All Things Star Wars

[Patine]

View attachment 726622

Is that Palpatine in the upper right wearing white?

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Is that Palpatine in the upper right wearing white?

Major Lio Partagaz of the ISB - from Season 1.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Armed polar bear Saw faction guerillas

Moroff from RO.

and Storm Troopers with bazookas!*
*(Range Troopers, smart rockets)

Black Series action figure already coming too!

Spoiler :

 

[Clubber Lang]

Moroff

Gigorans be like snow Wookies.

Black Series action figure already coming too!

The synth-fur lined kama looks ice-cool on the Arctic Trooper Armor (Legends)/Vambrace Armor (Cannon).

Smart rockets launcher looks mean.

The gription boots reminded me Trek had thier own version (assassins magnet/gravity boots from ST VI - Undiscovered Country )

Wars -

Trek -

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Is that Palpatine in the upper right wearing white?

You probably not seen the show yet, so that must of been a right throw-off regarding the image of 'Palp's'

Look forward to the I.S.B central office select committee meetings headed by him (Major Partagaz, not Palp's) in the new season.
With certain events on the way, it's going to heat up!

(I.S.B. conference chamber)

-------------------

Watto

Spoiler :

lives...

Star Wars confirms Watto isn’t dead after all in new comic, and fans are celebrating his miraculous survival​

Star Wars fans can't handle the rollercoaster of emotions from Darth Vader's former owner dancing with death

While teasers for Marvel's canonical Legacy of Vader #2 suggested that Darth Vader killed Watto, the full issue reveals Watto did not meet his demise at the hands of his former slave, and it was merely an assumption made by Kylo Ren. As such, I feel like this was a bit of misdirect from something that could have been a darkly poetic end for the Toydarian junk dealer, though some have argued Vader killing Watto wouldn't have made much sense.

Phew, Watto lives another day. The internet has responded in jubilance, ecstatic to see another weirdo from George Lucas and a galaxy far, far away escape Vader’s reach.

"I am aware that Watto is apparently still alive, but I'm still processing his death and need some time. Thank you," says one X/Twitter user. "He tried but Watto was too powerful for him," another adds.

The memes have been strong.

There have been other allusions to Vader taking out his former owner in the expanded universe, but they've been vaguer, not naming Watto. This is the first time we got an explicit execution. The next time someone decides to include the junk dealer, they might need to really pull the trigger.

While everyone commiserates and jokes, it's worth remembering this guy's a human trafficker and slaver, and if and when he’s eventually killed, it's not a death to mourn. He's escaped Sith clutches, for now.

Andor season 2 is our next jaunt to a long, long time ago.

''Ani? Little Ani? It is you!''

Ren might hunt him down yet.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Apparently, the Range Troopers in Andor will not have the gription boots.

 

[Clubber Lang]

Yew...If the models are not rockin them, the grips probably not in the show.

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Andor S2 ships -


(Fondor Haulcraft, Luth's ship)

Star Wars: One Of The Best Ships From Andor Was Surprisingly Important To The Rebellion – We Breakdown The Fondor Haulcraft​

J.R. Zambrano

3 Minute Read

Mar 2 2025

The Fondor Haulcraft might be simple and unimposing, but for Luthen Rael, it was a spymaster’s dream come true.

Last week heads turned with the release of the Season 2 trailer for Andor. What a feast for the senses it was. Andor’s delve into the far corners of the Star Wars universe is messy, beautiful, and surprisingly in-depth. It’s also not afraid to explore new ground—as we saw with the spymaster, Luthien Rael, and his ship, the Fondor Haulcraft.


With a new season around the corner, it’s time to look once more at the ship that helped spark a rebellion. Behold the ship that helped keep the flame of hope alive during one off the darkest times in the galaxy.

The galaxy is full of ships with hidden surprises. From the many modifications of the Millennium Falcon to the secret weapons and tracking systems on Slave-1. Some of these ships are infamous throughout the galaxy. But one managed to hide both its variety and its reputation, making it the perfect craft for a spymaster.

Luthen Rael’s personal Fondor Haulcraft, known affectionately as the Fondor, was the perfect ship for espionage. With onboard droids and hidden systems, the Fondor could catch the Empire off guard exactly when it needs to.

The Fondor – Modified to Your Desires​

Like most other Fondor Haulcraft, Luthen Rael’s Fondor started off life as a standard transport. The Haulcraft did exactly what its name suggested. These vessels were known to be slow. Were frequently adopted by pirate cells for raiding purposes. And aside from that was another middling ship in a galaxy full of vessels.

Which made the Fondor a perfect candidate for Rebel spymaster Luthen Rael.

