escape. And she seems to have fun doing all that. Yep, solid terrorist. And I’m not budging on that. There is nothing “badass” about that. It’s just wrong.

The first time we see her as an independent character is during the Lawless arc. She’s still fully emerged in Death Watch. And even though she might not think of getting Maul to “help” is a good idea (I think she really thinks that Sith are no better than Jedi), she stands by Vizsla’s decision to join forces with him.

But that is also the part where we begin to see that while she is loyal to Vizsla, she is also probably one of very few people who are allowed to contradict him. Maybe not publicly, but at least bewteen the two of them. She tells Vizsla to his face that she thinks joinging forces with Maul and Savage is a bad idea. But she seems to trust Vizsla so much that only a few words from him are needed to quench her fears; at least for the time being.

But the longer this allience between Maul and Death Watch lasts, the more worried she gets. She sees that Vizsla is loosing his grip on the situation. But her trust in him seems to be unbreakable. Even when he says that “Maul will soon be dead alongside the duchess”, she doesn’t say anything. She just smirks. He tells her to her face that her sister will die at the end, and she doesn’t say anything. (As to why, we can only speculate, and that’s not what I want to get into right now.)

And then, for a few days maybe, everything looks like it all panned out the way she wanted. Maul and her sister are imprisoned, a “true” Mandalorian rules, and the people will find their way back to the warrior faith that was still openly practiced until the beginning of Satine’s rule after the civil war.

But then, everything changes. And quickly. Maul escapes his prison and challenges Vizsla to a duel, which he naturally accepts (he might just run himself through with the Dark Saber if he didn’t). And loses. He dies; unceremoniously, broken and defeated. And only then, only in those last few moments of Vizsla’s life, does Bo-Katan realize that it was all for nothing. That her vision of Mandalore will not come to pass. That it ended in one swift motion of a black blade.

Maul declares himself ruler of Mandalore, and a not unsignificant part of Death Watch bows down to him. Bo rejects his rule - not because he killed Vizsla, which Bo is visibly shocked by - but because “no outsider will ever rule Mandalore”. She and others loyal to her, like the Nite Owls, make a run for it and escape the palace.

She then teams up with her nephew Korkie (How the hell did they get in touch?) to rescue Satine (Why? We never learn that!), and Bo seriously tries to save her sister’s life. But they are overpowered by Maul’s Death Watch loyalists and barely escape while Satine is recaptured as bait for Obi-Wan.

We don’t know where Bo was when Maul killed Satine or how she learned about her sister’s death. The next time we see her, she and her Nite Owls rescue Obi-Wan from being imprisoned and help him escape, asking him to tell the Republic what happened, even if it meant a Republic invasion of Mandalore. The reason she gives is that “Maul will die. But Mandalore will survive.” Why she wants Maul dead; if it is because he killed her sister, because he killed Vizsla or because he’s - from her POV - the reason it all failed, we never learn. Maybe, in the end, it is a combination of all three. But that is speculation.

Well, the Republic doesn’t get a move on when it comes to Mandalore and it takes the unlikely alliance of Bo-Katan and Ahsoka to get Anakin and Obi-Wan to agree. Again, all we really know is that Bo wants Maul off Mandalore, preferably in pieces. She brings up Satine to goad Obi-Wan into helping her, but we still don’t know if she actually grieves/grieved for her sister, or more for a lost ideal of Mandalore.

Well, the siege of Mandalore finally happens, and by the end, Bo is left in charge as regent. It is also the only time we hear any words of regret from her. “I wish I was good at something other than war.”

After that we have a nice 17 year gap in Bo’s story, and anything we know about that time comes down to hearsay. We learn that she was betrayed by Clan Saxon (who had followed Maul) and had to flee Sundari. We get the feeling that Fenn Rau as a protector knew her personally around the time of her regency, but we don’t really know that for sure.

But something in the past seventeen years did change in Bo-Katan. Well, it is quite some time to reflect on your actions and choices. We get the feeling that she did learn to understand her sister’s motives, though they will never be hers. And that she can recognize what her sister acomplished as a leader. She’s a lot more considerate of other people’s positions. But we never hear a word of regret for what she did during the Clone Wars, for being part of Death Watch. And maybe that is because there simply is no regret. Bo-Katan as a person might be a lot calmer and a lot more considerate, but her ideals of what Mandalore should be, of what it stands for and what it means to be Mandalorian, haven’t changed.

