Star Wars is not the sexiest franchise in the universe. Not to say there are not sexy people in it. In fact, almost all the leads of Star Wars live-action projects are pretty darn hot. (Lookin’ at you, Chewie). But if “sexy” means “showing skin,” well… the galaxy far, far away often comes up short in that regard. (Star Trek, on the other hand, is all about the sexy. You should check it out). However, episode six of The Acolyte took a big right turn into sexy town, and we can safely say that the fans are all about it. And it all centered on our hunky dark side warrior, Qimir (Manny Jacinto).

After the end of episode five, Qimir takes the kidnapped Osha (Amandla Stenberg) to an “Unknown Planet,” where he strips down to nothing, and takes a dip in the ocean. Osha is supposedly unconscious during all of this, but she wakes up and sees the whole thing. And sexy Qimir lets her know that he knows she’s watching. The camera makes sure to show off his glistening wet muscles, stopping short of showing any actual nudity. Although, the episode makes it a point to let us know that this dark side warrior definitely lets Osha see the goods. Even if we, the audience, were robbed. As far as we can tell, this is the first implied full nudity in Star Wars in almost 50 years. Well, better late than never we say.

Has Star Wars Ever Implied Nudity Before?

Of course, Star Wars has shown some skin in the past. Rather famously, in fact. In Return of the Jedi, in Jabba the Hutt’s palace, we had his Twi’lek dancer Oola gyrating while wearing a very revealing outfit. Of course, Princess Leia as Jabba’s prisoner had Carrie Fisher in a metal bikini that left very little to the imagination. It was an outfit that signaled the sexual awakening of many. However, it stopped short of anything too racy for a PG movie. Natalie Portman as Padmé in Attack of the Clones had a creature shred her top to give her a Britney Spears bare midriff, which kind of counts too.

Years later in Revenge of the Sith, a very buff Anakin Skywalker wakes from a nightmare about his wife Padmé, and we see his sweaty, chiseled bare chest. They made it a point to linger on Hayden Christensen’s shredded body. In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) lets Rey (Daisy Ridley) see him shirtless in his quarters, and she tells him to put his shirt back on. Possibly the first time Star Wars nudity, or partial nudity, makes another character uncomfortable. Of course, all stop short of actual nakedness.

Has Star Wars Ever Had a Sex Scene?

There’s “sexy,” and then there’s “sex scene.” We can safely say that Star Wars is even more chaste in this regard. Sure, we know that Anakin and Padme did the deed, because Luke and Leia are proof. Same with Han and Leia, because Kylo Ren/Ben Solo came from somewhere. But audiences were only ever allowed to see kisses between these characters. Anakin and Padme are only shown in bed sleeping in Revenge of the Sith, with Natalie Portman in a nightgown.

The first real implication of a sex scene in Star Wars was in Andor. In episode two, Cassian’s friend Bix (Adria Arjona) drops by for a booty call with Timm (James McArdle). And in the morning, she gets out of Timm’s bed and dresses herself. It’s clear that the two had a romantic rendezvous, but the audience didn’t get to see it, only its “morning after” aftermath. Even the franchise’s most adult entry, Andor, pulled its punches in this regard.

Is Qimir in The Acolyte Episode 6 Star Wars’ Sexiest Scene?

We are actually going to make a bold declaration, and say Qimir’s nude dip in the ocean, where he emerges to Osha and shows off his naked bod, is Star Wars’ sexiest scene. Everything about it is coded as “seduction.” We even have Qimir lustily saying the words “desire” to Osha when trying to sell her on the dark side. We can’t think of a scene in any Star Wars that has leaned into sexy territory more than this one. Heck, we barely see Pedro Pascal’s face in The Mandalorian, much less bare biceps. Hopefully, The Acolyte, and Star Wars in general, leans more into sexy in the future. Why have all these impossibly attractive heroes and villains if you’re not going to lean into it from time to time?

The post Does THE ACOLYTE Feature STAR WARS’ First Implied Nudity? appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher as Luke, Han, and Leia in Star Wars. However, offers did go out to some other actors, including one who is very famous today. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we learned that George Lucas did indeed offer Oscar-winner Jodie Foster the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Jodie Foster revealed this Princess Leia news while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote her role in True Detective: Night Country. Here’s what she told Fallon when he brought up her near-casting in the role:

They were going for a younger Princess Leia, but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie, and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie, because I was already under contract. They did an amazing job, I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple.

So, unfortunately, Jodie Foster had to turn it down the Star Wars role due to previous commitments. Back in 1976, when Lucas shot A New Hope, Jodie Foster was filming Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, and Freaky Friday. The last one on that list is a Disney film, so it was likely that Freak Friday obligations caused Foster to miss out on being Princess Leia. All of those films were hits that made Foster an even bigger star than before, though. So it wasn’t like she missed out by not getting the part. And maybe Foster wouldn’t have wanted her face attached to all kinds of Princess Leia toys for the rest of her life.

Had they cast Foster as Leia, the trajectory of the Star Wars saga would have likely changed drastically. After all, in 1976, the actress was all of 13/14 years old. And that means she looked significantly younger than Mark Hamill. So, that famous Return of the Jedi twist of Leia being Luke’s long-lost sibling? Probably would not have worked with Foster in the role. Nor would a romantic pairing with Harrison Ford’s Han Solo. The role of Leia would have likely become what Ahsoka was in The Clone Wars to Anakin and Obi-Wan, the spunky kid sister. We would love to visit the alt-reality where Jodie Foster was Leia, though. If only to see her iconic cinnamon bun hairdo become a pineapple hairdo.

The post Jodie Foster Reveals She Almost Played Princess Leia in STAR WARS appeared first on Nerdist.

Among all the fun Star Wars Easter eggs and callbacks to The Clone Wars in the fifth episode of Ahsoka, titled “Shadow Warrior,” we also got an iconic Star Wars character a shout-out: none other than Princess Leia Organa. Or, at this point in her life, Senator Leia Organa of the New Republic. X-wing pilot Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) mentions Senator Organa by name to Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He tells Hera that Senator Organa was covering for them and their unauthorized mission, likely in the senate chamber. We could chalk this up to Leia being a badass as usual. However, the truth is she too would have a personal investment in this mission. And it’s not just to protect the galaxy from Grand Admiral Thrawn. Because as Star Wars Rebels once showed us, Leia knew the Ghost crew, and Ezra Bridger, personally.

Teenage Princess Leia Worked With the Ghost Crew in Star Wars Rebels

A teenage Princess Leia appeared in the second season Star Wars Rebels episode “A Princess on Lothal.” She’s voiced by Julie Dolan, who also voiced her in the Disney Parks attraction Star Tours. The events of this episode take place about four years before the events of A New Hope. A 15-year-old Leia undertakes a mission for the Rebellion for her father, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. After the Phoenix cell loses several ships in battle with the Empire, Bail Organa concocts a plan to help them. The plan has his daughter Leia escorting several Alderaanian ships to Lothal, and then allowing the rebels to steal them. At this point in the timeline, Leia is not a part of the Imperial Senate yet. She’s just her father’s aide.

Princess Leia and Ezra Bridger Formed a Bond in Star Wars Rebels

Due to several mishaps, our Rebels heroes have to stage Leia’s kidnapping as well as steal the ships, so it looks like she’s a loyal Imperial representative on Lothal. It gives her plausible deniability. Leia’s true role as a part of the Rebel Alliance is not uncovered until A New Hope. During this mission, Princess Leia bonds with young Ezra Bridger. He is going through a tough time because he’s found out his parents are dead. During a hopeless moment, Leia assures Ezra that despite all the losses, this is a fight worth having.

Leia and Ezra have a few other things in common, although neither knew it when they met. For starters, they’re almost the exact same age. Ezra was born on “Empire Day,” the day Palpatine declared himself Emperor and transformed the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire. Leia and her twin brother Luke were born roughly a day or so later. Both events were pivotal scenes in Revenge of the Sith. And of course, both teenagers are also strong in the Force.

Leia Defying the New Republic Foreshadows Her Role in The Force Awakens

Given her mission with Ezra and the Ghost crew, it makes perfect sense why years later, Leia would see Ezra as more than just a faceless name. Of course, unlike other members of the New Republic Senate, she actually fought on the front lines of the Galactic Civil War. She would recognize a threat like Grand Admiral Thrawn more than other senators. Many of them likely stood on the sidelines during the conflict, waiting to see who would come out on top. But Leia would have a personal interest in the young man she bonded with in the early days of the Rebellion, and want to see him rescued. Especially since he sacrificed himself to save Lothal from the Empire years prior. The act of heroic self-sacrifice is something Leia Organa would ever forget.

Leia’s defiance of her fellow New Republic senators also foreshadows her role in the sequel trilogy. She recognizes a true threat when she sees one. She also trusts decorated officers like Hera Syndulla to have good judgment. If Hera thinks Thrawn is a threat, then Leia trusts her. It completely lines up with Leia decades later. When the New Republic is equally in denial of the First Order threat, she leaves and helps form a private Resistance. One can see how even a few years after Return of the Jedi, Leia was already frustrated with the short-sighted bureaucracies of the New Republic . Something Hera said in Ahsoka, “Once a rebel, always a rebel,” will always apply to Leia Organa.

The post How AHSOKA Shows Princess Leia’s Longtime Bond with the STAR WARS REBELS Characters appeared first on Nerdist.

Back in the ’80s, 1-900 numbers were a way to get kids to spend their parent’s money. And to make them lose their minds when the phone bill arrived. To advertise The Empire Strikes Back this way, Lucasfilm employed the cast to record special hotline promos. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, and James Earl Jones all took part. Now, recently resurfaced outtakes of those 1979 recording sessions from YouTube channel WishItWas1984 have popped up online (via Laughing Squid) and they’re quite hilarious. You can listen to Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and James Earl Jones’ outtakes down below.

Mark Hamill is extremely earnest in his “I just blew up the Death Star” Luke Skywalker phase, still sounding like the farm boy he was before learning of his complicated parentage. It’s pretty funny to hear Hamill go from excited and eager Luke mode to frustrated Mark saying “aw shit” when he flubbed a line.

And Carrie Fisher is in peak Carrie Fisher mode, and just seems over having to do the whole thing. You can hear in her voice how cheesy she thinks it all is. But Fisher was always committed to portraying our rebel princess from Alderaan, even when the material was beneath her. Just watch the Star Wars Holiday Special for another example.

And Luke and Leia’s daddy Darth? No matter how crassly commercial it was, James Earl Jones could not help but sound cool when voicing Lord Vader. We could hear him repeat “the power of the Death Star!” in Sith mode forever. Even for a 1-800 number promotion.

Anthony Daniels and Harrison Ford also participated, but their outtakes seem lost to time. But you can hear all the actual Empire Strikes Back hotline messages in a compilation below, including those from C-3PO and Han Solo.

You know who we wish did have hotline messages? R2-D2 and Chewbacca. Can you imagine being a kid and spending your folks’ money and just hearing beeps and growls? Actually, we probably would have called for those two specifically. They would have been worth the money.

The post Outtakes of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Cast’s Hotline Messages Are Hilarious appeared first on Nerdist.

This year marks two important anniversaries in the world of Star Wars. Believe it or not, Return of the Jedi turns 40 in 2023. Meanwhile, Clone Wars, which originally debuted as a 2D animated series on Cartoon Network, turns 20. To celebrate both milestones in the galaxy far, far away, LEGO is releasing three new helmet-building sets. The first features Princess Leia in her disguise as the bounty hunter Boushh, and the others are Clone Captain Rex and Clone Commander Cody. Soon, you’ll be able to display them on your shelf right next to Luke Skywalker and the Mandalorian LEGO helmets. You can check them all out below:

Princess Leia (Boushh)

Click To View Gallery

Made for display, this set sparks memories of the classic Return of the Jedi scene in which Princess Leia disguised herself as the bounty hunter Boushh to enter Jabba the Hutt’s palace. This Princess Leia helmet replica measures over 6.5 in (17 cm) high, 4.5 in (11 cm) wide, and 5.5 in (14 cm) deep. This 670-piece set comes with a brick-built display stand and printed nameplate. Pre-order here for $69.99. Thermal detonator not included, we’re sorry to say.

Captain Rex

Click To View Gallery

Thanks to his roles in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and The Bad Batch, 501st clone trooper Captain Rex is maybe the most beloved clone of all in the saga. You can honor this good soldier with this collectible Captain Rex helmet replica, which measures over 8 in (21 cm) high, 5 in (12 cm) wide, and 5 in (13 cm) deep. The set is made up of 854 pieces in total. it comes with a brick-built display stand and printed nameplate. Better tell those clankers to watch out. You can pre-order this bad boy right here for $69.99.

Commander Cody

Click To View Gallery

Commander Cody was the loyal clone trooper always at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s side. Until the day Order 66 went down, that is. The clone soldier recently appeared on The Bad Batch, and now you can own a LEGO replica of his distinctive helmet. Like Rex, Clone Commander Cody’s helmet comes with a brick-built stand with a printed nameplate. This 776-piece set measures over 8 in (21 cm) high, 5 in (12 cm) wide, and 5.5 in (14 cm) deep. You can pre-order Commander Cody set right here for $69.99.

The post These STAR WARS LEGO Helmets Celebrate CLONE WARS and RETURN OF THE JEDI appeared first on Nerdist.

Though the summer is barely fading, Funko and Lucasfilm are feeling Christmassy! Yes, we’re excited to exclusively reveal a collaboration between the two pop culture powerhouses. This holiday season you’ll be able to enjoy a Funko Star Wars advent calendar, featuring mini themed collectible versions of your fave characters from a galaxy far, far away. You can find out more about the awesome advent calendar in the official announcement below! 

Tis the season to be Jedi… or Sith, should you choose! Whether you’re feeling naughty or nice, the Star Wars™ Funko Advent Calendar will help you count down the holiday season. Open the tiny doors to reveal 24 unique Funko Pocket Pops! featuring some beloved Star Wars characters dressed in their winter best. Each collectible brings a festive twist to their typical look, making these galactic heroes and villains a fine addition to your holiday décor. Who will join in on your celebrations? Pocket Pop! collectibles vary in height depending on character. The maximum figure height is approximately 2.1-inches tall.

As the festive images show, you’ll be able to grab holiday-themed versions of some of your Star Wars favorites. Though you’ll have to get the calendar to see the whole line up, we get a tease of Christmas themed Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and a snowman stormtrooper. So if you’re hoping to get your Star Wars fill this festive season then this is a must. Plus who doesn’t like to have a little cosmic surprise to cheer them up each cold wintery morning. And just so you don’t miss out you can preorder your calendar now.

Of course, the Christmas theme makes exceptional sense when you think of Darth Vader’s iconic line in the Empire Strikes Back “No, I am your father [Christmas].”

The post Funko and Lucasfilm Reveal Super Cute STAR WARS Advent Calendar appeared first on Nerdist.

“I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong.” Obi-Wan said this to Luke Skywalker as a Force ghost in Return of the Jedi, and with a heavy heart. You can tell by the way Sir Alec Guinness delivered the line, Obi-Wan Kenobi still blamed himself, at least on some level, for the creation of Darth Vader. He even carried the weight of decades of guilt into the afterlife. But with the addition of Obi-Wan Kenobi to the canon, it’s reframed everything about the Star Wars saga. Because we now know that it’s not Obi-Wan’s fault that Anakin became Vader—certainly not entirely.

But it was Obi-Wan’s doing, in very large part, that both of Anakin’s children became the key heroic figures of the Rebel Alliance. He was the most important person in the galaxy, but not just for his failure with Anakin. But mainly for his two greatest achievements: Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. What would either of the Skywalker twins have become without the early influence of Old Ben?

Ever since the original Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, we’ve known that Obi-Wan Kenobi, or Old Ben, was key in helping Luke Skywalker leave his life on Tatooine behind and become a Jedi Knight. He told him about the Force, handed him his first lightsaber, and did his very first training with him. And when he became one with the Force, he still guided Luke from beyond. Without Obi-Wan, he would have never received the “Force coaching” to blow up the Death Star. Or to find Yoda to complete his Jedi training.

But with the added context Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we now know that Ben was equally, if not more, impactful on the life of young Princess Leia Organa. Because of their adventure together, she learned about sacrifice, putting the needs of the many over the needs of the one, and so much more. A lot of these lessons she learned from her adoptive parents, the Organas, to be sure. But living a sheltered life in the palace on Alderaan wasn’t the same as facing what the Empire really was, with someone like Ben Kenobi at her side, guiding her. There are some things she could only learn through experience.

In their final duel in Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI, as Vader lies defeated, mask cracked open, his former mentor was brought to tears with heartbreak. He saw the friend he thought of as a brother, “more machine now than man.” He told Anakin that he’s sorry, for all of it. He blamed himself not just for the metal body which his former student found himself in (which was his fault, to be fair) but for Anakin’s turn to the dark side.

But in a strange moment of comfort, Darth Vader took much of the weight off Obi-Wan’s shoulders. He told him, “I’m not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.” We saw later in the original trilogy, on some level Ben still believed he bore some responsibility. But it’s clear he turned some kind of corner at that moment. He realized that it was not entirely his fault at last. Anakin’s choices were ultimately his.

This made Obi-Wan finally accept that his former friend was dead, and all that remained was Darth Vader. Whether or not Obi-Wan would have done things differently or not, Anakin’s decision to join Palpatine was his alone to make. The universe didn’t fall to fascism just because of Obi-Wan. It’s possible that Anakin would not have become Vader if Qui-Gon Jinn had lived. But not certain. Anakin’s feelings of anger and possessiveness were there before he ever met Obi-Wan. A maverick Jedi like Qui-Gon might have been able to teach Anakin in a more unorthodox fashion than Obi. But Kenobi was simply the Jedi that the Order made him. It’s not his fault that he carried out their orders to the letter.

And Luke and Leia were the proof that Obi-Wan was indeed a great mentor in the end. He instilled in the Skywalker twins the same lessons and virtues that he instilled in their father. But unlike Anakin, they took those lessons to heart, and ultimately saved the galaxy. Not once, but twice. The galaxy needed both Skywalkers to save it. And interstingly, both Luke and Leia took after Obi-Wan more than they did their own biological father.

Luke, like Obi-Wan, totally dedicated himself to the ideals of the Jedi Order, perhaps to a fault. When their apprentices turned to the dark side, they felt the heavy weight of that failure deeply, and exiled themselves. But both men found their way back to the Jedi way, and sacrificed themselves to allow the next generation to get away and keep the fires of rebellion going.

General Leia also had more aspects of Kenobi in her than her own father too. That’s aside from the fact that they were both generals in a great war. As we saw in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master always knew how to make the best strategic calls. Even if they’re not popular with those he leads. We saw an example of this with Obi-Wan leading the refugee’s escape in Part VI. And we saw this also with General Leia in The Last Jedi. Whatever Anakin’s failures were with his original apprentice, he more than made up for them with Anakin’s twin children. All of this makes Obi-Wan more important than we ever thought to the overall Star Wars saga.

The post How OBI-WAN KENOBI Reframes Everything We Knew About STAR WARS appeared first on Nerdist.

