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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 3 Review

Star Wars is one of the best franchises of all time for a reason. It combines action, drama, spiritual themes, and cyberpunk for a story like few have ever told. If I could decide when Star Wars is at its best, though, it’s when its doing thing: blowing stuff up in visually spetacular fights. And the latest episode of Star Wars: the Clone Wars not only does that, but hearkens back to early days of the show. In other words, it feels just like old times.

Overwhelming Odds

After managing to get Echo out of the Techno Union base, Anakin, Rex, and the Bad Batch scramble to find a way off-planet. Ironically, it was a scenario like this got almost killed Echo and got him captured. This time, though, Anakin’s not leaving anyone behind. Luckily, Echo has the Techno Union’s entire database in his memory, so he manages to find them an escape route. Then they commandeer the local flying creatures to escape.

Flying giant, winged bats is not only the kind of thing Anakin would do, but that Star Wars would do. As if that’s not cool enough, they get chased by winged battle droids!

Unfortunately, Anakin’s team led the droids back to a village of natives, forcing them to face down overwhelming odds against a superior opponent.

Again, classic Star Wars, like old times.

An Impressive Fight

Star Wars: The Clone Wars has always had some impressive fight scenes. However, this episode cements how far the show’s come in twelve years. Seeing the planet’s natives, Anakin, and the Clones work in tandem to defeat the Separatist droids is a visually stunning, though brief, fight. The visuals, use of animation, and action are awesome. A major step above what we first saw back in the pilot movie all those years ago.

Having the heroes fight an overwhelming foe alongside allies with more primitive technology isn’t new, either. Watching the Rebels and Ewoks beat the tar out of the Empire’s “best troops” remains one of my favorite moments in the franchise. Partly because I enjoy seeing arrogant villains get humbled; and because the Stormtroopers lost to what were essentially Muppets.

No PTSD For Echo

The one thing that I have to complain about regarding the episode is how it uses Echo. This is a Clone Trooper that fans have almost since the show started, and who we thought dead for years. Not only is he alive, but he’s been turned into a cyborg with parts and wires sticking out of what’s left of his organic body. That kind of thing would be very traumatic for most people to endure, on top of a near-death experience.

However, Echo doesn’t seem to be suffering from any PTSD or any changes to his personality. As soon as he’s unplugged, he reverts to his normal personality and doesn’t say anything about his experience. That’s a missed opportunity, if you ask me!

Fortunately, Echo has Rex to help sort out everything he’s gone through. Rex even makes it a point to say that things are going to be “just like old times”, a sentiment that Echo seems to agree with. However, I doubt they can go back to the old times after what Echo’s gone through.

Good Times

So, this episode marked a full return to the action that I loved during The Clone Wars original run. It was short, but nice, nonetheless. No, seriously, the episode was only eighteen minutes long, including the end credits. The next episode should be the finale to the “Bad Batch” arc, so I’m hoping it can stick the landing. Even if it doesn’t, this episode did feel a little like old times.

I Give “On the Wings of Keeradaks” a 3/5

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 2 Review

Of all the Clone Troopers that we’ve met in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Captain Rex is by far my favorite. In the beginning, I saw him as just another one of many Clones, but as time went on, I think he became one of the best characters in the franchise. Now, the show’s final season seems to be cementing that notion for many others.

Despite being a badass soldier, though, Rex still deals with the same pain of loss that all soldiers feel. He’s lost many comrades during the show’s run, and will lose more in the future. So when he discovers evidence that his friend Echo may be alive, he’s ready to throw caution to the wind and rescue him. Everyone else, though, is skeptical about it, and that drives the plot to this next episode.

Being Anakin’s Wingman

Rex was with Anakin all the way up to the events of Revenge of the Sith, so I think it’s fair to say that he was like Anakin’s wingman. Almost every time Anakin wanted to leap into danger over most people’s objections, Rex stood by him; like a good friend and wingman would. Yet it takes a talk with Padme (who is showing subtle signs of her pregnancy) to make him realize that he taught Captain Rex that.

In the reversal of situations that we saw in this episode, I think fans got to see how much of an impact Anakin had on Rex. The young Jedi taught Captain Rex that sometimes you have to make your own decisions instead of following the rules. This episode, to me at least, helped to drive that point home. Which helps make it an important moment for Captain Rex.

Also, I love the fact that Anakin trusts Rex enough to cover for him while he talks to family. True wingman material!