Bo-Katan may have matured; grown as a person. She does try to do right by her people. But there is no redemption. We might like the way her character is portrayed in Rebels and The Mandalorian, and we might even wish for her to be redeemed, but quite honestly: How?

No, I’m afraid we will have to live with our conflicting views of Lady Bo-Katan of House Kryze, where we love her and hate her, but can’t get around her. And face it, people, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

There's just something SO relaxing about finally drawing and designing canon characters how I always imagined them reading the books ;; Also- I have the other ones done (The Prophecies Begin and The New Prophecy) but wanted to do a few touchups on them before submitting! Anyways- super fun challenge! Next is going to be a wall of text as to why I designed them like I did and maybe some head-canons I have for them... Darkstripe - I gave him more of a dark gray/brown tint like the trash that he is. His eyes are SUPER PALE YELLOW just because I thought it'd be neat to be light that pale yellow, reflective color. I wish his relationship (half-brother) with Graystripe would have been developed more. I know you can't go into all relationships like that, but I feel like they are complete polar opposites with the same mother, so that could have been a really interesting sub-plot to be explored. My headcanon would be that he always looked down on Graystripe because of how his mother took another mate after his father died. Also he smells like stagnant pond water. Redtail - Ahhh Redtail, my boy. I haven't read Redtail's Debt, so I may be wrong on a few of these things but... Let's star with the design. You can't see the fullbody I have for him and Spottedleaf, but Redtail is large patches of ginger whereas my Spottedleaf is much more speckled. Other than that, they have the same color pallette! I 100% stan Trans Redtail. This is one of my favorite headcanons and I love it. And this can totally still work for him being Sandstorm's parent which is ok with me  Or not! That's fine too! I just stan Trans Redtail! Redtail is in love with Runningwind but when Sandstorm is born, Sandstorm's surrogate mother becomes Brindleface. Also, I absolutely would have loved to change the books so that Redtail, not Spottedleaf, was Fireheart's StarClan guide. ALSO Go read Redtail's Choice on Tumblr?! It's so good!? Like really! Go read it!!   Longtail - So I always had this idea in my head that Longtail was always pretty vain- always viewed himself as an extremely good looking character, so when Firepaw shredded his ear, more than anything, his pride was hurt, but also his good looks (at least, to him!). Longtail becoming deputy would have been so much great character development and I would have loved to see that- would have really showed his maturity away from Tigerstar/Darkstripe and really prove not only his loyalty to ThunderClan, but to Firestar and I LIVE for that. Every single Longtail design I see is 100% valid and I LOVE the ALL of the different designs in the community (but I am WEAK for cinnamon / cinnamon silver). He really did NOT want to mentor again after Swiftpaw, feeling that Swiftpaw's death was his fault- it really took some persuading for him to be willing to mentor again. After Longtail was blinded, Goldenflower took care of him, helping to guide him, encourage him, and describe his surroundings to him after they made it to the lake territory and they formed a really strong bond over him doing the best he could with Swiftpaw and both of their shared experiences with Tigerstar. Ace 100%. Yellowfang - I always LOVED Yellowfang in the original arc, but after that, my love for her kind of burned out a little...I didn't like how she *lied* to Squirrelflight saying that she would never be able to have kits and pretty much guilted her into raising the three but... I digress. In Squirrelflight's Hope, she literally gave the middle finger to Moth Flight about having kits and THEN making the rule for medicine cats not to have kits. Her relationship with Raggedstar was horrible, toxic, and borderline (if not fully) abusive and I hate it. The only real headcanon I have for her is that basically, Cinderpelt was the daughter that she had never had, so I like... love that. So, as Cinderpaw recovered from her accident, Yellowfang worked herself tirelessly trying to find any way that she could help Cinderpaw's body and soul heal. She talked and met with other medicine cats, studied the bones in prey, and other various methods, trying to figure out how to help the apprentice. She was tough on Fireheart, but always had a sweet spot for Cinderpaw, often taking her treats while Cinderpaw was recovering. Sandstorm - Sandstorm isn't the typical definition of beautiful but is beautiful in her own strong, independent, hard-working way. Her morals and ethics are what make her so beautiful. I completely agree that she is slightly larger than Fireheart, and much larger if he had the same length of fur that she does. She's a big buff and I love her for it. I completely wish she would have had a scene where she went absolutely feral on Tigerstar for killing both of her parents. Like wtf regardless of her family tree, Tigerstar literally killed Redtail, Runningwind, and Brindleface and she didn't beat his ass for it and I hate that.  Also- Sandstorm only had one litter because she hated being pregnant because she's too much of a busy-body and too risky during border skirmishes. She hated being told to sit out or rest while others were risking their lives. Also- small ear gang I love her Cinderpelt - Cinderpelt- my girl ;; A lady who deserved more but totally made the absolte best of the life she was given. Yellowfang made her into the hardened, no non-sense medicine cat she is and I adore her for that, even telling Tigerclaw to shut up. I love it. I read a headcanon once (which I fully support) that she was given her name Cinder-PELT after the Silver-PELT, to always remind her of her connection to StarClan and how she met her destiny like a true warrior. I personally hate CinderxFire. I don't like it one bit. She doesn't need a relationship to be the badass that she is. She's stocky and strongly built, contrary to a lot of medicine cats- she has the build of a warrior and the size to back it up. Also heck on the Erins for not exploring more about the relationship between Brightheart and Cinderpelt, being sisters and also Cinderheart having to take care of her after she was mauled by a dog and then subsequently named Lostface. I also wish I could have saw Cinderpelt take a chunk out of Bluestar for being so horrible and naming her beloved sister that. Also she was super honored to mentor her old mentor's daughter. I love it. Templated by my friend Jayie-The-Hufflepuff || The Prophecies Begin Design Challenge II Template

