Looks like the new TIE fighter comic uses yet another Disney trope *Spoilers*

The whole "Imperial defector" thing.

While of course this was present a bit in the old EU (Indeed, it's implied that several Rebel brass such as Dodonna and Madine were former Imperials, and Bigg's deleted scenes also had him defecting, and some popular EU characters such as Kyle Katarn and Tycho also had Imperial roots) it seems to show up a lot more in Disney's Star Wars.

Finn of course being the most famous example, but film-wise we've also had Bodhi Rook, Galen and (sort of) Han. (Although to be fair Han's imperial past was something Lucas had in mind from day one)


Rebels did with this Wren (well, her past) Kallus, and Wedge.

It's pretty much the [I]entire plot[I][/I][/I] of Battlefront II's single player campaign.


....and now this.



[url]https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-tie-fighter-return-of-the-jedi-plot-hole/[/url]

Yeah it's getting a little tired by now I was hoping it would follow more along the storylines of the PC game where the main character is all in for the Empire. It's always interesting getting the opposing perspective.

I hate this trope and even more that it keeps coming back.

The issue I take with the constant usage of the defector trope is that it robs us of the Empire's perspective on things. Nor does it allow us to view the reality that Imperials may have to turn on their own loved ones, the harsh reality of what is for all intents and purposes hunting terrorists and getting caught in the middle, and an Imperial even gaining context for the Old Republic. For many of them, they grew up after the Clone Wars concluded or during it. Especially for those growing up during the Clone Wars and enlisting to be like the heroes the Clones had been made out to be, what is that like? Outside of Kreel, is there anybody who had a positive experience being an Imperial?

Oh yeah one I forgot to add, Magna Tolvan from Doctor Aphra also has defected.

To be fair though the original TIE fighter game also had it's own share of things, as the Empire loses not one but two Admirals. Although only the first defects to the alliance, the second kind of wanted his own Empire.

[QUOTE=KROENEN;4319306]Yeah it's getting a little tired by now I was hoping it would follow more along the storylines of the PC game where the main character is all in for the Empire. It's always interesting getting the opposing perspective.[/QUOTE]

Yeah that's one of the things that bugged me about the new battlefront 2. If you market a game as an imperial perspective then you should make it that way. Otherwise it's just false advertising.

On a sidenote can we really call this a Disney trope since it happened in the EU?

I feel like the writers can't justify their characters for being on the empire outside of being totally evil.

I don't know I feel the Vader comic proves it can work with the right creative approach. I think a villain protagonist could be cool.

I just need the characters in the story to say the word "hope" 7-8 times. It's not a "Disney Star Wars" project without that
theme bludgeoned into our skulls.

[QUOTE=KROENEN;4319306]Yeah it's getting a little tired by now I was hoping it would follow more along the storylines of the PC game where the main character is all in for the Empire. It's always interesting getting the opposing perspective.[/QUOTE]

Amen.

Disney really hates the idea of presenting characters that support the Imperials. It must always involve joining the Rebel scum.

[QUOTE=JDogindy;4325469]Amen.

[B]Disney really hates the idea of presenting characters that support the Imperials.[/B] It must always involve joining the Rebel scum.[/QUOTE]

Star Wars has always been more absolutist. Dark vs. Light. Good. vs. Evil. So on ... to be surprised by that always strikes me odd.

I would counter that Disney is setting up a Star Wars universe with more middle ground than before. The Mandolorian, Rouge One, Solo, the Last Jedi, and perhaps IX.

I think you'll see that black and white trend dissipate more the longer Disney holds the franchise because it's just not viable. Star Wars is going to have to do more divergent and subversive and divisive ideas to survive as much more than a nostalgia trip.

When we do get villain-centric stories in SW, they tend to be tragic and sympathetic, a trope just as annoying as the good guy fighting for the wrong team.

It's older than Disney. Han Solo used for work for the Empire before defecting.

[QUOTE=Alan2099;4327824]It's older than Disney. Han Solo used for work for the Empire before defecting.[/QUOTE]

And Tycho. And Kyle. And Coran ... etcetera. That was kinda my point and someone else's ... it's not a Disney thing, but a Star Wars thing.

I kind of like how Zahn handled that there could be 'good' people in the Empire. Palleon and even Thrawn are sort of portrayed as somewhat sympathetic-they believe in the Empire's structure and promise, if not necessarily some of it's crueler methods, or are largely unaware of stuff like the Death Star (although Thrawn of course figured it out in the new novels).

In the new canon Thrawn novel it's clear Pryce is kind of the real villain as well. Vanto, in particular, is played as highly sympathetic.