Sideburns of BoShek

So much good stuff from content before the Prequel Trilogy films were released that I’ve forgotten:
 

I found this helpful thread on a rare visit to the StarWarsEU reddit: Prequels before the prequels
 

"A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition (1994) placed Obi-Wan and Anakin’s births at 60 and 55 BBY respectively.

The Thrawn Trilogy and various other material put the end of the Clone Wars at 35 BBY.

An obscure West End Roleplaying Game piece lists Palpatine as a former Jedi Master.

Jedi Search has Luke saying Yoda lived on Dagobah for hundreds of years.

The ESB Novelization says the Republic fought Mandalorians in the CW, and pretty much everybody agreed the Clones were the main enemy.

The main uniform of the Jedi was what Luke wore in ROTJ.

the Sith were name dropped in the ANH Novelization, but nobody knew what they actually were. Zahn wanted to to have them as what later became the Noghiri, but that was vetoed.

Palpatine came into power after the CW. Mon Mothma was a Senator at the time.

Obi-Wan had another apprentice alongside Anakin during the CW (initially Vader when he was a separate character from Ani, but that was obviously retconned. That guy later became Halagad Ventor).

Owen was Obi-Wan’s brother.

Luke and Leia’s mother stayed with the latter, and died when the twins were four.

Anakin and Obi-Wan still fought on a lava planet.

Obi was implied to be from Tatooine.

Jedi could get married.

Boba Fett’s real name was Jaster Meereel, and he was an adult during the CW.

Vader was already in the suit when the Empire began, he rose the through the ranks as damaged goods (mainly through being Tarkin’s henchman).

Leia’s adoptive father’s first name was Prestor (retconned to be his middle name).

Anakin didn’t know his wife was pregnant at all.

If I remember anything else, I’ll edit it in."

 
^ all in a single post by CharlieTheStrawman

I remember that old “A Guide to the Star Wars Universe” book. I’ll have to dig it out and give it another read! Then onto the Tales Of The Jedi series again, I’ve not read those fully since the Prequel films.

Pic of “A Guide to the Star Wars Universe” also found on reddit:

Edit: there is more on this, and the pre-PT era lore in general, in this new thread:

Pre-PT era lore | an OT & EU scrapbook resource | additional info & sources welcome

From Feige himself:
 

Kevin Feige Confirms His ‘Star Wars’ Movie Is Not Moving Forward, from the Hollywood Reporter
 

'Kevin Feige is no longer headed to a galaxy far, far away. The Marvel Studios boss, who was developing a Star Wars feature to produce, is moving on to other things as he focuses on the dozens of films and TV shows on his plate in the MCU.

When asked if his Star Wars feature was happening, he told Entertainment Tonight simply: “No.” It was part of a larger interview at the Las Vegas premiere of The Marvels Tuesday.’
 

Link to the Kevin Feige interview on Entertainment Tonight: https://twitter.com/etnow/status/1722088080965038268

rocknroll41 said:

I imagine we will get an update on the Rey movie soon, now that the strike is over.

Finally! I mean about the strike, and I hope the actors got what they were asking for. Updates on any of the films would be welcome.

STRIKE OVER: Actors Make a Deal With Studios After 118 Days, at the Hollywood Reporter
 

I didn’t even know Shawn Levy was doing a Star Wars film:

Shawn Levy Gives an Optimistic Update on His ‘Star Wars’ Film, at Collider

I hope it actually happens, and doesn’t get canned or lost in development, like so many others seem to be.

Like you, I’m not sure Nixon was what George based Palpatine on. And George may just have been referencing a famous, widely disliked and untrustworthy politician, just for everyone to compare Palpatine to? And maybe that Nixon fit that bill?

Are there are other mentions by George of Palpatine being inspired by, or based on, Nixon?

DarthStarkiller1234 said:

Sideburns of BoShek said:

Emre16O1 said:

It does make me wonder how George would have wrote Vader and Anakin being the two separate characters in the films, and if and how he’d have used that ‘Vader, still pretending to be a Jedi, repeatedly lured the few remaining Jedi left, to their deaths’ idea.

A time machine, Keith Carradine as Annikin Starkiller, with Timothy Dalton as Darth Vader, and I’m all in for an alternative “what if?” OT universe based on those early drafts. Where the they and Obi-Wan Kenobi are good friends, yet Vader is also betraying them and the Jedi behind their backs! 😃

For some reason I think Obi-Wan would be Qui-Gon, Luke’s father would be Ewan’s Obi-Wan while Vader would be like Kylo Ren

Ooh1! That is a good call, and an interesting idea worthy of some thought! A mix of all 3 current trilogies too.

