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spiritsoulandbody · 10 months

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#DailyDevotion Is Jesus Your Fortress, Strength and Shield?

#DailyDevotion Is Jesus Your Fortress, Strength and Shield? Psalm 59 6When evening comes they return, howling like dogs and prowling around in the city. 7See what belches from their mouths — swords from their lips. They think, “Can anyone hear it?” 8But You, O LORD, will laugh at them and mock at all the nations. 9O my Strength, I am watching for You, because God is my Mountain Refuge. David here is probably recounting how those sent by Saul were acting as they were watching his house. It could be those who told Saul where David was when he went to Samuel. In any case, they must have been boasting about what they were going to do to David. They did not accept he was the LORD's anointed to replace Saul. As such, they were unbelievers like the other nations. The same could be said for those Jews in Jesus' day who opposed Him and who sought to kill Him because they would not accept Him as their Messiah. These verses recall Psalm 2 as the LORD laughs at them and mocks them as they have laughed and mocked His anointed one. God is his strength during these times and at all times. We would do well to remember that as well when the world seems to be overwhelming us. Strength here is put forth as one of the names for God. Is the God of Israel your strength or do you turn to yourself or other created things for strength in times of trouble? Doing so is a form of idolatry. So we turn to God for ever good and we turn to God to be our Strength. David is watching for Him, i.e. he is waiting for the LORD to act and to demonstrate His strength to David. Are willing to wait at times on the LORD to act or will we act in fear like Saul and do something that looks right but was done in fear and therefore opposed to the will of God? David watches for Him because God is his Mountain Refuge (Misgab in the Hebrew). These would be the high cliffs on the eastern side of what is Israel today. They are practically inaccessible to armies. Anyone trying to get to the top is at a distinct disadvantage to those on top. David hid from Saul amongst them. It's no wonder then he characterizes God as them. Those who put their trust in the LORD are like those on top of those cliffs. Those who go after them are at a distinct disadvantage. If I may quote the Jedi from Star Wars, when the LORD is your Misgab, you have the high ground. Those below cannot win. Ultimately, those who trust in the LORD win on Judgment Day as they inherit the earth. 10God, who loves me, comes to me; God lets me gloat over my enemies. 11Do not kill them, or my people may forget. By Your power make them stagger; then throw them down, O LORD, our Shield. The fear in David which causes him to turn to the LORD now seems to turn to anger. They had turned against God's anointed by seeking his life. David believes the God who loves him, comes to him to give him the help he has asked for. God has allowed him to gloat over his enemies. That is the purpose here in David not wanting the LORD to kill them yet (cf. vs. 13). For now they are to be a bad example. David invokes another name for God, Shield. As the LORD our Shield, David wants Him to make these people stagger and then throw them down. Such was the case of all the Jews who opposed Jesus and did not accept Him as their Messiah when the Romans came and cast down Jerusalem and the Temple. Those Jews though who trusted Jesus as their Messiah, they believed Jesus' word and left Jerusalem and the area when the Roman soldiers came. We too then are called to trust Jesus and His Word concerning this world, mammon, and pride. Instead, we should cling to the heavenly things, trust only in God alone for ever good and strength and humble ourselves to be of service to one another. O God, our Strength and Shield, grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may look to You alone for strength and protection in this life, that we may look upon those who mock those who trust in You when You cast them into the pit on the Last Day while we inherit the earth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read the full article

#Christ #Christianity #devotion #faith #Fortress #Jesus #LCMS #Lutheran #Messiah #Psalms #Shield #Strength #מְגִנָּה #מִשְׂגָּב #עֹז

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stairset · 2 years

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Actually on the subject of what I was talking about last night about Star Wars fans treating fanon as fact one of the funniest examples is the idea that the clones are super into Mandalorian culture and consider themselves Mandalorians just because they were cloned from one when there’s borderline no basis for that in canon

