#and yes. in the end vader sacrificed himself to aid his son and attempt to make amends

[benevolentslut]

there's that specific brand of villain that's like - you're only a villain because you gave into your deepest fears and allowed them to control you, and now you've gone way too far to ever be truly redeemed.

like, they are beyond a shadow of a doubt a villain and should be seen as such, but there's still a certain tragedy to it, y'know? that tragedy of like "damn, you would've been a decent person if you'd just had some therapy, but now look at you"

#this post is simultaneously about darth vader and general ironwood #they're both fascist militarist leaders who initially had pure intentions but gave into fear #one was so afraid of losing the one he loved he sacrificed his humanity for power to protect her #and lost her anyway and just. shut down emotionally and kept on his path because he saw no way out #and the other was so terrified of failing that he blocked out all compassion to attempt to focus on the best logical option #sacrificing everyone around him to achieve his goal of ultimate pragmatism #and inevitably destroying himself in the process #they're both villains and this is in no way trying to forgive either of them #just thinking about it y'know? #like if either one of them had gotten decent therapy before they turned for the worse #they could've done so much good for their respective worlds #but they didn't and that's that #and yes. in the end vader sacrificed himself to aid his son and attempt to make amends #and so yeah he chose good in the end and that redeems him In A Way #but it doesn't negate the death and suffering he caused around a whole Galaxy #i recognise his tragedy and his choice for good in the end #but i really don't like how so many in the sw fandom are like 'oh he was purely a good guy then' like no actually he was still a fascist #like he could be sitting there killing people and thinking 'this is wrong' but he's still doing it.

[starwarshyperdrive]

The Rise of Skywalker - adding my very important opinion to the internet.

Opinions are like **holes, everyone has one. Just that this isn’t true. People rarely substitute theirs with someoelse’s **hole. 

Looking back at some of my predictions I was wrong about some major plot points. I always said that the Bendemption and Reylo would make me walk out of the cinema. I thought it would be the two things that would ruin Star Wars for me and quite arrogantly assumed it’s ‘too stupid for Star Wars’. 

Now.. I stand corrected. To be honest, after the premiere I didn’t know what to think. Like everyone else I had this idea what the movie should be in my head. All the puzzle pieces I put together to a picture I liked. All the clues that lead my to my own personal conclusion. And like everyone else I saw the movie through this filter. 

I have to divert a bit to explain what I mean.

A Zen master was asked about Zen by a critical guest. Instead of answering he filled the guest’s teacup but did not stop pouring when the cup was full and the tea spilled out and ran over the table. 

"Stop! The cup is full!" said the guest.

"Exactly," said the Zen Master. "You are like this cup; you are full of ideas. You come and ask for teaching, but your cup is full; I can't put anything in. Before I can teach you, you'll have to empty your cup."

Letting go of our expectations is hard. Very hard. There is comfort in the familiar. There is stubbornness in wanting to be right. The unknown is scary and we want to be in control of our own narrative. So I watched the movie again and saw it for what it is. I’m gonna be honest. I am a ‘true believer’ and apologist. I will find goodness in every bit. If you want to find mistakes you will find them. Psychologically we mostly make up our minds whether or not we’ll like the movie before we see it subconsciously. Then we just look for proof we’re right. I didn’t really want to see Joker. I expected it to be a pretentious attempt to make a Scorsese 70ies movie while lacking substance. And that’s exactly what I’ve got. Knowing what to expect in the 2nd viewing I was able to appreciate it more. There is so much depth and love for Star Wars in it that’s not apparent if you walk out of the 1st screening snubbed about what you don’t understand. I sound like a broken record when I say Star Wars is not a Comic Book movie, not everything has to be explained or tie into everything perfectly. Just look at the Original Trilogy. Nothing is 100% clear. Obi Wan is twisting the truth and nothing aligns perfectly. Star Wars is like a Greek myth. WHY did Thetis dip Achilles in the river Styx? What was her motivation? How could she forget to dip his heel? That’s stupid. That’s RUINING Greek mythology.   

