Tag: Lightsaber

Darth Vader balloon faces uncertain future as fans rally for its revival

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BEING NEW BALLOONS TO ONE OF THE POPULAR SHAPES EVERY YEAR IS THAT DARTH VADER BALLOON. BUT THE FUTURE IS ACTUALLY UNCERTAIN, AS THAT BALLOON IS AT THE END OF ITS LIFESPAN. SO NOW THERE’S AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE. PEYTON SPELLACY JOINS US LIVE FROM THE PARK WITH MORE ON THIS STORY. HEY, PEYTON. HEY, GOOD MORNING TODD, I WANT TO SHOW YOU YODA IS BEING SET UP RIGHT NOW. NOW, HIS COUNTERPART, DARTH VADER, IS NOT SO LUCKY. LIKE YOU SAID, HIS FLYING DAYS ARE NUMBERED. BUT FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, HE’S BEEN LOOMING LARGE OVER BALLOON FIESTA PARK. HE’S A FAN FAVORITE FROM THE GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. BUT THIS CREW SAYS HIS FLYING DAYS AREN’T OVER WITHOUT A FIGHT. THE BALLOON IS 19 YEARS OLD. IT’S REALLY A LONG TIME FOR A SHAPE, AND SO WE WE REALLY EXPECT WE CAN CONTINUE THE STORY. BENOIT LAMBERT HAS BEEN FLYING THE STAR WARS SPECIAL SHAPE SINCE 2007, AND SAYS FROM THE MOMENT HE SAW THEM, HE KNEW THE FORCE WAS STRONG WITH HIM. BUT TIME, EVEN FOR THE DARK SIDE, HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL. YOU CAN SEE IT START TO BE HARD BECAUSE THE FABRIC STARTS TO BE DEFLATED ON THE NECK, BUT IT’S PART OF THE PROCESS. DARTH VADER MAY BE GROUNDED, BUT HIS CREW ISN’T THROWING IN THE LIGHTSABER YET. THEY’RE FUNDRAISING TO REBUILD IT BECAUSE IT’S MORE THAN JUST A BALLOON. IT’S THE SHOW EVERYONE’S LOOKING FOR. WE HAVE 100 TROOPERS AROUND MY BALLOONS. DARK SIDE. IT’S THE KIDS THAT’S SEEING THE KIDS SEE ACTUAL CHARACTERS IN REAL LIFE. BUT IT’S NOT JUST FOR KIDS. FANS OF ALL AGES ARE DRAWN IN. COME ON, EVEN THE BIG KIDS COULD GET SOME BIG KIDS. I SAW THE STORMTROOPERS WITH THEIR LIGHTSABERS AND THEIR GUIDES AND I WAS LIKE, WE NEED TO FOLLOW THEM. KATRINA’S A FIRST TIMER AT FIESTA, BUT THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH HER. I EVEN HAVE A TATTOO RIGHT HERE WITH THE DEATH STAR IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SUNFLOWER. AS SOON AS I GET SOME TIME, I’M GOING TO GET ONLINE AND I’M GOING TO DONATE TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING MAGICAL THAT WE NEED TO SEE EVERY YEAR. THAT PASSION, GIVING THE CREW HOPE THAT ONE DAY SOON THE SITH LORD WILL RISE AGAIN. DO YOU THINK HE’LL MAKE A RETURN? I HOPE SO, YES. THAT’S MY PLAN. YES. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THESE CHARACTERS ALONGSIDE DARTH VADER, YOU CAN DONATE ONLINE. WE HAVE THAT LINK ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT FOR NOW, LOOKS LIKE DARTH VADER AND YODA WILL BE FLYING. MAYBE STATIC, MAYBE YODA WILL BE FLYING OVER HERE AT OUR ONE MARKER REPORTING LIVE

Darth Vader balloon faces uncertain future as fans rally for its revival

Updated: 1:17 AM EDT Oct 10, 2025

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The Darth Vader balloon, a fan favorite at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for nearly two decades, faces an uncertain future as its fabric deteriorates, prompting efforts to keep the tradition alive.Beniot Lambert, who has been flying the “Star Wars” special shapes since 2007, said, “So the balloon is 19 years old. The fabric starts to behold. So we are planning a way to continue the story.”Lambert noted the toll time has taken on the balloon, saying, “You can see it start to behold because the fabric starts to be deflated on the neck. But it’s part of the process.”Despite the challenges, the crew is determined to rebuild the balloon, recognizing its significance beyond just being a balloon.Video below: ‘Star Wars’ opens in theaters”We have 100 troopers around my balloons,” Lambert said.The balloon’s appeal extends beyond children, drawing fans of all ages. One first-time attendee, Katrina Bustillos, shared her excitement, saying, “I saw the stormtroopers with their lightsabers and their guides, and I was like, we need to follow them.”Bustillos, who has a tattoo of the Death Star, expressed her commitment to the cause, saying, “As soon as I get some time, I’m going to get online and I’m going to donate to you guys, because I think this is something magical that we need to see every year.”The crew remains hopeful that the Sith Lord will rise again, with Lambert expressing his optimism, “Do you think he’ll make a return? I hope so. Yes, that’s my plan.”