Echo’s Alive

So, spoiler warning, but yes, Echo is alive. The last surviving member of Domino Squad, who we thought died at the Citadel, somehow survived. I never liked the Citadel Arc, partially because it’s where I thought Echo died. So you can imagine how happy I am to know that he’s still alive!

However, it appears his time as a prisoner has left him worse for wear. He’s more machine now than man, but thankfully not twisted or evil. According to the Star Wars Wiki, most of his body’s now cybernetic and capable of being hooked up to a computer, which is how the Separatists used his knowledge of the Clone’s tactics to beat them on Anaxes.

I doubt that Echo will ever be able to fight on the front lines again, but his return and transformation does lead to some interesting opportunities. Think about it: one of the most memorable Clones from a Squad of soldiers that we followed form the beginning. That’s grade-A material for future stories.

Rex Gets Echo Home

So, thanks to Anakin, Rex, and the Bad Batch, Echo’s been rescued. Now they need to get him home. Easier said than done, but they Anakin, so it’s pretty much assured.

As a whole, I think that this episode some of the “oomph” that “Bad Batch” had. It chose to forgo some of the action in favor of the more personal moments, but the action scenes were still decent. Next week, though, will likely be when everything hits the fan, and I can’t wait! Bottom line, go watch this on Disney+ if you haven’t already!

I Give “A Distant Echo” a 4/5

Also, “The Techno Union is Neutral” my foot! We saw you on Ryloth, Tambor! WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID!

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 1 Review

It feels like only yesterday when we learned about the cancellation of Star Wars: the Clone Wars. So many stories were left unfinished, and to be honest, that “Lost Episodes” season didn’t cut it for me. Six years later, and Dave Filoni gets to give his masterpiece the final season it deserves. After watching the first episode of the final season, I can only say one thing. It’s like we never left the Clone Army behind.

While Star Wars is often about the Jedi and their Sith enemies, longtime fans will remember that some of the best episodes of The Clone Wars focused on the actual soldiers. The long-awaited seventh season chooses to start off working with the latter perspective. When the Clone Army begins taking heavy losses on Anaxes, Rex begins to suspect that they’re using his own tactics against them. So, his friend Cody decides to call in an elite squad: Clone Squad 99, better known as the “Bad Batch“.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge how this squad’s name pays tribute to CT-99, a deformed Clone Trooper that fans will remember died heroically protecting Kamino from a Separatist attack. It’s fitting, too, because the members of Bad Batch are all Clones with genetic defects. The difference here is that it’s for the better.

The Cavalry is Here!

From the moment they appeared on screen, I fell in love with Bad Batch. This quartet of misfit Clones is like GI Joe and the Ninja Turtles rolled into one, and each member is a super-soldier in and of themselves. There’s Wrecker, the muscle with superhuman strength who can lift a gunship. Tech, who I think has super-intelligence like Donatello. Crosshair, who’s a master sniper and man of few words. Finally, we have Hunter, the leader who possesses superhuman senses. Did I mention Hunter looks just like Rambo, because he does!

By far, seeing the Bad Batch squad in action was the highlight of the episode. I almost squealed when I saw them take down an entire platoon of droids on their own. However, high amounts of testosterone have a tendency to lead to tension. Squad 99 seems to look slightly down on other Clones, calling them all “Regs”, leading to them clashing with Rex and Cody’s group. Fortunately, the bond of camarederie between the Clone Army is too strong to break, and once the initial tension passes, the two groups work like a well-oiled machine.

Band of Brothers

A lot of praise for The Clone Wars has gone to the way they’ve humanized the Clone Troopers. Before, they were more or less generic soldiers. The show gave them all names, distinct personalities and bonds. The Clone Wars made the Clone Army human. Which only made it harder when we saw a Clone we got attached to die.

That loss is even greater for men like Rex and Cody. They’ve watched friends die in front of them. Of all those losses, though, I don’t any were as hard as that of the members of Domino Squad. Introduced all the way back in Season One, we had the pleasure of seeing this squad go from rookies to elite soldiers. Which only made it harder when they all died; or so we thought.

Rex realizes that the tactics the Droids are using were only known to him, Echo, and Fives, the two surviving members of Domino Squad. We thought Echo had died back in Season Three, but this episode changed all that. Not only is Echo alive, but the Separatists are using him to counter the Republic strategies. It’s not only a huge surprise to fans who didn’t know about this, but to Rex as well. One of his closest friends is alive, and he’s determined to bring him home.

