#star wars ep vii: the force awakens

[david-talks-sw]

An allergy to the Prequels

While I'm putting together a post about the evolution Lucasfilm's transmedia strategies, this part kinda turned into its own thing!

So I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but, uh... there hasn't been that much Prequel content since the Disney sale, right?

'Couple novels and comics, some episodes... but nothing meaningful.

The more I look into it, the more it feels like a deliberate avoidance to touch on anything Prequel-related - beyond the required quota, that is - to a point where they'd rather tell stories set during periods that are Prequel-adjacent (Dark Times, High Republic) than something set around Episodes I, II and III.

On-screen policy: "pretend they never happened"

I mean, this one's no secret. When The Force Awakens had been announced, with J.J. Abrams at the helm, everyone sighed in relief. "Finally, George Lucas won't keep ruining the franchise."

When Abrams had been announced as the director of Episode VII, I remember this cringey animated video started circulating online, titled "4 Rules To Make Star Wars Great Again" or "Dear JJ Abrams":

“Star Wars isn’t shiny and clean... Star Wars is a western.”

If you ask me, those two things are not mutually exclusive.

'Cause Star Wars has always been both, for many Prequel kids. Both clean and dusty, Coruscant and Tatooine. There was never a disconnect between the Original Trilogy (OT) and the Prequel Trilogy.

Even the documentary The People vs George Lucas shows Prequel-hating fans begrudgingly admit their kids felt all six episodes tied seamlessly.

Abrams, on the other hand, said: "I think [the "Dear JJ" video] was right on." Later on, he also said:

he considered "putting Jar Jar Binks's bones in the desert" on Jakku, somewhere, and

he intentionally made the lightsaber fights "rougher", "primitive" and "more powerful" unlike the fast-paced ones in the Prequels.

Later, we found out he wanted to blow up Coruscant.

It's clear he wasn't a big fan of the Prequels.

But y'know what? Not many fans over 20 were, at the time. And when The Force Awakens came out, most them celebrated it as a wonderful love letter to the OT.

Star Wars is cool again. Mission accomplished 🙌 !

However movies keep coming out, and references to the Prequels - if there are any - are literally just that... references.

Sometimes in the shape of a cameo ("hey look, Genevieve O'Reilly from the Ep. III deleted scenes is playing Mon Mothma again!")

Sometimes in a name (Luke name-dropped "Darth Sidious"!)

But nothing set during the Prequel era, and nothing treating the events that happened in that period as relevant or impactful, beyond subtextual nods.

In fact, the trend of avoiding anything Prequel-related continues as the final film in the Skywalker Saga comes out:

The Rise of Skywalker has a secret Sith society that chants the name "Palpatine" instead of his Sith name "Darth Sidious",

the film pretends the Kaminoans never existed,

and neither TROS nor Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates script even try to bring Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker back on screen. Let that sink in, we're talking about the Chosen One, Skywalker Senior, whose sins caused this whole mess... and his name isn't even uttered once in the final chapter of what Disney dubbed the *Skywalker* Saga (or the entire Sequel trilogy, for that matter).

But hey, The Clone Wars got renewed for one last Season! That's cool right? So many stories had gone unfinished and somehow the animation looks even better than befo--

-- oh. It's not 22 episodes? Only 12?

Four of which had already been shown to us, but hey! We need to set-up the Bad Batch series, so let's shoehorn those episodes in there, and forget Son of Dathomir, Dark Disciple or Crystal Crisis.

*sigh* Better than nothing, I guess.

In other mediums: "just not a priority"

Now this is something that I'll explore more in the transmedia post (and purely my interpretation), but the noticeable change between Lucasfilm's transmedia strategy *post-ROTS* and the one post-Disney sale is that:

Before, the games, comics and novels were the main content. After all, Revenge of the Sith had been released, so that was it, for the movies. Thus, a variety of other content was being cranked out to keep the Star Wars franchise relevant. There were comics set 100 years after Episode 6, comics set 25,000 years prior, games set in the Old Republic era, other stories in the New Republic era, novels galore, a couple of parody films and an animated show, The Clone Wars, which sometimes received its own tie-in comics, novels and games.

After the sale and ever since, most of the transmedia products have had only one goal: promoting the films & streaming shows.

So while in 2015 you won't see an abundance of Prequel content... you'll see an avalanche of OT books and comics come out.

Why? Because the heroes of that era will be in the Sequel Trilogy movies. It provided context to the kids who hadn't seen the OT yet, and reintroduced those films to a new generation of fans, while priming them for the Sequels.