May I request the brothers (or just Lucifer or Satan if you don't accept more than 1) with a MC who is a Valkyrie please? 💚💜

=O Like Norse mythology? Because that shit is my jam and I’m super stoked to write it. (If you meant something different, just let me know and I’ll write you a new one!)

Just in case people aren’t as big of a mythology nerd as I am, Valkyries are female warrior spirits who serve the god Odin and choose the fallen warriors who will be sent to Valhalla where they chill until Ragnarok happens and they fight. In pagan times, they also actually chose which warriors died in battle and were portrayed influencing the events of war so it went how they wanted it to.

I wanted to do all of the brothers for you, Nonnie, but they sounded kind of forced. I did give you both of your faves, though!

My main source of inspiration for this was Sam from the Magnus Chase books, and I feel like it’s obvious, haha.

Disclaimer: I usually use gender-neutral pronouns in my writing, but since Valkyries are female warriors, I’m going to honor these badass ladies and use their proper pronouns.

Lucifer: At first, he thought this was another one of Diavolo’s stupid jokes.

He had met his fair share of Valkyries, as they often passed through the Devildom on their way to Valhalla instead of dealing with Yggdrasil. They were typically cut from the same cloth - tall, with elegant features, eyes as cold and sharp as a raven’s and a sadistic streak long enough to rival his own.

She…was not.

She looked every inch the average young woman, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and the sweatshirt she had stolen from Belphegor tied around her waist. She was on the hunt for a specific book that Satan had recommended her, and as she neared her fourth lap around the library, she puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.

Not exactly a Chooser of the Slain.

But, the more he watched her, the more he noticed. The way her wide, expressive eyes would scan her surroundings, the muscles in her legs and arms as she stretched. One time, he had seen her whip a pen at Mammon with such deadly accuracy that it could only be attributed to her being a Valkyrie.

“A-ha! There you are!”

Target acquired.

He knew she had sensed his entrance to the library by now, but she was so focused on her task that she had chosen to ignore him. His pride stung at that, admittedly. He had been entertaining the fantasy that she would beg him for help with such a minor task, but never let it be said that his Valkyrie wasn’t an independent spirit. She did what she wanted, regardless of expectations or protocol.

Speaking of…

“Please don’t climb the bookshelves.”

Now she turned to look at him, but it was only to send him a scowl as she grabbed the book she had been looking for. “How else am I supposed to get it?”

“There’s a ladder about ten feet to your left.”

She shrugged, dropping the fairly sized distance between her and the floor. The book had been on one of the higher shelves. “This was quicker.”

Immediately, the urge to scold her for acting recklessly and putting herself in danger threatened to overwhelm him. Just because she looked like a regular human didn’t make her any less of a warrior, one with Celestial blood in her at that. Not only was treating her like a porcelain doll unnecessary, but he would likely find himself on the business end of her spear if he did so.

So, instead, he smirked down at her. “Why not call your noble flying steed to help you, then?”

“I told you, she gets skittish in the Devildom!”

