Admiral Thrawn To Appear In Rebels Season 3?

A new rumor has surfaced. According to MakingStarWars.net, Admiral Thrawn will appear in the next season of Star Wars Rebels. This would mean that the EU could come into play more than we think. After all, in the new trailer, Ahsoka did say, "There's always a bit of truth in legends." 

Now, if this rumor comes true, I think Benicio del Toro could in fact be Admiral Thrawn in the new trilogy. For now, this is all speculation and has no validity to it. But, Making Star Wars has a fantastic track record when it comes to breaking these stories, so it does have weight to it. Until then, we'll just have to wait and see. 

Here's the article: http://makingstarwars.net/2016/01/rumor-the-largest-cameo-in-star-wars-rebels-chistory/

Clan "Ren" Mentioned In Trailer For Upcoming Star Wars Rebels Episode

In the latest trailer for the upcoming Star Wars Rebels episode we see Sabine going up against fellow Madalorians. We learn that Sabine was a part of House Viszla, and her mother was a part of Death Watch, prominent in the Clone Wars. But, I thought the most interesting and most telling detail we learned was Sabine's clan name: Clan Wren. I know the spelling is different according to Wookiepedia, but it can always be changed by another party. 

After hearing this, I immediately thought of the one Knight of Ren that resembled a Mandalorian, and funny enough, Kylo Ren's mask. I never entertained the thought of his mask mirroring that of a Mandalorian helmet much, but now it seems possible. When you look at the horizontal visor, it resembles that of a Mandalorian helmet, as does the sloping down nature of the mouthpiece. 

I hope Rebels touches on the history of that clan a lot more throughout this season and the next because that could give us a lot more insight into the eventual Knights of Ren. Also, the Madalorians have always aligned themselves more with the Sith. So, we'll see how this all pans out. 

Rebels Trailer: http://youtu.be/ul00CkiNeew

Analyzing Buzzfeed's Theory About Rey Being A Kenobi

Buzzfeed has joined the conversation concerning Rey's parentage. They believe she is a Kenobi. Here's why I think they're wrong. 

1) Sounds like a Kenobi: Since Rey was left with Unkar Plutt on Jakku as a child, it is almost a given that she picked up his accent. Plus, in the Star Wars universe, accents don't really matter (Princess Leia in the beginning of A New Hope.) 

2: Force vision features young and old Obi-Wan: One could make the case that Obi-Wan was a part of Rey's training very early on. I believe she was training with her mother, more so than with Luke. Also, when you hear "Rey!" in the force vision, that could easily be in the future as well. And it really wasn't a big deal, it's just continuity. 

3) Rey's exile mirroring Kenobi as well as Luke: There are too many parallels to Luke's character, as well as Anakin. Rey is a gifted pilot and mechanic, building her own speeder from scratch and fashioning a flight simulator from old parts she found on Jakku. Star Wars is all about rhyming, and so far they are suggesting that Luke is in fact her father. 

4) Mind control: Luke used this technique in Return of the Jedi as well. The Force can obey ones commands. In Episode 4, while Luke is on the Falcon training, he allows the Force to control him and it indeed obeyed his commands. Plus, storm troopers are fairly weak minded, so it isn't too hard. 

5) Lightsaber switching loyalties: This will have to be explained because I don't recall lightsabers having wand-like qualities lol. As for the meaning, in the novel, once she gets the lightsaber, Kylo Ren says, "It is you..." So, right there, he knows who she is. 

6) Jedi vows: In the EU, Luke marries Mara Jade and has Ben Skywalker. Now, since the EU is no longer canon, they can discard that he had a wife and all of that. But, George Lucas always had in mind that the next trilogy would focus on the Skywalker offspring, whether it be of Han and Leia, or Luke. Plus, for Obi-Wan, I don't recall there being many women out beyond the Dune Sea. His only love interest dies in the Clone Wars.

7) Imbalance in the Force: The rule of 2 is what brings balance to the Force, as made true by Darth Bane. Also, if one wants to blame anyone for bringing the Force out of balance, blame Qui-Gon Jinn.  

