#it's a trilogy because it include ex troopers

[ludwigfanfunkoven]

capcom keeps making hd remasters of games and rereleases of shit like megamane but wheres  the lost planet HD trilogy

[cienie-isengardu]

Hi! Sorry to bother, but I couldn’t find a clear answer when trying to research. What were the Mandalorians role in the Clone Wars in Legends/EU? I know in TCW they were a neutral planet and largely pacifist (outside of Death Watch), but do we know anything about the Legends Mandalorians at that time? Thank you so much!

Hi there! You are not bothering me at all, I’m always here to talk about Mandalorians.

The Legends gives some clues about Mandalorians and their role in the Clone Wars, though I wouldn’t say sources provided the full perspective in a political-economic sense. Prequel Trilogy and tie-in materials retconned some already existing elements to fit with the general course of history but the Mandalore sector and Mandalore planetary politics wasn’t flashed out much. The overall idea was that [modern] Mandalore was ”a destitute homeworld historically marginalized by the Republic”.

The earliest information (albeit Mandalorians weren’t outright named) comes from The Empire Strikes Back novelization

A human bounty hunter, Fett was known for his extremely ruthless methods. He was dressed in a weapon-covered, armored spacesuit, the kind worn by a group of evil warriors defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars. [The Empire Strikes Back by D. Glut]

which indicated that Mandalorian warriors fought against Jedi / Republic. And frankly, this sentiment was repeated in most sources.

So we have Marvel’s Star Wars 68: The Search Begins that introduced Fenn Shysa, Tobbi Dala and Mandalorian Supercommandos / Protectors. From Shysa’s own words:

The three Mandalorians who survived were Fenn Shysa, Tobi Dala and… Boba Fett. The original version of Fenn Shysa’s backstory was retconned to fit with the new lore of Attack of the Clones and summed up in The History of Mandalorians by Abel G. Peña [Insider 80]. Here we learn that alleged Boba Fett was in fact a rogue clone known as Alpha-02/Spar, one of the Advanced Recon Commandos. He managed to run away from Kamino some years before Clone Wars and once Jango Fett died, took the mantle of Mandalore and led Mandalorian Supercommandos against Jedi:

or

Then we have Star Wars Republic comics series [issue 65: Show of Force] that mentions Mandalorians attacking New Holstice, the medical facility.

And Galaxy at War provided another informations like this:

and how Mandalorian Protectors were effective and dangerous during war:

or

Protectors were the biggest, organized group we were told about that joined CIS for ideological reasons and/or because of poverty of Mandalore. Republic Commando book series on another hand focused on individual Mandalorians while the planet of Mandalore was more or less neutral. The big difference between sources about Mandalorian Protectors and the Republic Commando’s characters is that the first had Death Watch reunited with other Mandalorian warriors to some degree, while the latter kinda ignored it completely, making DW the hated group by main heroes (the former trainers of Great Army of Republic known as Cuy'val Dar). Anyway, because of the civil war and massacre on Galidraan, part of Mandalorians was spread through the galaxy doing their own things. Some, like Ghez Hokan (supposed ex-Death Watchman [RC: Hard Contact]) worked as mercenaries and ultimately agreed to work for Separatist. In the case of Ghez, at first it was about money / work, later about personal dislike of Jedi & Republic for using Jango Fett’s clones. Some, like Kal Skirata or Walon Vau (ex-True Mandalorians, the mentioned Cuy'val Dar) who trained clone army on Kamino decided to support Republic out of loyalty to their trainees (clone commandos). And though they worked for the Republic, it did not stop them from stealing supplies from the army (Skirata and Nulls) or even robbing a bank (Vau) during one of republic military operations - their first and foremost motivation was to secure the well-being of their “boys” (clone troopers) and that desire expended soon to protect their growing “clan” by any means.

Like I said, there is little of proper informations about Mandalore and its status or politics during the Clone Wars era. It is hard to tell what a Mandalorian “civils” thought about the conflict or how it affected their daily life. We know that there were Mandalorian Protectors under Alpha-02/Spar and Fenn Shysa who joined CIS either because of hate for Jedi or ideology and Mandalorian individuals fighting on both sides - for money or as a mean to protect their family (including clone troopers).