Satan: “…and then the guy asked for my number! As I was dropping off his soul!”

It was a strange image that she presented. An average-looking human, walking down the streets of the Devildom hand in hand with one of the Lords of Hell, regaling him with tales of her more memorable missions as a Valkyrie. He was half expecting her spear to materialize in the hand that he wasn’t holding.

“...I tried to be nice, but he was a persistent little bastard. Eventually I was like ‘Valhalla has really shitty service,’ and flew off.”

Satan snorted. “Does it really?”

“No, it’s pretty good, I’ve made calls to the Human Realm from there before.” she laughed. “That was a fun one.”

“Do I want to know?” Satan shook his head as they entered the cafe, holding the door open for her.

“It’s funny, I promise!” the two of them got in line to order, the Valkyrie still chatting away amicably. For all of her cheer and giggles, it was hard to reconcile her image with that of most Valkyries. Although he was curious to see how she looked in that armor…

“So my mom called me while I was in Valhalla, and some of the einherjar walked into the lounge while I was talking to her. These fucking jerkwads start yelling ‘Pass the mead!’ like two year olds, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to explain to my mother that her daughter was part of an ancient order of Norse warrior spirits that transported the honorable dead to their afterlife or if I just wanted her to think I had friends who liked to yell obscene things when someone was on the phone with their parents.”

Satan had to compose himself so he didn’t giggle through his order. When their drinks were ready, they made their way to a window seat. “So what did you decide on?”

“Hm?” she took a drink of her iced latte. “Oh. Neither, I think? I just kind of flubbed along until my mom hung up.”

“Why don’t you just tell her that you’re a Valkyrie?” Satan asked. He knew that humans largely thought that all things magical were fake, but surely she could prove herself. “Get Odin to sign an affidavit or something.”

“The same reason I don’t tell her that I’m in the Devildom. She’s Catholic.”

“Ah.”

I am curious what are your thoughts on Val as a character, her relationship with Jon and lastly what do you foresee for her in TWOW?

Hi there!

I must admit that I am not overly fond of Val. She is a bit much imho. Warrior princess and good looking, sassy, independent etc. It is almost as if GRRM forgot everything he said on noble ladies, knight ladies etc. when he designed her. I actually blame the fact, that Val is a stand-in for Dany and Sansa and thus suffers as a character. I don’t really get the feeling that she’s fleshed out beyond some general ‘badass’ characteristics to be honest, but that is my opinion.

I is quite obvious that Jon finds her pleasing to the eye, and that he trusts her - at least to such a degree that he thinks she knows how dire the situation is, and that he can trust her with persuading the Free Folk and bring them south of the Wall, so they won’t end up as wights. He also worries about all the people who want to marry her, but trusts her that she can hold her own.

Does he trust her beyond that? That is not easy to say. I do think he trusts that his aims align with her aims up to a certain degree, but beyond that?

Jon likes looking at her but is appalled and disgusted the moment he realizes that she thinks little Princess Shireen should have been killed. That sort of throws an ice bucket on his crush for her.

I think ultimately he thinks her prettier than Ygritte but likes her less. When Stannis offers him Winterfell, the title of Lord Stark and Val as a wife, he rejects the whole package. While he ponders Stannis’ offer, he thinks that he would have been more tempted if it were Ygritte. When it counts, Val’s beauty is less important than Jon’s mantra “Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa”.

For TWOW I foresee her death. I think that Mel will want to sacrifice king’s blood while Jon is ‘dead’ and that Val will play a role in making certain that it is Shireen and not the baby they know as ‘Mance’s son’ that pays the blood price. When Jon will wake up from his ‘death’, Shireen will be dead, her death probably will have ‘paid’ for his resurrection and still Jon won’t be able to overlook that Shireen was murdered. Whatever trust existed between Jon and Val (and I think there is a layer of trust) it will be gone when Jon awakes, not only because of Jon’s mistrust which will be tenfold after his ressurection but also because of Val’s actions.

In addition I do think, that Val will have played her role by the time Jon resurfaces, and that probably means that she’ll be killed. GRRM is not one for giving side characters a happy ending....

Thanks for the ask!

TROS - What did I even watch? Or how I lived to see the day Disney murdered a prince, left Cinderella alone in the desert, and hoped for the world to rejoice because it was “fun”?

Dear friends, I’ve been here for the spoilers and I’ve even talked with some of you. I went to watch the movie today, with 0 hope of anything except of seeing my baby Ben Solo and Adam’s fenomenal acting (and listening to some good John Williams). 

