The Villain We’ve Been Waiting For

In six days, the much anticipated and first of its kind Star Wars standalone film drops in the United States.

Rogue One features the story before the original story that we all know and love.

Set just before A New Hope, the movie follows the (for lack of a better term) rebellious Jyn Erso as she joins up with the Rebellion in order to ascertain the information so desperately needed on this “imminent” weapons test.

Of course we know this weapons test is the diabolical world-eater or better known as the Death Star.

But who is behind this mechanical contraption from hell that seems to take on a life of it’s own?

None other than the awesomely infamous Orson Krennic…

The man in the white cape that you see in all the trailers is Krennic. Responsible for the Death Star’s completion and the overseer of the laser, Krennic is a higher up in the increasingly evil Empire.

A week ago today I took on the task of finishing the brilliant James Luceno written book Catalyst in preparation for the release of Rogue One.

As I have 20 pages left, my prime and number one thought of the book is directly in relation to Orson Krennic…

The electric personality and devious attitude of Krennic’s is something we haven’t seen since well…Tarkin!

With class and an air of royalty Orson Krennic has an aura of regal power.

His intelligence is inspiring and his quick wit is exceptional. A character of Krennic’s stature is a surefire home run for Star Wars fans.

Undoubtedly, I expect him to be at the center of attention whenever Krennic is on the screen. He lives for the moment, his analysis of his surroundings is impeccable and his actions are as precises as his cape is white.

What makes the Empire so evil that they’re cool is their crisp and flawless display of order and power.

The Imperial Officers radiate stern discipline mixed with intense ambition hellbent on burning the Galaxy down all the while looking sophisticated and sharp as ever.

This is Krennic in a nutshell. His rise to power is not due to a muscular, taut physique or a gifted skill that sets him apart from just about anybody.

No what sets him apart is his tireless attitude and his insatiable hunger for power and recognition.

He is crafty as he is guile and his smooth haughtiness reigns supreme.

Obsessed with the Death Star’s completion, Krennic will risk everything for the ultimate of achievement of being recognized as the father of the ultimate weapon.

However, if you cross him and become subject to his wrath you might feel nothing…then again you probably won’t feel a thing as his enemies had a talent for succumbing to horrible and tragic “accidents”.

What’s more to say? Krennic wields more power than most know.

It’s one thing to be a danger of a man with great importance but it’s the ones who enjoy high profile status and have zero hesitation in doing what is deemed necessary, for the “good” of the people.

Those individuals are truly terrifying.

And I got splendid news for you all, Krennic is that type of man.

Besides seeing Vader and his swashbuckling prowess, Orson Krennic wins the title for my “most interesting man” award.

Just wait and see, Krennic will bring the heat and we will bask in his fiery passions.

-Sith Pacify out

 

The Importance of Star Wars Novels

Exactly 25 months ago I began my mission.

My goal was to read any and every Star Wars book I could get my hands on. 

Like so many around the world, I’ve been a lifelong Star Wars fan since I was very young. But when it came to reading, I never had any interest. 

Even if I was reading something that was of supreme interest to me I always found it difficult to follow through and read the entire book. 

Well after 25 months of taking up Star Wars books, I’m up to 38. 

So you might say to yourself, “Who cares? Why are these books important anyways?”

I’ll tell you…

For starters, so much of the information out there in the Star Wars universe, maybe about 60% of it all derives from the fantastic novels.

So if you care about Star Wars, this information is so very important.

Whether it’s the backstories to Revan and Malgus or the tales and adventures of Darth Maul and Darth Bane, these books are the vital lifelines to the characters we know and love.

Without the fantastic writings of James Luceno we would never know much about Darth Plagueis. 

If it wasn’t for John Jackson Miller’s masterpiece of a novel in Kenobi we would forever wonder what occurred on Tatooine after Anakin and Obi-Wan’s fateful duel.

These authors deserve the credit and the accolades that books of their caliber render. 

Over the next six months we will see some pretty epic titles be released. 

