#mandalorian making me a star wars fan against my will

[avacdavra]

how do i make his head shorter

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

Star Wars Masterpost

Pro Jedi/In Defense Of The Jedi

The Jedi didn't free Shmi and why that's not a slight against them

The Jedi aren't stuck in their ways just because they don't allow marriage

The Jedi aren't stuck in their ways just because they don't allow marriage (addendun)

Jedi culture tag (derogatory)

Jedi culture tag (derogatory) (meme)

Villains Praising the Jedi (and fandom not getting it)

Sith (derogatory) VS Jedi (affectionate)

On the Jedi's limited numbers (+ an anti)

"Cal and Kanan fix the mistakes of the Order and stop repressing what makes them human" Shut up

Inconsistency in anti-Jedi arguments

"There's being critical and there is slander"

Fandom experience (derogatory)

Age is not an immediate disqualifier

Friendly reminder about emotional mindfulness

Jedi kidnapping (affectionate) VS Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

If you're gonna critize the Jedi they have to be wrong

The Jedi's political power: canon vs fanon

Most Jedi don't struggle with attachment

Mace Windu and actively fighting fascism

Jedi Order: broke vs woke

When others are the best versions of themselves

I wouldn't want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi

Antis stop projecting your religious trauma onto the Jedi, the Sith are right there

No, Luke doesn't save his father with attachment

Fandom experience (derogatory)

The Jedi made the right decision in using the Clone Army

Pro Jedi community rite of passage

Jedi Culture/Jedi Positivity

If the Jedi have no fans I'm dead

Heart of a Jedi

A Jedi's Weapon

Multilingual Jedi Babies

Why the Jedi stopped wearing white headcanon

Non-Master/Padawan Jedi Relationships

Jedi Positivity (community)

Collective Jedi Parenting

Q: Who's the best Jedi? A: Yes

Many Jedi are orphans

My interpretation of the Jedi Code/Meditation Mantra

Mace Windu Best Jedi

Obi-Wan Best Jedi

Gushing about Reva

Gushing about Reva (II)

Reva/Vader parallels

Jedi-antis when jedi-enthusiasm-blog likes the Jedi

"Be with me" AKA cool tribute to the Jedi I found on YouTube of all places

"The importance of Luke Skywalker"

"What Jedi used to be" AKA why we love the Jedi

Tag game

Force-sensitivity and being aroace

Star Wars History ( @saturnidiot thank you so much)

When The Night Is Darker, The Stars Shine Brighter (my AO3 series)

"So be it, Jedi"

Anti Mandalorians/Mandalorians Critical

Why Mandalorian Culture and Mando'a don't make sense

Jedi kidnapping (affectionate) VS Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

Mandalorian culture and how people fall for fascist rethoric

Fanon dissonance

Slugthrowers don't kill Jedi anymore than blasters (you know why this is here)

Anti Sith

The Sith are not oppressed by the Jedi

Darth Vectivus is a bastard (derogatory) and I love him

Peacekeepers vs nazis in a galaxy far far away…

The Sith don't have balance (joke unfortunately not mine)

Obi-Wan roasting the Sith

Sith are nazis

If I find myself agreeing with Sith philosophy…

Anti Anakin/Anakin critical

Anakin is not mentally ill

Others

Star Wars Lines (Pt.1) (Pt.2) (Pt.3) (Pt.4)

Opinion on Ahsoka

The Dark is generous and it is patient

Sabine as the successor to Tarre Vizla

Opinion on Rey

The Force is fine the way it is

Gray morality in the Prequels

[brujitaadinbo]

I've been picking up some Tolkien reading again; I am a fan of his writing and I remembered some verses from the most beautiful love story for me in the entire Tolkien universe; after Faramir and Eowyn, the story of Luthien and Beren; a story that crosses all barriers for love.

So when I go back to the story of both characters; How Luthien's love for Beren is so strong (and it's a two-way connection) When Beren falls into the clutches of her captors, Luthien fights with all her might, against everyone who held her and was against her love for Beren, even her father.

How to reach your loved one to save him.

Somehow it made me remember this point and relate it to another universe that I love (and I don't care what other people say) star wars

SW has a lot of Tolkien and it is evident that its female characters exude strength, especially if the fight is for someone or something they love.

When this universe begins with episodes 4, 5 and 6 Leia develops this complicated relationship with Han, but love somehow unites them, thanks to strength and destiny.

She ends up rescuing him even when she is also captured, but her feelings make her throw herself into danger for him

Later, on another SW bridge, one of my favorite couples in this universe develops within the conflict. Kanan and Hera; a couple that I believe is one of the healthiest and best developed. Love was always his hook and compass

When he ends up being captured, Hera does not hesitate at any time to go to his rescue, convincing the entire gang that "just because they are family"

Actually; You could see Hera's need to go rescue her boy. And when she is captured, Kanan does not hesitate to find her and save her.

After; My favorite shipment appears and what I love most recently. A pair of stubborn and deluded Mandalorians, who don't know how to interact in this matter of feelings, but who unconsciously help and support each other. Bo Katan no longer wanted to know anything about this man with silver beskar, he was already resigned, but love seems to have other plans for them.

The force moved its pieces and destiny helped in this play. Din Djarin almost ended up saying goodbye to this universe but Grogu went in search of the most trustworthy person and the one he knew would help them, because Bo has a special affection for that green boy and a stronger feeling for his Mandalorian father.

And he throws himself against the danger and pain of memories and seeing Mandalore fallen. And it continues like this on constant occasions when she is able to save him and keep him safe. This is how they show affection to each other and this is how he swears that he will be close to her.

And finally; the couple that no one understands and that many do not support (but I don't give a damn, the fandom of this shipment exists and we agree that they are very good at being together) Separated by conflict and circumstance; The force has different ways of acting, but that does not mean that mutual feelings disappear, especially if destiny brings them closer again. Sabine and Ezra are in a constant struggle, even with their own feelings, but even when he is far away, she never stops thinking about him.

When the promises made are there, she sets out to fulfill them and see him again, make him come home. Leaving aside everything and sacrificing the safety of an entire galaxy; a selfish impulse but that can only be done out of desperation to have it close, love sometimes makes you act unconsciously.

The only thing you can do is let yourself go. Being captured is the only way to get to him. And that's how they find each other, they manage to see each other, even when they have to separate again.

Luthien and Beren's story is similar to many of these stories of the couples I love in SW We can agree that light, love, strength and destiny are always there to cross your paths. And they will manage to love each other (or already did) or be together in their own way.

This is the way.

[spectordameron]

the most frustrating thing to me about the acolyte's cancellation is that it really solidifies they're officially pandering to the corner of the fandom that is hateful in every meaning of the term. when the first mando trailer dropped, my first thought was that it was just for those kinds of star wars fans who have a very specific idea of what star wars "should" be. and the fact their primary shows have largely fit the model of what's popular among that crowd — mandalorians, Super Special Clones That Are White, Somehow, a spin off of a spin off to the Clone Wars which is also claimed by dudebros — while ignoring things that go against that mould like the fucking plague.

I don't honestly think that we will be seeing a Rey movie, I can't help but feel like the Acolyte was something of a test to see how something similar to the sequels would be received: and it was hatebombed in ways that I haven't seen since 2017-2020. They, now more than ever, have their proof that anything for new audiences, that seeks to represent anyone but a small and hateful portion of the fanbase, who want nostalgia and nothing else, isn't worth putting the effort into.

This is a huge win for every hater, and we're going to see the Star Wars fandom get so much worse than it already is. They got a little victory when Lucasfilm slowed down then stopped making sequel era content entirely (and even fans of the sequel trilogy are responsible for this, due to a certain portion of the fanbase bombing every single official post for it that they didn't want more content unless they got x, which only helped fuel dudebros' boycott because there Were People of Color and Women, and now we get nothing), and now with the first Star Wars show to get cancelled being Acolyte, they have a major win.

It's the fucking dark ages now, basically, and I'm retreating into my sandbox because I can't be bothered to care. I don't give a flying shit what dudebros want from Star Wars, because it's a violent misunderstanding of what Star Wars is — and if we're pandering to them, then the spirit of Star Wars is truly lost.

[antianakin]

Hey! 👋 Just wanted to send in a message and say thanks for reblogging my post to leave some of your thoughts on it. I hope you didn’t mind the tag. 😅 Half the time Tumblr breaks links to other blogs for me, so I just thought tagging would be easier. I also apologize if it felt like I was calling you out or something about giving points on pro jedi to anti jedi fans?? 😭 It’s probably just my anxiety, but I still just wanted to clarify in case my words bothered you. I was more just kinda speaking in general to pro jedi fans as a whole.