#like let's see #the armor design is partially based on mando armor namely through the t-shaped visor #but the clones didn't come up with the armor design the kaminoans did #captain rex and commander blackout have jaig eyes but so does kanan jarrus who is a jedi #really wearing a symbol associated with a certain culture doesn't mean much on its own #you don't go around assuming every single person who wears a yin yang necklace is chinese #stuff like cody's name being kote or the clones calling each other vod? all made up. zero basis for either of those in any canon materials #hell the entire first half of the clone wars finale takes place ON mandalore and features clones fighting mandalorians #and the fact that they were cloned from a mandalorian isn't directly brought up #them being clones of a mandalorian is really only important to the plot in a symbolic sense #i.e. they were created for the ultimate purpose of killing the jedi #so they were created from and trained by a guy from a culture known for fighting jedi #when rex and the clones turn on ahsoka and she escapes and he orders them to go find her #he walks towards the camera and it zooms into his visor then cuts to the mando helmet artwork on maul's prison vault #so yeah them being cloned from a mandalorian is really only important in a symbolism/foreshadowing sense #but it doesn't mean that they actually participate in the culture themselves #it's actually ironic that people make a point to say how mandalore is a creed not a race #and yet those same people just assume the clones should be mandalorian just because they're technically related to one #and i mean i don't see why they SHOULD adopt jango's culture considering he never gave a rat's ass about any of them besides boba #in his age of republic comic he calls them LIVESTOCK. why SHOULD they give two shits about him?#one of the major themes of tcw is that the clones are individuals so maybe we should let them have their own unique culture and beliefs #instead of just expecting them to be like the guy they were cloned from #and i'm aware that there is more basis for it in legends materials #but even then it was mainly limited to the arc troopers and republic commandos #y'know cause karen traviss has a weird hard-on for mandos so she made the elite clones mando to make them more special #but either way that's not canon anymore #we've seen several arcs and commandos throughout tcw and tbb and they don't act any more mando than the regular clones #so yeah that's my hot take of the day #star wars #star wars the clone wars

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padme-amitabha · 4 years

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Prequel And George Lucas Appreciation Post

This is an ongoing list of everything I appreciate about the Star Wars Prequels (and by extension the Original Trilogy) and appreciation of George Lucas’ vision and a tribute to Star Wars when it was still about morals and depth because Disney is intent on ruining the franchise and George’s creation. I am only referring to the six original films here and the list is in no particular order.

1. Villains - One thing that Lucas does well is creating great antagonists. Now Darth Vader being a great villain and character is pretty self-explanatory but I love the way his character is handled in the movies. He is presented in three different ways in each film, or that’s how I interpret it anyway.

We see him being an imperial in ANH and a bereaucratic one at that. He is defending the battle station and basically doing his job i.e trying to locate the stolen plans. In ESB, he is suddenly a much bigger threat. He is the epitome of evil which is further enhanced by the stunning visuals. He is the ultimate bad guy who Luke has to defeat to become a Jedi. What we did not expect is the “I am your father” reveal and that Luke is defeated and manages to escape in the end. The Darth Vader in ROTJ is much more subservient and loyal to the Emperor. He obeys the emperor and waits for Luke to show up and is not much of a threat. He is also shown to be very conflicted and tries to convince Luke to join him rather than making Luke join him against his will. The reason I think he’s portrayed differently is because the story is from Luke’s perspective. Yoda and Obi-Wan led Luke to believe Vader is evil and the narrative stays faithful to that. However, when Luke realizes the word of the Jedi cannot fully be trusted, he decides to come to his own conclusion and sees the conflict and good in his father after a brief conversation. Even with the black and white symbolism in the OT, we are introduced to the gray area in ROTJ when it’s revealed Darth Vader is not as evil as he appears to be and the “good” Jedi can just be as manipulative and biased (as acknowledged by Obi-Wan clinging to his own point of view and encouraging a boy to kill/fight his father without even sharing the information with him) - and Lucas continues to explore this in the Prequels.

