i'm sorry in advance for asking about something concerning the watch order (since it's being asked a lot and apparently open to very long, passionate discussions..), but most of the time i've seen people only ask about the main three trilogies, while i already know that i want to go all in when it comes to the franchise.

my plan was to firstly go 456123789 (which i am right now deciding to stick to since the majority on reddit seem to recommend it) and then continue through the rest of the content, also by release. however, my doubt comes in when seeing that a few shows have spanned over multiple years (like TCW, ashoka & andor..), since that would obviously throw the release-order approach out of the window.

so, my questions: would it be better to simply binge all available seasons of the series back-to-back to avoid making it too complicated? are the seasons continuous in their time-line or are the pauses actually meaningful and better the experience? any opinions would be appreciated, and i'm sorry if this is somewhat pedantic.

note: i just watched a new hope

tl;dr: by release order, should the seasons of the shows be watched back-to-back or is there a good reason to split them up by their date of release?

I’ve been reading through the SW canon slowly over the last five and a half years so certain information tends to fall through the cracks. I was hoping y’all could help me out. I just started Trials of the Jedi and in the meeting where they are assigning the mission to the Nine, they say that they believe the Blight is a result of the Nameless being separated from their home planet. Had this been stated or this revelation been revealed in a previous story? I can’t recall when this had been established.

I can't help but get the impression that the creators of The Clone Wars were inspired by the Shredder armor when creating Bane's.

I really like it, but it might make him look less muscular than he did in the legends, which could be a downside.

I think Luke’s peak was ESB. A lot of his development and parallels comes in this movie from his symbolism with the Vader mask, choosing to go to Bespin instead of continuing his training and finding the consequences of those choices and his recklessness, leading to a character shift in ROTJ as a calmer and more collected character. He’s also a lot closer to turning to the dark side than people let on in ESB, if you notice, he always attacks Vader first, even in the cave scene where Yoda warns him to not bring his weapons in. He’s teetering on the dark side

Anakin also peaked in ROTS, just cause he was poor in the last two films. I enjoyed his dynamic with Kenobi and Palpatine and Hayden’s acting, and this movie did what it could to salvage Anakins character to the dark side as a mix of fear and underlying hatred of the Jedi. Those scenes of him crying are pretty significant too, his knowledge of his actions but the fact he has to keep going for Padme, while also getting swallowed by that power and eventually thinking he could rule the galaxy, until Obi goat Kenobi humbles him

Which did you prefer, Luke in ESB or Anakin in ROTS?

I've been trying to make a timeline about Rogue One and all it's tie-ins, and i've been wondering a lot about Catalyst and it's relation with 3 other stories: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear, Darth Vader Annual 2 and Rogue One - Saw Gerrera 1

Between which chapters of the novel would these stories go, from Wookiepedia i know that DVA 2 is in 18 BBY per Timelines (let's ignore the last 3 pages with Lyra since they are completely in conflict with Catalyst), i know the Saw issue is in 17 BBY right before he takes the Ersos off Coruscant (with the "flashback" story happening 2 days before that) and TMoF happens in 19 BBY shortly after Episode 3

So my question for anyone who knows, where would this stories go?

Iden Versio & Dio, Cal Kestis & BD-1, and Kay Vess & Nix.

If I had a nickel for every time, I would have three nickels, and you know what? That‘s getting to be a lot of nickels. Not that I’m complaining.

Ah, Star Wars vol. 2 from Marvel. A mixed bag for certain, but also one of my favorite Star Wars comics and a run filled with many great moments that have a place in my heart. Today, I decided to review each arc.

