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Tag: Star Wars

  • Into the Jedi Lands: ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Finally Embraces its Samurai Roots

    Into the Jedi Lands: ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Finally Embraces its Samurai Roots

    The latest episode of The Mandalorian introduced its first Jedi character. Fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels were excited when Ahsoka Tano got teased for the season. It was a long wait, but finally, in this seasons’ fifth episode, she made her live-action debut. Her introduction strongly moved the recent episode’s structure closer to one of the two main inspirations behind the franchise. Star Wars’ is a love letter to classic Western and Japanese Samurai films. Up until this point, the latter was more subtle in its inspiration, but Chapter 13 has switched that up. Ahsoka’s debut pushed the series towards it closer to its samurai inspirations.

     

    There will be minor spoilers for the episode, so only continue at your own risk if you have yet to watch it.

     

    The series’ biggest Japanese inspirations were in the core concept. The journey of Din and the Child, who now has a name, echoes the story of Lone Wolf and Cub. Yet, the samurai aspect was never at the forefront, as it focused more on Mando’s skills with the blaster. This episode introduced a character that changed that. His search for a Jedi has come to an end. After meeting Ahsoka, he asks her to look after the foundling and teach him to control his abilities. Yet, she refuses his inquiry. Mando is forced to make another deal, so he could change her mind. So, together they faced Diana Lee Inosanto‘s Magistrate and Michael Biehn‘s Lang.

     

     

    The episode ends with two showdowns. Once again, Mando faces Lang in a blaster showdown. Ahsoka was in a fight against the Magistrate, who was elegantly wielding a Beskar steel staff. Their showdown took place on a single path surrounded by a beautiful Koi pond. It wasn’t about who can attack first but a ballad between two skilled warriors. Visually, it was a beautifully done fight. Earlier in the episode, we got the reveal that Beskar armor can withstand lightsabers, so it set the stage for a fair fight. It felt like the perfect balance between the Prequel’s elegant coordination and the Original trilogy’s methodical approach. As the article’s title implies, it felt like an episode of Into the Badlands had mixed with Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa‘s work.

    There were some gorgeous shots in this episode, and going by the artwork you can see above, I am glad they decided to go with the exterior outside of the home. The Koi pond was just a great touch to offer a unique visual strongly tied to its inspiration. It also helped to restrict it in a way that they could make every step have weight. They didn’t have an entire room to jump around. All they had was a single path surrounded by water. Yet, they still stayed true to the Western by having these two distinctive fights with different stakes. Switching between them just added more tension and weight to every swing of the saber. The outcome of that fight would echo for those waiting outside. Hopefully, we will see more lightsaber action in future episodes. It would be a waste to introduce Ahsoka and not have her return, especially if someone is out there wielding the Darksaber.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Primer

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Primer

    In The Mandalorian Chapter 12, “The Siege”, Mando arrived on Nevarro where he met back up with Cara Dune and Greef. Because Din Djarin rid the land of Gideon’s Imperial remnant at the end of last season, it has become a safe haven for bounty hunters to come to again. Greef told Mando that he needed help with a mission, but the place they are going is not any place for a child, so they drop The Child off at a school. Here the ever-hungry child gets his first look at space macarons in what was my favorite part of the episode. Mando, Greef, Cara and the Mythrol had to fight off a bunch of stormtroopers at an old Imperial base. When they got inside, they found a hologram of Doctor Pershing talking about The Child’s blood and why they want it. He is working with Gideon to create clones that essentially can use the Force; this is why they need The Child’s blood, which is high in midi-chlorians, to make Force-Sensitive clones. Finally, we heard at the end of the episode, Moff Gideon has a tracker on the Razor Crest as Mando heads to Corvus to find Ahsoka.

