#ashoka cast

[thesecretofronance]

Can’t believe we get to wrap up wolfwren week with the Ashoka cast liking and commenting on art, we are so back guys 💜🤍

[supernightboy08]

What if Ashley Eckstein voiced Princess Daisy?

[ilhoonftw]

srk has a bunch of movies that if you watch them while already questioning things ... you will end up radicalized

[staranon95]

getting really pissy at all the Star Wars cancellations lately

at least we'll have Andor season 2 and i'll watch that Mandalorian movie in some way or another but i'm honestly so tired of all the execs at Disney basically abandoning all their Star Wars shows lately

it's like after the first ep of every new show they release, they immediately give up on it due to right wing bigots on twitter. the worst crowd ever

Book of Boba Fett had so much going for it and there was potential there to make it a well rounded show with teasing out parts of Boba's past while also giving him a future

the Kenobi series was a good interlude and i loved that they brought Ewan and Hayden back to continue their characters. i liked that the focus was on Leia and her relationship with Obi-Wan. sucks that they cut Cody out of it though. we deserved old bickering husbands in the desert

while i didn't watch Ashoka, i know so many people had fun with it who had watched the original Rebels series and enjoyed it as the continuation and adaptation of their series. they should have been given a chance to continue them

Acolyte was a breath of fresh air because it was actually the writers trying something new beyond characters we're already well familiar with

even Mandalorian season 3 had some good moments but you can feel the meddling of execs all over these properties

from bringing Grogu back too soon because they need their cash cow back front and centre and taking time away from Boba's story shows how little faith the Star Wars team has in their own ability to tell fulfilling stories

that and they abandon the people of colour, women, and children in their casts when they're being attacked by trolls online

this is an inherently unsustainable way to manage this franchise and they desperately need to figure their shit out if they want to survive

[sophiebaek]

Asian Sophie fancast! ✨

I literally drafted this post a week ago and with the news of the potential Sophie casting call I feel like it was a sign to share my thoughts 😊

—————————

This is all for fun and as Sophie’s arrival seems to be getting closer and more inevitable, so here are some of my Sophie fancasts! As a SEA woman I would love to see representation in the Bton universe and have always pictured Sophie as Asian. [EDIT] With the assumed confirmation that Sophie will be East Asian I’ve included actresses that I love and have been fancast of mine for some time; these actresses are all East Asian (chosen before the casting call) but I also want to call to attention the lack of non-East Asian representation we see at this time. Fancast are at the end!

This is a good time to bring up what Asian representation even looks like since the continent is so big! I will be referencing this Variety article.

So we’ve seen that Asian representation has had a “significant increase of Asian characters from 3% to 16% over the course of 2007 to 2022” and while that seems like a step in the right direction it’s clear that the entirety of Asia is still not represented in media.

The release of 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians saw the increase of Asian stories and characters; but only “90% of the most visible of Asian characters on streaming platforms were a light or medium complexion”. Right now Asian representation is mainly centered around East Asians, and while any representation is good it’s important to be knowledgeable that not all Asian people are descended from that area.

There is a large disparity on how we view the term “Asian”. There are so many ethnicities that are beautiful and deserve representation. A larger representation needs to be seen within the Asian diaspora and also mindfulness to avoid common tropes and stereotypes is extremely important.

Any ways, here are some of my favorite fancasts I have right now! Conveniently all of these actresses are mixed race and with the obvious fact that Lady Cowper’s name is Araminta, it’s assumed Sophie is somehow related to them (which is a choice I do not agree with if now that Sophie is casted as a POC).

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (29)

Known for: Ashoka, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, The Voyeurs

Ethnicity: Born in Australia, Chinese/Italian

Netflix connection: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, Wish Dragon, The Society

Obviously Natasha is busy with her Star Wars projects but she’s been a longtime Sophie face claim for me!

Havana Rose Liu (26)

Known for: Bottoms

Ethnicity: Born in the USA, Chinese/White

Netflix connection: The Chair

The whole time I was watching BOTTOMS I was just so mesmerized by her beauty! She has this ethereal gracefulness that really makes me think of Sophie!

Adeline Rudolph (29)

Known for: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Resident Evil

Ethnicity: Born in Hong Kong, Korean/German

Netflix connection: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Resident Evil

Adeline always caught my attention in CAOS and I wanted to see more of her! She also has quite a bit of projects lined up rn but I’ve loved using her in some edits!

[spacelesbiandisaster]

I started to make some Christmas themed crochet to see if I can get a little money in the holidays, just small things I can sell for cheap to bounce back in my feet again (I really have no money right now), but I really started to think about how cool would it be to start making geek crochet stuff again.

Like:

Trawn (he glows in the dark)

Steven Universe

The Owl House cast: Willow, Vee, Young Eda, Luz, and I had a picture of Amity, but I think I lost it.

I even though about making my own patterns bc there's so many characters I would like to make: Vi and Cait, Ashoka and Barriss, Anakin, Momo and Okarun, Dungeon Meshi Cast, etc... Also maybe some alpha patterns (?)

But the thing is I'm 24 yo with no job and making art (and I will allow myself to call it art even though it may sound pretentious) is not really view as something productive. I just had a call with my mom and it makes me really sad that everything I try to make for myself is view on a negative light by my family. Everytime I talk to them it makes me want to just give up everything to do what they want me to do and it makes me miserable.

So just going to put the pictures of what I do here and hope someone find these doll as entertainment as me.

[tigerbears]

What's with amazing animated series having child soldiers?

This first came to mind when thinking of the clone wars, and later ATLA.

Ashoka was between 14 and 16 when she fought in the clone wars. (17 if you count the Siege of Mandalore)

Who in the Jedi order thought "hey, lets send the 14 year old Padawan to the front lines."

YODA WHY DID YOU SEND A 14 YEAR OLD TO THE FRONT LINES WTF! 😭

But y'know, Avatar has it worse, seeing as most of the cast is either kids or teens while y'know, fighting in a war...

Azula was flipping put in charge of hunting the Avatar when she was 14 YEARS OLD!

and Zuko was banished to search for the Avatar when he was 13!

I mean it's the fire nation and the Firelord's a f**king psychopath so yeah, that checks out.

