#..in a way that balances the force fulfilling the prophecy

[mformarsala]

*wakes up in cold sweat in the middle of the night*

cody on tatooine is a way for obi-wan to reconcile force usage and attachments and pass this philosophical framework down to luke and therefore a direct path to dinluke by not making grogu choose between jedi and din

#i mean even farther you can have luke learn from obi-wan and create new school of thought and raise the new generation of the jedi.. #..in a way that balances the force fulfilling the prophecy #codywan #dinluke #commander cody #obi wan kenobi #luke skywalker #din djarin #grogu #star wars #sw #m says

[david-talks-sw]

How the narrative framed Mace Windu, back in 2002

So there's this 2002 book written by Marcus Hearn, edited by J.W. Rinzler, titled Attack of the Clones - The Illustrated Companion. It was released a month before Episode II was released.

AKA, before EU material and anti-Jedi fanon could publicly reframe the meanings of the film... and before more recent narratives could reinterpret the character of Mace as a robotic, protocol-worshipping stickler who never bends the rules (when evidence shows he's anything but).

So how does Marcus Hearn - "untainted" by all the above factors, armed only with the Prequel films and their screenplays - frame the character of Mace Windu?

MACE & ANAKIN

Fandom: "Mace hated Anakin from Day #1 and never trusted him. Mace was probably jealous as he always thought he was the Chosen One, not Anakin!"

Attack of the Clones' - The Illustrated Companion:

"Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu lead the High Council in rejecting Qui-Gon's application to train Anakin, 'He is too old,' concludes Mace Windu. 'There is already too much anger in him.'

Hearn explains that the problem with Anakin wasn't that he was just too old, it's that because of that age he had become too filled with fear and anger to a point where taking on the Jedi training would be twice as hard for him as it already was for everyone else.

Hearn doesn't chastise Mace for this initial decision. On the contrary, he adds more context to it by using a line from the screenplay to explain where Mace is coming from.

He also goes further into Mace's view of Anakin throughout the book:

"[Mace] over-estimates Anakin Skywalker, paying little credence to Obi-Wan's protestations that the boy is too confused and disturbed to be dispatched on a solo mission."

"The Jedi Council is aware of Anakin's exceptional skills, and Mace Windu believes Anakin may fulfill the prophecy that says a being will one day bring balance to the Force. But Anakin still has a lot to learn…"

He's basically stating that Mace believes in Anakin, but that doing so is a mistake. Which, to be fair, considering how things turn out for Mace and the Jedi... is kinda true!

Mace's problem with Anakin is almost the opposite of what most of the fandom projects onto him.

It's not that he dislikes Anakin, on the contrary, he holds Anakin in too high of an esteem and is overlooking Anakin's glaring flaws because "hey, Anakin's the Chosen One. He's got this!"

That's not the only flaw Mace has, according to Hearn.

MACE'S (and the Jedi's) ONLY REAL FLAW

Fandom: "Mace and the Jedi had become too emotionally detached, they had lost touch with the common folk by spending too much time in their ivory tower. They focused so much on being selfless that they forgot how to care, they've become a bunch of elitist, righteous sticklers for protocol who care more about upholding laws than actually helping the people those laws are meant to protect!"

Attack of the Clones' - The Illustrated Companion:

"Although he is a senior member of the Jedi Council, little in Mace Windu's experience has prepared him for the looming threats of the dark side of the Force and Count Dooku's Separatists."

"Mace Windu's faith in the Jedi to protect the Republic is admirable, but it also blinds him to the true scale of the growing menace. He is aware that the dark side is growing, but still allows himself to be too easily reassured about the Separatists' ambitions. [...] Mace fatally misjudges Count Dooku, refusing to believe he could be behind any attempt on Senator Amidala's life. 'Dooku was once a ledi, he tells Padmé. 'He couldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his character.'"

"Mace Windu's strengths are, in many ways, qualities shared by the Jedi Order as a whole - he is an accomplished diplomat and a fine swordsman. Such skills have served the Jedi well in their role as the galaxy's peacekeepers for a thousand generations. But such skills are not enough to save the Jedi from their own complacency, and the tumultuous changes that threaten to wipe them out forever."

Hearn perfectly grasps what the Jedi's only real flaw is, in George Lucas' intended narrative: they were unprepared, complacent, they were blind... and now they're stuck playing catch-up.

But when he's saying that, he's not blaming them for it. Because this flaw doesn't derive from some sense of elitism or superiority... it is an inevitable consequence of their qualities.

They've managed to stay out of politics as neutral diplomats... ... but that makes them vulnerable to the Sith's plot, which primarily takes place within the political arena, where they have no control or experience.

They are painfully aware of the corruption in the Senate... ... but as a result, they're too quick to trust the Separatist's talking points as well-meaning and genuine, instead of seeing the movement for what it really is: greedy big business trying to become the government.

They trust and agree with Dooku, believe in what he publicly stands for (after all this man used to be one of the wisest and kindest members of the Jedi Order, Mace's friend, Yoda's Padawan, etc)... ... but as such, they are blind to his true nature, that of a treacherous Sith who'd stoop to orchestrating assassinations.

The Jedi have their guard up, knowing that there's another Sith Lord still out there, orchestrating in the shadows... ... but they can't really find him, because the Dark Side has clouded everything, so only darksiders are able to sense the possibilities of the future! Them serving the good side is screwing them over, in this situation.

Flaws such as being too trusting or being unprepared, letting your guard down because you've established a 1000-year-peace, are flaws that kind, noble characters such as the Jedi are bound to have.

They may be flaws, but they aren't faults. And considering the way he describes Mace and the Jedi, it's clear Hearn grasps the nuance.

MACE'S RELUCTANCE TO JOIN THE WAR

Fandom: The Jedi joined the war out of arrogance, they thought they could swashbuckle their way through the problem and win, instead they didn't realize that they lost the very moment they joined.

Attack of the Clones' - The Illustrated Companion:

"Mace Windu believes in the Jedi as keepers of the peace - not as soldiers - but there comes a point when he reluctantly realizes that it is time to take affairs out of the realm of diplomacy."

Mace and the Jedi didn't want to start a war. If you read the script for Attack of the Clones, Mace and Bail keep grasping at straws to not engage with the Separatists up til the very end.

But when you consider that...

the Geonosians are about to execute Obi-Wan without a trial,

and the Separatists leaders have been unmasked as a coalition of unscrupulous corporate assholes who are willing to plunge the galaxy in chaos just to make more money.

... at some point, the Jedi have to come to terms with the fact that Separatist leadership (and Sidious) won't accept diplomacy because they want a conflict. A conflict will make them all richer. And the Republic, well, they're just dying to go to war too.

So the Jedi go save Obi-Wan and capture Dooku, hoping that in doing so, the conflict ends before it begins. They succeed in the former goal... but fail the latter one.

The Clone War has begun.

From there on, the Jedi are drafted to lead the war. Which is why - as Hearn points out - Mace was so reluctant to take action in the first place. The Jedi are ambassadors, they are not built for war... and now they've been forced into one.

Mace is by no means a perfect character... but he's someone doing his best. Just like Obi-Wan, just like Yoda, and all the other Jedi.

Overtime, Windu's character has been dumbed down to either "that one angry black man" or "the dogmatic emotionless dick who hated Anakin"... and I really think that that's not what we were meant to see him as.

The way Marcus Hearn (who also wrote The Cinema of George Lucas) refers to him is a much more charitable interpretation of how others (ahem Filoni ahem) do, nowadays.

#Mace Windu #mace windu appreciation #long post #jedi order #anakin skywalker #meta #in defense of the jedi #star wars #master windu #samuel l jackson #attack of the clones #aotc #star wars prequels #flashing gif #very long post

[antianakin]

Out of curiosity: do you believe Anakin was truly was the Chosen One or was it Luke the whole time?

Anakin. 1000% Anakin. I believe it's Anakin as per Word of God, as well, but I don't have the quote on hand right now.

Part of the weirdness over this is because of how the films were released, Luke is obviously the main character of the original trilogy of films, he's the one on the hero's journey, and there was never any mention of a prophecy in those films. So when the Prequels came out and made this whole prophecy thing for Anakin, it's understandable that people sort-of looked at it and went, "But if Anakin was the Chosen One, why is Luke the hero in the end still?" Which has obviously led to a bunch of theories that it was Luke all along, that Qui-Gon misunderstood the prophecy or just misapplied it to Anakin, or even that Luke BECAME the new Chosen One when Anakin fell (all of which are made worse by Rebels sort-of validating this take by having Obi-Wan claim Luke is the Chosen One). I get it.

But the entire purpose of Anakin's story to me only works if he IS the Chosen One and he just... fails. Anakin fails. He defies his own destiny and it destroys an entire galaxy. One of the BEST things about the Prequels is how hard they work to subvert certain tropes and narrative expectations. Padme and Anakin are forbidden lovers, but it's a toxic unhealthy love and the relationship is forbidden for good reason. Anakin is willing to burn down the world for Padme, but it's not at all romantic when the world is actually burning and it's going to burn both of them down with it. Prophecies exist, Chosen Ones exist, but prophecies can be DEFIED and Chosen Ones can fail if they're making selfish choices. You only get the happy ending from the prophecy if you're making the right choices.

