If ever I have misgivings of the EU’s de-canonization (which I don’t), all I need do is remind myself that this existed
and I’m happy again that the EUphiles’ favourite tin god was torn down and hammered into dust.
I see images like that and wonder how they are in the same universe as that quaint 70’s movie. You know, the one featuring a farmboy, a down-on-his-luck hot rod driver and his giant doglike sidekick, and a sassy Mexican Revolution styled princess.
It must have to do with the cartoonification and superheroication of Star Wars.
Basically put to words what I have always thought. I think that’s what the new movies have done well with doing so far, making designs that feel like they exist in the same universe as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Yoda, and more, while not being too derivative too, save for a few things here and there.
Compare the utter ridiculousness of these Darth Maul on meth designs to something as simple, clean, and elegant as Kylo Ren. Honestly, I like Darth Maul but his design was still pretty straightforward and not too cluttered. He had the simple black robes, scary tatooed face and was good to go. So many EU designs, for villains especially, bordered on the ridiculous.
Darth Kryat (spelling?), Darth Bane (armor wise), the rest of the One Sith and more just all reeked of cluttered nonsense. Even the rest tended to be uninspired… I mean Darth Plagius’ master was a cantina Bith fused with helmetless Vader. Even Plagius himself was one of those Banking Clan aliens from the prequels with a respirator.
Some villains like Thrawn and Darth Revan had simple and memorable designs but also unique characterizations and stories to boot, so it’s no wonder there was and is so much clamor to bring them back.
I think a lot of what makes Kylo Ren stand out from the standard red-lightsabered rogue’s gallery of the EU is that he exists in a world of medieval Christian imagery and iconography, from the rough burlap of his cloak to his crucifix lightsaber. He worships a holy relic, travels in a starship with a cross on its bow, and his battlefields include something resembling a crusader encampment, an English castle and grounds, and a Germanic forest. If the locations weren’t clear enough, the final location of the film is literally a Christian monastery. His personality and visage under the mask is reminiscent of a Spanish Inquisitor, and he undergoes emotional (and perhaps physical) torture as a way of strengthening his twisted faith.
While this is rich iconography for TFA to explore, I think one of the reasons it doesn’t resonate as well as the originals is because of this singular European influence. Star Wars has always been projected through a lens of American values, even if it draws from a wide variety of other cultures. Since the primary iconography is now European, it feels removed from the American zietgiest. I would be curious if it resonates more with European audiences, but I would doubt it.
I suppose it does come down to preference, as I think the European elements are new and interesting, but that may just be due to my interest in medieval and European history and aesthetic as well as Authurian lore.
I will say, though, that mainly the villains seem to influenced strongly in European roots (including the obvious Nazi ties with the First Order, you could say, and the Knights of Ren are basically an evil Knights of the round table with seven samurai flavoring thrown in). Rey and Finn really seem to be almost directly influenced by the youth and audience of today. Finn being both black and American almost makes him feel like an average day Joe stuck in this space fantasy, reacting as you would expect to all these crazy things (Goofy aliens, Chewbacca, the force). Even Poe is like your stereotypical company-man military type, like a friendly Top Gun pilot who believes in the cause for freedom as he shoots down those First Order (Nazi) “thugs”.
Even Kylo Ren seems oddly contemporary. The angst with his parents. His wanting for belonging. His obsession with Vader and trying so much to be like him has many parallels to youth of today trying to be more like the giants of the past yet not learning enough that they make the mistake of repeating history.
All that being said, I do think the European influences ARE stronger this time around but that may just be because of the time period… if the fall of the Galactic Empire is the fall of the Roman Empire, then the sequel trilogy is the middle ages of Star Wars.