I liked the movie, very much. I’m not even sure if it might not be my favorite sequel. Before I go into my thoughts here is what I didn’t like.

I liked it, yes, but that doesn’t keep me from agreeing that it seemed like a mash-up of fan-service. And with fan service I mean the kind of parents who have no idea would give their kids. ‘You like your Nintendos, right? The man at the shop said this is as good.’ It somehow felt like a panicked corporate decision to undo the backlash after The Last Jedi (a movie I have seen 13 times in the cinema and now consider to be the weakest installment since Attack of the Clones), so they mistook the loudest voices on the internet to be the most representative for all fans. So they had to include Bendemption and Reylo because ..fanfiction.. ?! And people have long asked for ‘bring back Legends’ so throw in a bit of that. And then we need Han Solo and the Emperor to save this trilogy after we made the mistake of not overseeing what these film makers actually do and have an overall idea for the trilogy and Rian Johnson wrote the story into a corner. The Last Jedi felt more like the 3rd movie of a trilogy, so what are we gonna do? Rey has to be SOMEONE, right? How about the emperor is suddenly interested in his bloodline for some reason despite the Sith never having cared about that (what is her midi-chlorian count?). 

But I can live with all of that and I have my explanations for everything. Palpatines son who must’ve been born after his face got all f**ked up. So was he a clone? Some sort of attempt to create life like Anakin? An artificially created baby like the Nazis did to get a super soldier, just to be able to possess his body and when he ran off and fled he was more interested in his ‘granddaughter’ because her body was even younger? Did the force skip a generation like some diseases.  Not everything has to be answered, but it’s fun to think about these things. I find this to be more Star Wars than the thought he had a wife all the time, which is absolutely not in character. 

The one thing I didn’t like was the super cringy, cheap jump-scare with monster teeth during the Dark Rey scene. We have seen this too often. It’s not ‘worthy of Star Wars’. It didn’t even look good in IT or any other movie. 

And the kiss? Would I have cut it out if I’d have something to say. YES DEFINITELY. Do I think it’s romantic and actually hints to romantic feelings? HELL NO! In my opinion their bond is different. Calling it romantic undermines their connection and ridicules something that could be very deep. Kylo/Ben even says it, they are a Dyad. Whatever that means, it surely doesn’t mean something straight-out of Twilight. I see the kiss as relief, burst of emotion. Not unlike a kiss a mother would give a child that has been missing or rescued from peril. Affection yes, romance no (aka ‘no tongue’). The beauty of it is that it’s ambiguous. If you want them to be in love, then you can think that for yourself, probably wondering why she is not really grieving.

I said I’d hate Bendemption and many people have stated that Ben should’ve survived. No offense but this is completely missing the point. The way his redemption is portrayed is absolutely beautiful. The shame and regret in Ben that leads him to the realization what he needs to do is what makes his who he is. He says it himself. He can’t go back to his mother. She sacrificed herself for him. He killed his father. Everything is lost for him. He made so many mistakes. But he can do the right thing for once by saving Rey. And this is why he disappears. This is why he became one with the force. If it he’d have survived there wouldn’t have been a redemption. Ben Solo was ‘weak and foolish’ which led him to the dark side. Ben Solo is flawed, the good in him understood that to kill the looming darkness he has to sacrifice himself. Like the Terminator at the end of Judgement day. This is what made the scene so powerful and mirrored Vader. Ironically you could say he finally became like Vader in the last moments of his life.

As for the emperor being alive. Why not. If you’re that sort of badass and considering that Maul and Vader both survived major injuries with the aid of the dark side of the force it’s not that unlikely. And here is something some people seem to miss. He is desperately looking for a new vessel to transfer his spirit into because he is a corpse. He is a corpse on life support. As hinted at in the movie and as explained in the visual dictionary he is being kept ‘alive’ by a mixture of medical aids and Sith alchemy. One might argue that ‘we never heard about Sith cultists and all that’ but that’s not entirely true. Even outside of the books, comics and what not there are things you can easily retcon to fit the narrative. Just look at the emperors advisors in Return of the Jedi. At the time of The Force Awakens there have been theories that Snoke is nothing but a puppet. I have used the Wizard of Oz comparison before. When we got to see him ‘in the flesh’ in The Last Jedi we were nothing the wiser. So that somehow adds up.