    Din Djarin meeting Ahsoka will kick-start the second half of the season. Every scene from the trailer has been in the first 4 episodes, so that means we never saw anything from the second half of the season. While we are so excited to finally see Ahsoka, she may not be alone on Corvus, as you can read here in Joao’s article. Since Gideon is tracking Mando’s ship, we can assume that the Moff is not far behind him. That means that Ashoka will end up in Gideon’s crosshairs soon. Also, Bo-Katan is chasing Gideon, right? It seems like all of these characters are meant to collide with each other in the second half of the season.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    When Mando meets Ahsoka, she will be stubborn just like Luke stubbornly refused to help Rey in The Last Jedi. Once Ahsoka realizes that Din has The Child, sees what species it is and what it is capable of, she will be curious enough to give him a chance to talk with her. Seeing that she is a former Jedi she might end up training The Child one day in the future.

    Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian streams tomorrow!

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Could Introduce a Surprise Character Alongside Ahsoka

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Could Introduce a Surprise Character Alongside Ahsoka

    In less than a day Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian will become available, and we will finally get our first look at Ahsoka Tano‘s live-action introduction to the Star Wars universe. Her appearance is welcomed by fans not only because many fell in love with the character through her The Clone Wars years, but also due to her connections to several other characters that also haven’t yet debuted in a live-action Star Wars project. This could then mean that there could be more than one character being introduced on tomorrow’s episode or that there could be at least some type of reference to some familiar name, just as Bo-Katan referenced Ahsoka herself in Chapter 11.

    The latter is probably the more likely since we’ve come to notice that even though we’ve been introduced to a number of new characters this season, each had it’s own episode to itself, not allowing for any sort of overshadowing to occur.

    So being, here is a list of characters that might get referenced in Chapter 13 “The Jedi.”

    Rex

    Captain Rex and Ahsoka first met when Anakin Skywalker was both Rex’s General and the then young Togruta’s Jedi Master during The Clone Wars. Throughout the conflict, Ahsoka and Rex grew closer, developing a friendship based on the respect shared between the two. When Emperor Palpatine issued Order 66, killing most of the Jedi, it was Rex that helped Ahsoka escape when her troops turned on her. A few years later they would meet again, before the events of A New Hope, as they both fought beside the Spectres in Star Wars Rebels in the events leading to the Battle of Yavin where the first Death Star was destroyed. Rex would then continue to fight with the Rebel Alliance up until the climactic Battle of Endor, which saw the (first) death of Emperor Palpatine. We know that sometime after the Empire was defeated, Ahsoka went looking for her friend, Ezra Bridger, that had disappeared while fighting Grand Admiral Thrawn a few years earlier. It isn’t clear if this was before or after the events of The Mandalorian (something Chapter 13 could shed a little light on), but either way, it would be fair to think that Rex could still be in contact with the former Jedi.

    Sabine Wren

    From the events at the end of Star Wars Rebels we know that both Sabine and Ahsoka remained in touch with each other after their adventures throughout the series. We also know for sure that Sabine joined Ahsoka on her search for Ezra. If The Mandalorian is indeed set after the beginning of their journey, and if Ezra is still missing, it would make sense that Sabine would still be with Ahsoka as both kept looking for clues as to where to find their missing friend. The other possibility is that Ahsoka has yet to reach out to Sabine, and the female Mandalorian is not with her but given Din Djarin’s armor Ahsoka could direct him to her, as she is both a Mandalorian and has her own connections to the Jedi. And the Darksaber for that matter.

    Thrawn

    When Ahsoka left to find Ezra, one of the paths to finding her friend would be to look for the other person that disappeared alongside him. Grand Admiral Thrawn. As we’ve seen in past episodes of The Mandalorian, the Empire is still not vanquished, and there might still be a number of officers left alive that might have played a part in trying to retrieve the missing Grand Admiral, at the request of the Emperor. If they managed to succeed, looking for Thrawn could bring Ahsoka one step closer to find Ezra. If Thrawn was still missing, all the clues gathered by the Empire could prove invaluable in reaching the missing Jedi.

    Ezra Bridger

    I sincerely doubt we’d find Ezra standing beside Ahsoka in this or any other The Mandalorian episode. Her journey to find her missing friend deserves it’s own series, be it an animated or live-action one. But there is no reason for Ahsoka not to mention the Jedi, as her life would have been somewhat dedicated to finding him after the promise she made. Although, if the events of The Mandalorian are set, not only after Ahsoka and Sabine left to retrieve their friend, but also after they find him, we shouldn’t expect any reference at all since that would be spoiling what is sure to be a great series, when Lucasfilm finally decides to tell the story of The Search for Ezra Bridger.