The nature of the beast when creating prequel content is a tricky one. The pursuit of the best possible story can often come into conflict with the stories we already know. None may have felt this strain more than Star Wars; lingering questions from its prequel trilogy and the tenuous connections with the original among some of the most hotly debated and even meme-ified by its fans. Truly, there’s almost no greater hive of continuity confusion than the hut of Ben Kenobi in the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine from Star Wars: A New Hope. We’ve had to question why he and R2-D2 don’t seem to know each other, why he claims Luke’s father wanted him to have his lightsaber, and now, thanks to Obi-Wan Kenobi, the recorded message that R2 brings from Princess Leia Organa. 

As an inciting incident, the kidnapping of Princess Leia as a move to draw Obi-Wan out of hiding is an extremely clever move, both by Third Sister Reva and by the creative team of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Leia being in danger is perhaps the only other thing in the galaxy that could have convinced Kenobi to even temporarily abandon his post watching over the young Luke Skywalker. Even then it took some persuading. Audiences who have been through Obi-Wan’s journey with him immediately understood why this was the thing that brought him back. 

But it also raises some eyebrows given the content of the iconic message from the first Star Wars film.  However, in looking at the text of Leia’s message and the events we’ve seen so far, the newly written relationship between Kenobi and Leia doesn’t undercut what has come before. It simply re-contextualizes them in a new and more nuanced light. 

General Kenobi. Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father’s request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.

Indeed, Leia makes no mention in her message of ever having met Kenobi herself. Her message is that of the daughter of an old war buddy, asking for aid with no immediate indication of familiarity. The thing to remember is that at the point in time when Leia records this message, the sky is falling for the Rebellion. A major offensive has just played out in the skies above Scariff (as seen in Rogue One). Leia and her crew carry the very plans at the center of that conflict. As the Empire boards her ship, Leia realizes that she has been compromised, and through her, so has her father. 

The Leia we meet at the beginning of the original trilogy is not the small, somewhat naïve princess of Alderaan that we see in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Nearly a decade has passed for her and she has grown into the shrewd rebel leader we know and love. This is not a Leia who minces words. This is not a Leia who will let slip her father has colluded with a known enemy of the Empire for decades, bringing even further scrutiny upon him than has already occurred. She is not in the business of giving out any more information than is vital to her mission. Because she knows it’s extremely likely her message will fall into the hands of the Empire before it ever reaches her old friend. 

But then there’s that little personal flourish at the end. In the earlier parts of the message, Leia speaks of Kenobi in relation to her father. This is his request, he will know how to retrieve the information, it must reach him on Alderaan. Then, at the very end of the message, she lets the veil slip for just a moment. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” An already iconic line which now only feels more poignant. This is the moment when Leia is personally pleading for help from her old friend, the man who saved her once before.

Rewatching the original film, it’s remarkable how well this new context works on that scene from 1977. When the message begins playing, we focus on her. But the moment she starts to explain that her ship has fallen under attack, the shot cuts to Kenobi, whose expression shifts from interest to concern. He glances at R2 who tilts forward in seemingly a nod, confirming the message is true. Upon hearing her personal plea at the end, he leans back in his chair, strokes his beard, and makes the immediate decision that he, and Luke, will go to Alderaan. When trying to convince the young Skywalker to come, it’s Leia, not the rebellion, he insists needs their help. Despite George Lucas having had no idea that the TV series would exist when he wrote this scene decades ago, somehow through the will of the Force it compliments it beautifully. 

Similarly, the events of the series add extra weight to another moment from the same film. When Luke rescues Leia from the holding cell on the Death Star and tells her that he’s here to rescue her, she’s hesitant at first. But the moment he says “I’m here with Ben Kenobi,” she gets a spring in her step and goes with him. The first time that Ben Kenobi came to her rescue she wasn’t sure she trusted him; now the mere mention of his name is enough for her to immediately trust Luke and go along with him. 

Prior to this series, it never made a lot of sense why Leia would’ve named her son after Ben Kenobi, the mentor of her brother whom she never met. Adding in this time between Obi-Wan and Leia gives the two characters a connection we’d never gotten a chance to see before. It allows the old Jedi to have a bond, albeit a different one, with both of Anakin and Padme’s children, furthering the narrative of Leia’s importance and her own connection with the Force as her story goes on. And of course, Obi-Wan Kenobi is no stranger to the power of revisiting the truth of past events from a certain point of view.

The post How OBI-WAN KENOBI Recontextualizes Leia in A NEW HOPE appeared first on Nerdist.

The most delightful surprise thus far about Obi-Wan Kenobi has been as young Princess Leia Organa. Despite the trailers all making us think the show would focus more on young Luke, so far it’s been all about the little rebellious royal of Alderaan. But although actress Vivien Lyra Blair has stolen our hearts, it’s not all cuteness and sass with her. We believe there are at least two instances of her showing nascent Force abilities. And they totally line up with what we saw of Leia’s Force powers in the original trilogy.

In Episode I of Obi-Wan Kenobi, we saw young Leia have a tense interaction with her older cousin. Her snobby relation mocked her for being polite to droids, and even teased her for not “being a real Organa.” At least, he says, according to his father. After sizing him up for a moment, she unleashed an epic read on him, telling him the following:

“You’re scared of him. You want him to like you so you repeat what he says. Even though you don’t really know what it means. You think being like him will make people frightened of you, but really, you’re the one who’s scared. You’ve never made one decision for yourself in your life, and you never will. I may not have seen much, cousin, but I can see that.”

Later, in Episode II, Leia quickly guessed that Obi-Wan is really the one being targeted, not her. Again, a very astute observation from a kid. Our guess is that she read the truth from him. Or at least a partial truth. Her skills are just pure instinct at this point, and nothing honed or refined. Otherwise, she would have been able to tell he was one of the good guys.

We might chalk up Leia’s incredible insightfulness (especially for a ten-year-old) to just being that perceptive. Remember, children in the Star Wars galaxy are pretty advanced in their learning skills. Leia’s biological father Anakin Skywalker was building protocol droids at her age. And her mother Padme Amidala was an elected official on Naboo by age 14. Leia’s father Bail Organa states that he already has her on the fast track to university and junior senate. This means by age ten, Leia has completed what amounts to a high school education in the real world. That’s life growing up in the galaxy far, far away.

But given how much she knew just from a good look at someone, we believe Leia was using the Force without her knowledge. And it perfectly lined up with how her Jedi abilities manifested in the original trilogy. Yes, it’s likely George Lucas didn’t have Leia in mind as Luke’s twin sister when they were filming Star Wars in 1976. But in the third draft of the original script, he described Leia as having “the mind control powers of a witch.” Meaning, he meant Leia to exhibit some kind of Force-related power, Luke’s sibling or not. And we see it when Vader used interrogation droids on her to discover the location of the Rebel base.

Vader later tells Tarkin in A New Hope “her resistance to the mind probe is considerable.” How could Leia resist both Vader’s Force abilities and an interrogation droid? Her mental fortitude seemed like more than just a strong will. It felt like the first indication that she has incredible mental disciplines due to her natural ability with the Force, inherited from her father. Then there is her being able to mentally link up with Luke on Cloud City in Empire. Even her ability to recall images and feelings of her birth mother seemed Force-linked. There’s really no other explanation for it, given that Padme died moments after she was born.

As we’ve learned throughout the Saga, Force abilities come in two forms. There’s incredible fighting proficiency and outwardly physical skills. Luke displays this early on. Even before he meets Ob-Wan, he’s a great pilot (like his father). Without almost no training, he can best a training remote with a lightsaber. And he used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber, again, with no training. Luke was just adept at that kind of power.

Leia though, could do things he could not. We doubt Luke would have survived Vader’s torture droids and mind invasions. And as Luke told Leia in Return of the Jedi, he “has no memory of his mother.” While Leia seemingly can remember her. We think this is her abilities at play. After all, Yoda says “through the Force, other places you will see. The future. The past. Old friends, long gone.” Luke might be able to fight off hordes with a saber, but Leia used the Force in a way he struggled with. It’s only as adults, as we saw in The Rise of Skywalker flashback, that they are true equals in both Jedi disciplines.

So far, all of Leia’s perceived Force abilities are unconscious. Again, this is similar to how her father could just know things before they happened, making him an exceptional podracer. We wouldn’t be surprised if before Obi-Wan Kenobi ends, Leia does something with the Force that even shocks him. She might not even know she’s doing it, but Obi-Wan would recognize Anakin’s power in her. After all, as Luke said to Leia in Return of the Jedi, “the Force runs strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And…my sister has it.”

The post Is Young Leia Displaying Force Powers in OBI-WAN KENOBI? appeared first on Nerdist.

For many in showbiz, it’s seen as the true mark of their legacy as entertainers. Nope, not talking about Oscars or Grammys. We’re talking about a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And although she’s sadly not here to see it, at long last, Carrie Fisher will receive hers. The news came from the official Walk of Fame website, which revealed its inductees for 2022. We think it’s high time that the writer, actress, Princess freakin’ Leia icon finally got her star.

It’s too early to say, but we imagine her daughter Billie Lourd will speak at the induction ceremony. And we’d like to think the man who called her “space sis,” Mark Hamill, could also be on hand. Honestly, everyone involved with the original Star Wars saga should be there. What would Star Wars even be without our Princess/Jedi/General? It wouldn’t be nearly as great, that’s what. And George Lucas would be the first to tell you that.

Lucasfilm

Carrie Fisher isn’t the only Star Wars actor getting a star on the Walk of Fame in 2022. Ewan McGregor is also slated to receive his, probably around the time that the Obi-Wan Kenobi series premieres on Disney+. (Walk of Fame ceremonies often tie into a recipient’s next big project.) Below is the complete list of 2022 inductees. You just might know a few of these names.

Film: Francis Ford Coppola, Macaulay Culkin, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, James Hong, Helen Hunt, Michael B. Jordan, Regina King, Ray Liotta, Ewan McGregor, Adam McKay, Jason Momoa, Tessa Thompson.

Television: Byron Allen, Greg Berlanti, Ricky Gervais, Peter Krause, Bob Odenkirk, Holly Robinson-Peete, Norman Reedus, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jean Smart, Ming-Na Wen, and Kenan Thompson.

Music: Black Eyed Peas, George E. Clinton Jr., Ashanti Douglas, DJ Khaled, Avril Lavigne, Los Huracanes Del Norte, Martha Reeves, and Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom (posthumous)

Theater: Patti Lupone, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. and Angelica Vale

Radio:  Richard Blade  /  Sports Entertainment: Michael Strahan

The Hollywood Walk of Fame hasn’t announced any dates for the induction ceremonies yet. Usually, the press hears about the big ceremony happening some 10 days prior. Crossing our fingers that Carrie Fisher is among the first inductees. Better not leave our Princess for last.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

The post Carrie Fisher to Receive Hollywood Walk of Fame Star appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the things to disappoint fans about with The Force Awakens was that Princess Leia was not a Jedi Knight. After the revelation of her Force-sensitive nature, we all expected to see Carrie Fisher brandishing a lightsaber. And to see her training under the eye of her brother Luke Skywalker. But instead, despite hints of her Force powers, Leia was a general. Pretty good, but no Jedi.

Lucasfilm / The Walt Disney Company

In The Rise of Skywalker, however, we learn that Leia actually did complete her Jedi training. She even constructed her own lightsaber, before giving up the Jedi path. But we get to see Leia show her superior lightsaber skills in a flashback. Say what you will about the movie, but this moment longtime fans all the feels.

Now, thanks to Galaxy Edge’s at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, fans can buy a detailed Skywalker Legacy Lightsaber Set. The new set features a pair of lightsaber hilts inspired by those of the Skywalker twins’ from The Rise of Skywalker.

Lucasfilm / The Walt Disney Company

The hilt set arrives within a decorative Rebel Alliance-themed box. When the custom box opens up, “The Princess Appears” by composer John Williams starts to play. Of course, this is also known as “the Force theme” to many a Star Wars fan. A unique crest of the Rebel Alliance features prominently in front of the case. Written on it is the word “Jedi” in Aurebesh. Which is the official language of the galaxy far, far away. Other Aurebesh phrases translate to ”Legacy Lightsabers” and ”Skywalker Legacy”

Lucasfilm / The Walt Disney Company

In a statement, the Disney company says “each activates sound effects and illuminates in blue when you attach one of our Lightsaber Blades, sold separately. The Skywalker Legacy Lightsaber set is limited to 3,000 pieces only. It is now available to order on Shop Disney for a retail price of $375.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm / The Walt Disney Company

The post Luke and Leia’s Legacy Lightsabers Get a Deluxe Replica Set appeared first on Nerdist.

Disney+’s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series has Star Wars fans over the moon of Endor with excitement. Not only are we getting to see Ewan McGregor return to his iconic role, but we will also see the return of Hayden Christensen (and presumably James Earl Jones?) as Darth Vader. But given its choice spot in the timeline—midway between Episode III and Episode IV—the series creates opportunities for many favorite characters to pop up.

The latest actor to be asked about returning to Star Wars was Liam Neeson, who said he’d love to come back in some form. Temura Morrison has also been rumored to show up as various Clone Troopers; so far, neither is confirmed. So here are some characters we’d love to see show up on Obi-Wan’s series, even in the form of cameos. And we’ll start with Obi-Wan’s old master himself.

Qui-Gon Jinn

Lucasfilm

Obi-Wan Kenobi spent the two decades following Revenge of the Sith learning to communicate with his old master Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon rather accidentally learned how to become “one with the Force” when he died. He couldn’t manifest physically as a Force Ghost. But the students surpassed their teacher, and both Obi-Wan and Yoda were able to achieve this.

Still, at the very least, we should be hearing Qui-Gon’s voice during this series at least once. While he can’t become a Force ghost literally, that doesn’t mean he can’t appear to Obi-Wan in visions. We want to see this one just as much as Liam Neeson does.

Yoda

Lucasfilm

Master Yoda might be in exile on Dagobah at this time, but that doesn’t mean he can’t mentally communicate with his former pupil. Remember: both he and Obi-Wan are learning how to become one with the Force from Qui-Gon during this time. At least one scene with Obi-Wan and Yoda, even if it’s on the metaphysical plane, is warranted here. It can’t be all about Baby Yoda hogging the spotlight; classic Yoda needs to represent.

The Lars Family

Lucasfilm

In A New Hope, Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen doesn’t seem to have very warm feelings about Obi-Wan. He even coldly tells Luke he’s dead, even though he knows better. While you could chalk up Owen’s bitterness to Obi-Wan’s leaving an infant on his doorstep, we think there is probably more to it than that.

Some canonical comics have explored that animosity a little bit, but we think the Obi-Wan series could provide a lot more context. And it would be cool to see Beru’s side of things. Hopefully, Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse would return to their roles. (And finally have more than two words of dialogue!) Of course, if the Lars family is included, we’d expect at least one scene with a young Luke as well.

The Organas

Lucasfilm

Aside from Yoda, the only person who knows where Obi-Wan is hiding is Senator Bail Organa from Alderaan. If someone comes to Obi-Wan for help, they will have learned his location from the rebel leader. Jimmy Smits was willing to return for a small role in Rogue One, so let’s hope he’s game for another cameo. It would also be nice to see him share an actual scene with a young Leia, something we’ve never seen yet in live-action. (And if Leia knew Old Ben in any capacity as a youngster, it would make more sense that she named her son after him.)

The Inquisitors

Lucasfilm

Star Wars: Rebels established that in the years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the Inquisitors were the Empire’s Force-sensitive elite assassins. Their one mission was to hunt down and destroy any Jedi who survived Order 66. We imagine that Obi-Wan would have been at the top of that kill list. If Obi-Wan leaves Tatooine, it would seem likely he’d have a run-in with one or more of them.

It would also make more sense of Tarkin’s line about Obi-Wan to Vader in A New Hope. “Surely he must be dead by now.” Why must he? He’s not even 60 yet. Unless Obi-Wan had a run-in with some Inquisitors that left his fate ambiguous. If the Grand Inquisitor were to pop up, we think he should be played by Jason Isaacs, who voiced him on Rebels. Much like Liam Neeson, he’s mentioned he’d love to return to the role in live-action. Hopefully, Lucasfilm makes it happen.

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Lucasfilm

Fans are pretty sure that the blue-skinned Imperial is coming to live-action soon, especially after Ahsoka dropped his name on The Mandalorian. If they cast a live-action Thrawn soon, why not have him show up first in the Obi-Wan series? Maybe at this point in the timeline he’s just an Admiral and not a Grand Admiral yet, but he’s definitely high up in the Imperial hierarchy. If the current Obi-Wan scripts call for a no-name Imperial Commander to take part in it, why not just make it Thrawn and make the fans happy? Especially if that means we get some Thrawn/Vader scenes. We’d all lose our minds over that.

Ahsoka Tano

Lucasfilm

Rosario Dawson blew us all away as Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian. But we don’t think it makes sense for adult Ahsoka to cross paths with her old friend ten years after the fall of the Jedi. Too much of Rebels wouldn’t align with that. However, there are rumors circulating that there will be flashbacks to the Clone Wars, showcasing adventures of Obi-Wan and Anakin together. If we see them leading clone battalions together, then why not have a teenage Ahsoka with them? Finally getting to see the Clone Wars trio together in live-action would produce real nerd tears in many of us.

Darth Maul

Lucasfilm

People have been wanting a live-action Obi-Wan vs. Maul rematch forever. But the current continuity between the various spin-off series makes that one hard to fit in. Maul has no idea that Obi-Wan is even still alive at this time, much less where he is. Rebels clearly establishes that the ex-Sith had not seen Obi-Wan since the end of the Republic. But if we get a Clone Wars-era flashback, why not a previously unknown fight between Maul and Obi-Wan? Yes, it’s pure fan service. But as season two of The Mandalorian taught us, fan service done right can be extremely rewarding.

The Duchess Satine Kryze

Lucasfilm

We actually wouldn’t expect the former Duchess of the planet Mandalore to appear, as she died during the Clone Wars. But we hope to hear at least a mention of Obi-Wan’s great lost love.  One tiny acknowledgement of their relationship would make a lot of Obi/Satine shippers very happy.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

The post Classic STAR WARS Characters We Should See in the OBI-WAN Series appeared first on Nerdist.

After years of only vague hints as to what George Lucas’ Star Wars sequel trilogy was going to be, we now have a lot more concrete information. And could you believe that none other than Darth Maul was going to be the main baddie of the new movies? All of this information comes straight from the source. Lucas himself spilled the beans to author Paul Duncan, who has a new book coming out called The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III.

Dan Casey breaks down all the juicy new details for us down below in today’s Nerdist News.

So the gist of all of this is as follows: the galaxy post-Return of the Jedi would be in chaos. Several Imperial holdouts still try to cause problems for the fledgling New Republic. Meanwhile, a criminal syndicate run by Darth Maul and his apprentice, Darth Talon (a lady Sith from the Star Wars Legacy comics), would be the actual major antagonists. Luke would create a new Jedi Order from the remnants of Order 66, and Leia Organa would be the Republic’s new Supreme Chancellor. In fact, Lucas was planning to reveal she was the “Chosen One” of the prophecy, not Anakin. Say what??

Lucasfilm

It would have been fascinating to see how general audiences would have reacted to the red-faced Sith Lord being the main bad guy of the sequels. Especially as to most casual moviegoers, the dude got chopped in half six movies prior. Given the incredibly divisive nature of the prequels at the time, it is understandable why Disney wanted to lean into things that reminded audiences more of A New Hope than The Phantom Menace.