Still though, weird if you think "oh yeah the day of black sun was planned and started by a couple of teens and tweens."

Guess there was a reason both shows didn't really address it (except for the Ashoka series I guess)

[cameoamalthea]

So about Sabine Wren

When we see her in the Ashoka Teaser:

(Brilliant casting, wonderful hair, and costume design)

She isn't wearing armor.

And sure, she's not in combat, the war is over, but Sabine isn't a soldier, she's a Mandalorian.

Mandalorians are a people, children of Mandalor. That's why Bo-Katan calls Din 'brother' when she first meets him and refers to the rest of the Mandlorians as her brethren. (This is a basic translation of 'vod' meaning brother, sister or comrade in the way you might call a friend bro or sis.)

Mandalorian is a religious and cultural identity. The Resol'nare is the six core actions that are the heart of her culture/religion:

Wearing armor.

Speaking the language.

Defending yourself and your family.

Raising your children as Mandalorians.

Contributing to the clan's welfare.

When called upon by the Mand'alor, rallying to their cause.

Wearing armor is number 1. Some factions interpret number 1 as never remove your helmet in front of others.

Most interpret it as wearing armor and removing your helmet where practical.

(look, it's Sabine's mom)

Even Mandalorians who are not practicing, but are Mandalorian by Leniage will still wear armor. Not just because Beskar Armor is amazing, but because armor connects the wearer to their family who passed it down to them.

"The armor I wear is 500 years old. I reforged it to my liking, but the battles, the history, the blood, all lives within it, and the same goes for every Mandalorian. This armor is part of our identity. It makes us Mandalorians who we are." - Sabine

For those born Mandalorian, their armor is a priceless heirloom. Foundlings who are not adopted into a family that can pass down armor are gifted extra pieces of armor by the entire community. Every scrap is sacred and goes to someone, it either connects you to your family, history, and blood or to everyone's family, history, and blood as part of the greater family of Mandalorians.

We've seen Sabine without her armor before, when going undercover she's worn imperial uniforms, but it is strange to see her forgoing beskar by choice.

I love how the design uses patches where she had emblems on her armor (I did that for my Disney Bound of her). It's very thoughtful costuming. So what is the meaning behind having her wear a leather jacket (Ezra's Jacket?) and forgo armor.

Has she exiled herself for not being there during the purge?

Sabine was estranged from her birth family during Rebels, but her birth family and people remained a core part of her identity and motivation.

In this scene, her adoptive Jedi father teaches her to wield the Dark Saber and to connect to her emotional truth.

"The truth... is that... I left to save everyone. My mother, my father, my brother! Everything I did was for family, for Mandalore!"

Joining the rebellion was for Mandalor and to atone for the harm she had done to her people while at the Imperial Academy (her system was imperially controlled, it was expected that she join, and she was a prodigy who joined young)

"I built weapons, terrible weapons, but the Empire used them on Mandalore, on friends, on family. People that I knew. They controlled us through fear. ( Scoffs ) Mandalore! Fear of weapons I helped create. I helped enslave my people! I wanted to stop it. I had to stop it. I spoke out! I spoke out to save them. To save everyone!"

In Rebels Sabine clearly identifies as a Mandalorian and that's an important part of her identity.

You can't tell she's a Mandalorian in the top photo, perhaps because she no longer believes she deserves to be one.

As shown above, her family and people are the most important thing to her. She left her found family to reunite with her birth family and found a rebellion on Mandalore which she led. However, after fighting alongside Bo-Katan Sabine felt that Bo-Katan should be leader.

(And so did everybody else, Bo-Katan was heir by blood but she was for all intents and purposes elected leader by popular consent)

Sabine then left to return to the Rebel Alliance and fight alongside her found a family in their rebel squadron and remained with them to safeguard Lothal.

Sabine left the Mandalorian Rebellion. She was not there when the rebellion failed. When the Empire set out to destroy her planet and kill everyone on it. She is a survivor of genocide and was not with her people fighting when it happened. Worse, the genocide was a response to a rebellion she started but was not there to see through.

It's not her fault. It's not any Mandalorian's fault.

But how must she feel?

Now recall the Resol'nare: half of the six core actions are about family, clan, and people.

Defending yourself and your family.

Contributing to the clan's welfare.

When called upon by the Mand'alor, rallying to their cause.

Sabine was not there to defend her family or contribute to her clan's welfare. She was not with Bo-Katan, the Mand'alor, she put in power, to help.

Perhaps Sabine no longer wears her armor because she no longer feels worthy of being a Mandalorian.

When Ahsoka sees her on Lothal Ahsoka is in gray robes like she wore in the Mandalorian.

In the Rebels epilogue Ahsoka is in white.

Sabine also looks different in this scene:

Sabine could not have grown her hair to the length in the Ahsoka trailer if that scene took place after the Rebels epilogue. However, she could easily crop her hair short between the trailer scene and the epilogue.

She's also wearing her armor again. Maybe when we first meet Sabine in Ahsoka we will see her in a darker place. She's given up on being a Mandalorian. She's grown her hair out in mourning. Maybe Ahsoka gives her hope, so she puts on her armor again and cuts her hair short, symbolically shedding the weight of grief and guilt.

[elrondapologist]