I definitely agree with your thoughts looking back on it now that the anon might’ve been genuine in the sense they weren’t trolling, but it was clear they just wanted to be told they were right. They didn’t genuinely want to debate. I kinda sometimes look for the best in people even if it’s not there. 🤦‍♀️😂 But yeah… it IS frustrating to have asks open related to answering SW meta posts or fic questions and then just see a kinda benevolently condescending anti/critical jedi ask in there like that.

Getting all the thoughts out helped me cool off from my rage at that YouTube commenter that called Leia a “brat” though for not forgiving Anakin, at least. It’s the little things in life, I suppose. 😌💖😂

I hope you’re doing good! 👍 I do genuinely love hearing your SW takes, whether on Anakin or Jedi or clone stuff in general. I feel like you’re a lot more objective than others can be about Anakin, if that makes sense?? And also just about the clones in general too and your thoughts they might not want to be seen as mandalorians (at least I think I recall you saying that before in a post?), because they’re clones and brothers in arms first and foremost. I personally like the idea of them having mandoa just because I feel like it’s something that would be taught and passed down from the genetic tree of Jango. But I DEFINITELY appreciate the idea that Jango might’ve not been as deified by clones as people believe. 😭 I’m not saying he was the devil, but at the end of the day he plucked out a kid from the thousands he left behind from being his clones, and called it a day.

I wasn't bothered at all, my firmer more negative opinions aren't going to be for everyone! I'm consistently surprised at how many people DO seem to appreciate anything I have to say on the topic, negative or otherwise. I've said this before, but I made this blog as a space for me to express more negative things and I figured that would be kind-of a turn off for people. I'm glad that it's ended up apparently being at least somewhat enjoyable to other people.

It's incredibly funny to hear myself described as "objective" about Anakin given, well, everything. I'm NOT objective about him, obviously, I'm decidedly biased against him. I HAVE tried to approach his character as objectively as I can sometimes if people have asked me to, but I don't like him much and that does color the way I interact with Star Wars and stories he's involved in. People who love Anakin, even if they're extremely pro Jedi at the same time, will often interpret things VERY differently from how I would specifically because they're more inclined to be sympathetic to him and believe the best of him in a way I just can't most of the time.

For the clones, while I've definitely expressed the opinion that they wouldn't want to be considered Mandos before, that's one of my more bitter opinions, one I tend to feel when I'm more annoyed at the whole Mandoclone concept. If I were trying to be more objective about it, I feel less like they wouldn't WANT to be considered Mandos and simply that they AREN'T Mandos. There's never any real indication that the clones feel a connection to that culture aside from like... two little designs on the helmets that could just as easily be explained away in other ways. They never actually speak Mando'a, they never talk about Jango at all, and they don't seem to show a desire to interact with the Mandos when they have the opportunity (Cody and Rex are both around during the Duchess on Mandalore arc, Rex goes to Mandalore with Ahsoka, and Rex/Gregor/Wolffe meet Sabine). Aside from the two tiniest little designs, there's never a single indication that these people ever felt any connection to being Mandalorian at all.

And I personally just find it really boring to just make the clones MandoLite and base their entire culture around one that already exists rather than recognizing that they've got a radically different kind of upbringing that would have caused some VERY different values and traditions from Mandos. They've got their own canonical slang, they've traveling all the time and could be picking up any number of different traditions from the people on different planets (language, food, maybe art and songs and dances and games). I think Mandoclone headcanons often treat the clones as a monolith instead of recognizing that they're individual people in the process of creating their own extremely unique culture. I think the clones deserve more fun and interesting headcanons than just turning them into MandoLite.

[trans-elrond]

Nik! Did you watch Rebel Moon? How was it?

Yes hello this is my 4 star review of rebel moon on letterboxd.

But first: a professional, somewhat critical review of rebel moon that engages with the film well, especially regarding anti-colonial themes, and isn't just knee-jerk regurgitated Snyder haterism:

And now more of my thoughts: [edit: Oh No, He Went And Talked For 3 Hours About It, Thanks For Coming To My TedTalk:)

No one has a better knack at putting together a cast list SO ATTRACTIVE TO THE BISEXUALS. read it and weep, boys. (Jena Malone is there too but really just for 1 set piece)

...Jena Malone's one (1) scene set piece features her as an alien spider woman with legitimate grievances against the Empire who now wants to kill kids because all her kids were killed. Like, so valid, girl. Also, did I say Jena Malone as an alien spider-woman? And this is just one scene.

Look, if that pitch doesn't hook you, this film may not be for you, and that's okay, but by GOD my people are the people who hear "Jena Malone alien spider woman" and perk up. I love you, freaks.

The cinematography is ace and always will be under Snyder's direction. music by Tom Holkenborg SLAPS. Costuming and design overall is super super strong. (People on this hellsite are always complaining about inadequate, boring as hell sci-fi design and you get RM and you don't appreciate it for what it is. WAKE UP.)

Costume showcase! Second from the right in this photo showing off those sweet sweet sci-fi costume designs is my beloved non-binary they/them revolutionary Milius. CANONICALLY non-binary, let me add. Imagine SW doing that lmaoooooooooooo D*ve Filoni would fuckin keel over and die

Kora! Our tragic female protagonist of color who's over 40, with a dark edgy sexy background. [KIDNAPPED AS A CHILD!! DEAD FAMILY!!! DEAD LOVER!!!!!!! SHE FAILED TO PROTECT HER WARD FROM ASSASSINATION!!!!! SHE IS THE MOST WANTED WOMAN IN THE UNIVERSE!!]

Bitches on tumblr LOVE taking failmen with sad backstories from media and blorbifying them, but the second it's a woman? please. If this was a man people would be writing the filthiest x reader smut you've seen since Mandalorian S1 came out. If this was a man you'd already have seen 20,000 fan drawings of her with her muscles and tits OUT. God where's my Kora fanart.

I personally have no problems with the plot of this movie (part 1 of 2) being "we must collect warriors to fight the evil empire." That's kinda fantasy story 101 and I still love new, varied interpretations of that plot.

If there's not much interconnecting plot because Kora's just gathering fighters, it's kinda like... that's the point, babes, they'll actually get to it in part 2. We're just at the "forming the team" stage. I revel in that part of a fantasy film and I always want it to be longer, so this film is like catnip to me.

Uh, yeah, this is getting long. More under the cut.

Entertainment professional nitpick time! I've seen someone say RM would be better as a TV show to introduce a new character each episode. And I truly don't think that fixes any of the problems this person has with the film, while introducing way more problems. (Who the fuck would go in on an original concept TV show where each episode introduces a new hero. You could not sell that pitch to a studio, ever, and viewers would instantly check out if they didn't like the introduced character of the week, and the same complaints would be made: it’s just a new character intro blah blah blah. This wouldn’t fix anything! It would very much make it worse!)

Me, like every day, through gritted teeth: that's... not... how... tv... works...

Like be realistic for a hot second with me. Television is not "long movie"—it is a different medium with different rules. Yes, the past decade has blurred many lines between TV and film, but they're still different mediums, and when people blur them ("it's a 10-hour movie!") the results often suck ass, because you either lack episodic structure or you lack feature structure. Snyder is a feature filmmaker who has never worked in TV. Whenever features people jump into TV, it's a whole other learning curve! They're usually terrible at it! You want Snyder to have to learn a new medium? You want him to learn 5/6-act TV structure from scratch? You want him to (horrified gasp) lead a writers room? Those are not his strengths, baby. Let him play in his space opera sandbox.

And I'm not done! You want the casting team to have to deal with the headache of getting feature film actors to star in a TV show? (Pay cuts! Longer commitments! TV production timelines!) You want to do that to me, personally, and fuck up the TV landscape some more by going, "Oh, we can basically just make a Longer Feature Film in TV"? Fuck off with that. TV has different production realities and different basic story structures. A [long] film [with two parts] is still a film, in structure and production practicalities.

Truly, Tumblr media studies brains (derogatory) at it again.

To each their own, but again, I think RM's structure is fun because it gives me more of the goodies (badass, varied character intros) for the price of one (2-hour film.) Like... that's the good stuff, that's often the most exhilarating part of a film for me. And contrary to popular belief, it's not intro to intro without rising tension or stakes. It builds tension as it goes because new facets of resistance against the Motherworld are explored in each character's intro scene. New ways they fight back, new worlds on which they fight back. And a ticking time bomb of the King's Gaze (king's gays lol) catching up.

Here, have a trailer bc Tumblr's mad at me for too much text in one block.

...I like the RM characters. I want to spend time with them and see what other zany shenanigans Snyder will have them do. (Alien bar fights! Taming a space gryphon! Lightsaber battle!) I like the side-quest-y, exploratory, space opera sandbox playground nature. It's fun, and like, again, if you don't perk up at the concept of collecting cool characters like action figures, this film may just not be for you.

