Darth Vader is my favorite Star Wars character. This is my one inviolable Star Wars opinion. Movie and show rankings will change, empires will rise and fall, but Darth Vader will always be my favorite Star Wars character. My earliest Star Wars memory is watching A New Hope on TBS Superstation and seeing Darth Vader […]
Read more "Master of Evil: A Deep Dive into Darth Vader’s Complex Character"This week saw the release of the first three episodes of Andor’s second season and the 20th anniversary rerelease of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. On the surface, these two stories are starkly dissimilar. Andor is a realistic tale about the cost of war and the impact of fascism on everyday people, while Revenge of the Sith is the tragic […]
Read more "Exploring Sacrifice in Andor and Revenge of the Sith"The animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender holds the title of one of the best animated shows of all time—so much so that it spawned a live-action reinterpretation on Netflix. While not quite reaching the same heights as the animated series, the live-action show is a solid adaptation that resonates in a similar fashion to […]
Read more "The Jedi Order: Understanding Strength in Diversity"Brotherhood by Mike Chen is one of the finest examples of Star Wars literature ever penned. Its exploration of the changing relationship between Anakin Skywalker, who is being promoted to the status of Jedi Knight in the second chapter of the book, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin’s former Master who has been promoted to the level […]
Read more "Momentary Decay: How The Jedi Slowly But Surely Destroyed Themselves"In “The Empire Strikes Back,” Yoda explains to Luke that he will be able to discern the good side from the bad when he is “calm, at peace, passive.” Up to this point, Luke has been unable to do so, as his focus has been solely on pressing forward and looking toward the horizon. Throughout […]
Read more "The Journey of a Jedi: Lessons from Luke Skywalker to Rey Skywalker"The fall of the Jedi is a nuanced and ever-evolving story that grows deeper with each new Jedi story told. From Ahsoka to Cal Kestis, from Obi-Wan to Anakin, each Jedi had their own strengths and weaknesses that eventually led to their downfall. Thus, when considering the root problems of the institution itself, one must […]
Read more "Attachment, Connection, and the Fall of the Jedi"Spoilers for Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade The fall of Anakin Skywalker is a compelling tale of what happens when jealousy, attachment, and anger take root in one’s soul. At the same time, it is an example on what can happen when the systems that are supposed to work for the people begin to […]
Read more "Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade Shows How Complete The Jedi’s Failure Was"6- Practice Makes Perfect What the episode does well it does very well. For instance, the time progression is clear via its use of blackouts as transitions, with the added benefit of costume and location changes establishing where this lines up relative to the established canon. This cannot be said for all of the episodes. […]
Read more "Ranking Tales of the Jedi"Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith had the unenviable task of taking the shattered parts of the sequel trilogy created by The Rise of Skywalker and making them work. A desperate task. But, somehow, he does it. Christopher takes a character created purely as a plot progressing device, Ochi of Bestoon, and turns him into […]
Read more "Shadow of the Sith: A Story of Desperation (and Hope)"While the portrayals of Obi-Wan Kenobi given by both Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor are nearly flawless, there has always been a bit of a disconnect between the two. At the end of Revenge of the Sith we have a man whose entire life has been left in shambles. Picking up in A New Hope, […]
Read more "How Leia Will Redeem Obi-Wan"
CLASHING SABERS 