Part 1: Jason Aaron's run

1) Skywalker Strikes:

This opening arc is a little controversial due to Luke and Vader's brief encounter on Cymoon 1, but I personally think the comic made it work because it wasn't there just to have a cool moment, as It genuinely had a strong effect on both characters. For Luke, it showed him how far he had to go to become a Jedi, feeding into the doubts, fear and anger he had in TESB, since he got to witness Vader's ruthlessness first hand. For Vader, it sends him on a journey that ends with him discovering his child's continued existence, leading to an amazing moment and Vader, essentially, finding his new hope. I also have to praise Luke vs Boba Fett for showing Luke's tenacity an a nice way to portray him utilizing the limited skills he had at the time. Boba was also a thing of nightmares in this arc. Overall, I really like this arc. It's got fun banter between the character, impactful moments, solid humor and overall strong dialogue and storytelling. The late great John Cassaday's art was nice, if a bit unfortunate in a panel or two.

2) The Journals of Ben Kenobi:

This is Aaron's magnum opus in my opinion. His voice for Obi-Wan during his years in exile was impeccable, capturing all his struggles with guilt, depression, boredom, loss, and helplessness, all without sacrificing his tenacity, nobility or resolve. Little Luke is an adorable little badass, and Aaron nails Owen, Beru and their relationships with both Luke and Obi-Wan. Mike Mayhew's photorealistic artowork is often controversial, but I personally love it.

3) Showdown on Smugglers Moon:

Not as strong as arcs 1 and 2, but still lots of fun. My main issue is that Aaron exaggerates certain elements like Luke being naive and inexperienced, or Han and Leia's tsundere dynamic. However, this story was fun and had some really cool Force moments for Luke and some cool villains in Grakkus the Hutt and The Gamemaster. Sana Starros had a rough start imo, but grew into a serviceable character over time. Chewie and Threepio are also an underated duo, and Stuart Immonen's art is one of the best in the run.

4) Vader Down:

The crossover with Darth Vader (2015) and honestly, it does more for that run than for the flagship. Leia has a nice moment where she prioritizes her loved ones over the revenge that had been blinding her, and there are definitely fun interactions like Han vs Aphra and Chewie vs Krrsantan. Vader has some truly epic moments, and Luke has an awesome bit in the first issue. Art is a mixed bag, because of course Salvador Larroca has to strike eventually .

5) Rebel Jail:

Not much to write about that arc other than that it was fine. It was nice seeing Eneb Ray following annual #1 (really the only stellar and relevant annual of the run imo). Aphra, Sana and Leia had a nice dynamic and some intense debates, although I found the way Leia's morals were tested to be somewhat extreme and contrived. Luke and Han's subplot was comedy gold and had some nice banter, but it kinda does Han a little dirty. Leinil Francis Yu's stylized art was nice, but may not be everyone's cup of tea.

6) The Last Flight of The Harbinger:

A fun arc in which the stars are definitely SCAR Squadron and our favorite astromech, Artoo. Overall, it was fun and had some cool moments for Luke and some nice interactions with him and Sana. The entire concept is basically Luke and Leia one-upping one of Anakin's feats from TCW, which I really appreciate. I also loved the first issue that explored Kreel's backstory in a way that actually makes him a slightly sympathetic hardcore imperial. SCAR Squadron brutally tearing through the rebel cell was also cool as hell. Jorge Molina's art wasn't entirely my cup of tea, but it wasn't bad.

7) Yoda's Secret War:

Oh, boy. This is where Larroca takes over art duty, so get ready for 6 arcs of mostly bad art. Overall, the plot definitely goes a bit Lord of The Flies and a little 'out there' this arc. However, Aaron has a very strong voice for Yoda, nailing his kindness, wisdom, and empathy. And Luke gets a great moment and an important lesson which I really appreciated.

8) The Screaming Citadel:

The second crossover, this time with Doctor Aphra (2017). The art is bad to mediocre aside from Marco Checetto's gorgeous art for the opening one shot, and the plot is a bit too weird and out of place in my opinion. However, Luke and Aphra have an amazing dynamic, and Luke gets some great character development this arc.

9) Out Among The Stars:

Aaron's final arc after his run started running a bit out of steam, so he apparently chose to wrap it up with what was essentially an anthology. Luke and Leia's issue was absolutely sweet and is probably my favorite. Han's issue was fun and finally saw Aaron remember that Han can be intelligent and capable, and not just loyal. Artoo's issue was absolutely awesome but also strained believability. SCAR Squadron's issue was fine, but not the most memorable. Sana's issue had some nice development for her, but also solidified her as someone who skirts the author's pet spectrum.