To me it's a polycule. Like, the most messed up polycule in the whole galaxy, but it's a polycule.

Speaking of: THE CHARACTERS ROCK. Yeah, we're missing some significant character development because Netflix truncated Snyder's 4-hr, R-rated film into a 2-hr PG-13 version (likely to be able to release the 4-hr cut later, drum up new press, and get more eyeballs on the movie in total in a few months.) That's... not really Snyder's fault [even though he claims he's in on the plan... some part of me thinks it was Netflix's idea and not his. Stinks of studio meddling.] And it's not indicative of the quality of the actual film, which I currently see as more of an abridged version of the R-rated film that's gonna come out and fill up some of these story holes.

If people are judging the film for not being the 4-hour version, and then decide not to see the 4-hour version, that's their call, but it's kinda shitty to act like the 2-hr version is all there is. Like it probably wasn't Snyder's call to do a 2-hr cut! He's said that the 4-hr one is a whole different movie. I betcha the common criticisms (not enough character development, just jumps from character intro to character intro without interconnection, lack of structure) will be helped, if not outright solved, by the longer cut.

I think people are also happy to take a Part 1 of a movie if it's, say, Dune, and the source material has another part, so Part 1 is allowed to be fucking boring, whereas people don't give that kind of allowance to original sci-fi movies, WHICH IS A REASON WE DON'T GET ORIGINAL SCI-FI. If you're painting with as huge and cosmic a palette as space opera Rebel Moon, the 4-8 hours total across the 2 four-hour parts is kinda bare minimum for an epic. So... patience is a virtue? Let part 1 have elements of IT'S KIND OF A PROLOGUE?

What's that saying? If you want the rewards of space opera worldbuilding with an ensemble cast, you must submit to the mortifying ordeal of 2 hours of setup. Geez. Enjoy the wacky exposition or get out of the space opera genre.

Yeah, that leads me to the point of people who don't enjoy space opera are getting mad at RM for fulfilling the promises of the genre. You might truly be happier elsewhere. The whole thing is over-the-top, huge-scale MELODRAMA and I thrive on melodrama. If it's too cheesy for you, don't come to space operas!!!!!!!

On that note, people have said RM is too tropey and too Star Wars-y. But like I said. If you don't love the tropes get out of the genre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you aren't here for bloodier/hornier Star Wars get out of RM!!!!

Another big idea I would be remiss to skip over. RM is an explicitly, deliberately anti-colonial, anti-imperial text—far, far more so than any other mainstream sci-fi currently being released. Well-intentioned liberals love to tout Star Trek/Star Wars as progressive media but they really hedge and defang all their political commentary, especially in their 21st century franchise form—think the SW sequels/shows straight up woobifying K*lo Ren in realtime and the Trek shows that (while fun!) are really often just nostalgia bait.

RM is pretty fucking radical. Its theme basically is Kill Nazis—or in expanded form, something along the lines of "The empire will eat up everything of value in the universe unless it is met with unified armed resistance built on solidarity."

And just look at RM's casting. We're not colorblind here; we're very color-conscious. (That's a rant for another day, but I've really started to despise colorblind casting for its extremely well-intentioned-liberal "we're all the same" mentality. It just winds up erasing.) Anyway: RM features the explicitly American-English-Afrikaans empire vs. the Algerian Amazigh protagonist, Black freedom fighters, Japanese revolutionary... and like. Snyder's always gonna be into Vikings so obviously we have Space Vikings too, whatever. Look at me, I can criticize Snyder too! The Poor Sad Space Vikings are not the strongest part of the film!

...Anyway of course the empire vs. revolution is absolutely kind of Star Wars-y since RM is highkey Snyder's Star Wars, but it goes so much further than SW dreamed (or, perhaps, nightmared). SW's rebels/resistance continually get defanged because they're kind of foundationally space magic/singular hero's quest deals, and modern SW with the exception of Rogue One/Andor is just politically, socially stupid. In contrast, RM is about forming a coalition, without something like the Force to help you out. I could write an essay on the ways RM starts in the same place Star Wars starts but takes its politics so much more seriously, so much further.

While I'd argue "good politics" and "artistic quality" rarely correlate, RM is explicitly and doggedly a text about the colonial empire that exploits, enslaves, abuses, and seeks to utterly control marginalized people groups in its quest for domination—and god, I would LOVE to see a resurgence in very fanged, very angry political sci-fi.

One more aside. Snyder has been rightfully criticized for his earlier works basking in fascist-adjacent, hypermasculine aesthetics; 300 is notably super duper racist in how it depicts savage/monstrous Persians vs. Beautifully Good White Spartans Defending Their Culture. (more on "300 Bad" stored up in my brain if anyone wants THAT rant.) To Snyder's credit, none of his films since 300 have really done that—parts of Batman v Superman and his cut of Justice League purposefully poke fun at it. The hypermasculinity is kinda still there, but it's subsumed in the service of melodrama and mythic-flavored cinema, and it's kinda a staple of the action genre anyway, and if you're gonna criticize Snyder without criticizing EVERY ACTION MOVIE EVER, that's just more regurgitated Snyder haterism.

No one is doing mythic action like Snyder these days. No one has the balls and the command of melodrama & operatic visuals. And it comes clearly from Snyder's background in art & art history because all his shots are jam-packed with symbolism and meaning and allusion. So criticize the film for its weaknesses if you like but geez, if I see another post railing about the lack of CRAFT in RM, I will start biting. ALMOST NO BLOCKBUSTER HAS THIS LEVEL OF CRAFT. It's okay that you don't understand visual storytelling, babygirl, but please don't accuse Snyder of lacking craft.

Sorry, you've triggered Cinema Defense Mechanisms in me, I'm gonna have to sit down for a while after this.

I have more takes. Takes hot enough to fuel the King's Gaze (king's gays lol.) But I'll end with a funny observation: I transed my gender (cheers, shouts, hoorays) just about the time I was getting ready to watch Rebel Moon, and in one shocking, epiphanic moment I turned to my partner and went "Of COURSE I'm a man. I like Zack Snyder." So........... do with that what you will.

[unityrain24]

Saw your tags about Star Wars, it seems Star Wars stans and modern MCU stans are two peas in a pod. :/

im not entirely sure which tags you were referring to, because i have reblogged several starwars posts with Tags, but honestly, the mcu and starwars really are two peas in a pod. And im honestly surprised there isnt more comradery/comparing between the fandoms

both started out as, while definitely not "high art" or anything, legitimately good enjoyable films, with relatable characters the audience could feel empathy and compassion for, exciting new powers and places, fun and adventurous stories, and more, which instantly became beloved classic that people thought about with nostalgia and pleasantness. And they were and by people who cared and the people who watched them were compelled to care and create communities.

But then both franchises saw a shift, from making films from a passionate and moneymaking point of view, to purely making films from a moneymaking point of view. While star wars saw this happen with the franchise being picked up a few years after to make sequels, the mcu's shift happened more gradually, since there was no time in-between making movies.

now, while i would not consider myself a StarWars Fan, my sister and cousins most definitely were, so i had to watch basically everything in order to keep a conversation with them (not that i didnt enjoy it, i quite liked it and all the lore, it just didnt hold the special place in my heart that thing i consider myself a Fan of do). I've watched the movies, the clone wars series, rebels, the mandalorian, etc all the way through. It's been a while since i was keeping up with everything, so forgive me for not having quite a comprehensive understanding and opions of it as i did say, 3-4 years ago lol.

But the starwars sequels are a lot like the latest phases of the mcu. While i cant remember if they explicitly go against any prestablished canon like the later mcu phases do, they definitely go against the spirit and point/purpose of the original (and even prequel) films.From what i remember, the sequels also had went through several different directers and had direction and script changes and was a whole mess, so even the three films were sort of inconsistent or at the very leat felt oddly-thrown together (<-i may be wrong on the specifics of that its been a while. but it was something along those lines). Also like the later phases of the mcu, they relied a lot on the "nostalgia factor" with not only easter eggs but bringing back old ideas, concepts, plots, even characters, since it "worked so well the first time," when really what the "first time" did was think of new things, present old things in new ways, and tell make art from a place of passion, community, and connection, rather than a "whats the least i can do to make the most money" mindset formula (a point brought up a lot by @therese-lokidottir on many of their recent mcu critiques).