    Luke Skywalker

    The Mandalorian is set 9 years after the Battle of Yavin (ABY). We know that Luke’s Jedi academy (the one we saw burning in The Last Jedi) was already open in 15 ABY (when Ben Solo started his training), although it’s not clear when it started operating. But given that five years had passed since the Empire was defeated in the Battle of Endor, it would be fair to think that Luke was already at least welcoming the idea of opening a school to continue the Jedi legacy. Ahsoka is sure to know of the existence of Luke, her former Master’s son, and by being focused on the search for Ezra might ask Din Djarin to deliver The Child to him, so his training could continue/begin.

    Cal Kestis

    This one is a bit of a stretch. But The Mandalorian has, so far, already introduced a number of characters to the live-action Star Wars universe. We’ve got Cobb Vanth (a character from a novel), Bo-Katan and Ahsoka (from the cartoons), Boba Fett (from the Original Trilogy) as well as Snoke (Sequel Trilogy) and midi-chlorian references (Prequel Trilogy). One thing that could be in the cards is a reference to Cal Kestis, a character introduced in the 2019 videogame Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. There we followed Cal as he fought the forces of the Empire a mere five years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. By the time of the events of The Mandalorian Cal would still be in his forties, making him a valuable ally in whatever journey a fellow Jedi (or former Jedi) would find herself in.

  • ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’s Second Season Heading for a Christmas Release

    ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’s Second Season Heading for a Christmas Release

    Disney made the genius move to create an entire documentary series that takes a closer look at the development of their major Disney+ Originals. The Mandalorian kicked off the streaming service off, so it was the first to introduce the concept. Why is Disney Gallery a fantastic addition to the streaming service? Not only does it offer a closer look at the series’ development, but most notably, it offers subscribers even more content. It was the perfect way to keep subscribers as we didn’t get any additions to the service for some time. Now, as the Star Wars series entered its second season, we wondered if we will also see a continuation of the gallery showcase.

    Luckily, the site What’s On Disney Plus was able to confirm its existence through a listing in Australia. It is set to release on December 25th, so it will be Disney’s Christmas present for those wondering what to watch during their holidays. Sadly, there are no more details available on the series. In the first season, we got a roundtable of people that were involved with the project. There is a good chance that it will look quite different, as they must’ve filmed this during the pandemic. So, we could have the roundtable replaced with Zoom calls.

    Still, it looks like Disney Gallery is here to stay. We also recently learned that WandaVision will get its own entry in the series, so their strategy with the first entry was quite a success. The concept is fascinating and offers a closer look into the creative process that we’ve ever had. Just seeing the various parties involved discuss the process and what inspired them showcased how much love and work goes into these series. Hopefully, we might see this concept expanded to cover major film releases, such as Black Widow. It just shows how much potential there is with such a simple series concept.

    Source: What’s On Disney Plus

  • ‘Fortnite’: Leak Reveals First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Skin

    ‘Fortnite’: Leak Reveals First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Skin

    It looks like we have some more Fortnite news. The recent season focused on a variety of Marvel characters, which included Iron Man, Wolverine, Venom, and many more. Now, it looks like we are getting one more addition from Disney, as the creators behind the game Epic have accidentally released a promo for the inclusion of The Mandalorian characters alongside its new subscription-based model. User @FortTory, who is known for sharing leaks from the game, shared the visuals that revealed the main character from the Disney+ show.

    His inclusion makes a lot of sense, especially now as the season is slowly nearing its end. Ironically, this isn’t the first time that they revealed a new character during the promotion of Fortnite Crew, which will offer people brand new characters, and will kick-off with the upcoming fifth season. There is a good chance that the overalls season might continue the deal with Disney and see the addition of other iconic characters from the franchise.