The Prequels are about the fall of a centuries old noble religious order and how a single man managed to bring an end to democracy. History shows to bring down an established government it must have some structural flaws and as such the Jedi are shown to be just as bureaucratic as the imperials in ANH; the Jedi are portrayed in a negative light. The Jedi had grown arrogant in their abilities and had grown personal loyalties (such as Mace Windu to the Republic) and they were too blind to acknowledge the flaws in their perception. Qui-Gon was an exception to this and he was more compassionate and better Jedi like the knights in the Old Republic and his death in TPM foreshadows the fall of the Jedi order and of the golden era of the Jedi. At the end of the trilogy, Yoda and Obi-Wan are the sole survivors. It proves even the wise and experienced Yoda could be wrong as he confessed to Qui-Gon in ROTS. Obi-Wan was a Jedi who was very loyal to the order and the council and wished to follow the code by the book and still over the years he had grown attached to Anakin and had a strong emotional bond with him which was why he was still alive although deeply affected by the events. Hence, both Yoda and Obi-Wan were forced to acknowledge the weaknesses in their order and as a result grew as characters.

The prequels also demonstrate how the strict and flawed ways of the Jedi drastically changed Anakin’s life and how he struggled to fit in the order but at the same time making a point that the code didn’t change the lives of all the Jedi such as Obi-Wan who was quite content as a Jedi. The contrast shows how the lifestyle affected people like Anakin who were ruled by their emotions, and how it ended up pushing him to the dark side.

Palpatine is another great villain in contrast to Vader because he is anything but conflicted. He is the true epitome of evil and unapologetically so. I have seen very few stories actually pulling this off because a character who’s purely evil tends to be one dimensional or run the risk of coming across as incompetent even though the creator tries to tell us that they are very capable, such as Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter. However, this can be done well if the main focus of the story isn’t on the main villain by minimising their screentime so they still appear a looming threat till the main character(s) defeat them in the end and accomplish something, as done with Fire Lord Ozai from ATLA and Palpatine in OT. Palpatine is a looming, sort of foreign threat in the background who is shown to be purely evil and chaotic and he only appears in the last film. He isn’t defeated by the hero but by his own apprentice who served him for years. Vader is the main villain in OT and of course a great one at that. But the PT establishes that Palpatine is very much an accomplished villain as well. He’s a treacherous Sith Lord who has managed to evade the Jedi at the height of their power by hiding in plain sight. He orchestrates a galactic war by playing both sides and emerges victorious. He turns the clones against their allies and comes to power by latching onto emergency powers, much like Hitler. Even without Anakin/Vader’s help, he’s fairly successful in eradicating an entire order by studying and utilizing their weaknesses.

One of his greatest accomplishments is manipulating Anakin for years and slowly grooming him to be the perfect Sith apprentice. He takes his time to get in his head and establishing trust and knows exactly what to say to win him over, and while he is doing this he isn’t sitting idle. He has other apprentices whom he discards after they serve a purpose. He is ambitious and always scheming and I would say he’s a pretty successful politician too as he had quite a few supporters in the Senate to be elected Supreme Chancellor. He was the ultimate mastermind pulling the strings and manipulating everyone around him even Padmé in TPM.

As others have noted before me, the titles of the prequels have multiple meanings. While Darth Maul is shown to be the Phantom Menace in regards to being a mysterious figure who looks like the devil himself and stalking the main characters, so is Sheev Palpatine and Queen Amidala in the sense neither are who they pretend to be. Padmé’s two identities are obvious in the film while Palpatine’s double identity remains hidden. The Attack of the Clones can also be interpreted as Palpatine vs Sidious as they are the leaders of the both sides and they are referred to as clones as they are identical i.e. the same person. I also love how they incorporated the emperor’s theme from ROTJ into the ending theme in TPM and it’s a subtle reminder that it’s as just as much Palpatine’s victory in being elected chancellor.

I personally don’t mind that Maul was killed off in TPM because even though he lost to Obi-Wan it wasn’t before he killed an accomplished Jedi Knight. He was just as skilled as them and we see the Jedi struggle to keep up even with their strength in numbers. I love the fact that he more like a silent assassin because a lot of villains have a habit of chattering which is often utilised by the heroes to win, and Maul still retained the sense of mystery around him by the end of the film.

It’s pretty well-known that Maul, Dooku and Grievous all foreshadow the rise of Darth Vader, the franchise’s most iconic villain. Maul is a Sith Lord who unquestioningly obeys Sidious, Dooku is a former Jedi who left the order due to ideological differences and also personal ambition and Grievous is part cyborg with a preistent cough (similar to Vader’s wheezing) to make a point that technology is not without limitations and also a reminder of his humanity.

