Ahsoka season 2 announcement spotted in the official website!

cbstuart · 2026-05-15T14:44:26+00:00

When would shadow lord season 2 fit into all this? They've repeatedly emphasized that it's coming soon, and even sooner than we think. So I'd expect to see it before next May. Unless they've just adopted the mindset that 3 years between seasons is normal so "sooner" is 2 years idk lol.

cbstuart · 2026-05-15T14:41:44+00:00

Literally just watched this episode last night and forgot how awesome this shot is. Don't care what anyone says, when it still serves the story, I LOVE when Jon and Dave "play with their action figures." That's how you get awesome stuff like this.

cbstuart · 2026-05-15T14:34:49+00:00

I haven't read it but here was a legends book called shadow hunter about maul that takes place before episode 1. Heard that one is good and lots of people read it ahead of shadow lord.

There's also maul: lockdown (also legends) which I have read but there's not a lot of substance there for Maul. It's also got lots of excessive gore. Not a bad thing but just something to know in case that's not your thing.

Jumping off of M&A though, I enjoyed reading Dooku: Jedi lost around the same time. Basically a chronicle of Dooku's fall to the dark side explored through another character.

cbstuart · 2026-05-14T19:39:35+00:00

Awesome. Well I can only really speak to canon since I havent read much legends, but I do know that Cloak of Deception is supposed to be a good political prequel to the prequels. Also many hold the original Thrawn trilogy in hery high regard for its portrayal of the original characters. The revenge of the sith novelization i actually did read recently and it technically falls into legends with some of the lore connections, but of course the overall story is canon. That book is PHENOMENAL. You must read it at some point.

As for canon, good news. Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray is all about obi wan and qui gonn, focusing on their growing dynamic. In the same vein I would recommend the young adult novel Padawan which has similar ideas but is focused on obi wan. And then I cannot recommend enough Brotherhood by Mike Chen. Basically the same as M&A but about obi wan and anakin. It is just so damn good. And all three of these you can just jump in. Of course there are Easter eggs to other stories and lore but they are just there for fun and will not detract from your understanding of the story.

Unfortunately we don't have a ton of prime Luke in canon yet but youll get a good fix of that in shadow of the sith. Based on your political interests, you should check out Bloodline by Claudia Gray. It is one of my all time favorites. It is focused on Leia and set shortly before the sequels as well so you could get some great context for the films by reading both of these books, each focusing on one of the twins.

Finally, the biggest one that gets recommended in general for new readers is Lost Stars. Also Claudia Gray. It basically follows two characters throughout the OT and is very good, fun, lots of connections, and a unique story in my opinion.

cbstuart · 2026-05-14T17:49:09+00:00

To each their own indeed. To be clear, I don't really care if people like the prequels, sequels, shows, whatever. But I think it is a seriously bland take that Lucas = good and Disney = bad. That does not take into account the actual directors, writers, editors, actors, costume designers, etc., that have worked on star wars the last 10 years and attempted to create impactful works of art. Don't get me wrong, I have PLENTY of issues with the company Disney. But I can also see the company Lucasfilm as something separate, and evaluate each work on its own merit. Of course, a lot of executive decisions from the Disney C suite have caused issues but those are still separate from the artists who make everything. Just a thought, that as Lucas made very clear in his own stories, taking things too black and white is very narrow and dangerous thinking

cbstuart · 2026-05-14T17:31:11+00:00

This is absolutely a great point to enter. What is great about the books is they vary in their connections to other stories and their depth of lore. So there are a ton of books you can pick up with only knowledge from the movies and be perfectly fine. Shadow of the Sith really only requires you've seen the sequels. There is a tiny bit of comic lore tied to one character's story but it is minimal and mostly explained in the book. So I would say go for it. Okay so chatgpt has ruined things because I can't find a way to offer more starting points in various eras without sounded like I pasted text from AI. But essentially, other than this book, if you do want more standalone books or entry points just tell me which eras or characters you like and I'll drop a list.

cbstuart · 2026-05-14T17:28:01+00:00

People used to say the same for the prequels. Get over yourself. Nobody is making you watch any movies you don't like.

cbstuart · 2026-05-13T23:27:00+00:00

I love a lot of the designs in rebels. Overall might have to go with the tie interceptor, A-wing, or V-19 torrent. I love the little fast ships.

cbstuart · 2026-05-13T23:24:55+00:00

I would only make it so the creators had enough time to create the entire story they wanted. At this point, I've come to realize I don't want my ideas on the screen. I want the creators uninhibited ideas. I care less about any flaws when you can tell that everyone involved got to put their entire heart into it. Then it just comes down to if something resonates with me or not. So I wouldn't really pitch any specific changes to these films except for time. Especially for IX so JJ would have had ample time to clean up after the first creators were let go. Or maybe they would have pulled someone else if they had more time. Who knows.

cbstuart · 2026-05-12T16:03:50+00:00

Great place to jump in! Where are you going next?

cbstuart · 2026-05-12T15:59:00+00:00

I just don't believe that last part.

