el hopper is luke skywalker, will byers is leia organa and mike wheeler is han solo. i will take no criticisms because i know i am right.

Darth Vader, Master Hairstylist

This was inspired by @scuddington ‘s post HERE. I absolutely love Scud’s art, and this one just instantly inspired me! 

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The first time Vader learned how important hair was to little children was the day Miss Laena took PTO in the morning for an important doctors appointment. 

He figured he had this. It was just one morning. No big deal. The only difference was that this morning, he’d be the one getting the kids ready for school. That wasn’t hard. He was Darth Vader, Sith, destroyer of Jedi and Rebels alike, Commander of the Imperial Navy! He could handle school. 

He scheduled his own meetings around the conflict, he’d warned the twins repeatedly that he needed them to cooperate, he’d made sure the night before that all was prepared. Bags, lunches, homework. 

Too easy. Maybe he’d reconsider Miss Laena’s salary. 

And the morning did begin smoothly. Until Leia came running to him with a brush in her hand. 

“I gotta be pretty daddy!” She shoved the brush towards him. “Do my hair!” 

Vader froze. He...knew nothing about hair. He knew his wife had been excellent at it. When had she begun to be interested in how she did her hair? He tried to think back, but he couldn’t remember a single time he’d seen her in public without perfectly styled tresses. 

“You are a child. You do not need me to do your hair. Just brush it.” 

That of course, offended Leia. She pouted and glared. “I’m a big girl daddy, and big girls have pretty hair!” 

She literally forced the brush into his hand. 

Well. He’d mastered the Force. How hard could hair be? 

Famous last words. 

First, he was apparently not gentle enough. He tried to comb the tangles that she’d acquired overnight, and each time he did she began screaming “OW!” and crying. Horrified, he decided to instead hide the tangles and figure them out later. He pulled her hair into what resembled a ponytail and stepped back. “There. Now you will be late for school. Let us leave.” 

The hair wasn’t...exactly like it should be. It was crooked, and he wasn’t sure it was tight enough to stay in, but he didn’t want to hurt her further. And he was pretty sure she didn’t want him to try again, because she didn’t argue. 

He forgot about the incident shortly after the kids were dropped off. Miss Laena came back shortly before the end of school. He was in their home’s personal conference room, doing assignments from home, when he heard the front door open and the telltale sound of children running through the home. 

Miss Laena will take care of it. He thought, focusing back on his work…

Until he realized Leia was crying. 

He hated it when she cried. Luke, he could deal with. But Leia? Absolutely not. 

Shoving the datapad aside, he went to investigate. 

“I’m ugly!” She was wailing when he entered the kitchen. Mis Laena was trying to comb Leia’s hair and having a hard time with it. “I’m ugly!!!” 

“Who told you a ridiculous lie like that?!” Vader thundered. Leia was the image of his beloved wife. Both of them were more beautiful than all the stars of the galaxy. 

But to his surprise, Leia wailed harder. “Everyone! My hair was ugly!!!” 

“Your hair does not reflect how beautiful you are. Hair changes daily.” 

Miss Laena winced. “Lord Vader...many children want to feel pretty when they go see their friends at school.” 

“Leia is beautiful already. I do not see what the problem is.” 

“...She is beautiful, but she may not feel that way when she doesn’t like her hair...and other kids might say something if it looks...different.” 

“She is five.” 

“Even five year olds want to feel pretty.” 

Vader thought it was silly. Leia could have no hair and he’d find her just as perfect as she was with it. But judging on Leia’s reaction, she very much cared about how her hair looked. 

It was something her mother should have done. Had she lived, he had no doubt Leia would never have a bad day...or even Luke for that matter (sometimes that boy needed to run a comb through his hair, if Vader was being honest with himself). 

But Padme...was not there. And it was his fault for that. 

So it was up to him to fix it. 

First, he ordered practice manikin heads, the kind hairdressers used to practice. Then, he found online tutorials on the holonet. He watched them carefully, paying close attention to the stylists finger and brush movements. It was not unlike studying lightsaber technique. Both had a certain art to it. 

He just needed to master it. 

The first many attempts didn’t work as planned. Part of it was due to his cybernetics. They were...not made for the delicacy it took to style hair. The first few manikin heads ended up either with hair ripped out, or he’d grow so frustrated when he couldn’t get a braid right, that he’d throw the manakin off the balcony, where it fell into the lower levels of Coruscant below. 

But he was determined. He would not fail in this task. He would not be so reliant on Miss Laena that he would ruin his daughter's day again like that. 

He would be the master hairstylist. 

It took months (and countless manikin heads) to get things to where he felt he could confidently and safely try working on Leia’s hair. 

One morning, before school, he interrupted Miss Laena as she was about to help Leia get ready for school. “I have no need of your services when it comes to Leia.” He informed her confidently. “I will handle it from here.” 

He did not miss the concern that flashed through the other woman, but she wisely did not say anything. “As you wish, My Lord.” 

He entered Leia’s room. She was already dressed, though her hair, thankfully, was still a mess. “Where’s Miss Laena?” She asked, frowning when he was the only one there. 

“I am here to fix your hair problem.” He announced confidently, spotting the brush and summoning it to his hand. 

Leia did not hide her nervousness. “No, that’s okay daddy, I...I can have ugly hair today.” 

“No. You will sit down and allow me to help you.”

“No--”

“If you do not let me help you, I will ground you from your dolls.” It was an unfair threat and he knew it...but he was a Sith. He’d spent an unsithly amount of time mastering the ways of the hairdresser. He was not about to let Leia stop him now. 

Leia pouted, but sat down. “Be nice to my hair, daddy.” She warned as he approached, and he felt her genuine fear. 

Carefully, he placed a hand on top of her head and smoothed her hair down in what he hoped was a soothing gesture...and began. 

He first worked out the tangles. Carefully, in a way he knew wouldn’t hurt her. Once all the tangles were gone, he began to braid. 

The trick, he found, was not to completely rely on his metal fingers. Doing so would result in failure. The trick was to use the Force for anything that was too delicate and precarious for his clumsy hands. With a mixture of the Force and his own now well-practiced hands, he managed to braid her hair into a crown. 

He stepped back, satisfied. “You look like a princess.” He told her, and he meant it. It was hair that would make any royal princess jealous. He was fairly certain that Padme would have been quite proud of him had she seen it. 

Leia looked in the mirror...and smiled. “Wow, daddy! You got good!”

“For you, my princess...though don’t tell anyone I did it.” 

Having redeemed himself, he could have stopped there. He’d mastered enough to impress any five year old. 

But he didn’t stop there. 

Leia soon decided that she’d rather have him do her hair than Miss Laena (something he was secretly pleased about, though he’d never admit it). As she grew, so too did her tastes in hair. Occasionally, she’d be interested in a style he didn’t know how to do. But if she showed him what she wanted, he’d spend what little off time he had trying to figure it out. Once he’d mastered it, he’d try it out on her. Usually he was successful. 

Soon, he began to savor the moments when it was just him and her. She’d sit on the chair, swinging her legs happily while he worked on her hair. Sometimes it felt like they didn’t share as many interests, but when he did her hair, it seemed like it was their own “thing.” It was unsithly, and his Master would absolutely have a heart attack if he ever found out, but he didn’t care. 

Soon though, as Leia grew into a teenager, she began to need him less and less. But instead, their time together was replaced by him teaching her how to do her own hair. He’d always dreamed of teaching his children the ways of the Force, but with Sidious suspicious of that ever happening, he knew this would probably be the closest thing he could get for Leia. 

For now. 

One day, as Leia finished braiding her hair so that it looked like a blooming flower for a Imperial youth party, she paused. “You know. I’ve never told anyone you learned how to do hair.” She said. 

“That is wise.” He tried not to think of what the media would say if they ever found out Darth Vader knew almost as much about hair as any professional hairstylist. 

“Why? I mean. You’re...you.” 

He looked at her for a long moment. She’d grown to be so beautiful, exactly like her mother. And he decided to be honest. 

“Because your mother was not here to do it for you.” He replied. “I did not want you to miss out on that experience.” 

Leia turned, taking him in for a moment. Then, with a smile, she reached out and gave him a rare hug. 

He...allowed it. This time. 

“Thanks dad.” She said. “You’re the best. I don’t care what anyone else says.” 

He didn’t understand how him being good at hair made him the best…

But he’d accept it.

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I accept PROMPTS for this or any SW AU! 

MBTI: Star Wars

Written by Ryan (archive post from January 30, 2019)

It’s the gift that just keeps giving! And it will, forever, and ever, and…….ever, because of Disney. I can see both good and bad in that. Anyway, here’s another daunting list of characters, this time from Star Wars. Major characters have gotten their own articles. Rey: ISFP (https://goo.gl/p5TKP4) Finn: ENFP (https://goo.gl/bXp2fU) Kylo Ren: ESFP (https://goo.gl/Fh2cSa) Poe Dameron: ESFP (https://goo.gl/rFc6ob)

Luke Skywalker: INFP (separate thread pending) Han Solo: ISTP (separate thread pending) Leia Organa: ESTJ (separate thread pending) Lando Calrissian: ESTP (separate thread pending) Obi Wan Kenobi: ENFJ (separate thread pending) Yoda: INFJ (separate thread pending) Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker: ISTJ (separate thread pending) Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious: ENTJ (https://bit.ly/2B8rzk4) Darth Maul: ISTP (separate thread pending) Qui-Gon Jinn: ENFP (separate thread pending)

Ahsoka Tano: ENFP (separate thread pending)

More Below

PREQUELS

Padme Amidala: ESFJ Padme is the most prominent ESFJ in the saga (aside from C3PO), and she’s portrayed by Natalie Portman with……..wooden acting. How ironic. The basic white girl of the saga is reduced to a monotone delivery in the first film. Who knew the Queen had to act like such a dingus so that her body double would have an easier time imitating her? If you think about it, it’s pretty genius. That being said, Fe is the name of the game here for Padme, as she’s primarily concerned with the needs and wants of those around her, and often champions for social causes due to her role as a senator later on in the films. The Clone Wars series amplifies her primary Fe and secondary Si, as she fights to restore the Republic to its glory days.

Count Dooku: INFJ No one got tricked harder by Palpatine’s schemes than Dooku did. Darth Tyranus himself wanted nothing more than for the Separatists to restore a rightful order to the galaxy (in his eyes), free from the corruption of the Jedi and the Republic. Even as he was in on most of Palpatine’s grand plans from the start, he was unaware of his master’s true deception towards him until his final seconds.

It’s only fitting that the gentlemanly villain of the saga, and even more fitting that he wanted Obi-Wan as his apprentice (another xNFJ), to usurp Palpatine. Count Dooku is basically the Ra’s Al Ghul of Star Wars.

Jar-Jar Binks: ESFP My favorite character! Just kidding. But really, Jar-Jar ain’t all that bad; he’s just an annoying ESFP. Jar-Jar lives primarily in the moment as a comic relief goober that bares little-to-no importance to the plot, except for the crowning moment where he facilitates the senate to give Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers. Oh, now you’ve got a reason to hate him.

Mace Windu: ENTJ “George……I want a purple lightsaber. Pleeaaaase?”

Unfortunately, Samuel L. Jackson himself never got to utter his catchphrase as he portrayed a more stoic ENTJ this time around. Mace Windu, known in the Legends continuity for his infamous Shatterpoint technique (very Te-based), gifts a strategic mindset to the Jedi council. He’ll often say things for how they are in a Te-based manner (but with a little more tact), such as when he states that Anakin is too old to be trained when Qui-Gon presents him to the council. And then he’ll sometimes give us some one liners, such as “this party’s over.” But the signifier of Te-Ni? When he proposes to execute Palpatine because he is too dangerous.

Jango Fett: ISTP Jango Fett? Neevah houd uf ‘im. But what about Boba? Rest aside, Jango Fett just cares about the fat stacks he gets from being a clone template so he can be the best dad in the galaxy there is, and he don’t care who pays him. Sounds pretty ISTP to me.

General Grievous: ESTJ Hello there! Our favorite coughing cyborg general turns out to be an ESTJ. Through primary Te, he barks out orders to his subordinates, often impatiently. It’s like he knows you knew how to do it but screwed up, which is a superpower that ESTJs have and will use to pounce on you and your failures.

Grievous himself is a natural boaster, like any ESTJ. Your GIFs will make a fine addition to his collection!

ORIGINAL TRILOGY

Tarkin: ESTJ Roll your R’s! Heighten your received pronunciation! Peter Cushing is here to add some Britishness to your Star Wars! Tarkin stands as one of the most brilliant tactical minds the Empire has known (rivaled only by Grand Admiral Thrawn). But he is also one of the governors/administrators of the Empire, and it is because of this reason that he has become known for his Te, dishing out orders with an elegant terror. ESTJ it is, folks.

Boba Fett: ISTP Fact: Boba Fett survives the Sarlacc Pit in both continuities. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Everyone’s favorite character, Boba Fett, is just like his father (an ISTP); his allegiances do not matter as long as his employers pay him fat stacks. Unless he has to work with Han Solo. Archenemies do not get along that well. The everchanging neutrality of the ISTP is displayed most importantly in the Legends continuity, in one story where Fett himself turned on Vader and dueled with a lightsaber (successfully), when it wasn’t in his own interests to side with Vader.

R2D2: ENTP I’m always under the theory that if we could hear R2D2 speak, he’d be swearing ¼ of the time. This wisecracking little astromech droid always comes up with creative solutions when in a bind, all the while wising off to C3PO in the process. Sounds like Ne to me, right? But more importantly, the moral of the story for most ENTPs to learn is a little common sense and to sit back and think things through a little more. Sure they have excellent reasoning abilities on the spot, but would R2 have ended up in a Jawa sandcrawler if he hadn’t smarted off to Threepio in the desert and abandoned him? He may have had a “mission,” but he could have let Threepio in on it.

C3PO: ESFJ Like a true ESFJ, goldenrod here never learns to shut his mouth. The ESFJ will blab on and on about small talk and things no one cares about, which is often why C3PO gets interrupted all of the time when he explains what he does or where he has been. Much to his annoyance, too. Because he’s a protocol droid, his Fe is slanted to please others, and this is why we have the perfect ESFJ in this galaxy far, far away.

Chewbacca: ISFJ Can Chewbacca really be typed? I think so! Just because we don’t hear him speaking anything, doesn’t mean he can’t be! Solo: A Star Wars Story did a really good job of fleshing out Chewie’s character, giving him motives and ambitions. Such as, his desire to free his people in the spice mines of Kessel. That moment signaled one of the few times that Chewie would act impulsively, to me, and it reeked of ISFJ.

Jabba the Hutt: ESTP Big shot gangster, you say? That’s pretty clear-cut, ESTP. And we see this in Return of the Jedi; Jabba just sits around on his butt indulging in sensual pleasures, changing his mind in deals quite often. He’s a reasonable man, since he uses Ti. In A New Hope, we see the way he deals with Han Solo, and he restrains his displeasure in the hopes of giving him another chance to pay him back. ESTPs, with their tertiary Fe, can often do this, although their patience will ultimately wear thin in the long run.

Wedge Antilles: ISTJ Wedge is your basic everyman, like any ISTJ there is. Does he have much of a personality to him? Not really, but from what I’ve seen of him, he reeks of ISTJ.

THE CLONE WARS

Asajj Ventress: ISFP Ventress has been burned in life before, so it’s easy to assume that she could be an ISTP based upon her cold, sarcastic exterior. However, upon further examination, ISFP seems to fit far better. Ventress lives wholly for the moment, so it would be easy to think maybe she could be an Se-user. However, her biting comebacks that she displays are a very common trait from many other fictional ISFPs, who, when unhealthy, can show a lack of morality when it comes to their enemies and this is displayed in their inferior Te which manifests as either a childish outburst or a calm and collected burn. Her primary Fi is displayed with her sense of purpose with the Nightsisters, fueled by revenge against Dooku. In the New Canon novel Dark Disciple, we see the cold exterior melt a little bit in Ventress’ newfound romance with Quinlan Vos, and we finally see her inch toward becoming a healthier ISFP.