Interestingly, a lot of Lucas’ ideas wound up in the Disney Star Wars canon anyway. Maul as the leader of a major criminal cartel is part of the last season Clone Wars, and also Solo. The idea of the remnants of the Empire becoming an ISIS style insurgency after the fall of the Emperor is basically what the First Order is in the sequels. Only Darth Talon has remained out of current Disney Star Wars canon. But we feel that’s only a matter of time.

Lucasfilm

A lot of this news also shows how much George Lucas was always willing to retcon his own work. He always maintained that the Prophecy of the Chosen One referred to Anakin Skywalker; he eliminates the Sith by killing Darth Sidious and himself. Not so much the case anymore, as the Sith survive post- Return of the Jedi, and Leia is the Chosen One instead. Also, so much for “the Last of the Jedi will you be.” It seems a lot more Jedi survived Order 66 than Obi-Wan and Yoda, in Lucas’ sequel trilogy.

And to everyone out there who hates the sequels and wishes we got this instead? Well, there is no way of knowing if Lucas’ ideas would have pleased you more. But a reminder – in Lucas’ outlines, Luke Skywalker still dies in Episode VIII, and the son of Leia and Han would have still turned to the Dark Side. If those things made your blood boil, Lucas was planning on doing something very similar regardless. In life — and in Star Wars — the grass is always greener.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

The post Darth Maul Was the Villain in George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy appeared first on Nerdist.

The Star Wars saga has some of the most iconic imagery and characters in all of cinema history. And now, thanks to the folks at Pandora, you can wear some of that iconic Star Wars imagery around your wrist. Pandora has introduced a series of charms featuring characters ranging from Darth Vader to Baby Yoda himself!

Pandora’s 12-piece collection evokes many of the characters and symbols of the Star Wars galaxy. “We wanted to tap into the futuristic yet vintage aesthetic of Star Wars that is well known from the original trilogy all the way to the new Disney+ series, The Mandalorian,” said Francesco Terzo and A. Filippo Ficarelli, Pandora’s VP Creative Directors, in a statement. “We worked hard to transform the pieces of Star Wars into jewelry using intricate design detailing and expert craftsmanship techniques.”

Pandora 

All the pieces come sustainably made from 71% recycled metals. Ten charms, a bracelet, and an additional limited-edition collector’s charm come in total in this collection. You can check out each of the Pandora offerings down below:

The Child, or, as we like to call him, “Baby Yoda,” has his own charm that is hand-finished in sterling silver with hand-applied black enamel. You can order this charm of everyone’s favorite adorable force-using frog-eater for $55.

Pandora 

This Dangle Charm showcases the late, great Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa. The top disc features Leia’s 3D face and a frame with four stellar blue crystals. The back disc has what looks like Alderaan surrounded by shimmering blue enamel and a “Don’t mess with this Princess” engraving. The bail features stars with blue cubic zirconia in the center. This one will set you back a royal $65.

Pandora 

Speaking of Leia, remember when she whupped Luke in a lightsaber fight? It’s canon! Relive all the great lightsaber battles with this Lightsaber Double Dangle Charm. Hand-finished in sterling silver, the front disc has two crossed light sabers—one with red stones and one with blue. The back disc includes hand-applied sparkling blue enamel, and the engraving “May the Force be with you.” Like the Leia charm, this one is also $65.

Pandora 

Everyone’s favorite Wookiee represents as well, thanks to this amazing Chewbacca Charm. Chewie is hand-finished in sterling silver with hand-applied dark brown and black enamel touches, and also shows off a 3D belt. Bowcaster left on the Millennium Falcon. The Chewie Charm is priced at $55.

Pandora 

If you ever need anyone to tell you the odds, there’s always C-3PO. This charm features an enlarged head and smaller body with movable legs and arms decorated with mechanical details. Including engraved grid-like eyes and a hand-applied black enamel waist, and the protocol droid comes in an 18k gold-plated unique metal blend. The Threepio charm will cost you $90.

Pandora 

Wherever you find Threepio, his BFF Artoo is not far behind. This R2-D2 Dangle Charm comes hand-finished in sterling silver with blue, red, and black hand-applied enamel touches and also features stars with blue cubic zirconia stones in the middle. Artoo’s head and arms even move! At $75, Artoo costs a bit less than Threepio. Don’t tell the Jawas.

Pandora

If you can’t decided which of the droid duo you love more, you can celebrate them both together. This C-3PO and R2-D2 Openwork Charm is hand-finished in sterling silver, and features an engraving that says the iconic phrase “far, far away.” This charm is priced at $45.

Pandora

The sequel trilogy added its own beloved droid, and you can now carry BB-8 around your wrist as well! This Star Wars BB-8 Charm can spin his little head around 360 degrees. This one comes to $75.

Pandora

Star Wars is nothing without its villains, and the greatest baddie of all his his own charm as well. Represent the Dark Side with this Darth Vader charm, hand-finished in sterling silver with hand-applied black enamel. The charm showcases the Sith Lord’s head, face mask, and helmet. Join the Empire for $65.

Pandora

You can have two distinct version of the Star Wars logo as a charm too. For $55, you can get a silver 3D logo charm. And for $75, you can get on in C-3PO gold, with this 18k gold-plated unique metal blend logo charm.

Pandora 

This Snake Chain Clasp Bracelet is hand-finished in sterling silver, and the iconic Star Wars logo features on both sides. Use the Force, and get this one for $90.00.

Pandora 

For more information on this Star Wars collection, be sure to head on over to Pandora’s website!

Featured Image: Pandora

The post STAR WARS Charm Set Features Princess Leia, Baby Yoda appeared first on Nerdist.

Regardless to what one thought of The Rise of Skywalker, it was an undeniably cool moment in the film to see both Luke and Leia together in full Jedi mode at last. Fans had waited see Princess Leia wield a lightsaber since we learned she was strong with the Force in Return of the Jedi. And for one very brief scene in The Rise of Skywalker, we finally get to see it. There should have been more of it in the movie, honestly.

Now, via Yahoo News, we’ve learned that Funko is immortalizing Luke and Leia in their Jedi training outfits for a pair of New York Comic-Con exclusives.

Funko

Both Luke and Leia are in their training gear, as seen in Luke’s flashback where we see the siblings do an exercise in lightsaber combat. This scene also showed us how Leia was actually besting Luke in combat, before she decides to give up the Jedi way and create a different life for herself. Both characters have their lightsaber training helmets on, but showing their faces. Luke has his signature green saber from Return of the Jedi; Leia has her blue saber which Rey would later carry herself. The 4-inch figures will be available exclusively on the Funko Shop in October for $29.99.

Funko / Lucasfilm 

That’s not the only NYCC exclusive Star Wars Pop! vinyl on the way this fall. Also coming soon is yet another version of The Child from The Mandalorian, a.k.a. Baby Yoda. Our favorite force sensitive fifty-year old infant  is holding a necklace which bears the skull of the legendary Mythosaur. This  3.25-inch figure figure will be available for $15 from Funko and Amazon in October.

Funko / Lucasfilm 

There are no exact dates yet for these Pop! releases, but be sure to check out the official Funko blog for more updates.

Featured Image: Funko / Lucasfilm 

The post Luke and Leia in Jedi Training Gear are Latest Funko Exclusives appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s hard to believe a time existed before Star Wars. But after 42 years, 11 theatrical films and billions of dollars in merchandising, George Lucas’ samurai film-influenced “space opera” has become a ubiquitous and integral part of the pop culture fabric. Like the Marvel Cinematic Universe—one conceived to some extent in its image—Star Wars inspires and excites even people who, ten or twenty years ago, wouldn’t be caught dead in a sci-fi or fantasy film. Star Wars contains action, drama, imagination, philosophy, and even spirituality, interconnected and driven by characters whose location—a galaxy far, far way—belies a relatability that has repeatedly proven immediate and universal.

Lucasfilm

The Rise of Skywalker culminates, and for the foreseeable future, completes the story began in 1977 when Luke (Mark Hamill) met two quirky droids and embarked on a journey that would explore both the ancient lore of the universe and his own complicated and intimate family legacy. Where Star Wars goes from here is still a secret, even if Lucasfilm probably knows what may be just over that horizon where twin suns hang low in the sky. But with the Skywalker film cycle coming to a close, effectively concluding a narrative that you and we have followed for their entire lives, it felt like the appropriate time for reflection—a walk down memory lane for Star Wars fans to remember what first intrigued or attracted us to this world of spaceships, laser swords and supernatural forces that surround us and penetrate us, and bind our galaxy, and theirs, together.

Below, we invited members of the Nerdist staff to contribute a brief essay about their earliest Star Wars memory, or in lieu of that, a recollection of the moment or experience that inspired their love of this long-running franchise.

I remember it very vividly: The Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, the Death Star, and all those beloved characters. It wasn’t Star Wars, it was Muppet Babies. My first exposure to A New Hope wasn’t the movie itself, but the parody on a kids cartoon. Kermit Froghopper, Princess Piggy, Fozzbacca, and Gon Zolo seemed so cool to me! It was only later when I asked my mom about it did I know Star Wars even existed. I still think Scooter D-2 and Skeeter-3PO are superior droids. Though Animal Vader left much to be desired. – Kyle Anderson

Lucasfilm

As a neurotic kid more inclined toward “softer” entertainment (namely, reruns of ’70s sitcoms), Star Wars was an intimidating undertaking to me. But it was all the same an exciting one. And helping me find my in-road into preteen viewings of the Original Trilogy was the first character in an action-adventure blockbuster franchise that I ever really related to: C-3PO. He was nervous! He was reasonable! He was kind of a pain in the ass! And he definitely veered queer. And he was an integral part of the most spectacular adventure ever committed to the big screen. And through him, I got to experience the very same. – Mica Arbeiter

I was not quite three years old when Star Wars hit, so for me it’s hard for me to remember a time when there wasn’t a Star Wars. But interestingly, one of my very first memories in life revolves around that galaxy far away. While my older brothers were taken to go see Close Encounters, my grandma took me to see The Jungle Book. A preview for Star Wars began, and when Vader showed up I was totally mortified. I became that kid in the theater, the one who screams in terror and has to be taken out till they calm down. But the image of Lord Vader remained in my psyche. Because after a few months, I was living and breathing Star Wars like every other kid in the world. 42 years later, I am very much still that kid. – Eric Diaz

Lucasfilm

This is a “memory” that, candidly, I know better from family and friends telling me about than from actively remembering the experience, but I saw Star Wars in theaters with my grandparents when I was three. During the original release. (I am old.) But they took me to a theater and sat me down to watch and I promptly started asking questions: “what’s somebody gonna do, Grandma? What’s somebody gonna do?” Eventually, my grandfather got fed up and asked my grandmother to take me out of the theater, but I’d already become obsessed with “Dars Bader,” and a love affair with this series was born. – Todd Gilchrist

The Star Wars prequels were the first movies to come out during my lifetime but I saw A New Hope when I was a kid. I fell in love with the franchise because of Leia. In my pre-Mulan world, Leia was different from any other TV or film princess I had ever seen at that point—a bold and smart heroine who takes action alongside the boys. I would place myself in her shoes and escape the troubles of my childhood as I pretended to exist among the stars. Her story kept me invested in this saga and her ideals helped me form my opinions of what it means to be a woman and hero. – Tai Gooden

Lucasfilm

My earliest Star Wars memory is of seeing the special edition of The Empire Strikes Back in theaters in 1997. I was only nine at the time, and the galaxy far far away created a sandbox for my imagination that I’d never experienced before. A sandbox strewn with stars, ships, cities in the clouds, and the possibility of somebody ordinary becoming a hero to the whole universe. After the movie, I couldn’t help but turn everything I touched into a lightsaber, hoping that I could become a hero too. – Matthew Hart

Growing up during the prequels, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when Star Wars came into my life. It was always just sort of there. My next-door neighbors, a pair of brothers the same ages as my sisters, were massive fans of the franchise and more than likely, they introduced us to the galaxy far, far away. Over the years, Star Wars has steadily remained in my life, through cable and its ever-expanding universe. But looking back on Star Wars and my earliest and best memories of the franchise, I think about countless movie nights, light saber fights, and while not thriving with a PlayStation controller, instead serving as our preeminent tactician. – Meaghan Kirby

Lucasfilm

My mum worked in the continuity team of Return of the Jedi‘s costume department which meant I’d always had Star Wars in my life. But my first truly visceral Star Wars memory was going to see the rereleased trilogy in Leicester Square right in the center of London with her, which marked the first time I’d ever seen them on the big screen. From then I was hooked. It would be years later that I’d realize those versions are a blight on cinematic history and now I still refuse to watch anything other than my VHS original versions lol. – Rosie Knight

My earliest memory of Star Wars is seeing Return of the Jedi in the theater at the ripe old age of 5. I only remember it so vividly because a very 1983 problem occurred during our screening. Just as Paploo steals the speederbike from the scout trooper in the forest, the filmstrip snapped! The movie stopped and the audience began to boo. Eventually the movie was fixed and we finished it, but I think about it every time I see that scene. That experience is just the first of many Star Wars memories that will always stay with me. – Kelly Knox

Lucasfilm

Star Wars was always a part of my life, in some capacity. We had the toys, the books, the VHS tapes. But Revenge of the Sith was the first time I remember really latching onto the world and the characters. It hit me right when I needed it, as a moody teenager who felt seen in Anakin’s turn to the dark side. I have so many fond memories of falling in love with that film, seeing it over and over in the theater, and finally “getting” Star Wars. It set the stage for what would become a major obsession and huge part of my career and life when the sequel trilogy eventually came along, and will always hold a special place in my heart. – Lindsey Romain

I didn’t grow up with Star Wars the way most people do, because my family wasn’t the “sit down and watch big movies” type. But it was impossible to ignore the fact the movies and world existed. In third grade, a friend invited me to do a Star Wars costume with her for Halloween. She was the type of girl who had long girly hair so therefore she HAD to be Princess Leia, while my younger sister was saddled with a big R2-D2 cardboard costume… and I ended up being Darth Vader, black face paint and all. Cosplay is a huge hobby for me now and looking back, it’s kind of fitting that my first big Star Wars memory that impacted me was also something that was creatively fun! – Andrea Towers

Lucasfilm

It probably wouldn’t be weird if I fell in love with Star Wars because of lightsabers, or even if I cited a specific lightsaber battle. But my story is much stranger and dorkier than that. I truly became a diehard fan of the galaxy far, far away when I learned about the seven different forms of lightsaber fighting. During the prequel era, StarWars.com ran amazing features about the expanded universe, which I had no idea existed. Those posts, especially the one about lightsaber fighting styles, deepened the way I engaged with the franchise and how I felt about the characters. And that’s never ended. (Nor has my preference for Form III, a.k.a. Soresu.) – Michael Walsh

What’s your earliest Star Wars memory? Or what was it about the characters, stories of franchise in general that made you fall in love forever? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Lucasfilm

Header Image: Lucasfilm

The post STAR WARS Memories, From RETURN OF THE JEDI To THE RISE OF SKYWALKER appeared first on Nerdist.

12. Lightspeed Skipping

Lucasfilm

It’s only a brief sequence towards the start of the film, but TROS introduces a new concept into the canon: lightspeed skipping. Basically, it’s hopping around the galaxy without direct coordinates. It’s what Han Solo warned Luke never to do in ANH, when he mentions the dangers of hyperspace travel without a predetermined coordinates. When Poe does it with the Millennium Falcon towards the beginning of the film, it creates a cool sequence where it feels like the Falcon is teleporting from planet to planet escaping First Order Star Destroyers. Let’s hope Star Tours at the Disney theme parks introduces lightspeed skipping one day!

11. Rey, Finn and Poe Become a Trio

Lucasfilm

It’s a pretty big flaw of TFA in my opinion that we never see Rey, Finn, and Poe together on a mission. Well, better late than never. This trilogy’s main trio finally get to go on a adventure together in this movie, and I instantly wanted at least one more film of these three characters together. Because, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac have great chemistry as a thruple (so to speak). When the three of them embrace after the final battle, it really felt like friends who love each other and have been through hell together. The fact that this was the last scene they shot together for the film probably is what made it feel so real, but it also totally worked.

10. Robo-Palpatine

Lucasfilm

Some people might grumble at the fact that Ian McDiarmid was brought back as Emperor Palpatine, but I for one loved it. The saga began with him, it should end with him. The fact that he was a sort of zombie-fied version of himself, held together with tubes and wires in a visual nod to the works of Alien designer HR Giger, was the icing on the cake for me. And hands down, Emperor Palpatine is maybe the best mustache twirling, pure evil bad guy in film history. And McDiarmid brought it one last time.

9. Zorii Bliss

Lucasfilm

TROS introduced a few new characters. The coolest by far was Zorii Bliss, played by Keri Russell. A bounty hunter and old flame of Poe’s, like any good badass mercenary in the Star Wars universe, she has a cool helmet that she never takes off. In her brief moments on screen, she becomes more interesting and well rounded than Boba Fett ever was in the original films. Sorry, but it’s true. I liked her so much I hope she gets a Disney+ show. Someone call Keri Russell’s agent please, and make that happen.

8. General Leia’s Final Act

Lucasfilm

We knew that TROS had one big problem going into production, and that was the death of Carrie Fisher. But through some miracle, all of Fisher’s scenes shot for The Force Awakens seamlessly worked in this movie. And using one of those moments to show us how Leia used Force abilities to project across the cosmos to try to connect to her son one last time, even knowing it would kill her, ended up being the perfect way for the Princess/General to go out. Not shooting a blaster, but by trying to help her son. When Chewie howled in pain at the passing of his dear friend, he was all of us in that moment.

7. Father and Son

Lucasfilm

It’s only for a brief moment, but the scene where Harrison Ford appears one more time as Han Solo had me holding back all the tears. Han appearing to his son Ben at his moment of choice to leave the Dark Side behind and join the Light is now one of my favorite moments in the saga. Star Wars is always about repetition and rhyming, and the way the dialogue mimics Han’s last words before his death at Kylo’s hands in TFA was perfect for me. Also, I choose to believe that as part of her final act, it was Leia who made that happen, and brought this memory from her son’s mind into reality.

6. Leia the Jedi

Lucasfilm / Dark Horse Comics

It’s a scene that lasts barely a minute, but the moment in which we see Luke train his sister Leia in flashback finally gives us something that fans of our favorite Princess have wanted to see since 1983 – Leia the Jedi. It also explains why General Leia wasn’t a Jedi in TFA. It was by choice, as she actually had completed her training. The fact that Rey got to continue her legacy by using her lightsaber one more time was also poetic and beautiful.

5. Luke Raises the X-Wing

Lucasfilm

In a movie filled with callbacks to the previous eight chapters, this was another one which brought tears to my eyes. After a defeated Rey retreats to Ach-To to live the hermit life, it is the Force Ghost of Luke who convinces Rey not to repeat his past mistakes. When the now-stranded Rey needs a ride off planet, Luke raises his old X-Wing out of the water. The task that his young self couldn’t do when training with Master Yoda, the now-Master  Jedi can do with ease. John Williams using his same piece of music from the scene in ESB just makes it that much more perfect and emotional.