Under Rael’s careful eye, the ship was modified extensively. One of the first modifications made was to the ship’s notoriously slow engine systems. The engine units gave the Fondor a surprisingly high top speed. But perhaps more importantly, the engines were so powerful, only a Tractor beam of at least level 5 intensity could have a chance at immobilizing them.

But Rael also outfitted the ship with a number of weapons systems. An advanced targeting computer was able to lock and engage targets autonomously with a hidden laser cannon turret, deployed from the Haulcraft’s roof. While a rear-mounted projectile launcher could deploy a wide variety of tiny projectiles against an unsuspecting target.


Two side-mounted laser beam projectors, which some, inaccurately, called “ship-to-ship lightsabers” owing to their ability to slice through targets, helped dispatch enemy starfighters.

Mod – A Ship’s Best Friend​

But one of the biggest advantages of the Fondor, was its droid co-pilot, Mod. Rael had modified the Fondor’s cockpit to include artificial intelligence to function as co-pilot and navigator. With integrated circuitry, Mod could take full control of the Haulcraft. Which it frequently did at Rael’s discretion.

A secret code, consisting of whistles and other cues, allowed Rael to communicate with the ship without any outside observer being aware.


Mod maintained a considerable degree of oversight within the domain of the Fondor. The droid’s cockpit-mounted photoreceptors and en-suite audio sensors allowed Mod to monitor the behavior of unsupervised passengers and detect unwanted intruders.

With an integrated Vocabulator, Mod could communicate fluently in a number of languages, which it often used to unsettle passengers other than Rael, of whom the droid was especially fond.

The two would go on to play an important role in the run-up to the Galactic Civil War, but that is a story that requires much higher security clearance than we have.

(Tie-Avenger)

Star Wars: A Starfighter Back in Action After 31 Years – The TIE Avenger Breakdown​

J.R. Zambrano

5 Minute Read

Feb 9 2025

The TIE Avenger returns for Andor Season 2—but what exactly was it? How might it have changed the course of the galaxy? Let’s find out.

Of all the ships in the Empire’s fleets, the TIE Avenger, or as it was officially designated, the TIE/ad Space Superiority Fighter, was perhaps the most impressive. At least where starfighters were concerned. It was the culmination of the TIE design. It was the pinnacle of Sienar Fleet Systems’ starfighter division.

Perhaps, related, it was the first non-prototype starfighter design to focus on quality over quantity. And did it ever deliver on quality – it could outfly any other ship on either side of the Galactic Civil War. But it wasn’t just faster and more maneuverable than anything else the Imperial or Rebels had to offer; it packed a significant arsenal as well.

At least that was the role it once played, back in the days of Legends. Now, after 31 years, the TIE Avenger is set to return in season 2 of Andor. A new shirt, of all things, heralds its return.


Over on Reddit, someone translated the Aurebesh and it reads TIE Avenger, which seems to confirm that it is, in fact, an Avenger that Cassien Andor has found in the season 2 trailer. While we don’t know what it’ll be capable of in the new canon, we can imagine a lot from how it was in Legends.

TIE Avenger – Design and Capabilities​

The TIE Avenger was designed first and foremost as a space superiority fighter. This meant it was intended to take on a variety of targets, including both other starfighters and larger ships like corvettes and frieghters, even the occasional capital ship. To accomplish this, the TIE Avenger had many tools its sister ships lacked.

Perhaps most notably—to pilots—both deflector shields and life support. A suite of Novaldex deflector shield generators gave the Avenger increased survivability over its counterparts. Coupled with an agile hull with a smaller silhouette, the TIE Avenger was surprisingly resilient.

The SFS I-s3a solar ionization reactor combined with the advanced P-sx7.4 Twin Ion Engines gave it a top speed of 1,300 km/h. And the onboard ND9 hyperdrive let it accelerate to hyperspeeds of 133 MGLT—outpacing the X-Wing (and even the A-Wing) in sublight and hyperspace travel.

What About Weapons?​

As for weapons, well, Sienar Fleet Systems heard you liked weapons, so they put some weapons on your weapons. No really though. A single TIE Avenger carried a surprising amount of firepower. Its workhorse weapons were a set of quad-linked L-s9.3 laser cannons.

These cannons were more powerful than other TIE laser cannons – a single burst was often enough to break through heavy armor and even dense asteroids. Meaning it was hard to lose one in an asteroid field.



For harder targets there was a pair of M-g-2 warhead launchers. These could deploy a wide variety of warheads, including 8 concussion missles, 6 advanced proton torpedos, 4 heavy rockets, and 2 heavy space bombs.