So, in short, this was an explosive start to the final season of one of the best things Star Wars has ever seen. I loved it, and I only wish that the next episode was out already. If you need one reason to get Disney+, then do it so you can watch the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

I Give “Bad Batch” a 5/5. It’s like we never left

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Five of My Favorite Episodes from Star Wars: The Clone Wars

So, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars starts on Disney+ tomorrow and I just realized that I never told you guys my favorite episodes from the show. That simply will not do. So, after giving it much thought, I put together a list of some of my personal favorite episodes from the hit show, along with an explanation as to why I liked them.

Rookies

Kicking off our list, we have this little gem from Season One of the show. We’re used to the sight of the Clone Troopers kicking droid butt on the battlefield, but they had to get their start somewhere. For the rookie clones that we would come to know as Domino Squad, that somewhere wound up being an outpost guarding the way to Kamino. When their base is captured by a unit of commando droids, the rookies of this squad team up with veteran soldiers Rex and Cody in a desperate attempt to retake the base before the Separatists can attack their home world.

This episode’s basically the plot of any inspiring war drama packed into the Star Wars brand. It sees a ragtag group of soldiers face down impossible odds to complete a mission that could change the outcome of the war. In addition, this episode saw Captain Rex’s first appearance since The Clone Wars movie and the appearance of Domino Squad. While most of the squad would die in this episode, the surviving two members would become recurring characters on the show until their eventual deaths. Though if what I hear about the upcoming “Bad Batch” story is true, that may not be the case.

Duel of the Droids

Can we all take a moment to appreciate Artoo-Detoo and how important he is to the franchise? After a battle against General Grevious seemingly ends in Artoo’s destruction, Anakin refuses to give up on his little droid buddy. Sure enough, his efforts are vindicated when it’s discovered Artoo’s alive, albeit held captive on a Separatist listening post by General Grevious. Taking only a squad of Clone Troopers and Ashoka, Anakin goes on a daring mission to rescue his little buddy before Grevious can uncover the intel he’s carrying on the Republic.

This episode remains a personal favorite of mine for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates the devotion that Anakin has towards those he cares about, something that many of his fellow Jedi fail to understand. Secondly, it sees Artoo face down a Separatist spy droid in an epic duel where he reminds us how he’s survived throughout the movies. Finally, there’s the fact that we Ashoka duel against General Grevious and survive! That alone is an accomplishment!

Landing at Point Rain

Even though it looked like the Republic took Geonosis during the climax of Attack of the Clones, season two of the show revealed that the native Geonosians managed to take it back. As a result, the Republic has to mount a deadly campaign to retake the planet. What should have been a simple task, though, becomes a nightmare that sees the Jedi and Clones be put through the ringer.

The show had already given us several noteworthy battles before, but to me, Landing at Point Rain brought a new level of carnage to the show. The sheer desperation that the protagonist’s faced was made all too evident, with them managing to make it through to the end nothing short of incredible. I had to remind myself at times that this was still a cartoon and not a full-blown war movie. In other words, I loved it!

Carnage of Krell

To this episode, I consider this episode to be one of the darkest moments in the entire show, and it’s all thanks to Pong Krell. After Anakin’s suddenly recalled back to Coruscant, his Clones find themselves under the command of Jedi Master Pong Krell. However, Krell proves to be the worst kind of leader: one willing to order his soldiers to die in droves while he refuses to fight. Following a horrific event where its discovered that Krell tricked the Clones into attacking each other, their rage finally boils over.

Before this episode, I had started to suspect that Krell was sabotaging the Republic. Once we got confirmation, I could remember feeling the sheer anger Rex and the other Clones felt. As a result, seeing them deal out justice to the traitorous fallen Jedi was absolutely cathartic. However, this was also the episode that made me remember what was to come at the end of the war. As Krell predicted, the Jedi would fall and the Republic was torn apart from the inside. Thankfully, he never lived to see it. #Don’tmesswiththe501st

The Lawless

Where do I even begin with this episode? After returning at the end of season four, Maul and his brother Savage Oppress proceeded to seize control of the Mandalorian Deathwatch, overthrew the government of Mandalore, and imprisoned Obi-Wan’s love, Satine Kryze. And Maul did all of this just so he could lure Kenobi to him and get revenge on him. As a result, a full-scale civil war erupts on Mandalore between Maul’s faction and those loyal to Mandalore itself.