4. The Voices of Jedi Past

Lucasfilm

It’s one of the key moments in the film, when Rey lies defeated at the hands of Emperor Palpatine. She finally connects with the living Force, and hears the voice of Jedi past. They give her the final push she needs to finish the fight, and represent all the Jedi who came before. In this scene, we hear not only the obvious choices from the films, like Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda, but also Jedi from the animated shows like Clone Wars and Rebels. Which means that yes, Ahsoka and Kanan  are finally part of the live-action films. It not only validates the animated content as “official” Star Wars canon, but it shows how every single Jedi that’s come before matters to the saga.

3.  Chewie gets a medal. Finally.

Lucasfilm

It’s been a fan gripe for 42 years. “Why didn’t Chewie get a medal??” This of course referring to his final scene in A New Hope. Well, after so many movies since then and no reward for his many acts of bravery, Chewbacca finally got the medal he deserved. And I’m not gonna lie….I get a little choked up. Finally, they let the Wookie win.

2.  The Cavalry Arrives

Lucasfilm

It’s a Star Wars tradition going back to 1977. When all hope is lost, the cavalry arrives just in the nick of time. Lando arriving on the Millennium Falcon with every friendly ship that’s willing to lend a hand to take down the Final Order is like the end of ANH, but on steroids. The Skywalker saga ending on one big massive battle between the Rebels and the Empire (or whatever you want to call them now) with John Williams’ classic score kicking in gave me all the feels. And the fact that Wedge Antilles showed up for one more battle? Perfection.

1. Rey and Ben

Lucasfilm

It’s the crux of this entire trilogy – the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren. Every moment between them onscreen was electric, whether they were just force connecting, or kicking each other’s asses with their lightsabers. But it was the way their story concluded that pleased me most. Their final ending might not work for everyone, but I thought TROS handled it beautifully.

Ben Solo is a tragic figure, so his coming to a tragic end was a foregone conclusion. But I love that Rey’s belief in him is what helped push him to the light once again. Like his grandfather, his one last act of goodness can’t quite make up for everything he’s done, but by restoring Rey he has shown that he can be selfless. And in doing so, he gave the galaxy the hero it needs to restore the Jedi. He couldn’t be that hero, but she can.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

The post The 12 Best Things About THE RISE OF SKYWALKER appeared first on Nerdist.

The saga that started a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away has come to end… but not without some shocking twists and crazy turns! Dan navigates through the biggest revelations and reveals of Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker on today’s Nerdist News!

What did you think of Rey’s big twist? Tell us in the comments!

This video is made in paid partnership with EA. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now on Xbox One, PS4, and PC: http://bit.ly/35rHnel

The post Star Wars SPOILERS: The Rise of Skywalker’s Twist Explained! appeared first on Nerdist.

Carrie Fisher passed away three years ago, but her legacy endures. From her beautiful written words in Postcards From the Edge and The Princess Diarist to her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, she made a strong imprint on multiple generations of women. And of course, she’s best remembered for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, where she’s soon to make her final appearance in The Rise of Skywalker.

But that’s not the end of Leia. She lives on in our hearts to inspire women and nonbinary people everywhere.And thanks to a new docuseries from filmmaker Annalise Ophelian, Leia’s impact on the Star Wars community and fandom at large is getting a spotlight. Looking For Leia, a 7-episode shortform series, will make its debut on SYFY.com on December 21, with two episodes airing back-to-back on on the SYFY television network at 11 p.m./10c. Episodes will also air on VOD, YouTube and NBCU’s OneApp.

Each segment runs approximately 10 to 15 minutes and showcases different aspects of the galaxy far, far away from a female and nonbinary perspective. Looking For Leia highlights the legacy of Carrie Fisher, tells the story of droid builders, artists and authors, cosplayers, and others whose lives have been impacted by the Star Wars saga. Episodes also focus on the importance of representation in fandom, and the value of variety in fan spaces.

The docuseries had a successful and much-buzzed about sneak preview at DragonCon earlier this year, but this is the first time the series will be available in its entirety for the public. Its broadcast also comes fresh off the heels of The Rise of Skywalker, debuting the day after the film’s big opening. What’s the best way to celebrate Carrie Fisher’s final onscreen performance? By sitting down and taking in her legacy through the story of so many other incredible women and nonbinary people in the Star Wars family, of course.

Looking For Leia comes from independent filmmaker Ophelian and her production company, Floating Ophelia Productions. It features appearances by authors Charlie Jane Anders and Bonnie Burton, voice actors Clarissa Yazzie and Geri Hongeva, SYFY FANGRRLS’ contributing editors Preeti Chhibber and Swapna Krishna, and more. Original music for the series was composed by Christy Carew.

??? https://t.co/uxtWHrsAhE

— Looking for Leia (@LookingForLeia) December 16, 2019

Fandom can be a scary place for many, especially those who don’t feel like they fit in. Series like this provide space and visibility for the people who make the Star Wars community so nuanced and diverse. It’s an especially important thing to spotlight as discourse related to The Rise of Skywalker already dividing fans. (That’s the Star Wars way in the age of the internet.) We’re grateful to Ophelian and the other folks who put together something like Looking For Leia, and we can’t wait to check it out in full on December 21. May the Force be with them all.

Featured Image: Looking For Leia/SYFY WIRE 

The post Female STAR WARS Fandom Docuseries LOOKING FOR LEIA To Debut On SYFY appeared first on Nerdist.

At the press conference for The Rise of Skywalker held this week in Pasadena, California, director and co-writer J.J. Abrams revealed not just the process but the feelings associated with finding the right way to honor a woman who’s been an integral component of Star Wars lore for literal decades. “I, like everyone here who knew her, loved her,” Abrams told reporters Wednesday in a news conference. “The idea of continuing the story without Leia was an impossibility.

“There was no way we were going to do a digital Leia. There was no way we were going to recast. But we couldn’t do it without her.”

Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, indicated that the cast and crew mounted a collective effort to honor Fisher’s legacy and to do her work justice with their own. “There was this idea that J.J. has talked about ending nine films, and Carrie was such as part of all of that,” Tran said. “So there was a lot of wanting to honor this thing and do right by this thing. And I think that she’s pretty effing incredible in this movie.”

But how? It turns out that Abrams, like his successor Johnson, shot scenes with Fisher during the production of the first two Star Wars films they later realized they could shape into a coda for General Leia. “When we went back to look at the scenes that we hadn’t used in The Force Awakens, what we realized was we had an opportunity. We could use that footage, use the lines she was saying, and literally the lighting,” he said as he was interrupted by a light going out in the room. “Wow, that’s amazing,” he mused. “That was creepy. Hi, Carrie! That also is so Carrie also.

“But in any event, we knew that we had an opportunity to use the footage to create scenes that Leia would be in,” he continued. “And of course had Carrie been around, would we have done some different things here and there? Of course we would have. But we had an opportunity to have Carrie in the movie.”

Abrams first enlisted Fisher’s daughter, actress Billie Lourd, to join her on The Force Awakens in a small role. He said that using footage that featured them both created a throughline and a sense of legacy that he’s very proud of as The Rise of Skywalker finally comes to theaters. “Working with all the actors, including Billie Lourd, who’s in scenes with her, we were able to, I think, do something that Carrie herself, I’d like to think she’d be happy with,” Abrams said. “She is great in the movie, of course. But it’s still emotional and moving to think of her and how sad we are that she’s not sitting her along with us.”

The Rise of Skywalker arrives in U.S. theaters on December 20, 2019.

Photo credit: Todd Gilchrist/ Lucasfilm

The post How J.J. Abrams Completed Leia’s Story In RISE OF SKYWALKER appeared first on Nerdist.

Whether one loves, hates, or is indifferent to the new series of Star Wars films, almost everyone laments the lack of a proper reunion of the original “Big Three” of Luke, Leia, and Han. Sure, we had the touching reunion of Leia with Han in The Force Awakens; who didn’t get teary-eyed at Leia’s reunion with her brother in The Last Jedi? We know Abrams intended Leia as the central figure of The Rise of Skywalker, but Carrie Fisher’s death changed everything. With Han Solo gone, and only existing Fisher footage to work with, the original trio reunion seemed impossible.

But we are not so sure about that. And the reason is because it’s J.J. Abrams making this movie. There are few filmmakers out there who have the knack for Spielberg-style sentimentality as he does. In addition, one of Abrams’ favorite tropes is to use flashbacks to highlight actions in the present. Lost was practically built around this concept. And he used the extensive Force flashback already in Episode VII for Rey. Almost as much as lens flares, flashbacks are kind of his thing.

In comments made at Star Wars Celebration, Abrams highlighted the fact that The Rise of Skywalker is not just the end of these three films, but for the entire saga of nine films. And the Star Wars movies are cyclical. We think Abrams won’t resist giving Kylo Ren the kind of redemption that Darth Vader got. It might not play out the exact same way. However, given Abrams’ penchant for nostalgia, we think Kylo goes out heroically. In fact, he may turn to the light side even earlier than anyone thought. Some believe he is not attacking Rey in The Rise of Skywalker trailer, but training with her.

And the perfect way to bring a bittersweet poignancy to any scene before Kylo Ren goes out heroically would be to flashback to who Kylo was right before. Imagine seeing a moment with a pre-teen Ben Solo saying goodbye to his parents at his Uncle Luke’s Jedi Academy. He’s scared and doesn’t want to go, but his uncle says something along the lines of “Don’t be scared, Ben. You’re going to make a great Jedi one day. I can feel it.” Luke hugs his sister and his brother-in-law goodbye, and the entire scene is hopeful for the future. Then we cut back to the present, as Ben Solo finally makes his heroic sacrifice to save the galaxy, after having done so much harm. Yes, it’s just like the end of Return of the Jedi, but we all know that Star Wars “rhymes.”

Side note: If Abrams really wants to yank the tears out of everyone’s eyes, he’d have this scene be a farewell between Threepio and Artoo as well. It may be laying it on thick, but that would also be totally in the wheelhouse.

Of course, Lucasfilm has not announced Harrison Ford’s involvement in The Rise of Skywalker in any way, to be clear. But if he were in a brief cameo like this, they would likely want to keep it a surprise. Same for any Force Ghost cameos which have not yet been announced. They would have to digitally de-age everyone, but more to like late-’90s levels, not original trilogy levels. And a lot would depend on just what kind of footage from Episodes VII and VIII they have for Carrie Fisher. But we think it could happen, and probably shot quickly and secretly. We are not saying bring your Kleenex to the theaters this December just yet…but you might want to keep them handy just in case.

Images: Lucasfilm

The post Could THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Give Us an Original Trio Reunion? appeared first on Nerdist.

Sixteen Disney princesses walk into a room… No, this isn’t a joke, it’s Damsels, Dice, and Everything Nice! This new scripted Dungeons & Dragons play series features all of your favorite princesses–including Princess Leia–rolling dice and playing nice. If they can make it past character creation, that is.

The first episode features all of the princesses putting some deep thought into their new characters. Unsurprisingly, a lot of them want to be bards, as they tend to burst into song spontaneously themselves. Lighthearted, funny, and cheerful, this is definitely a table we’d want to play D&D at. (But maybe not DM. Can you imagine fifteen players staring back at you?)

The attention to detail in this first episode is astounding. Not only do all of the princesses have costumes that let you know immediately who they are without any puffy sleeves or glittery skirts, their quirks and personalities are spot on. Belle as Dungeon Master? Of course that makes sense.

And we just have to mention one more reason to watch. Fans of L.A. By Night will see a familiar face among the princesses with Cynthia Marie as Kida, and other fantastic faces from Geek & Sundry appear as well, with Blythe Kala (AXYB, Trail of Cthulhu Halloween Special, Numenera Special) as Ariel, Kailey Bray (Public Access, Gather Your Party) as Belle, and Saige Ryan (Gather Your Party) as Leia.

If you enjoyed the first episode of Damsels, Dice, and Everything Nice, they could use your help. Consider supporting their crowdfunding campaign for the second episode of the sweet series, and your donation will help with filming and princess wrangling.

Stay tuned to the Damsels, Dice, and Everything Nice YouTube channel for updates.

More D&D Fun!

• Take a quiz to find out which friend of The Mighty Nein you’re most similar to.
• Let’s hope the princesses never meet these super scary, contest-winning D&D monsters.
• Pick a pop culture bard you can model your own D&D character after.

All Images: Damsels, Dice, and Everything Nice

The post D&D Is a Royal-Playing Game in DAMSELS, DICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE appeared first on Nerdist.

American Gods season two has been wracked with drama after showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green were fired during production. Though an official reason was never given, rumors abound that Starz was trying to cut the budget on the fantasy show and the imaginative pair were none too pleased. This lines up with a recent comment from Fuller. io9 reported on a now deleted tweet in which Fuller shared some of his vision for the scrapped season; it sounds like it would have been wondrous.

“Me and Michael Green never abandoned American Gods. We were dedicated to cast, crafted the season, wrote 5 episodes, even had Media as Mr Rogers & Princess Leia.”We were in the process of reducing scope due to a dramatic budget reduction when we were fired.”

Gillian Anderson, a.k.a. Media, has also left the show, and that she may have appeared as Star Wars‘ iconic Princess Leia Organa is almost too much to bear. On top of that, the show would have also been paying homage to everyone’s favorite neighbor Mister Rogers. This would have been a sight to behold. We may or may not get to see this (we’re guessing not) when American Gods returns to Starz in 2019. These homages would have been perfect though, given how much Leia and Mister Rogers impacted pop culture. And in 2017, Fuller cited Leia as one of his all time favorite film characters after a fan mentioned how great it would be to see Media as Leia.It’s going to be interesting to see what the new season will be like. Kahyun Kim has signed on as Media. And the show-runner who was brought into replace Fuller and Green, Jesse Alexander, has also left; the show is now under the watchful eye of the book’s author Neil Gaiman.

Images: Starz

The post AMERICAN GODS Season 2 Could Have Seen Gillian Anderson Play Leia and Mister Rogers appeared first on Nerdist.

Several love stories play out in the saga, filled with passion, angst, class differences, and everything else that drives people into each other’s arms. Solo: A Star Wars Story is now in theaters and FULL of smooching, and has cemented its legacy by having the most kisses in a Star Wars film. In honor of this historic feat, we’re counting down the best smooches in Star Wars film history.

18. Finn and Rose, on the lips, The Last Jedi

Lucasfilm

Finn and Rose share a chaste, brief kiss during the Battle of Crait at the end of The Last Jedi. Although the pair flirt lightly through their adventure to Canto Bight and beyond, we didn’t get much heat from their kiss. However, the smooch did push their relationship towards the romantic, and their bond could incite a sort of love triangle in Episode IX with Finn, Rey, and Rose. So we’re definitely looking forward to that potential drama.

17. Luke and Leia, forehead, The Last Jedi

Lucasfilm

One of the most tender and sibling-appropriate moments happens in the form of a forehead kiss given by Luke to Leia before Luke’s sacrifice on Crait. This scene also brings the added weight of Carrie Fisher’s own passing, and is so sweet and poignant. Touchingly, Mark Hamill improvised the kiss, and we are definitely pro-kiss in this instance.

16. Padmé and Anakin, “A happy moment,” Revenge of the Sith

Lucasfilm

Padmé and Anakin steal a quick smooch when Padmé tells Anakin she’s pregnant. The kiss is quick and in secret, which gets points (secret kisses are always a little extra special). Plus, it’s in reaction to the pregnancy news that will set up the Original Trilogy, and ultimately doom Padmé, so it’s bittersweet.

15. Finn and Rey, forehead, The Force Awakens

Lucasfilm

Before Rey departs for Ach-To, she confesses to an unconscious Finn that she believes they will see each other again. She bends down to give him a slow, gentle kiss on the forehead, and unfortunately does NOT kiss him when they reunite on Crait at the end of The Last Jedi. This forehead kiss was all setup, with no payoff, justifying its low ranking on the list. However, it’s platonic enough that the door remains open for Reylo to become canon. But more on that later.

14. Val and Beckett, traditional style, Solo: A Star Wars Story

Lucasfilm

Although we don’t know much about Val and Beckett’s love story, the few moments we get with them together are an incredible encapsulation of emotion, fierce respect, and fun—and it’s all shown through some pretty solid, albeit brief, smooching.

13. Lando, Leia’s hand, Empire Strikes Back

Lucasfilm

Seeing Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story definitely solidifies him as the smoothest man in the galaxy, and he pulls a total power move when Han and Leia land on Cloud City: he kisses Leia’s hand and attempts to shoot his shot with her. She’s already kissed Han by this point in the film, but it’s a sexy, experienced play by the other scoundrel who owned the Falcon.

12. Padmé and Anakin, “I don’t like sand,” Attack of the Clones

Lucasfilm

One of the most infamous scenes in the prequels also has a pretty sneaky romantic kiss. Anakin starts to admit his full feelings for Padmé, which she is not on board for. They’re staring off at the beautiful lake and Naboo landscape, Anakin goes in for a kiss. It’s a bold move at the start of their forbidden romance, which is just beginning to escalate.

11. Luke and Leia, on Luke’s cheek, “for luck,” A New Hope

Lucasfilm

This kiss reads as a supportive move from Leia to Luke. And this is before Luke and Leia know they’re related, so it’s completely appropriate and above board for two siblings. It’s a fun little button before Luke swings them across the bridge, but is slightly romantic in the context of the action. I like it.

10. Padmé and Anakin, secret wedding kiss, Attack of the Clones

Lucasfilm

As poorly scripted as Anakin and Padmé’s romance was, they had an incredible secret wedding at the end of Attack of the Clones. The sunset kiss seals their marriage, as Padmé takes Anakin’s newly robotic hand while C-3PO and R2-D2 look on. We know this marriage is doomed, which makes the kiss all the more romantic and tragic.

9. Han and Leia, “He’s my brother,” Return of the Jedi

Lucasfilm

Han gets a victory kiss in after finding out Luke is no longer a romantic competitor for Leia’s emotions, and in all honesty, it’s a weird time for a kiss. But it is a kiss in a Star Wars movie, so I really can’t complain.

8. Han and Q’ira’s first kiss of the film, Solo: A Star Wars Story

Lucasfilm

Solo basically opens with a full on make-out sesh between teen Han and Q’ira, and I am here for it. These kisses are fun, silly, energetic, and full of life. It’s good character introductions to both of these Corellian kids!

7.  Han and Leia, “Someone who loves you,” Return of the Jedi

Lucasfilm

Am I the only one worried about Han’s stinky breath after being frozen in carbonite for so long? Regardless, this reunion kiss between Han and Leia is everything it should be. The attempted rescue/kiss also briefly subverts the damsel-in-distress trope for one shining moment… before Leia is imprisoned in a metal bikini.

6. Luke and Leia, on the mouth, Empire Strikes Back

Lucasfilm

In a story about intergalactic warfare, swashbuckling aliens, and space wizards, this is potentially the most outrageous moment in all of Star Wars. In an effort to make Han jealous, Leia plants one right on a still-healing Luke on Hoth. They don’t know they’re brother and sister yet, and it’s a moment that will live in Star Wars infamy. Whenever you rewatch the films, this scene reads as super gross. But it’s still pretty funny that the best Star Wars film has just a hint of incest.

5. Han and Q’ira, in the Falcon cape closet, Solo: A Star Wars Story

Lucasfilm

The romantic tension was building between former friends and lovers Han and Q’ira from the minute they saw each other in Dryden Vos’s party yacht. But this kiss in Lando’s cape closet, which foreshadows another major kiss on this list, could have devolved into something more had Beckett not interrupted things. Multiple walls were involved, handsy fumbling, and romantic giddiness all make this emotional, intense smooch session the greatest in recent Star Wars memory.