I like it, but not much more than that. I did enjoy the story of how it came about much more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APJAQoSCwuA - a 12 minute official Beatle video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opxhh9Oh3rg - the official music video for Now And Then
 

But I do prefer Free As A Bird, of the later manufactured singles.

Real Love is okay, but like Now And Then, it can fell like the production is doing most of the heavy lifting, if that makes sense?

More Beatles tunes in the world is no bad thing.

Emre16O1 said:

It does make me wonder how George would have wrote Vader and Anakin being the two separate characters in the films, and if and how he’d have used that ‘Vader, still pretending to be a Jedi, repeatedly lured the few remaining Jedi left, to their deaths’ idea.

A time machine, Keith Carradine as Annikin Starkiller, with Timothy Dalton as Darth Vader, and I’m all in for an alternative “what if?” OT universe based on those early drafts. Where they and Obi-Wan Kenobi are good friends, yet Vader is also betraying them and the Jedi behind their backs! 😃
 

To me, the draft stories are more absorbing than what we saw on screen with the Prequel films; where Vader was still secretly luring the Jedi into traps and their deaths. So much that their numbers had drastically declined over the years, and even when they tried to regroup they were betrayed and massacred. The Battle of Condawn where Vader killed Luke’s father just sounds awesome, coupled with Obi-Wan later defeating Vader at the volcano pit, where Vader was severely injured and left in need of a mask and suit just to breathe:
 

Emre1601 said:

Lucas is also on record in Rinzler’s Making Of book: “The thing about Vader wasn’t developed until the 4th draft [of Star Wars], when I was sorting out Vader’s real character and who he was”. Yet even here Vader and Annikin are still two completely separate characters:

 
Even in this 4th draft of Star Wars, the backstory has Vader written a disciple of Ben Kenobi, who betrayed the Jedi, and stole a kyber crystal from Ben, to become a Sith Lord. Annikin, Luke’s father, died at the Battle of Condawn, slain by Vader. Kenobi then defeats Vader, nearly killing him, and leaving Vader in need of the mask to breathe:

 
Phil Szostak, the Lucasfilm Creative Art Manager & author, in his 2019 “Star Wars Mythbusting” twitter thread:

https://twitter.com/PhilSzostak/status/1157776519923552256 (when debunking George’s “Darth Vader = Dark Father” claim)

‘Darth Vader is not Luke Skywalker’s father until the April 1, 1978 second draft of Empire Strikes Back.’:

 
Even when Vader had a wife and child as a kind of cover for his secret dark side deeds, and was able to lure other Jedi to their deaths:

^ by Brian Ashmore in 1993.
 

and this picture of Obi Wan, by Hugh Fleming in 1994, always fires up some “what ifs? thoughts”:

 
Edit: there is more on this, and the pre-PT era lore in general, in this new thread:

Pre-PT era lore | an OT & EU scrapbook resource | additional info & sources welcome

Caston said:

Another “+” for the High Republic.

I hope we will see some Jedi in relationships on screen, in The Acolyte. As The Acolyte is set in The High Republic era, at their supposed height and best, and we know there are several Jedi in relationships from the books and comics, maybe we’ll actually see some Jedi in actual relationships.

Though I am mainly hoping for a good series, something more like Andor, rather than the more Mandoverse recent series.

I forgot about these two couples:
 

Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan and Clone commander Darman Skirata fell in love in the “Republic Commando” series of books (part of the 2002-2007 Clone Wars multimedia project), and had a force sensitive child, Venku Skirata, who was force senstive himself.

https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-etain-tur-mukan-darman-skirata-marriage

At the other end of the timeline, in the Old Republic, there is the Jedi who married a Sith (from a certain point of view), when Bastia Shan married Revan, and also had a child together.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wedding_of_Revan_and_Bastila_Shan (in the 2011 novel “The Old Republic: Revan”)

There a many more Jedi who married or who had long term relationships, children, possessions and so on, but the above were just the main characters that sprung to my mind.