So Anakin DOES end up destroying the Sith and bringing balance to the Force, but only when he makes a choice that's primarily SELFLESS in nature. He MIGHT'VE been able to destroy Palpatine the Sith way, but then he himself would still be a Sith and so the prophecy isn't actually fulfilled. There would be no balance in the Force while Anakin remains a Sith. So until he figures out how to leave his darkness behind, he'll continue to defy his own fate.

And that is a FASCINATING way to represent a prophecy and apply a destiny to someone without completely removing their agency or making all of their choices unimportant. Anakin's choices literally define the fate of the GALAXY because the prophecy only gets to come true when he makes the right choices. Theoretically, Anakin could defy this prophecy until he dies. Personally, I think that this is something that could happen. Anakin could make that choice, he could literally just defy the prophecy FOREVER and it would just never happen. It doesn't mean he ISN'T the Chosen One, he just chose incorrectly and so the prophecy never actually gets to come true.

I also like that this leaves room for other people to achieve the same end without being part of the prophecy. Theoretically, Palpatine could still be killed in other ways, even while Anakin's alive. The prophecy isn't stopping someone ELSE from killing Palpatine (or Anakin), it's just a LOT harder. We do see people more attuned to the Force kind-of stepping back from something they can feel is perhaps someone else's destiny or following someone specifically because they have a destiny for something, but the opportunity is there for regular people to step up where a Chosen One has failed. And it's one of the things I love MOST about the Star Wars universe, I love the way this worldbuilding works.

Luke is still a hero, obviously, he plays a major role in Anakin ultimately making that final selfless choice, his faith in Anakin and his refusal to kill Anakin and his adherence to Jedi compassion are what eventually help lead Anakin towards making the choice that allows the prophecy to finally be fulfilled. I'm not downplaying Luke's importance or his heroism at all, but I think it kind-of makes all of his choices even MORE heroic if he's NOT a Chosen One. He doesn't do these things because he was destined to do them, but because he's a good, kind, brave, strong person making the choice to do heroic things. He's choosing to do what he believes needs to be done for the greater good. He's just a regular person, with no prophecies to fulfill, having to step into the shoes of a hero because his father failed and threw the galaxy into chaos. How is that NOT more interesting than just saying Luke was the real Chosen One all along?

So you'll never catch me saying the Chosen One was anybody but Anakin in canon. It's absolutely Anakin and it'll always BE Anakin. You remove SO MUCH of the best parts of Star Wars if you take away that part of it.

#star wars #anakin skywalker #luke skywalker #chosen one

[marvelstars]

The lighter side of Anakin´s story

So I have seen some fans talking about Lucas mentioning that Qui-Gon was wrong to ask for Anakin to be trained as a Jedi because the prophecy only talked about a strong force user defeating the sith, not a Jedi and while I am not sure if that´s actually true given I have not seen the original video from Lucas, I must say that it´s a very interesting take.

Anakin at 9 was already a person who emboided compassion, a wish to help his community, he and his Mom bassically saved Qui-Gon and Padme for a long stay on Tatooine and saved Naboo by proxy, Anakin risked his life to give them the parts needed for their ship and later to destroy the droid army invading Naboo.

Shmi and Anakin were also active members of their society in the sense that they helped others without asking for anything, Anakin helped his fellow slaves, tusken raiders or people in need of his help, they did it just because it was the right thing to do and because they thought a nicer, kinder galaxy was in the benefice of everybody else, despite them being slaves. Anakin already had made a working transmiter detector to help take their slave chips outf and help other slaves like them. He was well on his way to achieving his dream to free all the slaves of Tatooine. He had many of the Jedi virtues without needing to be an actual Jedi.

Freeing the slaves of the outer rim, beggining with Tatooine, truly was Anakin´s purpose beyond the whole helping balance the force and defeat the Sith, in fact that was the first prophecy he made and the only one he didn´t get to fulfill properly which actually, it´s part of his tragedy imo.

Sooner or later, as a freedom fighter on Tatooine, he would have found himself in direct opposition with Palpatine´s plans be it as a Chancellor of the republic or the Leader of the empire, which would have given him the motivation to help end his reign without being too close and vulnerable to his influence. Anakin would have counted with the support of his community, his family, the Lars family and bassically any other people who joined in the cause of helping Tatooine to turn it into a better place for everybody. (Think of it as a proto-rebel alliance, just instead of restoring the republic, their main purpose would have been to free the slaves)

Anakin didn´t need to become a Jedi to do any of that, I believe Yoda´s, Mace Windu and the Jedi Council initial rejection of Anakin to become a Jedi was the right call, not for the reasons they believed, like being old or being afraid for his mother´s fate but in the sense that Anakin wasn´t fit for the way the Order opperated at the time, he didn´t need a master, he needed a father, he needed his Mother, he needed a family, The main reason why he was able to overcome the tragedy and pain of being a slave was because he could count on his Mom, his friends and his community to help him, listen to him and support him on equal footing which also inspired in him the wish to do his best to help them.

As a Jedi, Anakin was a stranger in a culture so completely different to his own that he never was able to fit in really, jedi training in the Republic only left Anakin feeling isolated, alone, vulnerable to Palpatine´s grooming by taking the role as Anakin´s father figure, bitter for the guilt of leaving his Mother behind as a slave and unstable emotionally because he no longer had a real supporting net to sustain him in the way a family would have done for him, when he had been a very stable kid, with friends despite being a slave on Tatooine. Bassically being a Jedi lead to Anakin emotional unstability and vulnerability to manipulation and nothing in their training helped him to overcome any of that because the main hurt, the abandonement of his family on Tatooine, wasn´t ever addressed until it was too late.

Qui-Gon intention was good, it´s completely understable he tought Anakin needed training but by forcing Anakin to become a Jedi in the same way the other Jedi were in the republic very much condemned Anakin to sacrifice the life and dreams that gave him happines and emotional stability. Anakin only needed his mother and him to be freed for him to quickly start positive changes from Tatooine and beyond it, not become a Jedi.

Yoda probably should have listened to his initial counsel, the only reason he changed his judgment was because Obi-Wan insisted as part of Qui-Gon´s last words, not because he thought it was the best path to follow and by sending Anakin back to his mother or letting him stay on Naboo as an hero, he most definitely would have done great things for the slaves in the outer rim and as a grown up adult, he would have not problem having a relationship with Padmé, taking away another pressure point that lead to him falling to the darkside, the other being of course, that he would have grown up secure and away from Palpatine´s influence.

Some food for thought

#Anakin skywalker #qui gon jinn #obi wan kenobi #Yoda #mace windu #Jedi Order #Slavery #Shmi Skywalker #The Phantom Menace #Sheev Palpatine #The tragedy of Anakin Skywalker

[meshlasolus]

House Of Memories (3/?)

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Padawan!reader

Warnings: angst, death of mentioned character, overthinking (not sure if it's a warning but maybe a trigger??)

Summary: Following the death of his Master, Obi-Wan tries to pick up the pieces of his future plans. His life will never be the same, only because of a boy named Anakin Skywalker.

A/n: Okay so we're getting another episode tomorrow. I'm going to do my best to keep up with posting until the rest of the series is out.... There have been rumors about another season.... I pray to God that there is bc it's easily the best show on disney+ already there's no denying it. I'm a hardcore mando girl, but... come on

Words: 1.4k (ew)

A thick solemness hung over the temple when the transmission came in. At the expense of his life, Qui Gon Jinn fought to destroy the Sith Lord named Maul. Obi-Wan Kenobi avenged his master's death by killing him, but it didn't bring back his mentor whom he'd grown so close to.

It gave him a fresher outlook on life, on his own and the people around him. The jedi must have thought of themselves as expendable to a certain point, otherwise the order would not exist. Their very goal in everything they did was to put others above themselves and their colleagues, no matter the relationship or the time spent together. The mission comes first, and the people of the republic are to be protected.

Flying back to Coruscant gave him time to reflect before he had to face the council. He made his Master a promise on his deathbed that was first and foremost important... even though it was going to change the plans that had already been set in front of him for the years to come. It had been a year since Master Yoda told Obi-Wan that he would train the youngling he brought back as his padawan, but now he knew he may not be able to. He was to train Anakin Skywalker, the boy who very well may be the chosen one among the Jedi, said to bring balance to the force and fulfill the ancient prophecy.

Anakin was a bright boy for sure, but training him would present Obi-Wan with a newfound set of problems he couldn't even comprehend right now. He knew that you would be assigned to someone else, and that they wouldn't be able to connect with you the way he could. As was aforementioned, Obi-Wan was not particularly a favorite among all children, especially not the younglings in the temple, you being the only exception. He wondered if he might fail Anakin as a teacher, not knowing enough about him to pass on his knowledge in a way that could be useful later on. He didn't know much about the boy at all, other than the fact he had the highest midichlorian count of anyone recorded in history. He was a good pilot, and a spry little thing.

Once the ship had landed, there was little time for him to decide what he was going to say to the council, before he was taken directly to them and asked a series of questions, most of them a little bit unfeeling, given that he is still grieving the loss of his master, whom he'd known since being a youngling. He was glad when it was over, and everyone left the large room, filing out one at a time.

"Reassignment of your designated padawan, this means," Yoda floated by him on a hoverseat, hoping to catch him as he was leaving.

"I understand, Master, but I have decided. This is what Qui Gon wanted," he paused, and Yoda caught the slight discrepancy in his wavering tone.