Chewie got a medal now? Well that just serves to show what I always say: no one in the cinematic universe cares a great deal about books and comics. A lot of fans are always so eager to see stuff from canon in the movies and get upset when there are contradictions (also see S-foil from Lukes X-wing being used as door) but I think it’s best to consider whatever is not in the movies as ‘soft canon’ and take it with a grain of salt. This might change in the future now that Star Wars is free of the shackles of the Skywalker saga and it;’s very likely they learned from the lack of consistency, but it also opens it up to mediocracy and weird stuff like the world between worlds and space whales.

If you only watched the movie once there are many things that might have slipped by you. Which is a shame. I think some f the outspoken critics will change their minds about the movie over time. A lot of the emotional backbone of the movie was in these tiny moments, such as the scene in which Rey feels that she won’t see Leia again and has to say good bye. It is in the open whether or not Leia feels it too and just taunts her by saying ‘tell me when you're back’.

Let me just say that Rose is absolutely cool in this. I always maintained the position that the backlash against her character was mostly based on the weak costume design that made her more like like a cosplayer. Now that she looked the part she was fantastic. It’s not about quantity. Her screen time was impactful. The argument that JJ cut her screen time in favor of his buddies is ridiculous and uninformed. Everyone had their specific parts to serve the story. According to the visual dictionary Dominic Monaghans character was a former teacher and served as the ‘Sith’ expert to explain why the Resistance wasn’t collectively going ‘umm wut?’ when they heard about Palpatine being back and all that. Greg Grunberg was the link to the fleet and Rose was at the heart of operations. I can't understand how this isn’t obvious. 

And in conclusion let’s talk about the impossible task to end a 9 part saga, with the additional challenge of having lost Carrie Fisher. Can you even imagine being in that predicament? How did JJ Abrams say yes to this? Well knowing that he’d get shit from all sides. RESPECT! It is a miracle the movie turned out the way it did. I liked it and if we look at the numbers of things I didn’t like in the other movies despite liking them it might become my favorite or close 2nd of the sequel trilogy over time. Only this blade tells.

#the rise of skywalker #star wars the rise of skywalker #jj abrams #star wars #star wars episode IX #the last jedi #return of the jedi #attack of the clones #the phantom menace #Revenge of the Sith #joker #A New Hope #star wars a new hope #The Empire Strikes Back #The Force Awakens #Star Wars The Force Awakens #rian johnson #chris terrio #carrie fisher #leia organa #kelly marie tran #bendemption #reylo #star wars legends #star wars fan #star wars leaks #star wars theories #star wars review

[protectingspaceandthehumanrace]

Huxloween! Prompt Five: Cults

A/N: So this one started off good but was rushed. I think I’ll redo it when I have time! Nevertheless, enjoy!

Hux was simply taking the short cut home. Okay yes, through the woods. But sometimes it had to be done. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that it would end up with him crouching in a bush; watching a huge bonfire and people with hooded robes moving around it.

Usually Hux wouldn't even dream of taking the wooded shortcut. Who would risk their safety to be home fifteen minutes earlier? But today's different. With the shadow of tomorrow's exam looming over him, Hux knew that he'd have to get home quickly to do some last minute revision and get the full night of sleep he'd need to face the exam with a clear head.

Plus there was the guy, spat right out of the spread of a rock music magazine, who had followed him nearly all of the way home. That was another reason to take the wooded shortcut. It would avoid leading that creepy stalker to his home and give Hux a chance to shake him off on the trail. Which he seemingly had done.

The guy is nowhere in sight. It's only Hux and the cult. What would his father say? Probably chastise Hux for taking the shortcut and not calling the stalker out while he was still around people. Hux knew he couldn't call the police, for two reasons: the first being that the police wouldn't be able to do anything against the man, he hasn't touched a hair on Hux's head - and the second being that he would be considered weak if he was afraid, being a man and Brendol Hux's son made that socially impossible.