All in all I think Lucas is a genius who has managed to give us pretty amazing and actually proficient villains who could give the heroes a run for their money.

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ariainstars · 4 years

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Love and War: Politics and Spirituality in Star Wars

As I followed the Star Wars saga closely last year, I couldn’t help noticing that its central theme is not Good against Evil, but Love against War.

More precisely, it seems like a long parable about a mind at war: the galaxy far, far away keeps struggling with different powers which, until now, never were balanced by a common ideology.

The Jedi: We Have No Personal Agenda (…do we?)

As we get to know the Jedi in the prequels, we can’t be but disappointed. The supposed keepers of peace, guardians of the Force, seem a bunch of elderly, stuck-up guys who are wary of anything coming from the outside. Their meetings take place in a place which even looks like an ivory tower.

We witness the first conflict in the saga in The Phantom Menace, which absurdly is kicked off by two weird-looking guys who seem interested in nothing but their economic power.

The irony is that in their own way, the Jedi do not seem more open-minded than them; though not interested in wealth, they do only think of themselves - of the status their rank as Jedi gives them. They are so convinced of being the “good guys” that they will not lift a finger to end a raging conflict, and they don’t care what will become of a weirdly powerful nine-year-old boy who just lost his only living relative, his past and the only home he ever knew.

It is Padmé, who is not a Jedi and has no power in the Force, who takes matters in their own hands, to the point where she falls on her knees before the Gungans asking them for their assistance..

I have repeatedly heard the Star Wars prequels being criticized due to the seeming lack of agenda of the protagonists. Which is right - they basically haven’t. The only agenda everybody seems to have is to keep things the way they are so that their personal, comfortable situation won’t change.

But the truth is that they are not aware of the power pulling at them: there is someone who is the mastermind behind all that happens during Anakin’s youth, and we can assume that he was at work even before the boy stepped onto the stage.

It is Senator Palpatine who convinces the Queen of Naboo to plead for a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Valorum, which in the end leaves Palpatine himself in charge. It is he, again, who makes JarJar convince the Senate to give him emergency powers due to the surge of the Separatists.

Palpatine is repeatedly shown as being Evil incarnate. Absolute power is his ultimate goal. For him, it is all or nothing. There is nothing human about him, ever, as good as he is as posing as a mellifluous politician who only has the best ends in mind.

And on top of it, Palpatine makes it appear as if he only has the purest motives, leaving the dirty work to others: Anakin marches into the Jedi temple killing everyone…

…Obi-Wan cripples Anakin mercilessly, which gives Palpatine the chance to strap him into the armor and mask that he will hence need in order to survive at all.

The End of Everything We Loved

The name “Devil” means “separator”. Palpatine’s influence leads to separate all people who ought to belong together: friends…

…husband and wife…

…brothers and sisters. When they first meet, Luke and Leia don’t realize for a long time that they are, actually, siblings.

Vader doesn’t recognize his own daughter…

…nor his son: during the trench run we hear him say “The Force is strong with that one.”

The Jedi’s failure

Enter Anakin, someone with huge personal agendas. Anakin has known slavery, the pain of separation from his mother, the helplessness having to watch her die, the fear of losing wife and unborn child in a similar way.

Does that make him an evil person? We see Anakin struggle against his fears and his violence for years. His deepest impulse is to use his enormous strength in order to protect others, but he isn’t allowed to. He can only be active if the Jedi order him to, which leads among other things to the absurd situation of having to save Palpatine, i.e. evil incarnate, risking his own and his master Obi-Wan’s life; while he was supposed to toughen it out when his own mother, a woman who probably never harmed anyone in her life, was tortured to death.

Instinctively, Anakin’s heart always told him who needed his help. But this generosity and protectiveness never was appreciated by the Jedi, to whom “the Code” came first of all.

But what is the Jedi code, looking at it, if not a strategy to detach themselves from the world?

No families of their own.

No possessions.

No close attachments.

How is anyone supposed to still see if someone is in pain, when he was trained from early childhood on to live in a metaphorical ivory tower?