"Not what you want, this decision is, hmm?"

Obi-Wan was scared to question his meaning, because after all the thinking he'd done, no, this is not what he wanted. He was being compelled by the force and the dying words of his Master to do what was asked of him, but it made him afraid. He had everything planned out until now, and one day has changed the trajectory of his entire life.

"I sense in you great fear. Ruin your future, it could," Yoda moved his hoverseat to the side upon seeing the younglings passing through the hallway, the Masters that lead them bowed in reverence, not only to Yoda today, but for Obi-Wan.

"I only want to carry out my master's wishes. His life shall not be lost in vain."

Yoda sighed, his words clearly went in one ear and out the other. The only person he ever seemed to truly listen to was Qui Gon, and as of today, he was lost to the cosmic force. He pondered for a moment before he was interrupted by a high pitched, shrill voice.

"Obi!" You saw him as you were walking at the end of the line of the other padawans, and he looked sad. That's not right. He shouldn't be sad when he makes everyone else so happy.

You ran out of line, nearly getting held back by the arms of the Master who walked behind you. You crashed into him, wrapping both arms around his legs, as it was the only place you could reach. You were late to your growth spurt... again. You supposed being small wasn't a horrible thing, because it allowed you to still be picked up and carried places, though usually you had to fake being tired for that.

"Hello, little one," Obi-Wan scooped you up, holding you to his eyeline to where he could see your excited smile. "Did you have a good time training today?"

He only asked because he knew you got to go to the city today, as a field trip of sorts. It was part of the fun for the younglings.

"No, it was awful," you said nonchalantly. he was almost flabbergasted, and Yoda snickered under his breath before floating away, seeing as the young Kenobi was now quite busy.

"What do you mean awful? Didn't you have a nice time in the city?" He waved off the Master who seemed to be waiting for your presence. They knew he would probably bring you to the children's quarters before curfew. He often took you to the library for some late-night reading upon your request before heading off to bed.

"I got pushed to the back of the tram, I was too small to see anything," you expressed, playing with his braid like you often did. He wasn't sure what you would think when he cut it off after the trials. Hopefully you wouldn't be too upset.

"I'm sorry about that, little one... perhaps we can go read some before I have to take you back?" he suggested, watching as your features lit up and you nodded rapidly.

-

He wasn't sure how to break the news to you. He had completed his trials with flying colors, and he was sure to hold records for some time after. You had been told in the past that Obi-Wan was to be your master. Now he would be taking on Anakin, and you would be assigned to someone who could quote on quote 'control your behaviors' in training. He didn't like that. He knew that whoever your Master was would overlook the best qualities and only focus on the faults. Most jedi in the temple had heard of you by now, and not very good things. It was you that kept him conflicted over the decision the most, still, he went through with it.

He was brought before the council, ready to receive Anakin as his padawan, and all the council members were there.

"It is with great pride that we grant you the rank of a Jedi knight, and give you your first assignment as such," Windu announced, beckoning to the guard on the other side of the room to let the doors be opened.

In came Anakin, freshly presented in his new training robes, adorning a new haircut than what he had before, including his own training braid, to mark his future progress. He had a smile on his face as he stood before the council again.

"Where's the other one?" Windu prodded to the man at the door.

"The other one?" Obi-Wan snapped his head around to meet the council once more, but then turned it back when you trotted in, cowering into yourself for your fear of the council. It wasn't necessarily even fear, but anxiety that they brought upon you. Every move you made under their scrutiny felt wrong.

"After much deliberation, we have found that it would be in the best interest of both padawans to be placed under your watchful eye. This is purely experimental, and if we see you struggling to uphold both of their training, we will revoke one of them to be reassigned immediately."

Obi-Wan didn't even care the stress he was about to take on. He was happy enough that he could keep both his promise to Qui Gon, as well as continue on with his original plans in the order.

"I will do everything in my power to bring the order pride by them."

A good response, one the council was pleased by. They sent the three of you off, ready to find your new living quarters.

Standing at the age of seven and a half, you felt so grown up having moved into your own room, away from the other younglings in the temple.

You were ready to begin your evolution from a youngling to a Jedi, and this was only the beginning. Obi-Wan was a good mentor and was convinced he would train both you and Anakin into great heroes of the republic one day.

-

Tags: @spencerrxids @sawendel @fandomstanner24 @i-shall-abide @officialjellydoughnut @whatshxrname @darkened-writer

#obi wan x padawan #obi wan kenobi x reader #obi wan x reader #obi wan series #obi wan kenobi #obi wan x y/n #obi wan kenobi x padawan!reader #anakin x reader #anakin skywalker x reader #anakin skywalker smut #obi wan kenobi second trailer #ewan mcgregor #hayden christensen

[short-wooloo]

From Jediism to Judaism: Star Wars as Jewish Allegory, by Daniel Perez

A look at some of the Jewish elements – coincidental or otherwise – of Star Wars.

A long time ago in a place far, far away...

It is a period of civil war. A new government has declared the practice of the old faith a crime punishable by death, disbanding an ancient order of sages and sending many into exile. Rebel fighters, striking from a hidden base, have won their first major victory against the evil Empire, stirring a spirit of defiance among the populace. Outarmed and vastly outnumbered, the ragtag band of rebels – aided by an all-powerful, all-permeating Force that binds together all life in the universe – remain the only hope for restoring peace and freedom to their people.

It's one of the greatest epics known to mankind. No, not Star Wars. The above synopsis is actually the story of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates a miraculous victory of Israelite insurgents against the tyrannical Seleucid Empire roughly 2,200 years ago.

With Star Wars Episode VII set to premiere in just a few short weeks, I got to thinking about how certain aspects of the Star Wars universe are eerily similar to the history, beliefs, and teachings of the Jews. Now George Lucas did not set out to create a fantasy universe full of Jewish references, but the connections are nevertheless there. So let's put the “Han” back in Hanukkah (Harrison Ford, by the way, technically a member of the tribe) and look at some of the Jewish elements – coincidental or otherwise – of Star Wars.

A Galaxy of Hebrew Names

The heroes of the Star Wars series are members of a “rebel alliance,” basically Maccabees in outer space. It's right there in the name: Jedi. The Hebrew letter yud is often anglicized as a “J,” and syllables occasionally get dropped in translation. Hence, a Biblical name like “Yehoshua” makes its way into English as “Joshua.” It's not much of a stretch to see how “Jedi” can be derived the original Hebrew word for Jew, “Yehudi.”

Remember Luke Skywalker's Jedi rebbe, Grand Master Yoda? Is it just me, or is his peculiar syntax reminiscent of someone whose first language is Yiddish (“Yodish”)? More to the point, his name sounds a lot like “yada,” the Hebrew word meaning “to know.”

And how about those Skywalkers? Luke Skywalker might sound like a gentile name, but that name was clearly chosen to alliterate with his twin sister Leia (Leah). Also keep in mind that their parents were an interfaith couple. The father, Anakin Skywalker, played by the unmistakably un-Jewish Hayden Christensen, tried to convert to Jediism, but as we know he ultimately turned to the Dark Side instead. Their mother was Queen Amidala, portrayed by the beautiful and talented Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman. Suffice it to say their marriage did not end well, and it wasn't until much later in life that their children discovered their Jedi-ish identity.

Learning Academy

When an aspiring Jedi Knight goes to the Academy, he or she must complete what is essentially an apprenticeship with one more learned in Jediism than they are. Similarly, a future rabbi's yeshiva experience will consist largely of chavruta learning (studying with a partner – lit. “friendship”). Fun fact: The name for a young, unmarried yeshiva student, “bochur,” actually means “chosen” (as in “The Chosen People”). The idea of a foretold “Chosen One” who would “restore balance to the Force” was a theme running throughout the Star Wars films, wherein Anakin Skywalker was recognized for his extraordinary potential as a Jedi. As mentioned above, he went “off the derech” and became the villainous Darth Vader. In Return of the Jedi, however, Vader/Skywalker fulfills the “prophecy” when he does teshuvah (our term for repentance, which literally means “return.” Whoa. Return of the Jedi!), thwarting Emperor Palpatine to save his son's life, and ultimately, the galaxy.

Of course, if you tell a young rabbi-in-training that he is the “Chosen One,” it sounds cool and dramatic and is technically true, but then, the same can be said of all of his classmates.

While the Star Wars films don't feature Jedi trainees delving into sacred texts (it doesn't make for the most exciting movie montage), some of the greatest rabbinic books of ethics and Jewish philosophy would be right at home in any Jedi library. “Duties of the Heart,” “The Path of the Just”....tell me these don't sound like the reading list for a hero of the Light Side.

The Force

While Jediism isn't a theistic religion per se, its practitioners do teach of a Force that, in the words of Reb Obi-Wan Kenobi "...is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." That almost sounds like some sort of Chasidic teaching – just replace “energy field” with “entity” or “consciousness,” and “created by,” with “that creates,” and what you have starts to come across less like new age hippie talk and more like an introduction to Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism.

One idea that devout Jews of all stripes share, is that God, the creative “Force” that sustains all, is the source of a Jew's power. “Ein od milvado,” there is none besides Him. The Jew expresses his or her connection to the universe by striving for an ever closer relationship with its Creator.