Captain Rex: ISTJ Rex is a simple man, and our main conduit upon which to view the clone troopers who chose not to obey Order 66, all due to a little thing called tertiary Fi. ISTJs are like big cuddly goobers sometimes, and Rex is quite the example sometimes, especially in his appearances in Rebels.

Mother Talzin: INFJ All Talzin wanted was her revenge on Palpatine for double-crossing her and taking her son Darth Maul, ultimately for the Nightsisters to prosper. She wanted power in the galaxy, but even Palpatine saw through her lunacy and said nah. Sometimes, because of their imaginations getting the best of them through Ni-Fe-Ti, the INFJ can seem a little bit delusional. And Mother Talzin seems pretty INFJ to me.

Hondo Ohnaka: ESTP Hondo Ohnaka loves to party, and he loves making material gains out of any situation possible; this only proves that he is ESTP. He’ll ally with you, and then betray you if the reward is greater, and this is fueled by Se as he sees infinite possibilities in the present moment. With secondary Ti, he’ll always choose the right words for the right purposes to weasel his way out of situations, and with tertiary Fe, he’ll also treat even his enemies in a cordial manner!

Cad Bane: ISTP The most grizzled and seasoned bounty hunter there ever was between Jango and Boba Fett’s dominance, Cad Bane means business and business means credits. And if you eff it up, he’ll get mad, because he only cares about himself and his payday, which is a common stereotype of many ISTP bounty hunters in fiction. The severely underdeveloped inferior Fe that he has explains his cold personality toward not only his enemies, but his fellow bounty hunters. And with his quick strategical mind informed through primary Ti, which also fuels his own sardonic wit, Cad Bane is an easy ISTP.

Savage Opress: ISTP There isn’t a whole lot of character development for Savage Opress, but he makes a terrible user of Fe (with the exception of his brother Maul), which is the inferior function of ISTPs. So I’m just going with ISTP here for Savage.

SEQUELS

Captain Phasma: ISTJ Phasma, portrayed by the lovely Gwendolyn Christie, has always managed to keep this air of coolness to her character despite being punked by Finn twice and surviving the explosion of a planet (and possibly a spaceship; we’ll find out in episode IX). Phasma herself is an ISTJ in the best possible way, and we find this out about her character in her work ethic which is displayed in the novels and comics of the new Disney canon. The wild extents of her tertiary Fi is explored more vividly in these new-canon works.

General Hux: ESTJ General Hux hates Kylo Ren (secretly) for his whining, immaturity, and overall terrible leadership skills, and the fact that Snoke clearly favors Ren compared to himself when it comes to leadership. What can we learn from such an ESTJ character? Well, we can learn that unhealthy ESTJs are prone to loud, angry outbursts and shouting matches when their patience wears thin (that which they run low on almost daily). The unhealthy ESTJ is also known for sucking up to their superiors while they ironically continue on to treat their subordinates terribly, such as the case when Hux sucks up to Snoke, or Kylo Ren when he usurps leadership. It is only because of Snoke’s protection that Hux was allowed to say whatever he wanted to Ren, and now that Snoke is gone, well……that’s an interesting dynamic to see in Episode IX to come.

Rose Tico: ISFJ Booooo! An ordinary type for an ordinarily character in Rose Tico.

Snoke: ENTJ We still know literally nothing about him, and quite honestly, I’m fine with that for the next few years. In The Force Awakens, he seemed quite the INTJ in his tiny amount of screentime. However though, he shows a much more charismatic side more indicative of a loony ENTJ. Those gold bathrobes……utter tertiary Se. And what differentiates Snoke from Palpatine, is a slightly more charismatic side that manifests itself in his speech, almost like he can’t get enough of his own voice (a trait also manifested by unhealthy ENTPs, but in a slightly different way), signifying ENTJ more than INTJ.

Maz Kanata: ENTP Maz Kanata is quite the character, being the leader of a den of space pirates and other equally colorful characters. And Han and Chewie seem to love her. Maz is ENTP; making quips about Chewie being her boyfriend, being the “guy who knows a guy” (like Cosmo Kramer of Seinfeld, another ENTP) with the Master Codebreaker, and going on wacky space adventures in her free time, as seen in her hologram in The Last Jedi. Mature ENTPs can add a large amount of wisdom to variety of experiences they’ve seen in their long lives, and it’s no wonder the screen sizzles when Maz is on it.

ROGUE ONE

Jyn Erso: ISFP It’s becoming a real trend, isn’t it? Female ISFPs in Star Wars? Never tell me the odds! Jyn Erso, like many other ISFPs, exhibits a “once burned, twice shy” mentality that often causes her to be reluctant to declare loyalty to anyone or even be involved in conflict. Like The Dude (an ISFP) from The Big Lebowski, and almost all other ISFPs, Jyn Erso doesn’t want to take a stake in any side of any conflict. She just wants her dad.

Cassian Andor: ISTJ It’s a pretty simple conclusion that Cassian Andor happens to be an ISTJ. As a higher ranking official in the Rebel Alliance (I presume?), it’s no wonder that he wants to follow orders first and foremost and eliminate Galen Erso, because his very own Si-Te is on overdrive. But then, the Fi hits. Oh, what the hell, Rogue One it is. Hello, Scarif!

K-2SO: INTP He’s the droid with the sassy wit! He’s gotta be ENTP, right? Nah, I think K2 is an INTP. Because most of his dialogue and humor revolves around skepticism, I’m going to stereotypically label him as an INTP. It just seems right, and I’m getting quite lazy right now.

Orson Krennic: ENTJ He’s the director of a project. That almost immediately indicates ExTJ, right? It does. And boy, what a massive amount of Te he has. With the amount of balls it takes for him to stand up to Tarkin, let alone run off to Darth Vader to tattle on him, I would say that it only signifies Krennic as an ENTJ, because an ESTJ would never have those balls unless they were given them by a higher up or through experience (ex. Tarkin). And why does he have Ni? First of all, he has a vision, and he’s sick and tired of a bureaucrat such as Tarkin taking credit for his accomplishments and then also taking control, something the ENTJ never wants to relinquish. And also, he’s got quite the fiery-hot temper.

Galen Erso: INTJ Galen is a bit reserved and dad-like (his purpose in this film too), and very healthy INTJs, like Galen, are kinda like that. He’s a very realistic portrayal of one that’s closer to real life INTJs. That being, his tertiary Fi is well-developed in that he was willing to betray the Empire and build a flaw in the Death Star.

SOLO

Tobias Beckett: ESTP “Didn’t I tell you never to trust anyone, Han?” Spoken like a true ESTP mentor, through tertiary Fe. As TV Tropes would put it, Beckett is another character that exemplifies the “Heel Face Revolving Door” trope, in which the character constantly switches allegiances throughout the story. A common stereotype of many slimy ESTPs are their tendency to switch sides for their own benefit, due to their primary Se and Ti. Just look at Lando in the beginning. That old scoundrel.

Qi’ra: ISTJ While not so mature as a youth on Corellia (is anyone ever, actually?), Qi’ra later comes into her own type over the years as she matures and we get to see her primary Si in action as she makes reasonable, considerable choices amongst the entire Millenium Falcon crew through the film. And Si is one for order and loyalty; that is, until the ISTJs Fi eventually gets the best of them in the second or third act and they have a change of heart. In this case, it’s her turning on Vos.

L3-37: INFP Freedom for droids! Sound like anyone you know? Probably that Social Justice Warrior or extremely passionate Fi-user that you know in real life. You know, like an INFP or an ISFP (morely likely an INFP though). The rest of you that are just as knowledgeable in MBTI, you can fill in the blanks and you’d probably agree with me on this one.

Dryden Vos: ESTJ Again, all he cares about is the money and the pleasures. So, another xSTP crimelord/bounty hunter stereotype? Actually not this time. Initially, I thought he was an ESTP due to this. However, the scene where Beckett reveals his true colors in the con and Vos temporarily offers an implied allegiance to Han to get him, only to turn on him when Beckett leaves, signifies a key difference between the ESTP and the ESTJ. While the ESTP may go forward and stick with the allegiance, the ESTJ will more than likely feign it. And the ESTJ will sometimes do anything and accept any methods to get the job done (tertiary Ne), but ultimately dish out order in the end after the parties and dust have settled, returning to the old status quo (or rarely, starting a new one). To be honest, I’m still thinking about this one. I might go back and change Vos to an ESTP. Who knows, in time.

GENERAL

Darth Plagueis: INTP Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the INTP? I thought not. It’s not a story Enneagram would tell you. It’s an MBTI legend. Darth Plagueis was an INTP so powerful and so wise he could use his primary Ti to influence the midichlorians to create…… life. He had such a knowledge of MBTI that he could even keep the ones he cared about from calling themselves an intuitive when they were a sensor, or convince an INTJ that MBTI was not baloney. The dark side of the INTP is a pathway to many abilities, some consider to be unnatural. Eventually, he became so powerful… the only thing he was afraid of was losing his Ti, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his ENTJ apprentice MBTI, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.

Iden Versio: ISTJ I swear, this series churns out ISTJs like an assembly line. With Iden Versio, I hadn���t played Battlefront II, but I’d only seen a few cutscenes on YouTube to know that she’s another ISTJ. For my reasoning, just like at Cassian Andor above; it’s pretty much the same, except for an even greater amount of tertiary Fi from Versio.

Grand Admiral Thrawn: INTJ And now for the last but not least, most interesting character in the entire saga: Thrawn. And while his type is nothing but obvious, it’s interesting to delve into. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the time in the world to grant him his own separate post, so a paragraph or two will do. As an INTJ, what separates him from an ENTJ is tertiary Fi, and as small as it is, it’s still there. Versus being almost non-existent in unhealthy ENTJs. This allows him a more suave, cool demeanor, almost gentlemanly and noble, versus the ENTJ’s “I’ll only display that attitude because I’m sociable and charismatic, but I won’t be it” demeanor. In the Thrawn trilogy in Legends, Thrawn is more considerate to his subordinates and his partners, such as Jorus C’Boath (giving him Luke Skywalker), than Palpatine ever was to anyone. More often than not, when an INTJ makes a promise, you can bet they’ll stick with it.

CHARACTERS WITHOUT DESCRIPTIONS

Alright now, for the sake of brevity of this article, here are the characters I will not type descriptions for, just because either they explain themselves, they don’t warrant enough of an explanation, they’re minor, or they aren’t as relevant anymore (Legends characters). In regards to

SEQUELS

BB8: ESFP DJ: ESTP Unkar Plutt: ESTJ Lieutenant Connix: ISFJ Admiral Holdo: ISFJ

ORIGINAL TRILOGY

Uncle Owen: ISTJ Aunt Beru: ISFJ Greedo: who knows Lobot: ISTJ Bossk: ESTP Dengar: ISTP Zuckuss: ISTP IG-88: INTJ (even more of an awesome character in Legends) Wicket Warrick: ESFP Nien Nunb: ESFP

ROGUE ONE

Bodhi Rook: ESFJ Chirrut Îmwe: INFP Baze Malbus: ISTJ Saw Gerrera: INFJ

SOLO

Val: ISTJ Rio: ESTP Enfys Nest Leader: INFP

PREQUELS

Watto: ESTJ Sebulba: ESTP Nute Gunray: ESTJ Zam Wessel: ISTJ Captain Tanaka: ISTJ Captain Typho: ISFJ Boss Nass: ESFJ

THE CLONE WARS

Plo Koon: INTJ Luminara Unduli: INFJ Aayla Secura: ESFP Kit Fisto: ENFJ Bariss Offee: INFP Fives: ESFJ Duchess Satine: ENFJ Pre-Viszla: ENTP Quinlan Vos: ESFP

REBELS

Kanan Jarrus: ISFJ Hera Syndulla: ISTJ Sabine: ISFP Zeb Orrelios: ESFP Ezra Bridger: INFP Chopper: ESTP

GENERAL

Bail Organa: ISFJ Mon Mothma: ENFJ Iden Versio: ISTJ

LEGENDS

THRAWN TRILOGY

Mara Jade: ISTP Jorus C’Baoth: ENFJ

JEDI KNIGHT

Kyle Katarn: INFJ Jan Ors: ISFJ Jaden Korr: INFP Rosh Penin: ESFP Jerec: ENFJ Sariss: ISFJ Desann: ENTJ Tavion Axmis: ENFP

THE FORCE UNLEASHED

Galen Marek/Starkiller: ISFP Rahm Kota: ESFJ Juno Eclipse: ISTJ

MISC.

Durge: ESTP Dash Rendar: ESTP Carnor Jax: ENTP

KOTOR

Revan: INTP Darth Malak: ESTJ Darth Bandon: ISFP Bastila Shan: ENFJ Carth Onasi: ISTJ Mission Vao: ISFP Zaalbar: ISFJ Juhani: ISFP Jolee Bindo: INFJ Canderous Ordo: ISTP HK-47: ENTP Kreia: INFJ Darth Sion: ESTP Darth Nihilus: INTP Meetra Surik: ENTP Satele Shan: ENFJ

OLD REPUBLIC/TALES OF THE JEDI

Marka Ragnos: INTJ Naga Sadow: ENTJ Exar Kun: ESFP Nomi Sunrider: ISFJ Ulic Qel-Droma: ENFP

25 ABY - 45 ABY (and others)

Jacen Solo (Darth Caedus): INFP Jaina Solo: ESTP Lumiya: ENTP Vergere: INTP Ben Skywalker: ISFJ Jagged Fel: ESTJ Tahiri Veila: ESFP Anakin Solo: ESFP Abeloth: ENTP

LEGACY

Darth Krayt: INTJ Darth Talon: ISTP Darth Wyyrlok: ENTJ   Cade Skywalker: ESTP Ania Solo: ISFP K’Kruhk: ISTP Darth Wredd: ENTJ

MBTI CHART

Key = Bold - Important (separate article), Italics - Major, Asterisk - Legends

ESFJ: Padme Amidala, C3PO, Bodhi Rook, Boss Nass, Fives, Rahm Kota* ISFJ: Chewbacca, Rose Tico, Admiral Holdo, Kanan Jarrus, Bail Organa, Captain Typho, Zaalbar*, Nomi Sunrider*, Jan Ors*, Sariss*, Ben Skywalker* ISTJ: Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, Captain Phasma, Qi’ra, Captain Rex, Wedge Antilles, Cassian Andor, Iden Versio, Baze Malbus, Uncle Owen, Lobot, Val, Zam Wessel, Captain Tanaka, Hera Syndulla, Carth Onasi*, Juno Eclipse* ESTJ: Leia Organa, General Grievous, Dryden Vos, General Hux, Tarkin, Unkar Plutt, Nute Gunray, Watto, Darth Malak*, Jagged Fel* ESFP: Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, Jar-Jar Binks, BB8, Zeb Orrelios, Aayla Secura, Quinlan Vos, Wickett Warrick, Nien Nunb, Exar Kun*, Tahiri Veila*, Anakin Solo*, Rosh Penin* ISFP: Rey, Asajj Ventress, Jyn Erso, Sabine, Galen Marek/Starkiller*, Mission Vao*, Juhani*, Ania Solo*, Darth Bandon* ESTP: Lando Calrissian, Tobias Beckett, Jabba the Hutt, Hondo Ohnaka, Bossk, DJ, Rio, Sebulba, Chopper, Cade Skywalker*, Durge*, Dash Rendar*, Jaina Solo*, Darth Sion* ISTP: Han Solo, Darth Maul, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Savage Opress, Cad Bane, Zuckuss, Dengar, Mara Jade*, Canderous Ordo*, Darth Talon*, K’Kruhk* ENFJ: Obi Wan Kenobi, Duchess Satine, Kit Fisto, Mon Mothma, Jorus C’Baoth*, Bastila Shan*, Satele Shan*, Jerec* ENFP: Finn, Qui-Gon Jinn, Ahsoka Tano, Ulic Qel-Droma*, Tavion Axmis* INFP: Luke Skywalker, L3-37, Chirrut Îmwe, Enfys Nest Leader, Ezra Bridger, Bariss Offee, Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus*, Jaden Korr* INFJ: Yoda, Count Dooku, Mother Talzin, Saw Gerrera, Luminara Unduli, Kyle Katarn*, Jolee Bindo*, Kreia* ENTP: R2-D2, Maz Kanata, Pre-Viszla, HK-47*, Meetra Surik*, Lumiya*, Carnor Jax*, Abeloth*, Darth Wyyrlok* INTP: K2-SO, Darth Plagueis, Revan*, Darth Nihilus*, Vergere* ENTJ: Sheev Palpatine, Orson Krennic, Snoke, Mace Windu, Naga Sadow*, Desann*, Darth Wredd* INTJ: Thrawn, Galen Erso, IG-88, Plo Koon, Darth Krayt*, Marka Ragnos*

Fic Snippet: A Nice Man (AKA,  Another Han/Leia First Time Fic None Of Y’all Asked For)

When he came up on her door, he held his knuckles in the air for what seemed like a week before he finally knocked. Softly, not too hard. He’d already screwed up once today. Banging on her door was probably not the best way to start an apology.

