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phoenixyfriend · 1 year

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📚📚?

Put “📓” or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I’ll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven’t written but daydream about.

Oh god okay this one is. So incredibly stupid and combines at least three different plots that I keep recycling (time-travel, rexwalker, Anakin's Gender/omegaverse). I also only came up with it last night so [shrug emoji].

Warnings: mpreg, arguable dubcon (the sex itself is fully consensual, but some of the motivations are kept secret for complicated reasons).

It's an omegaverse AU. Anakin's an omega, capable of pregnancy, and Rex is either alpha or beta. Probably alpha. The important part is that they're compatible.

Anakin and Rex were in a relationship during the war, alongside Anidala. Anakin really wanted to get pregnant, but it didn't really come up outside of Bedroom Games because, you know, there's a war on. A few times he begged, and Rex had to be the one to actually put his foot down about Not Now, because [gestures at Anakin's lack of responsible behavior when family is on the table/line].

Eventually, Padme gets pregnant with Anakin's kids, and RotS goes down basically as canon. Rex is devastated by the loss of his lover(s), does Rebellion work freeing brothers, etc.

Shit Happens. Rex finds out about Anakin being Vader. He and Ahsoka commiserate.

Time-travel! For lack of a better option, we'll blame the bird (Morai), and the not-Jedi (Ahsoka). Mental, so Rex is inhabiting his younger body. Bit weird. Ahsoka is also inhabiting her younger self, and largely Not Acknowledging the Anakin situation. She's letting Rex handle that part.

He and Anakin are still in love, as far as Anakin is concerned, and Rex still loves him, but... he can't forget Vader.

Rex himself is Acting Weird but Anakin's off doing Jedi things on Coruscant for the first couple days of Rex adjusting to when and where he is, so it's not super noticeable. Rex uses the time to plan.

The thing is. Anakin always made it 100% clear that he wanted babies. He wants to be pregnant. He wants to be filled up and used and then watch his belly fill out and start glowing and all that. He is into it, partly for kink reasons and partly because he's got a lot of neuroses about life and death and so on.

Rex only feels a little bad about it, when he 'bends' and lets Anakin ride him in heat without a barrier or any real birth control. He even provides a proper caveat (if Rex agrees to getting Anakin pregnant, then the Chancellor isn't allowed to know), repeatedly checks with Anakin that he's consenting to this, and then talks dirty to the point that Anakin nearly loses his mind. It ends, almost inevitably, in Anakin being pregnant. With twins.

(Rex probably knew about Padme's pregnancy. He probably guessed that Anakin's fall was for her sake, for her life. I'm not sure anyone told him the babies survived. Obi-Wan and Bail and Yoda might not have known about how deep his relationship with Anidala was. Rex doesn't know that the twins Anakin is having are the twins Padme would have carried. He hopes, though.)

The pregnancy is enough to distract Anakin from all the shit that's going on, even keeps him and Padme from doing things that could get her pregnant. Rex's plan, to get Anakin pregnant and distract him from going evil, works. It works phenomenally, and his contacts in the Corrie Guard and among the Senate pull together enough information to take Palpatine out of play.

Rex admits to Anakin that he's from the future, and that he agreed to getting Anakin pregnant (with babies that are by now born and a few months old) as a ploy to keep Anakin from falling to the Sith. Anakin is offended and generally hurt and overall really angry about Rex manipulating him like that. Padme is also hurt that Rex resorted to sexual trickery instead of just talking to them. Doesn't it cheapen the act of creation? Various other flowery accusations are thrown about. Anakin doesn't talk to Rex for a week.

Ahsoka finds Anakin and sits down and listens to him and Padme talk about how hurt they are. Then she explains what she knows (what she's put together) about how Anakin Fell the first time around. Explains the brain chips and the genocide and the burning of the Temple. Explains just how close Rex came to killing Ahsoka herself, his best friend. How he had to kill his own brothers. How he failed to save yet more. Ahsoka spends hours telling Anakin and Padme about how Rex was not the man they'd fallen for, but someone who'd been through a decade more of trauma, and was working off a level of paranoia and pain that they couldn't even begin to fathom, especially not when Rex could still see how much Anakin trusted Palpatine, and didn't have the clearest memory of these years, certainly not enough to know if Anakin would trust Rex's word over that of the Chancellor himself.

It's a heavy conversation. They take a few hours to mull it over after Ahsoka leaves, and then message Rex to come back. There's a long, heavy conversation that ends with kisses and cuddles, and the two of them extracting a promise from Rex to get some psychological help, which he only agrees to if Anakin does the same.

IDK I just think an AU where the world is saved by paranoia-induced pregnancy schemes with someone who wants it but doesn't know why their partner agreed are a special shade of fucked up fun.

Also, this was loosely inspired by the premise of @inferior-fairy's "[Only] Think of Me," which is a different ship but still has the delightful nonsense plot that is "get Anakin pregnant to keep him from doing stupid evil."

#rexanidala #captain rex #padme amidala #anakin skywalker #rexwalker #phoenix answers memes #mpreg #omegaverse

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adiduck · 2 years

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

FIVE fics, Chel? FIVE? 🤣

Okay okay okay I can do this. I'm gonna include cowritten fics, wips, and multiple fandoms to make it easier on myself, though. Also, these are all fics from various times in my life as a writer so I cannot currently say that I would REWRITE them the same way, but they are my favorites nevertheless:

1. edge of providence (Star Wars, M, cowritten with @keensers, wip, 241,962 words and counting, jangobi, arguably one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever had a part in creating)

“Are you going to kill me right here, Mand’alor?” Obi-Wan manages.

Fett freezes, his hold loosening, and shoves away from him as if burned, getting to his feet. Obi-Wan coughs, looks up to where the man is watching him with some strange mix of emotion. His shields are exceptionally strong, for a null.

“There is no Mand’alor,” Fett says finally, and walks right out of the room.

(Or: 15-year-old Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker crash-lands on Kamino on the one day a cycle when the seas are calm and the storms abate. At the time, he doesn’t think much of it. Later—much later—he will come to see it as an omen.)

2. the boat that would row you back (Star Wars, T, complete, 12,317 words, codywan, my first in-text codywan fic and still I think a really fun romp)

“He vanished into the Cosmic Force,” Vader intones, and Cody will never understand why people raised as Jedi don’t just say ‘dead’.

“Is there a reason,” Cody asks, voice shaking with grief over his General’s lightsaber and cloak for the very last time, eyes still burning and blurry with choked-off tears, “you needed to free me to tell me that?” Is there a reason Cody had needed to know at all? Why would Darth Vader--Anakin Skywalker--bother to track down General Kenobi’s former Commander, and make absolutely certain he’d feel the loss sharp and hot in his chest when he delivered the news. What purpose would it serve, now?

“You misunderstand, Commander,” Vader says, and Cody blinks. “He vanished. Wholly. He purposely did not block, I struck him down, and by the time the cloak had fallen, there was no body remaining.”

2.5. Adjacent to Theseus, Seeking (Star Wars, T, complete, 3334 words, codywan, semi-sequel to boat--same universe, mostly just have to be aware of boat's existence, one of my best attempts at creating a particular atmosphere as a main component of a fic, I am aware this is cheating shhhhh)

Cody is somewhere out there, and like this Obi-Wan can no longer feel him.

Cody is somewhere out there, and somehow, his presence in the Force is everywhere, blinding and untethered.

Or, a labyrinth, a monster, a search, and a mystery.

3. an ice-cream covered screaming hyperactive thought (Star Wars, G, complete, 9,863 words, codywan, I just love this one okay, it's so joyful, and I think I did what I came to do re: the underlying story of Cody's building himself a life After The War)

Cody is fairly certain he is not going to get his security deposit back.