8) Kanata saying Rey's family is never coming back: This quote is inaccurate. She says "Whoever you're waiting for on Jakku, they're never coming back." I am of the belief that she was either left on Jakku by the Knights of Ren, or by her mother. She resembles that character in a few ways. 

9) Star Wars has always been about Jedi fighting their fathers: Who's to say that Rey won't be fighting her father, Luke? Not physically, but questioning him as to why she was left on Jakku and never given an explanation. That could easily be a rocky relationship. Plus, as Kathleen Kennedy said, this story is about the Skywalker family and making a huge deal about having a female lead just brings more validity to the fact that she'll be a Skywalker. 

Cool theory, but it would take too much exposition and it would honestly feel pretty cheap after everything they've done in TFA, especially Luke's reveal at the end. She was also tempted by the dark side while fighting Kylo Ren in the novel of The Force Awakens. Snoke is in her mind and tells her "Kill him." The dark side has plagued the Skywalker family. (I apologize for completely nerding out right now.)

Here's the article: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexisnedd/the-force-is-strong-in-my-family

Did We Hear Snoke In The Rebels Mid-Season Trailer?

The latest Star Wars Rebels trailer was amazing. I think we can all agree on that. But, after about 50 viewings, I have a theory (that didn't take long, right?) about a certain character. At the 2:04 mark, a voice says, "The dark side..." I think that could be character on screen at the time, but who knows. Now, if you listen back to the first teaser trailer for The Force Awakens, at around 0:51 we hear Snoke also say, "The dark side..." When you play both clips at the same time, the voices sound very similar, and have the same kind of tone to them. Now, if the character on screen with Kanan is delivering that line, then I don't think its Snoke. The height wouldn't match up. However, if it's just a voice over and that character is not revealed to us, the possibility remains.

Here's the second part of my theory: What if those Jedi in the ceremonial robes (I believe they were in Clone Wars as well) were the original Knights of Ren? They have already introduced the Kylo Ren-style lightsaber, which is an ancient design, and those characters seem like they would have been around a long time ago as well. I'm probably 100% wrong, but that would be a fantastic way to tie them into the story. Did they create the Knights of Ren to fight the Inquisitors, only to be destroyed and have a more sinister group take their place? 

The new season premiers on January 20th at 9:30 pm EST. I'm sure many of these questions will be answered, but many left to keep the fans guessing.

Thank you, Dave Filoni and the rest of the Rebels cast and crew for making this show as fantastic as it is. May the Force be with you all.

Rebels trailer from Dash Star (check out his videos!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_NscQKb7jk

The Force Awakens teaser #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOVFvcNfvE

Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Mid-Season Trailer!

I honestly have no words after watching this trailer. This will be the shortest blog post I'll ever write, but for good reason. Let's all get ready for more Star Wars! 

Mid-Season trailer: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/15/star-wars-rebels-video-lightsaber

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Action Figures: How Accurate Was The Dialogue?

Leading up to the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there was a lot of clever marketing done by Disney, in terms of the different mediums in which they would release information about the new film. Among those were some action figures, as well as masks, that contained dialogue. Now, a lot of the time, the dialogue that is presented in these action figures are not included in the movie at all. So, I decided to go back and see how much of that dialogue actually made it on screen.

Captain Phasma mask

"Report to my division at once."

After telling Finn to submit his blaster for inspection, Captain Phasma asks him if anyone had instructed him to take off the helmet. Seeing this as an act of insubordination, in my opinion, she tells him to report to her division, which he does. 1/1

"On my command."

In her first on-screen appearance, this is one of the first lines of dialogue that Captain Phasma has. Just after Kylo Ren kills Lor San Tekka, Ren orders her to kill the villagers on Jakku, and she proceeds to say, "On my command..." So far, 2/2

"Fire, FN-2187."

I think this was originally going to be in that same scene when Finn lowers his blaster while the villagers are being killed. Apparently, Phasma was supposed to notice that he wasn't following orders, or in a deleted scene, she specifically ordered him to begin the massacre. After further deliberations, I think they decided to simplify it and leave it as, "On my command....Fire!" One down. 2/3

"Submit your blaster for inspection."