In August to be exact, the second book in Chuck Wendig’s trilogy, Aftermath: Life Debt was released (should be arriving at my door this week.) 

And later on in the year we will get a tantalizing novel on Ahsoka Tano as well as an intriguing novel of Rogue One. 

As the days, weeks, months and years pass by it seems that we continue to receive more material that is getting deeper and bolder.

If I were to analyze the future of Star Wars novels I would imagine seeing intricate stories and attention grabbing themes continue to be produced. 

With that being said, here’s to the future.

For the continued longevity of Star Wars and the stories that their fabulous army of writers continue to produce.

-Sith Pacify out

Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings: #12

The 12th character for the Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings is…Darth Plagueis!

Darth Plagueis Overall = 93

The infamous Darth Plagueis was first revealed to the Star Wars universe in Revenge of the Sith. 

It was Supreme Chancellor Palpatine who told us of the tale of the legendary Sith Lord who had the ability to prolong life.

As if that wasn’t mysteriously epic enough, in 2012 the masterfully eloquent author James Luceno wrote an entire book on Plagueis that gave us the backstory on the cryptic character.

It is through his writings that we now know what Plagueis was all about.

A member of the Muun species, his real name was Hego Damask and he was the wealthiest individual across the Galaxy.

As a member of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, Damask/Plagueis had so much influence and connections that he was able to finance many aspects of the Sith’s Grand Plan which included purchasing the order for a clone army as well as allowing his own Apprentice to have all means necessary in rising to intergalactic power.

In fact very few people knew of Darth Plagueis besides his Apprentice Darth Sidious and his late Master Darth Tenebrous.

Plagueis was a master manipulator who was a charmer, a man who willed this ideas into very existence and who was able to set forth events to his liking that would shape the Galaxy in his image.

Yet possibly the most fascinating aspect of Plagueis’ character has yet to be discussed.

You see, Darth Plagueis had a dark and twisted attraction to immortality.

This quest to find everlasting life through the Dark Side of the Force made him absolutely obsessed in his search which saw him carry out brutal and cruel observations on humans, animals and even himself.

Unfortunately for Plagueis, before he was able to concretely insure his work was successful, he was cut down and murdered in cold blood by his Apprentice.

Many make the comparison to Supreme Leader Snoke that he is in fact the Dark Lord that we all thought was long dead.

Although we will only know for sure when Episodes VIII and IX come out, until then we can only  speculate.

Characteristics

• Master Manipulator (Strength, 98/100)- How many beings do you know that has the intelligence, the wherewithal and the resources to control the entire universe into his image!? Sounds crazy right? Well Plagueis was effectively able to do this and not only did he go through with his plans, but they all worked out too. He is at the pinnacle of mental warfare and his personality cuts as deep as a saber. To say he is a dangerous creature is to say fire is hot.
• Dedication to the Force (Strength, 95/100)- As Plagueis grew older, he spent more and more of his time experimenting in his private lair where he modified and re-calibrated the different concentrations of midi-chlorians that prolonged life. Throughout his time working with the Force, Plagueis indeed makes great strides that allow him to momentarily delay death through his powers.
• Wealth (Strength, 90/100)- Hego Damask commands such a major amount of wealth and influence that even without powers via the Dark Side he’s still able to get what he wants. But you see when power and strength are combined, a nasty combination is created. With everything at his disposal, Damask/Plagueis had the ability to see it happen. If he wanted to create his very own army to take over the Galaxy, he could. And you know what? That is precisely what he did.
• Reading of Minds (Strength, 92/100)- One of Darth Plagueis’ many skills was his power to discover and understand what someone is thinking. Whether this ability was used with his experiments or during his encounters with the Jedi, Plagueis almost always had the upper hand. A testament to the Muun’s supreme brainpower, he was always in the advantageous position throughout his life thanks to the Dark Side that swelled within him.
• Trust (Weakness, 50/100)-As hard as it is to pinpoint a weakness within one of Star Wars most prolific characters, this is one for sure. Plagueis was duped by his Apprentice in the final scene of James Luceno’s book as well as Plagueis’ life. His out-of-character behavior on the night that he and Palpatine celebrated the younger one’s appointment as Chancellor gave his Apprentice an opening to cut off his mentor. As Plagueis continued to drown in a state of inebriation, Sidious brutally tortured Plagueis to his demise with Force lightning. In a stunning turn of events, the Sith Lord that sought to prolong life itself ended up dead and out of answers.
• Injury (Weakness, 50/100)- Around 20 years before Plagueis’ death, the Dark Lord was ambushed and gravely injured in an attack. Although Plagueis survived the ordeal, he was left with such serious wounds that for the rest of his life he would be required to utilize a breathing apparatus for everyday life let alone combat. This incident and his long-lasting wounds played a major role in his ultimate death as Sidious was able to disable his breathing device which rendered Plagueis to his doom.