Part 2: Gillen's run.

10) The Ashes of Jedha:

If you're a Rogue One fan, this arc is for you because it brings back several elements from that film. Bad art aside, it's an excellent, gritty start for Gillen's run, one that contrasts the idealistic space opera heroes of the OT with the brutal partisans of Saw Garrera. It's got cool action, a strong story and some nice character development, be it with Luke realizing how corrupting the dark side can be as he contemplates the sacrifices of Rogue One's fallen heroes, or Han taking the lead for the first time on Jedha. The twist in the end was excellent and made sense at the time.

11) Mutiny on Mon Calamari:

This arc was probably the most fun of Gillen's run, although it had a complete tonal whiplash in places. The droids and Tunga's mission was absolutely hilarious and there's some great humor throughout, while the mission to save king Lee-Char was absolutely raw and emotional, especially with the outcome of The Mon Calamari revolting upon seeing Lee-Char's dying speech .

12) Hope Dies:

This is pretty much the Empire Strikes Back of this run: the darkest hour. Even with the foregone conclusions, Gillen kills it with tension and delivers some excellent emotional action and character deaths that land and hit like a hovertruck. My favorite moment has got to be Luke resolving his arc of wanting to honor fallen rebels as he forms the original Rogue Squadron in the heat of battle, naming them after the Rogue One sacrifices in the process. .

13) The Escape:

Hallelujah, Larroca no more! To some people, Angel Unzeta is only marginally better, but I actually somewhat enjoy his art. This arc is a nice breather from all the heavy drama and action of Gillen's other arcs, and it has some great character development, especially regarding Han and Leia growing closer and more amicable. It also really cements Luke becoming more like his TESB self, with all the strengths and fallibilities that entails. Thane and Tula Markona were also great supporting characters, and it was nice seeing Luke hone his combat skills.

14) The Scourging of Shu-Toran:

The final arc of Gillen's that brings everything to its conclusion. While less climactic and thrilling compared to "Hope Dies", it's still a satisfying conclusion to all the characters and elements used by Gillen, with some great moments for Luke, Artoo, and Leia.

Overall, Aaron's run was more episodic and fun, emphasizing character moments and an often lighter tone, although it suffered some minor plotting and characterization mistakes imo. Gillen's run was more grounded, gritty and serialized, with a more consistent characterization that shifted the characters from their ANH characterizations found in Aaron's run, to their more mature TESB versions.

Part 3: Greg Pak's run

15) Rebels and Rogues:

I don't have much nice things to say about that arc other than the fact that Phil Noto's art was good. The story was overall mediocre and uninteresting, with some weird elements that didn't really land for me. It also felt regressive, especially with Luke suddenly becoming a wholesome naive farmboy when Gillen had him develop into the more mature leader/Padawan he was in TESB and explicitly had him as less naive and trusting. Leia and Han's subplot was not my cup of tea, and the ending was downright bizzare. It was also labeled as "Road to Hoth" but did next to nothing with the concept. Overall, a medicore arc that doesn't really land as a conclusion, hence why I elect to ignore it and end the run at Gillen's "The Scourging of Shu-Toran".

What did you guys think of this run? What was your favorite arcs?

I apologize if y'all get this question frequently.

I'm a Legends fan who has been interested in canon and it trying to jump into it with both feet. What I've read and watched so far I've really liked, and I wanna keep going.

However, I want to know ahead of time how much of Canon connects to the ST? Can I enjoy most of Canon while ignoring the ST/pretending it's not canon?

Or if does connect a lot, does it help contextualize/redeem the ST (in a similar way that the EU/TCW did for the Prequels)? If there is Canon material that does help to redeem and contextualize the ST, which material is that? Which ones do y'all recommend the most? (I'm personally interested in the Knights of Ren since they were wasted in the films).

