The premise that Luke has vanished is immediately intriguing. Like most people, I assumed when Episode 7 was first announced that Luke would be a central mentor figure from the beginning, having reestablished some form of Jedi Order. His absence raises many questions: Why is he missing? How long has he been gone? What could […]
Supreme Leader Snoke
Analysis of The Force Awakens — General Hux: Fanatical Madman of The First Order
As suggested by the junior novel Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy, and confirmed in the Visual Dictionary, General Hux is the son of Commandant Brendol Hux. During the time of the Empire, Brendol, unimpressed by the Imperial recruitment system, conceived the idea of raising stormtroopers from birth in order to emulate the loyalty […]
Analysis of The Force Awakens — Snoke: A New Phantom Menace
Snoke is a very mysterious and intriguing figure who, according to the novelization, witnessed the rise and fall of the Empire. Where was Snoke during this time? Was he someone Palpatine was aware of, or was he lurking in the shadows, waiting for his time to rise to power? His disfigured visage shows that he […]
Analysis of The Force Awakens — Han Solo: From Cynical Smuggler to Believing Mentor
The portrayal of Han in The Force Awakens was one of the few things I was worried about leading up to the premiere. There were many fans I encountered who believed Han was the type of character who would never settle down and have a family, but that, to me, ignores his entire character arc […]
Analysis of The Force Awakens — Rey: A Hero’s Awakening
While Rey is in many ways an obvious reflection of Luke and Anakin, she also has a unique twist to her starting point. Unlike Luke, and even Anakin, Rey has no family to support her in her struggle to survive in the harsh environment of Jakku. There is no wasting time with friends or picking […]
Analysis of The Force Awakens — Finn: Born for One Purpose, Destined for Another
Like Rey, Finn is on his own hero’s journey. It starts with the death of fellow trooper FN-2003, aka “Slip.” This trooper’s identity was established in the anthology novel Before the Awakening and confirmed in the Visual Dictionary. Slip was the weakest link in Finn’s unit and Finn was reprimanded by Captain Phasma for helping […]