Though not actually evil-minded (they assuredly do not want power or promote terror), the Jedi are in constant denial of the truth around them. They witness Palpatine’s ascent over and over and never realize that the most powerful Sith Lord of all is sitting a few meters away from them.

Because to the Jedi, “what can’t be doesn’t exist”. Palpatine may be a Sith, but officially, belongs to the Jedi. Count Dooku even warns Obi-Wan; the Jedi proves his denial again with his words “Impossible. The Jedi would have sensed it.”

So, not wanting it but also not knowing what they were doing, the Jedi enhance the conflict. And the Skywalker family, whose founder had been fathered by the Force itself, is torn and kept apart from both Jedi and Sith.

Now we could argue: who would want to cooperate with the Sith, to have them as part of a balance, if they are evil and never do any good?

Do they, and do the Jedi only do good and virtuous deeds?

Obi-Wan told Luke an outright lie pretending that Vader had been Anakin’s killer; convinced that it could end only if the son killed the father.

The supposedly evil Lord Vader is the one who finally tells the truth: he proclaims to be Luke’s father, which also unveils his old master’s lie. Luke is traumatized because the truth is the opposite of what he believed. Until this very moment he was in denial, convinced that he was dealing with his father’s killer; Vader had literally to cut off his son’s hand in order to create a dramatic pause which finally allowed him to say what he wanted to: the truth.

To believe that a deed like patricide could be a positive thing only enhances the absurdity of the situation and the depth of the Jedi’s denial. As Luke confronts Obi-Wan with his manipulation, the Jedi still does not take responsibility, beyond his grave.

The Mistake: Making Things About Oneself

So, we have seen that Evil is not always wrong and Good not always right. They are strangely connected by one common, capital fault: making things about themselves.

But we repeatedly meet people who are mature enough not to make things about themselves: Padmé, Shmi, Senator Organa, (dare I say it? even JarJar), Owen and Beru.

Luke’s meeting with Vader on Bespine is pivotal because confronted with the words “You are not a Jedi yet” Luke draws his weapon first, proving Vader right. He hates the man in whom he still sees his father’s killer. It is this hatred which could have pushed him to the Dark Side. Though unknowingly and acting out of possessiveness, Vader pushed his son away from the Dark Side by saying the truth and thus crushing Luke’s hatred for him.

Much later, as he tries to save his friends, we see that Luke has learned his lesson: he tries to convince Jabba diplomatically and draws his weapon only at the last moment.

Terrified that Vader and Palpatine might be after his sister, Luke lashes out one last time. Only when he sees his father’s robotic hand he realizes the trap he was about to fall into.

Forgiveness and love bring Vader down. Compassion has won. Peace ensues, the family is united.

But many years later, we see Luke fail making things about himself again: he fears the danger his nephew could become for everything he loves.

His moment of panic pushes his nephew to the dark side. As a long-term consequence, the young man will be the murderer of the man who used to be Luke’s best friend.

Ben adopts another name and joins Snoke; war flares up and pushes itself between the members of the Skywalker family again.

Han and Leia meet after a period of separation, each bemoaning the loss of their son.

Luke, guilt-stricken, has retired to a lonely island, away from everybody.

Only shortly before his death, Luke tries to reconnect: with his sister, his brother-in-law (symbolically through the dice), the droids, his nephew. The Skywalker family is getting closer again, hinting at a future peace.

Conclusions

The absurd situation of this generation is that at the opposite ends of the conflict are two persons who despite their outward differences couldn’t be more alike. Kylo and Rey both are lost children, desperately searching for belonging and purpose. In the brief moment of their alliance against Snoke we can see that working together, Dark and Light side are indeed invincible.

So, must the Light Side win again in order to ensure peace?

The Dark Side is the human Id, which is all about oneself. Its advantage is that being straightforward, the Id can’t lie. Anakin / Vader always told the truth, as painful as it was.

The Id is aware of the fact that it needs its other half to be balanced. Hence, the “bad guys” always struggle to dominate, possess and at worst kill the “good guys”. We constantly see a powerful Dark Side user (Vader, Kylo) being at his strongest while he is chasing his Light Side counterpart (Luke, Rey).