I knew it would be horrible, but as @nevernerdenoughblog said seeing it makes it even more. Like @clairen45 it felt so wrong. Should I rejoice with a Reylo kiss that Rey gave but seconds later didn’t even cry over Ben’s dead body? I refuse to acknowledge this characterization of Rey. She was the only one that ever believed in Ben Solo, she shipped herself to make him know he was loved and wanted and to help him. Where was this Rey in this movie?

I am sorry guys (especially for the tagging) but I need to write this out or it will eat me and you guys are the few ones that relate to my pain. You know what really hurt me the most in all this? Toxic masculinity disguised as feminism.

1) FAREWELL HEROINE’S JOURNEY

They trashed the Heroine’s Journey. They murdered it and spit in its face. JJ Abrams simply decided that the Heroine’s Journey (done in act 1/ep. VII and act 2/ep. VIII) was not cutting anymore and decided to send Rey on a Hero’s Journey (ep. IX only, new 1st, 2nd and 3rd act altogether), where she has become this almost toxic masculine fighter under Leia’s training  — Badass girl? Yes. Full of anger? Yes. Logical? Yes. Connected to anything? No, not even herself, she kept on the run, afraid. In search of the Jedi detachment? Yes. —, only to send her happilly off to a desert planet in the end of her journey and finishing with her alone talking with an old lady.

Which remind us of the start of TFA, meaning she has comeback to what? Luke didn’t even comeback to that “home” in Tatooine the end of his Hero’s Journey? So she went to a place of death to what? This is a slap on the face of the Heroine’s Journey. This is how toxic masculinity corrupts and interrupts the most uncomfortable (to psychologically unhealthy bystanders) and fundamental (to the woman herself) phase of Heroine’s Journey: You want love, family, a partnership, connection, nurturing or progeny? That is weak, it is foolish. You need to fight, to conquer, to take, take and take. Otherwise you won’t be strong or independent.

REALLY???????????

I AM CRYING! WHY? WHY? WHY? Daisy, are you really seriously satisfied with this ending? Because REY DESERVED BETTER. 

BTW, BEN SOLO DESERVED BETTER! The true feminist of this story DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER! ADAM DRIVER DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER! He always respect the director’s view, does his best to accomplish it and brings his best acting to the table. The only saving grace in the whole movie to me was Ben’s arc because 1) Adam was doing it and 2) He honored his character. Man he deserved so much better!!!!!

I’m not even going to repeat what everyone already said about where is George Lucas’ Fairytale Story, because you guys said it all. But I have a beef with Disney executive decisions:

2) WALT DISNEY - HOW I WISH WALT WAS ALIVE

Walt Disney. Much have been criticized concerning his choices to make HEA in fairytales. But what now? We find balance by wanting our children to grow up to be cynic and seeing the feminine as weak? Unhelpful? Bad? 

“Yo independent women! You need no prince even if you have one. He can compassionately and selfelessly die to save you because he loves you and you can go off, happily, to celebrate with your friends! You don’t mourn his body, oh no. You don’t tell him you love him. You forget him. You go be that cool lonely warrior.”

Excuse me but I can kick ass and have the romantic love life and children I want! I can have both! Because I am a human being and I deserve it. This is not a matter of being a men or women. This is a matter of balancing the feminine and masculine within.

But that is not just it. BEN SOLO DESERVED BETTER! WALT WOULD NEVER, EVER LET A CHARACTER THAT WENT THROUGH ABUSE AND SO MUCH PAIN DIE THE WAY BEN SOLO DID! Is that a Disney movie??????? I mean, what did I just watch????

Walt Disney, the man who promised P.L. Travers, upon knowing who Mr. Banks was to her (her deceased alcoholic father) and what Mary Poppins, her work, meant to her, said:

“George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that is what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.”

THAT IS WHAT STORYTELLERS DO! Like so many fanfic writers in this fandom @nite0wl29, @stargazer1116, @intp-slytherin97, @eleanor-writes-stuff, @postedbygaslight, @raven-maiden, and so many others!! Btw, thank you all!! My vacation starts tomorrow and I’m going to read again all your amazing fics to regain exactly that: HOPE!