I haven’t read “Light Of The Jedi”, or much of The High Republic, set 500 BBY to 100 BBY, but in there are apparently Jedi who fall in love, have intimate relationships, and also form emotional attachments:-

https://gizmodo.com/the-high-republics-jedi-should-be-living-in-a-golden-ag-1846183927

'For as different as they might initially seem, Avar [Kriss] and Elzar [Mann] are presented as extremely close friends in the novel, having grown up as fellow younglings, Padawans, Knights, and eventually by the time of the book’s end, Masters of the Order. They go everywhere together, on missions or on downtime. They are compassionate for each other, clearly. Their connection together allows them, as Jedi, to do spectacular things with the Force multiple times in the novel, building on Avar’s own unique ability to connect her fellow Jedi through the Force in powerful acts of sensitivity. One of the last scenes in Light between the two confirms something that felt keenly obvious in looking at their relationship throughout: at one point, as younger Jedi, Avar and Elzar were romantically entwined, before choosing to amicably separate to focus on their studies as apprentices of the Force.

Two Jedi. Two Jedi who loved each other. Who still do. Who are not just good friends, but deeply intimate with each other in a way that goes beyond friendship. Two Jedi who are, by very much any definition of the word, still emotionally attached to each other.’

 
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Avar_Kriss & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Elzar_Mann

‘Star Wars Prequels Were Mapped Out By George Lucas & Lawrence Kasdan In 1981: Exclusive Excerpt From The Making Of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’

^ a 2013 article at the Huffington Post, promoting JW Rinzler’s ‘Making Of Return Of The Jedi’ book.
 

As the screenshot below highlights, the following conversation is from the July 1981 story conference for “Revenge of the Jedi”, covering a number of topics, including:

George discussing Anakin having a wife, and her being pregnant with Luke and Leia, like it is a completely normal thing for a Jedi to do. Eventually she gives birth to the twins. George also stating that ‘because the Skywalker line is so strong in the Force’, Obi Wan tells her “I think we should protect the kids, because they may be able to help us to right the wrong your husband has created in the universe”:

Edit: there is more on this, and the pre-PT era lore in general, in this new thread:

Pre-PT era lore | an OT & EU scrapbook resource | additional info & sources welcome

In the early to mid 1970’s, the “Rough Drafts” for Star Wars, we had the Jedi Kane Starkiller being a father to two children, Deak and Annikin:

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kane_Starkiller & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_Star_Wars_1

and like Superweapon VII, I think the later drafts also had some mention of Jedi having families or offspring too.

In the official 1983 Return of the Jedi novelization, by James Kahn, we have Ben Kenobi telling Luke that Owen was his own brother:

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Return_of_the_Jedi_(novelization)#Differences_from_later_works

In the official licensed 1995 Premiere Limited set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game, released by Decipher, it is stated that Owen Lars is the “brother of Obi-Wan Kenobi”:

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Premiere_Limited & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Owen_(Kenobi)

In the Tales of the Jedi comic books, from 1993 to 1998, Jedi had families and children too. Notably Nomi Sunrider, who was wife of a Jedi, became a Jedi herself, and her daughter Vima, also became a Jedi. The family had a personal droid, A-3DO, so I think that may count as a “possession” too?

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Nomi_Sunrider

Kam and Tionne Solusar, both Jedi, were already married by “Star Wars: Union” comics (1999-2000) and had been married for some prior to Luke to Mara Jade getting married to each other. Kam was the son of Ranik Solusar, a Jedi Master slain by Darth Vader.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kam_Solusar & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tionne_Solusar

Luke marrying Mara Jade in “Star Wars: Union” comics (1999-2000) (note the red lightsaber in the image below!): https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wedding_of_Luke_Skywalker_and_Mara_Jade - and would obviously have a child (Ben)

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Union

Corran Horn and Mirax Terrik were married sometime after the Bacta War and before 1998’s “I, Jedi”, where Corran had to further improve his force skills in order to save his wife:

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wedding_of_Corran_Horn_and_Mirax_Terrik

They had 2 children, when Corran was a Jedi Master.

Corran’s grandfather was a Jedi too:

Nejaa Halcyon, a Jedi Master, grandfather of Corran Horn - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Nejaa_Halcyon

Valin Horn, a Jedi knight, son of Corran Horn - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Valin_Horn

Jysella Horn, a Jedi knight, daughter of Corran Horn - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jysella_Horn

Quinlan Vos had a relationship with Khaleen Hentz. They had a child, named Korto Vos.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Quinlan_Vos/Legends & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Khaleen_Hentz

Kento and Mallie Marek were both Jedi, and had a son, Galen Marek, aka “Starkiller” (in the 2007 “The Force Unleashed” videogame, that George Lucas actually considered part of the main Saga story).

