Editorial: Confessions from a Casual Star Wars Fan

Or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the new canon.

 

I am a casual Star Wars fan. This is not a statement my younger self could have ever imagined making nor is it something I have embraced willingly. It is a status that has been forced upon me by the sheer volume of canonical content that has been released over the last few years. I very simply don’t have the time or will to keep up with all that is out there…

 

This is something that has pained me for some time now.  It’s not something you expect yourself to say as a writer for a Star Wars related site.  For context, I have always considered myself a die-hard fan. A super fan. The guy who pushes up my glasses and interjects when someone confuses a Quarren for a Mon Calamari. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was The Empire Strikes Back and my viewings of the saga films combined number in the thousands since then. If someone who knew me had to describe me, it would likely be 15 seconds or less before they got to “and he’s a big Star Wars guy.” It has always been a part of my identity. I’m a proud Star Wars nerd.

 

I don’t know if all of that is true anymore. There’s just too much to be a fan of to be a super fan anymore if you don’t have the time to commit to consuming everything that is put out. Back in the days of the EU it was easy. There was no formal declaration of canon, so you could ignore what didn’t interest you because the films were king and all else was secondary. But now we live an era of equal importance. Everything is canon. Films, Cartoons, Books, Comics, Video Games, Mobile games, board games, Happy Meals, backs of cereal boxes, trading cards, and tweets from Pablo. There is an excess of critical information.

 

 

When everything is important, nothing is. There are no releases with any intrinsic priority anymore. What is said in The Force Awakens is no more or less true than what is said in a Battlefront cut scene. So in order to maintain full authority on all things Star Wars, every release must be treated as in equal need of consumption.

 

I tried that for a while. When the “Legends Purge” was announced I was extremely excited. A new universe of canonical content was about to be unleashed. No more would I have to worry about an avid EU fan telling me I was wrong because of a sentence found on page 323 of book 87 of the New Jedi Order series. No more debates about what should be considered canon or fights about rationalizing conflicts in continuity. I was pumped up to consume everything so I could know everything. “Oh, the debates and discussions we fans will have now that we are all on the same page as to what counts and what doesn’t” I said. “It will be a glorious renaissance of Star Wars discourse” I said. Then A New Dawn was released.

 

This is nothing against the book itself. I’m sure it was fine. But I bought New Dawn, read three chapters, put it down and completely forgot it existed until I went to write this article and realized that not finishing Aftermath was not actually my first lapse in the new canon. It didn’t hold my interest. It focused on an era I wasn’t enthused to be reading about in the lead up to the sequel trilogy, with characters I hadn’t grown attached to yet.

 

 

Then there was the aforementioned Aftermath. I made it farther into that one. More than halfway before I got distracted and never finished it. That had some good stuff in it as well, but again it just didn’t hold my interest. So I decided maybe I just wasn’t a big Star Wars novel guy and decided to give up on keeping tabs on that part of the canon. I read a synopsis here or there when I thought it was critical to stay informed. I instead decided I’d be a comics guy.

 

So I dove into the comics. Read Star Wars, Darth Vader, Lando. Then I started to eventually fall behind on those as well. Wasn’t due to lack of interest this time. Just life. It seemed there was just not enough time to keep up with everything. But in reality, I can admit to myself that it was more from a lack of desire than anything else. Once I made that decision not to do everything, suddenly nothing seemed critical anymore. This all solidified in my mind one fateful day last summer.

 

As I was at the movie theater taking my kids to see The Secret Life of Pets (so a brutal day overall), I stood in the lobby gazing at posters for Rogue One and Dr Strange. I turned and said to my wife, “I think I’m more excited for Dr. Strange than I am for Rogue One.” She yeah-yeahed me and kind of looked at me like I was nuts, not fully understanding what a profound statement that was for me. There was a Star Wars movie coming out in mere months and it felt like just another movie to go see. At the time I blamed it on being outside of the saga, or my excitement for Episode VIII muting my excitement for the standalone movies. But it was something else entirely.

 

 

In my adult life four saga films have been released. Each one has felt like a critical new part added to a whole. Each one had the ability to raise or lower appreciation for “Star Wars.” I was a huge prequel defender during their initial release. I couldn’t accept that they might not be great because that would tarnish Star Wars as a whole. If AotC was a bad movie, then that meant Star Wars as a whole was not as great as it once was. Star Wars was like a religion and I was orthodox. I needed every aspect to be infallible.