This episode was basically the culimination to several ongoing plots throughout the show’s run, and Kenobi got put through the ringer during the whole ordeal. While he had enough reason to hate Maul for killing his Master, Obi-Wan’s hatred reached new levels when the former Sith killed Satine in front of him. Sadly, their rematch was not to be. Deciding that Maul had become too great a threat, Darth Sidious personally intervened to dispatch his former apprentice. The result was an epic lightsaber duel that reminded us all why Darth Sidious is the big bad of the Star Wars franchise. Thank the Force this story will be resolved in the final season!

Agree with my picks? What were your favorite episodes of the show? Let me know!

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Twelve years on, and I still remember going going to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars in theaters with my old man. Little did I know at the time, but the movie that critics tore to shreds would spawn one of the best cartoons I have the pleasure of viewing, Star Wars: the Clone Wars. With the release of Revenge of the Sith three years prior, everyone thought the circle of the Skywalker Saga was now complete. Thank the Force that Lucasfilm proved us wrong.

If you recall my earlier post on the subject, I have a bit of a soft spot for the Prequel Trilogy, in spite of its flaws. As a result, I took to The Clone Wars fairly quickly, to the point where I had a weekly ritual for watching it. I would grab an old lightsaber I had lying around, and when the opening started, I would swing it around like a Jedi before striking a cool pose. It was totally nerdy, but I didn’t care. I would end up watching The Clone Wars throughout its five year run on Cartoon Network, and as a fan and a critic, I can safely say that kept the flame of Star Wars alive during that time.

A Grand Adventure…

In hindsight, I realize that there was a pattern to the show regarding its tone. At the start, it seemed a lot more light-hearted and fun, with very little continuity between episodes. The writers made the whole thing seem like some of grand adventure, with an epic clash of good vs evil. It was still a show about a galaxy-spanning war, but seeing the heroes win every week made us forget about that. 2

Looking back, I now see this as a deliberate attempt by Filoni and the writers to induce a sense of idealism. We would start with something exciting and pure, like the kind of war movie you’d expect John Wayne to star in. That’s how many used to think wars were like: dangerous but exciting. Maybe we just wanted to think like that because we knew what awaited us at the very end. As the series continued, though, it began to delve into more nuanced stories that went beyond the war. Suddenly, the grand adventure didn’t seem so grand anymore.

…Suddenly Gets Darker

I think I mentioned it before, but one thing I loved about The Clone Wars was how it matured as it got older. Slowly, the reality that we were watching a war that would end with the fall of the Jedi began to re-assert itself. Then came the Umbara Arc; while it wasn’t the best arc in the show, for me, it was what really drove home the truth about the conflict. The Jedi would ultimately go into hiding, Sidious’ Empire would rise, and darkness would reign.

After that, I just saw the show get progressively darker and cooler before we got the darkest story yet: Ashoka on the run. Ever since the film, fans had been wondering if Ashoka survived the Clone Wars. Thus, when she wound be falsely accused of crimes she didn’t commit, we thought this is it. Ashoka’s done for. Anakin cleared her name, but the damage was done.

After seeing the Jedi Council throw Ashoka to the wolves with so little hesitation made me lose almost all respect for them. No wonder she chose to leave the Jedi order. Deep down, though, I was also relieved, as it meant Ashoka would survive the war. However, it would be years before we found out what happened to her, or to Rex. Star Wars: The Clone Wars was cancelled, a victim of Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm and the Disney-Warner Bros. War.

The Return

Lucasfilm’s put up a sixth season on Netflix, but to be honest, I didn’t really watch it. The fire had just gone out for me. However, like many fans, I hoped for the day when the final episodes of the show would be made. So, when word came that a 7th and final season of Star Wars: the Clone Wars would air on Disney+, I was filled with joy.

Thanks to material that’s come out since the show first ended, we already know how the series will end. Ashoka will face off against Maul, Order 66 will begin, and she and Rex will go into hiding. However, that’s not going to make the whole thing any less exciting. So you can bet you credits that I intend to review every episode of this final season. So, come back tomorrow night to see my review of the first episode of the final season, “The Bad Batch.” If the promo’s are anything to go by, though, it’s going to be good!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.