A multimedia marketing strategy that ultimately proved successful.

However, it continued even after The Force Awakens came out.

Don't believe me? Compare how many comics there have been set during the Prequel era vs the OT era.

If they make comics about the Prequels, they're limited runs.

Case in point: before the current Yoda series, the best any Disney Prequel-set comic series ever got was 6 issues.

Note: it's worth pointing out that the frequency of mini-series aren't just a Star Wars-specific thing, it's a comic book industry thing. The readership for comics is dwindling, many people are reading scans online, and so no publisher wants to commit to a story that lasts more than 4-6 issues. My problem is: there absolutely would be readership for a Prequel comic series to warrant an extended run instead of a mini-series.

Let's talk books. There have been give or 64 canon novels published since the Disney sale.

Only 11 of them are set during the Prequel era. And even those stories only came out when the planets were aligned.

Almost half of them were released while being a part of some bigger multimedia push.

Example:

Before the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was being released on Disney Plus, we'd had one novel and like two comic stories about him during the Prequels... released between 2012 and end 2021. That's about three pieces of content in almost ten years.

Clearly a low frequency.

Then, when the series is around the corner, two books and a comic story comes out in the space of months, plus an anthology book with an alt cover with his face on it and a comic with a story of him and Anakin in the first issue, all in 2022.

My takeaway: short of there being a film or series that needs to be promoted, you'll rarely get any Prequel comics or books.

And this is OBI-WAN we're talking about. The character who even the Prequel haters love. Imagine how little attention the other ones get.

Gaming-wise, Battlefront had no Prequel content at all (again, 2015 was the year where OT content was shoved down the consumer's throats to prep them for Episode VII), and Battlefront 2 only released Prequel content a full year later.

All that being said, we did seen some Prequel elements here and there. After all, some actors got to reprise their roles, books and comics came out featuring Prequel characters... but there's a catch.

The stories they appear in are set in-between Episodes III and IV, a time-period known as "the Dark Times" or the "Imperial era".

"Dark Times" being used instead of the Prequel era

It's easy to see the appeal of this era. You keep the same threat from the Original Trilogy - the Empire - but redress it with Prequel elements... while also cherry-picking the best characters of both the OT and the Prequels and giving them a chance to shine again.

The situation is more clear cut, as opposed to the complex one in the Prequels. Bad guys are stormtroopers, good guys are anyone else. And the stories no longer take place in the shiny capital, you're back on the frontier.

But at this point... it feels like a cop-out.

When you consider how much content has been set during the Dark Times, it's nothing to sneeze at. Since the sale, we've had:

2 movies (Solo, Rogue One)

4 series set in that time-period (namely The Bad Batch, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and Star Wars: Rebels).

2 video-games (Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor).

17 novels (such as Ahsoka, Lords of the Sith, the new Thrawn books, etc)

And just a whole bunch of comic book series & mini-series (like Kanan, Princess Leia, various Vader-centric comics including Darth Vader: Lord of the Sith, many tie-in mini-series promoting Rogue One, Jedi: Fallen Order, Obi-Wan Kenobi, etc).

There's been so much content made for this time-period that it feels like an unwillingness to do the work and create something set something during the Prequel era, let alone something that follows its Jedi.

After all, why make a story set in the Prequels (disliked by vocal fans) when you can just take the characters in that story and put them in an OT setting (which will appease the Prequel-haters)?

Maybe these stories get relegated to the Dark Times because:

there seems to be a perception that anything set in the Prequel era won't sell?

or maybe the current SW writers weren't fond of Episodes I, II and III, and don't find those Jedi characters likable, thinking they're too righteous and dogmatic which makes it hard to craft a story around them.

Or maybe it's because they're under the impression that the Prequel Jedi are bad. Like, canonically, in the narrative. Not just in a "I don't like them" sense, but also in a "the story is all about them becoming corrupted" sense.

Let's expand on that last point.

Retconning the Prequels as the "Fall of the Jedi" era

Somehow the rare stories set during the Prequels that we do get seem to automatically be about how "the Jedi lost their way/failed".

The series Tales of the Jedi is explicit about it...

... and I already explained why it contradicts what George Lucas established here and here.

You also see it in Rebels and the new season of The Clone Wars...

... in comics...

... in games...

It gets to a point where the Prequels era has now been redubbed the "Fall of the Jedi" era by Lucasfilm.

You wanna know what that period was referred to before the Disney sale? The "Rise of the Empire" Era.