 

Over the years I soured on aspects of the prequels and came to realize even the original trilogy had some serious flaws, but I still accepted it all as one work of great value. That continued through the release of The Force Awakens. I approached its release as if it were adding a new chapter of equal importance to the first six. But as I began to skip more and more canon, that feeling changed. I realized eventually that it wasn’t that I was less excited for Rogue One, but I was less anxious about whether it would be great or not.

 

 

The ability to discard canon has infected my viewing of the films as well. I wasn’t fully engrossed in the daily anticipatory countdown to Rogue One because if it was bad, I knew it didn’t matter anymore. It could be discarded just as I had discarded Aftermath, or Uprising, or any other of the number of canonical content I had skipped over. At first this depressed me. I would scroll through the cantina forums avoiding debate because I couldn’t make an informed opinion. How can you take a position on something, when you don’t have the background knowledge? “Wait, Cassian Andor is Fulcrum?” “Poe Dameron’s parents planted a Force Tree on Yavin IV”? If you aren’t reading everything than how can we ever all be on the same page for a discussion. There will always be someone who knows more or can contradict you with some minutiae you weren’t aware of.

 

The lack of a unified base of knowledge for debate is a loss to be sure, but over time I realized that I had gained so much more.  That absence of anxiousness, while not something I purposely sought, brought with it great benefits. I’ve gained the ability to appreciate Star Wars again purely on its merits. Without an agenda. Without taking a defensive posture when people criticize.

 

I didn’t love Rogue One. There. I said it. It was alright. I know I’m in the minority among fans with that opinion, but I just didn’t think it was all that great. But that is ok with me now. I’m not feeling the need to justify my opinion to those who like it more or less than me. Or rationalize its existence to myself in the broader franchise. It is purely another entry in the canon. One that you may take or leave at will.

 

 

It doesn’t bother me that I didn’t love it, because there’s more content around the corner. My opinion on Rogue One hasn’t soured me on the upcoming Episode VIII. Instead, I have found for the first time that I am truly excited for the next release, not just because it’s more Star Wars, but because I really want to see the next chapter in the story of the characters that I loved in TFA. I want to see what happens with Rey, Finn, Kylo and the rest. I want to speculate about Rey’s powers and Snoke’s motivations because the story itself intrigues me, not just because it is being fixed into the fabric of a franchise I happen to obsess over.

 

The new canon has freed me to love or hate Star Wars based purely on my own preferences which is place I have never been before. And with all the content to come in the future, I feel relief in that. I feel excitement that I will be able to enjoy what I want and ignore what I don’t have interest in. Being a casual fan, it turns out, has allowed me to get more enjoyment out of the franchise I love without getting lost in the obsessions of fandom. And that in turn, has made outlook for the future of Star Wars far more optimistic than at any point in my past.  I look forward to every aspect of canon they can throw at me, with full understanding that much of it I may dislike or dismiss.  For the first time I move towards a new film release with great anticipation, but with little anxiety.   All due to the existence of this new, superabundant canon.

 

 

+ posts

100 thoughts on “Editorial: Confessions from a Casual Star Wars Fan

  • February 18, 2017 at 7:31 pm
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    “I didn’t love Rogue One. There. I said it. It was alright. I know I’m in the minority among fans with that opinion, but I just didn’t think it was all that great.”

    In total agreement. A missed opportunity in my opinion.

    Can’t wait for The Last Jedi though.

    • February 18, 2017 at 8:05 pm
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      You’re not in the minority of people with discerning taste.

      • February 18, 2017 at 9:30 pm
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        “I didn’t like a movie, therefore those that did are below me.”

        Nice condescension there, buddy.

        • February 18, 2017 at 9:35 pm
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          Who are you quoting, sugar bear? I actually like Rogue One.

          • February 18, 2017 at 9:40 pm
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            K. I just misunderstood you.

          • February 18, 2017 at 10:26 pm
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            No worries — that tends to happen on the internet. Rogue One is a fascinating conundrum for me. Gareth has a brilliant visual style, and I think we got some of the prettiest-yet-edgiest cinematography in Star Wars film history, but I don’t think we got to see *his* film. And I can’t even argue if his film would’ve been better — maybe the Lucasfilm committee method saved the film from being a disaster — we’ll never know. It just makes me nervous — I’m hugely invested in the Skywalker saga, and I don’t want to see those films slapped together in the same haphazard manner.

          • February 18, 2017 at 11:01 pm
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            I agree. The film turned out great, but i feel uncomfortable with the fact that reshoots were necessary in the first place.