RoP episode 8 SPOILERS Adar thoughts, ideas and a little critique

I am a little disappointed about Adar's death. I've expected it from the storytelling point of view; it would probably be hard for show writers to develop his character further. It felt a little like his goals were being met, he did what he could have, there was nothing more he could have added to the story. BUT I actually think that was not the case. Watching this season I generally felt like the show seriously lacks background characters. I know they generally made a mistake of adding too many plots (or at least I think that and I saw some people agreeing with this take) and it all felt rushed at moments. I think it impacted the whole show... But again. Hear me out. For me - introducing background characters, adding to the cast of existing names - greatly hepls at making the world come _alive_. I know we all watch the show for people we know (I am, after all, elrondapologist) but I think we also watch to see Middle Earth come alive on screen. And I think I greatly felt the loss of our character having _lives_. Why are we not seeing Elrond/Gil-Galad/Galadriel having close friends and asssociates outside of themselves? Doesn't Gil Galad has a favourite attendant to whom he smiles tiredly, doesn't Elrond at least have a friend or two, doesn't Galadriel clasp hands in a warrior greating with somebody who fought beside her in the past? (I know we get Camnir and Rian and Vorohil - but they were just there. No relations. No background stories. No obvious friendships. No obvious smiles) It is hard to do, I know. But without that it is hard to believe those elves lived _thousands_ of years. I yearn for that. BUT for the third time: Adar was a great exception in that. He was not a background character, but an OC - an OC who shined because he seemed so alive in this world. And it was because of his relations to others - to orcs, to other elves, to the lore. We would not feel we know Adar if not for Glug, for his strange comments to Elrond, mentions of long life and torment. It would be _hard_ to continue his story, but not impossible. And I feel like maybe, just maybe showrunners should have tried. Maybe he deserved a redemption arc. Adar could develop into something magnificent (someone remembers Ashoka from Star Wars Clone Wars? That case scenario). It's a loss, really. RIP Adar. And thank to actors - they were amazming, especially Sam Hazeldine. Thanks for your hard works.

[blackknight-100]

This fic is written for @ronika-writes-stuff , a very, very belated Happy Birthday to you <3

Bheema growled as they barreled through the dense undergrowth, stumbling across protruding vines. A few paces ahead, Arjuna danced in the rain, fleet and swift and beautiful.

“Angaraj!” he heard his brother call out, “do you not like the rain?”

Duryodhana exhaled noisily beside him. “Is it too much to hope he will slip and fall?”

Bheema agreed with the general sentiment; Arjuna’s antics were getting on his nerves. But damn him if he ever chose his homicidal cousin over his own brother.

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” He sent Duryodhana a scowl for good measure.

“Actually, I would like an umbrella right now, and a sedan chair, but Arjuna shutting up is an acceptable alternative.”

Bheema called him a cuss word he would never dare pronounce in Yudhisthira’s earshot. His cousin burst out laughing in response.

Karna, who had abandoned any attempts at running, marched up to them. “Wait,” he said, catching Duryodhana by the arm and flapping his hand dangerously close to Bheema’s face. “Prince Sahadeva believes there is a cave close by.”

Bheema stopped, and Duryodhana did the same, leaning against a false ashoka. “Is this belief the result of some tangible evidence or is he doing his mind-manifestation thing again?”

“Oye!” Bheema scowled, swinging his mace up his shoulder, “I’m going to bash your head in.”

Duryodhana rolled his eyes but pushed himself off and Bheema stomped ahead of the sycophant and his king. He was ready to go home.

They marched the remaining hundred paces in silence. Sahadeva and Yudhisthira were huddling under an arched stone structure that once might have been a sprawling temple but was now reduced to a glorified rocky outcrop. Dushashana crouched beside them, close to Nakula. They were shaking their heads hard, fanning out their hair and sending sprays of water everywhere.

“What is wrong with you?” Karna demanded.

“I shook out more water than Nakula,” Dushashana told him proudly.

No, you did not.” Nakula thrust his head out into the rain again and started tossing his hair. “Look at this.”

Bheema rolled his eyes then noticed Yudhisthira taking a deep breath, clearly preparing some new lecture, and cast about for something to say before he began.

“I am hungry.”

Duryodhana stared at him. Arjuna started to laugh, “Are you ever not hungry?”

Bheema, who had blurted out the first thing on his mind in an attempt to distract Yudhisthira, blushed.

Karna hurried them all into the shelter. “It’s wet and cold,” he told Dushashana when the latter tried to drench his hair again. “You are going to forget about this match in half an hour. If you get sick, you will have to lay in bed for a week.”

“Oh, come on,” Dushashana grumbled, but complied.

Yudhisthira held out a hand to Arjuna. “Are you going to get some firewood?”

Bheema watched, a little bemused, as his brother bounded over a fallen log, and turned to Sahadeva. “Where is he going to find dry wood?”

Sahadeva shrugged and smiled. “Have patience brother. He will think of something.”

Bheema curled under the shade, huddling between his brothers. They watched in companionable silence as the rain slowed gradually, the pattering growing softer. Karna and Duryodhana had their heads together, murmuring in low voices. Once in a while there came distant whoops – Arjuna was certainly enjoying his duties.

Of course, because Yudhisthira could never let things be – he turned to Duryodhana and began, “So, how is the construction of the new quarters going?”

Karna jumped and Bheema smirked.

“Oh, pretty good. My mother is going to confirm the patterns on the balustrade today, and all the options look ravishing.” Duryodhana boasted.

“Oh,” Yudhisthira blinked, but was saved from thinking up an answer by Arjuna’s return. Their brother was dragging a dead stag behind him, grinning like he had won Draupadi’s swayamvar all over again.

“Where’s the firewood?” Dushashana asked.

“I forgot,” Arjuna told them.

“You forgot?”

Arjuna shrugged. “Okay, I did not want to. This was more fun.”

Yudhisthira rolled his eyes. Karna got up, stretched, and picked up Sahadeva’s axe, swinging it in his hands.

“No matter, Arjuna,” he said tauntingly, “I am sure you can eat raw flesh like a pisacha. For the rest of us, I will get you firewood.”

“Oi!” Bheema jumped up, clenching his fists, and narrowly avoided a head-on collision with the protruding rock. “You are just jumping to go, aren’t you? This is right up your lane.”

Karna snorted. “It is,” he said, “and you need better arguments if you want to defend your brother.”

And with that last piece of gratis advice, he was gone.

Bheema opened his mouth to continue, but Yudhisthira gave him a glare so stern he was compelled to roll his eyes and settle into sullen silence.

“We should get moving,” Nakula said, after a pregnant pause.

“Where are we?” Duryodhana demanded.

“Shouldn’t you know?” Bheema asked impatiently. “This forest is in your kingdom.”

“Look here-” Duryodhana began, but Yudhisthira intervened once more.

“It’s growing dark,” he pointed out, gesturing to where the patches of sunlight on the ground grew sparser and more diffused. “Maybe we should wait for the morning. We have food and we will soon have firewood. It is going to be safer.”

“It’s going to be boring,” Dushashana complained.

Arjuna shook his head. “I promised Draupadi we would not get in trouble. I vote for morning.”