His knock, however, was answered with silence. Han sighed, then called softly, “Leia? You awake?”

A pause, then a quiet, “Yes, Captain, I’m awake.”

“Hey...can I… can I talk to you?” Again, silence. “Just talk. I mean it, I promise. Just talk. Ok?”

After a long moment, the door slid open. Leia stood in the doorway. She had removed her thermal vest, leaving her just in her snowsuit. She had taken her hair down and plaited it into one long loose braid that hung down over her shoulder. Han had never seen her hair down before. He didn’t know it was that long, almost down to her hips. And soft. It just looked so soft...

Snap out of it, Solo. “Um...hi.”

She pursed her lips. “Hi. What is it?”

Hoth was tropical compared to the look she was giving him. Time to defrost it. “I’m sorry,” he blurted.

She blinked first before raising an eyebrow. “For what?”

“For today. For the engine room. For that kiss… for…” He sighed again, and looked her in the eye. “For being a pushy jerk.” 

The hardness left her face, and her big brown eyes got even wider. For a second, she seemed to be at a loss for words. Wow, first time for everything I guess, Han thought. 

Then it was his turn to be surprised when she murmured, “Come in.”

His brows sprang up. “You sure?”

“Unless you want to have this conversation out in the hall for Chewie to hear?” she said with just a hint of a smirk.

Han laughed a little. “Chewie already thinks I’m a bonehead. No need to prove it any further.” He hesitated for a second, silently asking her permission with his eyes, just to be sure. Leia nodded once, then stepped aside to allow him in. And slid the door closed behind her.

Han glanced around the tiny cabin. He looked down at the bunk, seeing that she had turned the covers down for the night, and suddenly felt a weird pang of guilt. Sure, the bunk was probably more comfortable than the cots handed out by the Alliance on Hoth, but still. She was a princess. She deserved something a lot more...plush. She probably grew up sleeping on silk and feathers, not scratchy duraflax and lumpy synthephoam . 

Leia watched him stare at the bed. Irritation flared in her cheeks for a second, until he turned back to her. He seemed… humbled, a look that Han Solo rarely donned and didn’t flatter him at all. She was about to say so when he blurted, “I scared you today. Didn’t I?”

She absently rubbed at her neck. “Captain,” she scoffed, not entirely convincingly, “you hardly strike fear in the hearts of--”

“Come on, Leia,” he groaned, “you practically ran out of there the second Goldenrod showed up.” Leia opened her mouth, but then stopped and looked at the floor. Han put his hands on his hips and looked down as well. “Look, in the circles I run in...ran in… if you liked a girl, you just, you know...went for it.” He looked up to see Leia glaring at him from under her brow. “I mean, the girls I knew… they were like me. Smugglers, throttle jockeys, cantina girls. They’d been around the Rim a few times, they were jaded, tough--”

“Easy,” Leia interjected flatly.

Han’s mouth gaped as he blinked. “Yeeeah, that too. But hey, we never knew if we’d see tomorrow, sweetheart. So...let’s just say none of us wasted a lot of time on courtship.” Leia still eyed him, but said nothing. Han felt that stare all the way down to his feet, and winced. “But that’s not an excuse. I… I pushed you. I kissed you because I wanted to, but I didn’t ask if you wanted to...and that… wasn’t right.” He looked up again, into her eyes. “And I’m sorry. I really am.” She stayed silent. Han sighed. “I...just wanted to tell you that. G’night.” He turned to go--

“You like me?” Leia asked barely above a whisper. 

Han looked back at her. “Well, yeah Leia, I like you.”

“No. I mean...do you like me, Han?” She stared into his eyes, and he saw something in them. Uncertainty and...hurt, real hurt. “Because if this is just another joke to you or some game…” Leia turned away and folded her arms over herself.

“Is that why you think I came here?” he asked, a little hurt himself. “To play a joke on you?”

She scoffed. “Frankly Han, it’s hard to tell with you. You insult me, then you flirt with me, then you harass me again...and then you kiss me…” She threw up her hands. “You just confuse me so much, all the time...I don’t know what to think… I don’t know if you like me or hate me...” Her voice cracked with that last line, and she fully turned her back on him and lowered her head.

“Hate you? How could you ever think--” But then he stopped, letting her words sink in. Here he was, giving her grief all this time, just because of his own insecurity. Just because he felt-- no, knew-- he would never be good enough for her, and he punished her for it with his wise-assery and bantha shit. Kest and Krinnic, he thought. I’m a sleemo of galactic proportions. 

“Aw, sweetheart,” he groaned, palming his forehead, “I really have been a nerfherder, haven’t I?” She didn’t answer, which pretty much meant ‘yes’. He ran that hand through his hair. Time to suck it up. “You want the truth? Ok, honesty time. Yeah, I like you. Hell yeah, I like you. I like you so much it makes me crazy sometimes. I like you so much,” he took a deep breath, “I can’t get you out of my head, Leia.” 

Balance in the Force

“Don’t lecture me, Obi-Wan! I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the Dark Side as you do.” (Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith)

„If once you start go down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny.” (Jedi Master Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back)

Did anyone ever suspect that even Grand Master Yoda might not be quite right?

Are the Jedi entirely good? Is the Light Side meant to be “virtue”?

The Jedi we get to know in the prequel trilogy are neither free from flaws nor are they perfectly wise. They like to believe they are so, but looking at the facts they often don’t see what’s going on under their very noses. As Luke himself pointed out many years later, it was their hubris that led to their downfall.

We are speaking of a Council that had a Sith Lord among them for decades without realizing it.

Yoda wanted to preserve peace, but by teaching Jedi adepts for centuries to choose the Light Side, he unwittingly created an unbalance which favored the ascent of the Dark Side users, the Sith.

Besides, what was it with taking small children from their families, forcing them to become Jedi (i.e. having to live a life of sacrifice) whether they wanted it or not? And why did they equip children with a deadly weapon?

Both Obi-Wan and Yoda wanted to push Luke to commit patricide, Obi-Wan even telling him an obvious lie (that Vader had been Anakin’s murderer) for the purpose. In the Mos Eisley cantina, Obi-Wan cut off the arm of an importune although he had not attacked him, displaying an unnecessary cruelty. When he still was Anakin’s teacher he suppressed him, belittled his ideas and his need for approval, even denied him the right to worry about his own mother. Yoda did not take Anakin’s fears seriously either. The Jedi’s code of non-attachment was fatal because it made their commitment to compassion hollow. They were so far off from “mortal” issues in their ivory tower (it literally looks like one) that they no longer saw what was really important.

Are the Sith entirely evil? Is the Dark Side meant to be “evil”? 

We are led to think that the Dark Side is all evil, but looking closer, it’s not: while Obi-Wan and Yoda try to manipulate Luke, Vader is always brutally honest. 

Anakin never was in denial. He got married despite the Jedi code. He decided to embrace his feelings, including his sexuality. Not only was he obviously calm and serene (balanced and strong) after his marriage;

had he not married Padmé the children who would later bring down Palpatine’s Empire would not have been born. These children always reached out to others, no matter what they went through. 

Palpatine himself had encouraged the Jedi Council to set Anakin at Padmés side to protect her, most probably speculating that the two young people would fall in love and thus Anakin would have another weak spot; he assuredly did not imagine the role the children of this couple would play, as little as he imagined that Luke, lured to the Death Star by compassion for his father, would in the end refuse to turn, pushing Vader to redemption. 

It was Snoke who bridged Ben’s and Rey’s minds, with the purpose of manipulating Rey to come to him; he did not count with the strong connection that would arise between the two, and that this would finally mean his end. 

I remember that I was initially irritated when Han seduced Leia - I thought he was giving Luke, who was his best friend, a backhanded turn making a move on the girl they were both crushing on as soon as Luke was not around. But eventually this turned out to be the right thing, because Luke’s crush on Leia faded before he found out that she actually is his long-lost twin sister. 

Luke briefly considered killing Ben because he was afraid of losing everything he loved, yet in doing so he pushed his nephew to the Dark Side, which on the long run caused the death of Han Solo, who had been Luke’s dearest friend. 

So, from something that is or may seem bad, good can come, and vice versa. Dark and Light are not intrinsically separated from one another as Jedi and Sith like to believe. Ironically, they are very alike in this fundamental mistake. 

Looking back, I believe that Anakin was not “consumed by the Dark Side” as was said by Obi-Wan and Yoda. Half of his descent to darkness began with his training as a Jedi; when we see him again in Attack of the Clones he is already teetering on the edge, he is no longer the pure and idealistic boy he used to be. Palpatine manipulates his weakness, but that weakness was - albeit not consciously - caused by Jedi’s efforts to stunt him emotionally. They wanted to force him to make a choice, but Anakin couldn’t; he instinctively felt that it was wrong and that the Force is naturally made of both sides. He was told over and over that it is wrong to care for others, but that was the one sacrifice he was not willing to make in order to become a Jedi. 

Darth Vader’s “creation” visually illustrates this, too. Anakin is almost killed by Obi-Wan, the Jedi, and Palpatine the Sith creates Vader from his miserable remainders. 

My impression is that, being the strongest Jedi of all and the central figure in the conflict, he got between both sides and was crushed. The fact that beneath all of his power he was indeed physically and psychically broken would emphasize this.

Also, it would explain why Palpatine did not immediately contaminate Anakin’s mind but left him to the Jedi first: he needed both Forces in him. Vader’s enormous power did not come from the Dark Side, but from the conflict raging inside of him. 

In A New Hope, Vader is still mostly Tarkin’s lackey; in Return of the Jedi he is oppressed by Palpatine, his master. He is at the height of his power in The Empire Strikes Back, where he is on the hunt for his son! Which means he is yearning for the Light. (See also the symbolism of “animus” hunting for “anima”, a common trope in fables and myths.) Vader did come back from the Dark Side in Return of the Jedi; and his son could feel the conflict inside of him. But if there was a conflict, this obviously means that Vader had not chosen one side once and for all. 

Luke said to Palpatine “I will never turn to the Dark Side.” However he did so, if briefly, when he contemplated killing his own nephew. A further proof of the fact that with the Force, one cannot make a decision and pretend to stick to it for the rest of one’s life. Temptation can come at any time. 

Luke’s / Anakin’s blue light sabre, the one that calls to Rey, is commonly seen as a symbol of hope and justice. In his time as a Jedi, Anakin indeed often used it in order to help others. However he also used it when he raided the Jedi Temple and killed everybody, including the padawans. 

Kylo felt so torn apart by the conflict that he was willing to commit patricide to finally join the Dark Side for good. To no avail; he was traumatized, regretful and deeply hurt, proving that there still was good in him despite the horrible deed.

His power, too, came from the fact that he grew up with a good (at least well-meaning) family but was secretly influenced by Snoke all of the time. Like his grandfather, he was at his strongest while on the hunt for his equal in the Force: in this case, Rey in The Force Awakens. 

And both of them are never so impressive as while they fight the Praetorian Guards together as one.

The Force As the Human Psyche?

From the psychological point of view, one might say that the Light Side represents human conscience (Superego) and the Dark Side the impulse (Id). Now the Id is not “evil”; aggression and sexuality stem from the Id, which often leads to believe that it is. But the Id also means impulse, creativity, belonging. In other words, the Superego alone without the Id cannot know love. Without love, an individual cannot reach out to others, and who does not reach out to others is not evil but also not really good. For evil things to happen, not only the active participants are responsible but also the ones who do not see it, or see it too late to do something against it. The Jedi are a tragic example of this. 

Though we get to know the Jedi as the “good ones”, one of their major faults is that they live in denial. Anakin / Vader never is in denial, and neither is Ben / Kylo: both are brutally honest, to themselves as well as to others. Which is often painful for their surroundings, but both Luke and Rey need them to tell them the truth, and to force them to look at it. Luke was traumatized learning the truth about his father, but afterwards he finally became the last and strongest of all Jedi; Rey was deeply hurt when she had to accept that her parents not only were dead but had indeed not wanted her, yet later on we saw her so grounded in the Force that she could make massive rocks float. 

It may seem the most natural thing to do, and also a great honor, to become a Jedi (or a Sith) if one has the Force; but so far, we have never seen any Force user, Skywalker or not, finding happiness with this choice, whether he made it himself or whether it was thrust upon him. 

I assume there must be a way that someone can learn to use the Force without having to choose to be a Jedi or a Sith. Both of these extremes do not ensure peace and happiness, neither for the Force user nor for the ones around them. Only a balanced Force user can find happiness, and bring fulfilment to others, too. 

Leia would be a very good example for this: she always used her power for knowledge and defense, and she embraced her desire for belonging and her sexuality, too. She is very rightly paired off with Han, who used to be a small criminal but never was actually evil, and later used his shrewdness, earned through his many adventures, to help others.

So, what does this mean for Episode IX, the ending and culmination of the saga? Since the classic trilogy ended with the victory of the Light Side and the prequel trilogy told us the victory of the Dark Side, it can only end with Balance.

However, I am not sure that Ben Solo and Rey will “bring Balance to the galaxy” with their union. They must first and foremost find balance within themselves, and thus be the first of a new kind of Force users.

Rey was not tempted by the Dark Side yet; I am positive however that it is an important experience she must make, and her approaching the ruins of the old Death Star, where Palpatine is most probably lying in waiting, would hint at something like that.

 Ben Solo, on the other hand, must prove that he has overcome the resentment in his heart. He needs to be an example for the fact that someone can go down the dark path, come back to the light and survive, and still want to reach out to other people. He needs to find forgiveness and new life despite his sins, not to be punished for them and forgotten. 

Ben and Rey need to show the galaxy at large that Balance is possible; that a Force user, whether he is a Skywalker or an absolute nobody, needs not choose one side but that they can very well use the best from both sides; and that to preserve peace and justice one does not need to become a Jedi, but that anyone can do so who is balanced inside. 

Because in the end, the Force is neither simply Light and Dark, nor is it grey; it creates diversity and binds everything and everyone together.

“You refer to the prophecy of The One who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it’s this boy…?” (Mace Windu to Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace) 

It is largely believed in the fandom that Darth Vader ultimately brought the much-needed balance by killing Palpatine. However, that act meant the destruction of the Dark Side and the victory of the Light Side of the Force: and if one side remains stronger than the other, that does not mean balance. Which could explain why, when we see our heroes again about 30 years after their “happy ending”, they do not look happy at all and we learn about a lot of disappointment and disillusion which they had to live through. 

Nevertheless, I do believe that when all will be said and done, we will realize that Anakin Skywalker was indeed the Chosen One. 