As Hux watches, crouched in the bushes, a cult member leads out a small dog. Innocently wagging its tail, unknowing of the fate that would befall it.

"Oh fuck no." Hux murmurs softly, violence against animals is not something that Hux is okay with.

He leans forward, undecided on whether to run to the dog's aid and announce himself, or hide and watch the dog die.

But he doesn't have to decide.

Just as Hux prepares his muscles to sprint towards the helpless pooch, his phone vibrates and plays his ringtone - loud. An incoming call from Brendol Hux.

"Shit. No." Hux fumbles with the phone, desperately trying to silence it.

Taking a quick, panicked glance towards the cult and the massive bonfire, Hux sees the dog running in the opposite direction and cult members moving towards him.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Hux repeats, internally panicking. Though he’s normally clear-headed and clear, a military history degree doesn’t prepare him for what to do when faced with an animal-sacrificing cult.

Hux finally ends the incoming phone call. But by then, he knows it is too late.

"Ironic. Someone you love ends the life you loved." A voice sounds behind Hux, just as a cold knife scratches at his throat.

"The hound has brought another morsel!" One cult member shouts, raising their arms, caped sleeves falling.

"Oh fuck no." Hux growls, trying to struggle away from the knife held at his throat.

"I would advise you to stop resisting and move forward. We wouldn’t want to make this even worse for you now, would we?” The voice is deep, rich and undoubtedly amused.

Hux bristles at this, how dare this unhinged man (who Hux is pretty sure is the stalker from earlier) laugh at his fate.

“My father will hear about this. Mark my word.” Hux hisses, as the man steers him closer to the bonfire.

No matter how hard Hux digs his feet into the forest floor, the man manages to direct him nearer to the cult. Some form of super human strength seems to make the man immune to Hux’s desperate flailing and attempts of escape.

“Stop fighting this Hux, it will happen whether you like it or not. The Force wills it.” There. A hint of strain within his voice – just enough for Hux to feel an inkling of satisfaction, despite the escalating situation.

Within a few moments, Hux is by the fire; flanked by black-robed cult members and the mysterious man behind him. Around him lie burnt carcasses of animals and, with a growing sense of horrific realisation, people. His mouth falls open as he attempts to comprehend the disgusting sight around him.

And instead of some line of bravado or cunning, Hux can only whisper, “Who are you people?”

What Hux presumes to be their leader steps forward to answer him. Scarred, white and bald; with eyes of deep menace and hatred staring out from the man’s face.

“We are the Force Sensitive. The Hound, Kylo Ren, has brought you here today to make a choice. One that will decide whether you become an offering to the Force, or a part of it.”

The combined force of the man’s velvet voice and the countless pairs of eyes staring back at Hux from underneath hoods causes a cold sweat to break out on his forehead. This was not how he expected his evening to go, not in the slightest.

“Become one of us, Armitage Hux, and you could become part of the empire that will shape the galaxy. Join us and become a man of power, darkness and purpose – a man you’ve always wanted to be.” That Kylo Ren murmurs behind him, his breath tickling Hux’s ear.

Hux doesn’t deign to face that Hound; he only continues the eye contact with the leader – Vader – as he asks: “How do you know all of this? About me?”

Again, the Hound speaks, “I am trained and gifted at smelling out potential… allies.”

Hux shivers. The way that Ren said allies sounded more sensual than anything else.

“Now Hux, make your choice: join us or die.”

As Hux stares at the cult leader, a million decisions race through his head. What to do, what to do. Power does sound promising, but animal sacrifice does not. But that voice behind him, whispering sensual sweet nothings, promises Hux something more than this cult – than anything else. And Hux is nothing without his ambition.

So he spins, faces the man behind him with those plump lips and eyes that contain the galaxy and pledges allegiance. To this man, to power and to himself.

“I’ll join.”

#huxloween #huxloween 2017 #kylux #kylo ren x general hux #general hux x kylo ren #kylo ren #general hux #star wars #star wars oneshot #star wars one shot #myfanfiction #fanfic