    It isn’t the first time that the galaxy far far away was included in the game, as they had an event last year that gave people access to Kylo Ren as a skin. There are also some Stormtrooper variants already in the game. Fortnite has developed into a hub for various pop culture properties at this point. It includes characters from a wide variety of franchises with DC, Marvel, John Wick, and so many more. It isn’t a surprise if you consider Fortnite‘s popularity on streaming services. We will see what other iconic franchises will be joining the game in the future as it continues to grow.

    Source: Twitter, Epic Games

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Chapter 13’s Runtime Might be Shorter Than Expected

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Chapter 13’s Runtime Might be Shorter Than Expected

    The expectations surrounding Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian are probably as high as they’ve ever been after Ahsoka Tano got name-dropped in Chapter 11. The latest episode’s cliffhanger just added to the suspense. This hype all started before season 2 even premiered, when we learned that Dave Filoni would be directing the 13th installment of the Disney+ hit series. Considering the Ahsoka rumors had been building up for quite a while, it became rather obvious that everyone’s favorite Togruta would be making her live-action debut on November 27, 2020.

    As if we needed even more confirmation, a recent leak that had this week’s episode titled “The Jedi” made it clear that Din Djarin and he Child won’t have to embark on another sidequest before reaching Corvus, which Bo-Katan mentioned. Around the same time, reports came out stating that the episode’s runtime would be close to an hour, making it the longest one yet. But we are now hearing, through the FSK (the german Self-Regulatory Body of the Movie Industry) that the runtime of Chapter 13 will be closer to 45 minutes (similar to the season one finale’s 46 minutes), with Chapter 14 clocking in at a mere 32 minutes.

    The incredible episode that introduced Bo-Katan was just 31 minutes, so we shouldn’t be too concerned as The Mandalorian has managed to deliver even in the episodes with the shortest of runtimes. Luckily, the wait won’t be long anymore as the episode will finally air this Friday. It will be interesting to see our first live-action adaptation of the iconic character, especially after they translated Bo-Katan so well from one medium into another.

    Source: FSK

  • Naomi Scott Could Be Joining the Star Wars’ ‘KENOBI’ Series

    Naomi Scott Could Be Joining the Star Wars’ ‘KENOBI’ Series

    After the resounding success of The Mandalorian, Disney is ramping up the other live-action Star Wars shows already announced. Diego Luna is already in London getting ready for the unnamed Cassian Andor series, and now the yet-untitled Obi-Wan series is looking for a co-lead to star beside Ewan McGregor. In a recent report by The Illuminerdi, they stated that three actresses are going to enter the second round of the casting process. They are looking to cast a character that’s “A female BIPOC whose character details are being kept under wraps” mostly due to how a more specific description might be a bit too spoilery.

    The three actresses are Thuso Mbedu (Shuga), Anula Navlekar (What the Folks), and the more high profile Naomi Scott who recently worked with Disney in the Aladdin live-action remake. Some might also recognize her as the Kimberly Hart in the 2017 Power Rangers film. 

    The same report affirms that there are three other roles currently being cast, who are supporting characters with ages ranging from the late 20s to early 40s. With the number of characters from other Star Wars properties that The Mandalorian has been bringing into the spotlight, it’s perhaps likely that Lucasfilm will continue to do the same with both the Cassian and Kenobi series. Yet, at the same time, it would be unlikely any of them become series regulars, as their status might ask for something more substantial down the line, keeping them as more of a sort of connecting tissues between different projects for the time being. So expect these three roles to be for new characters, similar to Greef Karga and Cara Dune in The Mandalorian.

    For more details about this and other Star Wars projects, be sure to check out our feature What to Expect from the Star Wars Universe and When to Expect it.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: A Lowkey Essential Installment

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: A Lowkey Essential Installment

    One of the fundamental components of what makes Star Wars… well, Star Wars, is its Jedi mythology, the lightsabers, the whole Force component. This is what many people want to see in a Star Wars property. Yet, in late 2018 when Jon Favreau revealed the first details on The Mandalorian, this facet of the Star Wars universe wasn’t alluded to at all, focusing more on how the show would “follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic”.