4. Padmé and Anakin, about to die in the arena, Attack of the Clones

Lucasfilm

Padmé and Anakin had agreed to ignore the growing feelings they had for each other, and to try and stifle their forbidden love. That all changes when they get captured on Geonosis and are about to be taken to their deaths in a big gladiator pit. Padmé is the one who initiates this conversation, saying how she “truly, deeply” loves Anakin. He rebukes her and reminds her of the decision they made to not fall in love—“that it would destroy us.”

Padmé delivers this killer blow: “I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyways.” They lean in for a kiss, perfectly backlit by the sun of the arena, as their love theme, “Across the Stars” plays. Holy cow, “Across the Stars” is so good. That track is far too epic for the nature of Anakin and Padmé’s actual relationship, but the combination of that part of the score, the sexy lighting, and the potential “last kiss before we die” trope all contribute to this kiss’s perfection.

3. Han and Leia, “I Love You/I Know,” Empire Strikes Back

Lucasfilm

Iconic. Passionate. Life-or-death. What is there left to say about this kiss? There’s a reason this entire scene goes down in history as one of the most romantic in all of Star Wars, and the kiss is part of it. Han and Leia are pulled apart from sharing one last kiss before Han gets frozen in carbonite, and it’s the kind of frantic, sad, intense kiss we haven’t seen since in Star Wars.

2.  Han and Leia, first kiss on the Falcon, Empire Strikes Back

Lucasfilm

Although “I love you/I know” is the most romantic scene in Star Wars, the best kiss has to be Han and Leia’s first kiss on the Millennium Falcon. In a tight nook, some flirty banter kicks things off between Han and Leia, which moves on to tender hand touching, which finally culminates with a steamy smooch that’s been brewing for the entire film, ever since Han and Leia shared an intense glance on Hoth before Han attempts to leave. The whole set-up and payoff of the kiss demonstrates the chemistry and bond Han and Leia have, and why they are the most epic couple in Star Wars. Plus, Han’s in his best jacket of the trilogy, making him extra suave and sexy in this scene.  

1. Rey and Ben, the kiss in between dying, The Rise of Skywalker

Lucasfilm

To quote the iconic Janine Melnitz from Ghostbusters: WE GOT ONE!!!!

After three movies of simmering sexual tension, begrudging attraction, and lots of lingering gazes, Rey and Ben Solo, formerly known as Kylo Ren, kissed on the mouth. Super hard. For a while. Here’s the setup, for those who need a quick reminder of the context of the kiss:

After teaming up to take down the revived Emperor Palpatine, Rey and Ben are completely drained of life, literally. Ben gets thrown off a cliff (“Ow”) into a pit, and Rey uses both Skywalker sabers to bounce Sheev’s force lightning back into him, disintegrating him for good this time.

Both of them take a little bit of a nap, and Rey seems to fully die from all of that effort. Ben Solo climbs out of the pit and stumbles to Rey’s side, hugs her tightly, and Force heals her like she did for him on the Death Star II remains. Rey wakes up, grabs Ben’s hand, they stare at each other for what feels like an hour. Holding each other’s faces, Rey says, “Ben,” and then… they smooch! Rey goes in for it, Ben responds. It is a long and glorious kiss. Rey smiles, Ben smiles, and then, Ben dies. It is brutal.

But, they’re a Force dyad, and they got their space kiss! They are equals in the Force and the only ones that really knew each other! After seeing these two talk across the Force and stare at each other in person for the better part of two movies, the kiss was truly the release we deserve. I really didn’t think we were going to get it! But we did, and it was magical.

Reylo is a divisive ‘ship, and I get that. But this is clearly the best kiss in all of Star Wars.

HONORABLE MENTION: Kylo and Rey’s finger touch, The Last Jedi

We haven’t gotten an on-the-lips kiss in the Star Wars sequels at all, which is a crime. Of all the ‘ships out there, Rey and Kylo is full of the most raw emotion, fueled by both shared abandonment issues, equal Force power, and beautiful faces. Rey and Kylo Ren touching hands across the galaxy in slow motion, after proclaiming the other is not alone, is the sexiest Star Wars scene in the Disney films. Just kiss already, you cowards!

KISSES WE WANT TO SEE:

Cassian and Jyn, Chirrut and Baze, Lando and L3, Kylo and Rey, Poe and Finn, Poe and Zorii!

So there you have it: the definitive ranking of kisses in Star Wars. Here’s to many more kisses in future films because there definitely needs to be more kissing in a galaxy far, far away. And no pressure, J.J. Abrams, but it’s your move for Episode IX to top Ron Howard’s number of kisses in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The post Ranking Every Kiss in the STAR WARS Movies appeared first on Nerdist.

For many of us who grew up watching the original trilogy, Carrie Fisher‘s Princess Leia was one of the first strong women we saw on our screens. In the wake of the massive success of the first Star Wars film, Marvel Comics licensed the rights to create a series of comics based on the film. Though they began as simple adaptations, they quickly turned into something else entirely, with stories from incredible creators like Alan Moore, Archie Goodwin, and Carmine Infantino. Some of the best of the classic Star Wars comics center on Princess Leia and her galactic adventures, so to celebrate this May the Fourth we’ve collected eight of our fave Leia-centric stories!

Star Wars #48

“The Third Law” is a fantastic example of the weird and wonderful storytelling that the classic Star Wars comics have to offer. Carmine Infantino, Carlos Garzon and Glynis Oliver team up to paint Leia venturing to the banking planet of Aargau along with her faithful droids and finance minister Viscount Tardi. The group are there to secure funding for the Rebellion, but Darth Vader is on their tail. Luckily, Leia has planned for this, tricking her father with a droid delegate and a very convoluted plan. This is a great twisty, and almost unnecessarily esoteric, exercise in fantastic sci-fi storytelling. Plus, Infantino’s cover of Vader facing down his daughter is still one of the all time greats.

Star Wars #30

“A Princess Alone” sees Leia infiltrate an Imperial stronghold as she attempts to spread the Rebellion’s optimistic message of peace and hope. This is a great issue focused solely on Leia as she tries to navigate a planet full of Stormtroopers to send her vital communication. Classic creative team Archie Goodwin, Carmine Infantino, Gene Day, and Petra Scotese are in top form here, offering up a truly exhilarating issue that ends with Leia escaping Metalorn with the help of a young worker girl named Tammi.

Star Wars #73

In this radical issue penned by Jo Duffy, pencilled by Ron Frenz, inked by Tom Palmer, and colored by superstar Glynis Wein, we find the motley crew of Leia, Luke, Lando, and new addition Dani on a mission to a far-off planet called Lahsbane. While there, Dani distracts Luke with her constant amorous advances, and after being abandoned by Luke and Lando, the ladies have to team up to fly some hot air balloons through space. Yup, it’s as fantastical as it sounds, with Frenz, Palmer, and Oliver doing an incredible job of portraying the surreal action.

Star Wars #86

In the wake of The Empire Strikes Back, Leia is on a solo mission. After turning down Luke’s offer of company, she heads off to the planet Yinchorr where Luke suspects there’s Imperial activity. The blue milk drinking farm boy is right, and Leia is quickly taken hostage. After an attempt on her life leads to a devastating air crash, Leia discovers that the man flying the TIE fighter who tried to kill her is from Alderaan. This is a surprisingly sombre and touching exploration of how marginalized people get caught up in fascist regimes from Randy Stradley, Bob McLeod, Tom Palmer, and Glynis Wein, as Leia attempts to save the Alderaanian TIE fighter pilot to no avail.

The Empire Strikes Back #154

Did you know Alan Moore wrote Star Wars comics? This is one of the five wild and wonderful stories that he wrote during his stint in the ’70s–this one drawn by John Stokes and colored by Pamela Rambo–that appeared in the UK reprints of the Star Wars comics. In the questionable Alan Moore tradition he kills the main female character, who in this case is Princess Leia. Though it may seem like an odd pick for this list, the comic is so psychedelic and surreal that it definitely earns its place, especially as it includes ghosts, ancient Stormtroopers, and Leia being killed by having her heart turned into a diamond.

The Empire Strikes Back #151

Alan Moore penned another Leia-centric story in “The Pandora Effect” and in this one she fights space pirates and psychically battles a cult leader. It’s pretty fantastic, and the art by Adolfo Buylla just adds to the wildness. Leia, Han, Luke, and the droids are trying their best to escape the aforementioned space pirates when the Millennium Falcon is literally swallowed by another ship. When the crew wakes up, they’re being held by an evil cult called the Five. The book ends with Leia being psychically attacked by the leader of the Five, before Chewie saves the day and the crew escape. It’s mad.

Star Wars #54

Ever wanted to see Leia take down an entire fleet of TIE fighters? Well now you can in this classic issue “Starfire Rising” from Walt FREAKING Simonson, Carmine Infantino, Tom Palmer, Al Milgrom, Frank Giacoia, and Glynis Oliver. After being captured on the planet Shiva IV, Leia and her companion Aron Peacebringer have to fight off a number of Empire assaults, including an entire squad of TIE fighters which Leia defeats like it’s nothing before jumping out of their now crashed airship and tearing into a whole bunch of Stormtroopers. Even when Luke and the crew show up, Leia is still at center stage disarming an antimatter bomb to save the day. Long Live the General!

Star Wars #93

We did warn you that these comics get weird so prepare yourself for some serious Star Wars strangeness as Leia and the crew get stuck in a battle between two separate races of cat people. “Catspaw” comes from the marvelous minds of Jo Duffy, Sal Buscema, Tom Palmer, and Petra Scotese. It really showcases comics’ capacity for imaginative and out of the box storytelling as Leia and her new friend Minka attempt to free the lumbering lads who’ve been captured by crazed catfolk. Luckily, Leia saves the day and the two warring factions align themselves against the threat of the Empire.

Do you have a favorite Leia comic we missed? Love our list? Or just love Leia? Let us know below!

Images: Marvel Comics

More from a galaxy far, far away!

• Donald Glover shows off Lando’s Millennium Falcon and cape closet!
• Get more about the latest Star Wars with an extra long Solo featurette!
• The top 11 silliest character names in all of Star Wars!

[brightcove video_id=”5779034968001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post 8 Brilliant Princess Leia Moments in STAR WARS Comics appeared first on Nerdist.

Star Wars: Forces of Destiny has been focused on elevating the women of the galaxy since the start. From Leia to Rose Tico, Maz Kanata to Padme, Rey to Sabine and beyond, the animated shorts have been an utter delight. As Disney releases the show’s second season, I was moved to explore the radical nature of utilizing cartoons to give space and time to women who’re often written out of some of the more important moments in galactic history, and the joy of getting to learn even more about these characters that’ve become so important to us over the years.

Though Star Wars: Forces of Destiny is ostensibly a marketing tool for Disney to sell toys to girls, that has historically led to the creation of some of the most beloved cartoons in the world. Shows like Transformers, G.I. Joe, He-Man, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were all conceived as a way of selling toys to children during an age of strict rules about advertising to children. Because of this, many of our nostalgic favorites don’t always hold up. Although Forces of Destiny fits this model, it elevates the form by creating gorgeous shorts which add to our understanding and knowledge about the women of the Star Wars universe, building on important moments in canon as they create a more inclusive vision of the galaxy we grew up with.

Star Wars has, over its forty plus years, often been criticized for having very few women at the front of the multi-billion dollar franchise. Rewatch the original trilogy and it’s awfully hard to find a named female character other than the queen of our hearts, Leia. There’s Mon Mothma—who appears on screen for a whopping 28 seconds—Aunt Beru, Sy Snootles of the Max Rebo Band, and the iconic and short-lived Oola, the green dancing alien from Jabba’s palace. The prequels introduced Padme Amidala, who gave an entirely new generation of Star Wars fans a new woman to love and look up to. But like Leia before her, much of Padme’s story was defined by the men around her. In Forces of Destiny, however, both women are given their own paths, stories, and interactions—and it’s not only joyful to watch, but positively refreshing.

With Rey at the center of the new Star Wars trilogy, it makes sense for Disney to build up the profiles and stories of the other women from their universe. Nearly all 26 episodes of Forces of Destiny have put women front and center in the narratives, making a truly great start for this animated series. Whether it’s showing iconic meetups we never before got to see on screen (like Maz and Leia in Season Two or Rebels’ Sabine helping out Rogue One’s Jyn in season one), Forces of Destiny has created a space for these characters to interact and get to know one another outside of the main filmic canon and it’s wonderful to watch. It’s not only incredible as a female Star Wars fan, but also as someone who adores knowing the ins and outs of things that I love; getting to see these characters from television, film, and beyond interact is an exhilarating way to learn more about Star Wars.

Though Star Wars has gotten better at focusing on women in main canon—whether it’s Rey, Leia, or Hera Syndulla in Rebels—they still often struggle to include women of color. Star Wars Rebels worked to change this by introducing two fantastic characters of color in Sabine Wren and her friend Ketsu Onyu. Sabine is a regular on Forces of Destiny, and her and Ketsu share two episodes of the animated micro-series. It’s pretty radical and unexpected to see Star Wars: Forces of Destiny giving women of color space to share a friendship and adventures, something the show will hopefully do more of going forward.

And it’s not just Forces Of Destiny, as Claudia Gray introduced us to the incredible and conflicted Ciena Ree, a burgeoning pilot in the Empire, in her fantastic novel Lost Stars. It’s amazing to see Star Wars attempting to tell more diverse stories; I just hope we’ll start to see that reflected on the big screen soon.

The best thing about Forces of Destiny is the work it does to normalize women in the Star Wars universe. It’s making every little girl who watches believe she can be a pilot, rebel, or princess all whilst expanding on the fantastic women who’ve been at the heart of Star Wars over the years. During season two we see Leia team up with Maz Kanata to disarm Boushh the bounty hunter, whose armor Leia wears during her rescue of Han in Return of the Jedi. It’s a fantastic example of the power of Forces of Destiny–it builds on an iconic moment whilst cementing agency and camaraderie between two strong women in the Star Wars universe, and it’s really quite magical.

What do you think about Forces of Destiny? Let us know in the comments below!

More from the galaxy far, far away!

• The coolest reveals from Forces of Destiny season two.
• Go behind the scenes of Finn and Phasma’s battle.
• Luke, Rose, and Maz Kanata join Forces of Destiny.

[brightcove video_id=”5752352397001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

Images: Disney

The post STAR WARS: FORCES OF DESTINY is Changing The Narrative appeared first on Nerdist.

Spoilers For Star Wars: The Last Jedi Ahead

It has been less than a month since Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrived in theaters, but the discourse around the film has made it feel like eighty-four years. In what is the most divisive installment to the franchise yet, fans can’t seem to agree on anything: was Luke’s arc good or bad? Did Rey get pushed to the side or not? Was Canto Bight a world-opening excursion or a waste of a side plot? Are porgs friends or food? But throughout these fissures in the fandom, one topic has been danced around like Han Solo’s death was in The Force Awakens: What if The Last Jedi had killed Princess Leia?

Thanks to the cruel hand of reality, Carrie Fisher was stolen from us at the end of 2016. At the time, she’d already finished filming her scenes for The Last Jedi, and initial interviews suggested that TFA was Han’s movie, TLJ was Luke’s movie, and Episode IX would be Leia’s movie. But now that is impossible. It puts the franchise in an awkward place. Does Leia now die between episodes? Will she have a funeral in the next film? Does she simply get called away to the command the last of the Resistance/Rebels off-camera? Or will they find a way to splice Leia into the first act of Episode IX to give her an on-camera death? None of these options sounds appealing, much less a satisfying end to a legend who dedicated her life to galactic freedom.But what if Leia’s fake-out death scene had been the narrative conclusion for the iconic character? The moment the bridge blew apart, I was stunned. Lucasfilm had done it. They’d kept Leia’s death a secret for months. In my shocked grief, I forgot TV spots had shown her in costumes from later in the film. Logic surrendered to heartbreak. How would the Resistance go on without its biggest supporter? How would the new characters react to her loss? How would Luke react? These thoughts flitted across my mind chaotically, but, then it was over. Leia used the Force to save herself.

But what if? What if Leia had died in that moment? What would’ve been different? Just about everything.

1. KYLO REN’S STORY

The person who feels the most immediate ramifications would have been Leia’s son, Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo. Here is a man who has been relentless in his mantra to “Kill the past.” He has destroyed everything that ties him to his family history: his name, his Uncle’s Jedi temple, his father. Yet, when the moment comes for Ben to take out his mother, he simply can’t do it. Ben Solo loves his mother more than he hates everything. This is a huge leap forward in character development. In the moment the bridge exploded, he would have had to watch his mother die at the hands of his own minions. Now, Ben is not exactly a temperate man. I can only imagine him using the Force to slam the offending TIE Fighters together in rage.

Ben is already struggling between the Light and the Dark in The Last Jedi, and his mother’s death would complicate this. Who to blame? Snoke is an easy choice, but Ben’s rage at Luke could also increase. Luke could’ve saved her, but he didn’t. He chose passivity. His anger toward the status quo is already established in The Last Jedi, so does he simply blame the environment and stay the course on his inevitable, regrettable path? His ability to ever join Rey in finding balance is at once in serious jeopardy and one of his only options.

2. POE’S STORY

While Ben is Leia’s biological son, Poe Dameron is the surrogate. Her relationship with the brash pilot (remind you of anyone?) is parental though technically a mentorship. The Last Jedi spends the entire runtime teaching Poe that not every problem can be solved with a blaster or a bomb. His actions end with dozens, if not hundreds of casualties. Poe is the one in Leia’s hospital room after she Mary Poppins’ herself to safety and he is the one in sync with Leia’s plan to “Get out of range.” They clearly are very close.

Leia’s death would have sent Poe into a spiral of guilt and grief–his antics would have been partly responsible for her death. This kind of anguish could have fueled his irrational hostility toward Holdo in a fashion less steeped in sexism. Holdo’s long relationship with Leia would have resulted in even far less patience for Poe, whom she would see as the cause of her death. His mutiny would not have ended as amicably, and if he somehow survived that and escaped to Crait, he would have been in a reluctant, tenuous command. This would have ended with a gut-wrenching scene between Poe and Luke Skywalker.

3. LUKE’S STORY

This one hurts. Luke tried to restart the Jedi Order, and failed. He tried to teach his nephew how to control the Force, and failed. He sequestered himself from the galaxy in the hopes that a lack of Jedi would lead to more stability, and failed. Luke Skywalker ran away from his problems, his guilt, and (in his mind) the judgement of his family. But hiding doesn’t solve anything, and the First Order took advantage of that.

In The Last Jedi, Luke is allowed to atone for some of his mistakes. He reconciles with Leia before sacrificing himself to allow the Resistance to escape. But if Leia had died in the first act, Luke would have never seen his sister again, and one of the most tender moments of the film would have been tragically somber. Luke would have still sacrificed himself, but he would not have ever come close to forgiving himself. His final moments would be tinged with despair rather than hope.

4. REY’S STORY

We don’t know much about how Rey felt about Leia. They were rarely on-screen together. But an educated guess based on Rey’s quick and desperate loyalty to those she sees as parent figures indicates she would take Leia’s death hard. First, she lost Han; then Luke was a dissapointment. Couple that with the loss of the woman who sent her on afailed mission to Ahch-To, and  Rey would likely waiver between despair that she couldn’t save her and rage at Luke and Ben for their roles in Leia’s demise. However, were she still able to ultimately achieve balance, Rey would have to learn acceptance.