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

The Darth Vader balloon, a fan favorite at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for nearly two decades, faces an uncertain future as its fabric deteriorates, prompting efforts to keep the tradition alive.

Beniot Lambert, who has been flying the “Star Wars” special shapes since 2007, said, “So the balloon is 19 years old. The fabric starts to behold. So we are planning a way to continue the story.”

Lambert noted the toll time has taken on the balloon, saying, “You can see it start to behold because the fabric starts to be deflated on the neck. But it’s part of the process.”

Despite the challenges, the crew is determined to rebuild the balloon, recognizing its significance beyond just being a balloon.

Video below: ‘Star Wars’ opens in theaters

“We have 100 troopers around my balloons,” Lambert said.

The balloon’s appeal extends beyond children, drawing fans of all ages. One first-time attendee, Katrina Bustillos, shared her excitement, saying, “I saw the stormtroopers with their lightsabers and their guides, and I was like, we need to follow them.”

Bustillos, who has a tattoo of the Death Star, expressed her commitment to the cause, saying, “As soon as I get some time, I’m going to get online and I’m going to donate to you guys, because I think this is something magical that we need to see every year.”

The crew remains hopeful that the Sith Lord will rise again, with Lambert expressing his optimism, “Do you think he’ll make a return? I hope so. Yes, that’s my plan.”

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October 9, 2025
CXSABER Launches New Pink Soldier Saber: A Milestone in Design and Innovation

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CXSABER releases the new Pink Soldier Saber, a visually and technologically enhanced lightsaber version. The lightsaber is made of aeroplane-grade aluminium and equipped with advanced visual and sound effects.

MILWAUKEE, October 22, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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Today, CXSABER introduces its latest creation, the Pink Soldier Saber, bringing a bold new look to its iconic product line. This new lightsaber showcases striking visual enhancements and significant technological upgrades in both light and sound performance. It sets a new standard for immersive experiences in collectible lightsaber replicas.

Bolder Design for Modern Collectors

Breaking away from tradition, the Pink Soldier Saber blends pink and black in a striking, fresh design. This aesthetic choice reflects evolving consumer tastes, catering to collectors seeking standout pieces. The bold contrast modernizes the classic look and offers fans a sleek addition to their collection.

Enhanced Light and Sound Features

The Pink Soldier Saber features cutting-edge LED technology. It offers a dynamic range of vibrant colors, allowing users to customize their saber’s appearance with ease. The sound system has also been optimized with synchronized ignition, clash, and deactivation audio effects, enhancing the realism of each interaction. These advancements provide users with an even more immersive experience, whether in duels or displays. This release sets a new standard in the knight saber collection, showcasing CXSABER’s commitment to quality and innovation.

Crafted for Durability and Comfort

Engineered with aerospace-grade aluminum, the Pink Soldier Saber is both durable and comfortable. It ensures a secure grip for long-term use. The exposed crystal chamber adds a level of sophistication to the overall design, combining form and function in a way that appeals to both casual fans and serious collectors.

New Benchmark for Collectibles

With the release of the Pink Soldier Saber, CXSABER continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the collectible replica market. It represents a perfect fusion of aesthetic innovation and advanced technology, meeting the demands of fans who expect nothing less than the best. It further enhances CXSABER’s reputation as a leader in master saber development.

The Pink Soldier Saber is now available for purchase on CXSABER’s website at CXSABER.com. Available for all fans worldwide.

About CXSABER

CXSABER is a leading brand in high-quality replica combat lightsabers, known for its innovative design and advanced technology. Each saber is crafted with precision and attention to detail, making it a top choice for collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. For further details, please visit the CXSABER Official Website.

Source: CXSABER

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October 21, 2024
The Essence of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Was You Made the Experience

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A year after the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser took its last flight, here’s a look back at the best of Disney Parks’ bold venture into the immersive entertainment space—and why in the end, it couldn’t quite work.

James Mangold on his Future Star Wars Film | io9 Interview

At io9, Star Wars and fantastical realms of sci-fi coming to life are a major component of what we write about through films, shows, and theme park experiences. And that’s because bringing to life some of the idealized futuristic worlds we hold dear presents a lot of challenges—particularly when they’re brought into a very real world that may only really share themes of banding together with civil unrest against a fascist tyranny. In Star Wars the people find ways to come together and play a role to defeat the bad guys; in real life things are far more complicated.

