Star Wars: Rebels

[Hiromi]

I'd love to see Mara Jade, but at the same time unless they're planning on incorporating her into the movies or write material with her in it during the OT or shortly thereafter it's kinda what's the point, one of her main draws in the expanded material was that she was the first entirely original addition to the major reoccurring cast

[ChrisIII]

She didn't really actually have much to with much of the cast until the move from Bantam to Del Rey in the late 90's-After the last Thrawn book she pretty much was written out in the Jedi Academy/Callista trilogy (In which Luke falls for a Jedi force ghost!) although she did eventually show up again in the Correlian trilogy and in the Jedi Knight add-on game. It wasn't until the Hand of Thrawn duology which ended the Bantam run that she and Luke started their relationship. Even the Mara jade comic series didn't really come out until the shift towards that.

However Del Rey have of course used her extensively(Up to Legacy and the new canon of course), with her also having a role in more of Zahn's books which defined more of her backstory (Allegiance and Choices of One).

[Hiromi]

Written out as a love interest for Luke sure, but not the series, hell I believe Anderson was the one who tried to start that attempt at a Lando and Mara pairing(ugh) in the Jedi Academy series, my recollection is that she tended to pop up at least more than a secondary main character like Wedge(outside the X Wing series at least) would in any given novel.

[Zero Hunter]

The mid season trailer dropped today and oh man does it look good. That end shot just got me so happy!

[Charmed]

Rebels always teases me with amazing trailers, then lets me down with filler, a lack of stakes, and Ezra being annoying. The first part of the season started off pretty good, but most episodes in between the premiere and the winter finale weren't up to snuff. When this show is at its best, it's decent, but when it's at its worst, it's pretty awful. Sadly, for me, there's never a middle ground with Rebels, so I'm going to cautious about the rest of the seasons.

All that aside, I'm excited to see more of Sabine (hopefully her scenes in the trailer weren't just from a single episode), Maul (spoilers:

though I really didn't want to see him fight Obi-Wan, again

end of spoilers), Saw, and Hera (my favorite character). I'm also looking forward to seeing what purpose spoilers:

Bo-Katan

end of spoilers will have in the back end of this season.

[Frontier]

spoilers:

I wonder who's voicing old Obi-Wan? It doesn't sound like it's James Arnold Taylor.

end of spoilers

[Charmed]

spoilers:

I wonder who's voicing old Obi-Wan? It doesn't sound like it's James Arnold Taylor.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

It's Stephen Stanton. He also voices Tarkin.

end of spoilers

[Zero Hunter]

Ok. They tease it all season and this is what they give us? Bullshit. Complete and utter disappointment.

[ZeroBG82]

Ok. They tease it all season and this is what they give us? Bullshit. Complete and utter disappointment.

I disagree. I thought this was just about perfect. An absolute moment of bada$$ for a character that deserved it, and an end to a plotline that has long overstayed its welcome. Also, the parallel they drew visually between this and Episode 1 was absolutely brilliant. I wouldn't have told you I wanted this before I saw it, but it's absolutely perfect.

[Kyer]

Ok. They tease it all season and this is what they give us? Bullshit. Complete and utter disappointment.

Agreed. The battle--the actual battle-- was like... Three seconds? My sibling turned his head away and back during a distraction and missed the whole lightsaber exchange.

Honestly, when Kenobi finally showed and I glanced at the clock I was sure we were looking at a two-parter.

I waited months for -this-? Sigh. We got better with the Vader/Ben fight.

[ZeroBG82]

Agreed. The battle--the actual battle-- was like... Three seconds? My sibling turned his head away and back during a distraction and missed the whole lightsaber exchange.

Honestly, when Kenobi finally showed and I glanced at the clock I was sure we were looking at a two-parter.

I waited months for -this-? Sigh. We got better with the Vader/Ben fight.