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” (Yoda in The Phantom Menace) 

Logically this must also mean that trust leads to serenity, serenity leads to love, and love leads to happiness. The old school Jedi may have been wise, but we never saw them display affection for anyone. Their fear of the Dark Side and philosophy of detachment was literally their doom; they feared Anakin Skywalker too much to show him the love and offer him the belonging he so desperately wanted. 

It is true that fear and anger lead to the Dark Side, but the quickest way to fall prey to fear and anger is to deny that one feels them in the first place. Denial was the Jedi’s first step down the path that led to their doom, and plunged the whole galaxy into darkness. That he never denied the truth of his own emotions, nor of anyone else’s, was perhaps Anakin’s greatest strength of all. 

To value love enough that he was willing to die for someone he cared for was perhaps the hardest, but most important lesson the Chosen One had to learn, and which he passed on to his successors.

The Legacy of Star Wars: An Open Letter to the Writers and Creators of A Galaxy Far, Far Away

“Suddenly the Rebellion is real for you. Some of us live it. I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old!” ~ Cassian Andor

I saw a great meme once that played off that quote, meant to depict an older fan describing to a newer fan how they had been invested in the story of Star Wars from childhood. I could relate. Though I am not old enough to have seen the original Star Wars movies in theater, they were a significant part of my childhood. I remember renting the original theatrical VHS from our local video store all the time when I was little. Then we bought the digitally remastered Special Edition VHS Box Set and I spent the next decade wearing them out! We would have popcorn and Star Wars marathons all the time. My friends and I would always pretend we were in the story. My swingset was the Millennium Falcon. I was that 11-year-old girl who would argue with my friends over who was hotter - Luke or Han. (The correct answer is Han, of course!) My mother would read the Expanded Universe novels to me in the afternoons and we would talk about the characters. All my spending money went to Jedi Apprentice books and 6 inch action figures. In short, I loved Star Wars. 

I was 13 when The Phantom Menace hit theaters, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to get to see new stories from my favorite fictional universe play out on the big screen. Though I struggled a bit with some of the acting, the story was absolutely amazing to me. Star Wars felt all the more real to me with the amazing graphics and intense action sequences - not to mention the layers of politics and the complexity of the story. I watched Revenge of the Sith several times in theaters, and though it broke my heart to see Anakin’s fall, I never considered it to be a sad ending overall, when taken as a whole with the original trilogy. 

When the Clone Wars aired in 2008, I was ecstatic. Here was an Anakin I could actually get into (sorry, Hayden). I loved him. I adored Ahsoka. I wanted to marry Rex. The character development and the plot deepened my attachment to that era, and made me question everything I had previously taken for granted as good and bad. The whole system was flawed - the Republic and the Jedi. It wasn’t just a matter of mistakes being made and the wool being pulled over their eyes, there was deep rooted corruption in the side that I once felt was “good”. The light side and the dark side were not as black and white as I thought. I found myself strongly disliking some of the “good guys” and deeply sympathizing with some downright detestable people (I don’t know how you got me to care for Maul, Filoni - but well done). While the series had not yet ended, we knew where it was going. But still, we had already lived through the pain of Order 66, and we knew that the story would eventually culminate in a victory at the end of Return of the Jedi.

I couldn’t believe our luck when the first installment of the sequel trilogy hit the theaters in 2015. It had some of the feelings of a reboot, but I was beyond thrilled to have a series of Star Wars movies that I could now share with my children, as my parents had shared them with me. Though it was hard to say goodbye to the first love of my life, Han Solo - I just knew that Ben would be redeemed and Han’s sacrifice would be worth it...

2016 brought us Rogue One. We knew how that one was going to end too, but we still ate it up. I fell in love with a whole new set of characters, only to see each and every one of them die in the end. Talk about tragedy. But Leia’s line about hope reminded us that five minutes later, a whiny little farm boy was about to have his whole life upended in the best sort of way...so it was okay. Sort of.

Four years of Rebels ended in 2018, and it was so, so lovely - but it hurt so, so much. My perfect, beautiful space family had been torn apart with Kanan’s death. Ezra was missing. Rex was a 29-year-old man who should have been in his prime, but was instead struggling with the wear and tear of a 60-year-old body. Ahsoka was separated from him - AGAIN - and then she left with Sabine to look for Ezra. The ending still held the promise of the fight to come with the Empire, but the majority of our characters were left in a place of grief and brokenness.

2019 brought an end to the sequel trilogy. Once again, we had characters who pulled at our heartstrings, and an interesting struggle between “light” and “dark” that reminded me of the complexities introduced in The Clone Wars. It became more apparent than ever that balance in the Force did not mean the light triumphing over the dark, but instead a harmony between the two. At least, that’s what I thought. Until I watched every person I loved from the original trilogy die, Palpatine come back (and die) again, and the same exact ending of Return of the Jedi played out before me - except not as happy. Why? Because Anakin’s legacy had been reduced to ashes - his rise, fall, redemption, and sacrifice rendered null and void. The last Skywalker was redeemed and promptly killed, just like his grandfather. But because Rey Palpatine decided that she identified as Rey Skywalker, it was supposed to be okay. She then went to go hang out (or live?) alone on Tatooine because that’s where it all started. I was dumbfounded. This was the satisfying, hopeful, ending we were promised? How? 

Believe it or not, I’m not here to trash the sequels - I enjoyed them very much - right up until the last 20 minutes. But in that space of time, the entire legacy of the Skywalker family went up in smoke, and the legacy of Star Wars along with it. Since Return of the Jedi, there have been no happy endings to a Star Wars movie trilogy or TV show. And with the ending of The Rise of Skywalker, that one happy ending we did have was ripped from us as well. Star Wars is now a never ending series of tragic endings. The lessons we are left with: Don’t fall in love in Star Wars, it will end badly. Your actions ultimately result in failure. As soon as you turn good, you die. There is no balance in the Force, just a pendulum swinging back and forth for all time. 

Then The Clone Wars finally got her last season. I didn’t think Order 66 could have hurt worse, but Filoni set out to prove us all wrong...and succeeded. I’m still not over it. And once more, the bitterness I felt over the ending to the sequels (which had begun to subside) flared up all over again. What was it all for? All that pain. All that sacrifice. No happy endings. 

I still love Star Wars. Nothing can take that away from me. No amount of bad writing can change that. And there are still plenty of good writers and creators working on Star Wars content. But good writers spinning tales of tragedy and endless pain negates the power of good writing. The Star Wars of my childhood is not the Star Wars of today. We wore out those VHS tapes because we loved the stories and the people. But my kids are not going to wear out DVDs where everyone they love dies or ends up alone. They aren’t going to queue up those digital movies and series over and over - because who wants to subject themselves to that kind of torture?

Just about the only safe space for Star Wars fans right now is fanfiction archives where the people who love the characters are busy writing fix-it fics to squeeze some sort of satisfying ending out of the canon content. The Mandalorian is literally our last hope for a Star Wars story that has the potential to end well. I swear, if Din Djarin ends up dead or alone at the end of this series, I’m going to lose it. The overwhelming sentiment of the Star Wars fanbase - from original trilogy fanboys to Tumblr blogging Reylos, and everyone in between - is that of dissatisfaction with canon content (with the exception of The Mandalorian). So much so, that many fans are just saying “screw it” and churning out a myriad of fanfiction AUs because there is no way to salvage what has been written. Half of Tumblr is in therapy after The Rise of Skywalker ending and the last episode of Clone Wars - but they weren’t exactly stable to begin with. The other forums and social media platforms are not much better, though.

It’s not just about the quality of writing - because Filoni and co. have done exceptional work with The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian. It’s the tragedy, guys. We can’t take it anymore. Is this really what we want the Star Wars legacy to be? Sadness? Despair? It’s a story about war - people are going to die. I get that. Victory comes at a price, but the cost can’t be worse than the victory. I want to sit down with my kids and watch Star Wars over and over again. The Mandalorian has given us a taste of that - but I’m almost afraid of where it will go. We’ve been burned so many times, I’m beginning to know what Anakin felt like on Mustafar - writhing in agony and screaming “I hate you” to someone he once loved. 

I remember happier days when Luke and Leia and Han were laughing and smiling with their friends while Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin looked on. I want that back. Filoni. Favreau. Creators. Writers. Producers. Directors. You are our only hope for canon content. Use The Mandalorian wisely. Use Din’s story to bless other characters. Here’s some ideas:

Let Din have a happy ending! Preferably with someone he loves and respects at his side (like Cara). 

Let Cara become a Mandalorian - and put Paz Vizsla in charge of her training (we need to see them spar).

Let what’s left of the Tribe establish a new Mandalorian colony - and let Sabine Wren lead it. And give her that Darksaber back - she earned it. 

Let Ezra come back from regions unknown with a deeper understanding of the Force, and have him train the child in the new colony. 

Forget the Jedi and Sith, let’s start a medical training center/hospital run by Force users who can help heal people when modern medicine fails! 

Ahsoka can use her talents for that too. 

Find the rest of the child’s race and bring any of their Force sensitives onboard. 

Let Boba Fett and Din have their epic showdown, but then use a sample of Boba’s unaltered DNA and some mystical Force healing to restore Rex’s body to what a 43-year-old should be (and then he can marry Ahsoka so we can have the Clone/Jedi couple we always wanted...thanks to you, Filoni).

Let the Mandalorians partner with the New Republic in the Outer Rim as law enforcement instead of bounty hunters, so they can get their reputation back. 

They can train new recruits and pilots, just like Fenn Rau trained clones. 

Let them keep their autonomy and traditions, while helping keep the New Republic honest.

Let them be a force for good in the galaxy, for once. 

The Mandalorian could serve as the vessel to give a lot of characters with unresolved or tragic storylines some closure and better endings. If not The Mandalorian, then other new shows. My 6-year-old daughter wants nothing more than to be Ahsoka Tano. My 3-year-old son asks me to watch The Mandalorian every day. My 18-month-old daughter walks around in her brother’s Mandalorian helmet babbling “Way”. Please let me share the Star Wars legacy that I grew up loving with them. Let me show them the happy endings I enjoyed. Let me show them that even in the midst of conflict, not every life has to be ruined. Let me show them a Star Wars story with a satisfying ending. Hope. Redemption. Love. That’s what Star Wars means to me. 

May the Force be With You (and your pens),

Rebekah, A Star Wars Fan

the rise of skywalker: the most bias and heartbroken review you will ever read written by your favorite angsty teen

WOW what a movie. i can’t begin to describe to you how heartbroken i was after it so here it is, laid out for you.

ok here it is

no one ever seems to ask my opinion on movies other than a good-bad basis, but i consider myself quite the critic. i may not be a good one and i may be bias, but i’m literally sitting awake thinking about the rise of skywalker, what i would like to call the most breathtakingly beautiful piece of garbage i’ve ever seen. my opinion may not mean much, but sometimes the littlest wins for me are what gives me grace to keep being who i am as an individual. ever since i was a little girl, i’ve found myself clinging to relationships of fictional people. people who i know were in love and deserved to be recognized for the foundation built out of heartache and pain. call it teenager angst, but that’s always been me. when i was a little girl, my dad sat me down one day and showed me every single star wars movie from before i was born and i fell head over heels. this science fiction was one of my only true best friends (wow nerd okay expose yourself), and the friendships and cute side romances really sent me and i’ve been a diehard fan ever since. that sent me into the world of science fiction and i fell in love with things like star trek and doctor who and i finally felt at home. i started gaming to try to be more like my older brother and uncle and once again, fell head over heels for the drive and love i could have for a gaming system. when the new star wars movies started to appear in my previews, you can imagine my shock. at this time, i had defaulted back to my girly side and fell in love with a stupid teeny-bopper show because of the romance shown in 2 sleuths loosely based on the archie comics (which still remains my guilty pleasure to this day). i, of course, know more than anyone that that is still pretty geek to follow a show because of an on screen couple, but i did, i do, but i was excited to get my best friends back for more with a big screen aspect that i had never experienced with it because of my age (yes it’s awful okay). i went to see the first of the new franchise on its premiere and it’s NO surprise that i fell head over heels for it all over again, even if it might’ve been a fail in a lot of aspects to a lot of people just like any of the other films. my love for this franchise furthered though when i found kylo and rey. call it cliche but it’s my vice for the franchise in its entirety. i can sit and talk for hours about ty-fighters, x-wings, and costume design of different types of troopers and “knights” over the years, but this pair is my one true vice. i saw the love developed through the 3 movies in the franchise and fell in love, and watched it just immaculately torn apart in the latest film. let’s start with the goods of the film. first let me say, that i did enjoy the film. the cinematography was breathtaking and i think every person behind that department put so much thought into the depth of closing that aspect of the franchise with a bang. i thought most of the story arcs were overall absolutely spectacular. they were thorough, and tied up ends that were blown off in the last jedi which i for one, gravely appreciated. i think they brought grave relief to the horror they caused in the leia arc of the last film and overall, this film was well done. there were however a lot of things that bothered me. a lot of the answers to grave questions asked through the films were answered in corny ways that were almost too fitting for the franchise’s way. there was nothing iconic to end a truly iconic franchise many people have dedicated their life to following, it quite honestly fell flat. the film felt easy and sloppy to give us what we wanted fast rather than what we wanted beautifully. a lot of stupid choices were made, for example having 2 troopers on the biggest villains of the new franchises hanger which would in no way make any sense or do any justice to what the entire franchise represents to so many people. the ending rebellion-sith wise, was also a miss for me....

My 2018 Writing Roundup

2018 was one of those years where I felt like I was frantically treading water all year, only to look up and realize I’d actually managed to swim myself to shore. The previous two years somehow felt simultaneously tumultuous and like a plateau. At first, I thought 2018 was more of the same, but looking back it was way more of a transitional year than I realized. I’m ending the year on a higher note than I started it, which is a really nice feeling. I’m in an apartment I love, feeling a bit more stable, and I even developed the ability to do a full pushup for the first time in my life, which is by far my single greatest achievement of the year!

This was my fifth year as a full-time freelance writer, and I experienced a pretty big shift in the types of articles I wrote this year—fewer short news posts and way more long-form pieces that more truly reflect my voice and opinions. I actually didn’t realize it until creating this roundup, but good god did I do a lot of writing this year. No wonder I had some pretty severe moments of burnout. I’m incredibly proud of the volume of writing I did, although I’m also frustrated that I worked this much yet still frequently struggled to make ends meet. Thankfully, after a rocky year money-wise, I found a little more stability towards the end of the year. Here’s hoping I can carry that forward into 2019!

One of my big goals for 2018 was to immerse myself more in the world of film criticism, and boy howdy did I manage to manifest that one! I quadrupled the number of films I watched this year and filled in some big cinematic blindspots. I also began writing film reviews in a regular capacity, first at Consequence of Sound and later for The A.V. Club and Alcohollywood as well. While I’ll always enjoy writing about TV (and loved covering the shows I did this year!), TV criticism is something I kind of inadvertently fell into at the start of my career. Film has always been my first love, and I’m glad I found the courage and drive to shift into this new area of writing. It’s been lovely to start immersing myself in the world of Chicago film critics too.

But by far my biggest achievement of the year (beyond being able to do a pushup, of course!) is launching my column When Romance Met Comedy for The A.V. Club. I poured my whole heart and soul into the column, both in terms of each individual entry and in terms of shaping its overall voice and making sure to cover a diverse set of films within the rom-com genre. It’s been a lot of work (way more work than is actually cost effective for me, to be honest), but I’m incredibly proud of how the column turned out in its first year. It’s also been really lovely to get so much positive feedback, both from the commentary community as well as from my A.V. Club bosses. I started my writing career with a blog about rom-coms and I find it hilarious that it took me four years to think of actually pitching that as an idea elsewhere. I’m so glad I did, and I’m having a blast planning out my slate of films to cover in 2019. (If you want to stump for your favorite, drop me a line on Twitter!)