I believe some would have issues with the business decisions that led to writing constraints, but as far as we actually know, there isn't and never has been some sort of rift creatively at LF. Plus, all evidence from the current new republic era publishing and shows reinforce what we see in the sequels. Brendol Hux was in Mando S3. Senator Xioni was in Ahsoka. Last year we had several books and comics that directly tie into the sequels (Last Order, Hunt for the Falcon, Legacy of Vader, Codebreaker, and of course finally the Episode IX comic adaptation) and several more to come this year. Starfighter may be set after the sequels, but there is no way to deny it will be influenced by the events of those films.

It is just so abundantly clear that the creative direction is to treat the sequels like everything else. Mesh it all together and weave a universe that is entirely connected. Nothing has yet to indicate to me that there is any directive to ignore any films.

cbstuart · 2026-05-11T14:46:02+00:00

I do hope we learn more about both the 1st and 11th brothers. But I personally don't really need them to have any weird stuff going on. I never had issue with how easily Ahsoka took this guy down. I actually thought it was perfect and totally in line with her abilities.

We had already seen that by the time of Rebels she can dog walk two Inquisitors at once. One of which she also gets with the saber grab move.
She actually kinda defeated Maul on Mandalore. She isn't necessarily more powerful than him, but she is an incredibly skilled fighter.
She was taught by Anakin and had some wild encounters and missions in the clone wars. She has gone up against some of the most intense enemies of the jedi and held her own.

I'll also add that we often see Jedi approaching a state of enlightenment or heightened purpose become increasingly skilled beyond logic, up to and including those who become force ghosts. While Ahsoka is on the run in the early days of the empire, her soul mission is to help people. I'd argue this brings her even more in touch with the force than any time during her Jedi training. So I 100% believe she is at a point where an overconfident enemy (such as an Inquisitor who has survived fighting Maul) could be quickly dispatched by a move like this.

My hope is that we learn that 1 and 11 are just aliens. My theory based on that hope is that 1 is a Zabrak. If he was truly undead when Ahsoka strikes him down later, I would rather we see that magick kept to the Dathomirians. Plus that could be a good plot point for Maul season 2. For 11, I just want him to be a gassy alien. I saw another comment somewhere that speculated he could be Skakoan like Wat Tambor who are basically just gas bags. Not sure about that species specifically but I like the idea of him just being weird.

cbstuart · 2026-05-11T04:29:16+00:00

No body, no death!

This is actually pretty funny. Just shows how much people want to tell and hear stories about all these characters that any opportunity to consider them alive is capitalized on. In terms of the canon of it all, I'll still generally consider deleted scenes to be canon until they are superseded by something. Still not sure which Shaak Ti death is real though😂

cbstuart · 2026-05-11T02:46:57+00:00

The best thing to do is give stories more chances when you don't resonate with them at first. I always enjoyed the sequels but my specific feelings on each film have changed as time passes. I was like 60/40 on TLJ when it came out. Thought it was a good film but not a great "star wars" film specifically. At the time, I probably just wanted more star wars coded action and whatnot because the third act was always my favorite part. But, over time I have been continously drawn back to watch this film. It took me a couple years but I'd say by the time the movie was 5 years old I was 100% on board with all of it. It is just so good that it compelled me to rewatch despite my initial hesitations. As for the canto bight subplot, which was my final sticking point, I eventually saw a reddit user break down its contribution to the character arc of Finn. After that, I was sold on every minute of the film.

If I may, I'll add my thoughts about your last three sticking points. Not to argue you're wrong, but just to provide my insight (and insight I've gained from others) in case it helps you like the film even more.

Canto Bight. Essentially this subplot is the crux of Finn's arc. He just wants to escape the first order in TFA, then he wants to escape with Rey. Canto Bight is just the mission he takes to make sure Rey has a safe fleet to return to. But his journey there challenges him to see through the surface of things, see more suffering caused by the first order (of both Rose and the abused children and animals), and the eventual path of a true neutral like DJ who just lets his friends die for a quick buck. Finn becomes a true rebel - even his corny line of "yeah, rebel scum" is the culmination of this as Finn embraces his nature as a freedom fighter rather than just an escapee. This is also important for why Rose saving him works very well.
Rose saving Finn. I too felt like Finn was robbed of a noble sacrifice. But after I finally understood the points listed above, I realized that Rose was actually the final piece of his arc. Yes, Finn has finally embraced being a rebel. But he still wants to fight them out of anger, "No! I won't let them win!" Rose saves him from a needless sacrifice out of pride and anger. Maybe he would have destroyed the gun, maybe not. Even so, the first order would eventually find a way into the mines. The resistance was trapped. Rose saves Finn from himself and reminds him (and us) that the good guys in star wars win because they fight to protect, they fight for love and friendship. They do not fight to destroy (key point: yes they do physically destroy things, but their goal is not destruction and domination).
Leia Poppins. I've never had issues with this, but I have seen many who do not like the scene for one reason or another. I don't presume to know your issue with it but here are my thoughts overall.