“There are more of you,” Duryodhana grouched, but he must have agreed to it because he did not fuss anymore.

They fell into pairs – Duryodhana with his brother, the twins together, Bheema with Arjuna, and Yudhisthira the odd one out – and dispersed cautiously to gather materials to make camp.

They were hauling armfuls of underbrush to make their beds when Arjuna nodded behind him into the gloom. “Here he is.”

Karna emerged from the shadow of the trees, bundles of firewood on his shoulder. He took one look at the lumped beds, Yudhisthira’s half-skinned stag and flung the bundles into an untidy heap.

“Are these edible?” he asked Sahadeva, holding out his palm. Bheema spotted a bunch of herbs and some seeds.

Nakula peered over his brother’s shoulder and nodded. “Yes. Good job.”

In a rare moment of civility Karna nodded a vague thanks to the Pandava twins and started arranging the piles to build a fire.

Then, Dushashana ruined the moment (as he was wont to) by asking aloud, “Who is cooking?”

Yudhisthira looked up and offered, “Bheema perhaps?”

Bheema bristled, not because he did not want to cook, but because Yudhisthira had not even bothered to ask him if he was willing to burn a stag for eight people.

“I can’t cook very well,” he announced. “I think someone else had better do it.”

The others stared at him.

“What?” he asked defensively.

Duryodhana shook his head in amazement. “Who are you, and what have you done to Bheema?”

“You dumb thing,” Bheema sneered, “have you finally lost your sight as well as your brain.”

Dushashana rose beside them, but Duryodhana did not even take offence. He was still gaping at him.

“I don’t think,” Nakula began, “anyone expected to see the day when you refused to cook, Bhaiyya.”

Bheema sputtered, half in annoyance and half in betrayal, “Excuse you!”

There was a pregnant pause. Dushashana ventured cautiously, “So… what now?”

Bheema buckled under the pressure of several pairs of eyes and burst out, “Why don’t you do it?”

Karna, who had also stopped whatever he was doing to observe this playing out, stood up, sighed, and ruffled his hair. “Never mind, I’ll do it.”

This declaration was greeted with considerable suspicion by the rest of the group. Even Duryodhana, who had openly supported his then-commoner friend in front of the whole empire and his royal father, now blinked dubiously at him.

“What?” Karna asked, flinging out his arms. “I do know how to cook, you know.”

“I most certainly did not know that,” Dushashana muttered.

“Are you going to poison us?” Arjuna demanded.

Yudhisthira made a shushing sound, and Karna rolled his eyes hard enough to see the back of his head.

“If I decide to kill you, Arjuna,” the King of Anga enunciated slowly, “I will make sure I do it with a bow in my hands and a bow in yours.”

“Oh… um…” Yudhisthira looked taken aback. “Can we postpone all plans of homicide for a few prahars?”

“Sure,” Arjuna and Karna spoke at once.

“Then everything is settled?”

“I don’t want to eat his food,” Bheema told them.

There was a pause. Then Karna got up, swung the stag over his shoulder and glowered at Bheema.

“You know what? Stay hungry.”

With that, he was gone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know,” Bheema heard Nakula say, “this wasn’t actually that bad.”

“You sound surprised,” Karna observed.

“Do I?”

Bheema turned around and tried to block out the conversation. Since he had remained firm on his decision and refused to eat, the others had ganged up on him and sent him up a tree to keep watch. He would feel betrayed by his brothers, but he was far too hungry to care.

He heard them eating, and the occasional polite compliment floated between breaks in stilted conversation.

After a while, Sahadeva called out to him, “Bhaiyya, we are done. Do you want me to keep watch now?”

“No,” Bheema called back, although he just wanted to shout, ‘go away.’ “I am not sleepy. I will call you.”

“Huh,” Sahadeva muttered. “Not hungry, not sleepy, refuses to come down from a wet branch – what has happened to you?”

Bheema did not deign to dignify that with an answer. Yudhisthira came by sometime later to inform him that Arjuna had made his bush-bed, but Bheema ignored him as well. All he wanted was food.

Gradually the sounds of the camp quietened down, and the forest came alive. Moonbeams cut through the leaves like shards of glass, and crickets chirped in the night. Bheema heard the distant howl of jackals and shivered a little. His stomach growled.

Bheema looked over to their camp. His brothers lay sprawled over in various degrees of comfort – Nakula and Sahadeva were huddled together like newborn pups, and Arjuna had his head in a rather uncomfortable position on Yudhisthira’s arm. Karna and his cousins appeared asleep as well and Bheema gathered up the courage to venture closer.

The branches creaked and shuffled their leaves as he climbed down, but no one stirred. At the edge was a heap of banana leaves, and it was there that Bheema tiptoed.

Fate was not on his side, however, and when he parted them, he was disappointed to find a morsel of meat so lonely and small that he could not bring himself to eat it.

Someone coughed. Bheema jumped a foot in the air and spun around, heart pounding.

Karna had rolled on his side, watching him with glittering eyes. “Hungry?” he asked.

“No!” Bheema felt his face flame, and lowered his voice, “No, not at all.”

Bheema’s stomach chose that very moment to growl. The other man gave him an infuriating smirk, rolled over and stood up.

“Wait here,” Karna instructed, picking his quiver and bow, maneuvering around sleeping bodies, and disappearing into the forest.

Bheema sat there compliantly, feeling rather upset and a little foolish. He wondered if he should make off with the last piece, but the thought of Karna finding it missing was worse.

There was some rustling, and Karna reappeared, holding up an arrow with a dead rabbit skewered on it. Bheema was not faint-hearted by any means, but he had to turn away from the grisly sight. “What are you doing?” he asked, as Karna added wood to the fire and settled down to skin his kill.

“This is for you.” He held up a hand to forestall his protests. “Starvation is not rebellion; you just end up being miserable.”

“I was not rebelling,” Bheema sulked.

“Sure.”

For a while they sat together in silence – not particularly comfortable, but not hostile either, which was more than what could be said of their previous interactions. Karna cleaned the flesh and seasoned it with more leaves and mounted it over the fire.

Behind them, Duryodhana stirred. “I smell food.”

