Lucasfilm Announces Animated Shorts Starring the Women of Star Wars.

Forces Of Destiny

If you remember a little while ago, Forces of Destiny was something that got trademarked by Lucasfilm, leading to speculation that it would be the formal name of Star Wars Episode VIII. However, we’ve learned that the trademark will be used for a new series of animated shorts (and a toy line) revolving around the women of Star Wars.

 

So far, Entertainment Weekly has revealed that eight animated shorts will each take turns to focus on a specific Star Wars heroine – Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall), Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Princess Leia Organa (Shelby Young), Maz Kanata (Luptia Nyong’o), and Rey (Daisy Ridley). After the initial eight shorts arrive in July, another eight shorts will arrive sometime in Autumn 2017. A first look, along with a few stills of animation – which is 2-D (a first for a canon Star Wars show) – can be seen below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s also a brief clip that’s just surfaced:

 

 

And here’s a preview of some of the toys that will appear in the line:

 

 

 

The easiest thing to compare this series to – both in terms of visual aesthetic and target demographic – would be to say that this is the Star Wars equivalent of DC Superhero Girls. While I can’t say that I’m necessarily in the show’s target demographic (and I’m definitely not in the toy demographic, either), I’m still kind of interested in seeing where they go with this because I love these characters so much. More details regarding the shorts and the toy line can be found at the original article.

 

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Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

68 thoughts on “Lucasfilm Announces Animated Shorts Starring the Women of Star Wars.

    • April 13, 2017 at 9:27 am
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      Only Hasbro is allowed to make Star Wars action figures in the U.S.

        • April 13, 2017 at 2:22 pm
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          Maybe he meant the ones to distribute them.

          • April 14, 2017 at 12:35 am
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            Which still makes no sense because Funko, LEGO, Disney, and others distribute in the US as well.

        • April 14, 2017 at 3:21 am
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          I mean only Hasbro can market them in the U.S. (Where the factory is located is irrelevant.)

          • April 14, 2017 at 4:04 am
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            Yeah, which again, isn’t true because of Funko, LEGO, Disney Elite, and import figures that are distributed in the US by Blue Fin such as those by Bandai and Medicom. Not to mention Hot Toys, Sideshow, and Koto, all of which are marketed and distributed in the US.

          • April 18, 2017 at 9:39 am
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            Funko and Lego have to skirt the rules and make sure their toys don’t count as action figures. (Not sure how Lego does it, but Funko’s are more like models.)

            Bandai is licensed in Japan and can’t sell directly in the US, as far as I know.

  • April 13, 2017 at 9:36 am
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    Great to see this series focus a lot on the women of Star Wars; it would help these characters gain more visibility as role models for girls and women for the franchise. ^_^

    • April 13, 2017 at 3:35 pm
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      You should be doing PR for Kathy Kennedy

  • April 13, 2017 at 1:35 pm
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    KICK ASS!

  • April 13, 2017 at 2:23 pm
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    Ah, niceu!

    On the other hand, be careful with the meninists on the web…

  • April 13, 2017 at 2:41 pm
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    I’m afraid it will look too ridiculous to be considered as canon, it has nothing to do with Female characters, I would feel the same way if they make ”Boy” cartoons, like side stories from Finn, Poe or Kanan. I thought they will make new animated series focusing on Luke and Ben between episode 6 and 7, I’m afraid this will be too ridiculous to be considered as canon. I hope I’m wrong

    • April 13, 2017 at 4:29 pm
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      Why?

  • April 13, 2017 at 2:42 pm
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    umm… What the hell’s up with Chewie there?
    Glad Padme’s getting represented though.

  • April 13, 2017 at 2:44 pm
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    Is this the rumoured “new series”? As in the next installment following Clone Wars and Rebels.