5. THE RESISTANCE’S STORY

What is the Resistance with General Leia Organa? Without Admiral Ackbar? Without any of the leadership that has been guiding the ship for decades. Who steps into the void? Not Holdo, who sacrifices herself to save the many. Not Maz, who is obviously dealing with her own problems. Poe is certainly too green for the job. Maybe Lando, who is off doing who knows what? Maybe Mon Mothma, who is also MIA? The true strength of any military is what happens when the leaders are martyred. Do they fade away into the annals of history, or rise up and avenge their fallen leaders?

6. THE AUDIENCE

Think about your first viewing of The Last Jedi, and the moment Leia closed her eyes, drifting in space. Now imagine that feeling seeping into the very marrow of the film. While Luke is refusing to train Rey, we know Leia is dead. While Kylo Ren is throwing a rage tantrum in the elevator, we know Leia is dead. While Finn and Rose try to find the Codebreaker, Leia is dead. Her loss would have colored every action, the void where she should be reminding us of the stakes. You would have likely felt cheated by such an ignoble death for the icon, and the fantasy world of Star Wars would have felt uncomfortably close to actuality.

Images: Lucasfilm

More Star Wars

• The making of the fathiers and vulptices.
• How they made the Yoda puppet.
• The making of the milking scene.

[brightcove video_id=”5703570525001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post How General Leia’s Death Would Have Changed THE LAST JEDI appeared first on Nerdist.

When our favorite moptop farmboy barreled into an incarcerated sovereign’s holding cell and proudly declared, “I’m Luke Skywalker, I’m here to rescue you!” it was the first time in his life that the name really meant anything. We know that the Skywalker sigil had carried weight long prior to Luke’s ad-hoc rescue mission of the princess-in-repose; we know that Luke’s father had ridden his name through the ranks of Jedi training and, subsequently, to the head of the Galactic Empire. His mother did the same for nobler causes.[/nerdist_section]And yas, we know that Luke’s sister—the complete stranger he’d made it his business to spring loose from a heavily guarded Imperial vessel —had used her adopted handle Leia Organa to reign with diplomacy over Alderaan, and what’s more, to bring liberty and salvation to the known galaxy.

But when the world first watched Tatooine’s hometown boy tear off his stormtrooper disguise and proclaim his mission with a full heart and an open nasal cavity, all we knew of Luke Skywalker was that he was here to rescue you. And that’s all we needed.

For the three years between the original picture’s release in 1977 and the 111th minute of The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars was a story about a nobody—a big-dreaming bumpkin raised on a moisture farm—who became a somebody by way of heart, courage, determination, and a little help from an enterprising messenger robot and a manipulative shaman. Though to no small degree the beneficiary of chance, the doe-eyed Jedi-in-the-making nevertheless earned his claim to heroism, not on the Skywalker of it all, but on the Luke.

It wasn’t genealogy that drove Luke’s adventure in that very first movie—how could it be? All that the original Star Wars’ audiences knew of the boy’s family were some vague details about his father’s death and his aunt’s affinity for cerulean dairy. Instead, the first chapter of the Star Wars saga rested its laurels on the idea that anybody, even a naval-gazing schmendrick like Luke Skywalker, could harness the Force, take down the Empire, and become a hero.

That the conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back comprised one of the great twist reveals in cinema history is in no small part to thank for our collective absolution of the film for undermining the very message from which its predecessor was ostensibly born. It wasn’t just Luke that changed with Empire, but Star Wars on the whole. What was once a story about character and choice begat another about bloodline and destiny, a shift cemented in Leia’s induction into the Skywalker clan in Return of the Jedi. By 1983, it seemed as though Star Wars had changed its mind about heroes, adopting the mentality that you’ve got to be born one.

I must confess, I wasn’t around for the world’s introduction to self-made-man Luke, nor the revelation of the Skywalker boy’s preternatural grandeur. But I was born in time to witness another of that faraway galaxy’s great spiritual reversals, and one that has not enjoyed quite the same fanfare.

Sorry, everyone. We’re talking Midi-chlorians now.

While I may have lost a few friends asserting that the reveal od Darth Vader as Luke’s father is a critical blow to Star Wars’ established identity, I’m sure none of my readers will disagree that The Phantom Menace‘s introduction of Midi-chlorians into the series’ canon was damn near fatal. Of all the missteps of the prequel trilogy—baby Anakin, trade embargos, CGI Yoda, teen angst Anakin, sand getting everywhere, baby Boba Fett, racist stereotype aliens, Amidala dying of a broken heart, and, of course, Jar Jar—it’s Midi-chlorians that arouse the bitterest resentment.

An ill-conceived effort to replace the magic and mystery of the Force with half-cocked microbiology, Midi-chlorians drove Star Wars even further from A New Hope’s tacit prophecy that anyone could be a hero. Empire and Return may have insinuated that only certain people could be heroes, but Phantom Menace doubled down withy the idea that even those people were only heroes because of a blood mutation.

Fans’ contention with the factor of Midi-chlorians has taken form in any and all of the traditional stages of grief. My own revulsion with this narrative transgression has set up camp in denial, allowing for a just-crazy-enough-to-work reading of every onscreen mention of Midi-chlorians. For me, they’re more closely comparable to our own world’s anti-Vaxxer movement. Are you really going to trust Qui-Gon Jinn, a known zealot with poor judgement?

The new Star Wars movies take the noble route of simply pretending Midi-chlorians never existed. At no point is the new trilogy’s rejection of the prequels’ microbial retcon more evident than in The Last Jedi’s biggest dramatic moment: the disclosure of Rey’s parentage.

When our beloved bunhead survivalist dodged the piercing glare of her Dark Side counterpart and whimpered a defeated, “They were nobody,” it was the first time in her life that she admitted to herself that her name really didn’t mean anything. But we know she’s wrong about that.

That Rey comes from nothing, just as we once believed to be true of Luke Skywalker, is precisely what makes her something. That the world’s first vantage point of Luke decried the shackles of humble beginnings and an ambivalent vast cosmos is why he rang so valiant to the Average Biggs in 1977. That Rey used her own helping of heart, courage, and determination (and, yas, a little help from an enterprising messenger droid and a goofy reformed stormtrooper) to overcome isolation, poverty, and a universe without any grand plans for her is why she reads the hero here and now in 2017—a time when this breed of hero is in particularly great demand.

The Empire Strikes Back may have retroactively armed Luke Skywalker with the benefactor of destiny, on which The Phantom Menace upped the ante. But per The Last Jedi’s revelation of Jakku’s adventurous orphan as born of “nobodies,” we know that we can credit whatever glory she achieves throughout her story not to bloodline (or, quite literally, blood), but to Rey.

The Last Jedi embraces this more diplomatic viewpoint of greatness, assigning the white-collar folks of Canto Bight with superlative villainy and closing its run on the hope of another young nobody as the future—better yet, a future—of the Force, the Rebellion, and the good fight altogether.

Though I’d be crazy to die on the hill that Star Wars should never have named Darth Vader as Luke’s father, nor Leia as his sister, I will brandish a similar flag: Here and now in 2017, what we could really use is not a story of family sagas, but of nobodies coming from nowhere to do something. That’s what the world got in 1977, and it’s what Star Wars returns to with The Last Jedi.

All we know about Rey is that she’s here to rescue us. And that’s all we need.

Images: Lucasfilm

Michael Arbeiter is the East Coast Editor of Nerdist. Find Michael on Twitter @micarbeiter.

The post How THE LAST JEDI Fixes the STAR WARS Saga’s Biggest Mistake appeared first on Nerdist.

Everyone loves Star Wars, right? The majestic scope of a galaxy far, far away. The beloved and iconic characters. The decades of canon and millennia of densely packed history. But there’s another version of our favorite space opera that had the potential to change the face of the franchise forever, one that George Lucas tried to make disappear.

We are, of course, talking about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. This one-off TV extravaganza has since become notorious as the most surreal, outlandish moment in the annals of the franchise. For some of us, though, it holds a special place in our hearts. It’s been parodied, dissected, and revisited nearly every year since it aired 39 years ago. This holiday season we’re going to look back at the much maligned special in a different way by examining how it could’ve impacted canon had it not been written out of history.

Religion would exist outside of the Extended Universe

The special revolves around Chewbacca and Han trying to get back to Kashyyyk so Chewie can celebrate Life Day with his family. The festivities are obviously an analogue for Christmas and would’ve been the first canon introduction of the idea of religion into mainstream Star Wars canon. In the Expanded Universe there are almost 80 religious groups, but Chewie’s family celebration of Life Day would’ve been the first canon allusion to organized religion in the galaxy.

 Virtual reality space porn

The technology of Star Wars has often been one of the most interesting parts of the legend and lore of the franchise. During one of the special’s oddest moments, Chewie’s dad Attichitcuk is treated to a sensual VR dance from a water-being named Mermeia, played by Diahann Carroll. This unforgettable moment means the holiday special would’ve introduced a startlingly strange and prescient piece of tech into canon with a virtual reality erotica machine.

A new planetary system in Panna

One of the highlights of the Holiday Special is a Moebius-esque animated segment by Canadian studio Nelvana. The sequence features the Millennium Falcon crashing onto a moon in the Panna system. This would’ve introduced the new planet and system into canon, creating a whole new landscape for the space adventurers to explore.

Boba Fett’s first appearance

During the animated segment “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee,“ which introduced Panna, an iconic character was introduced years before he ever made his first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. Boba Fett, everyone’s favorite bounty hunter, is the star of the 11 minute short. At first appearing to be an ally, it’s later revealed that he’s working for Vader to find the rebels. This would’ve been a fantastic easter egg had it survived to become canon.

The Empire knows where Chewie lives

One of the more ridiculous moments of the Holiday Special is when the Imperial troopers force their way into Chewie’s home whilst Malla is preparing the Life Day dinner. The fact that they do nothing more that slightly mess up the house is a funny sidenote, but the moment would’ve had huge ramifications if it’d become canon. It means the Empire would’ve known Chewie and his family’s whereabouts, putting them in constant danger and making it far harder for him to be a part of the Resistance.

Bea Arthur would’ve joined canon earlier

Of all of the eclectic cameos, the most unforgettable goes to Golden Girl Bea Arthur. A nightshift bartender at the iconic cantina bar introduced in A New Hope, she has to encourage the rowdy patrons to leave after a curfew is enforced by the Empire, and of course she does it with song. Though she was recently added to mainstream Star Wars canon in two stories from the recent collection A Certain Point of View, this would’ve seen Bea Arthur become a part of Star Wars canon 39 years earlier.

Jefferson Starship would be Star Wars characters

Though their band was never given a name, Jefferson Starship starred in the Holiday Special lip-syncing along to “Light the Sky on Fire,” a single recorded especially for the show. Live music has rarely been a part of main Star Wars canon, but the few appearances have usually become iconic. Sadly for Jefferson Starship, their song was a hit on Kashyyyk but they never quite reached the canon-approved heights of Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes.

Have you ever seen the Star Wars Holiday Special? Is there you something you wished had been committed to canon forever? Do you just love Lumpy and want to name your kids after him? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Lucasfilm, Disney

The post How the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL Could Have Impacted Canon appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s almost the most magical time of the year… we’re talking about the day that The Last Jedi hits theaters Christmas, of course! As always, we’re here to help with all your gift giving woes. For this seasonal roundup we’ve collected a whole bunch of magical Star Wars themed gifts from stocking fillers to shockingly extravagant surprises for your nearest and dearest galactic pals. So pull on your Santa hats, put on The Star Wars Holiday Special, and get ready for all the Life Day gifts we’ve got for you!

Death Star Waffle Maker

That’s no moon! You’re right, it’s a waffle! Yes, make your own delicious Death Star delicacies whilst taking down the Empire at the same time with this rad Death Star waffle maker from Think Geek. It costs $39.99, but can you really put a price on defeating Darth Vader by eating delicious, delicious waffles? OF COURSE NOT!

Porg Blanket and Pillow Porg

Who doesn’t love porgs? Terrible people who hate cute cuddly probably Force sensitive creatures, that’s who! If you’re a sensible humanoid who wants to be cozy and cuddle a porg, then this sweet set from Target is for you. For only $17.09 you can take your very own Ahch-To native home with you and keep yourself warm on these cold winter nights!

Resist Last Jedi Shirt

It’s been a long time coming but Star Wars has finally started putting the girls at the front and center of their merch. With The Last Jedi we’ve been blessed with another fantastic female heroine in Rose Tico, who takes center on this super shirt that celebrates the heroes of the resistance. You can snag this from the Disney Store for just $27.99!

Death Star Ice Cube Mold

These super cool ice cube molds are a must-have for any discerning Star Wars fan. Pop them in your favorite soda or make your signature cocktail super nerdy by dropping this rad icy Death Star into your glass. These are the perfect stocking stuffers and you can grab a pair on Amazon for just $6.39.

Millenium Falcon Bluetooth Speaker

Need to play your favorite song in less than 12 parsecs? Then you obviously need this Millennium Falcon Bluetooth player! You can also pretend you’re piloting the Falcon as you answer all your calls with its wireless capabilities. Don’t be a nerfherder and grab this galactic piece of tech for $49.99 from Hot Topic.

From A Certain Point of View

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in the galaxy whilst the battles rage around you, From a Certain Point of View is the book for you. Celebrating 40 years of Star Wars, this book collects 40 short stories that are told by background characters in A New Hope. This lovely hardcover collection is a great gift for Star Wars fans new and old. You can grab this on Amazon for $24.48.

Forces of Destiny: Leia on Endor

Disney’s Star Wars: Forces of Destiny range has been one of the most exciting additions to Star Wars canon, with stories created throughout the Star Wars timeline focused on the women of the series. With a large line of dolls it’s often hard to choose which one you’re going to take home, but this Christmas it has to be this Leia and Wicket on Endor set which is $27.99 at Shopko.

Millennium Falcon Chocolate Thins

The holidays are a time for snacking, splurging, and eating a whole lot of sweet treats. Luckily for the cookie loving Star Wars fan out there, the Truffle Cottage have an incredible range of galactic themed treats including these super detailed almost too lovely to eat chocolate things made in the image of everyone’s favorite space freighter. The best part is they’re just $2.50 each!

Death Star Fire Pit

Got a spare $3,500 to spare for the super fan in your life? If you do you better get to West Coast Fire Pits and snap up this custom Death Star Fire Pit. Who hasn’t wanted to sit around and watch the Empire’s most iconic ship burn whilst you take in the beauty of your back yard and drink a cold beer? Well you can now make that dream a reality. You can thank us later.

For the Special Pet in your life…

Could these mice in Star Wars cosplay be the best Star Wars merch of all time? We’re not saying they are but we also aren’t saying they’re not… If you want to treat your fave furry friend–or just someone who loves cute stuff–this holiday season, then grab these limited edition beauties from Petco for only $2.59 FOR BOTH!

What will you be picking up from our seasonal smorgasbord? Do you have a Star Wars fan in the family? Are you just gonna buy it all for yourself? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Petco, Target, West Coast Fire Pits, Truffle Cottage, Hot Topic, Shopko, Disney, LucasFilm, Kotobukiya, Disney Store, Think Geek,

The post 10 Essential Gifts for the STAR WARS Fan in Your Family appeared first on Nerdist.

Warning: spoilers follow for Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View.

Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View hits shelves today. The anthology book features 40 short stories that take place during the events of A New Hope; they show what’s happening from the perspectives of support characters and elsewhere in the galaxy while Luke Skywalker is taking the first steps on his heroic journey. One of these tales, “There Is Another” by Gary D. Schmidt, focuses on Yoda.

The Jedi Master is lonely in his exile. He’s moving between his two homes, which he has not because Dagobah has multiple luxurious options but because he needs a place to live during the wet season and a place to live during the dry season. While he’s packing up his meager belongings (one of which is Qui-Gon Jinn‘s cloak that he uses as a blanket—aww, Yoda!), Obi-Wan appears to him in Force ghost form to discuss the Skywalkers.

And guess what? To Yoda, Luke was the first “there is another.” He wanted to train Leia to use the Force and become a Jedi. He daydreamed (inasmuch as anyone like Yoda daydreams) about still having his lightsaber, handing it to Leia, and watching her discover the Force and “bringing to the galaxy a new age that she could not even hope to imagine.” He even hoped she would help bring her father, Darth Vader, back from the dark side. But Yoda felt like he missed his chance with her.

Yoda thought of Luke as “that other Skywalker.” He named Luke’s impatience and anger as terrible weaknesses. He called him reckless and as angry as Anakin. He only decided to train Luke at the insistence of Force ghost Obi-Wan–kind of like Qui-Gon insisting that Obi-Wan train Anakin.

It’s probably for the best given the crucial role Leia played in the Rebel Alliance, but man. It’s fun to think about what would have happened if she wielded the lightsaber instead of Luke.

What kind of Jedi do you think Leia would have been? Are you glad things worked out the way they did? Sound off in the comments.

Images: Lucasfilm, Disney, Giphy

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.

More Star Wars books goodness!

• New Star Wars Little Golden Books.
• Jon Hamm cast as Boba Fett for From a Certain Point of View audio book.
• The Last Jedi connections in Leia: Princess of Alderaan.

[brightcove video_id=”5574190312001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post STAR WARS Book Reveals Yoda Wanted to Train Leia, Not Luke appeared first on Nerdist.

Warning: spoilers follow for Leia: Princess of Alderaan. Proceed at your own risk.

I will never say no to an opportunity to learn more about Leia Organa, princess, senator, general. She’s a Star Wars character with a rich history. If a story about her also happens to include more of Alderaan and Breha (Queen!) and Bail Organa, it’s icing on the jogan fruit cake. Claudia Gray‘s Leia: Princess of Alderaan is set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Leia is 16 years old and learning about the existence of the rebellion and the roles her parents play in it.

As if the exploration of Leia at that time period isn’t enough, the novel is part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi publishing program. Titles in this series have connections to Episode III in ways big and small. Leia: Princess of Alderaan has two elements that could add more depth to The Last Jedi.

Crait

The mineral world of Crait is a safe haven for the Resistance in The Last Jedi. The salt-covered planet with bright red soil is important to Leia’s past. In the novel, she started to become curious about her parents’ odd behavior. She traced shipments to Crait and took it upon herself to travel to the planet in secret. But she got busted and captured. When she demanded the mysterious individuals take her to their leader, she was shocked to learn their leader was her father.

Crait is more than a former outpost for the Rebel Alliance. It was where Leia first learned of Bail’s involvement with rebel activities. This excursion was a pivotal point for Leia’s development.

Amilyn Holdo

Amilyn Holdo, played by Laura Dern in The Last Jedi, was a pal of Leia’s way back when. They were part of the Apprentice Legislature at the same time. Amilyn is from the planet Gatalenta, and she is the Luna Lovegood of the Star Wars universe. Her hair changed colors throughout the book, she put glitter on things, and she was kind of spacey. She talked so abstractly that Leia called it Holdo-speak. On her homeworld, Amilyn stood out as different.