“It’s not for you.” Karna told him.

“Everything you make is for me,” Duryodhana drawled. “Wake up, Sahadeva, there is more food.”

Bheema expected Karna to take offence, but the other man only smiled, sighed, and handed Bheema the rabbit.

“Might as well get some more,” he clarified in answer to his questioning glance. “Something tells me everyone will be up now.”

And so they were. That night the eight of them feasted once more – with great teasing at Bheema’s expense, until he pointed out how everyone was gorging themselves on their second meal of the night. Afterwards, they lay on their backs in twos and threes, talking quietly.

When morning came, they began their long trek back home. Bheema threw Karna a smile when no one was looking and got a reserved nod in response. Then, Duryodhana turned to Yudhisthira, who was telling them about Indraprastha, and said, “When we get back, would you care for a game of dice?”

[dailyanarchistposts]

Caste is, as Ambedkar said, “not just a division of labour but, a division of labourers.” Wherever this institution went, it tried to freeze the society into a fossilized rulership and a fossilized disposable and disciplined labouring class. And just as division of labour alienates the workers from her work, product of her labour and life itself; the division of labourers alienated the whole of society and deeply fractured the spirit of human morality and solidarity. The caste structure gave birth to the caste society which has outlived the mode of domination it was invented to serve.

The straitjacket of caste did not emerge in isolation. It is one part of the centuries old project of societal control – Brahmanism. This entry is an attempt to find an anarchist orientation towards Bhrahmanism and its annihilation by looking at some episodes in its history and mutations.

Brahmanism, primarily, is and always has been a socio-political ideology and not a religious movement. The ideology consists in the believe that Brahmans have established links with the higher realms, they are the natural advisors to the rulers on social and political matters and, that they hold the highest place in the social hierarchy. The hierarchy consists in a four tier system of Varna and those who are out of this hierarchy forming the Avarna strata, based on Brahmans principles of standardized purity. Within this image of the Brahmanical society the caste becomes the essential of realizing the dominance of Brahmans as the priestly caste. To insure the success and reproduction of this institution every aspect of human life from the cradle to the grave are governed by strict laws codified in various books and laws of local kingdoms.

This vision of society was largely realized in significant parts of the sub-continent with varying degrees of success, modifications and compromises with other power system. This was not an easy task and beginning with the invasion of Alexander of Macedon, the Brahmans were prosecuted in the north-western region of what is now called India, the only region where they had influence. This continued with Ashoka’s and later his son, Kunala’s murdering of the “treacherous” Brahmans who were fueling anti-Maurya sentiments in local courts. The situation was so bad for the priestly caste that they were sure that the end of the world has finally arrived – the end of Kali Yuga. But Brahmanism not only survived but thrived and the impacts of its unfortunate success to this day are leaving bloody marks on human body and spirit.

Brahmanism conquered not by the blade of the sword but with the succor of the myth. Brahmans spread stories of their demigod like powers, the benefits of befriending and dangers of crossing them. Most importantly they provided to the rulers a divine lineage and right to rule till the end of time and the practical knowledge of statecraft. The Brahmans without ever becoming a threat to political power gave rulers a lineage they can link back to the Puranas and the Vedic era. They were not only able but necessary for the prosperity of the land, making the ruler the permanent and necessary fixture in the mind of the masses.

The benefits flow both ways. Kshatriya and the other ruling castes were essential for realizing the Brahmanical society. It was the duty of the warrior class to institute Danda for its maintenance. In essence, Brahmanism is statism. The kingly class is so essential to the ideology that the end of Yugas are marked by the Kshatriyas becoming incompetent in maintaining the Varna vyavastha and that the evidence that the end of time had not yet arrived was the fact that most king’s lineage maintained their thrones.

This perfect union of the priestly caste and the ruling class is no accident. Humans, when incapable of making sense of the untimely flood, failed crops or plague conjure up unseen forces that help us make sense of the unpredictability and meaninglessness around. Through the combined effect of general ignorance and the need for self-preservation the first seed of authority and power is sown in the heart. God becomes the Supreme Ruler. Once formalized enough, we try to tame the forces through rituals and sacrifices. In initial stages this practice is individualistic. The relation of these forces or gods is direct and intimate, but soon these practices become socialized and a specialized class of sacrifice experts emerges. The link of individual to the god is broken and a flesh and blood human becomes a new center of social power. The same phenomenon repeats itself in sphere of social organization and to tame the social forces in our favor we learn to surrender to the Ruler, sent on earth by the Supreme Ruler. To the extent we submit to a power for self preservation, from corporate bureaucracies to nation states and families, all forms of rulershipare religion.

It was during this period of renewal of Brahmanism, returning from the brink of extinction that the pantheon that is now recognized as Hindu deities was gradually created. First by casting the individualistic, semi-socialized religious cults of Krishna, Shiva etc into the mold of Brahmanism and later by making the newer gods the incarnation of the former. In this process of absorptionreplicating the hierarchy of the Brahmanical society into the realm of gods. Through economic and political coercion the religious power now served the interest of the Brahmans and states.

I skip the changes this Brahmanical temporal authority ordained by the divine authority underwent over the next few centuries and under the Mughal rule and turn to its first interaction with capitalism, the Company Raj, colonization and modern nation states that shook the roots of the old project. In the preceding decades the merchant caste, with its control over rural finance and land displaced the Brahmans from the top of social hierarchy. In Bengal province by the end of the nawab rule fifteen families controlled 60% of the land and in Punjab the British administration had to introduce a law to regulate the acquisition of land by the money lenders on failure of payment of debts. And with the changing nature of sovereignty from the village level to the new national imagination Brahmanism had to mutate once more to survive.

The core of this mutation was the deep-seated hatred of the individual – her free development and initiative. Faced with European capitalism, in its vulgarized disguise of individual freedom the reformers, who had taken up the task of reviving the Indian culture by going back to the Vedic sources, were united in there contempt for the individual. They found in the Varna system the solution to the modern problems of nations. Caste does not necessarily have to be based on heredity but the proper division of labour and social activity based on natural hierarchies which was necessitated by the needs of social organization. Caste with natural leadership of Brahmans, was no longer justified by the metaphysics of religion became the outcome of the theology of social sciences, its theory of race, competition, gender superiority and survival of the fittest. Its aim was to serve the New God of “national interest”.