As you all know, this piece of dialogue remained in the film. After the assault on the Jakku village, Finn kind of hangs back and takes off his helmet, only to find Captain Phasma behind him. Now, in the novelization, Finn tells a fellow trooper that his blaster must have jammed, so it adds further context to that piece of dialogue. 3/4

"Ah, to your ships now."

I do not recall this specific line in the film. Personally, I think it would fit at the end of the assault on the Jakku village after all of the carnage had ended. Basically rounding up the troopers. 3/5


Finn

"My name is Finn and I'm in charge now."

This specific line seems to be from the scene on Starkiller Base when Finn comes face-to-face with Captain Phasma again. When I first heard this, I thought this was would be when he runs into Rey for the first time. But, nonetheless, this was included in the film. 1/1

"We go back to Jakku, we die!"

Clearly, this is during Finn's escape with Poe from the Star Destroyer. Finn is reacting to Poe's decision to go back to Jakku in order to rescue BB-8. 2/2

"Stay low and put up the shields!"

I don't remember if this dialogue is word for word, during the chase scene with the Millennium Falcon, but certainly some variation of it. Finn tells Rey to stay low because it confuses the tracking abilities of the TIE-fighters, and asks her if the shields work. Again, maybe the dialogue from the action figure is 100% accurate in this scene, but I'm not positive. 3/3

"We need cover! Quick!"

Again, this is during the chase scene on Jakku, and while on the turret Finn calls out to Rey for cover. That leads her to perform some crazy maneuvers, one taking her through a Star Destroyer, until our heroes finally escape. 4/4

"FN-2187."

Here we have Finn introducing himself to Poe as they make their escape. The tone is the same, so this dialogue had to be pulled from the film. 5/5

"I don't know what to do!"

This was not in the film, but it did appear in the novelization after the TIE-fighter crashes on Jakku. Not knowing what to do or how to proceed, Finn simply yells it out. So, since it wasn't in the film, I'll say this is the first miss. 5/6

"Listen, I've had a pretty messed up day."

This was during Finn's first interaction with Rey after she knocks him down with her staff. She accuses him of being a thief, and is subsequently shocked by BB-8. Again, the action figure has the same tone as John Boyega does in the film, so I think it was pulled from the film and not a special recording. 6/7


Kylo Ren

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Here we have the Kylo Ren confronting Han Solo in Starkiller Base. Obviously, when the action figure was released, we didn't know the context of any of these pieces of dialogue, or if they were even going to appear in the film. Now, knowing the exact moment that this takes place, it is pretty cool. 1/1

"Is it true? You're just a scavenger?"

Something similar to this is said during Kylo Ren's interrogation of Rey. After telling her about the map and BB-8, he says. "...and somehow you convinced the droid to show it to you. You...a scavenger." So, I believe this was a different take on what was supposed to be said in the scene, or maybe it was recorded specifically for the action figure. Who knows. However, I'll go ahead and say this is accurate enough. 2/2

'Don't be afraid, I feel it too."

Again, this is from the interrogation scene with Rey as he is probing her mind for information about the map. I noticed the tone from the action figure is much more menacing here. 3/3

"You know what I've come for."

Another word for word line from the film. This was from Kylo Ren's confrontation with Lor San Tekka on Jakku in the beginning of the film. 4/4

"Don't fight it. You know you can't."

I don't remember hearing Ren say this in either interrogation scene, and it seems as if that's where it would have been. 4/5

"I'm immune to the light."

I wish they would have kept this line in the film. It would have fit perfectly during the confrontation between Han Solo and Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base. This would have been a chilling response as Solo tried to appeal to the good in him. Unfortunately, this didn't make it on screen. 4/6

"That weapon is mine!"

A variation of, "That lightsaber...it belongs to me!" We all knew that Ren was referring to one of two weapons: Rey's staff or Anakin's lighstaber. Now, after seeing the film, it makes total sense why he would want that specific weapon. 5/7

"Together, we will destroy the Resistance and the last Jedi."