Because - and I'll never get tired of saying this cuz it's factual - the Prequels aren't about the fall of the Jedi, they're about the fall of the Republic and Anakin, and rise of the Empire and Vader.

So in addition to being overdone, the "Jedi lost their way" is not even the intended narrative of the Prequels (if one puts any stock in Lucas' words). It's a minor subplot at best, hardly the focus of the films, let alone a whole time period.

But dubbing it "Fall of the Jedi" implies that there's another era in which the Jedi were in their heyday.

Because Star Wars authors are in luck! Yet another alternative has presented itself in the shape of a new transmedia initiative, and it's even better than the "let's set it during the Dark Times" solution:

A new transmedia initiative: The High Republic

You wanna deal with the Jedi before the Empire, but for some reason you wanna avoid dealing with the ones seen in the Prequels?

Look no further. Meet the Jedi of the High Republic.

Noble, adventurous, inspired by the Knights of the Round Table, they're everything the OT kids dreamed about when they heard ol' Ben Kenobi talk about the Knights of the Old Republic.

That's more like it!

Note: the High Republic was created for other reasons and has many more upsides than the ones mentioned above. Namely, a fresh new spot in the timeline that allows for creative freedom and a beautifully-coordinated transmedia storytelling effort where retcons are non-existent. However it does seem evident that not having to deal with the 'unlikable' Prequel Jedi and their "fall" is one of those upsides.

Another perk that the High Republic era offers is more freedom in terms of storytelling compared to the Prequels.

In 2016, Pablo Hidalgo tweeted he still quotes to authors the following excerpt of West End Games' guide for aspiring Star Wars writers, from 1994.

You can't write "this was the best day in Luke Skywalker's life", for example, because another author may want to write a better day than the one you just wrote.

My guess is that a similar approach applies to how all characters from the movies are treated. They're massively iconic. So you can't write a book that drastically changes how Mace or Yoda or Obi-Wan are perceived overall.

The stories need to be self-contained, disregardable if necessary, because you'll have dozens of writers coming up with new stories for those same characters, and you need to leave them some room.

Examples:

Notice how in the book Dooku: Jedi Lost we never see how Dooku turns to the Dark Side and joins the Sith.

Same goes for crossover comic book arcs of the Star Wars issues, like Vader Down or Crimson Reign... the characters don't really change by much in those comics. You could stick to just watching the movies and you wouldn't really miss anything.

But with The High Republic, you indeed can develop these characters as much as you want.

All stories featuring Avar Kriss leave an impact on her, you can nail down who she is perfectly in one book or one comic arc, both being just as meaningful to her character.

The fact that she's not as iconic/famous a character as Mace Windu means that authors can go to town on crafting an interesting and nuanced character arc for her that'll have a beginning, middle and end... something Mace will never really get.

CONCLUSION:

Back in 2015... let's not kid ourselves. The Prequels were unpopular and Disney is a multi-billion dollar corporation. Opting to make as much money as possible is what they do.

It's the same reason they decided not to go with George Lucas' original plans for the Sequels, in 2012.

I mean, imagine you're Disney. You just dropped 4 billion dollars, with a B, on this franchise. Your next Star Wars movie needs to be worth the price tag. Now, you can pick between two options:

Option #1 is uncharted territory and it explores the midi-chlorians (the cursed word…!) and the guy who presented you with this option also openly admits that a big chunk of customers won’t like it, but he wants this to be done because it’s his vision.

Option #2 is very simple: a soft reboot, that plays on nostalgia that the same chunk of customers (aka the 'boomer and Gen-X fans who grew up with the Original Trilogy and now have kids, grandkids and MONEY) will like.

It's a no-brainer. They gave the customers what they wanted.

But time has passed, the fans who were children when the Prequels first came out have grown up, and grew up with characters like Yoda, Mace, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto and other Jedi as their heroes, aside from main characters like Anakin and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

Can we maybe expand on them, flesh them out more?

No, let's either ignoring the storytelling potential of these characters or reducing it to them being "righteous, arrogant and dogmatic".

God forbid we get a story showing the Prequel Jedi in a *gasp* more positive light? One where their POV is more understandable, instead of the same old "we brought this on ourselves" storyline.

There's a whole decade between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones... you're telling me there's no space to show us Anakin's training and how he formed bonds with the Jedi we later see in The Clone Wars? I tried my hand at it here:

Interesting or fun Prequel-set ideas from other pro-Jedi fans on Tumblr can be found here, here and here.

And y'know, part of the Star Wars intent is for fans to take the ideas in the movies and come up with their own stories. You're supposed to create headcanons.