Another aspect of Jedi belief is the notion of balance, the idea that the Light Side and the Dark Side are both aspects of the same Force seeking equilibrium. The religions that branched off from Judaism tend to show the Creator and Satan, or “The Devil,” in an adversarial relationship, almost a sort of de facto dualistic theology with a God and an anti-God, if you will. Judaism maintains that the Satan (lit. “Accuser”) is the angel associated with temptation, and prosecution in the Heavenly Court. He's basically Slugworth to God's Willy Wonka. He's got a dirty job to do, but in the end, we're both serving the same Boss.

Judaism also teaches that the source of Light and Darkness are One and the same, as it says in the prayer book: “Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates all things.” The source for this line of liturgy can be found in the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 45:7: “Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates evil; I am the Lord, Who makes all these.”

Incidentally, one of the traditional names for God – invoked particularly by the Jewish mystics – is HaMakom, literally “The Place.” The deeper idea conveyed by this name is that the Creator does not exist within the universe; the universe exists within Him. It sounds a lot like The Force. The key conceptual difference between the fictitious all-uniting Force of Star Wars and the Shechinah or “Divine Presence” is that the former is impersonal and passive, the latter is an omnipotent consciousness that actively intervenes in human history, speaking with Prophets and working miracles until this very day.

So if you see the new Star Wars movie, directed by Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (who couldn't sound more Jewish if his name was Saul Cohen or Herschel Rosenblatt), perhaps you'll be able to seek out and appreciate the surprisingly Jewish flavor of the Star Wars universe.

Happy Hanukkah, and may the Force be with you!

#wooloo-writes #wooloo writes #star wars #sw #jedi #jedi and judaism #judaism #✡️ #article #chanukah #hanukkah #happy hanukkah #happy chanukah

[plethoraworldatlas]

The White Tower 4th Age

The White Tower has stood for thousands of years, and even after great tribulations Tar Valon stands the center of the Aes Sedai, determined to guide the world through this new Age. Yet, it is a Tower and Aes Sedai divided not unlike the foul schism, whose factionalism still stains the Hall. The Tower of the Third Age stood against the Dark One, Watched over the Seals of his prison, and waited to guide the Dragon Reborn to fulfill the Prophecies and lead the forces of the Light to victory at the Last Battle; The Dark One has been sealed away outside of the Pattern once more, in a prison where they cannot touch the world, a prison without Seals to watch over. The Dragon was Reborn and has lived, fought, and died to deliver the world unto this new Age. The unbreakable Tower at the end of the third age was fractured by the foul Schism, and even the Tower itself damaged by the horrid raid by the Seanchan. It was by the Light and the wisdom and power of the young Amyrlin Egwene Al'Vere Sedai and her fellow sisters that the Tower stood strong at Tarmon Gai'don, stood in the face of great causalities and fought the Dark One until they were resealed.

With both loss of life and loss of purpose, the Ajahs and the Tower itself must find its new place in a wider world. This will not be easy, for its troubles are even more numerous than that; The very nature of the Ajahs and Tower Law are being called into question, in what some call a disastrous continuation of factionalism, while others call it a way to ensure the Tower remains standing and purposeful. The skyrocketing rise in the number of those seeking to join the ranks of Aes Sedai, while remaining a boon, has stressed the finances and balance between Ajahs to a great extent. The rise of new an rediscovered Weaves has joined technological advances, reshaping the Tower. With the advent of Continent wide Newspapers and accurate reporting has come public scrutiny the Tower has never faced before; It came at a terrible time, for a secret kept by the Hall was revealed by the Lion and Sun Newspaper's finest investigative reporters has shaken trust in the Tower amongst the commoners, as well as shaking the trust in the Hall amongst the regular sisters.

Perhaps most of all, the White Tower and Aes Sedai are no longer the sole grand organization of channelers seeking to influence the world around them; Alliance with the Aiel Wise Ones and Atha'an Miere Windfinders creates ties among them as they train select apprentices amongst each other uet does not mean they follow the same directions, Everloyal Dreadlords and Warlord Channelers calling themselves Sorcerers seek to create fiefdoms of their own on the fringes of the world, the Ayyad do not take kindly to the sanctions place upon them for their role in fighting unknowingly alongside the Shadow nor do their factions stand meekly as their homeland is occupied and cut amongst the growing imperialist powers, the Freed as well shall not tolerate new chains from foreigners, and the Seanchan threaten all female channelers with the leash. Yet none are as troublesome as the rise of the Black Tower, their future equal, the Asha'man to their Aes Sedai; History says that male and female channelers are stronger together, and that it is in these two great organizations destinies to one day reunite. That day is far off, as three thousand years of culture and history is not so quick to be forgotten or left behind for good or ill. The White Tower stands still, and it is only a question of what path it shall try to go down, and whether the new world will follow.

The White Tower and Tar Valon

The Tower has rebuilt fully after the Seanchan Raid and the Schism; The Stained Glass windows requested by Amyrlin Egwene Al' Vere Sedai have been placed in the sites where the largest holes caused by the Seanchan Raid, a reminder of the Tower's strength that night and of the enduring danger posed by their enemies and infighting.

Prominently displayed within Tower Grounds, a memorial statue of the lost Amyrlin Egwene Al' Vere Sedai stands, Stole on her shoulders, Sleepweaver necklace on her neck, the White Rod Sa'angreal pointed skyward directed at the Fields of Merrilor where she died in one hand, and the other hand holding three cracked Seals of the Dark Ones Prison, the others broken at her feet. An inscription on the statue reads "She Comes! She Comes! Egwene Al' Vere Sedai, Watcher of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat! She who mended the unbreaking Tower when broken, she who watched over the Seals until the Dragon Reborn remade the Drak One's Prison anew, she who became the Flame of Tar Valon to heal the fractures in the world! Light illuminate her and may she rest sheltered and saved in the Palm of the Creator until Reborn again at the hour of the world's greatest need!". Her dresses seams share the colors of her stole, yet the dress itself is Green like her chosen Ajah, and while clearly a expensive material, it is styled after the Dress of a village Wisdom. The statue was crafted as a gift by Ogier and human master sculptors, from colored stone imbued with the Power by Aiel Wise Ones.

The Tower Guard has built new Garrisons nearby the White Tower itself, always manned in case of emergency. Though the Guard's number has waned slightly, it's forces remain strong. New additions to Tower Law have made it easier to raise a Tower Army under the command of the Tower Guard, though this has not been done yet. Only one force of such a Tower Army is currently mustered and stands at the ready; The Rushing Boars Company, formerly the Younglings, are formed out of those who trained as Warders yet took no Aes Sedai. The Rushing Boars are also responsible for maintaining the White Tower's small number of Dragons purchased from Andor.

Work removing the Cuendillar chains on the Harbors are finally coming to an end. Northharbor is open once more, while Southharbor merely has to find a way to dispose of the unbreakable and unbending mile long chain. At the moment, North harbor is using a metal net in place of the old chain to close the harbor off; There are talks amongst the Ter'angreal specialists, however, to attempt creating a new defense with an object of the power.

The isle of Tar Valon isn't the only place being rebuilt; For the first time since the times of Hawkwing, Tar Valon directly claims and rules territories outside of the island itself. Though far smaller than even the territory the commanded even during the Compact of the Ten Nations, Tar Valon is a true nation once more. Sharing a border with Cairhien to the Southeast and claiming the lands until Dragonmount to the Southwest, the nation of Tar Valon is almost triangular, its northernmost point being the meeting of the River Antaeo and the River Erinin. Still administered by Aes Sedai, the formations of a unified commoner government under Aes Sedai oversight has begun to form, bringing greater lives to the people living in this new nation, yet one's threatened by everything that threatens the power and stability of the White Tower.

The Rise in Initiates

Currently, there are over 1,440 Aes Sedai, 6,500 Accepted, and nearly 28,000 Novices of all ages under Amyrlin Egwene's reforms. The current rate of Novices progressing to becoming Accepted is ~22%, and Accepted become Aes Sedai is ~22% as well. The Novice family structure, however, is expected to increase that rate. The first Novice families have become Aes Sedai and remain strongly tied together, even past Ajah, bringing hope that as time passes the factionalism can fade as well

The Ajahs of the Fourth Age

The very nature of the Ajahs has been called into question; The Ajahs in a way all revolved around how they chose to fight the Dark One, yet now many require great change. The Ajahs were first formed as factions in the early Tower centered around common goals, with Tower Law forming around them; For the first time since the founding of the Tower, new Ajahs are trying to form. First, the divide between the Red Ajah sisters who take no Warders and those who take Asha'man as Warders was too great to overcome; In a failed plot to Exile all Asha'man bonded Reds, the Crimson Ajah was formed. The Crimson bond Asha'man to work with them as equals for the better of the world through greater feats of channeling; The Reds work with the Black Tower to hunt down criminal channelers and prevent abuse of any kind of power everywhere.

In an agreement to prevent fighting amongst the Hall, both only get two Sitters for themselves and one to share; Other Ajahs still consider this a fraud, and treat the five Sitters as if they were all one Ajah.

The White was next, but more logical; They were the smallest Ajah, even with an influx of new members, and needed to do more for the world. The White remains about philosophy, but has embraced the Press and information; The Ivory has dedicated itself to the more standard mathematics and logistical sciences. They follow the same two Sitters and one shared system, mostly without trouble.