          • February 18, 2017 at 11:03 pm
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            It’d be great if films never had to do reshoots, but a fair potion of the moments I liked in Rogue One were apparently reshoots, so I don’t think it’s all that bad

          • February 18, 2017 at 11:15 pm
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            The debate about re-shoots in any film is never a cut and dry issue, but I do think it’s unfortunate that the last minute overhaul of the film resulted in things like Alexandre Desplat having to bail out as composer. I love that guy’s work — it was the originally the biggest selling point of this film for me.

        • February 18, 2017 at 11:11 pm
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          The debate about re-shoots in any film is never a cut and dry issue, but I do think it’s unfortunate that the last minute overhaul of the film resulted in things like Alexandre Desplat having to bail out as composer. I love that guy’s work — it was the originally the biggest selling point of this film for me.

      • February 19, 2017 at 2:51 pm
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        Happy to be in the minority of people who felt let down by this movie. Can’t love them all.

    • February 18, 2017 at 8:11 pm
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      Yeah it was very much a meh for me as well. I found the main characters quite an uninteresting bunch who I just didn’t root for at all. I also hated cgi Tarkin(far too tall and fake looking, a brief hologram appearance would have been fine) and the omission of an opening crawl. The Vader scene at the end was undeniably cool though.

      • February 18, 2017 at 8:19 pm
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        For me, the movie had too many problems to overlook. I did enjoy that Vader scene though.

        Rogue one is my least favourite out of the five SW movies.

        • February 19, 2017 at 2:49 pm
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          Nice veiled prequel bashing. Give that crap up already, dude.

          • February 19, 2017 at 2:54 pm
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            Stop being so sensitive.

  • February 18, 2017 at 7:38 pm
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    Good read.

    “so you could ignore what didn’t interest you because the films were king and all else was secondary”

    What prevents you from doing this now?

    Speaking personally, I only regard the films as cannon. Sure I watch the cartoons, read the old EU but I’ve never considered it as anything other than supplementary material. I haven’t bothered with any of the new books or comics, I simply don’t care about them.

    I don’t even consider TFA to be cannon, sure I’ll watch and probably enjoy the new films but unless they do something amazing to convince me that they are a worthwhile addition to the original films in terms of completing a story that was already complete, they’re little more than EU to me.

    So much like the author, in today’s terms I must also be a casual fan albeit a first generation one.

    • February 18, 2017 at 7:52 pm
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      “i only regard the films as canon.” “i don’t even consider the TFA to be canon.”

      those to statements don’t seem to add up.

      • February 19, 2017 at 12:12 am
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        Perhaps a clarification, I refer to the originals.

    • February 18, 2017 at 9:29 pm
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      “I don’t even consider TFA to be cannon”

      Do you know how this works?

      • February 19, 2017 at 12:11 am
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        I have a pretty good idea. I get to choose whats cannon in my own mind.

          • February 19, 2017 at 12:38 am
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            Do you disagree?

          • February 19, 2017 at 1:03 am
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            Yes.

          • February 19, 2017 at 11:56 am
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            On what may I ask?
            My statement that I get to choose my own cannon in my own mind or something else from my original comment?

          • February 19, 2017 at 2:50 pm
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            Have fun re-adjusting that canon all the time, is all I’m gonna say about that.

          • February 20, 2017 at 3:41 am
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            I think some fans confuse headcanon (AKA what you wish/like) with, ya’know CANON.

          • February 20, 2017 at 3:10 am
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            You can chose what you like, but unless you’re secretly Kiri Hart, i don’t think you can change what’s canon or not. You can only say what you like or dislike.

          • February 20, 2017 at 8:31 pm
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            And that my friend is the point 🙂
            Not the Kiri Hart bit, I think that’s a little extreme – Plus I don’t know what she looks like anyway.

      • February 19, 2017 at 7:14 am
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        He clearly said “cannon”. I have to agree with him on that point.

      • February 19, 2017 at 12:44 pm
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        I think you’re missing the point of what he’s saying. He knows it’s official canon stuff. It’s just not for him in his mind, which he is entitled to think since it’s his mind and he can view the saga however he chooses to.

        • February 20, 2017 at 3:09 am
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          Anyone is aloud to think anything. That doesn’t make it so.

