Force Ghosts, Force Spirits, Blue Jedi Group…call it what you will, but they’ve had a complicated and varied history in Legends, as the ability for Force users to become one had editors and authors alike jumping from retcon to retcon as George Lucas decided to fill in the blanks slowly over time. Once those stories were placed aside for the new canon, Force spirit practitioners went from over 80 individuals to 5 (!), the process and ability to become a spirit stayed complicated but was given some clarity, while Force spirits have since been rarely touched on or discussed. In the Curious Case of Force Ghosts, I’ll be looking at how even though the whole idea of Force spirits got simpler, it has gotten equally more complicated (Yoda’s The Clone Wars arc helped on both ends), offering up curious questions including why Anakin Skywalker hasn’t made many visits (yet), and who’s still haunting around in the sequel trilogy. Strap in, unless you’re a ghost of course then float around at your leisure, as Detective Mynock is about take you on a ghoulish ride into the spirits of Star Wars where the answers might be more fleeting than any of us would like at the moment. UPDATE 12/18/17: I’ve included a section with details gleaned from the release of The Last Jedi. It’s full of spoilers, so don’t read it if you don’t want to be spoiled. Continue reading “The Curious Case of Force Ghosts”
Category: Butler Confessions
Through Luke’s Eyes: A Creative Character Analysis by Trinity
Part I
The Do-Gooder
It had been months since Luke Skywalker had fought Darth Vader in Cloud City. A plan had taken shape between Luke, Princess Leia and Lando Calrissian to save Han Solo from his carbonite prison at Jabba the Hutt’s palace. In the weeks leading up to the day that they’d infiltrate the palace, Luke stayed on Tatooine living in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s old hut, an ivory colored, dome-shaped desert igloo that had few comforts but enough to stay cool during the day, warm at night and live a simple life. He filled his days with Jedi training, reading Obi-Wan’s journals, practicing lightsaber dueling as best he could and meditating with the Force. Continue reading “Through Luke’s Eyes: A Creative Character Analysis by Trinity”
Rey and the F Word
(Intro by Head Butler Ryan: This is Trinity’s first post as a contributor here at the Manor! I met her and her husband at Celebration Orlando this year as we waited in line for the Rebels S4 panel and I was fortunate enough to make two new friends, plus interest from her in writing for the site. So give her a giant “Welcome to Fandom” hug over on Twitter @TrubelleNova, after you finish reading her article of course!)
What is Rey to you? When I think about our new Star Wars hero, Rey, I want to know her backstory. I want the question answered: is she a Jakku original or is she the long-lost daughter of Luke Skywalker? Is she the kidnapped baby of Leia and Han Solo or somehow through a long thread connected to Obi-Wan? But Rey is more than each of her story parts that we are so curious about. Let’s start at the beginning.
From the first time we see Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she is independent. She leads a precarious profession that endangers her life daily and that danger coupled with the harsh elements of an outlaw desert world made her a survivor. The preferred adjective we give to those of her breed is “strong” and she is indeed that. But when fans discuss Rey’s journey, sometimes things go wrong. Her “strength” becomes a liability. Continue reading “Rey and the F Word”
40 Years of Star Wars? It’s Time for a Miniature Golf Course
I’ve long been a fan of miniature golf, mainly because I’m halfway decent at it and it wasn’t as complicated to me as professional golf as a kid, so I’ve centered a lot of effort around creative writing works which include mini golf…you know, instead of trying to play it more/get better at it. I put together a dream list of movie/TV themed courses as a child and since reimagined them for a spec screenplay I finished a few years back (purely for myself), but ever since I went to a mini golf bar here in my home state of WI (seriously, this exists and it’s awesome: Nine Below) I’ve been wondering what a completely Star Wars-themed mini golf course would be like. So, as my site’s way of celebrating 40 years of the saga today, I took it upon myself to design a dream Star Wars mini golf course because if we can get a Jar Jar Binks Candy Tongue, how come there’s never been SW mini golf in its 40 years? So I took my many years of professional mini golf designing and playing skills (see: next to none, but who’s really counting?) to make a course which include visits to such memorable GFFA locales like Endor, Hoth, the Millennium Falcon, Mustafar, and even the dreaded Death Star to name a few. Check it out below! Continue reading “40 Years of Star Wars? It’s Time for a Miniature Golf Course”
“Nothing is impossible for the Force”: A Joint Retrospective on the first Darth Vader Comic Series
The original Darth Vader series, written by Kieron Gillen, with art by Salvador Larroca and Edgar Delgado, was part of the initial launch of Marvel’s return to Star Wars comics in 2015. After it ended over a year and a half later, October 2016, its epic story of betrayal, Sith machinations, and surprisingly well-laden doses of dark humor ensured it would live on in the hearts of fans new and old for years to come. Chris and I sat down to ruminate on the now classic series, which you can read below, discussing some of its various components that have led to its undeniable legacy in Star Wars comics as a whole. Continue reading ““Nothing is impossible for the Force”: A Joint Retrospective on the first Darth Vader Comic Series”
Marvel Strikes Back: 2016 Star Wars Comics Year-in-Review
As 2016 comes to a close, Marvel’s second year at the helm of the comics included the unforgettable end of the Darth Vader series, the start of Doctor Aphra (the first series lead by an original comic character), an interesting revelation about Anakin during the early days of Obi-Wan’s training, Han Solo in the race of his life, the “Rebel Women Kick Ass in Jail” arc, Poe Dameron’s charming antics, and so much more. Overall, how does the 56 issues of their second year hold up? Better than the first year’s content? In my Star Wars Comics 2016 Year-In-Review below, I’ll show you what I believe did and didn’t work, reveal my Top 5 moments of 2016, and share some fears and hopes for 2017.