There are three new stains on his carpet, and a patch by the door has been roughed up enough Cody’s pretty sure the weave’s come loose. The door itself has scratches in the paint all the way up to the door knob, and the curtains covering the windows on either side of the door are shredded, showing the metal grating over the transparisteel on the street side. The caf machine, the dish rack, and the soap dispenser are all in a collapsed and soapy heap on the floor. Cody’d managed through reflexes honed by war to save his favorite caf mug, but had sadly lost two of his plates and a bowl before he’d managed to wrap the perpetrator in three towels and shove the whole bundle up against a shoulder.

The towel bundle, very put out by this turn of events, is yelling.

4. I Did It All For Myself (Star Wars, G, complete, 6,824 words, pre-codywan, part of a larger wip series (No Choir) and I think not everyone's favorite in that series, but I really enjoyed exploring the tension of beginning to let yourself recover in this one, and I had a lot of fun playing with the timeline)

Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut is entirely bland, dusty white stone and plaster on the inside. Cody borrows four-year-old Luke Skywalker to help him correct this.

5. The General (Girl Genius, T, complete, 37,510 words, I think my first complete long piece of fiction, taught me a lot about voice and pacing and I think is just genuinely a fun ride)

It takes six months for Dimo to officially become acting general of the Jaegermonster army after Baron Klaus Wulfenbach locks Mechanicsburg, and himself and their Heterodyne with it. A lot can happen in six months.

#ask replies #self-rec #Adi is a Writer #I realize that the 2.5 is cheating #but it's my most recent fic and the shortest in a while and I'm quite proud of what I did with it #codywan #jangobi #girl genius

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jebiknights · 2 years

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1, 10, 16 for the ask game?

Keely my beloved ;*

1) is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

The main story I'm holding off writing is because I want to have a good sit down with the last season of tcw and that's my Post Order-66 Foxanidala fic where Anakin doesn't Fall but uh, three of the people Palps fucked over/abused/used the most banding together and wrecking his shit! All three are probably gonna be kind of dark in it too... I love the story idea but I am not equipped to write it right now need a lot more research

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

Normally I write with background noise! specifically with instrumental music though I do have a few songs and playlists with words that will spark inspiration, but with my adhd I need the sound but the words distract me lol. and typically i write alone, though i enjoy sprinting a lot and there's something to be said for getting drunk on a google call and banging out a few pages with the bestie!

16) are there any characters who haunt you?

dgsfdjgs i wasnt sure how to answer this at first but from star wars ITS DEFINITELY THE PADAWAN PACK. just, anakin having friends in his age group, literally all of them losing their masters and having to continue a war against real humans and not droids... literally all they had was each other and the youngest of them was 13. they were all prepared to die by the end of it, and the only reason anakin himself survived was because palpatine interfered and asked him to do the evacuations, and the other padawans made him agree to it instead of sacrificing himself with them. and this is all what? a month into the war? 2 months into the war????

(the padawan pack/jabiim arc had so much going on and i havent even read the obi wan stuff for it yet but it as a whole haunts me. the jedi memorial that by the end of the war can be seen from space bc so many jedi died before we ever got to order 66. the fact that no, it wasnt all droids that they were fighting, it was real people too. the fact that it arguably didnt used to be only 1-3 jedi on each campaign it used to be like 5-7 but that just wasn't feasible bc of how many of them were dying. each member of the remaining padawan pack using different parts of the jedi code to center themselves before that final battle. the fact that despite what some people think, anakin did have friends in his age group... but so many of them died so early on. just AHH makes me go crazy :()

#ask games #nearcluzar #keely #padawan pack #thanks for sending this in!! i am feral about the padawan pack now :)

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thecleverqueer · 1 year

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Random thoughts while watching the Book of Boba Fett Episode Six:

*I really don’t like the Armorer. I don’t know why. Something about her bothers me. I know that she’s not in the episode, only the recap, but yeah. I don’t like her.

*Cobb Vanth has great hair.

*I think the moral of the story is that if you decide to f*^% with the Pykes, you need to just kill them. Don’t leave any of them behind to go back and squeal to their bosses. Just off them all.

*I know that Din wasn’t all for it, but that Naboo N-1 Starfighter is a huge upgrade from that busted ass Razor Crest that he was flying around in before.

*I want to know where Luke got all those spider droids from to build his little Jedi Temple School. He’s got an army of them. Who’s funding this escapade?

*The one-eyed frogs scene is something. Luke’s like, “oh, you think you’re cute trying to use the force to lift one measly frog to fill your stomach!? Watch this! I’m going to lift every damned frog on this planet up into the air!”

*Grogu flashback: That was Barriss’s room in the temple. Which brings up two questions in my mind that I want answers to (no, three questions):

1.) Was Barriss the one that saved Grogu from the Temple during Order 66? Because holy shit! I hope so.

2.) Did Ahsoka find out who saved Grogu when he and she connected minds during “The Jedi”episode of “The Mandalorian”? Because ouch!

3.) Are they ever going to stop tormenting Ahsoka with the memory of her first girlfriend and that particularly nasty breakup that they had? Because give her a break! We’ve all dated questionable girls in our youth. It’s part of the lesbian initiation process.

*It does sting watching the 501st mowing down Jedi after watching the Clone Wars series. It didn’t hit the first time I watched this show as I hadn’t watched the Clone Wars. Rewatching it again for the first time… it hits different.

*Luke really isn’t a very compelling teacher. He’s not a terrible warrior, but rebuilding the Jedi was a tall order. Ahsoka would be a better teacher. She actually has a proven track record of being compelling. She’s also a Schrödinger's Jedi now though, and I suppose the drive she has to embark on her own adventures would hinder her from being remotely interested in raising force sensitive children. She’s got auntie vibes. She’ll love your kids, but not as much as she loves being able to just say “f*^% it”, hop in her space ship and do whatever the f*^% she wants when she wants.

*Din asked Ahsoka what she’s doing there. Bitch, she trained Luke. She’s got to make sure he’s okay. She’s his auntie. That’s her job.

*The line where Din tells Ahsoka that he was looking for “the kid” so R2 brought Ahsoka to Din because she was “the kid” is so f*^%ing cute that I can’t stand it. OMG.

*Luke Skywalker Parkour > Fennec Shand Parkour

*”So much like your father”… nah, Ahsoka. Luke’s not responsible for multiple episodes of genocidal rage that resulted in the extinction of entire groups of people, but I do love your optimism and your unwillingness to see what a huge asshole Anakin was.

*Ahsoka’s like, “trust your instincts”….which is basically her all but saying, “Nah fam, don’t train this kid. It won’t end well.” Based on Luke’s facial expression though, he get it.

*THERE HE IS!!! We went an entire episode and a half with no Boba Fett and he is the titular character. Come ON! And don’t give me this, “oh well, no one knows Boba Fett like they know the Mandalorian” because that’s bullshit! It’s Boba f*^%ing Fett! We’ve had Boba since the Star Wars Holiday Special in the 70s. He was in the original trilogy. He is an icon. If you know Mando, and you don’t know Boba Fett, then give your f*^%ing “Star Wars Fan” badge back, sit down and start over from the beginning because you failed epically.

*Why doesn’t Black Krrsantan dismember that mayor’s major domo? He’s far more vexatious than the Trandosians, and there are arguably more limbs from which to rip apart thanks to his lekku.

*Why would anyone live on Tatooine willingly?

*Cad Bane in live action was a brilliant move… not gonna lie.

* F*^% the Pykes for blowing up Twi’lek Bette’s casino bar brothel.

*Luke gives little Grogu a choice: He can have the Beskar armor or f*^%ing YODA’S LIGHTSABER! Really, Grogu, take the lightsaber. You can f*^% a Kryze later (assuming there is one left) when you get old enough, and they’ll gladly give you the Beskar. Ask force ghost Obi-Wan or Ahsoka- they both boned Kryzes, and have the Beskar armor AND lightsabers to prove my point.

*Luke makes a valid point. Din is going to die in about forty or fifty more years (give or take, I don’t know how old he is), but Grogu is going to live to be damned near a thousand years old. Only one, Grogu. Do you want to be a Jedi or a Mandalorian?