To many Star Wars fans who were able to check out Galactic Starcruiser during its short-lived existence, the attraction presented a chance to act on the frustration many share in their day to day lives of watching atrocities happen and feeling like there’s little we can do about them. There was an irony in this, since Galactic Starcruiser was part of Disney, a major corporation that prioritizes its financial bottom line.

And indeed, Galactic Starcruiser’s exorbitant cost turned off a lot of folks who thought it was a hotel—which it never was, instead more resembling a fancy theater camp where you could wallflower it or actively participate in your own corner of Star Wars. Hotels are generally built around recreational, relaxing areas like a pool or a spa; the only amenities that reflected a familiar Disney vacation aspect aboard Galactic Starcruiser were the dinners and the Galaxy’s Edge excursions at adjacent Walt Disney World. On a surface level, that’s what probably misled regular folk—vacationers who don’t actively follow the immersive experiences niche—into thinking Galactic Starcruiser was a Disney Cruise on land. Coming on board to realize it was not, and that you had to get involved in ways that could be compared to pretending to be a coach for your fantasy football league, in a realm where you’re in the game, threw the unprepared off. That’s a big part of what ultimately led to Disney shutting down the attraction, which at its core was a community-building endeavor born out of Imagineering and Lucasfilm’s story trust to inspire at least a portion of people to feel like if they could be a part of a story like Star Wars, then perhaps they could take their experiences from it to the real world, in small and big ways.

While there’s a lot of outrage out there to deconstruct the pared-down end result that came from an ambitious idea, many folks who got to visit Galactic Starcruiser enjoyed the experiment, whether they saw it as an imaginative interactive playground to bring their loved ones to or experience on their own. It was a sandbox: if you wanted to be there to cosplay while trying funky-looking food and drinks, that was a path you could take; if you wanted to embrace the childlike wonder of lightsaber training and blasting baddies into space, there was that too. And some people just wanted their kids to play and meet their heroes.

The milage varied on how open and social you were willing to be to find the path of best enjoyment. On my own visit, I went in as a disenchanted space witch on her honeymoon, and with the intention of leaving behind how limited I felt in being able to change the real world. I quickly made an alliance with some reluctant scoundrels to help the good guys out, playing up some Cassian Andor vibes (I pretended to be a relative). I had some issues with having to be on my “data-pad” (what that really means: one’s own phone) to do the more gamer app stuff around Galaxy’s Edge; that was not for me as a non-gamer. But I found that character interaction and roleplay on board the ship to be a highly rewarding experience. I befriended other guests, young and young at heart; moved smuggled goods about (how did they know I’d be down to hustle the Empire?); and when my beloved and I needed a romantic space moment to share our vow renewals, the in-room droid—D3-O9, who encouraged me to help the Resistance—performed a whole ceremony that makes me cry to this day, because right after, she sacrificed herself and got attacked by the First Order.

That event, like in any hero’s journey, quickly radicalized me and I was able to find the Rebel princess for the people inside me I’ve dreamed of being since I was a little girl. Then it was on and along with the Padawans in training we led stormtroopers to their own imprisonment by pretending to lock up Chewbacca, used a fake proposal to move precious cargo, and stood tall with a galactic pop-star along with our fellow Resistance members to back up Rey when Kylo Ren showed up for the epic finale. And finally—when the good guys won—I was able to step into my power and begin the Jedi (witch princess) training I’d felt I long abandoned hope for. As soon as I ignited my lightsaber on that last night, I was ready to fight again.

Oh—and here are the vows D3-O9 recited for us:

D3-O9: You have come today to declare your promise of devotion to your chosen partner.

Please repeat after me:

…We vow to share our triumphs and troubles…

…No matter what difficulties may come…

…We share in each other’s successes…

…Not with jealousy, but with joy and admiration…

…We promise each other a life cycle…

…Filled with curiosity, humor, and adventure…

…We pledge unquestionable devotion…

…for we are worthy of each other’s love.

You are destined. The galaxy has connected you amongst the millions of other inhabitants. Though you may have once traveled singular paths, you now travel united, and stronger for it. Cherish your bond, and seek to share it, for your bond shall inspire others to seek their own. From love to love, the galaxy grows stronger. And you are now a part of that great and unending chain.

Like those who did find the best of our experiences to outweigh the kinks that had so much potential to be ironed out, it is nice to feel a part of that “great and unending chain” with those whose lives were enriched by the experience of the Galactic Starcruiser.

Read more about io9’s invited visit to Galactic Starcruiser here.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

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Sabina Graves

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May 23, 2024
Star Wars’ Diana Lee Inosanto Digs Deep Into Tales of the Empire

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Star Wars loves nothing more than understanding a villain. Part of the reason the franchise’s greatest evils are also some of its most compelling characters is because it loves to dive deep into understanding why these figures are the way they are. The time has come for Morgan Elsbeth’s turn—and for us and the actress behind her alike to lift the lid on this wayward daughter of Dathomir.