    Additionally, I excited about the panel today discussing the orgins and fates of charactersintroduced in the animated series; However this is third such panel centred around the clone wars there is clearly a market for it. Why not just complete the series? It clearly not a “we are worried about jumping around in time” thing as we went from TFA to Rogue One with Rebels playing simultaneously.
    Again there are only 5 arcs I feel are essential to be animtaed which (a) finish the story of main characters or (b) wrap up the major plots of the series

    – Son of Dathomir (explain how maul got to Seige)
    -Dark Disciple (a great book, but shoudl be animated as it Ventresses last story)
    -The Ahsoka arc in Corasant
    -The Sith Temple Arc (we know its canon + first time ahsoka interacts with the jedi )
    – The Seige of Mandlore (the prveious arcs show how Maul and Ahsoka got there + end the series).

    • April 13, 2017 at 2:45 pm
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      Not the new series. It’s just a couple of short stories.

      • April 13, 2017 at 2:59 pm
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        Ok, I wouldnt have minded it as an antholgy like series (each episode focusing on a random character), the animation just is a bit cheap to me.
        Ill still watch it; Ive been dying for Maz Kanata related content

  • April 13, 2017 at 2:45 pm
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    Looks awesome. That Chewbacca though looks like butt. Reminds me of Mark Walberg’s planet of the apes.

  • April 13, 2017 at 3:07 pm
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    I’d love to see the next series be conventional animation. These look a bit rough, but perhaps it’s because the animation hasn’t been finalized.

    • April 14, 2017 at 12:39 am
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      This kinda reminds me of that crummy Clone Wars animated movie (not the one that lead to the 3D animated Clone Wars TV series).

      • April 14, 2017 at 3:42 am
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        No way. This looks, especially the second shot, Holiday Special level of badness.

  • April 13, 2017 at 3:34 pm
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    This is useless.

    • April 13, 2017 at 4:29 pm
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      Awww, is this not what you wanted?

      • April 13, 2017 at 4:30 pm
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        I don’t think anyone wanted it.

        • April 13, 2017 at 6:03 pm
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          Says a male adult fan on the internet. I mean it’s pretty clear this project is meant to appeal to younger fans and kids just getting into Star Wars. If my

          • April 13, 2017 at 6:29 pm
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            Are you assuming my gender? /s

          • April 13, 2017 at 10:21 pm
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            fuck*ng epic joak bro, howd you come up with that one

          • April 14, 2017 at 12:48 am
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            It’s one of them dank memes, bro.

            Amazing username by the way.

        • April 13, 2017 at 7:42 pm
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          I don’t think you can say that.

          • April 13, 2017 at 7:51 pm
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            I think I can, and I did.

          • April 13, 2017 at 9:29 pm
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            I mean, you CAN. But you would be wrong to do so. So sit there and be wrong in your wrongness.

        • April 13, 2017 at 8:27 pm
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          I want it.

      • April 15, 2017 at 7:09 pm
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        I don’t watch any of these off shoot kid cartoons so no. The animation also looks like some students did them.

  • April 13, 2017 at 3:54 pm
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    The art style and animation are…well. Let’s just say I have seen better stuff on some Youtube fan-filmsand parodies.

  • April 13, 2017 at 4:40 pm
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    just do SW…no need to show us your pushing your agenda. I like the characters without having to be reminded of the “strong” women in SW. minus that, it seems fine.

    • April 13, 2017 at 5:18 pm
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      I was thinking the same thing. I’m glad there ARE strong women in Star Wars. In fact it was one of the first franchises to have strong female leads, as opposed to damsels in distress. But they don’t need to yell at everyone trying to gain reputation by being “outside the norm” and “Catering to political views.” It makes me feel like they are trying too hard. Just tell fun stories. Don’t make it political.

      • April 14, 2017 at 12:36 am
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        Yes, but all the folks at Disney and Lucasfilm are all members of the church of progressive socialism. As such, they need to go out and preach their gospel to the unwashed masses as well as to their fellow true believers. 😉

        (And those who don’t like their Social Justice Warrior jihad will be branded misogynist and figuratively slain.)

        • April 14, 2017 at 12:56 am
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          i don’t know if you hate women, dude, but you sure as shit seem completely terrified of them tbh

          • April 14, 2017 at 12:57 am
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            lol normie

          • April 14, 2017 at 12:59 am
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            [in extremely oblivion npc voice] You Do Me Too Much Honor

    • April 13, 2017 at 7:41 pm
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      This is SW

      • April 13, 2017 at 8:53 pm
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        yup, less on the political of why we did this please. I come to SW to get away from that kind of stuff

        • April 13, 2017 at 9:29 pm
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          To get away from women?