What was TROS? Leia and Luke believing in the good in Rey? The whole Jedi Order believing in her? I have nothing against that but why didn’t they believe or help Ben too? Ben didn’t receive any of that love, WHY? What was wrong with him? What did he do?! He was the most selfless of souls, just like his Father and Grandmother. Is this vicntim blaming??? WHY DISNEY, LUCAS FILM and JJ ABRAMS, WHY?!

I used to think people were wrong when they said Disney was only doing SW for money. Because Walt Disney also said and lived by this rule:

“The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together — and that’s the backbone of our whole business, catering to families — that is what we hope to do.”

SW is about family and I refuse to accept ep. IX as SW. It has all the make up of SW, but it lacks the heart and very essence of it.

As dear @eleanor-writes-stuff said, so much for criticizing Rian Johnson, only to consagrate his work. That man honored the storytelling art and I’ll be forever grateful to him for his touch in SW and for how his writing touched and changed my life. And I know Waltz would have approved too because he also said:

“I prefer to entertain people in the hope that they learn, rather than teach people in the hope they are entertained.”

3) PLOT? WHAT PLOT?

Leia’s feelings for Ben have remained ambiguous, you can both read her as someone who wants her baby boy dead (because her death allows Rey to stab Ben to death if she wants to, when Ben was never going to harm Rey) or not. Actions speak louder than words, and this was the movie when Leia would have the chance to assume the responsability for her mistakes and take action, instead of only claiming she believed her son was alive.

If she clearly wanted to reach Ben, was Maz’s words needed? No, they weren’t. It was exactly because Maz needed to voice it that proved Leia’s actions could be read as ambiguous. Again, actions speak louder than words. Her body only disappeared after Ben’s did too because what? She was expecting him to die so she could collect his soul?

I dearly love Leia’s character but LEIA DESERVED BETTER! CARRIE DESERVED BETTER! In the end I’m not sure what to make of the ST Leia. She could have helped Ben but clearly sent him away to Luke because? What?

Ben Solo get his redemption from his own 2 hands + his father’s memory (not force ghost) + Rey’s confession. In the end he becomes the bride of the monster, only to die right after, in a what? Plot twist?

Finn, who? That was so messed up! Rose? Poor Rose!!! Hux? Oh Hux deserved better too. I was glad to see that Poe matured though and grew in his arc.

I’m also mad and confused about other plot points:

Ben throws his bleeded kyber krystal away because of his father. Okay. Why did no one help him when he cried on the Force to crack his kyber and soul, but Luke Force Ghost appears to catch Rey throwing a lightsaber in an on fire tie fighter?

Rey would turn to the Dark side if she killed Palpatine, right? 5 minutes later she won’t turn to the Dark Side anymore even if she still kills him in anger? Just because the self righteous jedi chose to let Ben get thrown down the abysm by himself but Rey was the Chosen One?

Still on this topic, so she choses to give up her soul so Palpatine uses her body as the vessel of his soul and the legion of siths, in order to save her friends, but she won’t take Ben Solo’s hand, even if she claims she wants to + retaining her body, to do the same?

I think force bonds don’t make much of a difference anymore when one of the parts dies. Ben can die and Rey seems pretty okay?

INTERESTING FACT: Beside me there was a father with his 6 or 7 year old son. The child kept asking what was going on everytime the movie introduced any plot twists or too much information too quickly. When the Reylo kiss came on screen, you know what the kid said? “I told ya!” I wanted to cry when seconds later the boy was claiming now was Rey’s turn to bring Ben back. Children understand the Heroine’s Journey and it doesn’t scare them. It is beautiful like that. The father then had to try and explain to the boy that other things were going on and that no, “that guy was gone”. What have you done people?

4) EPISODE X

I must have a clown face. They lied to us about this movie being “The Rise of Skywalker”. Maybe they lied to us about this being the end of the saga? Considering JJ claims this is fun, happy and hopeful, yeah, I doubt they are making an episode X or ressurecting Ben Solo after throwing in the garbage the Heroine’s Journey. I vaguely remember Adam also said he wasn’t going to appear in another SW.

IF they do announce an ep. X, I’m not watching it unless Ryan or someone like him directs the movie.

I loved to see Han Solo’s memory helping his son. That man trully loved him and it is tragic that he screwed up as a father only because he thought he wasn’t enough to be a good one and that Leia and Luke would know better.

I also loved to see Ben Solo as his father son and grandchild to his grandmother and great grandmother. He was beautiful and I love him and he’ll be forever with me.