Hope it answer your question! :)

[sometimesrosy]

(Totally not a judgement, I’m genuinely asking for your take and thoughts) but I’m curious why you believed that Kyle would be unredeemed in the trilogy? The entire saga has centered around the skywalkers, it was inevitable that the trilogy would end around his story. They also spent six movies centered around a character who did AWFUL things but was ultimately redeemed, I don’t see how someone could watch Star Wars and not see where they were going from the beginning

he didn’t earn a redemption. all he did was feel sorry for a moment that rey was dying and reverse that. he made no change. he made no effort. he didn’t make up for any of the atrocities he caused. oh boohoo poor mass murdering father killer, he’s sad. :(

cheap redemption. 

KR is a villain. And he doesn’t deserve a redemption. If Darth Vader was given a redemption by being brought to balance with the force, KR never got there. 

The whole thing made the story lesser. 

Rey could have been the center of that epic story. And Finn, as the ex storm trooper. The nobody. The enemy. Instead we had an over privileged tantrumming brat who killed Han Solo be made the center of the story instead of the antagonist. We took the story from Rey, too, making her an adjunct to KR dumb story.

Look. If I tell you I don’t like a character, don’t challenge me on it, because what happens is that I then have to explain all the reasons I dont’ like a character and I do not like to do that. I don’t like telling people that their fave character sucks. KR SUCKS. He’s awful. I am actually horrified that so many women love him. He is a scifi representation of a real life kind of guy who is ruining our world. Abusive and obsessive and spoiled and selfish and entitled. 

I am honestly disgusted with the Star Wars fandom over this and other things, including the racism that couldn’t conceive of a black hero or an interracial romance, (FinnRey was an OBVIOUS romance set up, and it was lovely,) and it’s one of the reasons why I never really posted much about SW or did meta on it. 

TBH the whole star wars fandom is what made me decide that the 100 fandom problems were not just about this fandom, but rather about fandom in general and in fact all of western culture. That’s how badly I dislike the SW fandom at this point, and some of their hot takes on KR r8ylo, finn and the POC characters we finally got. 

[mk-wizard]

Review of Rise of Skywalker

I decided to do it now because I am sure that enough people have seen it. If you haven't stop reading right now please because there are spoilers. Also, I do not expect people's opinion to change. This is my personal review based on my point of view. Please be civil about it and don't judge me just as I am not judging you.

I personally think it was a great way to end the saga of Star Wars in general let alone the new trilogy. Everything came full circle, all was resolved, and not only was peace finally achieved, but the characters finally found there own peace as well with their own personal struggles.

Episode 9 really went out of its way to bring everything that had building up to this one final showdown. It really highlighted how tainted the dark side really is. The sith temple looks and feels dark, sad, angry and unnatural with its cubic form and how all the twisted science that was practised there. Things and places that were relevant in the previous instalments still held value now such as 3-CP0's memories, the ship on which Luke faced Darth Vader, the unique way Emperor Palpatine used the force and of course, the long struggle between sith and jedi. The bigger the world became, the more close everything got. And I like that because it showed how connected all these things are and how important they are to the story. And even the ending felt like one last salute to where everything started and where a new beginning may start. I think this is good story telling because the continuity is not only respected, but valued. It is not just a sequel. It is a chapter. It's a work of art to the next level.

As for resolutions, the movie spared no expense at finally giving them and not just for fan theories, but things for the characters that really made their struggles worthwhile. We know Finn who just wanted to do what was right, but he also felt conflicted with where he belonged because he felt like an outcast and as bad as being a storm trooper was, losing that sense of belonging takes a toll. I also suspect this is why Rey was such a special friend to him. He saw himself in her loneliness. Then he found out that there were other ex-storm troopers who turned away from the path of evil. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo who only turned to the dark side because he felt that is where he belonged after realising how everyone including his own teacher feared him. His true motive wasn't that he wanted to be evil. He wanted to be something more than what everyone thought he was and in his defence, people were underestimating him left, right and centre. This is why when his mother Leia finally reached out to him spiritually, it was so touching. He finally got what he wanted and also, realised what he really wanted: to be wanted as he was. Leia wanted her son to come home. She didn't care about what he did or whether he was a jedi or a sith. She just wanted him to come back. And when Kylo got that, he left the dark side for good and redeemed himself as a man.