We see Galen father, Kento Marek, at the start of The Force Unleashed video game. We don’t see Galen’s mother as she died before the events of the game:

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kento_Marek & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mallie_Marek

Jedi Master Thracia Cho Leem married multiple times and had several children. She resigned from the Jedi Order without explanation prior to the Clone Wars (in 2000’s Rogue Planet novel?)

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Thracia_Cho_Leem

Jedi Knights Callista Ming and Geith Eris also had a relationship, in the Clone Wars era:

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Geith_Eris & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Callista_Ming#Personality_and_traits

In the TOR era (and video game):

Kira Carsen was a Jedi, whose parents were both Sith. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kira_Carsen

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kira_Carsen's_father & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kira_Carsen's_mother

In the game you can marry, or have a romantic relationship, with your Jedi apprentices. One of whom is Kira Carsen.

 
^ The same applying to Nadia Grell:

‘Nadia Grell is a companion character for the Jedi Consular class of Star Wars: The Old Republic. In the original class storyline, she was a romance option only for male player characters. After she returned in the “Jedi Under Siege” update,[6] she became a romance option for all Jedi Consulars regardless of gender.’

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Nadia_Grell
 

Lana Beniko is a similar Dark/Sith side character: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Lana_Beniko#Behind_the_scenes

In the 2014 Rebels animated series, set just before the OT, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus marries fellow rebel Hera Syndulla and they raise a child named Jacen Syndulla (who has force abilities).

Jedi Masters T’ra Saa and Tholme fell in love, had a relationship, but ultimately did not get married.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/T'ra_Saa & https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tholme/Legends

As Vladius posted above: “All the source material before Attack of the Clones suggests Jedi with families and children.”

I think many of us before Episode II thought it was just natural that a number of the Jedi did have partners, families and children, had their own homes or dwellings, and had some possessions, like droids, and so on.

Then George Lucas just thought he needed to create a “forbidden love” subplot in AOTC, while lacking the skill to coherently write it. And he unfortunately didn’t get in someone who could. For some reason, this 2002-ish invented “forbidden love” rule has stuck, in the main.

Tartakovsky’s micro series is often overlooked. I admit didn’t like it when if first came out, but over time have come to appreciate it. There is some great fun stuff in here, some interesting ideas and characters, and some if it has been used in later content. Maybe more will as it approaches the 20th anniversary and it is now widely available on Disney+?

Adigitalman did a highly rated edit of this blending it all together, and someone on here recently did a project preserving how it was originally aired on TV 20 years ago.

While the 2003 micro series itself is often overlooked, the whole multimedia project from 2002 to 2007 for it is probably even more forgotten and neglected! See oojason’s post on that project here: https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Clone-Wars-2003-animated-series-by-Genndy-Tartakovsky-a-general-discussion-thread/id/4048

More “OT accurate” material for the Prequel era would be awesome!

It is a pity that Lucas kept the “Prequel era” off limits for writers before the PT movies were released, other than the content from thousands of years ago.

Which is kind of weird, as he used much of the TOTJ content for the Sith backstory and ideas for the PT movies?
 

More Solo books like Brian Daley’s, or Lando books like L. Neil Smith’s, would have been interesting. Quality stuff like Andor is how I imagine good Prequel era content that is “OT accurate”.
 

Was there any highly regarded “Prequel era” fan stories from before 1999?

Vladius said:

I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to just consider anything you like canon and anything you don’t like noncanon.

Well, that works for Dave Filoni, who’ll even make his own changes in making previous parts of content “canon”!

Seriously, your own “head-canon” is probably more consistent than Lucasfilm’s canon, and why let Lucasfilm or anyone else tell you what is “canon” or not?

Keyan Farlander said:

“The Making Of Star Wars” from 1977 is in HD on YouTube, probably upscaled, at the “Cinerama” channel.

Are we allowed to link directly to videos like this?

I think we are. crissrudd4554 already did so I guess it is okay.

crissrudd4554 said:

Making of Star Wars

https://youtu.be/FSuDjjlIPak?si=xDdUKW4sMPqY_zNg

That upscale version from the “Cinerama” YouTube channel looks good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ikWHGSelw

Although it is 5 minutes shorter than the video crissrudd4554 posted to?

Channel72 said:

This thread is fake news.

Channel72 said:

I find that answer vague and unconvincing.

/thread.

Star Wars Jedi 3 Gets Exciting Announcement from Cameron Monaghan at The Direct
 

The Star Wars: Jedi franchise was confirmed to be back in active development for Star Wars Jedi 3, according to the series’ star Cameron Monaghan.