#star wars #the book of boba fett #din djarin #the mandalorian #luke skywalker #ahsoka tano #the 501st #boba fett #fennec shand #tatooine #cad bane #grogu #black krrsantan #barriss offee

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agivins10 · 2 years

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Obi-Wan Kenobi Through Episode 5 and The Return of Hayden Christensen

Following a very underwhelming episode four, episode five was an excellent experience and may have been the best episode thus far. There is still the series finale, episode six, to come out next week, but episode five was not only full of action but also emotion. This episode contained what all Star Wars fans have been waiting for with this series: Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker and the flashbacks for the character. The last time Christensen was seen as Anakin Skywalker was in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which premiered in 2005. During that time in which he originally played the famous character, he received a lot of hate from fans. Recently though, there has been a newfound love for the actor and his role as Anakin. It is nice to see the actor be embraced by the fans of the franchise, and finally receiving the love and credit that he deserves for the job that he has done.

Many fans were beginning to get concerned due to the fact that Christensen had only appeared for about three seconds in the first four episodes combined. There was so much media and marketing surrounding Christensen and Ewan McGregor, the actor who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, that fans were under the assumption that the two would be seen throughout entire series. Obviously, Ewan McGregor has done just that as the show is named after the character that he plays. Instead of Anakin Skywalker though, that character has been portrayed as Darth Vader for most of the show, leaving Christensen sidelined up until now. The flashbacks are finally here. Many were hoping that flashbacks would be taken from time periods of Order 66, which has been the case, but there was also hope for flashbacks from the animated Star Wars series, The Clone Wars, where the character of Anakin Skywalker engages in activities and interacts with other characters that have not been seen with Hayden Christensen playing him.

It has also been noted by many fans and the media that the episodes of the show Obi-Wan Kenobi have followed very similar stories and themes to that of the original six Star Wars films, respectively. For example, episode one of the show mirrors that of episode one of the original films. The most noticeable so far comes from episode three, which mirrors that of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in which Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker battle to the “death” which results in Anakin enflamed, burning on the side of a river of lava. In episode three of the show though, Lord Vader seeks his revenge during their first battle since Obi-Wan left him to die. This time, Obi-Wan is now the one who is defeated and set to fire. With the most recent, and arguably best, episode being episode five, it has clearly drawn inspiration from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. This episode encased yet another battle between Obi-Wan and Lord Vader, but most notably included a semi-predictable betrayal of Reva Sevander, or the Third Sister, who had just earned the rank of Grand Inquisitor. Her work for Lord Vader has all lead up to her betrayal as she was a survivor of Order 66 in which Lord Vader assisted in slaughtering the Jedi population. As a youngling, Reva Sevander watched the only people she ever knew as family be murdered, and she worked under Lord Vader to one day try and take her revenge, but Lord Vader had already seen it coming.

There is no doubt that episode six of Obi-Wan Kenobi will mirror that of its George Lucas Film counterpart, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, in which the protagonists finally come out victorious.

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smokeybrandreviews · 8 months

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Lowered Expectations

If you know me, you know I shill hard for all things Star Wars. This blog is riddled with so much Star Wars content, it’s absurd. While I consider myself a fan of the greater universe, I’d be lying if I said my adoration didn’t start with Darth Vader. For me, he was this ominous, overpowering, force of nature who just embarrassed anyone willing, or dumb enough, to stand in his way. Then the prequels happened and we were introduced to Anakin Skywalker; A Vader before Vader. Those films sucked, with the exception of the last hour or so of the third, but it gave me a version of Vader i didn't think I'd ever see and i wanted so much more. Thankfully, Clone Wars redeemed those films and introduced my second favorite character in the entire series, Ahsoka Tano. Like most fans, I hated this kid so much in the beginning but, as the show progressed, Ahsoka became, arguably, the most developed character in the entire franchise and number two on my list. It helped tremendously that number one was her Master and their dynamic was pure, serotonin inducing, joy. And then things went bad. Anakin was Destroyed. Vader was created. Ahsoka was lost. That sh*t hurt. I never lost hope in seeing Snips again and Filoni rewarded my faith with her appearance in Rebels, and then again in Mando. The second they announce Ms. Tano was going to get her own series, i was all over it. Well, Ahsoka has finally dropped and I am decidedly meh about it.

After three episodes, I find myself at an impasse. It’s more confliction than anything. I was never a huge fan of Rebels but I didn't outright hate the show like a lot of the fandom. There were aspects i enjoyed, Ezra was not one of them, but Sabine Wren, is. Officially adding her to the Disaster Lineage by making her Ahsoka’s Padawan is everything to my Imperial heart. It makes so much sense that it would be Sabine, basically a Mando version of Ahsoka, herself, who would end up being Ahsoka's first student. Witnessing Snips make the same faces as Skyguy when her own Padawan does the same reckless sh*t she did when she was a Padawan, is just perfect. So why don’t i like this show more? I mean, if we’re being perfectly honest, this thing is tailor-made for me. The titular characters is basically my second favorite of the entire franchise, continuing her exceptional development in what has turned out to be the most gorgeous of the Star Wars serials. It focuses on Jedi and the force, aspects that always draw me in. There’s promise of an Anakin sighting in an interaction with an adult Snips, which I have wanted since Rosario first popped up on screen in that orange body paint. And, most important, this sh*t is a straight up adaption of Heir to the Empire. Obviously, it's going the way of “inspired by” but still, we're talking Thrawn and maybe Mara Jade. I Should absolutely adore this show so why am i so goddamn lukewarm?

I don't have an answer and that bugs the f*ck out of me. It's not Star Wars fatigue because there's no way i would get tired of sci-fi wizard having telekinetic laser sword fights ins space. That sentence just kills. It's not the performances because, even though everyone says they're wooden, they didn't seem that way to me. They seemed aloof and stoic; The way all those powerful in the force act. I already mentioned how gorgeous the show looks, you see every penny on screen, and even the practical sh*t looks really great. I mean, look at Hera's leku. They blend that obvious headpiece perfectly on to MEW's head. Speaking of, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is just another stroke of inspired casting after Rosario's Ahsoka, Natasha Liu Bordizzo's Sabine, and Lars Mikkelsen's Thrawn. I've heard grumblings that this has too much “GUUURL power” but I've never subscribed to that. The Force has always been Female and cats just need to get over that sh*t. I mean, Abeloth, the most powerful force entity in the entity of Legends, presents female so, you know, there's that. The pacing didn't bother me either but I'm a fan and enjoy the exposition and easter eggs. Again, tailor-made for me. This sh*t should have been an easy win for someone like me and it's not. Like, it's not a bad show and I am enjoying it, but this thing is definitely missing something and I cannot, for the life of me, put my finger on it.

#Ahsoka #Star Wars #Star Wars: Ahsoka #Lucasfilm #Some ol' bullsh*t

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smokeybrand · 8 months

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Lowered Expectations

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jmkitsune · 9 months

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maybe its just the nitpicking in my but if I could change one thing bout the prequels it would have been that

Ahsoka vs Maul, Anakin v Obi Wan and Yoda v Palpatine's duels were all happening simultaneously DURING order 66

like for everything in the galaxy to be "coming down around them, the force chose those six force users to decide the fate of the galaxy at the same time, on 3 different worlds (Coruscant- arguably a heavenly paradise compared to most worlds aesthetically, Mandalore- a "middle ground world" due to its neutrality but also a former neutral world torn battleground for the angels/devils (dark and light side), and then Mustafar- hell itself where a fallen Jedi and 'the stalwart knight' battle over his fall)

JUST SAYIN I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE POETIC AND COOL to slip all three fights together canonically even though Ahsoka fights hers before the other two (which I get...but ehhhh) having ahsoka and maul fight with order 66 happening around them would have been fascinating lol

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cacodaemonia · 3 years

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oohh, I dont think I’ve ever seen your opinion on anakin, if it’s not too much to ask, would you mind elaborating? Or maybe point me in the direction of the posts you’ve already made? I’m not anakins biggest fan either but it’s hard to find anyone who shares the same opinion!