The Sitters of the Hall are as follows;

For the Red Ajah; Raechin Connoral, Viria Connoral

For the Crimson; Barasine, Janine Pavlara

For Red and Crimson: Teslyn Baradon

For the Green; Farnah Sadaou, Rubinde Acedone, Faiselle Darone

For the Gray; Varilin Zanaire, Yukiri Haruna, Andaya Forae

For the Brown; Bennae Nalsad(replaced Saerin after her death of old age), Janya Frende, Takima Deraighdin

For the Yellow; Magla Daronos, Salita Toranes, Samitsu Tamagowa (replaced Romanda Cassin after her death)

For the White; Seaine Herimon, Ferane Neheran

For White and Ivory; Berana Shemon

For Ivory; Saroiya Farseen, Aledrin Malenry

For the Blue; Lelaine Akashi, Lyrelle Arienwin, Beidalin

The Current roles and actions of the Ajahs

The Red works with the Black Tower to guard the world against Abuses of the Power and Tyrants of all kinds.

The Crimson bond Asha'man to work with them as equals for the better of the world through greater acts of channeling and linking.

The Green, finding its performance during the Seanchan Raids and during the Last Battle wanting, have reformed and seek to fight the Everloyal Darkfriends and remaining monsters of the former Blight Frontier, as well as be prepared for whatever great calamity threatens the Fourth Age

The Gray has both found success in adapting Traveling and Skimming for trade and diplomacy, but has faced difficulties maintaining diplomatic peace during a rapidly changing world, especially in the face of republicanism compared to their familiarity when dealing with feudal nobility. They have joined Aiel Wise Ones to diplomatically protect the Dragons Peace, but have gotten entangled with radical movements that seek to expand the scope of the Dragon's Peace, radicals both for and against the rise of imperialism, and more factions. Though it is taboo to mention, a number of Grey's are believed to have gone renegade and joined with the Sorcerers to stake out new channler ruled realms of their own, or seek to puppet Mardhol affairs to their own benefit.

The Brown have embraced the New Age, opening schools big and small to spread the knowledge they have collected; though they have trouble with the Academies, they have slowly been able to act as intermediaries between them, as well as expanding all of their libraries. They have also embraced the return of creating Ter'angreal. They have drawn the ire of much of the Tower, though, for their new reputation of leaking information, by accident or "accident", to journalists.

The Yellow have decided to not just embrace the newly discovered Healing Weaves, but further study new methods of Healing, under the watchful gaze of the Small Hall of Experimental Ethics, which while mainly chaired by Yellow Aes Sedai has seats for other Ajah representatives as well; Their distaste for Herbs and non-channeling forms of healing and medicine have been abandoned, though older sisters still consider them inferior, younger sisters study them all to expand their abilities. The Yellow have been opening Healing Hospitals around Mardhol; They do not operate where the Kinswoman do, however, as part of a strife that has regularly made headlines. The Yellow Ajah has also had trouble with the Queen of Malkier, their most famous and powerful Sister, as both are famously headstrong and independent; Their current feuding is born from Malkieri and Blight Frontier Wisdom Circles, organizations that many sisters accuse of being Wilder training groups.

The White remains about philosophy, but has embraced the Press and information; They maintain directly and indirectly multiple Newspapers and journals, including one of the largest newspapers in Mardhol, The White Flame

The Ivory has dedicated itself to the more standard mathematics and logistical sciences. It has joined in the administrative work required to maintain the Dragon's Peace, as well as prevent famines and shortages. They have also taken an interest in maintaining trade and roads

The Blue have been searching for direction, with many sisters trying to push the world and Ajah in different ways following different ideas of justice. The Sitters of the Blue have settled the Ajah down somewhat into trying to formulate great courts and fair legal systems amongst the Dragon's Peace nations

The Amyrlin Conspiracy

Cadsuane Melaidhrin Sedai was chosen to become Amyrlin after Egwene Sedai due to lack of good options and as a compromise amongst the Ajahs; All knew she was the oldest Aes Sedai and would not hold her position for very long, and she had been heard to say she lived only so long to make it to the Last Battle, and even though she was close to the oldest age an Oathrod sworn channeler was ever known to be able to live to, she refused to follow the path Egwene Sedai had tried to establish for Aes Sedai to unswear the Oaths and join the Kinswoman to live longer and retire, stating that no Amyrlin should ever retire as none had before.

The Hall had expected her to live at least half a decade longer, giving them time to decide who should become the next Amyrlin; However it was not to be, as she died roughly two years into her rule. She was discovered dead by her Keeper Merise Haindehl and multiple members of the then Hall. After deliberating amongst themselves when the full Hall was secretly gathered in her chambers, they knew they were nowhere near close to deciding an new Amyrlin, with no proposed Amyrlin getting backing from more than two Sitters. It was then the Hall decided to take drastic action; The Hall would continue on as if Cadsuane Sedai still lived and ruled as Amyrlin, with the Hall running all the affairs of the Tower on their own until they chose a new Amyrlin.

It was not the first time the Hall was the true power of the Tower, but never before in Tower history had such a plot taken place. For nearly thirty years the Hall ruled, trying and failing to choose a replacement, pretending Cadsuane Sedai had taken to a reclusive nature and used illusion Weaves to keep up the Conspiracy. It was the length of the conspiracy, and the suspicion of other sisters that led to the events that would ultimately brake the biggest news story in the young history of Mardhol reporting; The Lion and Sun, a newspaper from the Sun Empire ruled by Empress Elayne Trakand Sedai, broke the story not just to the world, but to the average Aes Sedai.

Since then, the Tower has dealt with scrutiny like never before; Now the deliberations are regular news stories, Aes Sedai are furious with the actions of the Hall and their own Sitters, and the facade of Aes Sedai infallibility has broken in the minds of most people. Keeper Merise being exiled as an attempted fall woman backfired terribly as reports made the Hall out to be panicked and weak by said actions.

The Tower must find a way to win back trust and influence, but it can't do that until it decides on a new Amyrlin at last. That is, Most Aes Sedai believe a new Amyrlin is needed; Despite the flaws of the time the Hall ruled secretly, and the treachery, some believe it may be time to phase away the position, if for nothing else then to move on from the backlash.

Each Ajah, besides the Blue which has withdraw all of its candidates and pledges to support any just candidate, still propose new Amyrlin. The practical and political have become intertwined, and any woman raised to the Amyrlin Seat will bring her and her Ajah's own wonders and woes.

Commentary: Alright, first big post! Thought I would have to delay it because Tumblr went down for like 4 hours. As you can see, this project was very inspired by the ways factions in hoi4/ck2 mods get set up; The Tower has tons going for it, but has a lot of big problems that just might get them into trouble or a major conflict soon. The same goes for the Ajahs, and should any actually take hold of the Amyrlin Seat, that multiples the chances to do great things as well as accidentally or purposefully cause horrible disasters.

I know a lot of people see the Reds as fully changing course, but it never made that much sense to me; I mean, if nothing else, this is the series of problems that have to be solved repeatedly, of recurring antagonists that keep coming back in slightly different forms and sometimes never really get destroyed and instead only get so changed and displaced and beaten down as to become irrelevant going forward. I don't think the Red Ajah that has held the culture it had for 3000 years would change so radically and so fundamentally and so FULLY in less than a few months (really weird to think but yeah, the entire series takes place over like 2 years, so at most a few months changed everything for the Tower). I also don't think the White Tower as a whole would be so keen to let go of the sheer power and influence it has amassed alone as the "only" channeler organization in Mardhol to work with the Black as full equals; Definitely someday in the future, like maybe as part of one of those routine every thousand years or so shake up part every Age has, which basically act as multiple mid-game crises.

Cadsuane is a character I understand the draw of and have come to respect more over re-reads and reinterpretations, but I never got her as the new Amyrlin; Besides the fact that one of her first Pov passages ends with her outright saying she's so close to death that the only thing keeping her from dying in her sleep is her dedication to making it to thr Last Battle and doing what is needed of her, she just felt very placeholdery. That got me realizing that so many major Aes Sedai died over the series, that there are very few big names that have lots of information about them, and thus when Cadsuane inevitably died, there isn't really anyone named and fleshed out that would actually make a good choice and a logical choice for Amyrlin. Maybe, maybe, Silviana or other major Sitters, but I doubt her for big reasons; One, though more "successful" than most other Mistresses of Novices in Lore her take on the job is basically just a more extreme version of the usual method, which is already just outdated Drill Sergeant-esque corporal punishment with some treats thrown in, which is proven to be an awful short and long-term method so her main claim to fame will most certainly come back to cause problems in the Tower later (since some of the factionalism the Tower suffers originated way back to disputes between Novices, and between older sisters who held massive power over younger Aes Sedai for decades when they were Novices and Accepted, etc). Her time as Keeper was fine, her standing up and risking Stilling and death for Egwene was noble and the right thing from her; But still, politically her ties to Elaida basically counts her out of any big position that she isn't appointed to or offered, I even with the Schism done, I doubt the Hall would even consider her.

The White also split simply because their calling was already super vague and broad; Like, Blue gets the shake for being "justice" despite having no overarching unified idea of what form of justice they're after, but White is literally philosophy and mathematics majors the political party.

Anyways that's all the commentary I can think of right now. Thanks for reading, feel free to interact and ask questions and wait until next week for a more in depth breakdown of an Ajah. Maybe I should do a poll for which one(s).