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Star Wars: History Abridged

Welcome back to another post for Star Wars: History Abridged. In my last post, I summed up how the first Sith Lords arose. Once Jedi, now exiled for their beliefs, the first Sith Lords found Korriban and the Sith people. With their technology and the Sith’s raw Force power, they built a mighty interstellar empire far from the Republic’s prying eyes. However, as we all know, this wouldn’t last forever. In today’s post, I’ll be covering the first of the countless conflicts between the Jedi and Sith, the Great Hyperspace War. Buckle up, people; this is going to be a scorcher!

End of the Golden Age of the Sith

Two thousand years after the fallen Jedi came to Korriban, the Sith Empire had grown to encompass most of their region of the galaxy. Many Dark Lords rose and fell over the centuries, but eventually, power rested in the hands of the Sith Lord Marka Ragnos. While most of his people forgot about the Jedi and Republic, Ragnos was well aware of them. In addition, he was smart enough to know they’d lose a fight with them, so he forbid the Empire’s expansion. Those plans went belly-up when he died after a century of rule.

At his funeral on Korriban, two Sith Lords tried to claim the title of Dark Lord. On one side was Naga Sadow, who wanted to expand the Empire’s borders. On the other was Ludo Kressh, who wanted to keep the Sith within their borders. The two ultimately crossed blades, only stopping when the ghost of Ragnos himself appeared and basically told them to knock it off. Ragnos then warned all present that a new threat was upon them, and that the choices they made would shape the future of the Sith.

At that moment, a pair of explorers from the Republic jumped out of hyperspace on Korriban.

The Great Hyperspace War Begins

The Sith imprisoned the pair, a brother and sister, and then debated over what to do with them. That is, until Naga Sadow busted them out, framed the Republic for their escape, and took the twins to his personal fortress. There, he started training the brother in the Dark Side. When Kressh came looking for the escapees, he dealt with his forces and claimed the title of Dark Lord. While all this was happening, the sister escaped back to Republic space, not knowing that Sadow put a beacon on her ship. As a result, he was able to plot a course directly into the heart of the Republic. Thus began the Great Hyperspace War.

Utilizing Force illusions and a technique known as Battle Meditation to bolster his smaller army, Sadow led a lightning strike on the Republic. Core worlds like Coruscant suddenly became brutal battlefields. Fortunately, Sadow’s assault eventually fell apart. First, the brother of the two explorers, now Sadow’s apprentice, turned on him. Distracted, Sadow couldn’t maintain the illusions, and the Republic drove the Sith out. Thus, Naga Sadow was forced to limp back to Sith Space with what was left of his forces.

Guess who was waiting for him?

The War Ends and Republic and Jedi Screw Up

Turns out, Ludo Kressh survived and took control of the Empire while Sadow was gone. When Sadow’s fleet exited hyperspace above Korriban, Kressh declared himself the true Dark Lord. Rather than do the logical thing and unite against the Republic, the two fought each other again. Kressh was killed for good, but thanks to the ego/stupidity of both Sith Lords, the damage was done. The already battered Sith Fleet was further weakened. Then, to make things worse, the Republic Fleet showed up and steamrolled the Sith.

For Naga Sadow, there was only one option left for him: bail. He took his flagship, and his crew, and hightailed it out of the Sith Empire altogether. He would go into exile on Yavin 4, where his minions would people the temples that would make the moon famous in the future.

As for the Republic and Jedi, there’s no nice way to describe what they did next: they f***ed up. The Jedi decided to go around and destroy every trace of the Sith Empire they could find. They destroyed every scrap of culture, history, and most of the dark side artifacts they could find. The Sith that survived went into hiding, and if they didn’t hate the Republic and Jedi before, this basically cemented it into their minds forever.

Consequences

The short, but brutal, Great Hyperspace War came to an end, but its legacy would shape the galaxy for the next five thousand years. Thanks to the Jedi’s “destroy Dark Side on sight” mentality, they almost wiped out the Sith culture. Thus, the survivors would carry an eternal, and honestly, justifiable, hatred for the Republic and the Jedi.

Speaking of survivors, the Jedi missed a lot of spots. Naga Sadow, the mastermind behind the war, would escape into exile and spend the rest of his days on Yavin IV. Eventually, he put himself into stasis to await the day when a powerful Force-wielder would come to carry on the ways of the Sith. In other corners of the galaxy, remnants of the Sith Empire would survive and rebuild in secrecy. In time, their descendants would threaten the Galaxy on a scale few would ever see. However, that’s a story for another day.