In search of this nation Brahmanism morphed into Hindutva. This new outward expression of the lust for power also explicitly presented itself as a political project and not a religious movement. Within the Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan that is to bring glory to the nation state, the Hindu is a casteist structure. This was novel. The Hindu identity for a political project was necessitated by two factors. First, the apparent feebleness of the social unity – togetherness and second, the essential principle of nationhood – unity through separation.

Savarkar understood this principle well – “nothing can weld peoples into a nation and nations into a state as the pressure of a common foe. Hatred separates as well as unites.” A nation is that artificial and arbitrary unit of territory and subjects that a political power has acquired for controlling and fleecing. It destroys the natural love and association with the place of birth and our immediate communities through its industrialization and directs that human feeling towards the worship of this abstraction, its symbols and submission to its policies. This form of rulership finds its fullest expression in Totalitarianism of Nazism, Bolshevism or Brahmanism.

The national identity of Hindu provided the aspect of togetherness through idea of blood, culture and language, modification of Shudhi, etc. and its separation through the idea of the Muslim. Whether the state takes refuge in the ideology and shape of Hindutva or secular nationalism – two face of the same coin, its true nature remains the same, that of attuning all human expressions to the beat of this soulless political machine in the name of “national interest”. This technical term does not include the interests of the population – free and quality education and health care, well paid jobs or free or cheap housing for all, it means the interest of the market, the interest of the war machine that is the life blood of the state – its defense from other competing states, its source of expansion outside and control within.

After the transfer of power in 1947, India has remained a fractured community with its apartheid of caste and material conditions furnished by generations of deprivation and violence. In the rural regions it maintain the old structure of control and coercion while in urban setting it modified mildly and justified the stratification by logic of hygiene and merit – that is justifying privilege with privilege itself. The new Indian state did not start a project of actively constructing a casteist state but through its passivity towards caste issues it perpetuated the caste society within the shell of a capitalist state system, each feeding off the other. The maintenance of hierarchical corporate structure that is the Hindu family and segregation through the institution of marriage. The upper castes continued their take over of bureaucracy and managerial positions in state and cultural institution, practically, without any reservation mechanism and that continue to define the Indian society till date.

If we anarchists say that sanctity of the temple of the parliament and its new priesthood just like the temple of the old gods and the Brahmans is a lie and deception then, what do we have to say about reservation and other methods of achieving equality within the current state of things? To this we say that even the ritual of horse sacrifice must have yielded results for the masses, not from the blood drawn but from their organizing for themselves, taking things into their own hand and shaking things up. This assertive self-organization of the masses in each epoch of history has realized to the extent possible the moral and social progress. And within the modern nation states this progress, which is the collective wealth of our humanity has received a degree of formalization.

The erosion of this progress and regression will always be a possibility as long as there is a power whose control it weakens. And when this social progress is at its highest the instruments of domination have also become sharper, deadly and now threaten us with the possibility of ending the only known experiment of life in the universe. Anarchist believe that through continuing this assertive self-organizing for securing more and more moral progress we not only improve our immediate condition but also prepare ourself for the final destruction of social, political and economic rulership. A liberal welfare state can be an holding ground that reduces the impact of the blows from the state and the caste society and gives us opportunity for further progress. But the ultimate safeguard from Brahmanism or any other form of absolute domination over human body and spirit is Anarchism.

In an hierarchical society, certain individuals at particular historical junctures can play a catalytic role in either accelerating the progress or dragging it back for decades. If the former, then too, it is the social organization of individuals based on values of equality, mutual aid and decentralization of power that maintain it. There is further limit of the strategy of “having the right faces in the high places”. Once in position of power, the prerogative of the institutions dictate their actions. Having women, dalit-bahujan or queer people In position of power, like other holding strategies can make some limited gains but in the end the only interests these individuals represent are their own. No person can “represent” another person, a whole community lesser still. It maintains the relations of dependence and submission and further dulls the instincts for self-initiative and fosters moral passivity – a perfect condition for Brahmanism or any form of authority to exploit.

Even if the major decision of life and society are now made by the captains of industry and states-persons, and even if these decisions are not primarily driven by Brahmanical interests (and how different are these differences after all?) Caste is still alive. Some aspects of caste have been weakened and at the same time others strengthened. The general economic inequality, access to housing, well paid jobs – which means class – is graded on caste lines. As one historian noted, “it is striking how many of the country’s billionaires today are, though not direct descendants of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century magnates, certainly originate from the same communities which began to accumulate wealth and influence at the end of the Mughal period and during the rise of the English East India Company.” The social stigma, practices of untouchablity and the Brahmanical institution of marriage flourish. Two great forces are gravitating towards forging a new Brahmanical-Hindutva order and a hazy road for taking in the opposite direction also gradually becoming visible. Both possibilities, like always depend on one thing – Organizing.

The force of social reaction to the neo-liberal bloodbath which turned a preventable health crisis into an global pandemic and in India made 12 crore people unemployed in a single month is the decisive factor in the fate of Brahmanism. 10 crore young Indians have given up all hope of finding a job and had stopped searching for work long before the current economic breakdown. Half of the youth of this country are unemployed. And those who have work are working 12 hours shifts to survive hand to mouth. In this constantly changing external world the individual loses her equilibrium. These uprooted millions turn into a mob seeking a source of stability and finding themselves incapable of self emancipation look for external power that would uplift them and give life a new meaning. Along with religiosity, in some cases the caste relations are strengthened as they are seen as a source of nourishment.

This combined with RSS’s mobilization and organization is the path towards strengthening Leader worship and Hindutva. The breaking up of the process of class reproduction and the erosion of the middle class, and with it the hopes and aspirations of millions in front of their eyes is accelerating. By some estimate at least half of the children born in middle class do not remain in it when they reach adulthood. The concentrating boss class is eager to exploit the people on caste lines. This is where one possibility of going in the other direction lies – poor peoples’ revolutionary unionism. The traditional unions that replicate the caste structure due to its hierarchical nature will only represent the interests of the minority leader class and not the workers themselves.