          • February 20, 2017 at 10:06 am
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            It makes it so for them. I think you are having trouble separating the idea of what is fact and canon, as stated by the studio, and what an individual chooses to treat as the saga in their minds. Episodes 1-6 do indeed tell a complete story so if he wants to treat Disney stuff as non-canon then that’s a matter for him, not you. I don’t know why you feel the need to get argumentative and pedantic over it when I am sure he already knows Disney treats it as canon. *shrug*

          • February 20, 2017 at 4:13 pm
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            He’s allowed to have a headcanon and all, but that’s not the same as actual CANON. I’m not being pedantic, I just know the definitions of words. *shrug*

          • February 20, 2017 at 4:27 pm
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            He never claimed it was. He said…

            “I don’t even consider TFA to be cannon[sic]”.

            Do you understand that by saying “I don’t consider” he was referring to his head canon and not official canon?

            Come on mate.

          • February 20, 2017 at 4:29 pm
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            -__-

  • February 18, 2017 at 7:57 pm
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    I feel exactly the way you do in every respect. I am way more excited for Justice League, Wonder Woman, Guardians, Spider-man, and a bunch of other movies before Last Jedi. I didn’t really enjoy Rogue One either. It wasn’t a bad movie, it’s just kinda there. Of course the Vader stuff is great, but that’s all that was memorable for me. I actually enjoy the new comics more than the new movies. I’ve tried to read a couple of the books and I can’t get past the first few chapters, they’ve just been bad in my opinion. I don’t know why this stuff isn’t hitting with me, I truly wish I loved it all.

  • February 18, 2017 at 8:02 pm
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    Yes! Thanks for this — you’re definitely not alone.

  • February 18, 2017 at 8:12 pm
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    i’m confused. why is it easier to dismiss things in the new timeline(knowing its all canon) then the obscure stuff from the EU that wasn’t? that seems backwards. in old days you could feel good skipping most of the junk being turned out because it was gloried fan fiction. now if we get a stinker(heir to jedi, aftermath) we’re stuck with it. every new detail(good or bad) has so much higher stakes no matter how insignificant the format its in. further, i would argue that the new supercanon has made the fandom more obsessive and more concerned over each new piece of info rather than more relaxed and excepting. when everything counts nothing is inconsequential.

    • February 19, 2017 at 12:41 pm
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      “so much higher stakes no matter how insignificant the format its in”.

      I have read hardly any of it and I know of almost nothing from this content that I have seen discussed by people online that truly impacts the movies. Almost all of it is icing on the cake and not the actually cake itself. I can’t think of one new EU thing it is essential to know in order to enjoy TFA or Rogue One. To me all it provides is a little more background detail for those who want it. It’s no different from, say, a Star Trek novel that details Captain Kirk’s boyhood in Iowa. There may be some nice stuff in it about how he became the man he is, but you don’t need to read it to watch Star Trek. That’s the way I have approached the new non-screen canon, and it seems that’s the way Lucasfilm/Disney are approaching it as well.

  • February 18, 2017 at 8:24 pm
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    Sorry guy, but I comletely don’t get your point. As to the books you read, that will be because you chose the bad ones, New Dawn and Aftermatch series are not really the best star wars canon book you can find. Try Tarkin or Catalyst or some other books from LEGENS authors, because they know how to write a book about star wars. If there is something bad on canon it is 2 things, number one it erased al lot of good legens content which was a way better than its canon couterparts and the second thing is star wars Rebels, that show is the worst nightmare in star wars history and only keeps getting more bizarre.

  • February 18, 2017 at 9:27 pm
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    Dude, it’s all fictitious. Be calm. The world hasn’t ended.

    Yet.

  • February 18, 2017 at 9:33 pm
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    “When everything is important, nothing is” “every release
    must be treated as in equal need of consumption” one of the most interesting and timely observations I’ve read on a fan site for a number of years. I LOVE my Star Wars like nothing else, but the ridicule that’s often laid on folks publicly for not being 100% about anything that’s released these days borders on cultism.

    • February 18, 2017 at 10:34 pm
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      Same applies to current events, politics, religion, race, social justice, etc. NOTHING is black & white — critical thinking is essential.

  • February 18, 2017 at 10:16 pm
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    It happens sometimes. I, for exemple, read half of what you wrote here and then gave up!!

    • February 18, 2017 at 11:26 pm
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      Try the Audible version

      • February 20, 2017 at 3:39 am
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        Link in the description.

    • February 18, 2017 at 11:26 pm
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      “There are simply too many notes, that’s all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.”

  • February 18, 2017 at 10:35 pm
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    What was the point of this? This isn’t starwars news

    • February 18, 2017 at 10:36 pm
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      That’s what I say every time I read the newspaper.