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Although we saw Morgan meet her untimely end at the climax of Ahsoka, we will finally get to see more of what makes her tick this coming weekend when Star Wars day brings Tales of the Empire to Disney+. The new six-part anthology series delves into two tales of survival in the Imperial Age: including, of course, Inosanto’s return to Morgan Elsbeth, as we see her journey from Nightsister to Magistrate—and Thrawn’s right hand. To learn more about how she prepared to return to the galaxy far, far away, io9 sat down with Inosanto over Zoom to learn more about Tales of the Empire. Check it out in full below!

James Whitbrook, io9: Morgan has been well established in live action Star Wars. What surprised you about getting to visit her now in the realm of Star Wars animation?

Diana Lee Inosanto: For me, it’s the details the confirmation of finally, really understanding her background—particularly going all the way back to Dathomir, and what happened in that period of time. I love the fact that we see her love for people. I think people have been used to, in the live-action, seeing this more villainous approach [to Morgan], her own agenda. But I love that we get to go back and see what her people meant to her: her love for her mother, her love for her fellow Nightsisters, and that she was, still, in her own way unique.

As dark as it is, you understand why she had to become a survivor, and that every time, in every moment, she’s always thinking of her people, and her roots, and her heritage—that’s what I find fascinating about Morgan.

io9: We get to see her history with the Nightsisters here—how much of that history as we saw it in Clone Wars and Rebels were you familiar with as you started to embrace this particular facet of Morgan’s character?

Inosanto: For me, it was kind of… almost like an IV drip for me! [Laughs.] When I auditioned, I really didn’t know what I was getting into, to be honest with you. When I met with Dave [Filoni, Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer and co-creator of The Mandalorian], that’s when I started learning. “Oh, she’s a Nightsister?” I understood even from the audition sides that this was a woman who was a conqueror, and that she was definitely resilient… and somewhat of a bully, in her later evolution. But I think it was down to her having to survive and being misunderstood.

The people I really leaned on and their work… there was Timothy Zahn, with all his books—because I figured there must be something that she has in common with the people that circle around Thrawn. The second important person I leaned on was E. Anne Convery [a writer in the Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark anthology], where she writes about the Nightsisters in her short story “Bug.” That was very instrumental for me to understand her better. I didn’t even know if Morgan, back then, was there to see what happened to her people—I just had to find out what was the culture, and the heritage, that she’d been a part of. And it’s going to be interesting because [in Tales] we’re going to learn more about all these other clans that were there on Dathomir too.

Image: Lucasfilm

io9: Part of what has defined Morgan so much for people is the physicality you’ve imbued her with. What was it like for you to transition away a little from that side of her now that you’re potraying her primarily through your voice?

Inosanto: I remember watching the behind the scenes [of The Mandalorian], of Pedro [Pascal] doing the voice of Mando, and I saw his physicality there. To me, when I’m in that recording booth, it’s still the same thing: I’m still locked up in my actor’s bubble, and I will do anything everything. I’ll get the breathing down, I’ll jump in place, I’ll move, I’ll grunt, to get everything right!

But my hat goes off to the Lucasfilm animation team—I met with them several weeks ago and I was stunned at the martial arts [on display in the animation]. Steward Lee [Lucasfilm animation director], who ironically had met my godfather [famed martial artist Bruce Lee] as a child, really loves martial arts. Several of the team members that were just on the fight scenes for Tales alone had an understanding of martial arts, and they studied videos of me on YouTube, as well as my fight scenes in Mandalorian and Ahsoka—and there’s some homages to my godfather, and my father. I think it’s an amazing compliment when people come to me just having watched the trailer alone, with the fight scenes, and they go, “Did you do mocap?” They think it’s actually me—that’s an idea of the sophistication of the animation.

io9: In Tales we get to see Morgan, as her story progresses, her meeting with Thrawn for the first time. Having established their relationship in Ahsoka, what was it like to play that moment for you?

Inosanto: I love that scene with Thrawn—especially because in some ways, they’re both considered outsiders in the Empire, right? They’re two very highly intelligent people who have their specific goals.

Lars [Mikkelsen] does such an amazing job as Thrawn, so it’s really easy to all of a sudden disappear into the space with him. When I recorded, I wasn’t with Lars, but I’d had enough time with him on Ahsoka to know and hear his voice in my head—and it came out, I feel, beautifully, in that moment, with him, and the whole Lucasfilm animation team, how they put it all so swiftly and smoothly together.

io9: Ahsoka gave us Morgan’s untimely end, and now Tales has brought us back to parts of her life before we met her in The Mandalorian. What’s a side of Morgan you think hasn’t been explored yet, that you’d love to see in the future?