Starwars, unlike the mc, did have a brief period of "redemption" where it looked like the franchise would be saved and given back to the hands of people passionate about starwars, stoytelling, and film, with stuff like the final season of clonewars, the mandalorian, and a few other things. That was a great time to be a starwars fan. I wasn't even a fan, and it was kind of magical for me. But now it seems like they are back of the capitalist art-destroying path, hard. They have been pumping out series after series after series (once again going for the "nostalgia" thing, bringing back the clonewars artstyle, several beloved characters, and more), but it all feels so hollow. The stories feel more like they are just putting in a whole bunch of "wow, thats so shocking" and sewing them together with "hey i loved that character!". The costuming and makeup is absolute trash. The worst by far is hera (an alien character from the animated Rebels series, showing up live-action in Ahsoka). It is hideous. I have seen cosplays of her better than what the actual multi-bullion-dollar corpoation disney with all the best resources put on that screen. The costume looked like it was from spirit halloween, the makeup looked patchy and strange, they left out simple details of her design, and all the colours were Off. Examples:

Hera in Rebels:

Hera Cosplayers (x and x):

Hera in the Ahsoka Series: (it is like. seriously disconcerting to me)

and again, the costuming was not the most pressing point. Its actually relatively low on the list of points of everything bad with current starwars. But its good for a visual example. My sister and my cousins loved starwars. Passionate. Ahsoka was one of my sister's favourite characters. She couldnt even get though a full episode of ashoka. I havent heard anything new of starwars from our cousins, either. And we see eachother relatively often. I havent watched a new starwars thing in like... forever now. And it seems like neither have they. And not because they got sick of starwas, i can tell you that. They got sick of the new starwars being pumped out and shoved down their throats where the only things that resembled what they had loved were twisted into something else. Which, at least in my experience, is far, far worse than if they just ended things ubruptly and unfairly. At least mutilated corpse can rest.

The mcu's decline was, again, more gradual, like boiling a frog. Thor ragnarok is where i would probably pinpoint the beginnings though. I didn't like it at first, because it was out of character, sort of reversed elements of the character's well-developing character arcs , narratively picked on some characters more than others, etc. But, it was still a well-beloved film by many, in-universe explanations for why the characters, arcs, and plots were so different could be plausibly thought up, it was fun and unique, and i could make myself ignore the bad parts and focus on the good and enjoy it for a while. But by the time the loki series came out? There wasnt even any of that anymore. No passion. No community. No love of art. No respect for the previous artists and their art, that the new makers were supposed to honour and continue. While ragnarok's morals of the story could be a little iffy at times (attempting to critique colonialism/imperialism, but falling flat because mocking loki for dismantling it; making jokes at points of the film where it was a little inappropriate), the loki series was straight up horrifying. Perhaps most noteably, fucking. GLORIFYING AND EXCUSING/SYMPATHIZING FASCISM??? and labeling genocide as a "necessary evil?" (though, once again, that was not the only immoral "moral" the series preached). Disgusting. And the MCU is pumping out way more films than starwars, and seem far deeper in the money-lust trenches too.

either way, both are suffering and both are bought by disney (and oddly, both keep giving more and more screentime to the fascist characters. but at least starwars isnt romanticizing it like the mcu is...)

and it hurts so much when something important to you is taken from you, and twisted, and ruined, and its mutilated corpse is hung up on string and paraded around as a puppet before your eyes, and burned into your mind even when you finally tear yourself away. And then swarms of people thinking your ridiculous for caring so much about something so unimportant, and others defending the very monstrosity that did this.

But its not ridiculous or silly or inferior to be attatched to a fictional character or fictional world or fictional story or whatever. They can provide comfort, and ways to explore and understand and even come to terms with yourself (or even others!) (and can be especially important coping mechanism for mentally ill people!). And art is a such an innately human thing, for us to express ourselves, and communal art (like film!) is a tradition across humanity and time!

And with the whole thing with people these days defending/denying what capitalism is doing to art, and denying the notion that art has any influence or effect on "real life"... why are these such absurd concept to you, that you liken to some crazy conspiracy theory? Are you really so blind as to not see it happening before you? Is the blindfold over your eyes really so soft it feels like nothing there? They say a bird who doesnt know its in a cage thinks its free. These people seem to think that drastic, unfair, unjust, immoral, inequal changes and systems are only things of the past. And often, the past doesnt feel real. Dinosaurs and the roman empire and some genocide in some faraway land in some faraway time can at times seem just as unreal as mythical creatures and stories. And even if such terrible things were to happen now, surely theyd be able to see it coming. But things like this dont change in an instant. They are gradual. Like boiling a frog. You dont notice. And even if things arent the worst they can be, and never become the worst they can be, they are still bad. Things arent required to be certified the worst of worst in order for change to be allowed to happen. The worst of the worst isnt even a thing.

Our art is being taken from us. We are being overworked and underpayed. Our whole lives are dictated by how "valuable" we are. Our environments are being polluted and decimated and our planet is becoming more and more inhospitable. Racism and queerphobia and ableism and more are taking lives. And none of those things are at the very worst they can be. They could all be much, much, much worse. But we shouldnt just sit around and be grateful its not worse and do nothing more, nor should we deny anything is wrong at all. If you had cancer youd want to do what you could to get better. If you If broke your leg youd do what you could to make it better. Even if you just accidentally cut your hand or finger while chopping vegetables, youd bandages it up. We always should try to make things better.

We deserve to have our art continue to be art. Just as we deserve all the much more pressing areas of our lives to be better too

Anyways, marvel and starwars really are two peas in a pod. And that pod is with other pods, and the plant those pods share is film. Or perhaps even art as a whole. The mcu and starwars are just really good examples of whats happening right now, because not only does it feel like perhaps its hitting them the most, but also because since they are such large franchises, you can really see and document the progression of whats happening with each instalment.

two peas in a pod :( <3

[buckybarnesss]

Sending this on anon -

I think there is a latent amount of misogyny in the star wars fandom that people aren't ready to face lol.

Like there was so much hate for RebelCaptain and Bix x Cassian (MechanicThief? Bixian?) After andor, and we were called homophobic for 'not wanting to ship' the mlm ships, and I'm like???!! First of all multiplies exist, and second of all, complex, dramatic, well written ships also should exist!

And I'm now seeing the same pattern where it's encouraged to ship Din with the men, but not with the women

I think that a lot of fans really need to look within their consumption and see if they're really looking for representation, or for Ken dolls they can experiment with.

DinBo is so fascinating and I really can't wait to see how they develop

oh y'all want me to get spicy. i'm gonna put his under a read more.

i don't even think it's latent. the female characters receive an excessive amount of hatred or are pitted against each other. i've been in fandom spaces a long, long, long time so i know it's sadly nothing new but people have a hard time accepting that not all the misogyny comes from men.

there is no quarter for woman characters like jyn erso and bo-katan. they will never please. especially when they may have possible romantic relationships with the male leads.

i have thoughts on the shipping atmosphere for the mandalorian and it's not positive.

i am very much a ship and let ship person. i prefer to stay in my lane and enjoy what i enjoy. no harm no foul.

but i do find it -- shall we say interesting -- that bo-katan and din have a multiple episode arc where they develop a deeper understanding of each other overcoming their differences from when they first met but is met with the attitude of ew no cooties. it is fine to prefer a more sibling dynamic between the two but some have been really nasty about others shipping it romantically.

i didn't even really ship it at first but it's grown on me over the course of the season. they compliment each other and have a lot of protentional to explore.

it's one thing to not like a ship but i've seen a lot of language that i consider problematic and outright anti behavior of labeling something you don't like with dog whistles of incest, grooming, toxic and disgusting when it's in fact none of those things at all. just say you don't ship it and keep stepping.

like, the most popular din ship over the past two years has been dinluke which is a perfectly acceptable ship but in canon they've exchanged like a handful of words in one scene. it's fanon.

the armorer and bo-katan has become a popular ship which is again built on a few interactions.

but somehow din and bo are terrible, no good and gross.

we don't even have canon sexualities for these characters and headcanons are not canon. hell, i personally see din on the ace spectrum and bo makes sense to me as bi but that's my headcanon.

this is also not dean winchester being based of a bisexual character and fifteen years of evidence of subtext or stiles stilinski's bisexual baiting by jeff davis on teen wolf.

i get the desire for more lgbta+ representation in star wars but a heterosexual relationship existing is not your enemy and if you think it is than you are part of the problem.

[femmefighter]

For the star wars fave/least fave thing!

1, 3, 8, and 19?

Ohhhhh, so many questions. I’m excited to get my teef into these!

Favourite/Least Favourite Movie

Someone else beat you to this punch, so just the short answers.

Favourite: Rogue One

Least Favourite: Solo

3. Favourite/Least Favourite TV show episodes.

Omg, I’m not sticking to just one!! I kinda need to break this all down to the different series. Sorry Andor, you get enough love from everyone else that I'm gonna skip over you. And sorry Book of Boba Fett, I haven't invested enough energy to know you better yet to have strong opinions.

The Mandalorian.

Favourites: Yes I’m giving myself two answers here. Firstly, the Foundling. I love seeing how Bo-Katan goes about fitting in with the Children of the Watch, working out how to live their lifestyle, but then also still showing off her natural leadership qualities and her tenacity. Also, we get the shoulder touch. So fucking gay. Inject that straight (queerly) into my veins.