The Light Side is the Super-Ego, the conscience, which at its extreme might push a person to give up his life for someone else. The disadvantage is its tendency to deny that it needs its other half also; to believe to be solely in the right. The Jedi (including Luke, the last and the strongest of them) often overlook vital truths: none are so blind as those who will not see.

Both Luke and Rey needed their Dark Side counterparts to confront them with the truth (“I am your father”, “Your parents are dead… filthy junk traders who sold you for drinking money”). As much as it hurts them, both need to know these truths because their false pretensions held them back from being who they truly were.

That is why “balance” is so vitally important and the only thing that can save the day and make lasting peace. Because no one can pretend that he lives solely for others (the Jedi), and no one can exist long living only by himself and for himself (the Sith). Only acknowledging one another’s positive sides and learning to cooperate, the Force users can make lasting peace in the galaxy possible. Only when a common ground is found at last, the galaxy can finally be free of the Old Republic’s stagnation, the Empire’s tyranny and the turmoil of the Rebellion.

Peace, at last, to people of good will.

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alixofagnia · 6 years

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Reylo Wish List

GET SOME FRESH AIR!

Kylo spends less time on a Star Destroyer/desolate wastelands and more time in lush, watery landscapes

IDENTITY

‘Kylo Ren’ is dropped; Ben becomes a Solo again

Rey becomes a Solo

COSTUMING

Kylo

continues trend of less layers

loses the gloves and dials down the black monochrome look (please retain black pants)

hair still long but out of face (not TFA salon-styled, just more tapered)

hair/clothing change combo, hopefully, reflects the character finally getting his shit together

Rey

loses arm wraps and invests in an actual long-sleeved shirt

hair longer (considering a possible time jump) and braided into a single plait or just something that isn’t a Heidi-ish crown

dresses to the nines for one scene

not sure how or why that would come about, but I just like the idea of her having to get gussied up once and being all like, “Nah, where’s my utility belt and scarf wrap?” as she’s smearing make-up off her face

REAL TALK

talk/mind-read out your feelings, hopes, and dreams

figure out, together, what the Force is trying to tell you

note to Kylo: clarify bungled proposal

make proper proposal (Rey) and accept (Ben)

FAMILY ISSUES

Kylo forgives his family and makes a new one

Rey lets go of her family and makes a new one

PILOTING

Rey pilots an X-Wing

Ben pilots the Falcon after apologizing for trying to blow it out of the sky

PHYSICAL HEALTH & PERSONALITY

Rey

smiles more and laughs

cries more but less (if you follow me)

keeps all her limbs

more dorky charm

Kylo

smiles a genuine, irrefutable smile and/or actually laughs

releases tension

keeps all his limbs

more quirks (i.e. the Slide)

does something reminiscent of Han and/or Leia, in a line or a look

As much as I love their intensity and tension, I’d like to see their dynamic evolve into something more lasting and–dare I say–genuinely companionable, such as friendly banter, encouragement, compliments, or any combination of more “normalized” social interaction.

LIGHTSABERS & BATTLES

Rey

I really like the double-bladed idea, but I’m split on whether she crafts a new saber with the crystal from Anakin’s lightsaber or obtains a new crystal. I think obtaining a new crystal would show a metaphorical movement away from both her “nothing” past and from a desired/imagined lineage that “inheriting” the Skywalker legacy saber may have caused, symbolizing a new beginning or a new way forward of her own making.

Ben

I really like his lightsaber, but I think it will probably change for the same reasons his costume will continue to change. I like the idea of Rey holding on to the crystal from Anakin’s saber for the purpose of returning it to Ben and Ben, after accepting his past and lineage, becomes worthy of the legacy saber, crafting a new, stable and refined weapon with it.

Battles

I prefer that we continue the trend of seeing something different. For example, in TFA the big lightsaber battle was between Reylo, as foes. In TLJ, the big battle was between Reylo, but as allies. In IX, as much as I would like for them to team up again, I think I’d like to see them fight singly, which isn’t to say that they will necessarily be apart; it’s plausible that Rey could fight a foe over an incapacitated Kylo or vice versa, though I’d prefer the former because it’s another trope-breaker.