I liked the Reylo kiss... but Rey’s actions in this movie have affected me so that it doesn’t feel like they scrapped the surface of making justice to this that could have been the happiest and most balanced of all SW couples.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN EPIC. IT COULD HAVE BEEN GRAND. But it wasn’t.

I’ll forget TROS. YBTOTT is now canon to me, because it is a perfect 3rd act in this trilogy, and @postedbygaslight honors the Heroine’s Journey like few writers have the gut and courage to do. Thank you so much Wayne!

And if anyone had the patience to read this to the end, thank you. I feel it too guys, this was awful and horrible.

How 2 RP - Part 2: Create your first character.

Hello and welcome to part 2! Today we are going to talk about how to create your very first character to RP with! I hope part 1 and part 1.5 were a big help to you. So without further ado, lets get started!

Okay so, you read up some basic information, you seen people RP perhaps, and you want to try it out for yourself. But the question is, how and where? First things first, lets take a look at what you would like to RP. And we will start with the first thing. And that is: Personality.

This is the very basis of your character. What are they like? Are they a warm and caring person? Are they someone who rush in head first and think later? Maybe they are someone who are more a evil person. Or maybe a Anti-hero? When it comes to creating your personality, don't be afraid to take inspiration from other things. Different games, different series, movies, manga, anime you name it! Pick your favorite and mold it around that. If you want some examples, here are some personalities: 

Adventurous

Helpful

Affable

Humble

Capable

Imaginative

Charming

Impartial

Confident

Independent

Conscientious

Keen

Cultured

Meticulous

Dependable

Observant

Discreet

Optimistic

Dutiful

Persistent

Encouraging

Precise

Exuberant

Reliable

Fair

Sociable

Fearless

Trusting

Gregarious

Valiant

Arrogant

Quarrelsome

Boorish

Rude

Bossy

Sarcastic

Conceited

Self-centered

Cowardly

Slovenly

Dishonest

Sneaky

Finicky

Stingy

Impulsive

Sullen

Lazy

Surly

Malicious

Thoughtless

Obnoxious

Unfriendly

Picky

Unruly

Pompous

Vulgar

Sorry for the long list! But maybe you have noticed, that there are both positive and negative personality traits? That is because you need to balance things out when it comes to creating one. Sure, your RP character can be a total badass, slain dragons and saved some damsel in distress. But maybe they have a drinking problem, or get shy around the ladies. Every character needs balance. Every upside has a downside. Even the mighty hero can have a bad side to them. Its important to think about those things when you make such a thing!

So, lets go to the second part:

Backstory.

Now that you have a personality, its time for the next part. A backstory~ I think personally, that this part is a lot of fun. Because it allows you to fantasize about your story. Maybe they were a mighty warrior, who lost their first battle with the woman they loved, and chased them to win over their heart? (I know it sounds cheesy) Or maybe a Mercenary who is just trying to feed their family, and takes on any job? There are so many choices! This is mostly where it comes down to lore as well. I dropped a basic link in part one. But today i will give links to more detailed lore descriptions. Mostly the Lore books. Here are some handy, dandy links!

Lore book one

and

Lore book two

 They are some long reads, so be sure to take your time with them! However, if you go with a first character, i would try to look into the NPC’s of Eorzea. Maybe you could be a IC crafter? A bartender? Maybe even a Bard who sings songs. A Bounty Hunter? If you are not sure, ask your friends! Maybe they have a idea on what you should start as. Maybe your race could help a lot too in picking your backstory. There is the Au’ra, Elezen, Lalafell, Miqo’te, Hyur, Roegadyn, Viera and Hrothgar. Pick one you think fits you! 

Some last tips

Remember that RP is a experience that takes some time to learn. Don't be impatient, or think that your character is not interesting enough for the community. Give it a whirl, some test runs. Fine tune it. Ask opinions from others. Just remember that its all for good fun! Ask some friends for help, or some complete strangers (Like i am) for help and opinions. There is always someone out there who would not mind to help you out if you need it. Its always hard to take that first step into the world of RP, but when you make that first step, its a lot of fun! And maybe this guide is no perfect one with the best tips of how to RP, or the ultimate tip tool. But its me trying to reach out a hand to those who want to start with RP. And if it can help at least one person out, then my job is done. And i am sure that i can improve on it too. So please, if i should do something different, or maybe you think: Hey you should write about this or say this. Let me know! I love to take feedback, and listen to opinions. Part 3 will come soon, hope you all look forward to it!