Intangibles

• Fighting Style (Strength, 89/100)- Darth Plagueis was never really noted for being a devastating warrior but he could most definitely dish out the pain. During his duel with his Master’s other Apprentice, Darth Venamis, Plagueis relied on his lightsaber skill and his mastery of the Force to emerge victorious in the bout. Another great example of Plagueis’ intense fighting abilities was during his attempted assassination. While he had no other choice but to fight, Plagueis submerged himself completely within the darkness and would literally crush the heads of his adversaries with his powerful and equally massive hands.

Final Word

If you’re someone reading this who considers themselves to know a great deal about Star Wars, you might ask yourself, “Hey wait a minute, I though Darth Plagueis was one of the strongest! How are there still 11 others ahead of him?” Well, it’s simple. The Sith Pacify Power Rankings are not just about power and influence but about everything in total. I think the story of Plagueis the Wise is one of the ultimate tragedies. He was an incredible Force-user, there’s no doubt. But in the end, his legacy disappeared when he himself died. Of course he was secretly able to implement his plans to take over the Galaxy without anyone knowing but honestly, I think his Apprentice Darth Sidious had a great deal of manipulating in that regard too. So while Plagueis was certainly powerful and a legend in his own right, his two most valuable assets were either lost as in his powers to prolong life or his legacy which was basically hijacked as well as improved by his Apprentice. In the end, keep your enemies close and your friends closer…

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

What Disney Got Wrong

When Disney took control of Star Wars, many fans were reasonably troubled.

Some who didn’t like the Prequels and many of George Lucas’ ideas (these people annoy me) welcomed this new change of direction.

But for the most part, people were a bit wary.

For me, it was a frightening concept to relinquish the mindset of George Lucas no longer being in control.

What calmed this transition for many of us was the announcement of Episodes VII, VIII and IX.

Since before Disney, we weren’t sure if there would EVER be another Star Wars movie!

However, with this announcement many fans, myself included, were worried on how the movies would come out.

But as time went on and some concepts and ideas were leaked, which were extremely few, we all exhaled and were able to relax.

As of now, about a month and two weeks after the release of The Force Awakens, life with Disney at the helm of Star Wars seems pretty darn good.

No complaints right?

Well, I have one…

At some point last year the following statement from Disney was released.

It was announced relatively recent that as of As of April 25th, 2014, the only previously published materials that are considered canon  are the six Star Wars films and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and film, while the Expanded Universe is no longer considered canon^[1] and was re-termed as the “Legends” brand. Most Star Wars material released after April 25, 2014—with some exceptions—is composed in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group, making it part of the “new canon.”

The good people of Wookiepedia documented that quote which allows us to discuss it.

Before I continue, I have to say this.

First off, I love what Disney has done to Star Wars.

The years leading up to George Lucas selling Star Wars to Disney were cold, lonely times for new material in many different facets of entertainment.

Since Disney took over, they have fully exploited many different revenue streams which in turn has provided maximum enjoyment for the fans.

Now back to this Canon stuff.

The fact that everything before April 2014 is no longer Canon is deeply troubling.

There are so many powerful novels that have been absolutely astounding and now that they’re basically gone is agitating to say the least.

One of the greatest books I have ever read, Star Wars or not was Jame Luceno’s “Darth Plagueis”.