But like Luna, Amilyn was there when things got serious. She was fascinated by dangerous situations and never hesitated to put herself by Leia’s side, regardless of the risk. Amilyn learned valuable secrets about the rebellion against the Empire alongside Leia. Their friendship was forged in the most risky circumstances possible.

https://twitter.com/kateyrich/status/867350770466926592

When we get to The Last Jedi, Leia is a general and Amilyn is a vice admiral. They’re both working with the Resistance, but their relationship could be strained. Episode VIII director and writer Rian Johnson told Entertainment Weekly, “Everybody is put in a pressure cooker right away, and relationships crack and strain under that pressure. That was really interesting to me, the notion of putting this small army under a lot of external pressure and showing some of the results within the Resistance itself.”

One more minor thing. Leia mentions citizens of Gatalenta often dress plainly “except for those scarlet cloaks.” Lucasfilm and Disney released a series of posters that featured The Last Jedi characters with scarlet overlays on their outfits. It was visually striking and different, sure, but maybe (emphasis on maybe) it could be a hint about Gatalenta. Or they all roll around in Crait’s dirt.

Have you read Leia: Princess of Alderaan? Head to the comments and let me know your thoughts about the book.

Images: Disney Lucasfilm Press, Lucasfilm, Disney

Want to read more The Last Jedi?

• See Luke Skywalker’s new dark look.
• New vehicles for The Last Jedi.
• Porg memes!

[brightcove video_id=”5552163694001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post THE LAST JEDI Connections in the New Young Leia Novel appeared first on Nerdist.

Princess of an entire planet. Hero of the Rebellion. General in the Resistance. And…academic prodigy? As a tweet that went viral this week revealed, Star Wars‘ Princess/General/Senator Leia Organa Solo is even more amazing than we thought.

According to a Buzzfeed report, the tweet highlighted a key piece of information about Leia that somehow flew under our radar for 13 years. In the commentary for the 2004 DVD release of Star Wars: A New Hope, the tweet said, George Lucas described Leia’s character as “a very sophisticated, urbanized ruler, a Senator, a politician, she’s accomplished, she’s graduated, got her PhD at nineteen…”

That’s right. A doctorate at the age of 19. You know, in case General Senator Princess Leia’s accomplishments–sorry, Doctor General Senator Princess Leia’s accomplishments–didn’t already put everyone else’s in the shade. For the sake of comparison, when I was 19, I had a LiveJournal where I unironically used terms like “yummah” and “T3H SUCK,” and at the same age Luke Skywalker was still playing with model spacecraft in his bedroom.

[brightcove video_id=”5532589450001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

This trivial tidbit raises several key questions: Did Leia start her higher education ridiculously early, or did she just start a bit younger than everyone else and burn through almost a decade of schooling in a couple of years? Either way, it’s a wonder she didn’t collapse from sleep deprivation at the beginning of A New Hope. Maybe she let herself get captured just so she could finally take a nap.

Also, what field of study did Leia pursue for her PhD? Given her career in politics, it was probably something like Political Science or the Star Wars version of International Relations (Intergalactic Relations?). Can you imagine the conferences? Being condescended to by academics from all those different species, having to deal with crusty researchers from the other side of the galaxy “explaining” Alderaanian customs to her–no wonder she’s hard as nails from the get-go.

And of course, the most burning question: how does one woman get to be so freaking amazing? We may never know. Naturally, something offhandedly said by Lucas on a DVD commentary over 25 years after the fact is not full-on canon, but it is interesting to note that he has this opinion of her, and has conjured up a backstory where she’s got more titles than Danaerys Targaryen.

All we can say for now is that Doctor Organa, PhD continues to be a hero to us all.

Images: Lucasfilm

The post Apparently Princess Leia Got a PhD When She Was 19 appeared first on Nerdist.

Somewhere in the galaxy, there has to be a Star Wars tattoo sleeve that features characters from the light side. Right? I hope? For now, this rebel is still happy to share ink from the dark side. This intricate and packed sleeve is all about the villains with characters such as Darth Sidious, good ol’ Wilhuff Tarkin, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Count Dooku and more. Look at all the characters:

The sleeve was inked by Tommy Helm from Ink Master and Tattoo Nightmares.

The Star Wars tattoo party continues in the gallery below. Scroll on down to see ink featuring Padmé Amidala (QUEEN!), an elegant take on the Rebel Alliance insignia, a Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher tribute, and more.

If you have nerdy ink on your skin or you’re a tattoo artist that applies pop culture, STEM, music, or other nerd-inspired ink (tl;dr: I want to see basically all of the tattoos–not only Star Wars ones) on a regular basis, then please hit me up because I’d like to highlight you in a future Inked Wednesday gallery. I’m especially interested if you have a sleeve or other large tattoo. You can get in touch with me via email at alratcliffe@yahoo.com. Send me photos of the tattoos you’d like me to feature (the higher resolution, the better) and don’t forget to let me know the name of your tattoo artist if you have it, as well the name of the shop he or she works out of. If you are the tattoo artist, give me links to your portfolios and/or Instagram accounts so I can share them with our readers.

Featured Image: Myk Rudnick

[brightcove video_id=”5419412409001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post Boba Fett, Tarkin, and The Dark Side Meet in This STAR WARS Sleeve appeared first on Nerdist.

Star Wars is now officially 40 years old, and has changed the cinematic world since the day A New Hope hit the big screen back on May 25, 1977. It’s a franchise that has left a lasting mark on the entire landscape of pop culture. To this day, it’s still thrilling to find new photos or videos from production of the original trilogy, but there are also the other unsung heroes of Star Wars found footage–the truly weird Star Wars-inspired shit. For a franchise that is so well-loved, it makes sense that commercials, television shows, and movies found inspiration (and occasionally straight-up stole) from Lucas’ smash hit. You could spend hours sifting through the internet looking at the bizarre (and often disastrous) ways filmmakers and advertisers have tipped their hat to a galaxy far, far away.

Luckily, the dedicated team at Cinefamily TV has worked tirelessly to compile some found footage from the Star Wars film sets, interviews with the original cast, and some of the most wonderfully weird Star Wars-inspired content from across the galaxy. Of course, 40 years is one hell of a long time, so this video is a pretty sprawling one, lasting about 90 minutes of intergalactic bizarreness. Still, it’s worth a watch, and nothing shows the lasting effect Star Wars had on our culture like showing the weird ass way we’ve shown our love for the franchise. Give the video a watch, if you dare (be warned–some of the video is NSFW):

For those of us who were born several years after A New Hope hit theaters for the first time, a lot of this content might be brand new. But even if you’ve seen some of this content before (like the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, which gets a shout out in the compilation), seeing all of the bizarre ways Star Wars has been referenced among a variety of entertainment mediums and cultures is pretty impressive. Despite the compilation’s frenetic nature, it’s still a hoot to watch. After all, the disco Threepios dancing with disco Darth Vaders and the Star Wars-themed variety show numbers (my personal favorite being the one from Donny and Marie Osmond’s variety show) make this compilation well worth the watch.

Were you able to watch the entire video? What were some of your bizarre Star Wars homages? Do you have any faves that weren’t featured in the video? Tell us about it in the comments!

Did LEGO just let some Snoke spoilers slip?

[brightcove video_id=”5453571416001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=“rJs2ZD8x”]

Feature Image: Lucasfilm

The post This Weird STAR WARS Supercut is 95 Minutes of Fandom Found Footage appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s been 40 years since Star Wars A New Hope graced the big screen, but even with all that time there are still facts that only die hard fans will know. Dan tests your knowledge of the Force on this week’s Dan Cave!

Any other facts you would have added? Let us know in the comments below!

Subscribe for more Dan Cave: http://nerdi.st/subscribe

More movies: http://nerdist20.wpengine.com/tag/movies/
Watch more Dan Cave: http://nerdist20.wpengine.com/videos/the-dan-cave/

Follow Dan Casey: https://twitter.com/dancasey
Follow Us: https://twitter.com/nerdist

The Dan Cave every Wednesday.

Image: Lucasfilm

The post A New Hope Facts That Only Diehard Star Wars Fans Will Know appeared first on Nerdist.

Making the jump to lightspeed is great for evading the Empire AND getting an epic selfie in this episode of Millennial Falcon!

Next year Star Wars will introduce us to Young Han Solo, but Nerdist has beat them to the punch with Millennial Falcon. In this new web series Han, Leia and the rest of your favorite characters from the original trilogy are reimagined as social media obsessed millennials roaming the entire galaxy… in search of the perfect selfie spot. Each short form episode of Millennial Falcon will take a look at how a modern day topic would be treated in a galaxy far, far away. Can you have a hyperdrive and still suffer from FOMO? How do you handle generational conflicts when your dad is Darth Vader? And what do you do when your Wookie co-pilot has more Instagram followers than you? Find out when you tag along with the crew of the Millennial Falcon!

Cast:
Ben Papac as Han
Olivia Norman as Leia

Crew:
Director: Andrew Bowser
Producer: Jason Nguyen
Writer: Joan Ford
DP: Russell Bell
Key MUA: Cici Anderson
Wardrobe Stylist: Rae Esterlina
Prop Master: Mitch Thompson

Editors: Tim Herrold
VFX: Rowan Glenn

The post Millennial Falcon: Epic Selfie appeared first on Nerdist.

Dating isn’t especially easy in this day and age; consider how tough it must be in a galaxy far, far away, what with moon-sized space stations threatening to destroy everything in orbit. But even with the Empire at large, and masked bounty hunters hot on their tail at the behest of any number of slug-like crime lords, Han Solo and Princess Leia still makes time for romance. Love’s what gets you through those cold nights in deep space, after all.

Our latest episode of Millennial Falcon–a series reimagines the concept of “Young Han Solo” as first brought to the world’s lexicon via the forthcoming Phil Lord and Christopher Miller prequel movie–sees Han and Leia trying their hand at a date night aboard the Millennium Falcon. It’s not exactly the ideal spot for a classy evening with that special someone, but hey, it’ll do in a pinch… especially when there’s not a single decent planet worth visiting for parsecs around. I mean, Hoth? Tatooine? Dagobah? Aren’t there any planets or moons around with temperate climates and forgiving terrain?[brightcove video_id=”5432304088001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

To date, we’ve seen our own Young Han Solo–perhaps more befitting of youth culture on Earth: American District, circa 2017, than he might be of 3250s Corellia–pal around with Young Princess Leia, Young Lando, Young-ish Chewbacca, and Age-Not-Applicable C-3PO and R2-D2… not to mention a nasty run-in with Middle-Aged Darth Vader. Which Young-ified Star Wars characters would you like to see added to the Millennial Falcon repertoire? Let us know!

What does Kylo Ren’s new Starfighter mean for The Last Jedi?

[brightcove video_id=”5427811812001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post Han Solo and Leia Try a Date Night in MILLENNIAL FALCON: Episode 5 appeared first on Nerdist.

With the entire galaxy to choose from, you’d think date night would be easy, but there can be complications as Han finds out in this episode of Millennial Falcon!

For this Nerdist parody and more of your favorites, watch on Alpha! Sign up now for a free 30-day trial at http://www.projectalpha.com.

Next year Star Wars will introduce us to Young Han Solo, but Nerdist has beat them to the punch with Millennial Falcon. In this new web series Han, Leia and the rest of your favorite characters from the original trilogy are reimagined as social media obsessed millennials roaming the entire galaxy… in search of the perfect selfie spot. Each short form episode of Millennial Falcon will take a look at how a modern day topic would be treated in a galaxy far, far away. Can you have a hyperdrive and still suffer from FOMO? How do you handle generational conflicts when your dad is Darth Vader? And what do you do when your Wookie co-pilot has more Instagram followers than you? Find out when you tag along with the crew of the Millennial Falcon!

Cast:
Ben Papac as Han

Crew:
Director: Andrew Bowser
Producer: Jason Nguyen
Writer: Joan Ford
DP: Russell Bell
Key MUA: Cici Anderson
Wardrobe Stylist: Rae Esterlina
Prop Master: Mitch Thompson

Editors: Tim Herrold
VFX: Rowan Glenn

Follow Us:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/nerdist
Twitter https://twitter.com/Nerdist
Instagram https://instagram.com/nerdist/

The post Millenial Falcon 5 : Date Night appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s hard to believe Star Wars Celebration Orlando took place two weeks ago. I feel like the ultimate gathering of Star Wars fans happened yesterday. Since I’m still being fueled by the energy of the event and still catching up on pictures and news (like the little Jyn Erso who gave Death Star plans to Leia cosplayers), I decided this edition of Cosplay Friday should be all about Celebration. Fans bring their finest to the event, and it’s where you can see costumes featuring all sorts of characters from legacy to the obscure. Photographers answered my call for costume pics with some beauties.

To kick things off, how about this Leia:

Leia Organa (A New Hope) | Photo by Mike McCoy

Star Wars Rebels era Captain Rex:

Captain Rex (Star Wars Rebels) | Photo by Luke Walker

Grand Admiral Thrawn:

Grand Admiral Thrawn | Photo by Nate Buchman

The galactic cosplay continues in the gallery below. You’ll find another Two Tubes, Hera Syndulla, Rey, Matt the Radar Tech, a Bothan, and so much more. Be sure to follow the links in the captions to see more shots from each photographer.

Do you cosplay or take photographs of cosplayers? Then I want to see your work so we can talk about highlighting your creations in a future Cosplay Friday gallery. If you’re a photographer, maybe we could focus on your images from a single convention. If you’re interested, please get in touch with me at alratcliffe@yahoo.com and send photos you’d like me to feature–the more high-res the photos, the better. Be sure to provide credits for the cosplayers or photographers for each image because giving credit is good manners–bonus points if you include links to relevant Facebook pages or websites. Though I wish I knew all the nerdy franchises, I don’t, so please let me know who or what is being cosplayed.

Featured Image: Luke Walker

The post Cosplay Friday #208 – STAR WARS Celebration Highlights appeared first on Nerdist.

To say the least, Carrie Fisher was missed at Star Wars Celebration. Guests and attendees honored Fisher and her role of Leia Organa in a number of ways–with a fundraising benefit gala, with kind words, with glitter, and with cosplay. Dino Ignacio and his five-year-old daughter Harley showed their appreciation for Fisher in a unique fashion by interacting with Leia cosplayers. You see, Harley dressed as Rogue One‘s Jyn Erso and came prepared with a stack of data cards carrying the Death Star plans. They’re on display in this photo:

I don’t mean to get all sentimental, but Harley’s carrying hope.

Harley and her dad made the data cards as a fun activity for the convention. Harley loves interacting with other people, and they thought this was a fitting tribute to their love of Star Wars and Fisher. As Harley ran into Leia cosplayers of all variety of ensemble, she handed over the Death Star plans. I don’t know how many Leia cosplayers were moved to tears by this act, but I’d wager it wasn’t a small number.

Harley didn’t limit her interactions to Leia either. She also took a minute to make sure R2-D2 got the Death Star plans directly from the source:

View several more pictures of Harley handing out the Death Star plan data cards to a multitude of Leia cosplayers at Celebration over at Imgur. Prepare your heart to melt into a pile of goo. Oh, and for the record, Jyn isn’t Harley’s only Star Wars costume. She also has a Rey ensemble, complete with a Millennium Falcon.

If you attended Star Wars Celebration, drop to the comments and let me know if you spotted little Jyn or any other costumes. Leave links there or send me photos at Twitter.

Images: Dino Ignacio

What does Luke’s “end” mean for The Last Jedi?

[brightcove video_id=”5401248485001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]

The post Little Jyn Erso Cosplayer Delivers Death Star Plans to Leia at STAR WARS Celebration appeared first on Nerdist.

Feminism should be practiced every day. The idea of women having rights equal to those of men isn’t an agenda, it should be the way life is. But we all need a boost, and International Women’s Day, observed since the early 1900s, is here to lift us up. March 8 is a day to celebrate the women you admire–real or fictional–and their achievements and to call for gender parity.

One way we’re marking the occasion is to raise a glass to 15 pop culture heroines who have inspired us to be more and push harder. Here’s why they’re worthy of our praise:

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a feminist hero. She fights for the world. She’s compassionate towards humans. She believes everyone is capable of everything—gender doesn’t even come into the equation for her. Plus, she has killer accessories.

Donna Noble

Donna Noble flips the role of the companion in the modern series of Doctor Who. She’s unapologetically herself, brash and sassy and full of so much joie de vivre. She questions the Tenth Doctor and leaves her mark all over the TARDIS.

Claire Temple

No one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has as much patience as Claire Temple. She uses her medical knowledge to come up with creative ways to mend the hero pals that keep finding her, and she’s not afraid to figuratively smack them across the head and tell them to stop being idiots.

Leia Organa

Who lies to Darth Vader’s face? Who watches her home planet get destroyed and goes on to participate in the Rebel Alliance’s biggest mission? Leia Organa. She’s fierce and brave and uses chains meant to oppress her to become a Huttslayer.

Leslie Knope

When you need a bright ray of positivity and enthusiasm, you need only to turn to Parks and Recreation‘s Leslie Knope. She has boundless devotion to her job and making the world a better place, and she treasures her female friends and treats them like poetic, noble land mermaids.

Zoe Washburne

A skilled fighter with the ability to kill someone with a look (okay, not literally), Firefly‘s Zoe Washburne rules. She proves her leadership skills time and again and functions as the brain of Serenity. I appreciate seeing both her kick-ass and tender sides in the series.

Willow Rosenberg

Willow Rosenberg confidently wears pink fluffy sweaters, which is only one reason why the Buffy the Vampire Slayer character is terrific. She comes into her own and learns to wield powerful magic. She’s dangerous sometimes, but she mostly uses her powers for good. She sticks with her friends and loved ones and plays a big part in saving the world.

Laura Roslin

As the president of the remnants of the human race in Battlestar Galactica, Laura Roslin has to make difficult decisions on the regular. She’s under tremendous stress in a job she never wanted, and though she does take some questionable actions, she carries herself with poise and brings the hammer down to serve the greater good whenever it’s necessary.

Cosima

Look, it’s not easy to choose a single clone from the sisters on Orphan Black, but if I’m making myself do it, I choose Cosima. She works in a STEM field, she’s ridiculously persistent with her work, and she wears her heart on her damn sleeve despite the trouble it causes her. Plus, she’s just cool.

Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan is a teen when she becomes Ms. Marvel, but she still rises to the occasion. She balances her schoolwork with being a hero, she’s creative in how she uses her powers, and she stands tall alongside the Avengers.

Judy Hopps

It’s always a plus to be reminded to dream big, and Judy Hopps does so in Zootopia. She doesn’t let anything deter her from pursuing her goals. Her relentless determination is one aspect of her personality that inspires me.

Professor McGonagall

Professor Minerva McGonagall is one of the best characters in all of Harry Potter. She’s a talented witch, she can turn into a cat (which is basically the neatest thing ever), and she’s not afraid to bend the rules when it means improving her house’s Quidditch team. She’s loyal to Dumbledore and insanely protective of Hogwarts and its students.

Moana

I can’t imagine leaving my safe and cozy island to go on a quest in the dangerous sea. Moana might be intimidated by her journey, but she takes her teenage self to the water, recruits a demigod, and saves the day anyway. Girl’s got moxie.

Uhura

Uhura shows herself to be capable time and time again in Star Trek. She mans her station and serves as chief communications officer and helps the USS Enterprise’s captain get out of sticky jams.