What I'm saying is fans of the Prequels are being given less "imagination food" than the rest, and many of us who like the Jedi in particular are forced to rely on headcanons only. "Better than nothing" is no longer an acceptable standard.

There's a range of recognizable Jedi characters that have already been established in films and TCW, can we maybe expand on them, flesh them out more, instead of whole new ones?

[tennessoui]

for context, ~3 hours of time out of the group hang day was lovingly partitioned out for "kit's neurosis". this is a kindness that i am touched by

(for additional context, solo was not included because i respect my friends' 3 hours of time)

[darlin-djarin]

List of Star Wars Medias

navigating star wars is tricky and complex but here's everything (mostly) in order based off of the timeline. some of the medias overlap.

Prequel Trilogy Era (Galactic Republic)

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: The Clone Wars [the movie]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Szn. 1 - Szn. 7 Ep. 9)

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Szn. 7 Ep. 10 - Szn. 7 Ep. 12) [you don't have to watch ROTS before you watch these last episodes ^^ it's just what fits better on the timeline]

transition era from prequel trilogy era to original trilogy era (galactic empire/rebellion)

Tales of the Jedi [takes place in different times throughout the prequel era (everything above) so the order of watching this show doesn't matter but it's best to watch it after the clone wars most likely]

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Star Wars: Rebels

Andor [season 1 takes place same time as rebels season 1, 5 BBY]

Original Trilogy Era (Galactic Empire/Rebellion)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

transition era from original trilogy era to sequel trilogy era (new republic)

The Mandalorian (Szn. 1 - Szn. 2)

The Book of Boba Fett (Szn. 1)

Ahsoka [takes place after mando s2 and close proximity to mando s3]

The Mandalorian (Szn. 3)

Sequel Trilogy (New Republic)

Star Wars: Resistance [overlaps with the sequel movies so i suggest you watch the movies first before starting this]

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Extra, but not necessary

Star Wars Visions [no specific timeline. highly recommend]

Star Wars: Clone Wars [the 2d cartoon show, not the 3d. not necessary to watch. takes place during clone wars, obvs]

Star Wars: Droids [takes place after the bad batch and before the solo movie]

The Star Wars Holiday Special [takes place after a new hope and before empire strikes back]

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure [takes place after empire strikes back and before return of the jedi]

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor [takes place after empire strikes back and before return of the jedi]

The Ewoks [takes place after empire strikes back and before return of the jedi]

Important things to note:

"BBY" stands for "before battle of yavin". "ABY" stands for "after battle of yavin". like B.C. and A.D., it's how the star wars universe counts their years for some reason. 0 BBY takes place during Episode IV: A New Hope, where the battle of yavin literally happened.

prequel trilogy was widely hated when it came out, mostly by toxic dudebros. the fandom HAS healed, and now it's regarded well and favorited often. sequel trilogy is widely hated and continues that way, for some reason. original trilogy is loved.

there ARE inconsistencies within the media. some media will contradict others and it's just something you gotta accept.

legends is a non-canon thing. idk anything about it but if you hear anything about legends, it's not canon to the storyline, though it's useful to pull resources and concepts from.

some people may or may not switch up the order of things based off of the years going off of BBY and ABY, and that's fine. this is just the list i use that i think is easiest to follow.

following up on the point above ^^ some of the clone wars episodes are out of order, timeline wise, but that doesn’t affect watching experience or anything. if you want to find the episodes in timeline order, i’m sure a bit of research will get you a list easily.

enjoy!

[heich0e]

that scene in star wars ep VII the force awakens when kylo ren takes off his helmet and reveals that he's been sexy the whole time but it's kiyoomi

[caspasta]

Rey’s NN-14 blaster pistol and Poe Dameron’s EL-16HFE blaster rifle, weapons used against Kylo Ren and the First Order on Takodana and Jakku, respectively.

[lineperezart]

[steve-needs-a-hug]

old Star Wars art dump pt 2

2017-2018 (part 1 here)

[hipsters-books3]

Dear Kylo Apologists, Reylos, and Bendemption believers... (stick around at the end for my opinion on the news about Palpatine’s influence on Kylo)

GIF CREDITS TO @drawntothedarkside

Reylo stans that call themselves feminists are hilariously hypocritical and unaware of a damaging narrative they’re propelling.

Depending on Rey, a woman with a traumatic past who struggles endlessly to find her identity, to split herself in half to become a main tool in Kylo’s redemption and when she ‘fixes’ him, becomes his love interest, (which he truly, truly does not deserve) is not romantic - it’s dangerous.