      • February 18, 2017 at 10:40 pm
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        lol

        • February 18, 2017 at 10:45 pm
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          But to answer your question, I think the author of this piece loves Star Wars, and maybe sees some writing on the wall that perhaps years down the line, it runs the risk of becoming 100% homogenized crap. It’s a cautionary editorial.

      • February 20, 2017 at 9:27 pm
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        I couldn’t have said better! You win the Internet, man! 😀

    • February 20, 2017 at 3:39 am
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      You might not be familiar with this sight (which is totally okay), but editorials are a fairly common occurrence, I’d say.

  • February 18, 2017 at 10:37 pm
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    I can see what the article saying and totally understand it. When the old canon was marked as legends most of my friends groaned as if everything was ruined from this point on. I treated old canon like the article says he did, but I treat new canon that way too. I have not read A New Dawn, Aftermath, or looked at any comic. But I keep up with Rebels, the movies, a few books like Tarkin and Lords of the Sith. Absorb what you want and do whatever with the rest.

    It’s not a race and I never fault others for not having gotten a tidbit of new lore in the same way I never scorned somebody for not having played one of the obscure star wars games to know a small storyline. You do you.

  • February 18, 2017 at 11:03 pm
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    For me it is not the lack of what I choose to read. It’s just the sheer volume getting thrown at me. I still don’t know how the guys over at Collider like Kristian Harloff can stay at the top of their game with every new book, comic, Rebels episode, and movie content all combined into one on top of their day job. It’s just so insane how some people find the time to do it, let alone the budget, but I guess it just comes down to how you prioritize. I am now in stacks of the novels and have felt rushed into this new era just by starting on Lords of the Sith a year and a half ago and now I am completely ingulfed into the new lore feeling like I will never catch back up to where the release format is. It has felt like a race to me and I feel like most of this content is going to take a long time to catch up on and eventually I could see myself and others maybe getting lost because we fall so far behind.

    • February 18, 2017 at 11:22 pm
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      Fan fiction with a Disney stamp of approval is still fan fiction — don’t stress.

    • February 19, 2017 at 12:36 am
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      Somehow, I’ve been able to keep up as well. I mean, it only takes a few days to go through a novel. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

      • February 19, 2017 at 2:13 am
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        Taking me longer than most. I binge read so I may pick up the book and read 100 pages one day, 6 pages the next day, then not touch it for 3-4 more days. Just completely random.

  • February 18, 2017 at 11:14 pm
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    Still better than Twilight.

  • February 18, 2017 at 11:16 pm
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    I totally get what he’s saying. I feel the same way. I still consider myself a hardcore star wars fan because i still try to keep up with as much as I can, but he’s right! There’s just way too much stuff now to try and know every little detail and life takes over and u gotta keep moving. I stay more focused on the big story, movies, some of the better comics and rebels if I can.

    I liked force awakens and rogue one. I think rogue one was kinda take it or leave it with making u care about the characters but they all did a good job. I knew I wasn’t gonna be attached to any of them. Vader and the death star is what made rogue one feel like classic star wars. I been getting way more excited for the last Jedi. It’s gonna be what I been waiting for, old Jedi Luke training Rey as a new Jedi. To me that’s what star wars is all about. The Skywalker saga and the force

  • February 18, 2017 at 11:20 pm
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    Enjoy your fandom any way you like, Tim. There is no point in doing something you don’t enjoy or just because you feel you have to. There are always crazies like us, who read and watch everything, if you need us. 🙂

    I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy Rogue One. That is perfectly all right. It might be my favorite after the Originals (I still cannot makeup my mind 100%). But, this is why I personally value the new canon – there is something for everyone and everything you like is equally important to what someone else likes. We are all the fans whether we just watch the movies or read or watch everything. It’s good you have found your happy Star Wars place again. 🙂

    Also… The Last Jedi is coming!!!

  • February 18, 2017 at 11:26 pm
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    My biggest problem with the new cannon is the shift from light/dark, jedi/sith to this neutral “it’s how you use it” crap. The new books are not nearly as interesting as the early (pre yojongvong, however you spell that crap) legends stuff.

    The Thrawn Trilogy would have been way better then The Force Awakens/thelast jedi, that one trilogy is probably the best star wars story I have ever read in all star wars cannon/non cannon.