The very successful Star Wars Jedi series of video games has a lot to like about it: A charismatic lead, satisfying lightsaber combat, and a compelling storyline set between the Prequel and Original Trilogies.

The first game, Jedi: Fallen Order from 2018, saw young Cal Kestis grapple with the state of the galaxy as well as his own past as a padawan during Order 66. Its 2023 sequel Jedi: Survivor pitted Cal against the might of the Empire as well as a fearsome new villain called Rayvis.

Ocala Comic Con in Florida welcomed Cameron Monaghan of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor fame for a panel on the game series (via Saix_XIII on YouTube.) It was there that the actor announced that Star Wars Jedi 3 is in development:
 

“We’re working on the third [game] and we’re in the process of doing it right now… So, that’s a big undertaking and there’s been some conversations so far. But hopefully, when all things are said and done, we’ll be able to go in and make something really cool for you guys again.”

I hope we get Eclipse and the FPS game before this. It’s great for the JS fans that this is getting another instalment, but c’mon, give us that FPS game next!

Re-watching all of these today. So many cool stories and different amazing styles. I wish they’ll do something like for live-action short stories one day soon.

“I’m already on my way out”

 
Wedge was great in ROTJ.

Darth Tremor said:

Sideburns of BoShek said:

Darth Tremor said:

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.

Darth Tremor said:

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.

Vladius said:

I just don’t trust the people making this stuff with those characters. I thought I might like Ahsoka or (recent) Mandalorian more because they’re not movie characters so there’s less to “ruin” but I still think they did them dirty. So I have even less faith that they’ll do something good with Thrawn, Mara Jade, Revan, Plagueis, or whoever. I don’t get it when fans hate the existing stuff coming out and then turn around and say, “Give us KOTOR! Give us Mara Jade!” etc. as though just having those characters technically in something makes it good.

Quality is quality. It’s been said a lot but Andor went with a completely original story with almost all new characters, and receives almost universal praise. Would I trust the people making that show with making a clone wars show? Yes. Would I trust them to make a cool show with Kyle Katarn in it? Yes. Another completely original concept? Yes.

But if you hand the same stuff over to the people that made and approved Book of Boba Fett, Obi Wan show, Mandalorian season 3, then no. Dave Filoni, no.

I feel very much the same. I’d have to have seen the makers of Andor do some of the previous live action projects. Or other creatives as talented with different visions and takes on EU stories or legacy characters. Even in animation or short one-off live action specials.
 

77 episodes of Rebels
133 episodes of The Clone Wars
27 episodes of 2003 Clone Wars
7 episodes of Tales of the Jedi
6 episodes of Kenobi
8 episodes of Ahsoka.

258 episodes in total: mainly in an attempt to somehow try and fix, improve, save, repair, expand upon, mitigate, or flesh out the 3 awful Prequel Trilogy films from some 20/25 years ago.

If after nearly 258 episodes, the most ‘exciting’ and ‘best thing ever’ fans are talking about online is seeing Anakin appearing again in very brief, foggy, dream-like rehashed fight scenes, then the bar has become set very low for this particular era of Star Wars.

Even in this series set in the New Republic era, part of the Mandoverse series that appears to be attempting to fix, improve or expand the Sequel Trilogy much in the way the listed shows above did for the PT: the most crafted and thought-out set-piece so far is a needless call-back about the Prequel era once again. That is such a pity, even though it was done well.
 

Without this particular memberberry, dripping in fan service, I have to ask myself just how good has this series been so far? Not very.

5 episodes in and it is mundane, shallow, predictable. Albeit with some okay, fun parts occurring in places. Much like Mandalorian seasons 2 & 3, Kenobi, and BOBF, it is overall disappointing and underwhelming. Lacking in substance, care, quality. It is also safe, formulaic, uninspiring, and risk averse. The clunky dialogue, and slow stoic acting prevents any emotion and tension. And worse of all, the story has nothing to say. Even at best, it contradicts itself: the episode 5 memberberry message of ‘live in the present - or die trapped with the weight of the past’, is ironic given Filoni’s Star Wars projects often use fan service and call-backs to the past events and characters to illicit an emotional reaction from the viewer. Projects that are still unable to stand on their own, that still require those “fan-wish” call-backs even now, nearly 20/25 years after the Prequels.
 

Ahsoka is now reborn as #AhsokaTheWhite, baptised and cleansed of the guilt, controls and burden she placed upon herself. Cool, but as we haven’t really seen that other than Ahsoka acting slow and stoic in the previous four episodes, it doesn’t have much of an emotional impact or weight. And we are now at the same character point we were at the end of the Rebels epilogue: #AhsokaTheWhite. 3 more episodes to go.
 