No man or woman should depend on another man or woman to save themselves.

In Kylo’s case, sorry to say Reylos and Kylo apologists, he has become a murdering fascist and has made very conscious decisions, sincerely believing he is doing the right thing - such as torturing and killing people, murdering his own father, and don’t forget, emotionally manipulating, physically and mentally torturing, and betraying Rey when she tried to help him find his path to redemption (Emphasis on the fact that she walked through enemy territory, put her own life at risk and the legacy of the Jedis to change Kylo’s ways NOT BECAUSE SHE ‘LOVES’ HIM but because she saw good in him and SAW A CHANCE TO HELP HIM - WHICH IS A VERY HUMAN THING TO DO).

Now, Rey should be free of any responsibility to redeem him and he must take that on for himself. If Kylo were to be redeemed correctly, he still does not deserve to be with Rey. Rey deserves somebody like Finn (NOT FINN HIMSELF - HE BELONGS WITH POE PERIODT); someone gentle who will uplift her, care for her, and see her as more than a powerful asset to a fascist regime. And no, don’t give me that headcannon bullshit and say ‘oH KyLO hAs tHaT sIDe yOu NeED tO oPEn yOuR eYes AnD gIvE hIm A CHaNcE’, because all that we’ve seen is a very, very morally disrupted character who needs to self reflect on his actions and beliefs in order to have redemption.

IN ADDITION TO THIS - With the new news about Palpatine toying with Kylo’s mind for years, and that playing a part in shaping his beliefs and ways, and even killing Han Solo, keep in mind that Darth Vader himself was in the exact same position as Kylo. But, when the moment came, and Palpatine was about to kill Luke, expecting Vader to help him do it, he STILL DIDN’T DO IT, EVEN ‘KILLING’ PALPATINE INSTEAD. And Luke wasn’t there to guide Darth Vader’s hand away from killing him, or influencing him to forgo his violent ways - Darth Vader made up his mind on his own, even with decades of Palpatine’s psychological influence. So there is no excuse to make up for Kylo in that sense, because Palpatine did not guide Kylo’s hand to kill Han Solo, HE. DID. THAT. ALL. ON. HIS. OWN.

[raw-untamed]

Nightblossom (derived from Nightbloomer) no. VII, 34 ABY.

[reyswiftwalker]

The Force Awakens (2015)

The Last Jedi (2017)

The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

[loserlovexstay]

FEEL WHAT BEN?! You’ve known her for 2 seconds?!

[the-filminists]

"Practice self care, dont let your son murder you"

With just two days until the release of The Rise Of Skywalker we finally make it to the new movies!

[urfavepegs]

Anonymous submitted:

Rey (from Star Wars) pegs

(but she does not peg ky/lo ren!! he's not worthy of the strap, or anything else)

[slightly-awkward-sunshine]

I’m kinda a big deal in the resistance.png

[ansheofthevalley]

Would you ever ship reylo romantically after 9 m, given the right situation/scenes/interactions? If so, what would you need to see?

Hi nonny!

I’ve talked about Reylo here, but I’ll try to expand on it.

As of right now, I don’t ship Reylo. I can see the appeal of it (hero x villain, death x maiden imagery, dark and light coming together, etc.) but, as I see it, their relationship is really complicated as to just say “yay or nay” to them as a pair.

In TFA, they were clearly on opposite sides, but you could sense the ever-growing tension between them, especially after Kylo “accidentally” bonded with Rey through the Force, creating a link between the two. They’re linked, but they’re still enemies.

This changes in TLJ. Rey starts the movie seeing him as a monster, but through the Force Bond, she starts to connect with him. She sees that behind a terrible man that kills and tortures, is a man utterly afraid and lonely, just like she’s feeling in that moment. It’s interesting how their relationship shifts in Ep. VIII, because they could see each other as partners (not romantically speaking -at least) in bringing balance to the galaxy, but they don’t agree on what that balance is or must be. So ultimately, they fight. They’re still enemies. But now, they have a better understanding of each other, not as the last jedi or the supreme leader, but as people. 

Having said this, there’s one thing about their relationship that stands out for me (and not in a good way)

This is classic gaslighting. That’s a very common thing abusers say to make their partners stay with them. It’s a tactic that plays right into the fears of the abused person (being alone, feeling worthless) and the sad thing is that it works (if the victim has no one outside the relationship). He says to her that she has no meaning, unless she’s by his side. He says that by his side (and by his side only) she will have meaning, purpose. We know this is a load of BS. Rey (for all her issues) knows this is a load of BS. Especially since her last scene in TLJ is this:

She’s not nothing. She’s not alone. She has purpose and people she can call family, people that will be there for her and cares for her just as she will be there for them and cares for them.