    After reading most of the new cannon, rebels, movies, comics, etc, I am not impressed, and have been a hardcore star wars fan for 30 years! The Last Jedi has a lot of work to do to keep me interested, but based on the direction they are going with all the new cannon and the name of the title, I do not see anything for the future of star wars, except money for Disney, from average star wars fans (people who just like the movies and maybe some games or a few books).

    I feel like (from my perspective) they are sacrificing the older hardcore star wars fans in an attempt to get children and non star wars fans money.

    • February 19, 2017 at 12:34 am
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      My money is still on the Bane Trilogy, over the Thrawn Trilogy. I recently re-read the TT, and it hasn’t aged well. I was rolling my eyes by second chapter…with the mere mention of “Hot Chocolate”. There are much stronger books in Legends than the TT, but for some reason folks seem to keep those way up on a pedestal.

      Still, I’m enjoying the new canon immensely, and I don’t miss the overall mess that the old EU really was. At any rate, it’s not like they magically disappeared – I can still read them any time I like…and since they were never officially canon, they’ll hold the same weight that they always did.

    • February 19, 2017 at 9:22 am
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      I think our perception of the “average fan” is skewed. Anyone who has ever read a Star Wars related book is more enthusiastic about Star Wars than the average guy/grill only casually watching Star Wars whenever a new film is released. So I think catering to the vast majority of people is ok to some degree. I am pretty sure, if you asked people watching Rogue One in cinemas right now whether they are familiar with Darth Bane or not, the majority would answer with “No”. So yeah, sacrificing the hardcore SW fans (if you want to call it that way) seems reasonable since most people are no hardcore fans.

    • February 19, 2017 at 12:32 pm
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      Hmm, I can’t agree with this. While you may not have liked the new content personally, Rebels, TFA and Rogue One have been littered with nostalgia and, in my opinion, that’s deliberate to keep the older fans on side after what happened with the prequels. For me pandering to the older fans has been a hindrance on the post Disney output.

  • February 19, 2017 at 12:07 am
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    Great article, I glad I’m not the only one out there. As a guy in my 40’s with a family, work and other life commitments I couldn’t agree more. If lucas film was paying me to be super enthusiastic and keep up with all this stuff, I still think it would be a struggle time wise. And let’s face it, you can’t just read and watch Star Wars content, you have to mix things up and become an interesting human being with opinions on many things. George Lucas didn’t become the man he is by only reading and watching Flash Gordon… I’ll always love Star Wars and support it, but I no longer feel the need, or have the enthusiasm to keep up with it all.

  • February 19, 2017 at 1:59 am
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    I like the new cannon fine but it does feel a little less authentic without George Lucas.

  • February 19, 2017 at 9:11 am
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    Honestly, it’s been the complete opposite for me, I’ve always been a huge fan of the movies but getting into the old EU always seemed like an impossible thing to do that ultimately wasn’t worth it, thousands of books, comics, and games that usually contradicted each other or the movies (and that stupid and complicated system of canon “levels” that I hated with a passion), sure I read some of the comics and played a few of the games, but I really wasn’t all that interested in keeping up with anything other than the movies.

    I am much more interested (and slightly obsessed, to be honest) in all kinds of Star Wars content now since the old EU purge, anything you read now whether good or bad, matters and has some importance in the overall mythology, in fact I only watched the Clone Wars series because it was canon and couldn’t believe all the good Star Wars content I was missing. If anyone had told a few years ago that I would get this excited about Star Wars book or comic releases or announcements I would have called them completely insane, but here I am.

    • February 20, 2017 at 4:40 pm
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      I am like you. Novels for example, I am reading only Star Wars, already read 9 books of the new canon. All the comics (I download them, confess, cannot buy it here in Brazil), watch all the series, etc. And I love it all, is like study general History, each aspect add to the rest.

  • February 19, 2017 at 9:15 am
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    I have always considered the films to be more important than the rest of the canon but I still like the sheer amount of material they are putting out every year. I am not running out of Star Wars related entertainment anytime soon and I don’t feel compelled to read every single comic or novel. If I am in a discussion about something I am uncertain of, this is what Wookiepedia is there for. And now that the canon is standardised we are all on the same page, even if some people know more about it than others. At least now there are no contradictions anymore which makes discussing Star Wars so much easier and more fun than it used to be Besides, is there anyone out there who could keep up with everything the old EU had to offer. Just image on how much knowledge you missed out just by not playing KotoR or not reading the Thrawn novels.