Hi! Sure, I don’t mind, though it’s just my opinion, and heavily colored by my own experience with people who are toxic in the sense that they care more about their feelings for you than for you as a person. Which they would never admit to themselves, so they don’t see those feelings as harmful.

I found a post where I talked more about that here.

@gffa, who is not at all an Anakin-hater, also has loads of really fantastic meta about him and Star Wars in general. Basically their whole blog is a treasure trove and I always find myself nodding along like, “Yes, yes! this exactly!”

I see how Anakin can be a sympathetic character to a lot of people, because he’s very complex, and he’s heroic, and he cares deeply about certain things. And I don’t hate him. He was still very young and obviously incredibly confused about a lot of things by the end of the Clone Wars. I just can never forgive him for what he did, no matter what lies Palpatine whispered to him over the years. Anakin made conscious choices, in the end, to do things he knew were wrong.

Just off the top of my head:

1. He murdered an entire village of people for what some of them did to his mother. 2. He lied to Obi-Wan (and others) many times about his relationship with Padme. Obi-Wan, who helped raise him, who was almost always patient with him, praised him when he did well, and trusted him implicitly. 3. Over and over, he used his powers as a Jedi to coerce people into doing what he thought was the right thing. Ah, the smell of Fascism in the morning. 4. He willingly chose to follow a Sith Lord, just to maybe save Padme from maybe dying like in his dreams. 5. He killed Mace and a bunch of children. 6. He ordered the men he’d been fighting alongside for three years to murder the people they had sworn to protect and who were, aside from other clones, arguably their only friends in the whole Galaxy. Whether he knew about the chips or not, using his authority over the clones to force them to commit acts they would never consent to is just repugnant. 7. He betrayed literally everyone who cared about him and still killed Padme in the end.

So. Yeah. I have many bones to pick with him. He knew that the things he did were wrong, but he did them anyway. It makes me really sad. :(

I’ll add the last line from the post I linked to above, because that’s what always goes through my head when I think about Anakin:

That’s the huge tragedy to me. That these people - Obi-Wan, Padme, Ahsoka, Rex, Fives - they loved Anakin. They trusted him with their lives. And he never even considered what his betrayal would do to them, as long as he could keep what he felt was his.

#sigh #anakin #he makes me sad #and angry #i just want to shake sense into him #argh #:(#star wars #Anonymous

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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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phoenixyfriend · 3 years

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Commander Buir

Follow-up to this post. Not in any particular order, just spitballing ideas, with contributions from several friends on discord.

Like presumably it takes long enough for them all to meet up again that Anakin and Cody do, in fact, end up treating each other like family, just so I can have that good good "well, guess I'm Dad now" energy. Shmi isn't entirely sure what's going on but she's not a slave anymore and her kid seems to like this rando mando, so.

Anakin gets to have a mom and two dads, though one of the dads is arguably younger than him.

Also when they all meet up again and Cody explains the "General Skywalker got shrunk" thing, there are three reactions: (General) Obi-Wan: Oh, Anakin. Obi-Wan: [gestures to take him, ends up with an armful of clingy padatoddler] Anakin: You can't blame this on me, Obi. Obi-Wan, a little teary, because babies cause emotions: Of course I can, you absurd human being. ------ Rex: That's... my general. Anakin: I am, Captain. Rex: Cool cool cool I'm gonna go stand where I can't, uh, break you. Anakin: I'm not THAT fragile! ------ Ahsoka: [gasp] Skyguy is SKYKID! Anakin: Padawan, this is-- Ahsoka, grabbing him and cuddling: Oh my goodness you're adorable this is the best day ever. Anakin: This is humiliating, Snips, put me down. Ahsoka: Never.

Anakin hates being a toddler because of the lack of independence but Cody keeps picking him up when he's cranky and just holding him until he falls asleep and that's... nice.......

- The brain limitations aren't quite as bad as the situation with Sokanth and Ylliben in the other AU, but - Even if his brain is mostly adjusted he’s still got a tiny body with different needs that he’s not used to. Like, he needs to sleep more but he’s got more energy than usual when he’s awake and it’s all weird.

Cody carrying around toddler Anakin like "God you give me ulcers but you're adorable, you little shit."

Inconveniently tiny body aside, Anakin has a pretty great time in this au. His family are all together and safe and within reach. His wife isn't around, but toddler brain means he doesn't have the Romance Drive, so that's not as bad as it could be It could be significantly worse.

@atagotiak asked: Does Anakin get annoyed about being called cute? - To which I say, He bites the first few times but Shmi tells him that's Naughty so he stops. - Babies are cute so you packbond with them before they’re annoying, Anakin is cute as a self defense mechanism - He’s extra annoying so he needs to be extra cute

You know how you need to keep an eye on toddlers so they don't, like, fall down the stairs or put something toxic in their mouth? - They need to keep an eye on Anakin specifically so he doesn't rewire the ship they're in while they're in hyperspace. - He has less self control on account of being smol. He still has all the mechanical knowledge! Just less comprehension of y’know, consequences.

Anakin, with a sippy cup: This is demeaning. Ahsoka: Your hands don't work great enough to avoid accidents yet. Anakin: It's still embarrassing.

General Kenobi can't just kill Maul, not when Maul is baby right now (sixteen, which is baby enough) so he just. Kinda. Kidnaps a baby Sith. (It's fine. He's fine.)

General Kenobi (not to be confused with Padawan Kenobi) decides to declare Maul his new padawan because someone has to deal with this teenager, and Plo already claimed the rest of Ahsoka's training. And Anakin's three, so.

"What do we do with Maul?" "Eh, I can handle him. I dealt with teenage Anakin getting arrested for illegal pod-racing twice a month, I can work with this."

Maul bites, but only slightly more often than Anakin, it's fine

Ahsoka definitely bullies Maul whenever possible

Consider: Rex holding very still because Anakin wanted to be tall, so he climbed Rex. Being unexpectedly climbed is better than being unexpectedly yeeted. It's still extremely nerve-wracking. - Cody is perfectly capable of running around with a backpacking toddler General, but Rex freezes like a statue. - Ahsoka finds this hilarious

You know how little kids like to be thrown around and swung in circles and stuff like that? This must get even more ridiculous with force users. Can throw a child real high and catch them safely. - Rex panics whenever Ahsoka throws her chibified Master

Literally everyone except Rex loves being yeeted. Even Maul can appreciate a good tactical yeet no shut up he's not having fun this is TRAINING - Rex is Suffering - Cody, a very Tired Dad, deserves to mock his vod'ika a little, as stress relief - Rex, a certified Little Brother, shoves Cody off something tall. Jokes on him, Cody thinks freefall is fun too.

Tia asked: So the people who didn’t exist yet got flung bodily back in time and Anakin did the mental time travel. Why did Obi-Wan not become Padawan Kenobi? (I mean “because I want it that way” is def a good enough answer I’m just wondering if there’s any reason.) - Which, well, it really was mostly "I want to" but here's two options, both of which come down to Blame Daughter and Father. 1. They figured a responsible adult Jedi Master was needed to convince people. 2. Nobody was supposed to get de-aged but Daughter figured they needed to make Anakin less liable to kill things for a few years. - Also IDK the Force God-Manifestations also took away any risk of rapid aging and early death from the clones because uhhhhhhhhhhh I said so

Rex and Ahsoka are fumbling their way through a relationship where ages are just really confusing and awkward, so they're keeping it to just kisses and cuddles for a bit.