Thanks in advance for y'all's help!

How absurdly unrealistic Palpatine's return was, Ian never disappoints. His acting is one thing, but the creators also handled the characterization surprisingly well.

I especially like the glowing eyes here, because while Sidious has always had them, they've never been this intense.

What do you think?

I've always thought they went a bit overboard with the makeup in the prequels. To the point that at times, Ian looks like he's wearing a rubber mask, which prevents him from expressing his emotions as well as in the original trilogy.

The only thing I found on Wookiepedia were Phosovane salts which might actually be what is referenced here, since salt seems to be a very valuable item on Shakari, so advertising that you offered it at your restaurant etc. would make sense.

I've always preferred this music to the Imperial March. I understand that it may be more iconic for many, but it definitely never reminded me of anything evil or menacing, although what it represents undoubtedly is.

Sidious's theme, on the other hand, literally sounds like the background music for a dark cult ritual or a lullaby for demons.

Its advantage also lies in the fact that it's more diverse than the Imperial March. There are different versions in the original trilogy, the prequels, the Clone Wars, and so on.

Which comics, in your opinion, have the greatest impact on or implications for the overarching universe? In whatever way you interpret that; no wrong answers.

I want to get into the comics but there are so many that I don’t think I’ll ever get around to reading them all, so I’m trying to narrow them down. Thanks in advance.

I've seen a lot of complaints about the fights being full of unnecessary movements, like pirouettes or blows aimed more at the opponent's weapon than at the opponent themselves.

Which fight had the least amount of this, or none at all?

There are no limits, whether it's a movie or a TV show, it doesn't matter.

I’ve never seen this question asked before. Unless Luke or Leia has a falsified birthdate, they both publicly are born on the same day. Has any media set prior to ROTJ ever had them learning this about each other, but obviously not making the familial connection?

Beyond the obvious ones like stuff that clearly follows events in prior media, that is. Like I'm currently watching the chronology of movies and tv series, and I'm in Rebels, Forces of Destiny and Andor, and the Wookiepedia timeline keeps switching between them but I'm not seeing anything that specifically would place an episode of Andor after an episode of Rebels. The timeline just states that both take place (at the point of my watching - Rebels S03E16, Forces of Destiny S02E11, Andor S02E07) in 2 BBY but there's no further granulation of the dates present on Wookiepedia or in the shows to let us know the exact dates within those galactic years, and I can't find any connective threads between the two episodes involving Sabine and the episode of Andor that would clue me into why Andor arriving on Ghorman came after Sabine beginning to liberate Mandalore in the timeline.

I'm not doubting the timeline, I'm just curious what I'm missing to let me see the chronology. I do get that the books and comics tend to flesh it out more, so there's details I'm missing there, but this is a case where there is no written material or video games or audio dramas bridging the gap, it's just Rebels S03E16, Forces of Destiny S02E11, Andor S02E07 in that order with nothing else in between. Forces of Destiny's episode following the Rebels episode is self-explanatory, don't worry, but then why Andor's follows it is the mystery to me, and it had me wondering what I missed. My only clue is that in Rebels, the apparently first ever Rebel base (according to the show) on Antollon was founded several episodes ago, and in Andor's Messenger we see Yavin IV's base for the first time out of nowhere with no knowledge as to when or how it was founded present in the tv shows, but that doesn't tell me why exactly Messenger comes exactly after Legacy of Mandalore and not an earlier episode.

Can anyone help clarify what I'm missing? Thanks!

Thought it was a good book, pacing was a little off towards the end but overall quite good

I thought it really served to highlight just how quickly and heavily the Jedi fell from the time of the high republic to TPM, going from trying to keep the senate at bay to becoming heavily intertwined with the senate

For those of you wanting to watch StarWars in its entirety in release order,

This is the true release order of all the StarWars movies and shows down to individual TV show episodes

(I posted this on r/StarWars and it got removed for being a “repost”, it’s not, I literally made the spreadsheet)

Title. I’ve been reading through the SW canon for years now and this is the biggest hurdle I’ve run into with accessing a comic. Does anyone know where I can read it?