  • February 19, 2017 at 10:53 am
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    Am I the only one who doesn’t care about cannon?
    I consider to be cannon whatever the hell I want to be cannon. It’s all fictitious, let’s as well embrace it and make our own head cannon.

    My cannon:
    1. The movies
    2. KOTOR (because it’s my favorite Star Wars thing ever)

  • February 19, 2017 at 11:44 am
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    TBH I don’t have the inclination to dedicate time and money to the books and comics in general, but its fantastic that I can come to a site like this and gain valuable insight into aspects of the films that are not explained and I have an issue with.

    So far the films have been hit and miss for me. I enjoyed TFA at the cinema, but it felt flat on further viewings, and though some aspects I have now accepted it still feels a bit of a missed chance to make something with fresh ides and was to much of a nostalgia trip, something that amazingly for me R1 was a good mixture of. I’m hoping the Saga films continue to improve and that VIII will blow my mind, because at the moment I’m more excited for the standalone Solo film.

    • February 19, 2017 at 11:46 am
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      Effects aside, TFA has aged worse for me than the PT and I was never much of a fan of either to begin with.

      • February 19, 2017 at 1:53 pm
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        Ageing usually refers to effects…

        • February 19, 2017 at 7:28 pm
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          In general yes, part of the reason why Lucas tampered with the OT (obviously to much). However, in this case it refers to lasting appeal of story and maybe even acting. Take the PT, it was cringeworthy watching Anakin & Padme on the big screen, and when I rewatch now I pretty much either fast forward or tune out of the film.

      • February 20, 2017 at 3:33 am
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        TFA is barely over a year old….

  • February 19, 2017 at 11:44 am
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    I think Rogue One has proved to me that I’m much more of a fan of the spinoffs in the Disney canon than I am for the traditional episodes when I thought it would be the other way around. It also seems like they are able to take more chances with the non-episodic films and are willing to stay more faithful to the mythos as well as appeal more to the older fans. Having said that, I think I will VIII and possibly IX will be better than TFA. I just hope they quit at Episode 9 but it IS Disney so who knows?

    • February 21, 2017 at 1:42 am
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      I’m afraid as long as they can print Star Wars money, they’ll keep making ’em.

      • February 21, 2017 at 5:34 am
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        I’m just hoping that they take a few years off to do some Anthology films. Give me an animated Siege of Mandalore movie.

        • February 21, 2017 at 4:53 pm
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          That would be nice in 2D animation.
          Old Disney style animated Mandalorians??? Yes, I could watch that.
          I wish they would go back to 2D. Rebels and TCW can be hard to look at sometimes.

          • February 21, 2017 at 9:33 pm
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            2D is fun, but in my opinion, the animation of TCW is breathtaking. I’d want the Siege of Mandalore movie to be like a feature-length episode of The Clone Wars

          • February 21, 2017 at 10:58 pm
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            SW animation with the budget of a Pixar movie movie…take my money.

          • February 21, 2017 at 11:43 pm
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            Agreed!! Could you imagine an animated Star Wars movie with a budget like Zootopia?

  • February 19, 2017 at 12:18 pm
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    This is how I have been for more than 25 years. I loved the OT, but just couldn’t keep up with the EU.I tried from time to time. The Thrawn Trilogy. The Dark Forces games. KOTOR and it’s successors, up to SWTOR. The occasional graphic novel like Dark Empire. But overall I could neither afford it, or follow all the different threads and characters. So, for the most part, I have stuck to the movies. Then the EU got dumped and we were told that a whole new, cohesive universe was coming. Well, I knew what that meant. A whole new EU. So I swore off buying new stuff unless it was regarded as pretty special. So far the only thing I have bought is the Bloodlines, and damn if it hasn’t saved me money.

    Plus, ya know, I was mostly only ever invested in the stories presented by the films and so most of the extraneous stuff just felt like an excuse to milk money from the fans and never really felt that important.

    • February 19, 2017 at 12:25 pm
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      I’d also add that I agree with the writer’s take on Rogue One. I don’t think it is nearly as good as people say. Bad? No way. But I think a great deal of the motivation for calling it good comes from the third act of Star Wars porn. Take that away and the film is rather average, and the characters are, for the most part, not that interesting to me I am sorry to say. I didn’t really feel I’d gotten to know them by the end of the picture, and felt they were brushed aside too easily in favour of said Star Wars porn.

    • February 19, 2017 at 8:03 pm
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      The source on that piece making the rounds is known for making up false rumors. Should be disregarded as BS until someone with a better track record backs it up.