With that, I’ll leave you with wishes for a Happy New Year and a roundup of all the major writing I did in 2018. If you enjoyed my work this year, it would mean a lot if you would support me on either Kofi or PayPal. Or just share some of your favorite pieces with your friends!

OP-EDS

My my, what the hell is up with the Mamma Mia! timeline?

A timey-wimey guide to the modern era of Doctor Who

Star Wars: Episode IX can fill Leia’s absence by embracing its forgotten queen

From femme fatale to complex superhero: The evolution of the MCU’s Black Widow

All the songs from The Greatest Showman, ranked

WHEN ROMANCE MET COMEDY

Like the best romantic comedies, Bridget Jones’s Diary is about more than just falling in love

Bringing Up Baby and the screwball comedies that delivered romance via pratfalls

After When Harry Met Sally, almost every rom-com tried to have what Nora Ephron was having

The Big Sick lovingly updated the rom-com formula with a coma and a great 9/11 joke

Something Borrowed and the phenomenon of rom-coms that hate women

In a sea of unintentionally creepy rom-coms, the original Overboard goes, well, overboard

My Best Friend’s Wedding rewrote the rom-com happy ending

Will Smith’s lone rom-com muddled its message about pickup artists and romance

Breakfast At Tiffany’s is so much more than a fashionable proto-Sex And The City

25 years ago, Sleepless In Seattle found the romantic hiding in the cynic

Before palling around with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Peyton Reed was Down With Love

You can dance, you can jive, you can love Mamma Mia! without feeling embarrassed

Maid In Manhattan let Jennifer Lopez’s rom-com talents sparkle

Pair Crazy Rich Asians with this Hong Kong rom-com classic

Jane Austen provided the romantic comedy some Sense And Sensibility

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days set the stage for the rom-com’s downfall

Romantic comedies (briefly) came out of the closet with In & Out

Pretty In Pink is a far superior riff on the Sixteen Candles formula

How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a sexy vacation romp that explores the line between fantasy and reality

The Devil Wears Prada pulls off the perfect romantic comedy look, even though it really isn't one

Enchanted, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the Disney princess

Why are Hallmark Christmas movies so addictive?

Without hope or agenda: A defense of Love Actually

SEASON-LONG TV COVERAGE

Doctor Who S11

Daredevil S3

This Is Us S2 and S3

Jessica Jones S2

Supergirl S3 and S4

FILM REVIEWS

Crazy Rich Asians has so much rom-com razzle dazzle it practically sings

Ben Mendelsohn battles suburban ennui in Nicole Holofcener’s The Land Of Steady Habits

Michael Shannon is refreshingly ordinary in What They Had, a family drama with focus issues

Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne build an Instant Family in a comedy more touching than funny

After a clumsy opening statement, RBG biopic On The Basis Of Sex effectively argues its case

Jennifer Lopez’s overstuffed Second Act offers three movies for the price of one

The Girl in the Spider’s Web: Lisbeth Slander gets an action hero makeover

Widows: An Enthralling Heist Thriller with Some Less Interesting Gangster Drama Touches

If Beale Street Could Talk: Love is a Battle, Love is a War

6 Balloons tackles the everyday agonies of the opiate crisis

I Feel Pretty takes on identity crises while having one of its own

RBG examines the complex, inspiring woman behind all the memes

Book Club does a disservice to its gifted cast of legacy stars

Set It Up is a fine, breezy rom-com for the start of summer

Ant-Man and the Wasp takes a modest quantum leap for the series

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind looks into the late comedian’s heart

The Spy Who Dumped Me is a fun but fairly disposable summer flick

Like Father uses the Netflix format to play around with comic conventions

Madeline’s Madeline blurs the lines of fantasy and reality

Life Itself is so bizarre it has to be seen to be believed

Private Life takes a personal, observant look at late-life reproduction

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a CGI mess with an earnest heart

The Grinch goes CGI and gets a fluffy, sincere modern update

TV REVIEWS/OP-EDS

Grey’s Anatomy’s lengthy existence isn’t a joke, it’s a strength

This Is Us is obsessed with killing its dad

Three years later, Supergirl is still telling the best female-centered superhero stories

Even without a resurrection, John Legend rises in NBC’s electrifying Jesus Christ Superstar Live

Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban lend an infectious energy to the wonderfully earnest 72nd Annual Tony Awards

Iron Fist season 2 feels like an entirely different show—which is mostly a good thing

13 Reasons Why puts itself on trial but can’t give up its worst impulses in season 2

Sex dreams and explosive rectal surgeries—it must be the Grey’s Anatomy season 15 premiere

Pre-Air Review: Dietland offers an ambitious, unapologetic taste of something new

Season Two Review: The messages of The Handmaid’s Tale season two resonate now more than ever

Season One Review: AMC’s Dietland aimed wide and mostly hit its marks in a chaotic first season

PODCAST GUEST APPEARANCES

Cinematic Universe: Men In Black

Cinematic Universe: Independence Day

Filmography: Wes Anderson comedies

Debating Doctor Who: Favorite guest stars part 1 and part 2

TV Party: Let’s Solve Westworld Season Two

TV Party: Appreciating The West Wing’s “Two Cathedrals”

Plus some other episodes of TV Party including this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one.

MINDMEET INTERVIEWS

Bernard Avle: Human Beings Are Stories

The CyberCode Twins: A Blockchain Beacon of Hope

Jason Berlin and Tour de Crypto: A Pioneering Journey to Raise Awareness for Charity and Bitcoin

And here are similar year-end wrap-ups I did in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

This article contains considerable spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. If you want to go into the film pure as the driven salt on the mining planet of Crait, you should wait until later to read this. Otherwise, join us for a closer look at the long-distance relationship scorching across the galaxy in Episode VIII.

There are a number of heart-stopping moments in The Last Jedi: Holdo’s last stand, the big Luke reveal, Chewie’s Porg-tastic snack. But having seen the film with a full audience three times, I can say no moment draws more audible gasps and applause than when Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren and Daisy Ridley’s Rey whirl around in brief slow-motion, stand back-to-back, and take on a room of their shared enemies together. It’s the sexiest moment in a franchise that already featured a young Han Solo answering a Leia’s earnest “I love you” with a smoldering “I know.”

Two years ago, the Star Wars fans of Tumblr eagerly latched on to the Force Awakens electricity between Kylo and Rey, launching the #Reylo hashtag and inspiring an older generation of fans to caution against rooting for romance between two the leads lest they be, you know, related. But I hate to break it to you: the Tumblr fans were right. With Rey’s non-Skywalker lineage confirmed, she and Kylo burn up the screen in the franchise’s most intense relationship we can’t help but root for—even though we know we shouldn’t.

It’s tempting, at first, to deny the existence of any sexual tones in The Last Jedi. This is, after all, a franchise for kids. But sex, love, and bad or off-limits romances have always been written into the D.N.A. of Star Wars—albeit a little less lustily. It was Leia’s beauty, after all, that drew her brother (!), Luke, into his quest and inspired Han to stay. It was Anakin’s love and possessive desire for Padmé that caused him to fall. And who could forget the cheap thrills of Leia’s metal bikini?

But for all the romantic picnics between Padmé and Anakin and passionate stolen kisses of Han and Leia, nothing in the Star Wars franchise has ever had quite the dangerous spark as the late-night Force Skype sessions between lonely, misunderstood misfits Rey and Kylo. “You’re not alone,” they urgently confess to each other as the movie pushes them closer. Nothing is sexier than a forbidden romance—and, like any overprotective father figure, Luke should have known that busting up their call would only drive Rey directly into Kylo’s arms. (Note the precise moment in the film where she switches from calling him Kylo to calling him “Ben.”) The fact that Kylo is unwittingly being used as some kind of sexy emo honeypot so Snoke can lure Rey into his clutches is beside the point. These kids think the connection they have is special because they are special.

There’s plenty of sexual innuendo in The Last Jedi before Rey leaves Ahch-To to seek out her darker half. Kylo’s gleaming bare chest aside, you can go ahead and consult your friendly neighborhood Freudian to analyze the imagery of swinging lightsabers, the rivulets of water on Kylo’s black leather-gloved fist, or the dark, seaweed-slick cavern Rey finds herself irresistibly drawn into as she tries to grapple with the powerful thing that was woken inside her.

But with the exception of shirtless Kylo, this sexuality is kept relegated to subtext, as is appropriate for a franchise that hopes to lure very young, Porg-loving children into theaters. (We‘re not going to count that sexless kiss between Finn and Rose—though maybe we should count whatever is happening between Holdo and Poe?) It’s a relief, in fact, that Rey’s costuming remains as practical as ever, with the only skin on display being a few inches of well-muscled shoulder and calves. It’s her power and strength that attracts Kylo to her.

The tension that is already ratcheted way up—thanks to a lush, close shot of Rey and Kylo’s bare, outstretched fingers—boils over during the fight in Snoke’s throne room. Move over, Christian Grey; this is the Red Room we’ve all been waiting for.

In addition to the massive crimson walls, Snoke’s chamber is kitted out with an elite guard in glossy, red, fetishistic armor. (They’re called Praetorians.) Rey and Kylo fight, swapping weapons and working together in perfect harmony, in the closest thing Star Wars has ever had to a sex scene. (The red imagery continues down on the mining planet of Crait, where the smooth, salty white surface occasionally erupts in geysers of scarlet earth.)

But just because Rey and Kylo have sexual tension, that doesn’t make this a good or a healthy romance. If she hadn’t shut him down so quickly and thoroughly when he begged for her to join him (“please”), we could have written several think pieces about what Twilight-esque bad messages The Last Jedi is sending young women. But when Kylo negs Rey, desperately telling her she’s nothing and nobody “but not to me,” our heroine doesn’t fall for it. (Hey, who hasn’t had a long-distance texting courtship, only to find the postcoital relationship a letdown? Someone should write a New Yorker story about it.)

Grabbing back her weapon with everything she has, Rey leaves Kylo—and only briefly, at the very end, looks back. Kylo spends the rest of the film acting like a sulking, spurned lover, shrieking for the First Order to shoot Rey out of the sky after she dares to reject him. By giving Rey agency at all times with Kylo, The Last Jedi escapes some of the problematic messaging from The Force Awakens, where Kylo physically restrains her in one scene and whispers commands. In The Last Jedi, Rey casually and immediately deflects Kylo’s attempts to dominate her (“you will bring Skywalker to me”). He takes the loss there on the chin and doesn’t try it with her again. In fact, when he sees Snoke attempting a similar domination of Rey, Kylo is driven to kill his master.

At this point in the franchise, to root for a Kylo and Rey romance means rooting for her to save Ben Solo. Hoping for the redemption of a fallen member of the Skywalker family is a very familiar feeling to Star Wars fans. But Rey has an entire damn galaxy to save, and can’t expend all her energy trying to coddle the feelings of one injured man-child with daddy issues. She tried; she failed. I don’t think she should compromise herself to try again. “I’m looking forward to your space kiss,” Carrie Fisher told Ridley in 2015. “You’re going to have to have one. Every girl does.” But I’m not sure a space kiss is in the cards for our Rey.

That said, the sexual energy Ridley and Driver bring to this dynamic makes their inevitable showdown in the final chapter the most potentially thrilling one this franchise has to offer. The father-son stuff between Luke and Anakin was good, but a will they, won’t they (they won’t) with lightsabers is even better. It’s certainly more compelling than anything else the franchise has to offer, romance-wise. Rey’s relationship with Finn is sweet, but largely spark-less. Ditto Finn’s burgeoning relationship with Rose, which culminates in perhaps the most tepid smooch in Star Wars history. As we all know, the most chemistry Finn has is with his war buddy, Poe Dameron—but Oscar Isaac’s Last Jedi line about “Finn? Naked? Leaking?” is probably the closest thing Disney will ever give us to a gay romance in this Star Wars trilogy.

In the meantime, if it’s kicks you’re looking for in this kid-friendly film, you’ll have to find them in innuendo-laced lightsaber fights—and the best bad romance Star Wars has ever had.

a blanket across the stars: part 1

posting here until i get my profile on ao3 sorted!

this is my reylo fic! it’s a look into kylo’s backstory, and then the storyline of TFA and TLJ with a deep dive into kylo and rey’s thoughts throughout. enjoy! please let me know what you think :)

Kylo Ren could scarcely remember the last time he felt anything real. He varied between being numb to all the pain and war around him, and rage when things didn’t go his way. The dark side fed off this and he felt stuck in a constant positive feedback loop. His training and strength had improved vastly but he still felt that Snoke didn’t fully believe in him.

Things hadn’t always been this way. When he was young, everyone knew his name. Everyone spoke of how the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo was destined for greatness. That he could be the next Luke Skywalker. And Ben Solo was more than eager to please. His abilities began to show very early and it was clear how strong he was despite being so young. His mother taught him about the great Jedi of the past, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda. She told him of her father Anakin, but only in passing and never in the detail he wished for. He wanted to know about this mysterious Jedi who had been so powerful but then somehow vanished from his parents stories. He decided to ask his Uncle Luke the next time he saw him. Surely of anyone, he would know. But Ben knew he would have to play this right. If there was a reason his parents weren’t telling him something, it was likely Uncle Luke would feel the same.

“Uncle Luke, you trained with Master Yoda right?” Ben asked innocently.

“That’s right. Though it was difficult, he was a wise Master,” Luke smiles, clearly reliving some memories.

Ben took a breath, “I still think it’s sad you couldn’t train with your father.”

Luke paused and looked at Ben. “Leia told you about what happened to him?”

Ben nodded. Hoping that the expression he was making was appropriate for whatever situation this was.

Luke sighed, “I too think it would have been nice to train with Anakin. But the Dark was just too strong in him, there was too much Vader and not enough of Anakin left…”

Vader... Darth Vader? Ben’s lip quivered. Anakin had turned to the dark side? Why hadn’t his mother told him?

Luke saw Ben’s shock and thought perhaps he had been too blunt. He pulled Ben onto his lap, “I’m not sure if Leia ever told you this part, but when the Emperor was trying to destroy me with lightning, Anakin saved me. After all that time as Darth Vader, he still had conflict in him. He still had the Light in him. The Force is both Light and Dark. Together they create the balance in the galaxy. One cannot exist without the other. No one is ever truly completely Light or Dark.” Luke paused and looked off to the horizon. “He wanted me to join him. To rule the galaxy together and bring order… Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen that path,” Luke murmured to himself more than Ben.

When his mother was putting him to bed that night he asked quietly, “Mother… why didn’t you tell me that Anakin went to the dark side?”

Leia paused as she was leaving the room, and sighed lightly, returning to his side. “Ben dear, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before now… But I didn’t want you to feel like that was something you ever had to worry about.”

Ben looked away from the sadness and perhaps, shame, in her eyes, staring at the wall. If she hadn’t wanted him to know didn’t that mean she feared he would turn out like Anakin?

“Ben, please look at me,” Leia said gently. “Anakin loved my mother very much. He would have done anything for her. When she was in danger, he did everything he could to save her. But in the end, he chose a path to power rather than love. And because of that choice, he lost everything he cared so dearly about.” She looked at him intently, “But just because that is what he did, does not mean that is what you will do. We all choose our own path through the galaxy. You just need to trust in yourself and let the Force guide you.” She paused and added, “And know that we will always love you Ben.” She reached out and brushed his hair from his forehead and leaned down to kiss him goodnight.

Ben found a smile to put on his face until she left the room and then lay there, eyes unseeing towards the ceiling. It’s in your blood. What if his mother were in danger? What path would he choose? He knew deep down… he also, would do whatever it took to protect her.

As he tried to sleep he could hear his mother confronting Luke. He wasn’t sure why everyone seemed to think the walls in their unit were thicker than they were.

After this Ben became ultra sensitive towards how he was using the Force and how it was manifesting in him. He began to doubt himself where he used to be confident. Constantly nervous, wondering if he was more Light or Dark. His emotions were always close to the surface. Influencing his abilities. The Force became more difficult to control unless he was feeling strongly. Gone was the peaceful balance.