Inosanto: If there was a chance to see her expressed somewhere in the Star Wars timeline… I always love playing characters that are a little bit vulnerable, and maybe seeing them laying down off on a trail to hell, whatever kind of people they become. That’s why I loved going back particularly to episode one [of Tales], because now you know where her vulnerability came from, her pain and the hurt and how she lost her people. It’s that reflection of her being connected to her roots, and this is really, truly what drives her. Sometimes they say that the most troubled people do what they do because they come from a place of fear and pain—we’re truly seeing a survivor [in Morgan].

And you know, I do love though, in a way, she is a character that just does not forget. She has this whole revenge factor that’s like… wow. [Laughs.] There’s just so much more to explore about this woman. There’s a lot of different shades to her.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire begins streaming on Disney+ May 4.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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April 30, 2024
Tales of the Empire’s First Clip Gives General Grievous a Bit of Menace Back

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When we first met General Grievous 20 years ago this month in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars microseries, it gave him an immediate, chilling presence. But then Revenge of the Sith, and with it the Clone Wars 3DCG series, constrained what could be done with the character. Grievous took on the air of a Saturday morning cartoon villain—twirling lightsabers rather than mustaches. Tales of the Empire is keeping the twirling lightsabers, but it might just bring back a little of that original menace, too.

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Today Lucasfilm released the first clip from the upcoming anthology series Tales of the Empire—its spiritual successor to Tales of the Jedi, this time focusing on stories of the Dark Side, including the life of Morgan Elsbeth before she joined Thrawn’s service, and whatever happened to Barriss Offee after her radicalization against the Jedi’s role in the Clone War. Leaning on the Morgan side of things, the clip sees Tales’ own riff on a particular moment from the 3D Clone Wars series—the season four episode, “Massacre,” when as part of an act of vengeance by Count Dooku, Grievous and an army of Battle Droids launch a devastating assault on Dathomir to try and wipe out Asajj Ventress and her Nightsister comrades.

Tales of the Empire | ‘Stay Back’ Official Clip

The clip is brief, but very fun—if Star Wars is to insist on returning to stories of Clone Wars as it so often is these days, at the very least being able to do so in animation, with the lessons and experiences learned since it came to an end in place, is nice. Getting to see this moment first glimpsed 12 years ago with modern visuals and style is great! But it’s also because, given free reign to act here as the catalyst for Morgan’s traumatic past, Grievous just gets to be unleashed as pure, sinister id.

Going up against Obi-Wan or other Jedi in Clone Wars—never Anakin, of course, because the two were not allowed to actually meet until Revenge of the Sith—Grievous was most often doomed to be a bit of a jobber. He had his moments here and there, sure (the early season one episode “Lair of Grievous” is always worth shouting out), but in Clone Wars Grievous was usually far from the charismatically petrifying agent of death he was when he first stomped into animated canon in the 2D series. It might only be for a brief while, but at least Tales of the Empire looks like it’s bringing at least a little bit of that edge back.

Tales of the Empire begins streaming on Disney+ May 4.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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April 24, 2024
Ahsoka’s Dark Side Villains Get the Incredible Action Figures They Deserve

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Image: Hot Toys

Add on to your Star Wars: Ahsoka collection with these Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati figures, now available for pre-order from Hot Toys.

The formidable Dark Side duo proved to be some of the most badass villains working against Ahsoka and Sabine in the first season of the Star Wars Disney+ series. Their figures are incredibly detailed and come with an arsenal of accessories including their lightsabers.

Take a closer look in this gallery. Shin Hati is $280 and is expected to ship between January and June of 2025; Baylan Skoll is $285 and has the same production timeline.

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Sabina Graves

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March 6, 2024
Hayden Christensen Is Glad the Star Wars Prequels Got Their Reappraisal

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We live in a golden age of Star Wars prequel renaissance. The biggest stories right now all go back to the age of the prequel trilogy, its stars—some of them at least— are returning left and right. Arguably the most important character in the galaxy right now, Ahsoka Tano, was born from Clone Wars’ own diligent relitigation of the prequels’ perceived downfalls. And few people are as happy about that as Hayden Christensen.

“It’s been a remarkable experience. And just a very heartwarming one. The journey that I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20 plus years… it’s been a wild ride, and where we’re at now is really meaningful to me,” Christensen recently told Empire in a wide-ranging interview about his time as—and return to—Anakin Skywalker, across Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and now in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. “I think that those movies have held up well over time. It feels like vindication for the work that we did. Everyone that worked on those movies thought that we were part of something special. We all wanted to do our very best work, and we cared a lot about it. And so to see the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.”