    • February 19, 2017 at 8:14 pm
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      I’d be very surprised if Benicio is playing anyone other than King Prana.

  • February 19, 2017 at 8:13 pm
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    I’d be very surprised if Del Toro is anyone other than King Prana.

  • February 19, 2017 at 9:49 pm
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    I removed the post with the link to that Benicio Del Toro rumor, since it was fake. No need to give that site the clcks. They constantly post stories from that fraud.

  • February 20, 2017 at 3:57 am
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    Star Wars has only ever been about the movies for me. We now have 8 of them. Some of them are amazing, some of them aren’t. One movie a year seems like a pretty sweet deal though and pretty easy to keep up with. The rest is just the rest.

  • February 20, 2017 at 5:01 pm
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    I go in the oposite route of the author here. I am a completionist at heart. When I love some franchise, I like to know and see everything about it. It is not easy, it is time consuming and $$$$, but for me it is really worth the effort. I had to prioritize (today, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are the priorities). I tried to see some things of the Old EU, but it was really daunting, and consfusing because of the lack of consistence. It puts me off. When the reset happened, with time I became very satisfied, because I saw a real effort to keep everything conected. For me it is primordial.

    I already read 9 canon novels, almost all comics (have to download, cannot buy it here in Brazil), see Clone Wars and Rebels, read almost all short stories, and the movies obviously. In games department, I don’t count Battlefront as a full canon game (the companion novel fill the part) because it lacks single player. Tried to play Uprising, but my cellphone could not suport it for too long (I don’t know how to see that plot now). I am waiting with hopes the Amy Henning game, and with open eyes for Battlefront 2.

    I respect the author’s position. No one is obligated to see and like everything to account as a fan. The core parameter to the fan is LOVE the franchise per se, note every aspect of it. I understand. But I personally am the dedicated to completion fan. Some are collectors of toys, props and so on, but I collect knowledge, not to brag, but because I like to know, it is interest of a researcher. And I am in general liking a lot the new canon so far. Lords of The Sith, Tarkin, the Kanan, Darth Vader, Lando HQs, and others things, I am really taking great pleasure. My fandom never was so strong as is now. The reason is the new canon, not because the old was bad, but because I can have a real hope to see everything now. It requires great effort and dedication, but I am game for it.

    • February 21, 2017 at 5:33 am
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      I’m in the same boat as you. I love the new canon and I’m a total completionist, so I have to soak it all up. I’ll soon be finished with Tarkin and A New Dawn (the last of the canon novels that I want to read), and i’ll soon be on to the comics.

      • February 21, 2017 at 4:57 pm
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        Already read both, very good reads. Tarkin is quite complex, it was the last reading thus far. In march I will receive Weapon of a Jedi. Any other novel translated to my language (Portuguese-Br) I am purchasing. It is not a shore to me absorb all this canon media, it’s a pleasure 🙂

        For the comics, start with the “Star Wars” series and “Darth Vader” series, as they intertwine, and are great material to booth. The Lando limited issue too. But, as me, I know you will read all. Oh, and after you read New Dawn, see the Kanan series. You will see good conections.

        • February 21, 2017 at 9:32 pm
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          Thanks for the advice!!

  • February 20, 2017 at 5:36 pm
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    I’m a casual die-hard fan

  • February 21, 2017 at 1:33 am
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    I think my problem is that I spent 25 years with the OT and later the PT, and EU standouts like the Thrawn Trilogy, Jedi Academy Trilogy, A.C. Crispin’s Young Han Trilogy, Shadows of the Empire, and Dark Empire. These things were all Star Wars. Those books were all we had before the PT era kicked off. I get that they had to kill off the old EU…But I personally just don’t have the constitution to try and paint over all that with new history. It’s impossible to not compare it to the old stuff.

    To me, all the new canon material being equal doesn’t make a difference. To me there are always two levels of Star Wars canon: George Lucas, and every thing else. So to me, that puts TFA, R1 and all these new comics and books on the same, less important, level of non-George canon. At least back in the day George/Lucasfilm (George-owned) had to sign off on publications.

    I hope Lucasfilm/Disney can get over this lack of creativity. But we got what we asked for. People ripping the PT for a decade and now LFL is too afraid to make something that doesn’t shove the OT aesthetic down our throats.

    *Rant over*

    Sorry about that.

    All that being said. I love the new canon Darth Vader comic.

    • February 21, 2017 at 5:27 am
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      George Lucas created Midichlorians.

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