He could see the change first in his father. There was a look in his eyes when he saw Ben lash out with the Force because of childish tantrums. Fear. And remembering. He sees Vader in you.

Then there were the hushed conversations between his parents at night. They’re going to send you away. No… they would never.

“Ben, please sit down for a moment,” his mother requested one morning. His father had left early before first light on another trip. He used to bring Ben on his rambles, but it had been some time since he’d asked him to tag along. The unit was quiet and Ben could sense the impeding change. His mothers words blended together and faded into the background as he felt his gut tighten. She doesn’t want you anymore.

The tears threatened to fall but Ben held stiff, “Mother… why? Why would you send me away? Why can’t I continue training with you?”

He could see the light in her eyes shine with the same tears he was now unable to hold back. “Your Uncle Luke has decided to start a Jedi temple and his skills far surpass my own, dear. Besides, the Republic needs me to take on a bigger role right now and since your father and I won’t be home as much… We promise we will both visit as often as we can, sweetheart.” Liar.

The shuttle touched down on the rocky planet and Ben felt as though the gravity was much stronger here, though it only seemed to pull down on his heart.

Uncle Luke tried to treat him like the other students but it was clear that his mother had spoken to him about her fears. As Ben pushed himself to be the best he could be at every task, nothing seemed to alleviate that shadow in Luke’s eyes. Nothing you do will ever be enough for them.

Countless nights passed with Ben lying in his bed, glaring up at where the stars would be if he was outside. Where his parents were. Every muscle in his body tensed as he let the rage flow through him. Taking away the pain like a numbing balm. Luke will never allow you to become who you are meant to be. Ben flung himself angrily on his side and then froze.

There was a small girl curled up on his floor.

She was wearing beige rags wound around her in makeshift clothing, her hair pulled back in three buns. Her arms were wrapped around her legs tightly as she shivered violently in her sleep. Where did she come from? The nearest settlement was hours away by speeder let alone on foot. Perhaps she had run away from home?

After watching her shake for a moment, Ben took the spare blanket from the bottom of his cot and as quietly as possible, spread it over her. She was so small it seemed more like a Hutt sized blanket. As he tucked it gently around her she sighed, her shivering slowing, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Ben sat and watched her, feeling an aching loneliness. He couldn’t tell if the feeling was his own or if it was emanating from the girl.

He didn’t remember going back to bed but when he awoke in the morning, he was in his cot and the girl was no where to be seen. But his blanket was still on the ground, rippled as if a small body had been under it.

Ben did not see the girl again for another full revolution. Yet there she was again. Looking slightly older. But still just as cold and this time she was lightly sobbing, her face shining with tears. The temperature in Ben’s hut wasn’t uncomfortable so wherever she actually was must be cold at night. A desert planet perhaps. Ben had already decided long ago that she couldn’t have been fully here. She felt far away despite being right in front of him. He again laid his blanket over her and somehow knowing he wouldn’t wake her, he sat nearby and softly rubbed her back like his mother used to when he’d have nightmares. “Shh shh, it’ll be okay, sweetheart,” he whispered. The familiar lonely ache that accompanied her eased and she pulled his blanket closer to her chest.

****

A world away, a young girl had a good dream for once. Someone cared for her. Someone comforted her. Her nights usually consisted of sporadic sleep due to the cold and the never-ending bad dreams. If she even slept at all, as she was usually too hungry.

The voices in her dreams were always hateful. You’ll never be good enough. They don’t believe in you. You’ll never be what your parents wanted you to be. They were so similar to her daily thoughts and snide comments from her Master that she always assumed that she had two inner voices. Her own and the male voice. Though on nights like this, the voice became softer and created a small moment of peace. When she awoke she always felt a lingering presence as though someone has just left her side, but she was always alone, just like every day since her parents had left her.

****

Once again, Luke praised every student but him. Clearly not wanting to encourage the thinly veiled anger Ben was using to accomplish todays lesson. Having had enough, he got up without a word and stalked off. Luke didn’t bother to try and stop him. He never did.

You’ll never be good enough. They don’t believe in you. You’ll never be what your parents wanted you to be, Ben thought. He slumped down on a boulder near the edge of their temple grounds. Vader would be proud of you.

Ben tensed. Would he? Anakin had been a strong Jedi. Everyone knew how strong he had been. His only downfall was loving too much. Was that really so bad? Wasn’t using the dark side in the name of love a noble thing to do? Vader followed his emotions and it gave him great power. It allowed him to become who he was meant to be, one of the most powerful Sith lords.

Everyone sees Vader in me already, maybe I am meant to follow his path. Mother can’t see everything, she could be wrong. She isn’t as strong with the Force as Luke, or even you, and she left you. She doesn’t believe you can be a Jedi.

But what do I do? Where do I go? The path will reveal itself to you soon enough. I can teach you all you need to know to become the best you can be. Great power and respect will be yours.

Ben practically salivated. To be able to use his strength and not be held back or worry about what side he was on. He stood with a new resolve and returned to the temple.

The voice had been right. Ben did not have to wait more than a few cycles before the moment came.

He had only just been able to doze off when he heard steps behind his back approaching his cot. The familiar unpleasant brush of someone searching his mind and heart with the Force came over him. His gut clenched with upwelling fear as he turned to see… his Master. His Uncle. Luke. Standing over him lit with a strange glow. Ben saw the lightsaber and reacted instinctively. Force-pulling his own lightsaber to protect himself and pulling the hut down around them as the weight of the betrayal began to sink into his mind. He had sensed since beginning his training that Luke didn’t trust him fully but to come to this? Luke had seen the Light in Anakin at the end… but he could see nothing worth saving in him? He doesn’t think you’re worth the effort of saving. Just like your parents.

Pain and rage filled Ben until there was nothing else left. He climbed out of the rubble and could see Luke’s hand lying still under the wooden beams. What do I do? No one would ever believe the great Luke Skywalker had tried to kill him. There was nothing left for him here.

He turned his eyes to the temple and thought, It’s time for it all to burn. He could feel the quiet approval of the voice and felt a swell of pride for the first time in years as it said, I look forward to your training, heir to Vader. Come fulfill your destiny as… Kylo Ren.

So I need to share this before I forget, because ever since I saw the Last Jedi for a second time with my brother (while drinking a Revenge of the Sip...god, AMC, why did you stick a bar in the theater?!) I was hit with some pretty big realizations. This is, of course, after devouring TLJ and TFA meta on tumblr as it’s come across my dash in droves. My main focus here is Luke. Placing under a cut for spoilers, and also spoiler tagging because I know some people have yet to see it that I’m friends with.

There was a lot implied in TLJ that I’ve not seen people touch upon. I’ve seen the comments about Snoke, Ben’s abuse and childhood grooming, and how Luke led everyone to believe Ben just went nuts and killed everyone--not that Luke almost killed Ben. Then there’s Rey and her connection and the themes of adolescence and just--it’s great meta. It’s wonderful.

I didn’t see a lot of people actually touching upon Luke in all this mess, aside from being an additional abuser of Ben. Unfortunately I never quite read Luke as one of Ben’s abusers--while yes I feel that Luke deciding to train Ben because of his strength in the Force and being a Skywalker Legacy was a bit rude, you have to admit: Ben needed training. Leia, Han, and Luke were all highly political figures--is it therefore any wonder why Snoke was able to slowly and subtly groom one of the Skywalker line? If Luke hadn’t taken Ben on, and several other force sensitives, to at least give them some grounding considering what the force is and how powerful Ben himself is? It could’ve been a disaster.

More than it was, at least.

I think also the implications of what happened have been hinted at in other meta, but I’ve not seen anyone outright address it. Luke talks about how he could see the evil growing in Ben--there’s a lovely little incorrect-starwars-quote going around about how it was 2AM and Ben was sleeping--but the thought niggled in my mind, especially after Snoke admitted to creating the Force Bond between Ben and Rey.

What if Ben wasn’t turning at all, in any respects? Because Luke got to Ben early enough, started to train Ben early enough, Snoke couldn’t actually get his claws into Ben without a catalyst. He could try to manipulate Ben’s thoughts, but Ben had someone in his corner at this time. Luke. Luke who saw promise in him, Luke who paid attention to him when his parents weren’t or couldn’t. Luke who actually was there for him--and sure it was because Ben had powers or whatever, but Luke was Ben’s primary influence where Snoke tried to be.

Luke’s betrayal of Ben was the catalyst Snoke needed to hook the Skywalker he wanted. There is a lot about the scene(s) we see where Luke betrays Ben that got me thinking. First of all, why was he actually there peeking in on a teenager’s dreams? That’s not something I could ever see Luke logically doing. We were never given any hints as to what supposed darkness Luke saw either that led him to this action. We know Snoke was horribly, terribly powerful in the Force given that he could Force Bond two young force sensitives galaxies apart. Something that should have, theoretically, been impossible.

Whose to say that Snoke didn’t manipulate Ben into turning, but more manipulated Luke into believing Ben was turning? We all have to admit, Luke tries to be wise but he’s really not. TLJ showcases that wonderfully. He’s a goof who got placed with responsibility that he didn’t know how to handle at all--he handled it fairly well all things considered, probably with Leia nagging him and feeding him things while they had their twin bond going strong, but in training other force sensitives all Luke had to go on was Obi-Wan, and Yoda. One old guy that he was told to stay away from, but was supposedly a family friend, who lied to him about his father and kept a lot of secrets.

The other a massive troll of epic proportions going slightly senile from everything he ever created/controlled being ruined by his own hubris.

I don’t count Aniken and I don’t count Sidious because while they definitely showed him the other side of the force in force they didn’t actively had a hand in teaching him things aside from being adversaries.

So I propose that in this Luke is as much a victim as Ben, specifically of Snoke. Ben is noted as being a lot like his father--having his father’s heart--and we actually do see a lot of Solo in Kylo Ren. That’s probably why everyone refers to him as Ben Solo instead of Ben Organa like I presume he would’ve been called, given that Han Solo even referenced that he no longer bore the name ‘Solo.’

This is where I want to step it up a notch. So Snoke royally fucked around with the Skywalker line because he wanted a Vader to his Sidious--great, wonderful. I still have no idea what hole you crawled out of and I don’t care. You’re dead now and good on Ben getting out of your shadow. What I find interesting is that there is reference to Rey turning--that even Luke is horrified that Rey would willingly follow the dark hole in the ground to get what it offers her, that she doesn’t resist--and that both Ben and Rey seem to think the other will turn. Yoda says they can’t lose Rey like they’ve lost Ben--which prompts Luke to pull an Obi-Wan.

Strangely, Luke’s stand off with Ben and subsequent apology about how he royally fucked shit up--I mean freaking out about your uncle standing over you in the dead of night with a Lightsaber very obviously contemplating shoving the laser sword in your chest would terrify anyone. Rightfully so. I’m proud of Luke owning up to his biggest fuck up to date, because that showed Luke finally accepting his hand in this whole mess instead of running and hiding like a coward.

Again understandable. This is Leia and Han’s kid. They would’ve torn him a new one if they knew what shit he’d pulled there. Leia is so terrifyingly like their father I could understand Luke’s desire to run and hide and just fade off into obscurity because fuck this. Plus I found it very interesting at this point after the monumental ‘but he’s evil!’ ‘shit that’s wrong!’ mistake Luke actually shuts himself off from the force.

None of us knew Luke blocked the Force out until Rey mentioned it! That Luke shut himself out doesn’t scream to me like he’s trying to hide even further from Leia or from Snoke--honestly if he doesn’t want to be found he could just mask his presence, not cut himself off completely. Especially not when the Force has been such an intrinsic part of his life for so long--long enough that he uses it subconsciously when he opens himself back up again! I see here more that Luke saw something with the Force-or he thought he saw something that was true, but because it ended in such tragedy he couldn’t come to terms with it. Luke closed himself off as another way to hide--this time from the Force that he felt betrayed him.

From himself, and his own strength in this mystical binding power between everything. If he could make such a huge mistake--what if that meant Luke was turning? I see Luke’s self imposed exile to a planet that houses ancient Jedi texts as him trying to figure out what the fuck happened. Why he responded that way? Why did he even think it was right? Was the Force turning him? Was he turning the Force? Was there something else?

And I think Luke finally put together that it was Snoke only after Yoda destroyed the tree, after Yoda talks about how they can’t lose Rey. Here Luke stood, having betrayed another potential student out of sudden fear. Here Luke stood, having opened himself back up to the Force and having to reveal his mistakes before an enraged child--a hurt child, one who was bound neatly to Ben Solo in a manner that shouldn’t be possible. Here Luke finally realized--it was Snoke.

And then Snoke was dead. He was no longer in the Force, no longer sending out feelers for Luke, to twist Luke, to twist Ben, to twist Rey--so Luke did what he thought was best. Save the child he could, and show the other child that he fucked up and there wasn’t anything more he could do aside from admit it--that he failed Ben Solo.

That’s what I think is most interesting. That Luke stands before Ben not as the Luke of today--he’s very obviously the Luke of Ben’s nightmares. His hair has color and is neatly trimmed, he’s dressed in a manner befitting a Jedi Master of a Training Temple. He wields a lightsaber that is destroyed. It’s glaringly obvious in retrospect that Luke is projecting from his little island--because Luke is projecting the Luke Ben remembers. The Luke that betrayed Ben, that hurt Ben, that started Ben Solo’s descent into Snoke’s arms. It is not from current day Luke that Ben get’s an apology, it’s from the Luke of Ben’s nightmares.

It is that same Luke that promises to haunt his steps if struck down in anger.

I think Luke knows--Rey doesn’t need saving. Ben already saved her. He got rid of the poison, he got rid of Snoke. Ben doesn’t need saving either, because at his heart he was left with a gaping wound and no real closure for what happened. Luke disappeared before Ben could truly get it, but now Luke gave Ben closure, and gave himself closure too. Luke gave himself the tools needed to make sure no other abuser could touch his nephew like that again.

Luke isn’t Rey’s guardian angel. Rey’s guardian angel comes in the form of Leia. Let the girls handle the girls. No, he’s Ben’s, because ultimately Luke was the catalyst for Kylo Ren--and ultimately, Luke will be the one in the Force stopping another Snoke from taking control of Kylo Ren while he finds his footsteps.

Or so I hope.

(seriously the Skywalker family needs to stop being extra okay)

Thoughts on the Last Jedi

OMGs so many spoilers!!!!! Also it gets a lil NSFW and super dweeby at the end…. (proceed at your own risk)

So I just got back from The Last Jedi and -

I have so many EMOTIONS!!!

Lemme at least attempt to go through this chronologically…

“The First Order reigns.”  I got goosebumps from that opening sentence of the opening crawl.  It was like, yup – pretty much the feeling in the real world rn too hahahaha *sobs*

That whole opening space battle scene – ahhhh!!!!  I loved so much about it – I especially loved how quickly Rian Johnson (the writer/director) was able to establish Paige Tico’s character – make the audience care about her and then boom she’s gone and I knew she was a goner as soon as they introduced her at Celebration but still it hit me right in the feels – like damn the sacrifices the Resistance is forced to make

At long last we got back to Rey and Luke on Ahch-To and I love how he doesn’t even say anything – he just flips the lightsaber over his shoulder like “thanks, I hate this!”

And then Rey follows him around like an adorable lost puppy for days and days and days and I was like awwww!