I have to say the actress playing young Ahsoka was great, and Hayden was also good, very good in the WBW scenes. The cinematography and visuals for the call-back battle scenes were very nicely done. Gif/meme-tastic!

Sabine, the two villains, and young Ahsoka are most engaging of all the characters in the series so far, which is a problem. Maybe now we will see Ahsoka come to the fore? I like Rosario Dawson as an actress, she is a good actress, great in Daredevil. But not in this, so far. I hope that changes in the 3 last episodes.
 

They appear to have a lot to do in those 3 remaining episodes.

And all 3 episodes were so enjoyable. Darth Angelus is doing some fantastic work with these videos!

AHSOKA Is Half Over And So Far It’s… - a 13 minute YouTube video from Jeremy Jahns (for Episodes 1-4).

I don’t usually like the delivery style, but he does mention some good points in this video; especially the inconstant use and appearances of “Force Ghosts” in Star Wars, the reliance of memberberries. That the animated versions of characters seem more lively and interesting than the live action series. Maps again. Some problems with it being a “Rebels season 5”. The villains being the better more engaging characters. And a bit more.

DZ-330 said:

These are NOT the same scene.

#AhoskaTheWhite
Different clothes and her staff. Filoni isn’t that dumb to mess up his own canon.

EDIT: Plus with Filoni being funny about when this scene takes place… I could see it being the closing scene of S1, setting the stage (with more context) for S2 or his movie.

I thought they would be different scenes too, but then Lucasfilm came out and said:

“It’s a moment that’s familiar to ‘Star Wars Rebels’ fans, with a few shot-for-shot recreations of the animated series’ epilogue.”

https://thedirect.com/article/ahsoka-rebels-retcon-lucasfilm
 

I’m guessing it was more important for Dave Filoni to show Ahsoka become #AhsokaTheWhite in this series, and retcon his own canon in Rebels instead?
 

I thought the original Rebels epilogue was Ahsoka and Sabine going off to try and find Ezra shortly before the Original Trilogy era; a valid reason why they were not around or seen in the OT. Now that has been altered or retconned to be 5-6 year after the destruction of Death Star II, what were they now doing during the Original Trilogy era?

daveybjones999 said:

Sideburns of BoShek said:

vranir said:

I’ve realized that the biggest issue I have with this show is the lack of reason to fear Thrawn. I know him from the books. Some fans know him a bit from Rebels. But in this show we have been given no information or evidence of his clout beyond his rank. Even from Rebels we know that he has with him one Imperial class Star Destroyer - what difference does that make? I’m sure there were plenty after Endor that had to be dealt with.

I’m loving the prospect of seeing a new region of space in Star Wars, and I want to see Thrawn in live action, but the threat just isn’t something I feel.

I agree, I want to see him in action in the remaining episodes, to see him be this feared, impressive tactician and leader, and not simply be told about it. Unless that is what the “wrap-up film” from Filoni is going to be, and this is just laying the groundwork for that? That will will be underwhelming if it does.

Yeah I do agree that’s an issue. It’s the problem with making Ahsoka a direct sequel to Rebels because if you haven’t seen that show Hera and Sabine are completely new, and while the show does an admirable job of trying to introduce them to new viewers it doesn’t quite work. Also because it’s a sequel to Rebels it doesn’t feel the need to show why Thrawn coming back is such a big deal because it assumes you’ve watched Rebels and therefore know why Thrawn is so intimidating. If you haven’t seen Rebels he’s pretty much the main villain of the later half of that show. I haven’t read his original trilogy, but from what I saw of him in Rebels he was a fantastic villain. He doesn’t get defeated due to anything he does wrong, it’s other characters in the Empire who screw up his well-laid plans.

Yes, the setup of Ahsoka series infers it is about finding Ezra and Thrawn and stop Thrawn returning to unite the broken Empire against the New Republic. Instead we are half way through and haven’t really seen that yet. We also seem to be dwelling on Ahsoka and contrasting issues with masters and apprentices in the past and present, something which occurred offscreen with Sabine, and is something of a mystery, which is something else we are not going to delve into? Now it appears we’ll get an Ahsoka/Anakin episode for chapter 5.

So only 3 episodes left? That is a lot of groundwork to cover for both Ezra and Thrawn, a new galaxy, and what has occurred there since we saw last saw them. And how it will play into events for the New Republic and broken Empire. All while keeping Ahsoka front and center as a character.