Oh and, here is a picture for good measure.

// OOC 

RANT. Long one too. Let’s talk about the “Cast” of Sisterhood of War pt 1. 

If you’ve yet to read the thing, go read it. If you want. This wall below WILL spoil.

The Sisterhood. We don’t know who these characters are. Some backgrounds are VERY loosely referenced. I am sure we’ll learn more in the next parts. But apparently they were Riven’s companions or friends. Everyone except the POV and the Runesmith. And of course thus they are absolutely strongest, toughest women one could possibly think of. 

Runesmith mage with ties to Black Rose and LeBlanc. She has a mission. A top secret mission from patrons that gives her orders and passports to go through pretty much any bureaucratic hurdle Noxus can throw her party’s way. And yet apparently this decree did not give them the right to “act independently” and they have to become deserters. If this patron of theirs is truly so potent, one could assume they’d be permitted to operate WITHOUT having to commit desertion and turn their nation “enemies”. Just a thougth.

Tracker, woman with four drakehounds who has named them essentially 1,2,3,4. And as the story so helpfully pointed out, drakehounds are sort of expensive. As in VERY. But she has four and named them with numbers. And just in case somebody missed it, she is cold and distant, doesn’t talk unless she absolutely has to. You know, because she is the Tracker. The Ranger. The One Who Likes To Be Alone With Only Her Hounds. Ps. Yeah, the drakehounds according to the artwork wear full face masks, which for a drakehound is like removing 50% of it’s arsenal. But I chalk that to artist’s liberty and assume in the story it is not so.

Then we got the Cavalier. A former noble with a mount with overblown noble name. And while the mount’s species was not mentioned, I assume it was Drakalops. Same species that Kled’s Skaarl is. Okay you have a near immortal creature as a mount lady. Good choice. A bit rare maybe but great choice. And did I read it correctly that she single handedly drove away the entire raider horde and saved our group of heroes? Because based on the text I got the impression there was a whole Attila’s horde on them and she just dived in there and drove them away after killing some. She speaks though. So there is that. Nothing nice of course and disses POV just like the rest of them. But she at least converses with him. And she is ordered to join the group by someone within Noxian military by the threat of death should she refuse.

Last of the sisters is then the tank. A Shieldbreaker who we meet as she is doing what she does best. Outmaneuvering a guy who supposedly was about to win, but she is more skilled and stronger and beats him down. She is also the first person who treats our POV character with any level of decency. Except of course that she then there is that whole next night shenigan where the “brute” showcases her talent as an rogue. Sneaking up on our POV and taking him a prisoner, threatening what is essentially a stable boy. 

And finally the Boy, untested young warrior who wants to do what is right. And this story is from start to finish told from his point of view as these strong and powerful women take every possible chance at demeaning, mocking and honestly bullying the kid. Seemingly for no other reason than because. Why he is with them is supposedly because they needed someone to carry their luggage, or handle the beast carrying their luggage. Yeah. The elite team of super competent warrior women just so happened to need a “man-servant” (author’s words) for their super secret mission. And they chose an untested shepherd from middle of nowhere. I suppose he is expendable so there is that but... Yeah. He does not fit the mission profile and we are not told of any special reason or quality why he’d be included. Considering how the Runesmith, the leader of the mission treats him, we are led to believe he has no real value. And the ladies make sure he knows that too.

But there is a silver lining in this story as well. The one character that’s name stuck with me and whom I found endearing and lovely addition to the otherwise obnoxious party. TALZ. The absolutely marvelous basilisk who dutifully carries the party’s supplies on it’s strong back, eating, sleeping and dutifully following it’s caretaker’s instruction. He (I presume it is a he) was the one thing that brought a smile to my face every time he was referenced even slightly in  the story. And that is somewhat sad detail TBH. But yes. Talz is my favorite character in this story. 

In closing, this story has the feeling of someone trying too hard. And I am not sure what they are trying. I don’t know of too many people who find this kind of storytelling pleasing to read. Dialog is sparse, exposition is for miles, most of the main characters are rude and dislike-able. The character part is the most outrageous to me personally. I don’t mind having a tough or cold character here and there. Hell. I roleplay Swain. But these characters are just... Obnoxious. It feels like the author is trying to say “hey look how awesome badass characters I’ve got. They are awesome”. But telling the reader they are awesome does not make them so. Now, they are just rude and OP. And that is not a good look for non-established character.