Its only through Anarcho-Syndicalism that we can achieve the threefold task of achieving progress in living and work standards, wages, expansion of reservation to compensate for the generational subjugation of dalit-bahujans in private and public sector, expanding the public sector that enables creation of new and greener jobs, progressive taxation and day-to-day struggles at workplaces; confronting the caste issue face to face as members of working class as well as part of oppressed communities through minority committees, along with local union branches to address caste at workplace and within the unions and; shedding away the elaborate etiquette of submission of this casteist society through rediscovering our instincts for self-initiative and direct action rather being dependent on this or that leader, the despot of tomorrow. This rediscovery and the development of this instinct and culture in the organized form within these alternative institutions form the essential ingredient of the society that shall replace the current disorder.

John R. McLane noted that, “since an individual’s obligations and privileges were specific to his or her family, jati, and age, universal standards of political-moral behavior rarely galvanized people into cooperative political effort.” Any intellectual current or form of practice that exclusively promote inward inquiry at cost of building broad solidarity of all oppressed while understanding the various inner relations in practice, unintentionally replicates the essential of the nation and Brahmanical order and play into hand of our enemies like in 2019 general election where Jadav-Yadav dynamic was a major determining factor in BJP’s victory. We do not wish to repeat these past mistakes, neither of the Marxist left that minimizes the importance of non-economic cultural and social factors at work and in society and address them within their organization and programs nor, of the narrow identity politics that in the long-run poses no threat to the status quo that it apparently wishes to destroy and has no space for broad solidarity based on shared needs and values in genuinely democratic and workers controlled organizations.

Revolutionary unionism is only one part of the struggle. Anarchists and other individuals must engage in cultural struggles towards elimination of the caste society. I cannot pretend to have a solution to this problem, I can only note that we know that the forces of alienation aggravates it and that we have a legacy of experiments by the people from dalit-bahujan castes to build upon and with anarchist emphasis on the abolition of marriage, dismantling the corporation of family and building a society based on free love and societal responsibility of child rearing, we have the impetus to motivate action in direction of liberation.

Caste being a particular configuration of hierarchy and the method of its reproduction, it finds affinity with all forms of dominations and latch on to the one it finds. While through the autonomous and varied cultural struggles and fighting back the class war as working class dealing with caste antagonism we make conditions better for both our class and dalit-bahujans, Anarchism is Brahmanisms only permanent solution. As long as there is a state or a economy based on private property, RSS has the possibility of achieving its desired position of the Raj Guru to the State. Following in the footsteps of the Saudra-attishudra Dakaits and their direct actions against capital and domination we organize not to end any particular form of authority but Rulership itself.

For a Casteless Society! – For Annihilation of Brahmanism! – For a Free Humanity!

For Anarchy!

[illuminatedquill]

Well, that was certainly a finale.

Initial thoughts below (SPOILERS AHEAD):

Ahsoka 1x08:

THE JEDI, THE WITCH, AND THE WARLORD

I’m a bundle of many emotions but first -

Look, nothing’s over. Okay? Filoni is clearly playing a long game here with these characters. So let’s all calm down and wait for the next season.

There was simply too much to show in this final episode for it to be satisfying on every front. I think, for the most part, he succeeded in ending this first season and setting up What Comes Next.

But I do feel like some of the character stuff was resolved a little too neatly, in my opinion.

There’s such potential in these relationships and I feel like Filoni was laser focused on getting the groundwork laid down for the future. And it’s Big.

(THE MORTIS GODS ON PERIDEA. ANAKIN FORCE GHOST. I SCREAMED WHEN I SAW IT.)

I’m not 100% pleased with where Sabine ended up and the fact that she just irrevocably altered the fabric of her home galaxy due to her decision seemed to have been glossed over by Ahsoka and STILL not found out by Ezra.

I mean, there’s HUGE ramifications from what she did. And I’m worried that none of it will be played out to it’s proper devastating conclusion.

Yet, I’m willing to let it slide because it’s clear that there will be more. So, we just have to wait.

Also, the exploration of why Sabine made her choice was never addressed. At least, not in a way that was satisfactory to me. Again, I’m hoping that’s explored in the future . . . but I don’t know.

Even Thrawn was confused about her decision! He couldn’t understand it. And this is Thrawn we’re talking about.

How can you not interpret everything Sabine did in this season as being driven by something more than just friendship. Even the casual fans picked up on it.

(It’s me! I’m the casual fan. Didn’t ship it before and then I saw the first Ahsoka trailer and it suddenly clicked.)

She officially cemented her place in the Disaster Lineage when she made the choice to hand over the map to Baylan! Gambled the fate of an entire galaxy just for the chance to see Ezra again!

That’s peak romance! Literally have not seen a character’s choice forever alter the future on a galactic scale of this magnitude since the main man, Anakin Skywalker, himself!

All for love!

And, yeah, I know the Wolfwren fans are pleased with Shin also being on Peridea. I know Filoni is on the record being against an Ezra/Sabine romance (at least during Rebels, which made sense at the time to me) but I don’t see that pairing being a thing.

We’ve gotten prime examples of healthy, loving, supportive romance from him: Sabine’s parents, Kanan and Hera, Ezra’s parents.

Shin would need to mellow out her murderous nature by 100% to be friends with Sabine. If that happens, I would be cool with it.

Don’t see her doing that anytime soon with her last scene being that. She’s too power hungry.

Other thoughts:

Fantastic battle scenes - highlight being the final duel between Morgan and Ashoka. She went out like a fighter.

Thrawn was excellent, as always. Lars Mikkelsen was born to play this role. His cold, calculating menace is balanced perfectly by some flickers of emotion here and there; the regret when he asked Morgan to stay and his annoyance at Ahsoka escaping his hellfire.

Eman is Ezra. Fantastic casting.

As for Natasha as Sabine . . .

I want more from her. Just more of her as Sabine, forever and always. Still my favorite character on the show. I think there’s more emotional depths to be explored (LIKE HER FEELINGS FOR EZRA) but I’m putting that on Filoni.

(. . . This post is a mess. Sorry for rambling. I’m sure a lot of you feel the same.)

Just want to emphasize that it’ll probably be fine. Nothing’s been decided, one way or the other. And the success of this season should hopefully guarantee more of these beloved characters on our screens soon enough.