You guys are all obsessing on the lightsaber duel, when the real battle is fought in the dialogue leading up to it. Obi-Wan even flat out tells Maul that he has risen above this whole meaningless feud. He wants to talk Maul down, and I honestly think he'd have done almost anything not to have to fight him. But then Maul makes the connection. The critical, absolutely pivotal connection. Why is Obi-Wan on Tatooine? The animation in that moment is amazing. Just Obi-Wan's eyes on screen, as the entire situation changes. Obi-Wan has left all conflicts behind, his purpose no longer in fighting but purely in protecting. He no longer holds any enmity towards Maul, he has no longing for battle or a need to settle old scores (in contrast to his persona during the Clone Wars, where he very much considered Maul his responsibility). But in that moment, Obi-Wan chooses.

Maul is already dead before Obi-Wan ever activates his lightsaber.

There isn't anything Dark Side about it. It isn't out of anger, it isn't out of vengeance. It's just a simple calculus. If it threatens Luke, it dies. Defending Luke is the absolute purpose to which Kenobi has given himself, a literal devotion that mirrors truly giving himself to the will of the Force. His actions in the moments that follow ARE the will of the Force, overwhelming, swift and purposeful. There is no theater here, no showing off. Again, in contrast to the Obi-Wan of the Clone Wars, who very much had an air of style about him. This is simply, purely an act of will. The very act of Obi-Wan drawing his sword comes AFTER the battle is won. Maul has sealed his fate.

But then the actual duel itself. Obi-Wan strikes his classic Clone Wars era pose, but then reconsiders. And switches to Qui-Gon's style! At which point Maul goes for the exact same stunning strike that he used to kill Qui-Gon all the way back in Episode 1. And Obi-Wan ends him. It's a visual "When last we met I was but the learner, now I am the master!" moment. And once again, we see Obi-Wan as pretty much the perfect ideal of the Jedi. Acting in defense of the innocent, without emotion or anger. In perfect harmony with the Force and himself.

[Spiritualcramp]

Maul got curbed, lmao.

[Frontier]

I'm kind of of two minds when it comes to that final fight.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

You guys are all obsessing on the lightsaber duel, when the real battle is fought in the dialogue leading up to it. Obi-Wan even flat out tells Maul that he has risen above this whole meaningless feud. He wants to talk Maul down, and I honestly think he'd have done almost anything not to have to fight him. But then Maul makes the connection. The critical, absolutely pivotal connection. Why is Obi-Wan on Tatooine? The animation in that moment is amazing. Just Obi-Wan's eyes on screen, as the entire situation changes. Obi-Wan has left all conflicts behind, his purpose no longer in fighting but purely in protecting. He no longer holds any enmity towards Maul, he has no longing for battle or a need to settle old scores (in contrast to his persona during the Clone Wars, where he very much considered Maul his responsibility). But in that moment, Obi-Wan chooses.

Maul is already dead before Obi-Wan ever activates his lightsaber.

There isn't anything Dark Side about it. It isn't out of anger, it isn't out of vengeance. It's just a simple calculus. If it threatens Luke, it dies. Defending Luke is the absolute purpose to which Kenobi has given himself, a literal devotion that mirrors truly giving himself to the will of the Force. His actions in the moments that follow ARE the will of the Force, overwhelming, swift and purposeful. There is no theater here, no showing off. Again, in contrast to the Obi-Wan of the Clone Wars, who very much had an air of style about him. This is simply, purely an act of will. The very act of Obi-Wan drawing his sword comes AFTER the battle is won. Maul has sealed his fate.

But then the actual duel itself. Obi-Wan strikes his classic Clone Wars era pose, but then reconsiders. And switches to Qui-Gon's style! At which point Maul goes for the exact same stunning strike that he used to kill Qui-Gon all the way back in Episode 1. And Obi-Wan ends him. It's a visual "When last we met I was but the learner, now I am the master!" moment. And once again, we see Obi-Wan as pretty much the perfect ideal of the Jedi. Acting in defense of the innocent, without emotion or anger. In perfect harmony with the Force and himself.

I agree with this. It was a subtle and sweet scene, and really showcased that Obi was truly following the Force.

[sunofdarkchild]

I have no problem with the duel itself, but the episode just wasn't very good before Obi Wan showed up.