The second fave is The Jedi. I hadn’t watched any of the animation series before Mando S2, and when she came onto my screen, I sat up and paid attention. Ahsoka Tano, my blorbo beloved. I needed to know everything about her after watching that episode. Cue brainrot.

Least Favourite: Probably the Passenger. Felt like another filler episode. The typical “you only get to progress in the storyline if you fulfil this side quest” was growing old on me by this stage. Plus, giant spiders on an ice planet. Ick. No thanks. And Grogu eating the Frog Lady’s babies, UUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!

Ahsoka series.

Favourite: Time to Fly. It gave me tension-filled Sokabine. It gave me Jacen Syndulla. It gave me Ahsoka doing unhinged stuff like going outside her ship in space to fight off attackers. It gave me Sabine’s gay-panic face. It gave me purrgil. It gave me Huyang being an honest arsehole. It gave me Sabine losing a fight to a cup. I’m more than willing to overlook the completely stupid storyline writing for Hera’s subplot for everything else that episode did give me.

Least favourite: Far, Far Away. Not enough Ahsoka in this episode. And no Hera. So that instantly makes me sad. Also Sabine is written so poorly in this (no shade at Natasha for it, she did well for the poor hand she was dealt). Sabine’s smart, and yet all episode she’s just being all “where’s Ezra?” Smart Sabine wouldn't be standing at her prison door, banging on it and yelling about some deal that can't be fulfilled yet anyway because they aren't even on the fkn planet yet. Smart Sabine would be taking in her situation so much better. She'd be finding air vents to sneak into, so that even if she couldn't escape through them, she'd know the layout of the ship for whenever the New Republic might come up to fight against it. She’s be coming up with a plan to get Ezra and herself back home again once she’s let loose or makes a gaol break. She’d be stealing another TIE fighter with decent scanner equipment and faster travel, not being given a cowardly howler to search an entire planet that Ezra’s been hiding on for ten years on foot. They did her intelligence a massive disservice this episode. Also wasn’t a fan with how contemptuous they made Thrawn of Baylan and the Jedi in general. Chiss culture has a certain reverence for Force-wielders, and even though Kanan and Ezra were the enemies of Thrawn throughout Rebels, he always showed a level of respect towards them. Actually, Thrawn was pretty poorly written for the whole damn show. Bring Tim Zahn to the table to write the character properly, I beg you.

The Clone Wars

Favourite: The Phantom Apprentice. NGL, the last half of season seven of The Clone Wars was peak Star Wars. Fight me. But with this episode in particular, that fight sequence between Ahsoka and Maul, the dialogue leading up to it, the tension and shadow hanging over the entire episode? Perfection. It makes me believe Anakin’s fall so much more, in that Ahsoka’s absence from the events of The Revenge of the Sith speaks more to Anakin’s emotional isolation and manipulation to turn on the Jedi.

Least favourite: Can’t really say a particular episode. There were a number of filler ones that I just yawned through. There was one that focused on Anakin and Padme’s relationship, that was probably my least enjoyable. I get that their relationship was toxic/fucked up/doomed to fail, I don’t want to see more of it. Gives me the ick.

Rebels

Favourite: Twilight of the Apprentice. I get Maul back. Ahsoka is a badass. Kanan is a legend. I cry like a bitch at the end of it. But Ahsoka’s not actually dead either. Wins all round for me.

Also, Hera’s Heroes. Where we get a real introduction to Thrawn. I love his assessment of her. The respect, the admiration, that he has for his enemy. How he sees her as a worthy opponent.

“War, it's all you've ever know, isn't it? You were so young when you survived the Clone Wars, no wonder you're as equipped in spirit to fight as well as you do. War is in your blood. I studied the art of war, worked to perfect it, but you? You were forged by it.”

Gives me shivers. I really hope they do future Thrawn vs Hera justice in upcoming movies/shows, but I know I shouldn’t hold my breath…

Least favourite: Jedi Knight. It was an amazing episode. I don’t think I’ve watched any Star Wars (with perhaps the exception of Rogue One) that’s managed to pull such unexpected emotion out of me. And for that reason, I cannot bring myself to watch it again. I dunno. Maybe one day when I’m feeling emotionally robust. RIP Kanan. You deserved such a heroic death, but you also deserved to live. Fuck you, Governor Pryce.

8. Favourite/Least Favourite Concept

Favourite: That the Force is in everyone. (Yes, even you!) It frustrates me that fandom miss the point of there being a difference between Force-wielding and Force-sensitivity. Anyone can use the Force, but those who are selected to train as Jedi from a young age have a natural ability to wield it, because if you don’t have that natural ability, tapping into it and wielding it is hard. Even those with natural aptitude for the Force find it hard! Ezra Bridger? Force sensitive. Had the abilities from a young age, and just required mentorship/guidance on how to best connect with and use them. Sabine Wren? She has the Force sensitivity of a sandwich. She is not Force-sensitive. Which is why Kanan didn’t ‘pick up on Sabine’s Force sensitivity’, because she didn’t have any! She was just a stubborn woman who decided she wanted to try the seemingly impossible and found a master who was unhinged enough as her to try it too. I think a lot more people could use the lesson from her story, about persistence, patience and hard work paying off. Anywho, end rant there.

Least favourite. That ‘falling to the dark side’ is somehow freeing/a good thing/something to strive for. I hate how they made Osha Aniseya seem like she’d achieved some kind of ‘enlightenment’ from having just killed her father figure, abandoning her sister to have her memory wiped, and teaming up with some attractive stranger who had just murdered a bunch of her friends. It wasn’t enlightenment. It was manipulation. STFU.

19. Favourite/Least Favourite Outfit

Favourite: Live-action Ahsoka’s outfits. Yes, even that poncho that hides her gorgeous deltoids from view. It looks so damn cosy. I love that those outfits give those tiny, tantalising hints of skin whilst still being modest and practical. They’re minimalistic in a way a Fulcrum operative would be, but with some random personal touches that we don’t fully understand yet (Like those beads at her belt. Are they meant to be her old padawan braid? Or Sabine’s padawan braid? Are they just rhythm beads? It’s anyone’s guess at this stage!) But mostly, she just looks comfortable. And since owning both the Adidas wrestling shoes from her white outfit and the Tabi shoes from her dark one, I can attest that they are so damn comfortable whilst also feeling like I could run over any terrain or kick some bad guys’ butts. I’m totally here for it.

Also, Mother Aniseya’s outfit. There’s just so much damn detail to that garb. The fabric. The layers. I love it. Also looks like it would be a cosplayer’s nightmare.

Least favourite: This is probably going to get me cancelled, but I must speak my truth. Leia’s first outfit, the white robe. The "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi" one. It looks like a bedsheet. There. I said it. I don’t mind the whole idea of a plain white dress that covers her up, I just hate whatever fabric they used. How it hangs. Just screams worn-out bedsheet. And fuck trying to keep that thing clean.

Also, the padawan boob-tube. ‘Soka, babes. Just no. This isn’t Friday night discoteca. This is the military. Put your teenage midriff away and go find yourself something with pockets. You’ll need them.

[ooops-i-arted]

Gina Carano Sues Disney and Lucasfilm. According to Just Some Guy at 1 : 36 of the youtube video. Gina Carano was the one who put gasoline into the fire herself by intentionally starting a fight with trans people and mocking them for their importance in society.

I was sick the day the happened and @jennadknowsbest-blog was kind enough to tell me and boy let me tell you, despite feeling like crap I was laughing like this allllllll day

If you too need a good laugh, read the released document thingy. It's badly written on so many levels. (I saw it on Reddit but I think it's floating around Tumblr too. There are some golden comments on both.) Both from just a writing style perspective (it's written like a teenager's Star Wars fanfic) and the fact that her main argument is that "Pedro Pascal said mean things about conservatives and wasn't punished" when 1. most of the posts were apparently before he was hired as the Mandalorian and 2. it seems like pretty common knowledge in fandom that he was asked to tone it down and he did. I follow him on Insta and he rarely posts outside of promoting his own work, and it's largely "support this cause" or "I love my trans sister" instead of attacking/joking at anyone. (I guess his Twitter had more comments, but he's since deleted it afaik.) Overall, it's likely just a stunt to get the right-wing frothing at the mouth and Gina's name back in people's mouth, because she hasn't filmed anything since Terror on the Prairie (one of two Daily Wire films she was supposed to have, the other appears to not be happening anymore) and My Son Hunter (which was straight Breitbart propaganda). Shatpiro has used and dumped her and while I doubt she's hurting for money, I bet she's desperate to get the praise and attention and adoration that the Cara Dune role briefly brought her. Why else would she come crawling back to a company she's publicly trashed and accused of mistreating for the last several years? It doesn't make sense by her own logic! If they were so bad, why does she want back? (And who's gonna hire her now if they think she's a liability who's going to turn around and sue them?)