Finally, there is the mystery of Rey. We all suspected she came from powerful stuff considering how strong the force was in her, but finding out that she was Palpatine's granddaughter was the ultimate reveal because she is, so unlike him and it puts a twist on her desire to be reunited with her blood family. Rey doesn't want to be a Palpatine or to even have power. She just wants to protect the family she found in the rebellion and that is the only reason she wanted to face off with Palpatine. And even when she does resign to killing him in order to take over the throne, it is still for noble intent which only drives home how far Rey will go for those she cares about. In other words, her being a Palpatine by blood didn't change anything. Sure it rattled her, but it didn't break her. And once the fight is all over, she decides to rebuild herself into something positive and finally stops looking behind her. It is also hinted that she intends to build a new jedi order. In other words, life doesn't end after the war. She is making plans and she is living free which is good way to write a character.

Overall, I give the movie a 9/10. It was a great movie that is definitely going to be remembered for generations to come in my opinion.

[honeygrey]

A Twisted Hero’s Journey (SW meta)

I’m not the best when it comes to writing metas, but i was watching something on netflix and this popped into my head

“All hero’s journeys begin with the hero at rest in their home culture.

So one particular stage is the call to adventure. An outsider figure comes and calls them to adventure—says, “Come on, Luke. You’ve got to go do something now and help this girl.”

He embarks on a journey into the unknown, a run that’s usually much more crowded with the supernatural.

The hero is tested in these strange surroundings, and has to pass various trials in order to continue. Within that realm he meets various mentors and also various companion figures, who become sort of an entourage that he travels around with.

Typically he then has a near death experience-type adventure, where he plunges down into some kind of abyss.

But the hero survives this moment and achieves perhaps new knowledge or a treasure as a reward, and then he flees, pursued by the enemy.

From which he arises transformed, capable of fulfilling the quest on which he started out.

There’s one final test, and that is often a moment of life or death. The hero has to use all the knowledge he’s gained up until this far to come through that and succeed.

The end result, is a new world, a new status quo that comes into being.” (Myths and Monsters, season 1: episode 1)

Why the first 2 movies placed such importance on the burning temple scene, is because it’s the true beginning. This trilogy is the third Skywalker trilogy—father, son, grandson…but this time it has two heroes. Rey the traditional hero, and Ben follows the same path...except with a twist. 

With Rey’s journey—each step if easily adapted. She leaves her life on Jakku to bring BB8 back to the Resistance, and meets Han and Chewie along the way like Luke did in the original trilogy. Around the same time, she discovers her connection to the force, and runs into Kylo Ren. After escaping her cell, she find Han and the others in time to watch her first mentor die (think Obi-wan dying in front of Luke in ep iv). She battles an injured Kylo Ren and survives, fleeing the first order with Finn and Chewie. In TLJ she finds her new mentor, Luke, after finally accepting her force abilities and Anakin’s lightsaber. From here, she travels to Kylo Ren, deciding that Luke was wrong about Ben Solo ever being “light.” By trusting him, Kylo Ren/Ben and Rey defeat Snoke like Vader with Palpatine, and bring about a new world…maybe not one she understands or wants, but none the less, “a new order.”

