What is ironic is how The Rise of Skywalker was billed as “The End of Skywalker Saga” and ever since it’s the Skywalkers who get all the attention with Luke’s return in Mando S2 and BOBF and Anakin’s return in Kenobi and now Ahsoka.
The reality is the center of AGFFA is the Skywalker Family. Proof of that is no IP has been able to stand without Anakin/ Vader or a Skywalker.
I think this is why I enjoy Visions series, just fun Star Wars stories about anything and everywhere in the GFFA, that don’t really feature known or legacy characters. If we didn’t like one episode, there is always another. I wish there were more, and look forward to the 3rd season.
It could be why some of us are looking forward to Acolyte, and even Skeleton Crew? That it isn’t made or has input by Filoni or have that “Volume look”, and that is will be crafted by different talents, a different approach and look as well, I hope. Acolyte should definitely be free of the fan service or Skywalkers, and Mangold’s film too.
The Acolyte is on my watch list solely because I have wanted a treatment or story from the dark side or “larger view of the Force.”
I love Visions, and I agree they are refreshing in that they do not depend on any Major Legends characters or Legacy ones; in a way they go back to he fresh blank slate ANH gave us, when all was new and big reveals and secret bloodlines weren’t the focus.
I am crossing my kyber crystals that at some point Visions and The Acolyte will be the norm. New characters and points of view. That said I would be a liar if I said I have not enjoyed Hayden’s return as Anakin & Vader. He was the Tragic Hero I most connected with in the prequels, his duality and learning to accept it is something I aspire to; to come to terms with the Ashla and Bogan in myself.
Ah. I did not iike Anakin as the way he was portrayed in the Prequel films themselves, and he certainly was no “Tragic Hero” in them. Later, in the Prequel era itself, with all the animated shows, book and comics since, he became more of that tragic figure.
But I am happy too that Hayden got to return and show some good acting, to play the character as a more rounded or nuanced person than we originally got in his 2 PT films (I do not blame the actor, other better actors with long careers suffered in the PT also came across as stiff, flat or stifled).
I hope the Acolyte will be a hit, and be something a little different too.