Christensen bore the brunt of a lot of the complaints about the prequels’ general acting performances at the time—perhaps only up there with Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best as specifically heightened targets of vitriolic abuse. But the cultural re-examination that has occurred over the last 25 years, as the children who grew up watching the films became adults, has seen Star Wars in turn more keen to re-explore the legacy of the films and return to their ideas with a similarly more matured eye. For Christensen, that potential to appreciate what the prequels did for Star Wars was there since he very first watched.

“When Episode I came out, there was a lot of excitement that they were making a new Star Wars, and it was going to be the backstory of Darth Vader. But I had friends that were upset that the character was starting off as this young kid. And I watched the film, and I loved it. It was everything I wanted and more. And I didn’t understand the disconnect between the movie that I saw, and the negativity in some of the reviews,” Christensen continued. “In a way that sort of criticism, I think, comes from a certain failure of their own suspension of disbelief. If you’re gonna go sit in a theatre, and the opening scroll starts with, ‘A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away’, that’s setting the stage that anything is possible. These people don’t need to sound and behave the way that we might expect. And if you’re going to sit down and think that you’re getting something that is of our current zeitgeist, then you’re setting yourself up for something else.”

Such is the cyclical nature of Star Wars. We’re already seeing this idea of expectation and reality furiously being applied to the fallout of the sequel trilogy—even nearly five years on from its end, that cycle will be an interesting one to experience as we move even further on, and the current prequels renaissance declines from its greatest prominence. Time will tell, just as it did for Hayden Christensen.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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James Whitbrook

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March 1, 2024
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Is Really That Good, Seriously

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is really, really good. You’ve probably heard this already. Our own review and other reviews of the game have praised it quite a bit. But this isn’t a review. Instead, this is just us reaffirming that, yeah, it really is as good as so many other people have claimed. In fact, some of us at Kotaku are already penciling it in for our Game of the Year list.

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And don’t worry, no spoilers below.

For those just tuning in, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the follow-up to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order. And just like before, in this latest adventure from Respawn and EA, players take on the role of Cal Kestis, a Jedi who survived the purge as a young boy and who now hangs out with his ragtag found family of misfits as they try to free the galaxy from the Empire. Oh and also try not to get caught by all the people hunting them down. (And there are a lot of people after them.) To bring down the Empire, outrun their enemies, and save the day, Cal has to do a lot of jumping, sliding, climbing, fighting, and exploring. And in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor all of this—every jump, lightsaber swing, wall climb, and more—feels great.

Jedi Survivor is one of those games that just feels fantastic to play. Controlling Cal quickly becomes effortless while either platforming or fighting. You stop thinking about pressing buttons or whatever and instead Cal feels like a natural extension of your own body. And to be clear: The first game played really well. But Survivor just feels more honed in, with every part of the game seemingly built to be fun and satisfying to play.

EA / Lucasfilm

Whenever folks playing the game at Kotaku talk about Jedi: Survivor, it usually evolves into people just gushing about the latest sequence they experienced or just trying to describe how awesome combat or platforming felt during their last play session. A lot of the time people don’t even say full sentences, instead going “Ahhh, man… so good” or “Uhhh it’s sooo great” or making other noises that aren’t words but convey how much they are enjoying it.

I’ve heard some complaints about how animations look in the game, and I get that sometimes they might look janky, but this is just because Respawn has clearly prioritized input and feel over how it looks. So yes, watching someone play as Cal as he jumps around platforms might look odd, but playing it feels heavenly. I’m not sure about others, but I rarely fast-travel in this game because moving around the planets you visit is such a blast that fast traveling often feels like I’m missing out on one of the best parts of Jedi: Survivor. When simply moving and jumping in a game feels this good, you know you got something special.

Jedi: Survivor Is Way Better Than Just A Star Wars Game

It can be easy to assume that all the hype around this game is just because it’s Star Wars, but even some non-Star Wars fans around these parts are having a blast with the game. Again, when you start to drill down into why, it ends up coming back to how mechanically satisfying and fun Jedi: Survivor is to play. You don’t need to know or care about the Clone Wars or Jedi or the Force to enjoy Cal sliding down a cliff, leaping into the air, force-dashing further, and then grabbing onto a distant rope to swing over a group of enemies that you eviscerate in seconds with your laser sword. That’s just universally cool stuff.

And while I just said it’s great not just because it’s a Star Wars game, it’s still an awesome Star Wars game. I’ll have more to say about this in the near future, but something I appreciate about Survivor is just how Star Wars-y this game truly is. Crusty alien cantinas, weird but loveable characters, dangerous bounty hunters, cute droids, excellent music, genuinely charming friends, cool ships, and all the perfect sound effects.