    However, when the series finally premiered it didn’t take long before unveiling how the Force would actually take center stage in the story they would be telling. After that Chapter 2 reveal, it took another six episodes for the Jedi to be mentioned by name by The Armorer, making their presence in the show was all but assured by having Din Djarin’s search for them a central part of the plot. Chapter 11 brought Din almost within striking distance of his goal when Bo-Katan disclosed the location of Ahsoka Tano, finally setting the stage for a reunion that a year ago no one knew they wanted but that now everyone seems to need.

    As we’ve written before, The Mandalorian isn’t about instant gratification and Djarin’s journey would get sidetracked one more time, delaying that Ahsoka Tano live-action debut for one more week. But as the show has proven to us time and time again, there’s always something deeply relevant to the plot hiding in plain sight in these apparent sidequests Djarin and The Child find themselves in every other week. Speaking of this season alone, Chapter 10 “The Passenger” also seemed a bit unnecessary, but that was until we realize that it was that episode that, in the end, made the Razor Crest have to go back to Nevarro for repair work, thus setting the stage for Chapter 12. And it was in this last episode that, even though we didn’t see Din getting any closer to his end goal, we got what is sure to be regarded as one of the most plot-heavy episodes of the entire series when it’s all said and done, adding to the overarching storyline that few have done before. And ironically, the Force was a huge part of that. Again, we got what we needed, even though we didn’t even know we wanted it in the first place.

    By veering away from the main storyline, by not immediately giving us the elements Star Wars is mostly known for, by delaying an appearance by the Jedi that will bring together (at least) two force-sensitive characters, by giving us what is easy to refer to as a simple “filler episode”, the future of the series became all the more clear, the stakes in the inevitable clash between characters were enhanced and the following episode, probably the most anticipated chapter yet, is now seemingly even more crucial as the show seems to be getting into its stride, with a more clear endgame. The tables are now most definitively set, the chess pieces are in place, and the second half of the season promises to become more than we expected, more than we wanted, but perhaps just what Star Wars needed.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 12: Gideon’s Grand Gambit

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 12: Gideon’s Grand Gambit

    Moff Gideon is playing chess. By the time Chapter 12 of The Mandalorian, “The Seige“,  comes to an end, Din Djarin looks like less of a worthy opponent to Gideon and more like one of his pawns. In the wake of yesterday’s episode, the internet was full of complaints about the pace of Chapter 12 and the fact that the Mando returned to Nevarro so soon. What was overlooked in those complaints was not only how this episode clarifies Gideon’s interest in the Child, essentially solving the series’ biggest ongoing mystery, but also simultaneously creates a new one…or two…or three.

    Despite being the main antagonist of The Mandalorian, Moff Gideon’s intentions for The Child were about as clear as swamp water. Season One theories ranged from Gideon hoping to clone the kid to wanting to train him himself (there’s a theory that Gideon is force-sensitive). It turns out that Gideon’s true intentions seem to be more horrific than anything I’ve read to this point: he’s harvesting The Child’s blood. Courtesy of Doctor Pershing’s holographic report, we find out that Gideon’s plan involves transfusing The Child’s midichlorian-rich blood into test subjects in an attempt to create what we can only assume to be a Strand-Cast.

    Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are all about fine details, so if you find yourself asking what a Strand-Cast is, don’t feel bad. The concept, as far as I can tell, was introduced in what might easily have been a conversation you missed in last season’s penultimate episode, Chapter 7, “The Reckoning.” As Din Djarin and the debonaire Ughnauht Kuill (RIP) debate the nature of The Child, Djarin posits that “it might be a Strand-Cast”, a suggestion Kuill dismisses while joking that Cara Dune looks like she may have been farmed herself. Strand-Casts are bioengineered beings and both the Empire and the Sith have cornered the market on creating them. So while The Child isn’t a Strand-Cast, Gideon’s interest in him is related to creating them. Of note to both the time period in which the story is set and a connection to the sequel trilogy, both Supreme Leader Snoke and Rey’s father are resultant of the work done with Strand-Casts. Alternatively, Gideon could be looking to create an army of force-wielding Clone Troopers that may or may not be related to the episode’s final reveal: the Dark Troopers.