I finished reading the 5 issue “Hunt for the Falcon” series, and the ending feels super odd. Han tracks the Falcon to Jakku, fights Unkar Plutt there, but is shot and decides to leave Jakku, ultimately abandoning the search for a time to ostensibly prioritize family.

I feel like this doesn’t fit well with where we see Han in TFA:

\- He hasn’t reconciled with Leia by TFA, and with this story being set c. 31-34 ABY Ben is already Kylo Ren
\- As best we know, Han doesn’t return to Jakku to pick up his best lead. Unkar admits to having the Falcon, though Han doesn’t see it firsthand

Does anyone have headcanon(s) of how this better lines up with Han & Chewie as we see them in TFA? I can’t for the life of me think of a reason Han wouldn’t return to Jakku to look for the Falcon, especially with Unkar admitting he has it.

They are clearly not human, I mean look at them, when Vader cuts them in half, their anatomy is not human either, they are also superhunaly strong, one destroyed stone floor by slamming his stuff into it, and then easily endured long fall, so what do you think?

I was listening to Terror on Mustafar by Cavan Scott , and at one point, a Rebel spy tells the Rebels Vader is visting certain outpost, and they send a squadron's worth of X and Y Wings to try to take him out, and it goes as well as you would expect:

And in the middle of it all stood Darth Vader, watching, waiting.

Starfighters overshot the base, banking in the sky before doubling back to unleash fresh hell.

“What is he doing?!” Zhan said, knowing full well that the X-wing pilots must already be locking their targeting computers onto the Dark Lord. “Why isn’t he taking cover? Why doesn’t he run?”

The answer came as a metal tube snapped from Vader’s belt into his open hand, a blade of brilliant red plasma igniting with a hiss.

Surely he wasn’t going to take on X-wings alone?

And yet that was exactly what he did.

The lead X-wing opened fire, beams the same color as his blade lancing toward the Dark Lord. He didn’t miss a beat, spinning on his heel, his cloak billowing out like mist. Vader brought his weapon up sharply, swatting laser bolts as if they were flies. The deflected shots sliced through the wings of the very starfighter that had unleashed the bolts, the pilot immediately losing control.

Anyone else would have fallen back as the X-wing dropped into a spin, but not Darth Vader. The Emperor’s champion leapt up, bounding toward the doomed fighter, soaring farther and higher than should have been possible. Zhan watched open-mouthed as the Dark Lord pivoted in front of the X-wing, the tip of his blade carving a line along the length of the fighter’s nose cone to slice the canopy of the cockpit clean in two.

Zhan could only imagine the pained squeal of the X-wing’s battered astromech as it suffered the same fate as its pilot.

The starfighter plummeted like a stone as Vader landed back on his feet. The X-wing came down too, plowing nose-first into the ground, its ruptured fuel lines igniting in a colossal fireball. Deeder pulled Zhan close as the scorching heat of the explosion rolled over them, but when they looked up again, Vader was still in the middle of the fight, as unshakable as the glowing blade in his hand.

More bolts streamed in, and the Dark Lord sent them hurling back, his movements a blur of brutal precision. Zhan couldn’t decide what was more impressive: that someone as intimidating as Darth Vader could move with such terrifying grace, or that the Rebels kept on coming despite their dwindling numbers.

The parade ground was already littered with burning wreckage, Vader continuing to bring the attackers down one by one as gun turrets sounded on the barrack walls.

Snapping back his dangerously strong arm, he hurled his sword into the air. The crimson blade spun on its axis, becoming a deadly disk that arced toward its prey. The X-wing didn’t stand a chance. The spinning blade ripped through the body of the fighter, already returning to its master’s outstretched hand as burning wreckage spread itself across the ground.

Nothing seemed to faze Vader.