Through his words we learn Palpatine’s rise to power, we discover who this shadowy figure in Darth Plagueis is and we see how their relationship ends.

So now that this is no longer Canon, where do we go from here?

Are we supposed to pretend that Plagueis and Palpatines’ idea of ruling the Galaxy together with Palpatine being the face and Plagueis being in the shadows never existed?

Are we supposed to ignore the fact that Palpatine gruesomely murdered his mother, father and siblings just because they didn’t get along?

How does that work Disney!?

What about all the fantastic tales told during Matthew Stover’s novelization of “Shatterpoint”.

Is all the emotional journeys experienced in that story no more?

If so, and it sure seems that way, what do we really know about Mace Windu?

What about Drew Karpyshyn’s “Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan”?

Is Revan just Star Wars mythology now!?

What about Malak and Malgus, Bane and the Sith Emperor Lord Vitiate?

Are they all no more??

It can’t be!

This is so uncharacteristic of Disney.

Well, maybe not.

I believe the thinking behind this essential wiping out of everything before Episode I is to be able to remake and thus profit from the “new” material.

And I get it.

That’s all fine and dandy except for one small detail…

The most dedicated and educated Star Wars fans have no clarity on what is what now.

You see, clarity is the key word there.

Why is that you might ask?

Only recently did we discover this…and this is important so pay attention.

Some of the material before April 2014 is real and thus considered Canon.

But what!?

How are we supposed to differentiate between Canon and Non-Canon?

I can understand the reasoning behind this as they must be trying to add to some parts that have been previously concluded.

For instance, Supreme Leader Snoke.

Many say that he could be Darth Plagueis.

Well if you’ve read the novel you know that that’s impossible since Plagueis died!

But since it’s no longer Canon, it now is possible.

Regardless of Snoke, in my opinion it is just a giant, sorrowful mistake to say all of this isn’t Canon.

THAT is what Disney got wrong.

Now it’s very immoral to basically tell all the wonderful writers that created such masterful work in Star Wars novelizations that their work is no longer real…

BUT, this is a business after all.

Still, one would think that these writers must feel spurned right?

I know I wouldn’t like to be told that my work is now being disregarded in the grand scheme of things.

You see this could hurt Star Wars in the long run.

Maybe some of these writers feel some type of way towards Disney and decide they no longer want to write about Star Wars.

In the end the fans would suffer.

Now I’m sure if Disney dangled a giant wad of cash to these artists they would reconsider.

But even so, how strong would the material be if their creator’s heart isn’t in it?

That’s what I would think at least.

Well in the end, Disney will do what it wants and that’s fine.

But I would just like some clarity and a defined list on the novels that determines what exactly is still Canon if any of it is.

That’s all.

I’m a huge fan of all the Star Wars novels. I read them every single day.

I would just like Disney to be a bit more responsible and consider the many artists and their work that they just uprooted and hung out to dry.

In my opinion, the fans suffer the most.

And that’s just a shame.

Apparently Leia agrees.

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

The Mystifying Secrecy Behind Supreme Leader Snoke

As the weeks pass by and The Force Awakens slowly drifts into the rear view mirror, it’s time to look into the many mysteries surrounding the film.

This post will investigate the unexplained and unknown circumstances regarding the leader of The First Order, Supreme Leader Snoke.

For starters, there’s not much on him.

He is a powerful leader who is the Master of Kylo Ren, formally known as Ben Solo.

The little more I can tell you about this figure is strictly taken from the movie and the novel.

Besides those depictions of this figure, he virtually does not exist.

We know he observed the rise and fall of The Galactic Empire.

We also know that Snoke had several apprentices before he zoned in on the Skywalker family.

As for his species or his origins, they are unknown.

Now for my opinion.

The character of Supreme Leader Snoke is unequivocally brilliant.

But with the tinge of unknown that he represents, this creature brings a whole new element of fascination and intrigue.

It’s time for me to address what many many people have been wondering…

Is Supreme Leader Snoke the former Master and thought dead Darth Plagueis?