— Mild spoilers for all the comics released in 2016 — Continue reading “Marvel Strikes Back: 2016 Star Wars Comics Year-in-Review”
“I’m a Rogue Archaeologist. You Have to Expect a Little Digging”: The Many Reasons Why You Should Be Excited for the Doctor Aphra Comic Series
When Doctor Aphra was initially introduced in Darth Vader issue #3, it didn’t take long for myself and many others to fall in love with the character. Twenty plus comic issues since, the enjoyment and excitement that comes from her being on the page hasn’t waned and has only grown even more and more. It recently reached a fever-pitch since the dual revelation she survives her time with Vader and will have her very own ongoing series, but for those who have yet to enjoy her special brand of snark, wit, and love for weapons, you’re probably wondering why exactly fans like myself are so damn enthusiastic this rogue archaeologist persists. Check out below why you too should be jumping over ewoks in joy at the upcoming Doctor Aphra series! Continue reading ““I’m a Rogue Archaeologist. You Have to Expect a Little Digging”: The Many Reasons Why You Should Be Excited for the Doctor Aphra Comic Series”
The Curious Case of Governor Arihnda Pryce
There’s more to being a Head Butler than tidying up the Manor, especially since those mynocks tend to make a mess of everything (well, anything with a power source that is), and occasionally even we members of the service caste get some free time. Thusly, one develops hobbies to bide the time between guests at the Manor, and mine has become being a detective…a detective of the growing Star Wars story. With “The Curious Case of…” series, I’ll show you what I’ve found…
I’m just excited as the next fan that Grand Admiral Thrawn is in canon now, set to appear in Star Wars Rebels‘ third season, but there’s someone I’m way more intrigued by at the moment, coming to the show in the same season: Lothal Governor Arihnda Pyrce. As I mentioned in my review of the Rebels‘ season three premiere, “Steps into Shadow,” I didn’t find Thrawn as interesting as Pyrce because he’s a known entity, in that anyone who has read the Thrawn Trilogy has a good idea what to expect out of him: studying his opponent’s art to find their weaknesses, a brilliant 5-steps ahead of you strategy that will make any chess player jealous, etc. But Governor Pyrce has pretty much been a non-entity in the show and suddenly in her first appearance not only is shown as practically an equal to Grand Moff Tarkin but she’s standing right by Thrawn’s side after she demanded he be brought in. How did she go from a character barely mentioned in season one, rarely in season two, to hanging out with the two most recognizable Imperials who have names that start with “T?” After some careful research, I’ve uncovered ewok crumbs leading straight to the answer thanks to the forward-thinking work of the Lucasfilm Story Group. Be curious no more about Governor Arihnda Pyrce, as Detective Mynock is on the case… Continue reading “The Curious Case of Governor Arihnda Pryce”
Dream or Force Vision: A Crazy Night’s Thoughts on Star Wars: Episode VIII
It’s not very often I have Force visions (see: never), but I just recently had a dream that I could easily mistake for one. This dream, despite all the Rogue One news and trailer dropping or all the hours I’ve sunk into No Man’s Sky on PS4, was about the ending to Episode VIII. In the interest of posterity, and just seeing if maybe somehow this dream was actually a prophetic Force vision of the future, I wrote it all down so when the next saga film releases in December 2017, I could compare. I’ve decided I’ll share that dream with you all as well, but please note: This is not a theory or based on any spoilers, as I’ve not read any spoilers (if there are any), I was there for the Future Filmmakers panel at Celebration Europe 2016 but that didn’t reveal much besides a great list of old movies to study (which I’ve only seen two of them), and I’ve only seen some of those behind-the-scenes pics of filming at Dubrovnik and various parts of Ireland; Other than all that, I know as much about Ep. VIII as a wampa in a cave on Hoth. This is just for fun and simply nothing more. Heck, the whole dream was in LEGO, if it being a dream wasn’t enough to tell you how seriously you should take this. With all that in mind, please enjoy. Continue reading “Dream or Force Vision: A Crazy Night’s Thoughts on Star Wars: Episode VIII”
Marvel’s Back: 2015 Star Wars Comics Year-in-Review
In 2015 Marvel returned to Star Wars comics, wrestling control from Dark Horse after its nearly 25 year run. Unlike its first go-around, every tale Marvel planned on telling would be canon, supervised much more carefully by the Lucasfilm Story Group, as well as scrutinized by fans of Dark Horse’s work and Star Wars fans in general. As Marvel’s first year back comes to a close, 58 issues later (all pictured above!), how has their return to Star Wars comics fared? In my Star Wars Comics 2015 Year-In-Review, I look back at what did (there’s a lot) and didn’t work (there’s not too much), name my top 5 favorite moments, and share a few of my thoughts (i.e. hopes, fears, and possible fixes) for 2016’s comics.
— Mild spoilers for all the comics released in 2015 —
Continue reading “Marvel’s Back: 2015 Star Wars Comics Year-in-Review”
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