Cody is so tired he doesn't even realize anyone's hitting on him until it's been three years of co-parenting with Shmi and his General. - Somehow Anakin knows Cody is in a relationship before Cody does. Cody has never been so embarrassed. - How did he manage to be less observant than Skywalker? -- it was sabotage; all his brain cells were taken up in managing said Skywalker -- Because Skywalker was up at three in the morning whacking a training droid with a stick so he didn't have the energy for Relationships

Also Shmi's come-ons are super subtle, while the General's are... well, Cody's gotten very used to ignoring anything ambiguous on that end because fraternization rules, and also because Obi-Wan flirts a lot with everyone. So.

Please imagine Cody and General Kenobi walking around with Anakin tucked into a toddler sling while they do whatever work they've ended up with at the Temple. - Yes, Cody is helping the Jedi figure out the best plan of attack to take down this slave ring because his grasp on tactics is phenomenal and he knows how to deploy people at greatest efficiency, but also he's got a nosy toddler on his hip who keeps offering his own insane-but-competent ideas. - General Kenobi ends up with a Council Seat just on account of, like, being the kind of person he is. As often as not, he's got Anakin tucked into his robes, chewing on the ear of a stuffed tooka or something.

IDK what Shmi's doing but apparently Legends had it that some of the administrative and support positions in the Temple were held by non-Jedi civilians? So probably something like that.

GENERAL KENOBI LECTURING PADAWAN MAUL WHILE ANAKIN'S BALANCED ON HIS HIP AND GLARING AT MAUL FOR STEALING HIS DAD

General Kenobi: Ahsoka's babysitting. Anakin: I'm her master, I don't need babysitting, this is-- General Kenobi: Fine, then you need supervision, so that you don't blow up a training salle again. Anakin: And you think Ahsoka would stop me? General Kenobi, eye twitching: Fine, I'm leaving you with Plo.

Even if he’s mentally an adult Anakin always needs supervision Look at canon! Anakin was left without supervision for like two days and he became a Sith

Quinlan gets distracted by how attractive General Kenobi is and tells Obi-Wan "dude, you're gonna be so hot once you can get rid of the stupid haircut" and Obi-Wan pushes him into the nearest pond.

They end up with this weird "Uncle Jango" situation (uncle to Anakin, via weird brotherhood-ish to Cody) because Rex and Cody are just like "Uhhhhhhhhh yeah okay" about him eventually, and Jango just like. Drops by. Trying to Earn Affection Of Blood Kin by bringing weird gifts for them and their (ugh) Jedi.

"Okay, Rex'ika, I stopped by Shili--" "What?" "--and apparently this is a delicacy there, so just... your girlfriend will like it." "She's not my girlfriend." "..." "Okay, I can't call her my girlfriend. Jedi have rules about that sort of thing, and--" "This will make your Jedi happy, probably. Just take it, kid."

Baby Anakin got his arm back but for some inexplicable reason still has The Eye Scar. He matches Buir.

#disaster lineage #Anakin Skywalker #CodyWan #Commander Cody #Obi Wan Kenobi #Ahsoka Tano #Captain Rex #Shmi Skywalker #Maul #Darth Maul #Rexsoka #time travel #de aging #baby characters #Quinlan Vos #Phoenix Posts #Commander Buir

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newdougsblog · 3 years

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The Tragic Hero Full of Fear

Hello everyone! Before I get into this, I’d like to thank @jasontoddiefor for both the name and being the main enabler of this fun piece of writing. I also want to thank all my wonderful friends over on Discord for letting me bounce ideas off of them and helping me. You are all amazing!!

Ok, so let’s get into it!

The first six Star Wars movies (the Original and Prequel trilogies) are commonly referred to as “the Tragedy of Darth Vader.” But what makes these movies a tragedy? How is Anakin Skywalker himself, the main character of said tragedy, a tragic hero? In this meta/essay, I will discuss how Anakin himself is definitionally a tragic hero and outline his story as it relates to the structure of a classic Greek tragedy.

This essay will focus solely on Anakin’s character as he is canonically portrayed.

The Hero

Let’s go through the main traits of a tragic hero (as per early literature) and discuss them in the context of Anakin Skywalker.

Possesses immense courage and strength and is usually favored by the gods

Anakin’s courage is evident throughout his entire life, such as when he participates in the pod race in TPM or on the front lines during the Clone Wars.

While we cannot definitively ascribe Anakin’s abilities to any deity, we can associate them with the Force. The Force is able to somewhat influence the happenings of the universe in certain ways and takes the place of any sort of deity.

Whether Anakin is the “Chosen One” or not, his connection to the Force is stronger than that of any other Force-sensitive being, so he is consequently closer to it than most, if not all, other Force-sensitive beings.

Extreme loyalty to family and country

Anakin is consistent in his demonstrations of loyalty to those he has strong feelings for (whether those feelings be romantic or platonic).

His devotion to Padmé surpasses his loyalty to the Jedi, and he is always willing to go to great lengths to ensure their safety and well-being.

Anakin also exhibits a strong sense of devotion to his mother, Shmi. His devotion to her, and by extension her wellbeing, surpasses his duties as Jedi.

In ROTS, Anakin says, “I will not betray the Republic… my loyalties lie with the Chancellor and with the Senate… and with you” (you, in this case, referring to Padmé). In this quotation, Anakin’s loyalties are made quite clear. At this point, he is not faithful to the Jedi, but to his government, its leaders, and, of course, his wife.

Representative of society’s current values

During the Clone Wars, Anakin is known by the moniker, “the Hero with No Fear,” and is one of the Republic’s “poster boys.” He is charismatic, kind, seemingly fearless (obviously) and a strong fighter, thus representing the values that were important to the Republic at the time. The last characteristic is especially important because of the assurance it instills in times of war. As a representation of the Republic, Anakin’s prowess on the battlefield creates hope for its citizens that victory is possible.

Anakin also empathizes with the opinion that the seemingly outdated Jedi Code holds them back. In the Citadel Arc, Tarkin remarks that “the Jedi Code prevents [the Jedi] from going far enough to achieve victory.” Anakin actually agrees with this statement, replying that “[he’s] also found that [the Jedi] sometimes fall short of victory because of [their] methods” (Season 3, Episode 19). He shows a sense of allegiance not to the ancient ways of the Jedi, but to the newer, more modern ideals regarding military action.

Anakin claims to have brought “peace, justice, freedom, and security” to his “new Empire.” While the Empire's interpretations of the aforementioned values are skewed, Anakin continues to represent them as Darth Vader.

Anakin’s statement to Obi-Wan also mirrors Palpatine’s declaration to the Senate: “In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.” The people applaud this statement, demonstrating a general sense of exhaustion in regards to the war and a yearning for what this new Empire is promising them.

Lead astray/challenged by strong feelings

Though there are many, many examples of Anakin’s emotions getting the better of him, we’re simply going to list two:

Anakin’s fury and anguish after the death of his mom leads to his slaughter of the Tuskens

Anakin’s overwhelming fear of losing Padmé is ultimately what leads to his Fall.

Every tragic hero possesses what is called a hamartia, or a fatal flaw. This trait largely contributes to the hero’s catastrophic downfall. Anakin’s hamartia is his need for control, which partially manifests through his fear of loss.

Let’s explore this idea in more detail.

Though Anakin grows up as a slave, the movies neglect to explicitly cover the trauma left from his time in slavery. However, it is worth noting that slaves did not have the ability to make many choices for themselves; they didn’t even own their bodies. After being freed, Anakin is whisked away to become a Jedi. He does not possess much control over his life as Jedi, for he is simply told what path he is going to take. While Anakin does make this decision on his own, becoming a Jedi is a disciplined and somewhat-strict way of life and not one that allows for an abundance of reckless autonomy as he is wont to engage in.

(Side note: I’m not here to argue about Qui-Gon’s decision-making abilities, nor do I wish to engage in discourse regarding the Jedi’s way of life. I am simply presenting and objectively stating these facts in relation to Anakin because they are pertinent to my point.)

During AOTC, Anakin is unable to save his mother from death. As Shmi dies in his arms, Anakin is absolutely helpless. The situation is completely out of his control, and he is forced to contend with the reality that despite all of his power, he cannot control everything that happens.