#wheel of time fourth age #wot book spoilers #wot #wot on prime #wheel of time

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #22: A new genre every month

Thriller:

What Goes Around by Ninereeds [NC-17]

The citizens of Sunnydale find themselves acting on their darkest desires, and the Scoobies' summer vacation hangs in the balance. When Spike turns out to be the only one Buffy can trust, her carefully constructed black-and-white world starts looking a lot gray-shadier. Set in the summer after season 4.

Romance:

Eucharist by Holly [NC-17]

He had it all. The prophecy and the girl, merrily ever after and all that rot. But life doesn't stop.

Fic by a female author:

Ties to the World by honeygirl51885 [NC-17]

Spike is gone, but before he went out in a blaze of glory, he slipped a letter into Buffy’s pocket. That letter takes her on a road trip across America, visiting his ties to the world.

A classic:

Strawberry Fields by Holly [NC-17]

Heartbroken and determined, Spike sets out to form a truce with his mortal enemy to take down Angelus once and for all. The last thing he expected was a couple of restless spirits interrupting his sales pitch, or to find himself in a magic-induced liplock. And one taste of Buffy Summers, he finds, is nowhere close to enough.

Fantasy:

World Enough, and Time by toooldforthis [R]

“You came back wrong,” he told her, all those years ago. He was right, but it took them a very long time to realise exactly what that meant. It meant a hundred more apocalypses, a thousand battles. It meant a journey, a prophecy, a war. They’d lose one other, and find their way back, and choose, again and again. And all the while, the earth was failing. There are a lot more people than you think who are here for the long haul – like, the really long haul. This is a story about two of them.

Dystopian story:

The Footprints Left Behind by Willow91 [NC-17]

In the wake of an unknown attack on the American Frontier and the subsequent loss of contact with the friends they still had stateside, Buffy and Xander sneak into the country and begin a long, dangerous journey to find old friends and the source of the near apocalypse before it spreads throughout the rest of the world.

Award winner:

Whispers by Abby [NC-17]

After Spike endures torture at the hands of Glory to protect the identity of the key, Buffy is forced to reconsider everything she ever thought she knew about the vampire, leading to some startling revelations. Set immediately post-Intervention.

Drama:

Ghostly by untouchable [NC-17]

Six months after Sunnydale collapses, a grieving Buffy is startled to find Spike, feral and without any idea who she is, in her backyard. Is he real? Or just another ghost?

Erotica:

A Dream Is A Wish your Heart Makes by cawthraven [NC-17]

Buffy just had a hot fight with Spike. And now, she's having a hot night with him, too.

Comedy:

Delusions of Spander by EllieRose101 [PG]

“I am not having sex with Spike, but I'm starting to think that you might be!”

A one shot in which wires become comically crossed. Starts out during Season Five, Episode 18: Intervention.

Historical:

The Darkling by OffYourBird [NC-17]

When Buffy’s quest to get Spike returned to her is fulfilled in an unexpected way, she finds herself in a complicated relationship with an intrigued master vampire who isn’t the man she loves, but who might be someday… if she can convince him to step out of the dark.

Slow-burn:

What Remains by MrsAkers [NC-17]

As the lone survivors of the final battle with Glory, Buffy and Spike run away from Sunnydale. Battling with guilt and an unfulfilled death wish, Buffy finds solace in Spike's company while the vampire just does his best to keep her alive. Goes majorly AU at The Gift.

#Buffy The Vampire Slayer #btvs #spuffy #ficrec #reading challenges

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

           Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld.            He is currently unemployed.

FC NAME/GROUP: Leo - VIXX GOD NAME: Hades PANTHEON:  Greek OCCUPATION: None at the moment HEIGHT: 187cm / 6'1ft  DEFINING FEATURES: 2 tattoos: skeleton key on his right arm, bident down his spine.

PERSONALITY: Tired, is the first word that will leave Hades’ lips whenever someone asks him how he’s doing. And there’s some truth to that single word reply, but the fact is that he doesn’t quite knows how to put his feelings into words, even less with strangers. Hades can be considered what in modern times is called an introvert, and a loner, keeping mostly to himself and going through his day to day. If he doesn’t crosses paths with another living being throughout the day, he will consider it a good day.

This doesn’t means that he will push people away, or that he won’t help those in need, the world is mistaken when they claim Hades is a cruel and conceited God. He has a strong sense of justice that keeps him from looking away when things need to be set back into the right path. It might be quite a task to get him to open up, even more to befriend him, but once one manages to get on his good side, he can become quite a loyal and valuable friend.

HISTORY: Hades suffered a terrible upbringing alongside his siblings, when his Titan father swallowed them at birth, terrified of a prophecy claiming he would be dethroned. Fear that became a reality when the youngest one, Zeus, helped free them from the entrails of their father, and he, alongside his older brothers Hades and Poseidon, were able to cast away the Titan, and rule over the skies, the earth, the waters and underworld. Call it bad luck, or perhaps fate, but Hades ended up becoming the Ruler of the Underworld, King of the Death, Lord of Riches. His main responsibility, to make sure that those Souls that didn’t belong to the Mortal Realm anymore, found their way to the Realm Beyond they deserved to be, as well as keeping those dark forces lurking in the shadows from getting out and harming innocent humans.

His close connection with the dead, the lost souls and a taboo realm were soon to provoke a misunderstanding, Hades was claimed to be a cruel and evil God, worthy of being feared. This proved to be somewhat of a positive outcome for the God that was better of alone. This exile caused him to lose on many events happening on Earth, prevented him from taking sides on needless wars, and allowed him to continue fulfilling his duty of guiding souls through the Underworld.

Through the ages, Hades became a supporting character in other’s fabulous quests, finding himself in the middle of situations created by other Deities. He wasn’t above helping others that needed him, whenever he felt it was right, Hades has a strong Sense of Justice thus in his eyes there’s not an evil nor a good path, just a righteous one that shall be respected. Whether it was lending his own Divine Items, or punishing those that deserve it, Hades will intervene in a way that will bring the situation back to it’s rightful balance.

But now, long gone is the age of Gods, and the humans that once worshiped them have forgotten about them, believe now they were always just a myth. Unlike many of the others, Hades never needed humans’ belief and prayers to survive, and he continued to Rule over the Underworld and fulfill his duty through centuries, occasionally returning to Earth out of curiosity, but keeping his human interaction at minimum. Personal bonds have never being a priority of his, but it can become quite the lonely life. Hades is not sure when, or from who, did he hear about Mount Phoenix, the Island kept on popping up in conversations he eavesdropped, and after a long time in self isolation he decided to take the chance at as much of a normal life as someone like him could have.

Hades’ arrival to the Island was kept under wraps, he didn’t want any fanfare he strongly believes he’s not worthy of. Being almost a forgotten God means he is not familiar with many of the other Deities there are, but his objective regarding his life in the island is of slowly living a fulfilling life that is more than just what he was ( forcefully ) entrusted to him, even if he has never forgotten about his responsibility and continues to Rule over the Underworld, from a different location.

POWERS: Necromancy, control over the Underwold and its subjects, Immortality, Invisibility thanks to the Helm of Darkness, complete obedience from canidae. STRENGTHS: Patient, Responsible, Diligent, Strong sense of Justice. WEAKNESSES: Socially awkward, Humorless, Callous.

#kpop rp #krp #vixx #jung taekwoon #vixx leo #mp; welcome

[a-s-levynn]

Asks incoming!! 15 / 19 /24?

15, What’s a bad habit you picked up this year? I have not picked up new ones i think, but the old ones are still here. Especially when i'm feeling not that great. Stuff like binge watching series or youtube videos to force myself to avoid problems. The time between proper house chores getting longer and longer. The usual stuff when you are prone to depression and being left alone for too long. Smoking got definitely worse, basically doubled daily.. I'm drinking more energydrinks than ever, but i can't focus on shit without it for the life of me. But otherwise i'm good. ✌🏻

19, What’re you excited about for next year? I'm crossing my finger for an other ST EU tour. I banked on off days in advance and also put away my entire premium for traveling so i hope to catch them at more dates next time. And in general i'm just excited to be here? I mean there was a time when i wasn't sure i'll see 18 and years went past and i'm still here and i'm not hating it all the time. Which is a nice change of pace. Not every day is great but there is a healthier balance than ever before i think. So i'm kinda excited by the simple fact that there is an other year next year if that makes sense.

24, Did you keep any New Year’s Resolutions? I usually tend to say i don't keep any but that's not entirely true. It ties in with the abovementioned thing. For some time now my new years resolution is basically "if you think it will make you feel better without hurting anyone, go for it" because for so long i felt like i don't deserve to feel good? Some days i still do. It's a process. I still have this innate fear that if i enjoy myself something bad is going to happen and that mindset is pretty much a self fulfilling prophecy.

And it's an objectively pretty miserable way of existing to be terrified of being happy. Which i know objectively is an extremely unhealthy way of living but it is very different to understand that and very very different to actually realize as an active practice to move and think against. So i'm deliberately trying not to deny myself things that even have a miniscule amount of chance i'd like it. So yeah my resolution is not really a resolution but a mindset i'm trying to adapt to move myself forward in this regard. It is slow and there are hiccups but there are days when i believe it actually is getting better. Which is good.