Well, I don’t know.

But I will consider the facts.

There is very little to base anything off of.

All theories regarding Plaugeis is a shot in the dark.

In April 2014, Disney announced that all material besides the movies and The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels television series is no longer canon…

Future novels after that date will also be considered canon.

Now I just want to say I am highly disappointed with this move by Disney and I’m still very unhappy with it to this day…

But that’s another story for another time.

What this does however is it makes it impossible to understand if Snoke is Plagueis or not.

Now I should clarify something.

Disney reserved the right to pick and choose certain pieces from material before April 2014 to be canon.

It’s just the general idea that unless told otherwise, it is not canon.

Understand this, we have a bit of a loophole around this however.

Since all the movies are canon then we are certain that Darth Plagueis was indeed killed by Sidious….

Or so we think.

Within James Luceno’s novelization of Darth Plagueis, he goes about telling the life story of the master of Darth Sidious.

Now at the time of this novel’s completion (2012) it was consistent with Episode III.

What that means is this book, the ONLY book describing the mysterious Darth Plagueis could in fact be true and thus canon.

I believe this for two reasons.

1. There is so little information on Plagueis that it doesn’t make sense for them to just completely scrap the only written material about him.
2. Since the Episode III is along the same lines as the Plagueis’ novel, his details should remain the same. At least the important ones such as his death, his abilities, his characteristics etc.

For this post, I’m going to act as if the novel “Darth Plagueis” IS complete canon.

Because I think it is and should be.

So I’ll ask this again.

Is Supreme Leader Snoke Darth Plagueis?

Why Snoke is and isn’t Plagueis

Darth Plagueis was one of the most powerful wielders of the Dark Side the Galaxy has ever seen.

His talents and focus were surrounding his never ending pursuit of eternal life.

Within the novel of “Darth Plagueis”, he is shown to have an ability to influence the midi-chlorians to preserve life.

What if Sidious did kill Plagueis…or so he thought.

Wouldn’t it be plausible for Plagueis to somehow be able to save himself due to his incredible and unique force powers?

Absolutely.

Here’s the problem.

Someone as powerful as Darth Sidious would have definitely discovered this.

There’s no way he would not have known, felt, seen or whatever you want to say regarding his Master.

But here’s another idea.

What if somehow someway, Plagueis was awoken when Sidious was killed?

Now don’t ask me how but I think there is some truth to this.

If you look at Snoke, he looks as if he is an animated corpse.

Well what if he is?

It would fit the storyline.

Something else that is fairly significant to Snoke being Plagueis is the massive facial scarring on the right side of his face.

Within the Darth Plagueis novel, he survives an assassination attempt.

He however does sustain severe injuries, one of these injuries being a slit throat.

Supreme Leader Snoke’s facial structure is absolutely consistent with this depiction…

What’s more, Darth Plagueis was widely known to be seen only through holovids as opposed to being present in person near the end of his life.

Notice how in The Force Awakens Snoke is strictly a hologram…another similarity.

Finally, the last similarity between these two iconic figures is Star Wars history.

It is two likely and similar between Snoke and Plagueis that they are somehow not the same person.

Also, where did this sudden leader of the Dark Side, the remnants of the Empire and controller of the Skywalker line come from?

Way too alike for it not to be him…

So why is Snoke not Plagueis?

One of the main reasons is the picture below.

The figure on the right was the InterGalactic Banking Clan’s Chairman, San Hill.

He was in charge of the IGBC’s finances throughout The Clone Wars.

The significance of this picture being that San Hill is of the Muun species, the same as Darth Plagueis.

If Snoke was indeed Plagueis, he would look more consistent to Hill.

Now there could be a bit of deception here however.

For starters, this picture of Snoke is a bit lifelike.

It might be too hard to compare this particular picture with another Muun but for argument purposes it is clear that these two are not of the same species.

Now the picture taken directly from TFA earlier in the post of Snoke looks a lot more similar to San Hill but it is still far from certain.

Nonetheless, unless JJ Abrams decided to reinvent the Muun race’s appearance, Snoke is not Plagueis.