He also feels that he has a larger potential for power and is being held back by Obi-Wan: “although I'm a Padawan learner, in some ways... a lot of ways... I'm ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials. I know I am! He knows it too. He believes I'm too unpredictable… I know I started my training late... but he won't let me move on.” Anakin believes Obi-Wan, his teacher and mentor, is holding him back. He expresses a self-held conviction of his status and skills and does not trust the word of his superior.

In ROTS, Anakin starts dreaming of Padmé’s death. Considering what occurred the last time he dreamt of a loved one’s demise, Anakin is justifiably (or at least justifiably from his point of view) worried. He consequently wants to stop these dreams from coming true in any way possible. His fear of death, especially that of his loved ones, represents his need for control over everything, even things that are uncontrollable. This overwhelming desire leads to Anakin’s drastic actions.

As Darth Vader, he no longer possesses such fears, for everyone that he loved is either dead or has betrayed him. He is the epitome of order and control, eliminating any who disturb this perceived equilibrium.

However, this changes because of one person: Luke Skywalker.

Luke reintroduces something that was (arguably) long-absent in Vader’s life, which is interpersonal attachment. Vader yearns for his son to join him by his side. When Luke refuses, Vader continues to attempt to seek him out. In ROTJ, Vader is forced to choose between the Emperor, a man he has long trusted and followed, and Luke, the son he never knew he had. Out of a desire to protect and keep what little family he has left (and likely a sense of “I couldn’t save Padmé but at least I can save her legacy by keeping her child(ren) alive and safe”), Vader defeats the Emperor and saves his son. Though his actions are definitionally heroic, Anakin never truly overcomes his hamartia.

The Structure of a Tragedy

Classic Greek tragedies follow a specific story structure, which, according to the German playwright Gustav Freytag, is as follows:

We’re going to focus on the three aspects that best represent Anakin’s story as a tragedy: The peripeteia, the anagnorisis, and the catastrophe/denouement. These occur during and/or after the climax.

The peripeteia is the climax/the turning point in the plot. Said change usually involves the protagonist's good luck and prosperity taking a turn for the worse.

Within the tragedy we are discussing, the peripeteia occurs when Anakin chooses Sidious over Mace Windu and solidifies his allegiance to the Dark side, becoming the very thing he swore to destroy. It is at this point that things really start to go downhill. He kills children, chokes his wife, fights his best friend, gets his remaining limbs cut off, etc.

The anagnorisis is the point in the tragedy when the protagonist recognizes their error, seeing the true nature of that which they were previously ignorant of, usually regarding their circumstances or a specific relationship (such as Oedipus’ realization that his wife was actually his mother). In most tragedies, the anagnorisis is in close proximity to the peripeteia. In Anakin’s story, the anagnorisis occurs during ROTJ. After being wounded in his fight against Luke, Vader watches as his son is brutally electrocuted by Sidious. It is at this moment that Darth Vader realizes that Luke was right—there is good in him, and he still has the chance to redeem himself.

The catastrophe/denouement (since this is a tragedy, we’re going to go with “catastrophe”) is the end of the tragedy. Events and conflicts are resolved and brought to a close, and a new sort of “normality” is established. The catastrophe often provides a sense of catharsis (release of tension) for the viewer. The protagonist is worse off than they were at the beginning of the tragedy.

The catastrophe within “The Tragedy of Darth Vader” transpires soon after the anagnorisis at the end of ROTJ. Though the realization of his capacity for good is the anagnorisis, the follow-through (via his actions), as well as what consequently occurs, is the catastrophe. As previously discussed, Vader saves Luke by killing the Emperor but does so at the cost of his own life. This serves as the resolution of the tragedy, for the hero’s fate has been confirmed—Darth Vader fulfills his destined role as the Chosen One and, in doing so, brings about his own redemption and dies as Anakin Skywalker.

In conclusion, the categorization of Star Wars as a tragedy is a choice that heavily influences Anakin, the protagonist and hero, of the story. He is without a doubt a tragic hero whose fatal flaw leads to his downfall. In accordance with Aristotle’s theory of tragedy, Anakin’s tragedy is constructed not by personal agency, but by the narrative itself.

Works Cited

“Darth Vader.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Vader.

“Dramatic Structure.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure.

“Hero.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 19 Oct. 2016, www.britannica.com/art/hero-literary-and-cultural-figure.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode III— Revenge of the Sith. Lucasfilm Ltd., 2005.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode II— Attack of the Clones. Lucasfilm Ltd. , 2002.

Michnovetz, Matt. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ‘Counterattack.’” Season 3, episode 19, 4 Mar. 2011.

“Sophocles: the Purest Artist.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/Sophocles-the-purest-artist.

“Theory of Tragedy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/Theory-of-tragedy.

“Tragic Hero.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/tragic-hero.

#star wars #Anakin Skywalker #greek tragedy #anakin the tragic hero #meta #so many meta ideas not enough time #wow thanks tumblr formatting for being terrible

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hacash · 3 years

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ted lasso 2x09 thoughts

ARGH

those are it. those are my thoughts.

Ok, slightly more coherently…

Sam’s getting recognition! Sam has his own chant! I love that for him. Love it all. It’s obviously so good that Sam is becoming an in-universe hero when we’ve loved him from his first scene - however, that also comes with the caveat of not wanting him to move anywhere from Nelson Road. I’m curious to see where they take it though, because I obviously can’t see Toheeb Jimoh leaving the cast before the show finishes, but at the same time this offer is so good for him?? I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know.

(If, on the other hand, Toheeb is being written out because he’s going on to star as a lead in another show where we could see more of his beautiful face and stellar acting every week? I would find that acceptable.)

Screeners’ reactions for this episode had me thinking something cataclysmic and dreadful was going to happen between Sam and Rebecca with them reuniting and it hitting the papers - and it ended up being fine?? Of course she’s torn about him leaving. Even if they end up never being together again Sam clearly represents something wonderful to Rebecca - possibility and the sense of being treated right - and those feelings don’t just go away.

I expected a bit more reaction from Ted about the whole Sambecca thing, but that little look in his eyes after their conversation did have me curious - does he disapprove more than he lets on? is he secretly pining for Rebecca already? only time will tell. also I did notice Ted was once again basically saying whatever Rebecca wanted to hear and agreeing at every single line - he might be going to therapy but he’s not out of the people-pleaser woods yet.

Another bombshell next year? OH COME ON. If that’s not a prediction of some sort of confession of love I will go out and buy a hat just to eat it.

SHARON. How I am going to miss thee. But it was a lovely and understated farewell to a character that I’ve really come to love - Sexy Mother Fucker; he stole my move, yaas - showing how much she and Ted have helped each other grow and I just *tear*. Also I’m a Tedbecca shipper through and through, but Jason and Sarah do have such lovely chemistry together.

Also the pub regulars basically pleading for free therapy? Aww.

Higgins luring Ted back to read Sharon’s note with a well-chosen letter based pun? I love this man to the ends of the earth.

I FUCKING KNEW THAT HIGGINS KNEW EVERYONE’S BIRTHDAY. I PREDICTED THAT SHIT.

Roy and Keeley…I’m sorry, I’m emotional and anxious and hopeful and I do not think they’re going to break up. Relationships go through messy spots and people struggle, and the mark of a good, communicative, grown-up relationship is that you take time and discuss your issues and move past them. Keeley and Roy’s relationship has always been characterised by that maturity, and I just don’t see a couple of ill-timed romance confessions breaking that down.

(If anything, we might get a discussion from Roy about Keeley trusting him - I’m guessing there’s a fair bit of time lapsed between Jamie’s confession and her telling all to Roy, and I can see that being the sticking point that upsets Roy, that she hid this from him for some time. He clearly didn’t feel at all upset by what happened with Nate; it’s the - arguably fair - point that Keeley didn’t let him know that her ex confessed love for her that I think is going to be the issue.)