#levynn answers #moonchild-in-blue #ask game #asking game

[merrysithmas]

*putting on my anakin apologist hat*

no one can ever fully understand or judge what Anakin/Vader went through because he is a literal demi-god made by the Force itself. THE FORCE. the intangible, all-powerful force. yes, his choices are his own but his path is out of his control as per his Force-determined destiny. this is canon, my dudes.

only those he encounters who have compassion (luke- his son, obiwan-forcebond dyad, padme -marriage) can even come close to understanding the suffering & confusion of his inner life. everyone else just uses him or sees him as evil (palpatine, the Sith, the Senate, even the Council to a small degree, - the Jedi are good but they still canonically used him as a tool to fulfill the prophecy).

anakin and vader can't be technically 100% beholden to human morality bc he is the ✨Force✨ itself. and at all times his destiny is directed by the Force's will in response to the behaviors of those around him. in an ideal world, he could have just killed sidious and helped retrofit the Order, but he couldn't pull that out of thin air because destiny is complex and involves the wills, actions, and desires of many other people coinciding.

he fights becoming evil with all that's in him- until he finally falls when faced with a choice... not for the gain of power or to express hate because that is not Anakin! destiny instead uses his love for his child and Padme against him.

palpatine manipulates him with love because Anakin is full of love at his heart!!

even as Vader reigns supreme Anakin surfaces to free Obi-wan of guilt in OWK.

he has two halves, anakin and vader, just like the FORCE because he IS the force. anakin is goodness. vader is evil incarnate. he is both. he is a god of Balance.

he was literally born to fall and create balance, one way or the other. yet he fought it, with his human soul, every step of the way.

he is a tragic hero who fulfills his destiny and then !!!! returns to the good prime ego Anakin, to be a Jedi (his life long wish), with all the wisdom and knowledge of suffering borne from his time as Vader, accepting both as his identity, as the personification of what we all (and The Galaxy) must learn....

stop fighting with ourselves & each other. take responsibility for our choices even if we couldn't help it.

he realizes something few else realized (not the Sith or Jedi): he like us all, are Both!!

therefore, he becomes a true Master and is allowed to live an eternal life at one and at peace, with Obi-wan.

mic drop

#anakin skywalker #i shant stand for the slander of my daughter anakin #he wasnt born evil!!! he makes bad choices but he also has a destiny which he fought v e r y hard #and he is and isnt vader #he has two halves just like the FORCE itself #lol i have to make a post like this every day to live #obi wan kenobi #vader and anakin are both awesome theyre not human tho #obi wan is a true master in the force as a ghost bc he realizes forgiveness is key to change not JUST goodness! #forgiveness compassion and goodness #forgiveness for himself and others esp Anakin

[blackjackkent]

Epilogue!

First of all, the incredibly satisfying end of Amelyssan the Blackhearted, reaping all she sowed as a glutton for power. (Video timestamped.)

And then...Caden's ending, far happier than he ever hoped for:

Your divine essence slowly fades, and for a moment you feel empty, incomplete. It is frightening, but soon yields to a new sensation - one of hope. With your closest companions at your side, you are free to live out your mortal life, no longer a pawn of Bhaal's prophecy.

The adventure draws to a close, but there will be more to come. Even as a mortal, you are to be looked upon in awe, and your power commands attention, both friendly and otherwise. Your life is yours, as are the trials to come.

As years pass, tales of your exploits shall spread far and wide, and bards will sing your name along with heroes and villains of legend. Your life may be mortal, your time now finite, but the mark you have left upon the realms will endure.

And we get some cute followup with the companions as well!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! This is such a cute and good ending for them. After everything they've been through, Caden just wants to rest and love and be loved forever.

Aww. Sounds like Minsc never tired of adventuring, and in truth this is a good end for him as well, drifting into legend with Boo and his butt-kicking ways. I hope he fulfilled his promise to take Rasaad (and probably Caden) to Rashemen and introduce him/them as his brother(s). Because that was such a cute idea. And they truly were brothers in every meaningful way.

:O Yay! Good for you, Imoen. She definitely did live in Caden's shadow a bit (and really the trauma she went through never really got proper support the way Caden's did), so I'm glad she goes on to have a life where she can be a snarky badass. :D I hope she comes back and visits Caden all the time and regales him with stories while he sits comfortably at home.

:(

#jaheiradeservedbetter

Tireless champion of balance definitely describes her, even after all they went through, but I definitely think that Caden opens his home to her all the time and pretty much forces her to stop for a while and rest and find some happiness now and again. She's practically his mom at this point and he's not going to give that up easy.

Uh, what the fuck. Why does Rasaad alone get an incredibly fucked up ending? No sir.

We're going to ignore this and substitute a better headcanon and also indulge myself in my own personal private ship here; perhaps this story of what happened to him spreads as a rumor by the Dark Moon, but in truth, Rasaad traveled for a time to Rashemen with Minsc, then returned to Athkatla where he resumed traveling, spreading the teachings of Selune as he first did to Caden in Nashkel all those years ago. He visits Caden and Aerie regularly, and in time he and Jaheira grow closer, year by year, each of them finding some solace for what they have lost in each other's comfort and understanding.

Because there is no way Rasaad is the only one who just gets completely fucked by the narrative. >:| Grr.

TLDR: Everyone remains friends, everyone is happy. And Caden lives a long life, safe and free from all the powers that once threw his life around like a toy, and happier than he ever imagined he could be.

#bjk plays baldur's gate 2 #caden of candlekeep #<3 #Youtube

[absolutechaosebrain]

I should have been packing since I am moving this weekend but instead I wrote this because I don’t want to miss any days even if I post at 8:30pm. Someday I may find a healthy way to interact with my favorite media but today is not that day! So enjoy!

After all This Time.

Rex was supposed to be dead by now. No clone was supposed to live through the war let alone outlive both the republic and the empire. But here he stood, on a barley inhabited moon in the middle of nowhere celebrating the end of a war he was never supposed to be part of. A war that ended all thanks to a Skywalker and his bantha kark plan that never should have worked. One would think Rex would be use to this by now. One would also think that at this point he would have hated Vader enough not to mourn Anakin, but here he stood watching a pyre burn while he held back tears for a man who took everything from him.

But Vader wasn’t Anakin. Darth Vader had been a pal dark impression of his General a twisted reflection of the once great Hero of the Republic. Vader had been simply the prison that Anakin had spent 20 years trapped in. It had been Anakin finally freed from his bionic purgatory who won the battle against the emperor. After all this time fulfilling the prophecy few even remembered, bring balance to the force once more.

Rex stood at the pyre, mourning also for His Ahsoka, how she would have loved this little Sky-guy. He was the spitting image of his father with the same strength in the force, but his disposition was all the Senator. The few senators who worked with the rebels that had known Senator Amidala had remarked on how much Leia was like her, Rex had almost spit his caf out after hearing that. Leia had been raised politician and thus she was a good one but her nature was wild and free and thirsty for adventure, she was her father’s daughter. Luke held a natural grace and calm that was so much like Padme.

Rex had sat with both twins and told them many a story of their parents adventures. It had been cathartic to share those stories and relive the happier memories. Somedays though it was hard to think about those days without feeling the missing piece that was Ahsoka. It should have been her telling these tales to her masters children, it should have been her here teaching Luke and Leia the ways of the force, not Rex stumbling through a vague explanation he had heard Master Plo give about “force ghost” and learning from masters long passed. But after all this time he was the last one left, the final member of the once glorious 501st.

He felt such a heaviness in his soul as he turned from the withering embers of the pyre for his last living comrade feeling more alone the he had ever felt. He began his slow march back to the lively festivities of the village, he was tempted to return to his bunk for the evening just to wallow in his own pain, but her knew Hera wouldn’t allow it. They had become each other’s anchors over the last few years, both understanding the desire to crawl up and die after loosing the love of their life, but not allowing each other to succumb to the despair.

Rex had become once again absorbed into his own thoughts that he did not notice the white cloned figure until he was only 10 feet away from them. His hand flew to his DC-17, then the figure looked up. This had to be a dream, he knew that but nothing would have been able to stop him from in that moment from running to her, his Heart, his love, his Ahsoka. They collided into a tangle of limbs both holding on tight afraid that letting go would mean the other would disappear, and with that fear Rex finally gave in pressing his lips to hers pouring 20years of love and devotion into this one kiss, Feeling Ahsoka respond with just as much passion. He had her back in his arms after all this time.

Like comment reblog. Do it all, be it in love or hate it still give me the attention I crave!

#rexsoka week 2022 #rexsoka week #star wars #captain rex #ahsoka tano #angst but with a happy ending this time

[thedadbatchenthusiast]

So I just finished reading Master and Apprentice (so so good, 100% recommend) and I will never stop thinking about this one thing:

At the end, Qui-Gon tells the Council that he not only had a vision of the future, but that the Force also wanted him to misinterpret it (because his actions after seeing the vision are what led to the better outcomes).

Qui-Gon believes Anakin is the Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force, but in reality Luke is the Chosen One. If Qui-Gon hadn’t misinterpreted the prophecy, Obi-Wan wouldn’t have trained him and the Council would have refused to take him in due to the darkness they saw. Luke was only born because Anakin became a Jedi and found his way back to Padmé.