It's really disgusting though that Gina wants to claim she was discriminated against for being a woman while actively mocking minority groups. Her post appeared on my Insta fyp and I usually don't click because I know she's gonna piss me off, and I clicked and she did. At the time she had a story that said "Still beeping, bopping, booping" with a smirky picture of her. So all she's been told - we know Pedro talked to her because she herself admitted it on Twitter*, and while I'm sure there were plenty of people jumping on the hate bandwagon, there were also people trying to genuinely explain - and explained how this is hurtful to the queer community, she still keeps doing it and thinks it's funny.

That's what's unforgivable to me. Not that she said ignorant shit in the first place - we all have - but her refusal to learn and do better. She wants to say whatever she wants without pushback and so do her fans. The few times I've thought it's worth it to try and talk to someone about it, they always insist it's just her opinion and say something homophobic to me as well (last time I talked to a Cara Dune content creator on Insta, she said she "doesn't agree" with me being gay and "I can't expect everyone to agree with me." For wanting to exist as a gay person. Apparently I should just take it when people mock me or say I should burn in hell.) That's the problem with Gina and her supporters. They don't care, they don't want to think critically or debate, they want to say anything they want without consequence and brush off any conflict with "well it's just a joke" or "it's just her opinion."

Bigotry is not an opinion. You can't "not agree" with someone's skin color and it's the same with their sexuality. You don't get a fucking opinion on whether I have the right to exist as a queer woman.

Let's not pretend the things Gina says are in a void. People who flock to her believe the same things she does. That's why people have protested her attending FanExpo (this video goes into more depth thank you @jennadknowsbest-blog for sharing), when you invite people who, like her, think it's funny to mock anyone like them, it doesn't make a safe or welcoming environment for people like me. Sure one can brush off a comment or two - but where do you draw the line? When does it become harassment? And who is going to protect people like me from that harassment? How can I count on security from an organization that invited Gina and encouraged these people in the first place?

And I say all this as a queer woman who is able to chameleon myself very well because I've done it since childhood. Things are only getting more dangerous for people who are visibly queer. A nonbinary teen was just killed in Oklahoma. I live in a relatively blue area of a blue state, but that doesn't mean I'm completely safe. There are extremists out there, and they're only getting more bold - because people like Gina think it's amusing to fan the flames. Gina, at least, has faced some consequences for it. I doubt this lawsuit will go anywhere (either it'll be settled and Elon and Gina have some Own The Libs content, or they'll be dismissed/lose and they'll get some A Woke Judge Discriminated Against Me content). Gina will be happily on her way. Meanwhile, I get to wonder if the people around me who dismissively say "it's just her opinion" are the kind of people who don't think much about social issues.... or are the kind of people who will happily vote my rights away in the next election.

I assure you, if you have friends who are queer, they are listening to what you say about this case. Throughout all her tomfoolery, I've found Gina to be an excellent canary in the coal mine when it comes to identifying homophobes.

-

*She apparently later told Tucker Carlson that no one bothered to explain the pronouns thing to her, so we know she's a liar who twists the story as well, which is why I never take anything she says in good faith.**

**I'm very embarrassed I know this but I can't help but following up on stupid things she's doing. She fascinates me. She's like the inverse of a blorbo to me, like she pisses me off but she compels me. How can one person be this dumb. (Fr tho has anyone in her life talked to her about CTE??? Impulsiveness/aggression are possible symptoms....)

[manny-jacinto]

Hey! I also wanna watch and enjoy Ahsoka but I'm having trouble getting past the Ros@rio D@wson of it all.. I heard about that insane incident and her and her mother beating a trans person (with very little details but it's still been enough to put me off for years). Did you ever hear more details about this/do you know anything else? I'm sorry I know this is the opposite of trying to ignore her existence and move on.

god i feel you, i was NOT interested into the whole ahsoka thing for the exact same reason. fuck rosario dawson! all my homies hate rosario dawson! for what is worth, i tried to ignore her as much as possible during the episodes and focused on sabine, chopper and the sith(?) master/apprentice and it was way better than i expected (especially since i didn't see a lot of r*sari*)

i'm not a deep dive expert so i cannot promise that i have the whole story figured out. there's a not a lot of articles or details but these struck me out:

the description of the assault is absolutely disgusting

In 2020, 18 of the 20 allegations were "withdrawn voluntarily without settlement," and Dawson spoke out about the lawsuit

r*sari* talked a little bit about it to vanity fair and her answer srsly rubs me wrong:

Ahsoka does mean a great deal to people, and they’re deeply invested in who she is. So, Rosario, I want to ask you about something that’s outside of this story of The Mandalorian, and that’s the concern in the fandom about a lawsuit that was filed against you last year by a longtime family friend. The claim accused you and other family members of anti-trans bias, and you’ve called the lawsuit false and baseless. But what do you say to those Star Wars fans who hear this and believe the worst—that you are transphobic?  

Dawson: Well, firstly, I just want to say I understand that, and why people were concerned, and are concerned. I would be too if I heard some of those claims. But I mean, as we’re seeing right now in these past months, and just recently, actually, the truth is coming out. Every single claim of discrimination has been dismissed by the person who made them, and as you’ve said, the fact that this is coming from someone I’ve known since I was a teenager, the better part of my life, and who my family was trying to help as we have many times in the past, it really just makes me sad. But I still have a great empathy for him.

Court records show 18 of the 20 claims were withdrawn voluntarily without a settlement, and his lawyer left the case. Two counts remain alleging a physical altercation, and a judge will rule on whether that can move forward next month. There are people that would say, “Well, this is just another example of a wealthy, famous person overpowering the system.” So what would you say to those people who are unconvinced, both about this case and about what you actually believe about trans people?

Dawson: The reason that all of the discrimination claims were dropped is because they didn’t happen. I was raised in a very inclusive and loving way, and that’s how I’ve lived my entire life. I’ve always used my voice to fight for, lift up, and empower the LGBTQA community, and use my platform to channel trans voices, in fiction and nonfiction work that I’ve produced and directed. So I feel the record is really clear.

[twinsunstars]

Let’s break the Ahsoka trailer down.

ft. this little pure soul

Things we knew before the trailer:

Centers around Ahsoka (obviously)

Takes place after Rebels era

Features original characters from Star Wars Rebels: Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and Grand Admiral Thrawn

Now that a teaser trailer has dropped in honor of Star Wars Celebration 2023 kicking off today, fans have obtained more footage of what we are going to look forward to this August. Considering the live celebration premiering on YouTube started at 5 AM where I live, I definitely had to stop myself from screaming with glee to not wake up my family. I've been a Rebels and Clone Wars fan since the pandemic, and the lore is captivating. Let's take a look at the characters set to make appearances in the series.

Rosario Dawson returns as Ahsoka Tano, previously playing her role in The Mandalorian, which was the character's live-action debut. We see Ahsoka at the beginning of the teaser in a place that is yet to be known, but it is clear that she senses something coming, and it's definitely going to be big. Ahsoka continues to protect herself in this galaxy, searching for answers.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo plays the live-action debut of Sabine Wren, and I adore her look! Normally, fans see Sabine with a very short cut, but her constant re-dying of her hair is nothing new. This time, we see her with long wavy hair with shades of magenta and orange, and I'm pretty sure I see some red and purple in there. Sabine appears to be staying on Lothal, which was Ezra's home. What she's been up to, that is to be seen.

Our beloved duo, Hera Syndulla and her brave droid, Chopper! The last we saw them in animation, we got to see a younger version of Hera in Season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Here, the two make their live action debut, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead playing the role of Hera.

Considering the Rebels finale (sorry for anyone who hasn't seen the show, feel free to skip this part if you haven't!), we know she had a child who carries the blood of her late lover and Ezra's Jedi Master, Kanan Jarrus, who had passed in an explosion after saving Hera from the Imperials.

We have yet to learn who will be playing the young Jacen Syndulla, or if he will be making an appearance at all.

We all know the woman on the left to be Mon Mothma, a senator who fights against the Empire, played by the elegant Genevieve O'Reilly. The woman on the right was first seen in the same episode of The Mandalorian that Ahsoka had made her live-action debut in. Morgan Elsbeth, played by Diana Lee Inosanto, was seen ruling a town and facing off against Ahsoka, leading to Ahsoka defeating her. Her role in this series is yet to be learned of, but it most likely will answer how Ahsoka had known her before this.

When I first saw these characters, the first thought that went to my head was, "Are they inquisitors??" Actor and actress Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno will be playing these roles. Stevenson will play Baylan (left), and the name of the woman is yet to be revealed. I'm curious to hear more about these new characters and what purpose they will have in the series.