Also, the ‘are you married’ question - coupled with the fact that we keep seeing Roy on his knees in front of Keeley - makes me think we’re going to get a proposal next episode.

Also I love that we’re seeing more of Keeley’s psyche beyond the ‘cute and supports everyone’ façade - her mother’s experience with ambition and not being able to achieve it is a really interesting little snippet, not to mention the reason she bonds so much with Nate and is able to see how someone seemingly ‘undeserving’ should be able to realise their dreams.

also her and Rebecca’s ‘bleargggggh!’ competition! and Ted thinking he was going to be on the cover of Vanity Fair! return of Biscuits with the Boss!

ok, deep breaths now

NAAAAAATE

WHAT ARE YOU DOOIIIIIIING

Is it bad that I sort of liked the whole thing with Keeley? Not in a ‘yes I want this to happen’ sort of way, but because it makes so much sense that Nate (particularly Nate in his current state) might mistake that level of bonding and emotional support as something romantic. We know Nate is insecure and hasn’t had much of a social life in the past, and that he idealises Keeley for her basic kindness and decency: much like Jamie in 2x10, he’s mistaking Keeley’s kindness as something more…it’s absolutely gutting to watch, and also so human and real that I can’t help but take my hat off to the writers for it.

(Honestly, there’s been so many posts on tumblr about how toxic masculinity fucks men over to such an extent that when they receive kindness and friendship for a woman they immediately think romance - but yeah. this show does tick all the boxes.)

I did see the kiss moment coming a mile away and was really worried that Nate was going to be…uh, very entitled about it, given his current state, but the fact that he wasn’t - that he was immediately horrified and realised he’d fucked up and stumbles away muttering about how he ‘is worried about it’ and ends the scene spitting at himself in the mirror again and looking absolutely disgusted with himself - well, in a way that just hurt more. (I mean, I’m relieved Nate wasn’t all bolshy with it because his reaction does show there is still some of the old Nate still there…but still, owch.)

And then that text from Trent…

Next episode is going to hurt like hell, isn’t it? I absolutely cannot wait for the showdown between Nate and Ted, it’s been a long time coming…like I’ve said, while I think ultimately Nate is going to have a redemption arc, because thematically it makes sense and would send some pretty iffy messages if he doesn’t, I don’t think it’ll come until season three. Right now I just want to see Ted get angry after several seasons of suppressing his anger, I want a full-blown emotional hash-out between them both - basically I want Jason and Nick to have me sobbing before 9AM.

My one question is: are we going to see Nate realising what he’s done, or not? Was this a pragmatic, doing-this-for-the-sake-of-the-club betrayal or a blind, lashing-out-in-frustration betrayal? In short: is Nate Lando or Anakin in this scenario?

I’m very curious as to what show people who say this ‘came out of nowhere’ have been watching. Nate’s been heading for some sort of implosion since mid-season, and we all knew it was going to hurt some innocent bystanders.

I’m saving something light and cheery after all the angst, so let me just say: cinema has never surpassed, and will never surpass, the scene of the Richmond boys dancing along to Bye Bye Bye. Almost made up for the fact that they were criminally underused in the rest of the episode, and quite frankly this had better be redressed in the season finale.

and WE FINALLY SAW COLIN DRIVING THE LAMBO. I don’t know what I find funnier: the fact that it’s some neon lime green monstrosity that every fourteen-year old boy would have dreamt of owning growing up (should my new Colin tag be Colin ‘I Need To Rethink My Relationship With My Car’ Hughes, or Colin ‘More Money Than Sense’ Hughes? enquiring minds want to know…) or as was pointed out to me by @kamillahn, the look of absolute terror on Colin’s face as he begins to drive. Colin, hun, please just buy yourself a Fiat. It’s not worth it anymore.

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #the little things

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anakinlove · 3 years

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HI Alison!!!! Listen, I had so much fun writing this. I have never been sledding before and it looks really scary so I definitely played off of how I would feel in this moment because /absolutely not thats terrifying/, but I hope I gave you something you’d enjoy? I went for fluffy so if you want smut, you’ll just have to request again ;)

✨Requests are open✨

See my Valentine’s Day post!!

Join my Taglist!

🛷Rosy Cheeks and Adrenaline Rushes🛷

1.2k words (I could not find a nice gif my b)

GIF by anakin-skywalker

Eyelashes wet and covered with snow, hair powdery white, and bundled up in what must be seven coats, Anakin was a vision of beauty upon a white background. His blue eyes looked like they belonged to the frozen lake just a few paces to the right, and his height wasn’t out of place with the surrounding pine trees.

Y/N could only stare in wonder at the work of art her boyfriend was. And, she supposed, what a big dork he was carrying the sled over his head like that. He had insisted that she wasn’t allowed to help, and it’s not like she was going to throw a huge fight to carry the large sled up the mountain, but he definitely could have pulled it rather than carrying it over his head.

“Are you sure you want to go to the tallest hill?” Y/N looked up apprehensively at the mountain that must have been a death trap.

“It’s all or nothing, love! You have to go on the largest one!” Anakin called back over his shoulder, sending a wink towards her. Y/N rolled her eyes.

“If you’re sure…” She mumbled, crunching the snow under her boots a little harder than necessary. Furrowing his brows, Anakin set the sled down and turned around. Taking Y/N by the elbow and running his gloved hands down to hold hers he stared into her eyes hard and long.

“We don’t have to do this. If you aren’t ready or you don’t want to, we can turn around right now and go back inside. I won’t mind.” He smiled lovingly, a small upwards stroke of his mouth. His hands tightened around hers, and he gently tugged her closer, nose bumping hers.

“No, no of course I want to do this. I’ve already told you I would and we both know I don’t change my mind once its set.” She looked up at him with determination in her eyes.

“You’re right, I do know that.” Anakin grinned at her, “If that’s settled then, let’s go! Race you to the top!” Anakin once again hoisted the sled into his arms and bolted in the top. Y/n laughed hard as she watched him try to run in the deep snow, making him look like a newborn calf just learning to walk.

Y/n started running after her boyfriend, but very quickly cursed her short legs in comparison to his long ones. If he was having issues running in the deep snow, then hers were tenfold.

“Ani! Wait!” Y/n was giggling so hard she could barely stand, but still kept chasing after Anakin who by now was only a few feet ahead, since he had to carry the sled too. Seeing her opportunity Y/n increased her speed as much as she could, catching Anakin and promptly tackling him into the snow and landing on top of him.

“Why would you do that? How dare you! Betrayal of the highest order!” Anakin laughed as he grabbed handfuls of snow shoving them into Y/n face, causing her to squeal. Y/n tried to reciprocate the snow war, but Anakin quickly caught her wrists, flipping them over so he was on top.

“Well, this is nice.” Anakin smirked, bringing his face closer, and dropping one hand down to Y/n’s face, cupping her cheek. Leaning in close, Anakin kissed her. Y/n sighed into the kiss; it was always heaven to have him so close, to lose herself to him in such a way. Anakin deepened the kiss, holding her head above the snow. Y/n wouldn’t dare lose an opportunity for revenge though, so while he was distracted, she used her now free hand and slowly grabbed snow into her hand.

“Ani,” Y/n broke away, smiling gently “I love you.” Anakin softened and opened his mouth to reply, when Y/n shoved a fistful of snow into his face and mouth. She shoved him off and onto his ass and clumsily broke into a sprint.

“Cheater!” Anakin darted after her, but she had such a head start that even though he was arguably faster than her, she reached the top of the peak first. Anakin sulkily stomped over to where Y/n was bouncing in victory.

“Aww don’t be too upset, darling, you’re just mad that I won.” Y/n grinned cheekily.

“Only because you cheated.” Anakin whined.

“Hey! You did the exact same thing I did!” Y/n said with indignation, “And anyway, you should be happy. We are at the top of the mountain, with the sled, and all that’s left now is to go down the very scary hill that is most definitely not terrifying me in this very moment.” Y/n shuttered as she looked down the steep hill that very soon her and Anakin would be barreling down.