As a side note: I don’t consider Luke Rey’s second master, because she never really learns anything from him, beside “reach out and feel the force.” She never internalizes anything else he says regarding jedi, believing the light side is the only way to use the force--despite acting just as emotionally as kylo ren at points (i.e. attacking luke with her staff from behind)

Ben Solo’s story is much darker. It starts with him fully indoctrinated in the Jedi lifestyle—his uncle and mother, who he probably spent more time with than Han, where legends and leaders. They decided to train him, which would lead to Snoke discovering and calling out to Ben. The destruction of the temple lead Ben to joining Snoke (who would want to have a sit-down conversation with parents who abandoned and lied to you, as well as someone who just tried to murder you in your sleep?). With the fo, he has to learn how to use the dark side, and live up to snoke’s expectations and quests (like killing other jedis and force church people). Personally, I believe the Knights of Ren are something that existed before Ben turning into Kylo Ren, and he quickly rose through their ranks as someone who was highly skilled and force sensitive—this gives him his own crew of storm troopers to command as he carries out snokes missions (finding Lor San Tekka to find Luke). Unlike Rey who overcomes Kylo Ren in battle, he is met with failure (yoda: “the greatest teacher, failure is”), and Snoke makes sure he knows after he flees starkiller with Hux and Phasma. This loss makes him act bolder, more reckless (tfa he begs snoke to be given a chance to prove himself; tlj he stands up to snoke…twice!), and also presents the whole force-bond thing. He begins to connect with Rey, and discovers someone who is willing to listen to him (his treasure, like Rey and the lightsaber). Because of this connection, he finds the conviction to kill snoke by becoming sneakier, smarter (more sith like, but with more noble/grey intentions).

In my previous post, I made a few predictions about episode ix…but I’m going to alter them a little bit with the realization that this next movie, but run through the cycle a second expedited time.

· There’s a time lapse, to establish renperor’s new order (head canon: ben solo is really good with children, but terrible with other adults); rey is used to life among the resistance, and deepening her tie with the force, but doesn’t open a jedi academy (they’re in the middle of a bloody war!)

· Hux tells him, they learned about something the resistance plans on attacking, mentioning Rey (“the girl who killed Snoke”) to manipulate Kylo Ren in going himself (because he has to pretend he wants revenge on the person who killed the former leader, and also because [whether rey reciprocates or not] he has reylo feels).

· The resistance hears about their movements and is confused, so they travel to the planet, too, including rey in the millennium falcon.

· There, Hux stages a coup, ordering the stormtroopers to murder Kylo Ren to make it look like the Resistance did it, but he’s able to defend himself, and flees with his life, but injured. He might meet up with the Knights of Ren here, or Luke’s other ex-jedis.

· Eventually he comes in contact with Rey again. She’s disappointed in him, but not enough to let him die. Also Chewie and him need a better reunion and hash it out.  

· He never becomes light, but learns to accept both sides—he also becomes her mentor in utilizing the dark side.

· At the end of the movie, they show up together and aid the Resistance/New Republic, in bringing down the First Order. Him leading the attack (sith=offense, jedi=defense). Although it feels repetitive, I would love it if it showed the resistance trying to attack him, not knowing where his loyalties lie.

Ultimately, Ben shouldn’t die—it sends a bad message, “the only way to redeem yourself is to sacrifice your life and die. Become a martyr.” Instead, like Karl Doenitz (the guy who became president of germany after hitler died), be punished for his complicit crimes, but not sentenced to death, and living out the rest of his life in relative obscurity following his release. This would be a change from Han and Luke receiving medals to Ben Solo willingly accepting his sentence. It would also be a bittersweet moment for leia (I don’t want them to kill her off, but write her character into an off-screen role—they had multiple opportunities to kill her in tlj and doing it off-screen would be an injustice to the character and carrie fisher) and rey, who believe in ben again, just to be separated. 

[mrmichaelchadler]

A Sneak Peek at The Mandalorian from Star Wars Celebration Chicago

The second big event at Star Wars Celebration Chicago after the Episode IX reveal on Friday was without a doubt to be the panel presentation for “The Mandalorian” on Sunday morning. The series will premiere on November 12th when the Disney+ streaming platform goes live. It’s the first live-action Star Wars television series, something that has been mentioned on and off for decades. The fact that the show revolves around a mysterious character with a recognizable fan-favorite look is certainly increases the growing curiosity around the project.