EA / Lucasfilm

This is Star Wars at its finest (and weirdest), and an example of how AAA games can be big and yet still feel like each aspect was designed with care. In other words, they can still be incredible if done right. Other devs, take note of sequences like everything leading up to and directly following the moment you get the crossguard stance, or the amazing escape sequence on Jedha. More of this, please!

Sure, the game has some performance issues, but even those can’t stop us (and the rest of the internet) from playing and enjoying this latest and possibly greatest Star Wars video game. Good luck to everything else coming out in 2023!

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Zack Zwiezen

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May 9, 2023
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Already Has Better Lightsabers Than Fallen Order

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Screenshot: Lucasfilm / EA

New gameplay from the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor seems to reveal that, unlike in the first game, the sequel will finally let Jedi Cal Kestis slice up stormtroopers and other human enemies. And that’s a good thing, as this much-wanted change makes lightsabers feel powerful and deadly again.

The lightsaber is one of the coolest pieces of Star Wars tech and genuinely one of the best fictional weapons ever created. Instantly iconic, the weapon and its sounds are so ingrained in our minds that when grown adult actors in Star Wars movies or shows are handed a prop lightsaber they make all the hums and whoosh noises like they were eight years old again. And I don’t blame anyone for loving the lightsaber. It’s a powerful laser sword that can cut off limbs, slice through metal doors, and it comes in rad colors. What more could you want? But for a long time, most Star Wars games—including 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order—haven’t let you really slice and dice with these iconic laser blades, treating them more like glowing bats.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Combat Stances Explained

However, in new gameplay released by IGN yesterday, we see that this doesn’t appear to be the case in Survivor. In a neat video going over how the game’s combat stances work, the devs showcase Cal fighting different enemies while explaining how his various moves will work and how stances factor into combat.

That’s all fine and dandy. But more interesting to me is what happens during the fight against some Imperial scout troopers at around 4:14:

Gif: IGN / EA / Lucasfilm / Kotaku

Look at that! Cal just cut a dude’s leg off. And if you look around the floor at that point in the video you can see at least two more cut-off limbs, likely from earlier in the fight. This is exciting!

Kotaku reached out to EA and Respawn about this dismemberment and was told “The footage is what it is” and that the publisher wouldn’t provide any additional comment.

For many years now, Star Wars games have made lightsabers feel pretty weak as it can often take dozens of hits to kill a random enemy and you never get to cut off limbs or do real damage to your target unless they are a droid or random animal. In an interview in 2019, Respawn senior designer Justin Perez seemed to imply Lucasfilm and Disney weren’t okay with lightsabers cutting off arms or legs. This was further backed up by people who worked on season 7 of The Clone Wars, which is also mentioned in that IGN interview from 2019.

So, I had assumed that was just how things would work. Cal could kill all the innocent animals and aliens he wanted, but he couldn’t chop any limbs off of stormtroopers. But it appears that Disney and Lucasfilm have either relaxed this rule or given Respawn a pass.

Either way, I’m excited to play Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and cut off some legs when it launches on April 28, 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

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Zack Zwiezen

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February 17, 2023
You Probably Aren’t Catching Andor’s Awesome Nods To Deep Star Wars Lore (And That’s A Good Thing)

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Image: Lucasfilm / Disney

As you may know, I’m a big ol’ Star Wars nerd. And one of my favorite things in Star Wars media is all the tiny references and Easter eggs embedded everywhere. But sometimes this fan service goes overboard and derails a story in a way that alienates or bores non-fans. Andor, the newest TV show set in the Star Wars universe, not only avoids this problem, but also finds perfect ways to utilize nerdy Star Wars lore without making it tedious or annoying for folks just wanting to watch a good show.

Andor, which premiered in late September on Disney+, is the latest entry in the Star Wars franchise and is set before the events of the original Star Wars film and the movie Rogue One. It follows the life of Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, as he navigates a galaxy controlled by the evil Empire. He’s not yet the rebel we know from Rogue One, but over the course of this season and presumably the next season, he will evolve into the man we met in that popular spin-off.

Disney / Lucasfilm

People across my timeline have been loving Andor. Even people who’d previously sworn off Star Wars entirely are back and enjoying every minute of the series. Many of them happily point out how the show isn’t a giant excuse to do fan service every week. But funnily enough, Andor has some of the coolest and most interesting bits of deep-cut Star Wars lore out of anything Star Wars-related in years; it’s just handled so well that most folks miss it all.

A great example comes in how the show handles Cassian’s home planet. In the first episode of the show, we learn that Cassian was born and raised on the planet Kenari. It’s newly created for Andor, which allowed showrunner Tony Gilroy more freedom to do whatever he needed with it and its people. But, technically, we already knew of Cassian’s home planet, and it wasn’t Kenari. Back when Rogue One came out, Lucasfilm released various book tie-ins. One reference tome listed Andor’s home world as Fest, an old Star Wars planet that first appeared in the game Dark Forces. So, at first, I thought the show had simply retconned that origin away. I wasn’t too annoyed by this, as I always prefer when Star Wars media focus on story over lore.