And, well, there’s nothing a good fanfic can’t fix. I expect we’ll be seeing plenty of those after this.

[anakinskywalkerog]

EP. 5 RECAP

I had to rewatch this episode it was that important

spoilers under the cut that you’ve probably already seen somewhere lol

1. CHOPPER THE WORLD’S BEST BABYSITTER

2. ANAKIN’s SMILE. HAYDEN’s MOVE. I STILL CAN’T FORM WORDS.

3. I LOVE BABYSOKA. I think Ariana Greenblatt was the perfect choice for this role. I feel like this is actually the best anyone’s done with casting an animated role in live action, she looks like and embodies Ahsoka so well!!! THIS FUCKING SHOT (the cinematography and lighting in this episode is STUNNING, I am so so so glad they put so much work into this because this is the kind of Star Wars we deserve!! the cinematography in this matches the Eye of Aldhani episode of Andor)

4. as previously mentioned on my page, Hayden in Jedi armor 🤯☠️

5. Ashoka and Anakin, running through the battle:

AHSOKA: “What about my training?!”

ANAKIN: “This is your training!”

I see what you’re doing there, Filoni. I love how psychologically Filoni sees Star Wars in general, he’s always focused on trauma and healing, esp in Rebels.

6. I do kind of wish there could have been more emotional closure (within the dialogue esp) between Anakin and Ahsoka…but I’m wondering if we didn’t get closure because Hayden is going to come back in another episode (I hope so 🤭)

7. I didn’t realize Ahsoka didn’t have ears lol

8. So many purrgil!!’ they’re so beautiful!!! (why do I think the plural of purrgil is purrgil? what led me to believe this? is this canon lol)

ALSO I think the purrgil serve as a really significant metaphor of environmentalism. the imperial forces want to travel to another galaxy? they steal materials to build a giant disruptive machine to get them there. the rebel forces just have to connect with their environment (the purrgil) and rely on animals (nature) who are BUILT to travel to other galaxies (ie why are climate scientists trying to build machines instead of a tree!!! that sucks up carbon and purifies our air?)

I will stop rambling now 😂

but honorable mention to Force sensitive Jacen AND an actual Kanan mention? fuck me up

ALSO not them mentioning the disaster lineage with all of that legacy talk 😂 does anyone feel like they’re paying attention to us? (I’m joking, they’re definitely paying attention to us)

NOW I WILL STOP

[hobbitkiller]

10 thoughts on Ahsoka Episode 6:

1. Pretty much spent the last act of the episode just chanting “Use the whales!” I was so happy when Ahsoka pulled a Jonah. What’s the point of science fantasy if you don’t just get batshit every once in a while?

2. Sad there was no Sabine, but I kind of expected that. I’m sure we’ll get lots of her next week to make up for it.

3. You better keep that promise, Ahsoka. Hera’s down to only 1/3 kids now.

4. Knew Filoni would find a way to make Ahsoka the White happen. Also, white outfit=smiles! Maybe people will stop calling her wooden now.

5. Ah yes, Sabine and Ezra are lost who knows where surrounded by hostile forces due to a series of noble-minded fuck ups, self-sacrifices, and impulsive decisions. This is the Rebels I remember.

6. Appreciate casting an age appropriate young Ahsoka. Really hammers home how messed up it was that she was a commander in the army at 14.

7. I have an old TV, did Ashoka’s eyes get dark-sidey when she was Cal Kestis-ing the ball? If so, was it Baylan, Sabine, or both causing it?

8. It would have been neat if they had Gar Saxon show up at the Siege of Mandalore voiced by Ray.

9. As predicted, many lingering shots on the helmet, though Jacen seemed thoroughly unbothered by Sabine being gone. Maybe he can sense that she’s okay.

10. Love Huyang shutting down Jacen. He’s probably thinking, “You may be more Force sensitive than your aunt, but you’re probably twice as much trouble.”

Bonus: Love normies having to deal with Jedi nonsense whether it’s trying to explain talking to whales to the fleet or Ryder throughout basically all of Rebels Season Four.

[quitealotofsodapop]

What would happen if Nezha and Ao Bing from Nezha (2019), Jiang Ziya, Yang Jian and the Lego Monkie Kid gang, got warped into a videogame, (like something in Jumanji), where they each go into the body of a famous historical figure, Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander the Great, Charlamagne, Atilla the Hun, King Arthur, Pharaoh Thutmose III? I just think it would be hilarious Nezha as George Washington or Napoleon in the game. Nezha / George Washington ruling, with a bald eagle on his shoulder and a giant American flag (maybe paired with sunglasses). Though Sun Wukong as Napoleon would be funny too. Maybe Jiang Ziya is Pharoah Thutmose III? And Mei is Catherine the Great? I’m not sure.

Or something along the lines of that DC Legends of Tomorrow episode I watched. Like the demons go back in history and kidnap George Washington and Nezha has to pretend to be George Washington until the Lego Monkie Kid gang save the real George Washington.

I just got this from Bing Chat, never heard of these historical figures honestly, MK as Julius Caesar, Pigsy as Henry VIII, Red Son as Attila the Hun, Macaque as Hannibal Barca, Tang as Ashoka, and Sandy as Saladin, and Yang Jian as Charlemagne.

Ooh but Nezha as Alexander the Great would be cool. Mei as Joan of Arc. Just like folk heroes that are real or could have been real (but not confirmed), world conqueror’s and stuff like Boudica, William Wallace, Constantine, Augustus Caesar, El Cid, Sparticus, Sundiata Keita, William Tell. Abraham Lincoln? Maybe King Leonidas (MK), and they would imitate the THIS IS SPARTA meme.

I honestly havent seen Jiang Ziya to answer things about him yet but the story sounds very interesting.

I can imagine some historical shennanigans occuring because of a time-travelling artifact Sun Wukong had in his treasury.

Also the LMK cast might have trouble passing themeselves off as different historical figures depending on how they looked.

Except maybe Pigsy as Henry the VIII. The english court would see a pig-man in the king's clothes and think; "Huh. Henry's looking thinner."

I love the idea of MK yelling historical movie memes depending on where they are XD