Lara Croft

Lara Croft is at the heart of the Tomb Raider franchise, and if I ever find myself stranded on a desert island, I want her there with me. Her whip-smart intelligence and mad survival skills make her strong in more ways than one. I mean, she has archaeologist adventures. What’s not to adore?

This list barely scratches the surface, but there are only so many hours in the day. Which pop culture heroines do you look up to? Drop your list in the comments or come talk to us on Twitter: @nerdist and @amy_geek. Bonus points if you include pictures.

Images: DC Comics, BBC, Netflix, NBC, Lucasfilm, Fox, Syfy, BBC America, Marvel, Disney, Square Enix, Warner Bros., CBS

The post International Women’s Day: 15 of Our Favorite Pop Culture Heroines appeared first on Nerdist.

Have you seen The LEGO Batman Movie yet? The latest bricktacular film focuses on the DC Comics hero and some other members of the Bat-family, like Batgirl! The movie inspired David Darling to get this LEGO Batgirl ink:

LEGO Batgirl (LEGO Batman Movie) | Source: David Darling, inked by Mike L at Pins and Needles

Now, let’s look at a Carrie Fisher tribute. Kaitlyn got this Leia ink as a nod to the actress. She says she designed it by using the buns from the spine of Fisher’s book The Princess Diarist and combining them with a banner and the word “hope” written in Fisher’s handwriting. Aww.

Leia (Star Wars) | Source: Kaitlyn, inked by Austen Minor at BodyTech

Head on down to the gallery below for more ink, including a Mystery Science Theater 3000 arm band, a quote from Dune, and more.

If you have nerdy ink on your skin or you’re a tattoo artist that applies pop culture, STEM, music, or other nerd-inspired ink (the spectrum is broad, folks) on a regular basis, then please hit me up because I’d like to highlight you in a future Inked Wednesday gallery. You can get in touch with me via email at alratcliffe@yahoo.com. Send me photos of the tattoos you’d like me to feature (the higher resolution, the better) and don’t forget to let me know the name of your tattoo artist if you have it, as well the name of the shop he or she works out of. If you are the tattoo artist, give me links to your portfolios and/or Instagram accounts so I can share them with our readers.

Featured Image: David Darling

The post Inked Wednesday #123 – LEGO Batgirl, Leia, and More Geeky Tattoos appeared first on Nerdist.

Leia Organa, once a princess and now a general, is one of the most important characters in Star Wars. Maybe she doesn’t wield the Force in the same way as Luke and fight Darth Vader with a lightsaber, but she stood up to the Sith Lord and his scary as hell-looking interrogation device. She got the plans for the Death Star safely away from the Empire at great personal cost. She kept fighting after suffering tremendous loss. She held onto hope. In short, Leia rules.

A new video from Looper highlights the iconic character and Carrie Fisher with all sorts of behind-the-scenes facts. If you’ve ever wondered how Leia’s name was chosen or what Fisher thought about wearing the infamous metal bikini as Huttslayer Leia in Return of the Jedi, “The Untold Truth of Princess Leia” is the video you’ve been looking for. You’ll fill in gaps you didn’t even know you had in your Leia knowledge.For example, how about her memorable cinnamon bun-styled hair? Fisher has often commented on the ridiculous hairstyles Leia sports in the films, and the video quotes George Lucas pointing out the Episode IV hair was inspired by a 20th century Mexican revolutionary look. In her recent memoir The Princess Diarist (also mentioned in the video), Fisher recounts how her stylist on A New Hope, Pat, kept trying various hairstyles until the “hairy-earphone configuration” clicked and producer Gary Kurtz said it was “flattering.”

Now I want over the ear headphones that look like Leia’s buns. Are those a thing?

What did you learn from the video? Are you ready to dazzle your friends with Leia facts? Tell me in the comments.

Image: Lucasfilm

Let’s talk about what The Last Jedi is all about!

[brightcove video_id=”5293978183001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]

The post Earn Your Princess Leia Knowledge Buns by Watching This Video appeared first on Nerdist.

There are spoilers ahead for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you still haven’t seen it yet, you should!In the closing seconds of Rogue One, Carrie Fisher‘s digital likeness was used to create the illusion of a young Princess Leia receiving the Death Star plans immediately before the events of the first Star Wars film. That moment took on an added layer of pathos when Fisher passed away a few weeks later. But fans who have seen Rogue One may have realized that Leia’s presence was alluded to earlier in the film. And now we know why she at the battle of Scariff with the Rebel fleet.Via io9, the latest episode of The Star Wars Show featured Leland Chee, Pablo Hidalgo, and Matt Martin from Lucasfilm Story Group, as they explained some of the Easter Eggs from Rogue One. In the movie, Bail Organa said that he was going to send Leia to find Obi-Wan Kenobi without mentioning her by name. However, Leia ended up on the Tantive IV blockade runner that was docked with Admiral Raddus’ ship during the Battle of Scarif. According to Hidalgo, “the plan was always that Leia was going to go to Tatooine to pick up Obi-Wan and Raddus was going to escort her… Then the news of Scarif came in, and that was deemed more important … [because] it’s the one warship that they have at this point.â€However, that explanation doesn’t entirely track with what we saw in the film. Consider this: when Mon Mothma and General Draven were informed that the crew of Rogue One had launched an unauthorized attack on Scarif, they were told that Admiral Raddus had already departed for the battle. And yet R2-D2 and C-3PO are clearly seen back on Yavin IV as the rest of the Rebel fleet gets ready to go after them. We know from A New Hope that both of those droids were also on Leia’s ship, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to have been left behind at the Rebel base. We’re sure that there could be an explanation as to how and when the droids got on Leia’s ship that wouldn’t violate what we saw on screen. But we think that it’s definitely a missing piece of the puzzle.What do you think about the explanation for Leia’s whereabouts in Rogue One? Upload your thoughts to the comment section below![brightcove video_id=”5269529978001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]

Image: Lucasfilm

The post Lucasfilm Explains Why [Spoiler] Was Present at the End of ROGUE ONE appeared first on Nerdist.

Update: On Friday, January 13, StarWars.com released a statement regarding the rumors over Carrie Fisher’s involvement in the franchise after her tragic death late last year. Though Lucasfilm generally does not respond to rumors (casting or otherwise) as a rule, they felt that this particular story required a direct response. We’ve included their full statement here:

We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.

While it’s heartbreaking that Lucasfilm has to consider these possibilities, we believe they absolutely made the right choice to respect Carrie Fisher’s life, performance, family, and legacy by not digitally recreating her likeness so soon after her passing.More in our original story below:

It’s been just over a week since Carrie Fisher passed away, and we are far from over that loss. While Fisher and mother, Debbie Reynolds, were laid to rest today, the Lucasfilm creative team is now in the early stages of figuring out what Fisher’s untimely death means for General Leia Organa. It’s been confirmed that Fisher finished filming her part in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, but everything after that remains unknown. Today’s Nerdist News is examining a new report that may offer some hints about Leia’s fate in the years to come.Before you go any further, there are some spoilers ahead for both Episode VIII and Star Wars: Episode IX.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fisher was originally supposed to have an even larger role in Episode IX than she will in Episode VIII. The report noted that scenes featuring Leia’s reunion with her brother Luke Skywalker, and her confrontation with her son Kylo Ren were planned to take place in the franchise, though we have no indication just yet of which film will feature either or both of these sequences. It’s possible that the Skywalker reunion was already set for Episode VIII, but that could still mean that we won’t see Leia take on her fallen son.As for how Lucasfilm might proceed, the two primary options for Leia’s continued role in the film series may be unpopular. One idea is that the Episode IX script could be revised to give Leia a significantly reduced role in the conclusion of the new trilogy. The other potential way to go is to recreate Fisher’s likeness with CG, just as we saw done with her younger likeness in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It may be quite a while before we know which option will be used, but Lucasfilm has just under a year to decide for certain; Episode IX isn’t expected to begin filming before early 2018. Whatever they decide, there is no replacing Carrie Fisher in our hearts, even if Star Wars does have to continue on without her.[brightcove video_id=”5263096727001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]How do you think Fisher’s absence should be addressed in the Star Wars sequels? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The post Report: Lucasfilm Weighs Leia’s STAR WARS EPISODE IX Role appeared first on Nerdist.

Welcome to the second to last Comics Relief of 2016, comics fans! We start this week with Marvel’s plans to honor the legacy of Carrie Fisher in the pages of their Star Wars comics. Read on for all the details.

Marvel’s Poe Dameron series will pay tribute to Carrie Fisher

pic.twitter.com/Rh8IuoqpSx

— Phil Noto (@philnoto) December 27, 2016

The world is reeling from the untimely death of Carrie Fisher earlier this week, and right now the folks at Disney/Lucasfilm are probably figuring the best way to properly honor Fisher’s iconic Princess Leia in future Star Wars films. But comics take a lot less time to produce than movies, and already comics creators who grew up with Fisher’s iconic portrayal are finding ways to pay tribute.

Because of Fisher’s sudden passing, Marvel’s Poe Dameron writer Charles Soule announced on Twitter that he has plans to reshape a scene in an upcoming issue to recognize the Star Wars legend. In his tweet, Soule said, “There’s a funeral in Poe Dameron #14, and Leia’s present – writing that scene today. Wasn’t originally about her, but now it will be.” The current Poe Dameron series is drawn by artist Phil Noto, who released a lovely rendition of Fisher as Leia on Twitter, which you can see above. Issue #14 of Poe Dameron is set to hit in early 2016. [CBR]

DC Comics releases trailer for Rebirth titles

DC Comics’ Rebirth was a huge success for the company in 2o16, and now the publisher has created a trailer for the upcoming collections of the first Rebirth story arcs, which are due to hit early next year. You can watch the first full Rebirth trailer above.

Brian Bendis announces departure from Guardians of the Galaxy

A little more than a year and a half after leaving the X-Men behind, Marvel’s number one writer Brian Michael Bendis is now departing the world of the Guardians of the Galaxy as well. Bendis has been the primary writer for the Guardians of the Galaxy since since 2013, a good year before the movie version made Star-Lord, Groot and Rocket household names. Now Bendis has begun his final Guardians storyline, “Grounded,” is last week’s Guardians of the Galaxy #15.

As to why Bendis is leaving the Guardians now, he told ComicBook.com, “Number one, I had an end story that I’ve been building to and it’s time to unleash it. Number two, there were other projects offered to me that I was like, ‘Oh, I do want to do that!’ and something has to go. Even I have a bandwidth cap, even though no one in Marvel thinks that I do.” What could those projects be? Mum’s the word, just as it is with who the new creative team will be for the Guardians once Bendis leaves, although he already knows who it will be. For more on Bendis’ departure from the title, read the full interview at the following link: [Comic Book]

Scott Snyder teases Batman event series

In last week’s Comics Relief, we mentioned a big Batman-centric event from DC Comics coming next year, from the award winning team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, whose Batman run was one of the highlights of the New 52 era. Now in an interview, Snyder has shed a wee bit more light on just what this series will entail, saying the series will be “celebratory, and huge, and crazy.” Snyder also revealed that he recently spent time breaking the story with DC CCO Geoff Johns, who is of course the man behind the current success of  DC Rebirth.

“Greg [Capullo] calls it our Batman heavy metal rock opera. It’s going to be a big, epic Batman story with flaming armor, an over-the-top capstone to a lot of the stuff that we’ve done with him. It’s all mapped out. I’ve just been out to Burbank with Geoff Johns going over it, and going over what he’s doing. It was great. It was one of the best story meetings that I’ve ever had. We sat there for a couple of days and really tightened up some of the screws. Geoff was incredibly generous and helpful with it.”

Snyder then added, “I don’t want it to be grim. I don’t want it to be superheroes arguing over something. Superheroes won’t be fighting superheroes. I want it to be celebratory, and huge, and crazy. I am going for out of control dinosaurs and lasers. It should be fun.” For more hints at this new DCU event, click on the following link for the full interview: [CBR]

Frank Miller makes Trump reference in Dark Knight III: The Master Race

In Frank Miller’s original Dark Knight Returns, the story was filled with talking heads from the news media commenting on the event of the series, as meta-commentary on the then-new phenomenon of 24 hour cable news. In 1986, Miller could not have imagined social media like Twitter, where people who were about to become President of the United States would be able to go off on random tangents in a very public way.

So in keeping with the original Dark Knight series providing commentary on our cultural climate, the current issue of Dark Knight III: The Master Race has talking heads, but they are all from the world of social media…including a dead ringer for our President Elect. The panel (seen above) has him commenting on the recent Kryptonian invasion of Earth, which was defeated by Batman and Superman. I say the panel pretty much speaks for itself. [CBR]

March is Venom month at Marvel

In March, Marvel Comics celebrates everyone’s favorite alien symbiote antihero Venom, with a series of “venomized” variant covers. Among the 23 covers are the following:  Invincible Iron Man #5 by Rick Leonardi, X-Men: Prime #1 by Kris Anka, Doctor Strange #18 by Tess Fowler,  Black Panther #12 by Elizabeth Torque, Captain America: Steve Rogers #13 by Tom Raney, and several more. You can see all the available covers are in our gallery below. [Bleeding Cool]

Images: Marvel Comics / DC Comics 

The post Marvel’s STAR WARS Comics to Honor Carrie Fisher appeared first on Nerdist.

I remember the first time I saw Star Wars. I was just a little girl at the time, but my mom sat me and my little brother down in front of the television and said, “It’s time I showed you two these movies.” I was captivated. I loved the story, I had a gnarly crush on Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, I was fascinated by the Jedi, but most of all, I was captivated by Princess Leia Organa. She was the first fictitious character I truly remember wanting to emulate. Princess Leia may have been a character created for a fantastic story in a galaxy far, far away, but she was a role model to me and so many others.

Like a lot of little girls growing up in the nineties, I watched more than my fair share of Disney Princess movies. I loved them, so getting introduced to a princess like Leia Organa was quite the departure from what I was used to seeing. Unlike princesses like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, Princess Leia was anything but another pretty face. Leia may have had a small frame and looked delicate, only she was anything but. Leia could rock a bold hair style and look gorgeous in whatever she chose to wear, but that was the least important thing about her: Leia was a leader, and a damn fine one at that. She put herself to the hazard to help the Rebellion, she endured imprisonment and torture to keep the plans of the Rebellion safe, and even after watching her entire home planet and all of the people on it mercilessly incinerated before her very eyes, she still held strong.Leia was such an important role model to so many of us because unlike a lot of female protagonists, she wasn’t a liability or a damsel in distress. When it came to overthrowing the Empire, Princess Leia was just as vital of a player as the likes of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. Sure, she was rescued from time to time, but she spent just as much time rescuing as she did being rescued. After all, if it weren’t for her quick thinking on the Death Star, Luke, Han, and Chewie’s rescue attempt would have been thoroughly unsuccessful. You could go as far as to call her the strongest of the bunch. Unlike Han, she wasn’t a self-serving smuggler who had to be convinced to join the Rebellion, and unlike Luke, she wasn’t an uninformed farm kid who not only had to work through intense father issues, but also learn the ways of the Force. Leia was royalty and a politician. She was a rebel and a fighter long before we met her in A New Hope, and she never stopped. In The Force Awakens, she was continuing the fight against evil and the Dark Side, this time as a General, never once choosing to take a knee because she had already done her part, never allowing heartbreak to overcome her, and never running away to live in seclusion on an island when things got rough.

Leia Organa showed Star Wars fans that you didn’t have to be a big, burly, gun-wielding man to truly be a hero. She showed us a woman who was strong, smart, brave, intelligent, compassionate, wise, and enduring. She could wield a blaster and political office with total ease. And while Leia was all of those things, she would have never become the role model and icon of pop culture that she is today without Carrie Fisher. Fisher brought her own spark, her own bravery, and her own strength into the role of Leia Organa. Fisher was just as much of a fighter as Princess Leia, battling her own demons throughout her life, and just like Princess Leia, Fisher used her battle to do good for others as an activist for mental health, among other things.

In losing Carrie Fisher, we’ve lost the spark, the bit of magic that made Leia Organa the woman we all love and adore, but her legacy–that of Fisher herself and Leia Organa–will be remembered long after today. We will miss you, Carrie Fisher. Thank you for bringing Princess Leia to life so perfectly, and thank you for giving tons of fans one of the best role models anyone could ask for.

What did Princess Leia mean to you? Tell us your favorite Carrie Fisher/Princess Leia memories in the comments.

Image: Lucasfilm

The post Carrie Fisher and the Amazing Role Model of Leia Organa appeared first on Nerdist.

Winter is delivering snow and cold to many parts of the world this time of the year, and if you’re feeling a chill this December, you can plan on warming yourself by snuggling into a pile of new Star Wars Tsum Tsum toys–no smelly guts required! Thanks to Anakin and His Angel, I learned Disney’s next Tsum Tsum release on December 20 is all about The Empire Strikes Back, specifically Hoth.

The collection includes Hoth Leia (the best Leia outfit and hairstyle, in case you didn’t know), General Veers, K-3PO, an AT-AT Driver, a snowtrooper, and 2-1B. I love how angry Veers’ little eyebrows look. He probably wouldn’t be thrilled about being turned into a soft and cuddly little toy–which makes it all the better.

These plushes are all begging to be added to my collection. You can see close-ups of each Tsum Tsum in the gallery below.

If, like me, you immediately wondered about where the heck the wampa and tauntaun Tsum Tsum toys were, don’t panic. Disney has a whole tauntaun collection that comes with a tauntaun carrying bag. Thank the maker! The inside of the bag is pink, and you have to extract mini Tsum Tsum plushes from its guts. Genius, Disney.

You can find a wampa, a tauntaun, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo inside the tauntaun bag. I’m already planning on carrying around the bag as my new purse.

Are you planning to purchase any or all of these Hoth edition Star Wars Tsum Tsum plushes when they come to the Disney Store on December 20? Head to the comments and tell me which ones you’ll be adding to your stacks.

Images: Disney/Lucasfilm

How come there won’t be an Obi-Wan movie

[brightcove video_id=”5228581868001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]

The post Open a Tauntaun and Get THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Tsum Tsum Collection appeared first on Nerdist.

Brian Cooper has been passionate about drawing since he was a kid. His creations have long been inspired by the stories he consumes in comic books, films, and video games. His style can definitely be called cute, but he also brings in other elements and emotions to make his images richer. For example, take a look at this stylized Princess Leia art—she looks sassy, which is exactly how it should be.

Princess Leia (Star Wars)

Cooper’s great at taking characters’ personality traits and showcasing them in such a way that you see the character in a different, interesting fashion. I think Rocket Raccoon looks like he’s just the right amount of crazed in this piece:

Rocket Raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy)

You can see more of Cooper’s unique take on characters you know and love in the gallery below. You’ll find Newt Scamander, Spider-Gwen, Wolverine, and more. If you’d like to keep up Cooper’s work, you can hop on over to Instagram and follow him. If you want to add prints of his illustrations to your collection, you can do so at his Etsy shop.

Do you create any sort of fan art? I want to see it, all of it. Whether you focus on a specific fandom or pull inspiration from multiple stories, I’d like to highlight your portfolio. If you’d like to be featured in a future Fan Art Friday gallery, get in touch with me at alratcliffe@yahoo.com and show me examples of your work.

Images: Brian Cooper

The post Fan Art Friday #96 – Leia, Rocket Raccoon, and More by Brian Cooper appeared first on Nerdist.