For all the “potential” (IDK what other word I can use) I see in them, the abusive undertones in their relationship is something that I just cannot look past.

Now, you asked me what would I need to see in The Rise of Skywalker to make me ship Reylo. I truly don’t know. Because for me, I have to see things first, analize them, see what they make me feel, and then decide. Especially in SW, since TFA, TLJ and TROS are all part of a chapter of the Skywalker saga.

I’d like to see the redemption of Ben Solo. After all, Star Wars is about forgiveness and finding your way to the light. Star Wars is about hope: hoping that good will prevail, hoping that better times will come, hoping that no matter how hopeless something may seem, it can all work out in the end. If Vader could be redeemed at the end of ROTJ, so can Kylo Ren in TROS. How it will happen? My guess is as good as yours, nonny. I’d like it very much though if they abstained from the “redemption through death” trope. It’s been done with Anakin already and I’m really tired of seeing characters (from the ones that fucked up that one time to straight-up villains) go this route. 

Kylo Ren is a complex villain. He knows what he’s doing is bad, but in his mind he’s just too far gone for any kind of salvation. He thinks the best solution for the galaxy is to burn it all down; the jedi, the sith, the republic, the first order. All these things are what brings chaos to the galaxy, so he wants to get rid of them (the thing is that to “get rid” of all those things he’ll have to commit mass murder, so... yeah). He’s also a victim; he was groomed by Snoke since before he was born, he had to live with his voice inside his head all his life. He’s both tortured and torturer. He’s willingly on a path of darkness but at the same time he wants it to stop. He’s alone and hurting and yet he does things that keep people away. He kills Han in TFA but spares Leia in TLJ. He’s a rich character, full of dichotomies and extremes.

What I’d like to see in IX is for him to find balance on his own, get rid of the extremes he’s always measured his life in. I don’t want him to end being the Supreme Leader, I don’t want him to turn into a Jedi. I want him to find himself, to finally be Ben Solo. But I also want him to repent, to go through some sort of penance for the terrible things that he has done, especially since he knows and acknowledges it. To find forgiveness through owning up to what he’s done.

As for Rey... TBH I don’t see a romantic endgame for her. So far it just hasn’t been part of her arc. Her arc is driven by her sense of identity and belonging. Since TFA, she wants to knows who she is, she craves for family, for people that would truly care for her. She also has this huge identity issue. Growing up alone in Jakku, where people work every single day until they die, she truly believes she’s no one, a figure in the background watching life pass by, day by day. By the end TLJ she has found the family she’s been waiting for in Finn, Leia and the Resistance. But she’s also found a sense of self: she’s a jedi, the last jedi, she’s a fighter, she’s a valuable member of the Resistance. After a life of believing she didn’t matter, she ended up being one of the most important people in the whole galaxy. All on her own, all because of her and her power.

She’s a restless hero, always willing to help and do the right thing. She’s incredibly powerful. But she’s also a young girl, with her own fears and insecurities. But she’s strong as hell because of those fears and insecurities, because she manages to rise up above them and keep on fighting and doing the right thing. She’s very compassionate but she’s also extremely fierce when she has to, especially when it comes to fight for the people she loves and the right thing.

I can see Rey offering compassion to Kylo Ren, one that wants redemption and works for it. I can see this happening only if KR is truly commited to move forward in leaving the FO behind and start working in repairing the damage he’s done to the galaxy.

Other than that, I don’t have any other expectations regarding Reylo. I’m trying to go into IX with no expectations, headcanons or theories (or the less amount my good ol’ brain can manage to reduce them to), not because I have low expectations, but so I can be properly surprised. It’s the final chapter of the Skywalker saga, so I don’t want to be spoiled (since I guessed a lot of things when it came to TLJ). When it comes to SW, it’s like a huge easter egg hunt for me: I search for hidden meanings, symbolisms, nods to other movies/materials in rewatching the movies. Rewatching the movies is what makes the whole experience fun!

To give you a short answer, nonny. I have to see IX before I can decide or am inclined to ship Reylo. As for now, I’m fascinated by their dynamic, but I don’t ship it romantically. Maybe come back after TROS comes out and I can give you a proper response?

Thanks for the ask!

[ant-man98]

A TRILOGY