Around the time the prequels came out, George Lucas mentioned how he envisioned Star Wars branching out into an episodic television format, with both an animated and live-action series. The animated series happened in 2008 with the hugely successful “Clone Wars” (it ran six seasons and will be continuing this fall on Disney+) from producer Dave Filoni and now we have "The Mandalorian," a series created by writer/executive producer Jon Favreau with help from Filoni and some intriguing directors such as Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow ("Jessica Jones"), Rick Famuyiwa ("Dope") and Taika Waititi. 

The anticipation for the event was obvious as fans trickled into the WinTrust Arena from the cold and rainy streets of Chicago (an atmosphere that felt ironically like Kamino, the rain-soaked planet from “Attack of the Clones” and would later feel like the snow-swept planet Hoth from "Empire Strikes Back," but that's the Windy City) as DJ Elliot once again threw down some pulse-pounding beats to get the audience hyped. After three days of coverage, I wasn't the only one fatigued, yet master crowd carouser Mark Daniel was back cruising up and down the aisles of the arena floor, interacting with fans and giving away Star Wars swag. He was then followed by actor and veteran host, Warwick Davis ("Return of the Jedi", "Solo: A Star Wars Story"), who brought people up on stage to play fun Star Wars games as the clock counted down to the panel's start time. 

Both Daniel and Davis pointed to a specific section of fans on the main floor, all of whom wore their own custom-made Mandalorian armor to the event. They could be seen standing up and raising their helmets in the air, as if performing bounty hunter zumba. Apparently most, if not all of them, are part of a non-profit group called The Mandalorian Mercs. I couldn't make out what exactly their group function is, but it was clear that unity and diversity was their emphasis, along with a love for the specific Mandalorian look, originated by bounty hunter Boba Fett, who become a fan-favorite despite having zero lines when Darth Vader hired him in "The Empire Strikes Back".

When the lights went down, the crowd went nuts, and out came the trio chiefly responsible for the new show, producer Kathleen Kennedy, Favreau and Filoni. Kennedy thanked everyone for the overall reception at Celebration this year, and how excited she was for this particular panel. She then handed over the presentation to Favreau and Filoni, both of whom went on to share how they met long ago at Skywalker Ranch, where Favreau was mixing "Iron Man" and Filoni was working on "The Clone Wars". Filoni shared how he was the first person to see the final cut of "Iron Man". The two hit it off and eventually came together on this project as executive producers, with Favreau writing and Filoni directing a couple of episodes. 

They explain that "The Mandalorian" is set approximately three years after the fall of the Empire in "Return of the Jedi" and before the ascension of the First Order in "The Force Awakens", when small factions of the Empire remain and chaos has erupted after the celebration of the rebellion. This could be the first time a Star Wasrs storyline exists outside the Skywalker saga, which is certainly something fans have been hoping for. 

The executive producers then brought out three of the stars of the new show, Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers, all of whom received a rousing ovation. Favreau had each actor introduce what their roles are as brand new images of their characters appeared above them, both concept work and stills from "The Mandalorian". Pascal is the titular lone gunfighter who resides in the outer reaches of the galaxy. "He's got a lot of Clint Eastwood in him," Pascal explains, "Some may say he has questionable moral character, which is in line with some of our best westerns." This makes sense considering Favreau and Filoni described how the overall vibe of the show was heavily influenced by old westerns and samurai films, both of which served as inspiration for Lucas as well. 

Carano expressed her excitement at the crowd's reception, stating, "I get to be part of a whole other family" in her role as Kara Dune, an ex-rebel shocktrooper who she describes as "a bit of a loner, which isn't a far stretch - and I'm having a bit of trouble reintegrating into society". When an exuberant bearded Carl Weathers came out, he shouted, "I want you! I want you!" (a line associated with his iconic Apollo Creed character from the "Rocky" franchise) out to the audience. Weathers then sat down and shared how he's playing the head of a guild of bounty hunters who's looking for someone to deliver a valuable product to a special client. Greef chooses the Mandalorian because "The Mando does what needs to be done," the veteran actor stated with a sly grin.