As before, this is a story that I wish Disney kept within the canon. Epic battles, political intrigue and betrayal, and the stories of heroes on both sides. It’s like Game of Thrones for Star Wars here! Also, I refuse to call Korriban by its new name, Moraband. I don’t care if George Lucas likes Moraband more; it’s my preference!

May the Force Be With You!

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Star Wars: History Abridged– The Origins of the Sith Lords

The Sith, the ancient order of Dark-Side users bent on galactic domination. For forty-three years, their members have been amongst the greatest villains in pop culture. Yet despite how recognizable they are, Disney’s failed to give them a proper origin story. Thankfully, the old Expanded Universe explained some of it, and today, I’m going to abridge it. Come with me back 7,000 years into the past as we look at the origins of the Jedi’s greatest enemies, the Sith

Simple Curiosity

Around 7,000 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin), a group of Jedi began to believe that the Order wasn’t using the Force to its greatest extent. Thus, to satisfy simple curiosity, they began testing how far they could take the Force. Their experiments bore fruit: these Jedi learned that they could use the Force to manipulate life. Given enough time, they could have used it to even restore or life.

These Jedi wanted their comrades to join them in advancing their knowledge. They hoped that they could eventually find a way to cheat death. However, most of the order saw what their comrades were doing as bad. So instead of trying to compromise or talk them out of it, the Order banned these practices. They feared what would happen if they delved into the darker recesses of the Force. Incensed, these Dark Jedi chose to flee into exile and continue their studies in peace. However, the Jedi would not let them go, and a philosophical debate gave wya to armed conflict. Thus began the period known as the Hundred Year Darkness.

The Hundred Year Darkness

During the war, the Dark Jedi found themselves heavily outnumbered by the Jedi. Thus, in order to turn the tide, they tapped as far into the Force as possible. In the end, the Jedi’s worst fears came true: they created new life. The resulting eldritch abominations sent soldiers running for the hills, and came close to turning to the tide in favor of the Dark Jedi. However, the Jedi Order rallied and, working with the Republic, they began to push back against their former comrades.

After decades of conflict, the sheer numbers of the Jedi and the Republic overwhelmed the Dark Jedi. These exiles made their last stand at the Battle of Corbos. Despite throwing all of their considerable assets against their enemies, though, it was no use. The combined Jedi-Republic assault broke them at long last, leaving only a handful of survivors.

Exiled and Finding a New Home

After their final defeat, many in the Republic wanted the Dark Jedi to be executed, saying they were too dangerous to be left alive. Had that happened, the Galaxy may have been a much different place. Instead, the Jedi chose to exile the survivors beyond known space in the hopes that they would learn the error of their ways. Big mistake.

The dozen or so surviving Dark Jedi didn’t travel blindly into the unknown. They had heard legends of an arid planet that was home to a species of red-skinned beings who were strong in the Dark Side. Eventually, these exiles found what they were looking for: Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith species.

Impressing the natives with their mastery of the Force and their technology, the Exiles were eventually hailed as gods and declared Lords of the Sith. From their new base on Korriban, the former Jedi built an interstellar empire far from the reach of the Republic. In addition, they proceeded to interbreed with the Sith, merging their bloodlines until the two were one and the same.

This is how the Sith came to be, and how they would help shape the Star Wars Galaxy.

A People Built on Revenge

Like much of Star Wars, the origins of the Sith and the Hundred Year Darkness got pushed to the side by Disney’s soft reset of the franchise. Which is a shame, as I think this whole thing provides a very interesting backstory to a group that’s given us some of the best villains in fiction. The Sith were born out of a desire to know more about the Force, something most Jedi were unable or unwilling to understand. As a result, they turned on each other, and their former comrades let their anger twist them into something that would cause untold suffering for thousands of years. The question I want to pose, though, is this: would these Dark Jedi have ended up where they did on their own, or did the Jedi force their hand?

Think about it: if the Jedi had been more open-minded, they could have come to an understanding with their counterparts. Their concerns were justified, as well: playing with power on that scale will eventually backfire. It’s important to be open-minded in order to allow progress, but it’s also important to know when to hold back. Had the Jedi, as a whole, figured this out, the Sith may never have existed. Instead, they did exist, and felt understandably mad over what happened to them.