Anakin set up the sled and turned to look at his girlfriend. She was a sight in her layers, all bundled up with gloves and scarf to match.

“C’mon, it’ll be okay. Look, I’ll sit on the sled and you can sit in between my legs, that way if anything goes wrong, I can protect you.” Anakin started to sit down on the sled,

“Uh no that sounds like if anything goes wrong, I will take the brunt of it since I’m in the front!” Y/n stared down at him, crossing her arms.

“Well then I can sit in your lap if you want?” Anakin blinked innocently.

“Absolutely not you’re too heavy.” Y/n scoffed.

“Ouch. Come on, love, I promise it will be fun,” Anakin patted the sled in between his legs and stared up at her, “Please just get in the sled.”

“Fine,” Y/n grumbled, “But only because I love you.”

“That’s the spirit!” Anakin held her hand and helped her down, settling her against him. “You ready?”

“No, okay no I can’t do this absolutely not Anakin” Y/n shook her head aggressively.

“On the count of three. One, Two,” “Oh force oh no I can’t do this.” “Three!” Anakin pushed with his hands causing the sled to set in motion.

Suddenly they were going full speed down the hill. Y/n shut her eyes tightly, as Anakin wrapped his arms around her waist to keep them both steady. Laughing brightly, Anakin whooped and yelled in delight. Y/n in response, screamed loudly.

Each bump had them launched in the air, and every time Anakin let out a ‘Wee!’, which even Y/n who at that exact moment wanted to kill him, thought was adorable.

It was over within minutes and once the sled slowed, Y/n finally opened her eyes. Anakin, with his face flushed, and eyes shining, was worth every moment that Y/n might have felt scared. He was a vision to look at, and with all the adrenaline pumping through her veins, he even looked like he glowed with happiness. He grinned at her with a carelessness she hadn’t seen in a long while, and it warmed her heart and soul more, every second it lasted. It, alone, would make her relive this day again and again.

“So, can we go again!?” Anakin begged, and Y/n promptly smacked him. She did however, go four more times, because each harrowing moment with her eyes closed spent going down that stupid mountain, let her open her eyes to the beautiful sight of Anakin smiling. And if she only did it for that, well, no one has to know.

I do not have a taglist, so send an ask if I should make one! 🥰🥰

Ily thank you for reading this and making it this far 💖💖💖

#repost #anakin x reader #anakin skywalker #anakin skywalker x reader #lili writes

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ace-oreos · 3 years

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Alpha, Anakin, and a Character Arc Cut Short

TL;DR: A semi-comprehensible character analysis of Alpha-17, what we were given, and what could have been.

Or: Alpha-17 won my heart in five minutes flat and I am determined to give him the content he deserves.

On personality:

- What did we see?

- What was implied/could be inferred?

- What could we have seen?

What did we see?

Alpha is introduced in a manner consistent with his personality: with very little fanfare, but decisive and forthright all the same. He is immediately stablished as a force to be reckoned with - or not, in the case of the Jedi he encounters on Kamino (Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Shaak Ti). From the start, we as readers are meant to understand that he brings a level of intensity that takes other characters aback.

But here's the key to this: Alpha presents himself this way without having an ulterior motive. He calls things as they are because he is not competing with anyone - he's not trying to build himself up in any particular way for any particular goal because he doesn't have to. He's proven himself without words or unnecessary demonstration through his status as an ARC trooper alone. (Not to say that he relies on this status to achieve personal ends, but that's another conversation.)

In each of his (limited) appearances, Alpha's pragmatism is at least noticed by a main character, if not outright contested. He favors mission completion (not only in a military sense, either) over compassion or justice. Undoubtedly a product of his training and the realization that allowing himself to give in to mercy on an impulse is a threat to everything he's been taught to protect, even at the cost of his life.

We also see a character who never shies away from the possibility that he won't live to see tomorrow. (Which isn't a surprise, given that he's a clone, but bear with me.) His place in the grand hierarchy is thrown into the open multiple times, and he himself reiterates it: his life does not - and never will - take priority over a Jedi's. (Whether he truly believes that is another source of speculation and depends on your take on him and the complexity of his character.) He's always known that someday there will be a fight he cannot win, but this doesn't deter him in the slightest.

In short: Alpha's role as an unsympathetic deuteragonist serves as a necessary contrast to the "balance and light" Jedi we're familiar with.

What was implied?

Alpha does not approach his role grudgingly, but neither does not take to it with any particular enthusiasm. Simply put, someone had to do it, and he just had a better chance of coming out on top than most people.

His infamous scene during the Battle of Kamino is telling. In order to protect later generations of clones from falling into Separatist hands, Alpha set the entire lab to self-destruct. When challenged by Shaak Ti, his only response is that he is following Jango's orders.

If you read between the lines, this is another indication that Alpha accepts the necessity - and the burden - of the role he was created to fulfill. He does not expect Jedi to deal the final blow because he already knows they can't; by making this decision, he is accepting responsibility, even though he casts the origins of his actions back to Jango.

(Side note: I find this an interesting show of trust in Jango's methods. Alpha could very well have made a different choice in this situation, but he returns to Jango and his orders. This is arguably an unexpected show of faith in someone I believe Alpha never fully trusted or loved, for lack of a better word.)

It's also implied that Alpha's singular focus on the mission - whatever it may be - is a conscious choice. Sarcastic remarks aside, we are treated to very few private thoughts/feelings from Alpha. I see this as a combination of a general wariness of making himself vulnerable and the idea that doubt or anything like that will undermine the mission he's expected to complete and/or come back to bite him in the end. He knows there's enough doubt among the ranks without him adding fuel to the fire.

In short: Alpha's overall approach to his duty is a deliberate choice meant to spare others the burden of guilt, regret, or uncertainty. Much of this stems from Jango's legacy.

What could have been?

If Alpha had been afforded the level of writing and detail many other characters received, I firmly believed it would have made for a compelling narrative.

I imagine that as the war dragged on, he became increasingly disillusioned with the Republic. (Another important detail here: Jango always told the Alpha ARCs to serve the Republic, not the Jedi themselves.) This raises a host of questions that could have contributed to a complex character arc.

First, how would he navigate feelings of uncertainty or disquiet? How could these potentially lead to growth? Conversely, how could this become a stumbling block?

I see it this way: he's been told since birth that his purpose in life is to defend the Republic and everything it stands for. Easy enough to go along with in an environment as closed and carefully regulated as Kamino - not so much once he's been exposed to a galaxy with ever-shifting viewpoints and beliefs. And I see him as someone who actively chooses to ignore those kinds of deep-seated doubts for fear of what might lie beyond or beneath.

So with all this in mind, this brings us to another set of questions: could he learn to accept this? Would we see a perceptible shift in his character? And - one that I do love to think about - what could this prompt him to do in the aftermath of Order 66, when the subsequent chaos might have given him a chance to leave behind the war and the only life he's known?

I don't think he would have mellowed out by any means. He's always been strong-willed by nature; any softening or changing of that would undermine fundamental aspects of his character. He is fiercely independent and devastatingly calculating and a vibrant character in his own way, and this should be left untouched.

And I so desperately wish Alpha's story didn't end on such an abrupt note. Having to adjust to his new reality after suffering such a serious injury at Boz Pity would have opened a window for further development.

In short: Alpha had the potential to be a nuanced, three-dimensional character. And I think it's a shame that he never got to appear in media outside of the Republic comics. And I will always enjoy examining deeper aspects of his character. And (to continue my gratuitous use of and) I will always love that Alpha was never only a hero or anti-hero; he is his own character who will never be limited by one-dimensional labels.

#alpha-17 #alpha 17 #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #shaak ti #the clone wars #star wars #character analysis #meta that no one asked for #also i know i don't really talk about anakin #i like the alliteration of the title okay #the author could easily be encouraged to write another

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