    Star Wars: The Mandalorian Debuts A New Kind of Dark Trooper

    And here we find ourselves right back where we started: with no idea what Gideon is truly up to. In almost the same moment we can finally exhale as we find out why Gideon is after The Child, we are struck with the realization that the implications of his intentions much greater than we had originally anticipated. Is Gideon the bridge to the First Order? I don’t think so because he doesn’t seem to be a part of The Contingency that worked to “destroy” the remnants of the Empire in order to prepare the way for the First Order and, I thought, all the cloning/Strand-Casting took place on Exegol and members of the First Order were uninformed. Why does he have the Darksaber? What good does a relic that only matters to the Mandalorians do this man? What’s he planning to do with these Dark Troopers?

    It seems obvious that Gideon is headed for a showdown with Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze but what seems less and less obvious is the true scope of his plans. We still know shockingly little about the man and yet he knows everything about everyone he comes into contact with but at the moment, he’s poised as the Grandmaster of the game of chess being played in The Mandalorian and, until the second half of Chapter 12, Din Djarin didn’t even know he was still in the game and now, he finds himself a pawn. While Chapter 12 may have seemed like a speed bump, the realization that Gideon’s need of The Child was little more than a small piece of a plan far greater than anything I’d previously conceived them to be has leveled him up. This man has grand plans and we’ve only seen the opening move.

  • Like a Phoenix from the Ashes: The Empire Reigns on in ‘The Mandalorian’

    Like a Phoenix from the Ashes: The Empire Reigns on in ‘The Mandalorian’

    Return of the Jedi ended with the end of the Empire. Luke Skywalker defeated the Emperor and ended their conquest to own the entire galaxy. In its place, a new Republic would take over. Years later, a new Empire known as the First Order would rise from the ashes to once again seek dominance over a galaxy far far away. We all wondered how it could be that the moment we returned to the Star Wars franchise in 2015 that nothing has seemed to change. Dave Filoni did tease that this season of The Mandalorian would explore that very origin. Well, the latest episode continues to showcase the Empire’s thrive in a world after two Death Stars were blown up. Now the question comes, when will we start the build-up to their transition into The Force Awakens‘ First Order.

     

    Here’s a spoiler warning. I will be talking about some major reveals in this episode, so only continue at your own risk.

     

    In the first season, it felt like the leftover of the Empire was trying to sustain its importance in the Outer Rim. Yet, at the end of the episode, we got introduced to Giancarlo Esposito‘s Moff Gideon. The intimidating Security Enforcer seemed to know more than he let on, which made him the perfect foil for our favorite Mandalorian. He is deadset on getting his hands on the Child, which he believes could be the asset to resurrect the entire Empire. Chapter 12 offers a closer look at what exactly they were planning once they got their hands on the poor 50-year-old kid. It seems that they are trying to recreate the abilities of the Force by injecting it into test subjects. The last shot of the episode showcases Gideon in a room filled with a new set of Troopers. Eagle-eyed fans of the franchise may notice that these are the Dark or Shadow Troopers that appeared in a 1995 game Star Wars: Dark Troopers.

     

     

    Well, how does this reveal connect to the Child? These Troopers are known for being able to use the Force in the comics. They want the kid’s blood to develop this new type of soldier that could change the tide in the war against the New Republic. In the game, it was a nearly indestructible type of battle droid. We saw test tubes filled with the poor people that got experimented on, who might’ve been the first test subjects before they got fused with droid technology. This series has been incredible in tying together elements from the Legends series, cartoons, and now video games. We didn’t see these types of Storm Troopers as part of the First Order, but it could be one of the reasons they rose back to power. We might get to see some ongoing upgrades to the existing armors that hint at how they end up with the design we see in Force Awakens. Maybe some Troopers get the infusion that would have later generations be force sensitive, which may be the event that leads to Finn breaking his programming later down the line. I would love to explore more of the Empire in a spin-off series, as there seem to be so many fractions across the galaxy we have yet to explore.

    Source: The Wrap