          • April 13, 2017 at 9:40 pm
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            dude really? I love women,,,ALOT!!!! That’s why I have so many kids! Just saying you can do these things without waving a flag. once again, I love women and these characters…just stop with the look at what we’re doing for women nonsense.

          • April 13, 2017 at 10:53 pm
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            I don’t see why it is such a bother.

          • April 13, 2017 at 11:06 pm
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            Doesn’t matter what it is…selling burgers, movies, etc…. they need to keep their agendas to themselves, IMO. which is far from perfect.

          • April 14, 2017 at 12:06 am
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            Or, they can do whatever they want and you can deal with it.

          • April 14, 2017 at 12:31 am
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            And if it doesn’t work, people like Cw will be branded as misogynist for not liking it.

          • April 14, 2017 at 6:06 am
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            Sadly, there are those who drop that label too quickly. Hopefully people on all sides are more reasonable.

          • April 14, 2017 at 1:28 am
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            That’s a fact, I’ve no choice….but I do have a voice and opinion!

        • April 14, 2017 at 12:55 am
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          star wars has literally *always* been political, you goon

          • April 14, 2017 at 1:28 am
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            Nope, only the politics within the story.

  • April 13, 2017 at 5:11 pm
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    Everything about this seems great (except for the weird fur on the Chewbacca Doll). When Disney dropped the ball and released a Disney Store Rey Doll similar to this, I thought this was the kind of toy line they needed to push through their general merchandise. Bravo Star Wars. Bravo.

  • April 13, 2017 at 6:51 pm
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    Really? Really Disney? This is the stupid shit I was fearing back in 2012. Stop pushing your stupid “girls can be strong too!” agenda. Its’ done in a distasteful and forceful way (he, get it?).

    • April 13, 2017 at 7:41 pm
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      Really? Really, Jacob? This is the stupid shit I was fearing you would say when you set finger to keyboard.

      Quit crying. Animated shorts featuring women don’t hurt you, big baby

      • April 13, 2017 at 8:02 pm
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        Mocking? Now thats something a baby would do.

  • April 13, 2017 at 10:19 pm
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    lmfao at all the sad dudes who feel threatened by this being a thing

    if it ain’t the fact that it’s focused on women and girls that’s bothering you, then why don’t you give as much of a damn about trite crap like expensive pewter bullshit or plastic garbage Tiki Cups

    hmmmmmmmmm

  • April 13, 2017 at 11:07 pm
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    And wheres Padme?

    • April 14, 2017 at 1:38 am
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      She’s a part of it, they just haven’t shown her for whatever reason. She’s on a book cover.

  • April 14, 2017 at 1:41 am
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    Disney wants that little girl money.

    • April 14, 2017 at 3:51 am
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      Well, they want ALL the monies to be accurate. Little girls are just the easiest target to look at first. The most exciting part is wondering who the NEXT target group they’ll focus on will be. Seniors? Lonely cat-women? Vagrants? Twilight fans newly left adrift? Such exciting times we live in!

      • April 14, 2017 at 4:30 am
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        “Twilight fans newly left adrift?”

        That’s what the “Romantic YA” movie rumor is for 😉

  • April 14, 2017 at 2:42 am
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    Padme?!

    • April 14, 2017 at 5:06 am
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      She’s there, she’s just not in that image.

      – Pomojema

  • April 14, 2017 at 3:22 am
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    Thank God their doing this! I never knew Star wars was capable of having strong women other than Leia, Mon Mothma, Shaak Ti, Mara Jade, Bastilla, Padme, Jaina Solo, Aayla Secura, Jan Ors, Aurra Sing, Asajj Ventress, Darth Traya……….

  • April 14, 2017 at 6:57 am
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    Boo, I forgot to come into this thread to see the misogynists pitch a fit about girl centered cartoons for children.

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