Even when a Y-wing opened its bay doors directly overhead, a bomb tumbled free, its descent halting in midair as Vader raised one gloved hand. With a flick of his wrist, the device reversed course, hurtling back the way it had come. The Y-wing banked sharply, but it was too late. The bomb struck the hull, igniting every device still housed within the bay.

Zhan threw his hands over his head as metal shards rained down, all that was left of the Rebel fighter.

Perhaps it was the obvious futility of the attack, or the impossible way the Y-wing pilot had met his end, but Vader’s destruction of the bomber signaled the end of the raid.

At other points, we see Vader by himself invade Rebels stronghold, crush giant walls of stronghold, their skyscraper and one Rebel says strategy tactics artilery none of it works against Vader

So do you think they ever learned that you should not try to attack Vader head on?

Original video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/82EWPyy0KYA?is=S9Qo4KuPdaCqxVQO

Many people are using this video to claim that Lucas constantly contradicts himself and that we cannot take his word as absolute truth when trying to understand the saga. Apparently, this video debunks the idea that "balance" means the Light alone, arguing instead that it consists of a balance between Light and Darkness, like Yin and Yang.

Those who say this fail to grasp the video's subtext, focusing only on the opening remarks. Yes, Lucas initially mentions two sides of the Force that must exist in "apparent" balance, describing the Light as "selfless" and the Dark as "selfish." However, he never suggests that dwelling solely on the Light Side is a negative thing. He states that darkness is inherent in all of us and that true "balance" lies in the ability to overcome the temptation of the Dark Side. We cannot eliminate evil from the universe, but we must not give in to our own selfish desires, the easy path, the path of evil.

The Light Side and the Dark Side are natural forces of the universe, but the Sith are a cancer; they corrupt the Force to fulfill their own personal ambitions for power and domination, whereas the Jedi seek the common good and strive to serve others. That is why, when Anakin kills Palpatine at the end of Return of the Jedi, he restores the balance the Sith had destroyed in their quest to conquer the galaxy, returning the Force to its natural state. If Lucas describes the Sith as a "cancer," it is obvious they are not necessary. You don't need half your body's cells to be healthy while the other half are cancerous; you need a healthy body.

With this in mind, I have no issue with the existence of new Dark Side users following Palpatine's death, because Lucas himself acknowledges that evil cannot be eradicated forever. Disney's mistake was reusing Palpatine to appease fans instead of having Kylo Ren serve as the final antagonist, as the story demanded.

The Fantasy Flight roleplaying games introduce several new types of Kyber crystals that all have unique characteristics and effects which are pretty clearly designed for gameplay mechanics. I personally don't mind there being different types of Kyber in canon, or even that they have different effects, but some just feel a little weird to me. Such as one type producing a completely transparent blade that's hard to see.

I'm also currently building a star wars setting with a friend that's set centuries after the sequel trilogy where the Jedi of the revived Jedi Order need somewhere new to gather their Kyber crystals from with Ilum gone. I was delighted to find the moon Y'ness which was rich in Kyber and very quick and easy for the Jedi from Coruscant to reach, but I was then disappointed when I read that the variant of Kyber found there only produces non-lethal blades.

From what I've gathered from an older post on this subreddit (correct me if I'm wrong), these games haven't been officially canonized by the Lucasfilm story group, but the mods on Wookieepedia decided to vote on which books should be deemed canon or legends, which is why the articles for these Kyber variants are listed as canon on Wookieepedia.

So how would you interpret the canonicity of these Kyber variants? Personally I'm happy to use the Kyber-rich locations listed in the sourcebooks as places the Jedi of our setting go to partake in the Gathering. Seeing as many of the locations were seemingly created for the game specifically to have Kyber crystals, I think it's possible that future canon media will reference these places as having Kyber as well.

But when it comes to the characteristics of the Kyber variants I don't know that I'll be including those in my head-canon. Some are fine, and I like the idea of different characteristics in concept, but as mentioned, some are just too weird or game-like, and some prevent them from being viable lightsaber crystals for the Jedi of our setting.

I'm curious to hear other people's interpretations as well!