Disney’s since re-integrated the Hundred Year Darkness into the canon. However, it’s far more vague about what happened. Considering how the Jedi-Sith conflict shapes Star Wars, I fail to see why Disney hasn’t tried harder to explain this. It’s a wasted opportunity.

Star Wars History Abridged

One last thing: this article’s the first in a series of articles I’ll be doing about Star Wars. I call them Star Wars: History Abridged, and as the title implies, I’ll be summing up stories and events from the Expanded Universe for people to read. I know there’s Wookiepedia to do that, but I want to see if it I can make it sound more interesting. It’s my hope that this will boost awareness of all the cool stories Disney abandoned so we can encourage them to bring them back. Star Wars can survive without the Skywalkers, and Disney should know that by now.

May the Force be with you!

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One of the big things about Star Wars is how the villains like big, grandiose weapons. Grevious had the Malevolence, which was the Bismarck with a giant ion cannon. In the canon, Darth Sidious has the Death Star’s. Then the First Order has Starkiller Base. However, all these superweapons pale in comparison to the most OP ship in all of Star Wars. A ship capable of obliterating entire solar systems and shrug off any hit. Behold, the ultimate superweapon, the Sun Crusher!

Yes, this oddly shaped, Starfighter sized ship is the most powerful weapon in Star Wars. If you’re not familiar with it (or don’t read Wookiepedia), you’re asking “how?” We’ll there are two reasons

Made of Indestructium

Firstly, the Sun Crusher’s made from this material called quantum armor. It’s made by stacking layers of atoms as densely together as possible. The result is an armor that can shrug off any type of damage. And I do mean any kind of damage! The Sun Crusher could take a shot from a turbolaser battery or even a miniature Death Star and brush it off.

Thanks to it’s indestructible armor, the Sun Crusher could double as a lethal ramming weapon. Han Solo flew it through the bridge of an Imperial Star Destroyer; it cut through it like paper.

Sun Killing Torpedoes.

What truly made the Sun Crusher so deadly was its cargo of resonance torpedoes. When fired at a star, it would, via a process of scientific nonsense, destabilize it’s fusion cycle, causing it to eventually fall apart. In other words, it makes stars go supernova. The resulting shockwaves, radiation, and lack of sunlight will kill everyone.

Now here’s the kicker to all this: Darth Sidious didn’t even know this Sun Crusher existed, or else he would have used it. Tarkin created the weapon in a top-secret weapons facility located amidst a cluster of black holes, the Maw, and never told anyone about it. When he died, the galaxy forgot about the facility until Han and Chewie found it

Theft and Usage

With the help of the scientist who made the weapon, and Kyp Durron, a Force-sensitive escapee from Kessel, Han and Chewie escaped on the Sun Crusher. That lead to them slicing through the bridge of the Star Destroyer! Afterwards, the New Republic had no reason to keep the ship around, so they threw the Sun Crusher into the gas giant Yavin Prime. They hoped that would make it inaccesssible to anyone who sought to use it for evil. They were wrong.

Kyp Durron began training with Luke Skywalker as a Jedi, but he had a deep-seated hatred for the Empire for killing his parents and taking his brother away. The ghost of an ancient Sith Lord used that anger to drive him to the Dark Side. As a result, Kyp used the Force to raise the Sun Crusher from the depths of Yavin Prime. He then proceeded to go on a rampage against the Empire, destroying bases left and right.

Ultimately, Kyp’s rampage brought him to the Imperial training world of Carida, demanding they give him back his brother. When it appeared he was dead, Kyp fired a torpedo at the planet’s sun, dooming the system. Tragically, not only was his brother alive, but he was only a few feet away from the Sun Crusher when the sun went supernova. Kyp survived, but his brother didn’t.

Kyp’s Redemption and Destroying the Sun Crusher

Not long afterwards, Luke’s students were able to destroy the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord, freeing Kyp from his dark influence. Overwhelmed by guilt, the young man surrendered to the New Republic to stand trial for his crimes. However, after Han stood up in his defense, it was decided that Kyp was not fully in control of his actions. Instead of executing him, the New Republic sentenced him to spend the rest of his life atoning for his crimes. His first task: to destroy the Sun Crusher.