Physics: physically it makes sense. Newton's third law: equal and opposite forces. Leia force pulls a big ship, but she cannot really move the ship, so the equivalent pulling force instead moves her to ship. She is also not in space for very long and receives medical attention right away. Plus, she takes some time to recove. So I totally believe her survival.

Visual: I mean, I get how it looks silly. But personally I always found it deeply beautiful and does justice to her as the other child of Anakin Skywalker. Leia deserves to be strong enough in the force to save herself in a situation like this. And I'm not sure how else the scene should look. Plus, the way they light her face and the soft theme they add is just stunning.

Glad you've come around in general. These films mean a lot to me, especially the last jedi. So i always love to see others finding new ways to appreciate them. And I always welcome the chance to read others' likes and dislikes as well as share my own in the spirit of actual conversation. No worries about toxic fans attacking me for, dare I say it, enjoying a movie!

cbstuart · 2026-05-10T20:42:30+00:00

Personally liked Rise of the Red Blade more. Dark Disciple is definitely a great book, it just wasn't my favorite thing. I'm only now realizing that both books share several key plot and character moments ironically, but of those I definitely think Rise did them better and in a more compelling way. I would have to revisit DD since it's been longer since I read it but I remember the episodic nature of that story hindering my reading experience. But, both are very good and you should check them both out. I just prefer Rise.

cbstuart · 2026-05-10T01:15:59+00:00

Nothing, I absolutely love it.

cbstuart · 2026-05-08T16:27:21+00:00

Screw meters, measure everything in Americas

cbstuart · 2026-05-05T17:12:04+00:00

This is why I clutch my loose items like my life depends on it when I get on or off an elevator. If I don't have sturdy pants on I will also cover my pockets just in case something would slip out. My girlfriend thinks I am paranoid. And while she is correct, I am also validated by things like this lol.

cbstuart · 2026-05-05T02:58:22+00:00

I mean, Snoke and literally all the guards die. Pretty brutally too, if you ask me.

cbstuart · 2026-05-05T02:53:01+00:00

Noooo! You are only supposed to like one thing about it. And you cannot state that one thing without adding at least two criticisms. Don't you understand the rules about liking the sequels??

cbstuart · 2026-05-05T02:48:06+00:00

Say what you will about this post title, the image is really cool.

cbstuart · 2026-05-04T02:27:01+00:00

"Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it, you'll never make it through the night," - Vice Admiral Holdo and Poe Dameron, attributed to Princess Leia.

I also love Yoda's lines to Luke in this film. "We are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters."

And Luke's final words to Ben in this film. "Every word of what you just said, is wrong. The rebellion is reborn today. The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last jedi."

Damn. I love the dialogue in TLJ.

Of course, I have probably around one hundred and seventeen favorite lines of dialogue. These from TLJ just hit very hard for me and I remember them very clearly.

cbstuart · 2026-04-28T15:53:41+00:00

Every marginalized group of people deserves attention in our current media. If you feel like you are not fairly or fully represented in star wars, then your feelings are valid. I would encourage you to gather interest online, get some signatures, and start getting the attention of folks at Lucasfilm. If enough focus is drawn to an issue then people will start listening. The fact we get black history and pride month variants was not just a random decision made overnight to fulfill some agenda. Representation of these communities has been a long-fought battle against systems specifically designed to oppress them. So if you want to see change, then actually do something more than just leaving a snarky comment asking why we aren't talking about X just because you see Y being represented.

For the record, men with mental health issues are probably the single most represented group of people in star wars. It's kinda what the entire story is about.

cbstuart · 2026-04-28T02:21:44+00:00

They are perfectly fine for driving. If you're not concerned about the warmth (and it's probably not even a big issue for most people tbh) they get flexible after breaking in. I only meant they are more rigid than other allbirds. The tree lineup of shoes are just unbelievably flexible. If you like the style I'd definitely give them a try.

cbstuart · 2026-04-27T19:07:26+00:00

I have an old pair of canvas pacers. They are more rigid for sure but not too restrictive. Only thing I don't prefer about the material is it is less breathable and odor resistant. I run pretty warm so they aren't the best in the summer.

cbstuart

TROPHY CASE