Another line that I wish would have been left in the film. It reminds me a lot of Darth Maul's, "At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge." I think this was going to be the final thing said between Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke in either meeting. However, I think they ended up changing the dialogue and assigned it to Snoke instead because he says, "We will crush the Resistance, once and for all." 5/8


 Now, for Episode VIII, should we expect the same? Personally, I don't think the film will be as under wraps as it was for The Force Awakens, but they still don't want major plot points to be leaked. I don't think the action figures did that at all, especially now after seeing the movie. What this tells me, at least for now, is that these action figures are pretty reliable if we want some exposure to the actual film. (These action figures had a 70% accuracy, including variations of on-screen dialogue).

Kylo Ren action figure - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4D0wnze6ZI

Finn action figure - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXW8NY1FZFQ

Captain Phasma helmet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCCEmBpKtpg

New "Star Wars Rebels" Trailer Premiers Next Week!

During his Twitch stream on Friday, January 8th, Freddie Prinze, Jr. announced that a new 3-minute long trailer will debut sometime next week, leading up to the second half of season 2 which begins later this month. The first half of season 2 gave us a lot of crucial details regarding our characters, brought back others that we have grown to love in Rex and Ahsoka, and set up the most anticipated confrontation in Star Wars in recent years: Ahsoka Tano and her former master, Darth Vader. There is also a rumor that Princess Leia will appear in the second half of this season, as reported by Making Star Wars.

Along with the trailer announcement, he also said that we would see some of the Ahsoka v. Vader confrontation in the trailer itself, even saying that we may be seeing more than we should. But, the biggest thing I took out of the few minutes that Freddie Prinze, Jr. was talking about Rebels was the fact that he says this season is so much better than the first. That is a great thing to hear because season 1 was absolutely fantastic. We were introduced new characters and a new story, but in a familiar setting and time period in the Star Wars universe. This season will probably be the Empire Strikes Back of Rebels just because of the things I think will happen during the second half of this season. We could be getting pretty dark by the end of the season and have these characters facing some pretty tough obstacles.

Star Wars Rebels returns on January 20th on  Disney XD.

Follow Freddie Prinze, Jr. on Twitch: jrtwitch1

Rey's Theme Apparently Hints At Her Identity

The most talked about theory concerning Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Rey's parentage. Since the film premiered, fans have been speculating online, citing specific moments in the film as well as general story points. Today, I think we may have some real proof as to who Rey really is, and it may not come as a surprise to many.

Tech Insider ran a story today that specifically targets "Rey's Theme" from the films soundtrack. The writer of the article, Sidney Fussell, goes on to examine certain clues that give us some meat to chew on when discussing Rey's identity.

The first thing Fussell points to is a specific point during "Rey's Theme" in which it resembles the Imperial March. During the 2:30-2:40 minute mark, one can make out some horns that resemble the classic theme. There are also audio clips in which fans have reversed the track, in turn making the parallels to Vader's iconic theme even more apparent. I think the most convincing clip that Fussell posted was from YouTube. In this video, the horn notes are played on piano normally, and then are reversed. Isolating that particular instrument gives the claim more validity since you are able to clearly hear the similarity.

Again, John Williams does not do these things by accident. If he makes certain pieces of music similar, there has to be a reason for it. That is why I believe Snoke will eventually be Darth Plagueis. The track from Revenge of the Sith is clearly very similar to Snoke's theme. Now, we have Rey's theme contain similarities to the Imperial March aka Vader's theme. This is no doubt pointing to the fact that she is a Skywalker. Binary Sunset is even brought up due to the fact that the flutes at the end of the track resemble Vader's theme, albeit "more optimistic."

This was a fantastic article that will raise a lot of questions. Personally, this has made it a strong 100% that Rey is Luke's daughter.