IT'S HIM! Since the day Rebels came to an end, fans all miss Ezra Bridger, questioning where he went and how he is. The hashtag, #ezracomehome, became very popular. This is just a hologram, but there are theories that he will likely come back in the series. How? We'll see. Ezra's live-action debut will be played by Eman Esfandi.

"The heir of the Empire." That line gave me goosebumps. It's been a long time since we've seen Grand Admiral Thrawn on the screens, and now he will be making his live-action debut in Ahsoka. Last in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka questions Morgan Elsbeth, asking "Where is Grand Admiral Thrawn?" Ever since, fans have been coming back to that line, knowing that Thrawn will probably be coming back, and now, we'll get to see his role in this world. The person who will be playing the role of Thrawn is still unknown, and we have still not gotten a proper look at him. Fans will be awaiting the news and more of his appearances.

When Ezra became lost to space during the finale, so was Thrawn. So how has he returned?

Here, we see Ahsoka facing off against what appears to be an Inquisitor. In another part of the trailer, we see her face off against Stevenson's character. There will definitely be a lot of action happening in the series, and Ahsoka's fights are always something looking forward to watching.

According to sources, Hayden Christensen will be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker, although we have not seen any footage of him in this series just yet. Anakin played a vital role in Ahsoka's life as her Jedi Master while she was in the Jedi Order. In Rebels, Ahsoka faces off against Darth Vader, realizing that it is Anakin and hearing his voice again as he tries to kill her. Ahsoka has been through a lot since her time as a Jedi and on the run since Order 66, and it does not stop there.

There are many questions resurfacing with this teaser, but there will definitely be more footage coming before Ahsoka makes it's debut. Will surely be going on a Rebels rewatch before the series comes out. If you want to see more of Ahsoka before the show, consider watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the episodes she appears in in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and her episodes in Star Wars: Rebels. I can't wait to see the loth cats again, as they were completely adorable in Rebels.

Ahsoka is set to start on Disney+ in August 2023.

[mandalorianchronicles]

While I’m not a dinbo fan (din/fennec all

The way) I do have to say your positivity of this season is refreshing. I feel like I’ve been defending this season all by myself. Dave and Jon are excellent writers and I trust them with my whole heart. This season has really focused on the subtle plot choices that are going to come clashing together and make sense.

Nice to see another fan enjoying the show. 🧡

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. It's so nice to hear from other voices who are not so quick to jump on the negativity bandwagon. The Mandalorian tag has definitely had its ups and downs over the seasons. I can remember when the chief complaint was that there were too many episodes with canned plots that were "filler" or "slow" or "side quests" and everyone kept asking "where is the plot?" Of course, the overarching plot (that all those canned episodes contributed important pieces to) always came crashing down in the last few episodes of the season and they complained about that too.

This season has seen a lot more world building and has been incredibly focused on character development. The chief complaint I've heard now is that Din's character is "regressing" or being "sidelined". In the first two seasons, Din's priority was a) keeping Grogu alive and b) getting Grogu to a permanent home. Since The Book of Boba Fett, Din has accepted that Grogu is now his responsibility for the long haul. That has shifted his whole world. He can't keep dragging a baby on bounty hunting missions and even if he could, he wants something better for Grogu. He wants to give him a home and people, a stable lifestyle. Bo-Katan can make that happen and he is willing to support her in any way possible to help her succeed - not just for his and Grogu's benefit - because he truly believes in her.

And though I understand and respect that Dinbo is not everyone's cup of tea, I do believe that is the direction the writers are taking their relationship, especially in light of the fact that Bo has voluntarily (with zero prompting from Din) assumed a motherly role with Grogu. For me, I just really want to see these characters find some peace and happiness. I know that in Star Wars peace is always temporary, but it would be very satisfying for me to see Grogu, Din, and Bo (three characters who started this journey utterly alone) become a family. They have each grown so much over these three seasons and the writers have spent the most time focusing on them for a reason. I believe their story can be told well without detracting from the bigger picture of restoring Mandalore and pushing back against the restoration of the Empire.

We know that Star Wars fans are a toxic bunch who aren't happy unless they're complaining. I'll be the first to admit, I went through a phase where I really hated on the sequels (even though I was actually enjoying them until TRoS). We've all done it. And let's be real, there are legitimate reasons to be critical of some of these shows/movies. But I really do believe that a lot of the negativity over this season of The Mandalorian has been predominantly from fans who were just salty that their hyper specific headcanons weren't coming true or because they jumped the gun and judged it before they got to the end. If I had a nickel for every complaint about loose threads, I'd be rich. Even before the season is complete, the vast majority of those threads or pieces have become relevant and now everyone can clearly see why those were important. Patience is a virtue, y'all. Let the season play out and just learn to enjoy the ride. Save your criticisms for after it's done - you'll probably have a lot less of them and you'll undoubtedly feel less stupid when that plot thread you thought was just dropped actually became relevant (looking at you people who thought they went through all that trouble with IG-11 for no reason). Maybe we should all start meditating on my new favorite Mandalorian proverb:

"One does not speak unless one knows."

It sounds a lot like this other favorite of mine:

"Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." Proverbs 17:28

[travelerofthetimestreams]

In A Galaxy Far Far Away

I have been a massive fan of Star Wars since I was a child. The queer person in me loved Princess Leia and thought she was simply badass. They homo in me wanted to be Luke Skywalker, but to swept off my feet by the swashbuckling Han Solo. Then when Billy Dee Williams was brought in as Lando...yes please!

As the franchise grew and expanded, it had its ups and downs like all franchises do.

When Rey was introduced, I became a big fan of her character as well. I know those three films are polarizing to many in the fan bases. I liked them. They weren't great, but they do make for great lazy day viewing.

I also liked The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The rest however, I could not get into. Andor didn't grab my attention and The Book of Boba Fett was simply terrible.

I have not watched the animated series, so I can't comment on them.

Now we have The Acolyte. The one question I have for the show-runners and writers is, "did you have watch any of the franchise?"

The argument against fans' criticism is that they "haven't given it a chance". Halfway through a season's run, should pretty much have captured the audience and keep them coming back to watch.

This isn't a criticism of the characters, but of the writing and the story telling. Things like space fires and surviving a horrific crash without a scratch are just bad writing. Claiming The Force somehow being appropriated is ignorant to the lore of the franchise. Mainly because in order for something to be appropriated, it must first be owned or claimed by someone. Since The Force is all things, it's therefore for all beings. I won't comment on the acting because I don't know who to blame; the actors or the writers.

If the priority of this series is DEI, then I have to point to several series where diversity was just part of the story.

The re-imagined Battlestar Galactica did a good job of diversity. Side note: DO NOT REBOOT IT!

The Expanse was an incredibly well written and acted series with excellent social, political and ideological text and subtext.

And of course, Star Trek. The bastion of sc-fi DEI has always created diverse characters that were interwoven into the story.

With The Acolyte, it feels as though they tried so hard to fill the DEI quotient to their satisfaction, but with disregard to writing, storytelling and actual knowledge to Star Wars lore.

At the end of the day, if the story falls flat, so does the message.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

SW Request Guidelines

This list is not cemented or exhaustive in any capacity, and will be occasionally updated, so please be sure to keep an eye on this post in my #frostfics masterlist and/or check before you make a request if you'd like some inspiration.

**Remember above all else, friends: 'this is War of Stars and Shit's Whack Anyways'. I more believe in having *fun* with the source material above strict adherence to it. If someone requested something that did not strictly adhere to whatever the current canon is, that's their choice. We all have our favorite aspects of Star Wars and they will not always align with another person's.**

UPDATED: 7/11/24

What I WILL Do

Headcanon requests

Drabbles

One shots

Short series (IF I am inspired by the request)

When it comes to X Readers: I can comfortably write in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Person POVs. My default is 2nd and 3rd person, for the most part! (Readers can also have nicknames, if that is your preference!)

Want to request a non-x reader? I can do that too, don't be shy!

Tropes including but not limited to: Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Enemies-to-Lovers/Idiots-to-Lovers, One Bed/Escape Pod, Fix-its, Soulmate, and Domestic.

Popular occupations or specified reader-types like Medic, Mechanic, Bounty Hunter, Jedi, etc.

As much or as little Clones-using-Mando'a as you'd like. Familial terms only? Sure! You wanna go for Oops! All Pet Names? You got it. You're allergic to Clones using Mando'a? Cool beans, buddy, I can do that and correct any slip-ups! (I know not everyone subscribed to that fanon trope like I did and/or for the same reasons I did.)

Platonic or romantic relationships

Implied smut/Mature on occasion! [Will range from 13+ to 18+ age rating depending on my comfort and familiarity with the requested character.]