At this time during the event, Favreau admitted it was time to show footage and what we were about to see would be blacked out for livestream viewers at home (I found out later it was even omitted from the two overflow stages this was being broadcast at the McCormick Place). The first thing we see is the Mandalorian meeting Greef at a cantina bar familiar to the Star Wars universe, presumably filled with nefarious types. The Mandalorian watches as Greef shuffles through curious pucks which represent bounties. When The Mandalorian indicates he's looking for something with a higher bounty, Greef points out that he has a job in mind, but he'd have to send him off to get further instructions from someone with deeper pockets. 

We then follow the Mandalorian through a lively marketplace where a caged Salacious Crumb-type creature looks on in horror as one of his kind has turned into rotisserie. The Mandalorian makes his way to the exterior of his destination where a gatekeeper droid (similar to the kind that questioned Threepio outside of Jabba's palace in "Jedi") scans a card he holds up. This opens the entrance and the gunslinger is led inside by a gonk droid. Another door opens and then the Mandalorian is face-to-face with a room full of four stormtroopers who stand alongside a character played by none other than Werner Herzog. 

As this sketchy, self-described pragmatic character tells the Mandalorian about a job he has, they are interrupted by an anxious doctor (Omid Obtahi) who enters from a side door and proceeds to disclose too much information. The situation turns into a sudden standoff, in which all the troopers point their blasters at the Mandalorian. A trooper emphasizes that he's outnumbered, to which The Mandalorian answers, "I like those odds". 

The situation is calmed and the discussion of the job reconvenes, as Herzog calmly explains that the target can be delivered alive or dead, much to the doctor's chagrin. We don't find out who the target is, but we see Herzog unveil a rectangular piece of iron he refers to as a Beskar as downpayment. This footage wraps with the Mandalorian cautiously walking out with his downpayment, off to fulfill his assignment no doubt. 

The best part, besides seeing Herzog in the Star Wars universe, is how we never see Pascal's face...that recognizable bucket helmet stays on his head the entire time. In fact, it stays on throughout every bit of footage we see. That's quite reassuring considering there's typically a tendency to show an actor's face whenever they're playing a character wearing a mask or helmet. Thankfully, there is clearly an effort to maintain the mystery and anonymity of the character. 

This sequence was followed by a montage of what to expect from "The Mandalorian," where we catch glimpses of the various characters, aliens, vehicles and locations we can expect to see on the show. The audience cheered as they recognized Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad") in a supporting role as what looks like an Imperial character who leads a group of Death Troopers and even flies a TIE fighter. I do believe I also noticed Nick Nolte in the background, knowing he's also part of the cast.  

Of course, the crowd went absolutely crazy with this footage and with good reason. It looks exciting, cool and mysterious, and unlike anything we've seen before, despite being set in the Star Wars universe. The production values carry the gritty, lived-in look we've come to expect from the kind of morally questionable and nefarious characters that inhabit this section of the galaxy. Favreau and Filoni explained how viewers will see new planets, vehicles (the Mandalorian's gunship is called the Razorcrest) and species as they intend to include elements from the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, along with aspects from the "Clone Wars" and "Rebels" television series, as well as bits from the Expanded Universe. Favreau also shared some informative behind-the-scenes footage (which he said was okay for viewers to record) and added that this was the first time a Star Wars production was shot in Los Angeles, using cutting edge technology while keeping the practical and handmade effects the original movies were known for. 

They also shared how the 501st Legion got involved in the production in order to fill out episodes with authentic looking stormtroopers. When a call went out for stormtroopers, this international fan-based organization known for their detailed hand-crafted costumes volunteered their time as glorified extras during filming. Favreau shared how none of the volunteers were initially told what they were being asked to do. Filoni laughed, stating how members thought the request was for the kind of gatherings and functions they're typically called to participate in. Both of them shared how impressed they were with the 501st, as Carano adding how legit they are and Weathers stating how hard the men and women worked on set. 

I'm sure there will be skepticism surrounding a live-acton Star Wars television show, but being there and witnessing that first footage, I was and remain sold. A Star Wars space western, inspired by Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa? Sign me up. 

from All Content http://bit.ly/2GlhL82