Star Wars; Angst Galore

[Ink.Knight]

Anyone read the Star Wars books? 'Specially the recent ones? Cause if you have you might agree when I wonder about George Lucas' current sanity.

Recent Death Toll of Important Characters:
Chewbacca
Anakin Solo
Mara Jade Skywalker
Jacen Solo

So, any thoughts on the angst occuring in a Galaxy far, far away?

[SeerowsKindness]

When I started reading EU books, I was in first or second grade, so I was reading the Junior Jedi Knights series and then the Young Jedi Knights series. Consequently, I got really attached to Anakin, Tahiri, Tenel Ka, Jacen, Jaina, etc. Then my reading level progressed and I stopped reading them.

A few years ago, I started trying to get back into the EU, mainly because I wanted to know what happened to my favorite characters. I dabbled in NJO when something important happened to characters I liked. So I read about Anakin, and I still haven't really gotten over that.

Legacy of the Force I read a bit more seriously, but still usually only reading books that featured Tenel Ka or Tahiri. And boy do I have problems with what happened there. I could list all of my problems, but they mainly come down to the fact that the relationship between Jacen and Tenel Ka didn't get as much exploration as it should have. In canon, she was very important to Jacen, but she very rarely had a role in the books.

...I also think it would have been cooler to have Jaina go dark, but that's just me.

Interestingly enough, I just found this here:

But to try to stay at least somewhat on topic, I'm not pleased with a lot of the deaths that have happened, although I do have the belief that if main characters don't die at least sometimes, the stakes are not high enough.

[mythbusterfan]

The Three worst in my opinion, was the death of Chewie, Mara and Jacen. But at least in Chewies case, its comforting to know that the only thing that really could kill him, was to have a moon dropped on his head. I mean, that's about as epic as things can get sometimes. He's been shot, bombed, been in mortal danger countless times, and the only thing that could kill him was an exploding planet.

Mara on the other hand, that death really ticked me, cause in all honesty she should have been able to kick Jacen's butt from the Core past the Outer Rim and back again. I'll give jacen the credit for at least thinking to poison her so he wouldn't get destroyed, but seriously, even that shouldn't have been able to stop her.

Jacen's death, actually did hit me kinda hard, just because of the way it played out. To be honest, i was kinda hoping he'd win at the beginning, then when lumiya died and Jacen just went crazy power hungry and definatly started losing sight of the reasons he was doing all this in the first place, i started getting annoyed and angry with him. that final scene where he was battling Jaina and let himself be cut down just so he could muster the power to warn Tenel Ka and save her and his daughter was just a powerful scene, it was crazy. and i am planning on re-reading that book again sometime soon once my finals are done.


Just a bit off topic, (possibly) How are the books in the new series? i havn't gotten to read anything out of the one past legacy yet.

[Ink.Knight]

They're actually pretty good. Or at least Outcast is. I've fallen way behind, having only gotten Outcast this fall. But they bring back the humor that characterized the older books, which I love. And Ben's really coming into his own.

Jacen's death hit me like thirty tons of bricks. I suppose I've always been kinda in love with him. Ever since I first read the YJK in the seventh grade. Jacen was always my favorite, and then Tenel Ka for her strength. I never read the JJK so Anakin's death didn't affect me the way it did most people. In fact, when I started reading the NJO (right smack dab in the middle of the series) it was with Dark Journey. And that first chapter made me stop cold, cause Jaina was thinking about how both her brothers were dead. I was relieved when I found out he'd survived and went back to happily reading. But I actually cried during Invincible, cause every chapter started with one of Jasa's old jokes. And the little scenes about the twins were heartbreaking as well.

[SeerowsKindness]

Yeah, starting the chapters with Jacen's jokes was really heartbreaking.

I wasn't very affected by Mara's death, but that's because I was never very interested in her. She always seemed a bit too perfect to me. (Admittedly, I never read a lot about her.) I agree, though, that Jacen was able to kill her far too easily.

[mythbusterfan]

mara's story is really good, if i remember right, it goes into detail about her time as the emperor's hand in the book Allegiance by timathy zahn, also the stories she figures decently prominantly in are, Zahns thrawn trilogy, heir to the empire, dark force rising, and the last command. also in vision of the future (which is part of the hand of thrawn duology but i can't remember if she's that big of a player in specter of the past) and the book survivor's quest. also by tim zahn. also sidenote, every star wars book written by timothy zahn, is just amazing. if you can find them, read them if you havn't already. the man is a genius. (also thrawn is one of the most awesome characters ever)

[Ink.Knight]

Thrawn is, in fact, probably the only Imperial to ever earn as much love as a rebel or Jedi. Because he's such a convoluted genius, and cause his last line is frigdin' epic! "But...It was so artfully done" Or something like that, it's been a while since I read it.

[mythbusterfan]

indeed, not to mention just his style was so unlike anything, i mean, they tried in legacy to create another character like him, admiral bu'watu the bothan general, but thrawn, will always be way better. XD though i will say i do like bu'watu. is it just me, speaking of him, that the dark nest series was a bit...hurried? or was it just more fast paced than normal?