Speaking of which – I really liked how Daisy Ridley played Rey this time around – not so naïve (although I loved happy go-lucky, plucky Rey from the Force Awakens) – but she’s grown now – she’s seen some shit – and so as a result her character is a little more galaxy-wise and wary – which I think fits – though we see some of that lighter Rey sprinkled throughout the narrative – the “reach out” moment which I thought was pretty damn hilarious…

As for the new characters – oh my – how I love Rose.  She’s this fan girl who’s suddenly grieving and then one of her heroes shows up and she’s all ready to fangirl but then he severely disappoints her but she doesn’t even hesitate – she stuns him – like yeah, she’s excitable and incredibly sad but she’s still gonna do her damn job and I loved it.  And we see her grow and mature throughout the film and learn to trust Finn again – and the end where she saves him and then she says “we can’t fight what we hate – we have to save what we love” and then she snogs him and I was like HELLLS YES!  What a bad. Ass. Character.. I love her.  #protec I already liked the sorts of things Kelly Marie Tran was saying from the press tour – but she brought this character to life and now I have EMOTIONS.  

So yeah, I’m totally on the FinnRose ship now since Disney are cowards and Stormpilot is never gonna be a thing ☹ (though I did appreciate when Finn and Poe finally meet up again Finn literally squirts on Finn lmao (I’m sorry I have a dirty mind!)  so I think that’s the closest we’re ever gonna get hahaha)

I loved how Canto Bight really illustrated this incredible gap between rich and poor – so similar in our own world right now – and Rose’s rage at this injustice – “I just wanna punch straight through this beautiful, ugly terrible town.”  (First off – what a line.  Second off that sounds like something Leslie Knope might say hahahaha) Rose was given some of the best and most poignant lines.  

Also – the focus on the little children slaves – fuck, that was crushing.  And the Fathiers – how their coats were bleeding from the whips and the lashes – damn all so heartbreaking.  I’ll get back to the little slave boy at the end – as I think there’s so much going on in that final scene.

Back to the Force montage on Ahch-To with Luke & Rey – damn I love how Johnson elaborated on the Force – showing us what Rey was seeing – such beauty.  Such resonance.  Kinda reminded me of those BBC nature documentaries (The Planet, etc…) – the beauty and savagery of nature – personified in the Force – ughh so frikken powerful.

As for Luke – his scene with Artoo was the best.  Artoo shows him young Leia pleading for Obi-Wan and Luke’s all like “you’re not playing fair” and Artoo basically gives him this shit eating grin and oh gods so good – this is why Artoo continues to be my fave. Character.  He is the best.  Doesn’t even have to say anything.  Like yes!  Damn! Ughhh!

Then Luke’s scene with Yoda’s force ghost!!! As soon as you saw that little profile and the ears I was internally going like !@@!#$%&^%!@#$%%@$ and then he just blows up the tree like HaShem in Exodus and you’re like lmao – and he literally tells Luke “Rey has all the knowledge from the Jedi Texts with her already” – then if you fast forward all the way to the very end of the movie when everyone is on the Falcon – Finn is rummaging through a bunch of drawers and if you blinked you missed them – but the texts were in there!  Rey up and stole them hahaha – amazing!  And Yoda knew too!  Ugghhhhhhh I love these characters!

Alright.  Now on to the really big stuff.

Holy crap. Snoke is dead.  HAHAHAHA!  Ren turned out to be the BIG BAD of this trilogy.  I guess I shoulda seen that coming, but tbh I was absolutely gut-wrenched. I thought he and Rey would join forces and become gray force users and have babies and it would be beautiful, but it was not to be.  When they were fighting Snoke’s red guards I thought that would happen but then Ren is so full of hate and greed he can’t see anything else – he’s dead inside.  He can’t see a path to redemption.  He doesn’t even ask for forgiveness.

Yes, I know – for the last several months I have been a Reylo.  I really wanted them to get together.  And when they were force-touching hands I really thought they would – but then this asshole goes and

Decides to tell Rey she’s nothing????  Like what? No.  No, no, no.  You don’t tell someone they’re trash but they mean everything to you.  Like I sorta get what he’s trying to say but he’s being super manipulative.  Is that what gaslighting is?  

Like fine you murdered Han Solo.  You blew up Akbar.  AKBAR! But you will not insult Rey.  No.  That is crossing a line.  Maybe he wasn’t even consciously doing it – maybe he thought he was praising her – but really he was just trying to convince her she’s nothing without him.  He allowed his rage to rule him.  

I’m sorry people who still might see them together – but I no longer do.  Rey doesn’t need Kylo’s bullshit.  She gave him a chance at redemption and he denied her.  She realized she can’t save him – and I think that’s an incredibly valuable lesson to teach young girls.

I’m sorry if that offends some people on the Tumblrs – and you’re totally entitled to your opinion – I’m not gonna be a dick about it (it’s not my way) – but respect that I’ve changed my mind.  

As a side note – I think it’s kind of hilarious how whoever the hell Snoke was and who Rey’s parents were don’t even matter!  All those theories!  All the mental anguish we put into discovering how everything connects to older characters!  But it doesn’t.  Ha!  We deserve it!

Luke made a mistake trying to take out Kylo, no doubt, but Kylo has to be responsible for his own actions.  I think that’s what Johnson was trying to say – sure he might have been neglected, abused, and then manipulated by Snoke – but ultimately he had the power to choose – and like so many young men in this day and age – Ben has chosen hate.  Rey has chosen hope.

And I choose Rey’s path.  

The darkness might reign right now.  But the light is strong.  And it can burn in us all, if only we allow it to ignite within us.    

Sure, the Jedi have a legacy of failure.  But as Yoda said, “Failure is the best teacher.”  Don’t I know it.  Failure is painful.  Failure sucks.  But that doesn’t mean we burn it all down.  We can rebuild.  We can grow. We can make new the old.

The Jedi can live again.

And that gives me great hope, kids.  

Great Hope.      

And now, Luke and Leia.  

I….

I can’t even…

This woulda been emotional enough with Carrie Fisher still with us – but now that she’s gone…

“Nobody’s really gone.” – Luke.  That last conversation – just the two of them – Oh man, I’m not a crier but sometimes I wish I was.  So powerful. So important.  So cathartic.  Funny. Sad.  Bittersweet reconciliation.  Imperfect people, imperfect goodbye – but a perfect scene.

I feel like we all needed that.  Or I did anyway.  

And then….Luke dies.

Luke dies?

Luke Skywalker. Is gone.

What?  No!  How?

Feels like I’ve known him my whole life – cuz I have.  Like he’s a real person and the myth he became all at once.  Who was one of the ones who taught us the power of forgiveness.  To let go of hate.

And now he’s gone?

I know, I know, I sound ridiculous – he’s not a real person and it’s just a movie and you’re probably all rolling your eyes and saying “bundles you’re being such a dweeb rn” but damn it! stories matter.  Characters matter.  Words matter. Words have power.  

Star Wars is a great myth of our time.  The saga of the Skywalkers is our Arthuriana.  From Anakin to Rey – this is our Trojan War.  Luke is our Achilles.  

And now he’s gone? When he disappeared watching those two setting suns (gods what great cinematography) it was like a gut punch.  Like fuuuuuuuuuuuuck what now?  

How do we go on?

I think Johnson gives us an answer – look to the past – look to the future – to the balance – to the cycle –

Which brings me to that final poignant scene -

The slave boy on Canto Bight.  As with Anakin Skywalker all those years ago – he’s a force user (pulling that broom to his hand ala Mickey Mouse in Fantasia) and he’s staring up at the stars and dreaming….he embodies, with his phoenix-inspired Rebel insignia ring – the rebirth of hope – of the rebellion – of the resistance – of the beautiful broken dream that were the Jedi – he is Johnson.  He is all of us.  From Anakin all the way to this slave boy.  And the story repeats.  The cycle continues.  

The myth lives on. Hope lives on.  And if the myth lives on, well then so does Luke – “nobody’s really gone…”

I love Star Wars.

I love stories.

Impression - “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

I am not a die hard “Star Wars” fan who knows every bit of lore or all of the old extended universe (that unfortunately is not canon anymore… thanks for that, Disney…) and I admit that I also do not watch the animated series. But I grew up with the old trilogy, having watched these movies countless times. I watched the Prequels more than I would like to admit. So of course the new trilogy had me excited. And “The Force Awakens”, despite its flaws, managed to get me excited again. “The Last Jedi” launched, the second movie of the new trilogy, and I’ve had a good night’s sleep and a whole day to sort my thoughts and feelings on this movie. And with this: SPOILER WARNING! If you have yet to watch “The Last Jedi” – or really any of the other movies – do not continue further. This will contain spoilers!

First things first: I did enjoy “The Last Jedi”. It was fun to watch and overall it was a positive experience, but it left the movie theatre with a lot of thoughts and kind of torn. Hours later I still feel that way. I think by now I can explain why. And funnily enough it all comes down to one thing: when there is light, there is also shadow. The plot is interesting and intriguing and a lot different from what we are used to. Throughout the original trilogy the rebellion had been presented as something small and yet it seemed that whatever they did was crowned with success, even when luck played its part. Episode 8 presents us with a completely different approach, especially after the big success in episode 7. The former Rebellion, now the Resistance, is completely outmatched and trapped, loses one fighter and one ship after the other until, from a once strong fleet only a couple people survive. The plan to have Finn and Rose enter the enemy ship - one that I belief would have succeeded if this were the original trilogy – goes horribly wrong and in the end it is pure coincidence that they survive. To me, this shows how different the two trilogies truly are. Even if they started out rather similar. The plot revolving around Rey, however, does not have as much of an impact to me as I think the creators intended. In fact, it has none. And that is because this plot is so closely connected to Rey’s growth as a character. Character development - something Rey lacks with this episode. To me, the Rey at the beginning of episode 8 is still the same Rey we see at the end of it. She is still the lost child that looks for her place in the galaxy, looks for guidance. The influence of her parents still hangs heavy over her head at the end of the movie, especially after she discovers the secret regarding them, causing her to lose the one well defined driving force for her character. At the end of the movie Rian Johnson (producer) wants to present the new light and dark to us: Kylo Ren as the dark and Rey as the light. But to me it feels as if this is not yet the role Rey should have. She feels forced into it because she herself has yet to accept that role, especially as the “last jedi”. She is not yet a jedi. For the moment, she is still just a girl from Jakku that is force sensitive who can wield a lightsaber and lift stones. In contrast, “The Last Jedi” also presents to us one of the strongest character developments a “Star Wars” movie has to offer in the role of Poe Dameron. At the beginning of the movie we are once again reminded of what Poe is: the rebellion ace, a hot-shot that gets into an X-wing to blow things up as the way to solve a problem. Even if there are sacrifices made along the way, Poe thinks of those as heroes. Throughout the movie he has to learn that sometimes blowing things up is not the right approach, that it would lead to more sacrifices than necessary. And this development gets presented really well: we have a Poe Dameron that fights a battleship of the New Order almost on his own, risking (and losing) a whole fleet of the rebellion, not backing away. At the end we see a Poe Dameron who does back away in order to save the remaining forces. Unfortunately, Finn takes his place as the reckless hot-shot, willing to sacrifice himself for a small piece of hope. Which doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any character development because he does. At the beginning of the movie there is only one thing on his mind, he exactly has one motivation: Rey. Getting Rey to safety when she returns is his number one priority. So much that he almost manages to leave the rebellion to take away a transponder that Leia gave Rey to guide her back to the rebels. While later, facing of Captain Phasma, he does identify himself as a rebel. That is thanks to the new character Rose who shows him what they should fight for during their mission and that it is something worth fighting for. One of the biggest controversy of “The Last Jedi” is the former last Jedi himself, Luke Skywalker. While I’ve read a lot of opinions that this doesn’t feel like Luke, that this can’t be him because he would never be so broken… I honestly do think that yes, it does make sense for him to have become what he is in this movie. Luke had to become a Jedi quickly due to everything in the original trilogy. He lacks most of the training younglings would have underwent during their training, even if he started to look into the old Jedi traditions on his own. He faced the dark side at its presumed peak and upon his shoulder laid the weight of having to raise a new generation of Jedi all by himself. A task he ultimately failed with, also because he was not yet fit to be a teacher (something Yoda hinted at when he burned the ancient tree). More than that he had lost Ben Solo, son of his twin sister and his best friend to the dark side. A dark side that seems much stronger than what he faced in Darth Sidious and Vader. If that does not break one, having failed at what one thinks to be their destiny, I don’t know what would. With this in mind, the Luke presented here, especially with the way he ‘teaches’ Rey, becomes understandable. He still has a lot to learn, as evidenced by Yoda’s appearance. And it is thanks to Yoda that he regains his trust in the force. Also by starting to trust and believe that Rey, despite knowing that the same power of the force that resides in Ben Solo also resides in her, will choose the right way. And it is this trust that leads him to be the one spark of hope for the rebellion that helps them escape. My biggest personal issue lies within the dark side of the force, namely Snoke and especially Kylo Ren. Snoke still remains the one mystery. The rule of two only ever allowed two Sith: a master and a pupil. So where does he come from? Who is he? Was he the start of a new Sith cycle and thus the reason we know about nothing before him? We may never know because unfortunately he died at the hand of Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren, who is quite admittedly the biggest contradiction in this new trilogy so far. Episode 7 shows us a struggling Ben Solo who aims to be the new Darth Vader. He wears a mask to match his grandfather and also managed to get his hands on Vader’s old helmet. But he is also still struggling with the force because the light and the dark both fight in him. An issue that he thinks he manages to solve by killing his father Han Solo. The initial shots of him in Episode 8 seem to present us the very same Kylo Ren. Until Snoke tells him he will never be like Vader and in a fit of rage her destroys his own mask. A symbol that probably should tell us that this chapter of Kylo Ren is over. The next hour presents us with a still struggling Ben Solo, indicated by his conversations with Rey. With him killing Snoke though, we are presented a whole new Kylo Ren. One that wants to get rid of the past, especially the Sith and the Jedi. Only to have him walk in Snoke’s footsteps two minutes later, declaring that he is the new Supreme Leader of the First Order and underlined by Darth Vader’s own iconic tool: the force choke. To me, the character of Kylo Ren is an undefined mess. It would make sense if being a mess without direction would be the essence of Kylo Ren himself, if that was him as a character. But Johnson tries to present him as a character with a goal, with a belief that the old needs to get destroyed. And it is this, the way the character gets presented and the way they want to present him, that feels redundant. Last but not least: Leia Organa, whom Carrie Fisher had portrayed in an amazing way. There is not much to say about Leia. Throughout episode 7 and episode 8 she was the wise voice of reason, seemingly guiding everything. Thanks to an interview with Mark Hamill we also know that neither episode 7 nor episode 8 were supposed to be “Leia’s movie’s”. The original plan had been that episode 9 would be the one focusing on the character Leia Organa and thus I suspect most of her growth would have been within its plot. We will have to see what happens with that now. It is notable though that we get to see a part of Leia that, while questionable in its execution, is crucial to her character. She also is a powerful force user, not just a force sensitive. Up until now we’ve only seen her feeling things through the force, now we’ve seen her actively using it, reminding us that she is also a Skywalker.

Rogue One or Why I (Probably) Won’t Watch This Movie Ever Again

It’s not as if I disliked “Rogue One”. I found it excellently made, from the political, philosophic, psychological point of view as well as with regard to settings, action scenes, acting, music, effects etc.

But why didn’t anyone tell me how deeply sad this story is?

“Rogue One” tells the story of a group of persons who all, for different reasons, have nothing left to lose and thus sacrifice their lives to help the Rebellion against Palpatine’s Empire. There is no reason for us viewers to get attached to the members of this crazy suicide mission: it is their destiny to die and we can sense that right from the beginning. Personally, I never felt compelled to root for them, I only felt terribly sorry for them.

It sure is interesting to be confronted with the reality that so many heroes gave an important contribution to the end of the war but never got anything good from it; also, how bleak and dangerous their lives in this totalitarian Empire were, constantly on the run, always oppressed, losing another piece of themselves over and over - family, health, mental sanity, safety, integrity, in the end life.