Conclusion

To be honest, I really don’t know what I think.

But I will say this.

I think Snoke will end up being Darth Plagueis just for the fact that he’s far too alike with Plagueis for him not to be.

Other than that, I really can’t say if he is him or not.

I guess this will be determined later, much later.

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What if Tarkin evacuated the Death Star?

Here on the SithPacify blog we discuss events that occurred, people it effected or situations that ensued.

Today is a bit different. Instead, I’m going to be writing about the Grand Moff Tarkin.

We all know that he met his maker at the end of the battle above Yavin Prime when the Death Star was destroyed.

But what if he survived? After all, Imperial officer, Moradmin Bast approaches Tarkin minutes before the Death Star’s destruction claiming that there is a danger.

Of course Tarkin declines Bast’s request to prepare his ship and as they say, the rest is history.

But, what if he did evacuate? What if Tarkin survived? What would be the consequences of his continuance?

Immediate Repercussions

Tarkin was a hard-nosed, battle hardened leader. He was respected, he was strong and he was merciless. In seeing the Death Star’s decimation, his pet-project I might add, he would no doubt be furious and demand immediate retribution.

Tarkin is well known in getting his way too. I’m sure if he wanted his revenge, it would be almost a done deal.

For instance, in the Novel Tarkin written by the great James Luceno, the Moff is flawlessly described and portrayed as an ingenious military leader who gets what he wants through his own sheer will.

I assume Tarkin would instantly begin the planning on how he’d throw the return punch back at the Rebel forces as soon as he sat down on his evacuation shuttle.

He’d gather a research team and spare no resource in doing so too. His endgame would of course be utter annihilation for the likes of those who ultimately embarrassed him and took away his prized possession, the Death Star.

His Next Move

Tarkin would get crafty. He understands warfare better than anyone and he’d make sure everyone knew it too.

One way or another, he would discover the Rebel base on Hoth and unlike Vader, I would have to imagine Tarkin would order a space bombardment.

Although I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he decided to raid the base and take prosoners…

Tarkin loved to make an example….(Alderaan)

What’s Next?

When Tarkin was alive, Vader, although completely in a class of his own, had to consult with Tarkin.

Vader might have been a Sith but when it came to the Galactic Empire’s  military, few if any were ahead of Tarkin.

It’s interesting in A New Hope, Tarkin gives the orders and everyone does what he says.

Then, in The Empire Strikes Back, it’s Vader who is now calling the shots.

If Tarkin survived, he’d undoubtedly still be in that position of power. That is unless the Emperor was so bold as to punish the Grand Moff for the loss of his prized battlestation.

It’s worth giving some thought too since Vader practically puts on hold any plans for the Empire and goes on a personal vendetta in sending a massive amount of Imperial resources to chase after the Millenium Falcon.

In my opinion, if Vader would have concentrated his attention on the bulk of the Rebellion, wherever they may be, the Empire would have drastically benefitted. This is exactly what Tarkin would have done.

Tarkin wasn’t a man who messed around. He was a to-the-point, black-and-white, high ranking military official whom saw to it that his missions were completed, always.

What Does it Mean? 

So what is the final result of Tarkin surviving the Death Star? Complete annihilation of the Rebellion.

I really don’t think Tarkin would allow the Rebels to continue to win and take it to the Empire as they did.

I mean, let’s be real, Vader practically allows the Rebellion to rip the Empire little by little as he goes off on his own crusade.

The threat the Rebels posed became so legitimate that the Emperor himself made the decision that his presence and supervision was needed.

I don’t exactly know how or when but you can bet that the Grand Moff Tarkin would not mess around with the Rebellion after a near brush with death and the loss of his station.

Tarkin’s strike would be so severe, that it would be fair to pose question of long it would take for the Rebellion to cease to exist.

Maybe there wouldn’t even be three movies in the original trilogy!

With Tarkin at the helm, the Rebellion’s days would certainly be numbered and eventually, the Empire would go on to crush their nemeses “with one swift stroke.”

-Sith Pacify out