I have more familiarity in writing AFAB/Female and Gender Neutral x Readers. I often write the general, physical description of Reader in a very vague, more "poetic" manner unless otherwise specified in the request. [Should be noted I am very unfamiliar with writing AMAB/Male x Readers so I'm afraid I'm likely not the one who will be best to ask.]

We're LGBT+ friendly; I'm a bi woman in my twenties for goodness sake. 🩷💜💙

Most SW characters, really. If you have a particular character in mind that isn't in my main niches of interest, I can probably swing it. There'll be better luck if you request something from one of my favorite eras (The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian). Please keep in mind that the less I know of a character, the longer it'll take me to complete. 

Like a particular fanon trope [ex: Gray Jedi] and want to see my take on it? Sweet, glad you trust me! I'll certainly do my best depending on what's requested.

We're AU and canon-divergent friendly here! You ordered the "No Order 66 AU with Domestic!Clone Boyfriend" with an order of "Somehow, ____ Lived." on the side? Coming right up!

Is it well past time for everything to Just Stop™ for your fave? We can magically give them a little break.

I will postpone or delete a request if you're impatient with me. I'm doing this for free, for FUN, on my own time with no set schedule. I have ADHD tendencies (and chronic health conditions) and sometimes the inspiration is just not there. Do not be an entitled little snot or you'll get put in timeout.

What I Will NOT Do

Whitewash the Clones. We believe in evidence of Temuera Morrison's physical characteristics in our Clone husbands/boyfriends here.

Art requests: Most of the fan art I'm posting in the #frostsfanart tag is done on whim, vibes and impulse; and it's a miracle some of those have gotten popular.

Sidenote: There is a *chance* you'll get an art response to an ask if I feel I can pull it off, or, if you give me an idea. [An acceptable example would be asking me if I've ever done a helmet doodle for XYZ before.]

Explicit smut as of now. Nothing against it, but I had a more conservative upbringing; I currently struggle with writing that material without unnecessary guilt.

Your OC x Canon. Don't want to butcher your brain-child by mischaracterizing them by accident. Not running that risk; doubt this would be a thing that would be requested but I'm just covering my bases.

I am not personally comfortable with Clonecest or Clone-shipping. They are brothers and refer to each other as such in-canon. I understand people will do as they please, but I do not support this material. Respect my boundaries.

Will absolutely NEVER do requests involving incest, dub-con/non-con, or general bigotry (homophobia, racism, etc). You will be fed to the Rishi Moon eels instead of Cutup. I'll free Echo and put you in his place on Skako Minor before anyone notices I'm there. Get lost, please.

I am not comfortable with the Rex/Ahsoka business or Master x Padawan romance. Platonic takes on Master x Padawan!Reader dynamic is acceptable. Characters need to be of-age for romances. Ahsoka was only 17 at the end of Clone Wars, for stars' sake.

I Will Love You If You Let Me

Talk about my Clone OCs!!

As the Clone Wars is my favorite era in this Galaxy Far, Far Away, I have a LOT of Clone OCs. I keep track of them in an Excel spreadsheet, so chances are a "throwaway" name that's not found in any Star Wars series is one of my boys.

Chances are good that I throw one or two in a fic as a cameo, as well! Some of them are more fleshed out than others with proper canon, while others have none at all.

Talk about my own fics from time to time!

I promise, there's no need to be shy!

I reread my own work often enough, and I'd love to have you stop by my ask box (on or off anon) with any questions you might have about what you've read! I'll gladly elaborate on why I wrote a scene like that or the particular headcanon(s) I've worked into the fabric of the story.

You're more than welcome to drop by and gush about things too. Authors truly do love to hear back from the people who've taken the time to read what we've written. 🩷

[cienie-isengardu]

Hi! I noticed that some unfounded criticism was being sent to you... I just want to write to you that your posts are very interesting. Special thanks for the fact that they are traditional. Don't pay attention to the negative! Keep writing in the same style, and write more and more. I wish you tons of inspiration! :) May I ask why you love the topic of clones and Mandalorians so much? It would seem that there was little about both of them in the history of Star Wars. Anyway, I wonder why...

Thank you very much for the kind words! 💜

In general I like cool armors and the military feeling (settling) so the warrior/soldier/assassin type of characters draws my attention immediately but as for my Star Wars interests, the funny thing is that everything always starts and ends with Anakin/Vader and both Mandalorians and clone troopers fall into that monothematic obsession of mine. 

For Mandalorians the passion of course started with Boba Fett, partially due to the cool armor and no-nonsense attitude and partially because he was Vader’s favorite bounty hunter - although I won’t lie, it took some time for my uncle to actually convince the kid!me in that matter because Boba’s performance in RotJ kinda left much to be desired. My uncle literally brought me the first novel (The Mandalorian Armor) from The Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy to change my mind and to this day I’m truly grateful for his dedication because it did the job. Of course, twenty years ago there wasn’t that much star wars tie-in materials in my country, even less about Mandalorians so everyone latched at anything that was available and the great work of fans who shared for free all the translated scanlations of comics or articles and so on still warms my heart at the mere thought how awesome fandom can be. Again, thanks to the courtesy of my uncle, I got my hands on Jango Fett: Open Seasons and I absolutely fell in love with Mandalorians, especially with Tor Vizsla - and by extension, with Death Watch even though I know most fans despite this character. It is the black armor (my weakness!) and ruthless cleverness, battle skills but also underrated (or outright ignored?) little aspects of his personality that makes Tor Vizsla a very compelling character for me. That and also the fan translation that presented Death Watch as “Wataha Śmierci” in which Wataha in Polish may means a dangerous group but is also a Polish term for wolf-pack (while Death translated accurately) that I will admit, shaped my image of Mandalorians way more strongly than anything else. Ya’ know, the wild, dangerous predators tightly knit together as the clan and all the wolf symbolic for freedom, hard life, honor, majesty, nightmares and so on. Oops, sorry for the digression. Anyway, I like Mandalorians because they aren’t the holier-than-thou group and they can be - and are - ruthless bastards but also the loyalty to clan, the brotherhood in arms and honor sense is what I’m here for.

(I like Jango and think he was one of the best aspect of AotC and in general True Mandalorians vs Death Watch and the Fenn Shysa’s Protectors fight against Imperial occupation are great stories but thanks to The Sith Wars, I will always favor the original Mandalorians (Taungs) and KotOR era Mandalorians. Mainly because the Mandalore Indomitable is both awesome and hilarious when interacting with Exar Kun and Ulic Qel Droma.)

As for clones, well, I watched AotC in hope to see young Anakin the great battle (sadly battle of Geonosis didn’t take that much movie time overall) and I was truly touched and impressed with the little scenes they got then. In general I like to watch competent soldiers/specialists at their job - and Revenge of the Sith for sure provided more joy in that regard -  but also I love the complexity of Star Wars that has this whole subplot of exploiting humans literally “breed for war” while Republic (the symbol of democracy) and Jedi Order (the legendary good guys from Original Trilogy) doesn’t blink an eye on slavery that is technically forbidden by their own laws. Of course, the potential was never truly used, even more so with Anakin’s backstory of being born in slavery. Anyway, Clone Wars is one of my absolute favorite star wars eras, exactly for heroic Anakin and his slow, tragic path to Dark Side but also for his relationship with clone troopers (an interesting mirror to Vader’s specific relationship with common troopers in contrast to the “military elites” and oh boy, even with so little focus on clones, there is so many moments to see how Skywalker cares for his men). So the more I explored source material in that regard, the more I came to love Legends!clones, like Alpha-17 and his sarcasm or Nate who took the name of Jangotat for himself or the most awesome Delta Squad or commander Faie who definitely wanted to kill his Jedi General during Order 66 or those few commandos who refused to kill their Jedi comrades. The spectrum of experiences that shaped the supposedly same people is thrilling to watch how those men develop into their own persona, how they break from dehumanization or not, while all are so competent and no-nonsense humans always ready to die for a system that doesn’t care about them in the first place. Clones and their place in the story is really heartbreaking and I do think all the time about this complexity. However I wholeheartedly hate the chip-in-brain nonsense and I’m tired of the weird (TCW?) fandom tendencies to present clones as some kind of dumb idiots who either love their Jedi generals *so much* they can't function like normal human beings or can’t be left without supervision because again, dumb idiots… Uh. Sorry, ranting again. 

In summary, I love Mandalorian and clone troopers because they lack special powers in a universe that is all about special powers (Force) while being still pretty good at their job and generally neutral on the scale of good and evil. They are all a bit of both which gives a great possibilities to explore star wars universe, both from in-universe perspective and our real life. I love them because both groups provide me a lot of interesting stuff in regard to Anakin/Vader. Because yes, I’m that monotonic when it comes to star wars. And well, again, brotherhood in arms and cool armors are my thing.