Once again, the Force willed Qui-Gon to misinterpret scenes of the future that were placed before him, in turn leading them to fulfill themselves as they should.

#Star Wars #the clone wars #star wars prequels #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #qui-gon jinn

[kanansdume]

I'm thinking about Obi-Wan Kenobi again and thinking about the way his character has developed over the years and realizing, yet again, how beautiful his arc was in the Kenobi show.

Obi-Wan has, for so long, been a side character who remains pretty steadfast throughout in comparison to the main characters standing next to him: Anakin, Ahsoka, and Luke. When he was first introduced, he was a wise old master. Calm, collected, balanced, etc. When we meet him again in the prequel trilogy, he's a student about to become a knight and, in comparison to his teacher, is fairly reasonable and steady and cynical.

Obi-Wan tells Luke in Return of the Jedi that he had once been arrogant and thought himself better than Yoda, but the choice to kind-of ret-con that characterization and give that fatal flaw to Obi-Wan's TEACHER instead, puts Obi-Wan on something of a different path.

As the side character to Anakin's Greek tragedy, Obi-Wan remains pretty steady throughout the prequel trilogy, but he DOES have an arc he goes on over the three films.

In The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan is more inclined to agree with the Council than he is Qui-Gon, more inclined to believe Anakin DANGEROUS than to see the good he could potentially do or in the idea of a prophecy. He's cynical, more pragmatic, and unwilling to simply have faith in Anakin. And by the end, he has to let go of that unwillingness in order to take Anakin on as his Padawan at Qui-Gon's request. He may still have his doubts, but he's willing to set them aside in order to fulfill that promise and now he's committed to that goal. Anakin WILL be a Jedi.

By Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan's lost the cynicism in Anakin's future, but is still more inclined towards being pragmatic over relying on faith. He sees Anakin start to stumble when faced with reuniting with Padme and immediately questions whether Anakin's ready to handle a solo mission, he questions Anakin's judgment during the speeder chase, etc. He IS a little arrogant in how he views Anakin and is summarily called out on it by Yoda and Mace, and told to have faith in his student. If Anakin's going to become the chosen one, they can't really DO anything about it but train him the best they can and trust that he'll make the right choices in the end. At some point, they need to have faith and trust him. And by the end of the film, Obi-Wan does.

And then you get to Revenge of the Sith, and this is where poor Obi-Wan's arc goes tragic because he's let go of his cynicism, he's let go of his arrogance, and learned to have faith. And now he has faith even in the face of Mace and Yoda starting to question Anakin. Anakin is making mistakes, he's being arrogant still, but this time, Obi-Wan holds on to the faith he gained. And it backfires on him. Anakin betrays him and DOESN'T follow the prophecy. That faith Obi-Wan so carefully cultivated in himself is now burned to ash.

BUT! Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope seeming still HAS faith! He clearly still has hope and faith in Luke and Luke's future and the future of the Jedi. So how do you take a character whose entire narrative arc for three films was building up his faith only to knock it down completely and explain how he's so full of hope 20 years later?

You show what it looks like for Obi-Wan to have had that faith completely eroded and force him to build it back up again.

Obi-Wan is a character who is written to be pretty consistently on the side of hope, he's the ultimate Jedi who has faith in the Force, etc. Even when faced with losses like Qui-Gon, like Satine. Even when faced with terrible darkness like the war as a whole. Obi-Wan stands firm, that's a major aspect of his character! So to see him brought so low in the Kenobi show, to see him become someone who looks at a fellow Jedi asking him for help because he's being hunted and REFUSING TO HELP feels out of character.

And that's because IT IS. Obi-Wan has lost that core of who he is, but it's the core of who he is because he intentionally MADE IT SO. We saw him spend three films building himself up into someone with that kind of faith. The way Obi-Wan acts in the beginning of the Kenobi show is intensely out of character for him and THAT'S THE POINT. He's lost everything. He's lost the support system he used to have, he lost his home, his purpose, his family, his people, the Republic he fought for, his men. He was betrayed pretty thoroughly and personally and SUDDENLY by the clones and by Anakin and likely still has no real idea as to why. So all he can do is remember how much faith he had in Anakin, how steadfastly he refused to believe that Anakin's flaws could lead him down this sort of a path, and remember when he used to think Anakin was dangerous. All he can do is look at his own actions, and it's entirely possible he sees that faith in Anakin as his first and greatest mistake.

So now he's cynical again. He's jaded again. With less of the youthful arrogance that came along with it when he was a Padawan, and more of a tired grief. He was cynical in The Phantom Menace because he hadn't yet learned to put his faith in the Force, but he's cynical in Kenobi because he knows better than to rely on faith anymore.

So in this sense it's not out of character because the cynicism was a part of Obi-Wan, it was the flaw he had to overcome and something he'd likely still struggle against after Attack of the Clones even when he's at his most faithful. But when he has nothing left to turn to, all that's left is cynicism.

But now, he's not a Padawan. He's not a young Knight. He's a Jedi Master who's lost everything. The faith he learned to cultivate is STILL THERE, the lesson he learned hasn't been entirely UNLEARNED, it's just been buried. And the Kenobi show allows us to watch him almost literally unbury that cynicism.

We see him unbury it from the sand with his lightsaber, we see him unbury it from the oceans near Mustafar with Leia, and then we see him unbury it from a rocky grave to finally defeat Anakin, to finally defeat the face of his trauma. It's his faith in Leia, and in Luke, that ultimately allows him to get back up again and win.

So by the end, he's Jedi Master Obi-Wan again, he's regained that faith after having had it almost completely destroyed. And it's an arc we only got to see because somewhere along the lines, they decided to ret-con Obi-Wan Kenobi's backstory and give it to Qui-Gon instead.

#obi-wan kenobi #owk #owk series #obi-wan kenobi series #obi-wan

[deltaruminations]

Skeleton Darkners is in that space where i don’t buy most of the Evidence cited for it but i also don’t buy a lot of the of the arguments i’ve seen against it. the evidence feels like an overthinking of cherrypicked details that are more likely coincidences than anything else. on the other hand i feel like a lot of the refutations betray a lack of… i dunno… curiosity?

“shouldn’t they just be objects in the light world?” yeah. exactly. they should be. if they’re darkners walking around and retaining their form in the light world then that means they’re anomalies. is that not an interesting possibility in a game that incorporates glitches and game-breaking behavior into its diegesis? in a story that seems interested in examining the process of story-creation and the relationships between creators, creations, and audiences, in which darkners represent self-aware fictional characters? doesn’t that seem consistent with the skeletons' generally anomalous natures? why the hell do they have dark world doors in their house???

“why isn’t ralsei making a fuss about it?” who’s to say he knows about it? he doesn’t know about jevil or spamton before meeting them and they’re absolutely Problem Darkners. i don't think the evidence holds that ralsei is all-knowing; he has a Prophecy and some way of detecting other Fountains when they open, but he doesn’t seem to be clued into stuff otherwise. not to mention... if the person who’s feeding him information is also one of the people who escaped, then it follows that they could keep that information from him if they needed to.

“but how did they enter the light world at all?” <- a question i’ve posed myself in the past that is currently unanswerable, though we do know that spamton thinks it involves using a lightner’s SOUL. where’d he get that idea from? did he just make it up because he’s Random and Unhinged or is it possible he learned about it from someone? are there any known lightners who are presently unaccounted for? i can think of one. that does bring up the question of “did sans and papyrus take SOULs too?” to which i’d say i’m EXTREMELY skeptical that either of them would do that lol. but it’s possible that it isn’t as simple as Steal a Lightner SOUL, Become a Real Boy. maybe a Lightner SOUL is just part of a bigger equation? why does the story even have spamton make such a big deal out of the possibility of a darkner “reaching heaven” in the first place if that isn’t an idea it’s looking to explore further?

i think part of the issue is that most of this theorycraft centers around sans and papyrus being darkners and i just don’t think that’s the most fruitful lens for interrogating this given the current information. there aren’t majorly compelling reasons right now for why either of them should have originated as darkners, but i do think there are compelling reasons to think gaster in particular might have. light and dark are a balance, right? we have our Forces of Light. who’s our Force of Darkness? gaster’s entire deal centers around darkness, in both literal and metaphorical senses, as a major motif. he’s a satan figure, a representative of temptation and want; he’s a gnawing absence, an unknown that begs to be understood; he’s an eye peering through a crack in the wall. ENTRY NUMBER SEVENTEEN seems to discuss a descent into darkness beyond dark. memoryhead has only six faces until you count the laughing skull that they comprise. we may even have a direct foil for gaster in a specific missing lightner who parallels him in situation yet contrasts him in motifs. they’re mutually connected to noelle, who’s attuned to the unknown, a conduit between the Real and Unreal, the only lightner gaster seems to attempt to contact directly (barring the tree rooms, which may have more to do with the Player than they do with kris). does it not make sense for this story’s greatest arbiter of darkness — the one who, by the story’s own logic, is fulfilling a certain Purpose to a higher/greater power by facilitating the Player’s entry into a layer of reality below theirs — to be, himself, a darkner?

#again i’m not sold yet on this theory but i do find it weirdly compelling. #im just kind of infatuated with it right now lol i can’t stop thinking about it. the possibilities. the implications #if the skeletons originated as darkners then whose Will was it that initially gave them forms? #$ 666 mystery man lore hell