Tech Insider article: http://www.techinsider.io/star-wars-rey-theme-vader-connection-2016-1

Episode VII's Repeat Viewings

Since December 17th, fans from across the country have been rushing to theaters to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and has brought the franchise back with a fury. The acting was superb, action sequences were mind-blowing, and the story kept you locked in from start to finish. I remember my first words after the first IMAX 3D showing on December 17th were, "I'm seeing this again tomorrow," and it seems like many people shared my sentiment.

Watching this film has been my absolute favorite theater experience to date. From the feelings of nostalgia with the Lucasfilm logo, text and opening crawl, to the overall quality of the film. But, one thing I noticed is that this film gets better with each viewing. The first viewing required the audience to process so much information with the film moving at such a fast pace, but after you know what you're in for, its even more enjoyable. Personally, I went into this movie kind of like how I check my bank account. I'm hoping everything will be fine, but I'm not quite sure, and since this is Star Wars, it held much more weight. Thankfully, this film met my expectations and allowed me to watch it a second time without fearing its quality.

For me, the third viewing was my absolute favorite. I think all of the things that I mentioned before contributed to that. I was able to really concentrate and identify certain things that I didn't see the first couple of times. At first, I felt like a critic watching the film because I kept on thinking of a couple of scenes that I really didn't like and certain plot points that didn't make sense at the time. Then, after listening to the Far, Far Away Podcast and Jedi Council discuss the film, I realized that the things I had issues with were very minor and had almost no effect on the immediate story. Specifically, the music became a character for me the third time around. I stopped comparing trilogy's and allowed The Force Awakens to be its own film. Since then, The Force Awakens has produced some of my favorite scores.

Also, you are able to pick up on certain details after each viewing and, as we've seen I the past few weeks, give rise to many theories. The main seen I needed to watch a few times was the scene in Maz Kanata's castle in which Rey has the force vision. There are certain voices and scenery that would be missed if you aren't looking for them, particularly the corridor from Cloud City and Obi-Wan's voice. There are also certain pieces of dialogue and acting choices that can be interpreted differently after each viewing, especially after certain theories become popular. For example, Luke's expression when he sees Rey, Rey's fighting style with the lightsaber,  and Snoke's theme. Many hardcore fans have taken it upon themselves to watch this movie for analytical purposes in hopes of finding clues that may lead to Episode VIII story points.

Honestly, it hasn't become a surprise if someone says they've seen The Force Awakens more than a few times. This film has broken several box office and the repeat viewings could help it reach Avatar for #1 all-time. To all of the Star Wars fans around the world, lets make it happen!

Updated Theory On Rey's Backstory

So, I've been mulling over a few theories regarding Rey's story. Some details have remained in tact, but others have been completely thrown away. I guarantee this will happen until the day I see Episode VIII. But, for now, let me share my "updated" Rey theory. 

From what we know, Luke's apprentice (Ben Solo) turned against him and "destroyed everything" according to Han. Now, we know that Rey is 19 during the time of The Force Awakens, so I estimate that Kylo Ren would be in his late 20's, maybe 28 or 29. This would make it a 10 year difference and would make Rey about 5 or 6 at the time of the flashback sequence on Jakku, in turn making Kylo Ren 14 or 15. 

Here is where the fun begins. 

I believe that after Ren attacked the Luke's academy, where Rey had been training with her father (Luke), he took Rey and left her on Jakku. At this point, he wasnt fully engulfed in the dark side, making the killing of his family too much to handle. So, he takes his cousin and abandons her on Jakku, leaving her with Unkar Plutt, and wiped any memory she had of her training, him, her father or anyone strong in the force. I think that is why the "It is you," line in the novel is so important. Anyway, the reason I think he spared her, and why it's a possibility, is because even though Anakin had been killing the younglings, he still had no intention of killing Padmé, or Obi-Wan until their confrontation on Mustafar. I think the same thing was happening with Ben Solo. One thing that bugs me, though, is Rey yelling at the shuttle as it leaves. She either knows exactly who's in that shuttle, or just doesn't want to be left with Plutt. Honestly, who could blame her. 

Now, in regards to Rey's visions of an ocean and an island, it doesn't mean that she had to have been there before. I think that Rey was seeing Luke's location, reminiscent of Luke knowing exactly where Han and Leia were.  She's having these images in her head of this specific location, but doesn't know what it means. 