But then, in Andor episode two, we learn that Fest was a lie that Cassian and his adoptive mother told everyone to hide the truth of where he was really from, Kenari. For most viewers, that scene wasn’t that big of a deal: Cassian lied because he was trying to hide where he came from, got it. But for Star Wars nerds like me, it was a fantastic way to retcon something using Star Wars lore while still honoring a reference book from years ago. And it didn’t interfere with the show at all, allowing normal, non-Star Wars sickos to enjoy the show without rolling their eyes at some forced bit of fan service.

Lucasfilm / Star Wars Explained

Andor is filled with Star Wars lore and connections like this that it sneakily deploys in ways that make sense for general audiences, but which have deeper, interesting connections to the franchise’s decades of prior material. And unlike the last Star Wars show, the fun (but not nearly as good) Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor doesn’t get tangled up in fan service that distracts from the actual story and characters. The refs are there to find in Andor, if you care, but it’s totally fine if you just want to enjoy the thrilling ride instead.

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For example, Mon Mothma’s daughter, Lieda, isn’t a brand-new character, but instead a very deep-cut one who barely existed in the old Star Wars Extended Universe. So her popping up in the show not only brought her into canon, but was a very fun bit of fan service that didn’t stick out to most viewers.

Similarly, the kyber crystal Luthen Rael gives Cassian as payment for helping with a heist has its own subtle connection to old Star Wars lore. Sure, many viewers probably know vaguely that a kyber crystal powers lightsabers. And many also probably recalled that we previously saw Rogue One heroine Jyn Erso wearing a similar necklace. But while folks were looking at the crystal and going, “Oh that’s a thing I kind of know about…” Luthen drops one of the coolest bits of lore in the show, explaining that the crystal “celebrates the uprising against the Rakatan invaders.” That might have set off alarm bells in the heads of any fans who played Knights of the Old Republic.

That’s because the Rakatans were created for that game. They were an ancient race of super-powerful aliens who possibly invented hyperdrive and at one point controlled the galaxy as part of their Infinite Empire. Technically, they’ve been mentioned in canon before, but this is really the first big re-introduction of the species. Pondering how they could work into future Star Wars stories set far in the past has me very excited.

Speaking of video game references, in Luthen’s shop—which is chockablock with fun Easter eggs that could fill a whole separate blog—we see what appears to be a suit of Sith Stalker armor as first seen in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. That game and its main character, Starkiller, are no longer canon, and this armor popping up in Andor doesn’t change that. But it could hint that perhaps one day parts of Force Unleashed will be reintroduced into the modern Star Wars universe. I mean, if Jaxxon is canon these days, anything can happen.

Read More: Lego Star Wars Is The Antidote To Years of Toxic Fan Culture

But all of these deep-cut references and bits of fan service were likely never spotted by 90% of people watching Andor, even though some of them directly connect to the plot or the show’s characters. That’s an impressive feat to pull off, and based on interviews with the show’s creator, Tony Gilroy, a lot of this was included by Lucasfilm nerds and not himself. He recently told Variety that he works closely with lore experts like Pablo Hidalgo to make sure he’s not doing anything that breaks the Star Wars universe. But for him, his real focus is on Andor’s story and its characters, not references to manuals or old video games.

“The art department will sneak in all that crap into Luthen’s gallery,” Gilroy told Variety. “I had no idea. Like, ‘Oh my God, the thing in the background!’ and people are blowing it up. That’s the art department. So many cool people work on the show. There’s a deep geekdom in Pinewood, believe me.”

That’s how it should be. If Disney wants to continue to create amazing Star Wars productions like Andor, it should bring in more creators and directors like Gilroy. People who, sure, might not be the biggest Star Wars fans in the world, but who have interesting stories to tell. Let those people create cool stuff while the nerds at Lucasfilm fill in the gaps with fan service that weirdos like me can get excited about, while never ruining the show for everyone else.

I admit, this is a hard balance to strike, and I don’t expect all future Star Wars projects to be like Andor. In fact, I would prefer a world where we get both shows like Andor, which are for everyone, and shows like Tales of the Jedi, which are good but clearly target Star Wars nerds like me. Star Wars can’t grow if it only focuses on its big fans, and Andor shows that when you expand the franchise and do something different, you not only end up pleasing longtime Star Wars nerds like me, but also reach a whole new audience that might never have cared about Star Wars in the first place. Plus, Andor is just really entertaining, so more shows like this sounds like a good thing to me.

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Zack Zwiezen

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November 11, 2022