A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: Ahsoka

Ten Star Wars Projects Announced!

Ten Star Wars ProjectsOn December 10th Disney held their investor day which is when the Disney Corporation announces it’s major plans and projects. Obviously Disney+ is about to increase its library, dramatically. In case you missed it, TEN Star Wars projects were announced!! I was inundated and overwhelmed with so much exciting information I could barely contain myself.

There are literally hundreds of posts and articles out there discussing these projects. I’m sure you can go read some of the other official posts but I’m writing my bit about it anyway because it’s my blog. I am using the official announcement as my source for these projects. I think most of these are all going to be limited series; probably one season of 10-12 episodes, but I’m cool with that.

The Clone Wars Series Finale

We finally got to see the end of Dave Filoni’s Star Wars masterpiece. We’ve been waiting since April of last year. Of course if you’ve seen Solo, read E.K. Johnston’s book or you’ve seen past the first season of Rebels, you know a little bit about how it ends. There are 12 episodes in the Clone Wars series finale (i.e. Season 7), broken up into three 4 episode story arcs.

In the first story arc we meet “The Bad Batch” which is a group of genetically mutated clones. A spin-off series of these guys would be fun to watch. Then we meet a pair of sisters that befriend Ahsoka as she helps them out of a nasty situation with the Pykes. Of course Ahsoka’s return is the most anticipated story arc.

Ahsoka Returns!

The ninth episode is when Ahsoka is reunited with the 332nd, her battalion of clone troopers. My favorite part of the final four episodes is that they coincide with the events of Revenge of the Sith (up to and including Order 66). I love how well Filoni merged the the episodes into the movie’s story, including voice reprisals by Samuel L. Jackson and Silas Carson. The final moments of episode twelve were amazing and heart wrenching.

You know the saying “Go Big or Go Home”, well Filoni definitely “went big” to cap off this amazing series. I love that he invited Ray Park back so they can use motion capture for the fight sequence between Maul and Ahsoka. This really adds an awesome level of commitment to properly finishing the series. In fact these last four episodes were among the best in the series, second only to the Mortis story arc.

Thank you to Dave Filoni and all the amazing voice actors that make this series so amazing.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

Star Wars Is More Gender Neutral

Star Wars Is More Gender Neutral thanks to these women!When I was growing up, typical boy things were G.I. Joe, He-Man and Star Wars. The typical girl things were Barbie, baby dolls and My Little Pony. The world has changed and while G.I. Joe and He-Man are lost in time, Star Wars is stronger than ever – thank you, Disney! The interesting thing is, Star Wars isn’t just a “boy thing” anymore. Disney and Lucasfilm has successfully altered the perception with the right character placement and new protagonists. I’m glad it doesn’t feel forced (no pun intended); it’s very casual but very deliberate. As a result Star Wars is more gender neutral.

A Story About A Little Girl

The inspiration for this post comes from something I read a few months back. I thought it was a pretty cool story, but became more inspired by it when my 4-year-old daughter began showing more interest in Star Wars. A woman posted a tweet about her 7-year-old daughter crying in her room. She’s crying because she loves Star Wars but she’s scared she will be laughed at because Star Wars is a “boy thing”. I can certainly sympathize with this mother’s concern.

Mark Hamill, in his truly awesome panache, responds appropriately:

As I already mentioned, perhaps 20 years ago Star Wars was “boy stuff”, but all that has changed.

Strong Female Protagonists

Originally we only had Princess Leia. Her wit and snarky personality immediately made her one of the most endearing princesses in science fiction. Then we got Padme when the prequels came out, followed by Ahsoka with the Clone Wars animated series. Of course the new trilogy has Rey, probably one of the most powerful Jedi yet, and Rogue One has Jyn Erso (brilliantly portrayed by Felicity Jones). All five of these women are powerful and brilliant role models for young ladies!

It isn’t just the Clone Wars animated series that brings powerful females into the Star Wars Universe. I’m sure you have heard of Star Wars Rebels which features two more powerful women: Hera and Sabine. Then Disney does something that is absolutely brilliant; Forces of Destiny. If you haven’t seen these short webisodes then go check them out. I think there are about 20+ right now and I believe more are coming. They focus specifically on all of the women mentioned above. My daughter loves watching them, and I think they are pretty entertaining as well.

Her Universe Clothing

The introduction of Ahsoka was the catalyst for more feminine influence. Ashley Eckstein is the voice for Ahsoka Tano and a fashion designer. She used her talents to create “Her Universe“, clothing that specifically targets women and little girls. Star Wars is not the only franchise that her clothing features. It covers many “geek” genres – ex: Marvel, Doctor Who, Wonder Woman. I think Ashley Eckstein is a powerful and fantastic influence to illustrate the fact that Star Wars isn’t just for guys anymore. I love it!

The fact that Star Wars is starting to appeal to the female demographic is awesome! I’ll admit that I love the fact that my 4-year-old daughter likes Star Wars and can even identify characters from the franchise. Hopefully its something she will always like as she gets older. I’ll certainly enjoy it while it lasts but the amazing work Disney and Ashley Eckstein are doing gives me hope that it’s something she will also enjoy well into her 30s (just like her father).

/MTFBWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

Page 3 of 3

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén