My top five favourite Star Wars characters…. Whats yours? Number 1 is………

At last we have reached number one in my list of the top five of my favourite Star Wars characters.  Coming in a number one is the Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi.  The first time we officially meet Obi-Wan is when he rescues Luke Skywalker from the Tuskens.  We then learn some of his past history as a Jedi and as a  general during the clone wars when he talks to Luke about Luke’s father Anakin Skywalker.  Obi Wan was a skilled Jedi and very powerful in the force.  He was an excellent fighter pilot (even thou he hated flying) and a master of the Soresu style of lightsaber combat.  Even thou he was a master with the lightsaber Obi Wan preferred to talk and work things out then fight thus earning him the nickname of “The Negotiator”

Obi-Wan nearly didn’t make it as a Jedi as he was not selected to be a padawan learner and ended up being transferred to the Jedi Service Corps.  It was with the corps that he helped Qui-Gon Jinn who was on planet with a mission.  After that Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan as his padawan learner.  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were to completely different personalities but made a very effective team completing many missions together.

Kenobi: “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Jinn: “I don’t sense anything.”

Kenobi: “It’s not about the mission, Master. It’s something elsewhere…elusive.”

It was on a mission to try to end the blockade of Naboo and the later adventures that would follow, Obi-Wan first met his future Padawan Anakin Skywalker while on Tatooine.  In later events that followed he promised his dying master that he would take on the young boy and teach him the ways of the force.  Obi-Wan was a patient teacher to Anakin who was not the easiest of pupils and they had many adventures together.  It was Obi-Wan that discovered the clone army on Kamino.  During the clone wars Obi-Wan like nearly all of the Jedi masters acted as general to his clone soldiers.  Obi-Wan took part in many of the battles during the clone wars.  It was during the clone wars that his padwan Anakin became a Jedi Knight and it was also when Obi-Wan came face to face with the murder of his former master Darth Maul.  It was Obi-Wan you killed General Grievous while on Utapau.  It was on Utapau that Obi-Wans clone troopers turned on him after the issue of order 66.  Obi-Wan was able to survive his attack and was able to meet up with Jedi Grand Master Yoda where they discovered that most of the Jedi had been killed and that they had been betrayed my the Supreme Chancellor and Obi-Wans old padawan learner Anakin who now was a Sith lord under the name of Darth Vader.  Obi-Wan meet his former padawan on Mustafar where they battled with Obi-Wan coming out the victor.

“You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!“―Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan left what was left of Darth Vader on the bank of a larva river leaving the Force to decide his fate.  He took Vaders lightsaber and with the unconscious Padme met up with Yoda And Senator Bail Organa.  To their surprise Padame gave birth to twins Luke and Leia.  Leia was adopted by Organa and Obi-Wan took Luke to Tatooine to live with his step uncle and aunt Owen and Beru on their moisture farm.  Obi-Wan stayed on Tatooine to watch over Luke from afar and wait till he was old enough to learn the ways of the force.  Obi-Wan went into exile and changed his name to Ben.  Many years later while Luke was looking for R2-D2 who had escaped from the farm Luke ran into a group of Tuskens who attacked him.  Obi-Wan using the force to make him self sound like a Krayt Dragon scared the Tuskens away and took Luke back to his home.  There he gave Luke his father’s lightsaber and told him a half truth about his father being a Jedi and being killed by Darth Vader.  Obi-Wan watched the message from Leia asking for his help and then asked Luke to join him and learn the ways of the force.  At first Luke said he could not help but after the death of his aunt and uncle he decided to help and learn to be a Jedi.  Soon we are aboard the Millennium Falcon with Han Solo and Chewbacca on their way to Alderaan.  When they arrive at their destination they find the planet has been destroyed and end up running into the Death Star.  While the others are helping Leia to escape Obi-Wan goes to deactivate the tractor beam.  On his way back to the Millennium Falcon he feels the presence of Darth Vader.

Darth Vader: “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the Master.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “Only a master of evil, Darth.“

To distract Darth Vader and the stormtroopers from Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca, Obi-Wan battles Darth Vader.

Darth Vader: Your powers are weak, old man.
Obi-Wan: You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

With those final words Obi-Wan holds his lightsaber straight in front of him and as Darth Vader takes the killing stroke Obi-Wan vanishes and Darth Vaders lightsaber strikes just empty robes!  This was not the end for Obi-Wan.  Just before his self exile on Tattoine Yoda gives him a new lesson to learn, How to become a Force Ghost.  Obi-Wan speaks to Luke during the battle of Yavin helping Luke use the force to destroy the Death Star.  Obi-Wan helps Luke a number of times even taking over Luke’s body so he could survive a dual with Darth Vader.  Obi-Wan appears to Luke after he had escaped the Wampa telling Luke to go to Dagobah so he can start his Jedi training from Yoda

Obi-Wan: “You will go to the Dagobah system”
Luke: “Dagobah system?”
Obi-Wan: “There, you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.“

Ob-Wan appears to Luke again just after the death of Yoda to tell Luke the reason why he didn’t tell him the truth about his father and then again after the battle of Endor Obi_wan appears to Luke with the force ghosts of Yoda and Anakin Skywalker.   It was about  five years after the battle of Endor that Obi-Wan appears to Luke for the very last time.  Obi-Wan legacy lives on in Luke and Mara‘s son Ben Skywalker and Obi-Wans skill as a tactician.

Obi-Wan: “And now, farewell. I loved you as a son, and as a student, and as a friend. Until we meet again, may the Force be with you.“

It was not really till the three pre equal films and the clone wars series that we really got to know Obi-Wan.  Through all his serious nature there was a more human side to him, making jokes and even falling in Love and nearly leaving the order!

Satine: “I’ve loved you from the moment you came to my aid all those years ago.” […]
Obi-Wan: “Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order.“

Obi-Wan tries his very best when he takes on Anakin to be just as good a master as Qui-Gon was to him and you could see the hurt in him when he finds out that Anakin has gone over to the dark side and ends up believing that maybe he had let down Anakin in someway not knowing that it was Darth Sidious plotting and arranging matters that finally drove Anakin to the dark side.  Obi-Wan will always be my favourite character and Jedi in the star wars universe!.

 

Some Obi-Wan quotes

Obi-Wan: I have a bad feeling about this.
Qui-Gon Jinn: I don’t sense anything.
Obi-Wan: It’s not about the mission, Master. It’s something… elsewhere. Elusive.

Elan Sleazebaggano: You wanna buy some death-sticks?
[Obi-Wan executes the Jedi Mind Trick]
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You don’t want to sell me death sticks.
Elan Sleazebaggano: Ah, I don’t want to sell you death sticks.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You want to go home and rethink your life.
Elan Sleazebaggano: I want to go home and rethink my life.

General Grievous: Anakin Skywalker. I expected someone with your reputation to be a little… older.
Anakin Skywalker: General Grievous… you’re shorter than I expected.
General Grievous: Jedi scum!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: We have a job to do, Anakin. Try not to upset him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Hello there!
General Grievous: General Kenobi, you are a bold one!

Obi-Wan Kenobi: You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now, until now you’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy.
Anakin Skywalker: Don’t lecture me, Obi-Wan! I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Your new Empire?
Anakin Skywalker: Don’t make me kill you.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy.
Anakin Skywalker: If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: [realizing that Anakin is consumed by evil and there’s no reasoning with him anymore] Only a Sith deals in absolutes.
[draws his lightsaber]
Obi-Wan Kenobi: I will do what I must.
Anakin Skywalker: You will try.
[draws his lightsaber and confronts Obi-Wan]

Obi-Wan: I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn’t allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damn fool idealistic crusade like your father did.
Luke: What is it?
Obi-Wan: Your father’s light saber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times… before the Empire.

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don’t need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don’t need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.
Obi-Wan: He can go about his business.
Stormtrooper: You can go about your business.
Obi-Wan: Move along.
Stormtrooper: Move along… move along.
Obi-Wan: That’s no moon. It’s a space station.

Obi-Wan: Use the Force, Luke.
Obi-Wan: [after hiding from the stormtroopers on the Millennium Falcon] Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?

 

From the Forest of Dean too County Kerry……

An article on the BBC news site reported that filming for Star Wars Episode VII has started on the island of Skellig Michael in County Kerry.  A couple of weeks ago there was also reports that filming for the new film was being shot at Puzzle Wood in the forest of Dean.  Its good to see that JJ Abrams has gone back to the old school way of filming in real locations instead of just filming on green screen.   While special effects nowadays look real you cant beat actual real locations.  I have been to puzzle wood when I was a teenager and its an amazing place and you can see why JRR Tolkien got his inspiration for the forests of Middle Earth.

Puzzle wood is found in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, UK.  There is a mile of track that takes you through amazing forest and rock formations and natural caves.  Puzzle wood was created by erosion of the natural underground cave system which was then uplifted and exposed to the surface.  It was mined by Iron Age settlers and then the Romans.  In the early 1800’s the land owner open a mile of track opening the forest to his friends and family and it was not till the 1900’s that the forest was open up to the public.  In 1848 a group of workmen removed a block of stone and they found a small cavity and hidden there was three earthenware pots containing 3,000 Roman coins.  The forest is home to a number of tree’s , plants and wild life.  You will find Oak, Beech, Ash, Lime and Yew trees there as well as Soft shield fern, Harts tongue fern, Bluebells (late spring) and wild garlic.  If you are lucky you might catch site of badgers and foxes and there are plenty of different wild birds.  Also Puzzle wood is home to the endangered Greater Horse shoe bat.

Skellig Michael in the larger of two islands off County Kerry in Ireland.  The island was probably first inhabited around the 6th century and the monastery was supposed to be founded by Saint Fionan. There are six beehive cells, two oratories, a medieval church and a number of stone cross’s and slabs.  The monks that lived  there (around 12 plus the Abbot) lived on a diet of local caught fish, meat and eggs from the local birds and they grew their own vegetables.  They also created a very clever system for collecting and purifying rain water which was then collected in cisterns.  The monastery was occupied all the way until the 12th/13th century.  In 1826 two light houses were built on the island and the island gained world heritage listing in 1996.  Tour operators run 13 boats to the island each day, weather permitting!

Like i said you cant beat the real thing!  Also filming at real locations brings money and jobs to these places which means these places can carry on for year and years too come!!!!!

If you ever get the chance visit these wonderful places.  May the Force Be With You!

 

 

 

Am I the only one getting put off the new film by all these plot details?

Sitting out in the back garden yesterday having a coffee and a cigarette I come across the new plot details for episode VII and a near animal growl animates from my mouth!!!!!  If you haven’t heard the news the latest plot is as follows

After the opening crawl updating us on what’s been happening since Return of the Jedi the camera pans down not to a space ship but a severed hand holding a lightsaber.  This hand and lightsaber some how survives re entry to a desert planet and are found by Daisy Ridleys and John Boyega charcters.  They know the lightsaber is a relic of the past and decide to try and find the owner.  In their travels they come across Han Solo and Chewbacca who are no longer piloting the Falcon????  Han recognises the lightsaber as the one Obi Wan Kenobi gave to Luke Skywalker.  Han has not seen Luke since the battle of Endor so they all go on a hunt to find Luke.  Meanwhile what’s left of the Empire are building a new secret super weapon on some ice planet.

 

Ive got one or two problems with this!!!!  How does a hand survive re entry through a planets atmosphere???  If the lightsaber Han recognises is the one originally built by Anakin Skywalker then how did it survive the fall through the planet Bespins core????  and then reach outer space.  Also a Jedi’s lightsaber is not indestructible and again that begs the differ on how it survived re entry in a planets atmosphere?  Also what’s been happening since Endor?  At the end of Return of the Jedi everyone from Bespin to Coruscant to Naboo were celebrating the fall of the Empire! so its sounds like everything did not go quite to plan for the Rebellion.  Then there the new superweapon that’s being built.  Its much smaller then the Death Star but it can destroy whole solar systems not just planets.  This smacks of the Sun Crusher which was not a very large ship but could take out whole solar systems just by making the systems sun go super nova.  The story also smells like a revamp of episode VI with very similar characters on a very similar quest.

But again all these rumours could be false just a red herring to taste the waters of all us Star Wars fans out there.  I`m gonna keep reading the rumours as they come up even if they make me mad and want to send Boba Fett after JJ Abrams.  We will just have to sit tight and wait for when the movie hits the cinema and probably all these worries will be for nothing.

On other news yesterday we got to see the new design for the X-Wing which many of us (even my good self) mistook for a Z-95 Head Hunter!

Till next time. May The Force Be With You!!!!!

 

 

My top five favourite Star Wars characters…. Whats yours? Number 2 Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

At number two of my favourite Star Wars charterers in the former slave boy turned podracer champion later Jedi knight and then Dark Lord of the Sith Anakin Skywalker.  When we first met Anakin he was the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader way back in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope.  Back then we didn’t know his true identity only that he had supposedly betrayed and killed Anakin Skywalker and then the shocking truth revealed its self in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker!!!!!

Darth Vader: “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.”

Luke Skywalker: “He told me enough! He told me you killed him!”

Darth Vader: “No, I am your father.”

I don’t know about you but those three lines had me on the edge of my seat when I was a kid and even now I get goose bumps!  At the end of Star Wars Episode VI The Return of the Jedi Anakin redeems him self and brings the prophecy of the chosen one to an end when he saves his son Luke and sacrificing him self when he killed the Emperor.  Later on when George Lucas returned to the Star Wars universe with Episodes I, II and III we get to meet the young Anakin Skywalker and watch his full to the Dark Side.

Luke: No, my father didn’t fight in the Clone Wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter.

Obi-Wan: That’s what your uncle told you. He didn’t hold with your father’s ideals; he felt he should’ve stayed here and not gotten involved.

Luke: You fought in the Clone Wars?

Obi-Wan: Yes. I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father.

Luke: I wish I’d known him.

Obi-Wan: He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand that you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself.

Obi-Wan: And he was a good friend.

In Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace we meet a young Anakin, a slave for the junk dealer Watto.  He helps out Qui-Gon Jinn and Queen Amidala winning the parts for their space ship as well as being freed from slavery.  After the death of Qui-Gon, the Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi takes him on as his apprentice against the wishes of the Jedi council.  Its not an easy partner ship for the pair but always in the back ground is Darth Sidious manipulating him with lies and dark Sith magic..  Its Sidious who arranges and pushes Anakin and Padame in to a forbidden romance and its Sidous who tells Anakin to use his emotions.  And in the end Darth Sidious gets his way, turning Anakin to the dark side and giving him the Sith name of Darth Vader.  We learn in the book that Anakins birth by the midi-chlorians was caused by Darth Sidious’s master Darth Plagueis.  And it was both Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious who realized that if Anakin was trained by Qui-Gon  then Anakin would be lost to them as a possible Sith Lord.  How different would of Anakins life had been if he was trained by Qui-Gon.  It would have been a wholly different story if he had.

Anakins story is a sad story full of lose and hurting partly caused by Darth Sidious.  Even when he is Darth Vader he knows his whole life was manipulated by Sidious to become his apprentice and it takes sacrificing his own life to save his son to bring him back to the light.

Why I`m such a massive Star Wars Geek and pround to call my self a Jedi!

Why I`m such a massive Star Wars Geek and pround to call my self a Jedi!.

Why I`m such a massive Star Wars Geek and pround to call my self a Jedi!

  My other half thinks I`m weird and my son Cameron thinks I`m just strange!  (My young daughter thou does think I`m cool) But I don’t care I`m a massive Star Wars geek and PROUD!!!!!!!  The picture above of me defending my self against a viking is from a human book event we held at the university I work at.  I was a human book that could be lent out to anyone and my subject was on being a Jedi and what being a Jedi meant to me.  It was a cool event plus it meant I could wear my Jedi costume all week at work (Got some very funny looks from the students that week I could tell you!)

I`m a massive Star Wars fan and have been since I was a little kid.  I loved the films and had the figures and some of the vehicles and space ships.  The only difference now is that I have more star wars figures and spaceships then I did as a kid plus loads of books, comics, lightsabers, costumes and other Star Wars bit and bobs.  The first time I described my self as a Jedi was back in 2001 for the UK census but it was later on that I seriously described my self as a Jedi to the bemused looks of others.  I have had my ups and downs in life-like a lot of other people and the more I read into the Jedi belief system and the Jedi code the more I could relate to it.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no death, there is the Force.

I found those four lines made a connection to my life and ever since have tried to keep to them, and you know what?  it works!!!!  I would not say that I am a Jedi master but what I think made the connection was seeing the Jedi in the films and reading about them in the books and all the things that went into creating the Jedi when George Lucas first put pen to paper way back in 1973 hit a chord with me and everything that I am into.  I love  history specially celtic mythology and stories about those ancient heroes and gods, Kings and Queens, Kingdoms and Empires which have always fascinated me and my book shelves at home are lines with books on the subject.  I  wouldn’t say that I know everything there is to do with Jedism but you can learn more from the Jedi Church web site.  One example I can give you that being a Jedi has helped me in my life is that the Jedi don’t hate and don’t get angry and I have found that if certain people’s annoy me, specially people I have to work with I just don’t worry about them.  I don’t get annoyed with them I just don’t bother thinking about them, I stay polite and try to have as little to do with them as I can.  Doing this I don’t get stressed or worried and end up a much happier person.  I know you can learn these life lessons from other beliefs but for me it was Star wars and the Jedi code that made it all make sense to me.

As well as the serious side to this article lets not forget that the Star Wars universe is just really, really AWSOME!!!!  The films, cartoons, books and comics take you to that galaxy far far away and opens up your imagination to an amazing universe of mystic knights, evil sorcerer, fantastic space ships and distant worlds you could only dream about.  So until Star wars Episode VII comes out and Star Wars Rebels makes an appearance this autumn keep on watching the episodes I to VI as well as the clone Wars series and keep on reading all them books and comics (you have plenty to choose from)  And May the Force Be With You!