Finally, when she reaches Luke, we see him staring down at what appears to be a tombstone. It could also be a jagged rock, but if it's not, I think it could be the grave of her mother or even Han. This is just an idea, probably no validity whatsoever. 

Another interesting thought I had was about her fighting style. During the duel with Kylo Ren, the way she fought was reminiscent of Anakin, Luke, and...Palpatine. Rey does that stabbing motion many times during the fight, almost identical to Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith while engaging Windu. We know that Mara Jade was trained by Palpatine, so if they make that character from the EU canon, or some variation of her, it would lead me to believe that she trained with her mother as well. And, it would be freaking awesome. 

There are a lot of things to consider, but I think this is a very possible theory. With that being said, I'm probably 100% wrong. 

Final Scene of Episode VII Speculation

After the events on Starkiller Base, the final piece of the map is found and Rey, along with Chewie and R2, set out to find Luke Skywalker. This final scene has raised many questions about Rey's parentage, some believing it to be a subtle reveal that she is in fact the daughter of Luke Skywalker, among other things. So, lets talk about it.

Why doesn't Leia accompany Rey to the island? It seems pretty odd that Leia, who had been looking for her brother for so long and believes him to be the savior of the Republic, would entrust this task to a stranger, despite her fighting alongside Han. I understand the Hosnian System had just been destroyed and she is a very important figure, seemingly the only one that took the First Order seriously, but there has to be someone that can perform those duties for a short time while she is away (Ackbar?). This leads me to believe that she has a feeling that Rey is connected to Luke in some way. Whether Leia knows that Rey is her niece, a feeling I got during their long embrace after Han's death, remains to be seen. Then again, maybe Chewie's and R2's presence were enough for her.

Also, as they make their approach to the island, Rey seems to have a look of familiarity on her face, so much so that Chewie looks over at her with a curious look. I know I'm analyzing the facial expressions of a Wookie, but stay with me here. Earlier in the film, Kylo Ren is probing Rey's mind and discovers that she often thinks about an island and an ocean. Could Luke's location be that same island? Or was it just a fantasy since she had lived on a secluded, desert planet for as long as she could remember. Remember, she's amazed to see Tokadana as they arrive saying, "I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy." I strongly believe that she had been on that island before training with Luke and her mother for a short time. If that's not the case, then it could just be a look of wonder and nothing more. I'm sure this question will get answered in Episode VIII.

As Rey approaches Luke, we see him standing and looking down at something. On the Far, Far Away Podcast, hosted by Mark Reilly and John Rocha, a fan insisted that Luke was looking down at something that looked like a tombstone. After my last viewing, I believe this to be the case. The rock structure there seems pretty level except for that one jagged piece of rock. I've come to two possible conclusions. The first being that Luke is staring at the grave of his wife. The other being that he is looking at the grave of his daughter(Rey), who he believes is dead. This one, I think, is the most possible because I don't think Luke would've abandoned his daughter on Jakku with someone like Unkar Plutt, and I don't think he came into contact with Rey after the academy was destroyed. I'm starting to develop another theory which I'll leave for another post.

Finally, the one thing that everyone has been pointing to, the way Luke reacts to seeing Rey. At first, as he pulls his hood down, he seems to be struggling to recognize who it is. I mean, he probably hasn't seen another person since he left. But, after a couple of seconds, its like a tidal wave hits him and he recognizes Rey immediately. The way his expression changes so quickly  makes me think that he has just seen his daughter, who he believed to be dead. What else would cause Luke to completely walk away from everything if not the death of his daughter? Sure, Ben Solo turning to the dark side would have been hard enough, but he was able to turn his father back to the light, so why just walk away? I think feeling solely responsible for the fall of Ben Solo started his downward spiral, but thinking that his daughter had been killed was the deciding factor.

We are now officially a year and a half away from Episode VIII. It'll be fun to see how these theories evolve as we get more news about the upcoming film. Until then, lets speculate away!