Since even a gas giant could destroy the Sun Crusher, Kyp returned to the Maw and piloted it into one of the many black holes. The resulting gravitational forces either destroyed the superweapon or trapped it forever. As for Kyp himself, he managed to escape by cramming himself inside a tiny messenger pod. He would go on to become one of the best knights in the New Jedi Order, though he’d never forget his past actions.

So That’s It

Thus ends the story of the most grandiose superweapon in the history of Star Wars. I don’t think even Starkiller base can top what this tiny ship can do. What do you guys think is the more powerful: Starkiller Base or the Sun Crusher? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to check out Wookiepedia if you want to learn more about that ancient Sith Lord, Kyp Durron, or any of the other things mentioned in this article.

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

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Happy New Year, everyone! It’s me, Jay, from RJ-Writing Ink ringing in the new year. I know I’ve been quiet for the past few days, but I wanted to take some downtime after the holidays. That, and I wanted to make my New Year’s resolutions.

Speaking of which, I decided one of my top resolutions growing this blog. I came a long way in 2019, and I want to keep that trend going in 2020. So, in the spirit of the New Year, I decided to share some of the plans I have in store for RJ-Writing Ink in 2020.

More Star Wars

Even with Star Wars on vacation from movie-making, I feel like’s there plenty I can do with it. After all, some of the best stories and characters in the franchise aren’t in the films. Thus, I want to spend this year talking more about Star Wars and reminding people that it’s amazing. And I’ve got a few ideas in mind.

First, I have this idea called Star Wars Stories Abridged. I take some of the best stories and characters from the Expanded Universe and summarize them. This way, I can get more people interested in what Disney shunted aside and explain why they should add them back. Or if they’re already back, why Disney should add their EU content back.

Next, I plan on doing more with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That show’s one of the best things in the franchise, and the final season comes out next month. So, in the spirit of nostalgia, I’ll be revisiting some of my favorite arcs, characters, and moments from that show.

Other than that, I’ll be trying to do more misc — articles about cool characters, stories, and events from the franchise. I’ve got a whole galaxy to go through, so I’ll have plenty of material. May the Force be with me!

Other than that, I’ll be trying to do more misc — articles about cool characters, stories, and events from the franchise. I’ve got a whole galaxy to go through, so I’ll have plenty of material. May the Force be with me!

FanFic Corner

At one point, I had little interest in the concept of fan fiction. However, as you may recall, I started reading it after one of my favorite cartoons came to an end. After that, I kept getting more and more into it. Then I started writing about what I read. At this point, I’ve pretty much fallen down the rabbit hole with no hope of getting out anytime soon.

In the spirit of fandom, I’ve decided to embrace this newfound interest. Thus, I’m dedicating an entire page of my blog to fan fiction. This FanFic Corner will be an outlet for me to talk about the things I’m reading, as well as give shoutouts to the authors. Several of whom I’ve actually befriended online. 

And no, this won’t just be Star vs. There are others that I’ve read.

More Anime and Manga

Last year, there were a lot of anime I wanted to write about, but never had the chance. The Rising of the Shield Hero remains a big regret, even if I did that one episode that felt so cathartic. In addition, I never got to do Dr. Stone, and that was one of the best anime of the year; not to mention, it had one of the best waifus of the year. I even wanted to celebrate 2019 with a list of best waifus, only to realize I didn’t see enough anime to justify it. In other words, I want to do more with anime.

As a result of my regrets, I’ve decided to try and incorporate more anime into my work. I will be continuing with ongoing series like My Hero Academia, SAO: Alicization when it starts up again, and the manga I cover. However, I’ll try and keep up with other anime that I want to write about. If you guys have any suggestions, let me know.

Cartoons Are A Must

I’m not ashamed to say that I’m an adult who loves cartoons. Thus, cartoons have been a big part of what I write about. There are going to be a lot of cartoons I want to write about this year. There’s shows that I already cover like South Park, Rick and Morty, Steven Universe Future, and more. In addition, there are new shows that I plan to take a crack at, such The Owl House, Adventure Time: Distant Lands, Close Enough, and the Animaniacs reboot on Hulu. In other words, expect a lot of new cartoons to be covered.

That’s All Folks

Well, that’s everything I can think of off the top of my head. I hope you all had a happy New Year! I would also like to give a shout-out to the people who have started following my blog in the past year. Thanks for all your support. As for those who haven’t shown up in a while, I look forward to seeing you guys again.