TRAINEES (It’s about to get a little fanfic-y.)

I think the idea of Rey training Force-sensitives is ridiculous. What the actual fuck is she going to teach them?

Therefore, I think it’s more likely that Kylo will have trainees. I don’t know what the Knights of Ren have been doing for the last 1-2 weeks of TFA/TLJ, but off the top of my head I was just wondering if they might be out recruiting.

I don’t think Snoke’s murder was premeditated per se. I think that Kylo’s ultimate goal was always to rise in power, particularly after he joined Snoke, and Snoke’s abuse fanned that side of his ego. But I think that his struggle to suppress the Light Side of his lineage led him to consider a “new order”, a way out from under Snoke, whom he had turned to when he had nothing and no one (classic victim/abuser dynamic).

I’m positing that Kylo and the KoR (aside from looking for Jedi relics or whatever it is they do) may have also been seeking out Force-sensitives, ostensibly to join Snoke’s organization but potentially to supplant him and the renewal of the Sith order. Let’s consider that Kylo felt he was not yet powerful enough to overthrow Snoke on his own and he essentially felt he needed an army of Force-users and the KoR to help him do it.

Enter Rey.

She’s young and untrained, but more powerful than any Force-user he’s met outside of himself. Keep in mind that A LOT happens in a short amount of time: Kylo goes on a scavenger hunt (pun intended); meets a girl; kills his dad; fights with the girl; gets fucked up; Starkiller Base is destroyed; Snoke yells at him; starts Force-Skyping with the girl; falls really hard for the girl.

Maybe in the back of his mind he thinks that she’ll be all he needs to move his plan forward, not just to use her as a tool to help him do the deed but someone with whom he can start a new life Force order.

Thus, he doesn’t make contact with the KoR; there’s no time and he’s got enough on his plate. Then, comes the vision of Rey joining him and five minutes later she’s freaking there! Suddenly, the moment is upon him and he acts: he kills Snoke. He had it in him the whole time, but now he loves cares for Rey and still wants/needs her to help him create something new. Mangles that up, as we all know, and now he’s alone again.

OK, so that’s the set-up.

Kylo training new Force-users (as opposed to Rey) would make sense because Kylo –who should technically be considered one of two last Jedi by virtue of the fact that he’s spent more years training as a Jedi than he has as a Sith– has the extensive Force education to be an instructor in its ways. It could also be a means to finding out what exactly Kylo’s idea for a new order is and, if it’s reasonable (which is likely), it will keep the GA rooting for him.

Now, imagine Hux launching his own overthrow of Kylo and

Kylo not only escapes, but he does it WHILE SAVING HIS CHILD TRAINEES.

Though, of course, some KoR won’t make it.

Reverse Anakin indeed.

TO REYLO KISS, OR NOT TO REYLO KISS

Alright, unpopular opinion time.

The Hollywood part of me requires a space kiss. The honest me, however, will be satisfied with a hug and here’s why:

When two characters, who have experienced isolation and intense loneliness, who are desperate for belonging and understanding, who have been deprived of emotional fulfillment their entire lives and begin their relationship as enemies before finally coming together as true equals the last thing I think is: have them kiss.

A kiss is intimate and sexual; a kiss is for later. Like, yeah, I know there were buckets of sexual tension in TLJ. But now they’re enemies again, or at least they think they are. So, we have to go around the horn again.

Whereas a hug says all kinds of things: I’m sorry; I love you; I care about you; I’m here for you; I want to comfort you; you’re not alone.

I’ll meet you halfway:

Emphasis on a hug FIRST, then a scar kiss that maybe turns into a real kiss.

NO-NOs and PLEASE DO NOTs

PLEASE DO NOT REGRESS KYLO REN

PLEASE DO NOT RENEGE ON REY NOBODY

no love triangles

no pulled-it-out-of-my-butthole villain

#reylo #rey #ben solo #kylo ren #kylo ren x rey #ben solo x rey #star wars episode ix #star wars the last jedi #star wars #luke skywalker #leia organa #general hux #knights of ren

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