i finished the star wars universe: part IV

July 19, 2024

read part I, part II and part III of this article series, if you want.

In this article I keep chain smoking the SWU properties as you are figuring out how this is relevant to you.

live action tv shows

The Mandalorian (2019 – ): “The one”. Put Disney+ on the map. One of the two most appreciated Disney SWU properties, the other one being Rogue One. The reason why I got into SWU: To understand the timeline and where its story stands in the bigger picture.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022): Wasn’t fond of SWU when I watched it. Might need a re-watch, but it was mediocre. Nice first episodes though: Always good to see how the fellow Jedi hanging post-Order 66. Action had logic failures though, and that ruins some for you. See article part II.

The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022): I don’t know why such an irrelevant character who dies in a situation comedy scene in the original trilogy should matter and get his own show, in which he apparently didn’t die. I guess this happens when IPs live long enough for fans to dig hell-deep and hold on to every little piece of material they were ever served with. Result is that Boba is made more significant with the inclusion of Jango in the prequels, or some joke like Captain Phasma is getting expanded with novel and video game appearances.
This show is better than many screen material though.

Andor (2022 – ): A different Star Wars. If the abductions of Leia and Anakin’s mom had uncomfortable implications for the decent families with holy Sunday routines, this show would force an exorcism. First episode starts in an implied brothel, with Cassian Andor looking for a woman. Then it takes over the interesting moral debates from where Rogue One left. Can get quite boring mid-way the first season when watching the dragged, never-ending endeavours of Andor, but that arc speeds up and gets interesting towards the end. There are 2 more story arcs: one of a depressed and deprived imperial officer; and another of the supposedly good rebel people spying, lying, coldly manipulating. This is some serious sh*t.

Ahsoka (2023 – ): First introduced to live action tv with a Mandalorian episode, Ahsoka had me engaged. She is experienced, wise, charismatic, yet, has some sh*t to deal with. If the famous Jedi of the 80s was Luke, and of the 2000s was Obi-Wan, Ahsoka in my opinion can be “the” hero of this era, with whom we are blessed, to watch in her prime. Not quite yet, but I hope SWU properties of 2020s go in that direction. Something equally good about this show: We have Lars Mikkelsen playing as General Thrawn. Something equally bad about this show: Logic errors, some obvious bad writing. See article part II.

Ahsoka has one of the only two acceptable can’t-die-syndrome comebacks in SWU. Maul’s comeback was the first one I’ve accepted and embraced. This became the second, because it leads to somewhere, and its ways is not fully known to us, i.e. can’t prove it’s ridiculous.

comic books

Darth Vader (2017): As the prequels showed the manipulation and disappointment that takes to convert a chosen one to a sith apprentice, Darth Vader comics takes it from there and elaborates how the jedi of yesterday can accept and evolve into such opposite identity today. Had fun reading it.

Darth Maul (2017) and Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir (2014): Former is Darthmaul’s origin story before The Phantom Menace; latter is Darth Maul’s unproduced episodes in The Clone Wars show’s season 6, where he single-handedly fights against Palpatine and his powerful subordinates Count Dooku and General Grievous.

After watching The Phantom Menace (1999) as a layman, I have remembered Maul as a mute for quite some time. Just to double check I watched a YouTube video compiling all Darth Maul scenes, and he can indeed speak, but does not do it for more than 5 words in the entire movie. It’s safe to say that he is part of the Sgt. Lucas’ Irrelevant Villains Club Band whose SWU career starts as insignificant but grows in time.

The stories in the comics (as well as the animation series, see part III) are interesting to say the least, and despite seeing him being cut in half in The Phantom Menace, Maul’s comeback doesn’t require a corporate engage-me session. His character immediately captures you, and you want to believe that he is back, that he can be back.

Thrawn (2018): I’d found it hard to believe when some SWU experts (nerds) said Thrawn is the best villain in the whole lore. Even “the best strategist”, which made me wonder if such comparison or title is even possible in the casual, laid-back fiction of SWU. These claims, together with Lars Mikkelsen’s performance in Ahsoka, made me read this comic book, an adaptation of the first novel of Timothy Zahn’s trilogy. Having read this, and guessing what might come in the comic book adaptation of the second novel (Thrawn: Alliance, to be released as a 4-issue-collection in September 2024), I would confirm the claims. I suggest reading it. Admiral Thrawn is not playing around.

novels

Ahsoka (2016): Has A LOT to offer. Lightsabers, Inquisitors, imperial exploitation, post-Order 66, Ahsoka’s character development are some of the topics the lore is expanded on with this. Unfortunately, invalidated by a stupid tv mini-episode. See part II.

Star Wars: Aftermath (2015): After the sequels’ recklessness in giving a backstory to the new characters and phenomenon appearing out of the blue, I read this first novel of the Aftermath trilogy in a vain effort to bridge the original trilogy with the sequels. However, it turned out to be another Rebels-like dragged action adventure. Turns out that there is another novel about Princes Leia’s political struggle (Bloodline, 2016) to hold the imperial revival off from the newly established democracy “in a series of events that ultimately leads to the formation of the Resistance” (quote from wookiepeedia). I find it very hard to believe that that novel can solve our problems either. It has been 5 years since The Rise of Skywalker, and a hint about Snoke’s identity or Palpatine’s revival in a few comic book boxes still has breaking news value for the fans.
Long story in short: Don’t read it. Don’t read anything that promises to bridge the gap between the originals and the sequels. Because they don’t have it yet.

This article series ends here.

Ended.