The only character I could feel with a little was Cassian, who stayed by Jyn’s side to the bitter end so she wouldn’t have to die alone. Jyn on the other hand never requited his feelings; her entire being was set on doing her father’s will, and Cassian, like everybody or everything else, was just a meaning to this end for her. (Though, in all honesty, she never compelled or manipulated anyone.) She may have been meant as a strong female character, but I didn’t find her in the least compelling or admirable. Jyn did what she had to do because she did not know what else to do with her life.

Jyn’s fate is a somewhat sarcastic take on the bond between child and father emphasizing that a father may give his child’s life direction and purpose but that this must not necessarily make him (or her, in this case) happy.

What baffled me most, in retrospect, was the reaction coming from most Star Wars fans. Long before I had watched the film, I had heard respectively only read of enthusiastic responses, usually culminating in “A real Star Wars film again, at last!”

Of course setting and design remind very much of “A New Hope”, because the story is set shortly before; and for brief periods we see the Death Star, Governor Tarkin, Leia and Darth Vader.

So then, this is what fans want, this is allegedly “real Star Wars”? Excuse me, depressing? Not the aesthetics and the message of the Prequels, the energy and drive of the classics or the new impulses and hopeful glimpses of the Sequels? Does it only depend on cosmetics whether a film is defined “real Star Wars” or not?

This whole story is a tragedy. It’s not a call to adventure with a happy ending like “A New Hope” or “The Phantom Menace”, a Greek-style drama like “Return of the Sith” or anything of the sort. It’s supposed to bring home that there is nothing wonderful about war and that everyone involved will lose much more than they win. This also fits to one of the Sequels’ themes, when we meet the old heroes again; they had won a war and founded a family - but before that, Luke and Leia had lost their old families, Luke had to give up his dream of becoming a pilot, and all of them suffered through tremendous physical and psychical horrors. And, as we learn, after a period of peace they had to watch their victory go up in smoke again as the embodiment of their hopes, their son and heir, nephew and pupil, turned his back on them and devoted himself to becoming evil like his grandfather, the very person they had fought against respectively tried to rescue and redeem all of these years before.

Yes, in a way “Rogue One” is “real Star Wars”. There is a person with father issues at the center, it’s an authentic, honest story, the characters are well-developed and the narrative is well thought out. But I was left almost in tears thinking how the hope Leia expressed in the last scene was founded on the absolute lack of hope of the protagonists of the crazy Death Star mission. I felt depressed for two days after.

Even “Revenge of the Sith” doesn’t make me feel that bad when I watch it, though the outcome is so terrible. There is Padmés funeral scene that leaves the viewer space to mourn, and the scenes with the twins and their surrogate families announcing that not all is lost. “Rogue One” just makes a quick cut when all is said and done and that’s it.

No one will ever think about these persons ever again, no one will mourn them, no one will be grateful to them or call them heroes. A brutally honest take on war and rebellion, opposite to the end of “A New Hope” where the heroes are celebrated and seen as such, though they are responsible for the death of everybody who lived on the Death Star. (Not that I’m blaming them, in that situation it was either destroy them or be destroyed.)

Luke Skywalker, hero of the first classic film which directly follows after this one, never knew his parents, lost his foster parents and his mentor during the course of a few days, but he joined the Rebellion and thrived on it. For Jyn, the loss of her family is a dead weight which hangs on her shoulders until it leads to her death. Jyn merely survives, making one heavy step after the other; she never rebels and goes her own way like Luke did.

I was also surprised since I had heard that Jyn was supposed to be a strong-willed woman, designed to be a role model to female spectators. I wouldn’t want any girl to choose Jyn as a personal example to go by: she is a cold, cynical person whose life never knows fulfilment, not a symbol of hope but of relinquishing of life, hope, happiness.

Her characterization is particularly bitter when we compare her to Han Solo, to whom Star War’s second spin-off was dedicated two years later. Though Han has a sarcastic streak, he remains generous and humorous, and he always cares and is cared about by someone. Despite his name, he is never really alone: he bonds with Qi’Ra, Chewbacca, Lando and Enfys Nest, while Jyn never is close to anyone. (Is it a coincidence that the names “Han” and “Jyn” are so alike, I wonder?)

Also contrarily to Jyn, Han turns his back on his father figure Beckett, deciding to go his own way. And in both cases, this attitude is not heroic in the conventional sense, but personal; Jyn does her father’s will because she feels committed to him, not to some greater cause. Han, too, rejects Beckett when he feels personally betrayed and let down by him. No wonder Han, as we get to know him in the classic films, is the most independent and worldly-wise of the characters. He initially had no father figure, then he found one but in the end, he chose to do without him. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence, when Han kills Beckett in self-defense, that his last words are “You made a wise choice”.

The difference between Han and Jyn, or also Luke, Anakin and Rey, to name other Star Wars heroes, is that he doesn’t have a father figure but he also doesn’t look out for one. He gladly befriends Beckett who is more experienced than he, but when he finds he can’t trust him he turns his back on him, with regret but not mourning him for long.

Han never knew where he came from, but with that also came the freedom to make his own choices; and as we know, contrarily to Jyn he still had a long and fulfilling life and found real friends, a home and a purpose. Very fittingly, “Solo - a Star Wars Story” is a feelgood film and not in the least depressing.

In both cases, we have a very realistic and not at all starry-eyed outlook on what “heroism” and “fighting for a just cause” means. Star Wars remains true to itself by hammering home all over again that it is not at all gratifying to be a lonely hero, and that on the other hand having a family may be a good thing, but being defined by them is a crushing burden. Picking up that burden and doing what you believe you have to do in order to feel connected to them may lead to the desired end, but then the question arises whether that end is really so desirable if the cost is so high. Again, Star Wars is not about the good guys blowing up the bad guys, but about growing up.

Luke Skywalker never knew about his family for a very long time, and after he had learned about it his father died, leaving it to him to repair the damage Vader had caused together with Palpatine; and as we see him again in “The Last Jedi” his character shows a bitter parallel to Jyn - lonely and disillusioned. This also follows the line of the Prequels: even if you have the best intentions you may still err, and deciding to give your life to what you perceive as a higher cause may literally become your, not exactly happy, fate. Becoming a Jedi master Luke became emotionally detached, which brought to the downfall of his temple; only when he communicated with someone again - Rey, Yoda, Leia, and also with his nephew a little - his existence gained new purpose.

In his last moments, Luke announces that he will still be there as a Force spirit; and after death he is remembered by many people in the galaxy, whether they knew him personally or not.

Jyn and Cassian die in the blaze of the Death Star fire, giving up what little they still had or were; Luke’s death is illuminated by the light of the twin suns which this time rise instead of setting. He loved and was loved, that is why he will never be truly gone. Jyn, Cassian and the other members of the Rogue One mission are forgotten, despite the invaluable service they did to the galaxy at large. This is what “Rogue One” ultimately is about: complete, utter and inescapable loneliness.

So, thank you for the food for thought, “Rogue One”. But I don’t think I will watch you ever again.

on reylo being one-sided

(and why I’m not a huge fan of this scenario)

This is something I’ve wanted to address for a while---the fairly popular idea that the “only” romance we’re going to get in canon between Rey and Kylo will be one-sided on Kylo’s part. That there’s no way Rey can ever return his feelings (or, more accurately, his obsession), and will never forgive him for what he’s done.

I’m curious as to why this became so easy to believe in our corner of the fandom (and I mean specifically reylo shippers). Is this because we want to keep our expectations low? Is it because we recognize that some of the arguments “against” this ship are valid? Is it because, despite all meta and character analysis, we ultimately see Rey’s character as incompatible with Kylo’s, or we don’t believe in the writers’ ability to make her compatible without “ruining” her? Are there any actual signs of this dynamic being necessarily, intrinsically unrequited? 

The answer to the last question, in my opinion, is no. Kind of the opposite. But I’ll get to this later; meanwhile, I’ll concede that this is probably the easiest, safest scenario to speculate on. Kylo being fixated on Rey is already de facto canon, we’re not exactly making wild speculation here. From “what girl?”, to "forget the droid, we have what we need”, to the way he watches her for who the hell knows how long while she’s unconscious, to “I can be your teacher”, it’s clear that our bad boy finds Rey fascinating, and it’s not a stretch of imagination at all to assume that this fixation will only get worse from this point on---that he’ll probably try again to kidnap or lure her again to his side, now that he knows how powerful she is. Villainous crushes are a Thing, so there’s nothing particularly outrageous or unrealistic about this. 

Rey, however, is much more problematic. Her developing some feelings (whatever their nature) for Kylo really seems at odds with the way her character is portrayed and with her other main relationship (Finn). She doesn’t seem to feel anything but unadulterated hatred for Kylo at the end of the movie, and she has every reason to feel this way: the guy killed her newly found parental figure, hurt her best friend, is complicit in genocides and the destruction of an entire solar system, his every action proved that Leia was wrong about him. That Rey can ever feel even the slightest sympathy, let alone attraction, for such a person does sound like a stretch. "Falling” for Kylo would either irreparably taint her likability as a protagonist (what kind of person is attracted to someone who hurt her friends?), or, as many ant*s fear, turn her into an ooc, pallid imitation of the strong willed, independent, loyal young woman we’ve seen in TFA. Rey doesn’t have any real “reasons” to fall for Kylo, and the authors can’t make it happen unless they bend her character in really unpleasant ways. That’s the assumption.

But we shippers still want to see some romance---because what we saw blossoming in Kylo is unmistakable and too juicy not to be explored by the narrative. A tragic unrequited love on Kylo’s part that ends with him embracing the fact that Rey will never return his feelings, but still sacrificing himself for her safety, and redeeming himself with this purely selfless act---that sounds like a good compromise, right? Right. It’s not bad. It’s feasible from a storytelling perspective, it leaves Rey’s agency, personality, motivations etc. intact, while giving a payoff to Kylo’s anticipated *pull to the Light* without turning the story into a cheesy, bad trope-ridden romance in which the bad guy “gets the girl” as a prize for becoming good.

Still, I'm skeptical.

I’m 100% here for angst and a conflicted, tortured Kylo Ren who doesn’t know what to make of his feelings for the enemy, but do I really want to watch him chase a recalcitrant, disgusted Rey around the galaxy for the next two movies? Hell, no. Not only I’m afraid I’d find this repetitive and quickly exhausting, but the discourse around him would only get nastier, the “stalker” reading of his character more substantiated. Honestly, I don’t want to hear any of that.

But more importantly: even if it’s done well and the stalkey vibes are kept at minimum, it would work for Kylo, for his arc. Rey, on the other hand, would remain crystallized in her rejection of everything Kylo Ren is and stands for, which reeks of character stagnation, tbh. Especially compared to the enormous development that Kylo would undergo should he start to genuinely care for Rey. 

You know, if you put all the burden of character evolution---of “meeting halfway”---on Kylo Ren and none on Rey, the inevitable risk is making him much more interesting than her. (honestly, he already is, because the writers bothered to give him some complexity, some flaws that read as flaws, and not just as endearing quirks that don’t compromise the overall adorableness of the character.)

I personally don’t see Rey as already whole, and I strongly reject the idea that “she shouldn’t change anything about herself”. Not changing anything about yourself doesn’t sound like a great idea if you’re the protagonist of a trilogy that is simultaneously a hero’s journey and a rite of passage into adulthood. Rey needs an identity arc, a trajectory. She starts as a character with a rather black/white sense of morality, that the narrative doesn’t really challenge or present as even remotely problematic. That’s definitely less complex than, for example, Finn, who has a moment of “fuck, I’m getting the hell out of dodge” and then comes around, who lies repeatedly to Rey, to Poe, to Han, to the Resistance, who has this huge shadow of his former identity as a stormtrooper looming above him for 3/4 of the movie. Finn is conflicted---he doesn’t share Rey’s unflinching loyalty to bb8 (although, unlike Rey, he did meet bb8′s owner), and his primary concern is getting the FO out of his system and saving Rey. Rey otoh jumps on the good guys’ bandwagon almost immediately, the only thing holding her back (her desire to go back to Jakku to wait for her family) conveniently pushed aside to shove her into action. Amazing, but two more movies of Rey never questioning herself, her loyalties, her assumptions, never showing a single flaw, never even being tempted, sound absolutely dull to me. Luke is so memorable as a hero because he evolves throughout the movies; he’s not stagnant. He begins his journey as an idealist, naive farm boy with a very black/white mentality (the same we find in Rey), but then he’s broken, he learns something that forces him to reconsider his place in the war (in the universe) and his perspective shifts, and he sees a man to save where he used to see only an enemy. 

Of course, Rey’s arc doesn’t necessarily have to be similar to Luke’s, and her evolution surely doesn’t hinge on her relationship with the main (anti)villain. But the way they’ve framed her interactions with Kylo---including the fact that their duel represents the climax of the movie---tells me that this dynamic is going to be crucial. It would be a missed opportunity if Rey’s feelings weren’t as complex and layered as the ones Luke has for Vader.

I see the word “agency” tossed around a lot when promoting the idea of Rey never *falling* for Kylo. It’s a legitimate concern. But I think there’s a difference between:

a) feeling something for a person; b) acting on those feelings; c) letting those feelings define all you are or, worse, destroy who you are d) becoming a passive object of someone else’s desire

I definitely don’t want options C & D for Rey, and I only want B with... reservations (that is, if Kylo stop being an aggressive, self entitled ass, and changes himself in turn) but I think A is crucial---not for Kylo, but for Rey’s arc and complexity as a character. Feelings don’t have to be explicitly romantic, and she might continue on her path without giving in to them (i.e., refuse to let them dictate her actions)... but that she’s never going to feel sympathy for him in her heart is nonsensical given the way they shaped them as each other’s foil.

It’s important to note that Rey’s esteem of Kylo has already hit rock bottom by the end of TFA. Henceforth, it either rises or remains static, and I think we can all agree we can’t just watch two more movies of Rey thinking of Kylo as a monster. Well, I suppose someone could, but I for one would be bored to tears. (storytelling-wise, a character screaming their hate against their enemy in such a transparent, literal way in the first act is only a good choice if it’s going to be subverted later.)

Unrequited love is also at odds with my perception of this dynamic as intrinsically mutual. 

Everyone commented on the yin and yang subtext, that was possibly a source of inspiration for a lot of imagery surrounding Rey and Ren (starting from their curiously similar names). The thing about yin and yang is that they both need each other---they both strive to incorporate the other to achieve wholeness; it’s a two sided feedback. If Rey, the yang, doesn’t need, or care for, or feel temptation for Kylo, the yin, then you can throw the whole yin/yang narrative out of the window. There’s no yin/yang dynamic if the yang doesn’t need, or want, the yin. 

Even at this early stage, it’s a give and take between them. Kylo invades Rey’s consciousness to grab the map, Rey turns the tables on him and “steals” power and knowledge from his mind. The duel is a power play, a battle for dominance where each of them gets to have the upper hand at some point. Everything Kylo does to Rey, Rey returns in spades, almost mirroring him. So far, their interactions have been essentially violent, but should Kylo begin to feel something akin to affection, or compassion, or attraction for Rey, it makes sense to me that this would stir something of the same nature in her, an equal but opposite reaction. Why? Because they’re linked through the Force, she “feels” him as he “feels” her. Because she learns his story, and realizes that he wasn’t born bad. Because she starts dealing with her own darkness, and this makes her see Kylo’s in a different... light, no pun intended. I think these issues are already solidly rooted in canon, and in the hands of a skilled writer (and I think the authors behind this trilogy are skilled, if maybe lacking a bit of courage), can become a perfectly realistic premise for Rey to start feeling “something” for Kylo while maintaining her complexity 

tl;dr; “Rey redeems Kylo by doing absolutely nothing” is infinitely less interesting to me than “Rey and Kylo change and redefine each other through their collisions and interactions”. If I had to choose between a one sided romance on Kylo’s part and no romance at all (but rather, a mutual... friendship? ambiguous antagonism?) I’d choose the latter without blinking. I’m more interested in the mutual nature of whatever’s going on between them (even if it’s just platonic), than I am in any explicit (but one sided) depiction of romantic feelings.