But what makes them really mean is what pilots called “the beam weapon” – an onboard, short-burst, high-power tractor beam. TIE Avenger pilots were known for using them in dogfights. A quick blast could hold an enemy fighter in the Avenger’s forward firing arc for just long enough to fire off a quad-linked burst, or to fire off a warhead without needing missile lock. Even the advanced proton torpedos (which were notoriously slow in comparison) could land a hit on a starfighter with the tractor beam in play.

A Storied History – In Legends at Least​

While the Avenger’s career and role in certain battles is apocryphal—soon we’ll get an idea of what it was capable of. But back in the Legends days, these were developed following the form of Darth Vader’s personal TIE fighter. Sienar Fleet Systems continued the design at the behest of one Admiral Zaarin, who pioneered the inclusion of a revolutionary new hyperdrive model as well as the advanced reactors.


With Zaarin’s zeal, the TIE Avenger was pushed to its limits. To the point that, when Darth Vader saw the demonstration of the prototype model, he immediately authorized its production. But while the Avenger was an elite fighter, it also came with an elite cost.


And the Empire hated spending money more than anything else. So despite having a craft that could turn around the war, the Imperial Bureaucracy only ever authorized a limited number. Wherever the Avengers were deployed, they performed admirably.



By the time enough admirals had raised the desire for more Avengers, Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin turned traitor—and one of his first campaigns was to destroy the TIE Avenger production plants. So even once production was ready, the TIE Avenger never really took off. Not long after, the Battle of Endor brought the Empire to its knees.

(Saw will feature, maybe his U-Wing too)

Star Wars: Saw Gererra Made a “Transport” an Instant Classic – The U-wing Breakdown​

J.R. Zambrano

4 Minute Read

Mar 9 2025

Saw Gererra played a pivotal role in the early rebellion. Even his customized ship transformed the Galactic Civil War. This is the U-wing breakdown.

Saw Gererra is, in many ways, an emblem of what it means to give yourself to the fight for freedom. Afflicted by deep, personal loss, he was willing to give it all for the cause of galactic liberation. He embodied Onderonian resilience. And, as is often the case with the heroes and villains of the galaxy, he had a custom starfighter that shared in his exploits.

In this case it was a UT-60D U-wing Starfighter, fitted with eletronic warfare equipment and painted in the black and white color scheme of Gererra’s Partizans. The U-wing in general was a ship that played a pivotal role in the Galactic Civil War, particularly for the early rebellion.

During height of the Galactic Civil War, in the run up to the Battle of Yavin a U-wing changed the course of the Battle of Scarif. It’s fair to say that without the U-wing, the Alliance would have lost the war.


But how did this craft come to be? As fate would have it, the U-wing was the very last design produced by the Incom Corporation before the Empire nationalized it.

U-Wing Design​

The U-wing was built to be a dual-role starfighter and troop transport/gunship. As a result, the designers had to make it flexible. Two wing-like S-foils fit around the hull that could swivel to fit forward or backward-facing depending on what the ship needed.

Apart from just aesthetics, the moving S-foils serve a practical purpose in combat. Backward-facing S-foils were used for flight—giving the ship’s deflector shields an excess coverage envelope, as well as helping to radiate excessive heat from the engine’s core. But when flying in atmosphere, the forward-position gave the ship more maneuverability.


As far as armament goes, U-wings carried a pair of fixed-position Taim & Bak KX7 laser cannons. These cannons, collectively, were powerful enough to penetrate the shielding and armor of a light cruiser. But the power structure needed for the cannons means that the U-wing has little armament for supporting troop landings.

But, Republic troopers are nothing, if not resourceful. They often retrofitted the loading doors, turning them into gun ports capable of mounting any infantry-based eavy weapon. Most often it was the “Roba” M-45 repeating ion blaster.

The ship carried four 4j.4 fusial thrust engines, as well as four Incom GBk-585 hyperdrive motivators. This gave it a pleasantly symmetrical engine housing. In addition, the U-wing’s shielding, armor, and hold full of passengers allowed it to function like a swifter repulsorlift craft for rapid strikes and deployment.

History of the UT-60D​

As mentioned, the UT-60D was one of the last ships to be produced by Incom. As a result, it never saw a full production run. But a “lost” shipment of U-wings ended up in the hands of the Rebel Alliance. Thanks to one senator Bail Organa. Which meant that the UT-60D was there at the earliest days of the Alliance. The Rebel Alliance had a use for the craft, as did Saw Gerrera, who had their own U-wing which they used to great effect.

The Lothal resistance group also had a U-wing, though theirs was an older model without working hyperdrive. Around 0 BBY, the UT-60D played a pivotal role in the extraction of Jyn Erso from Wobani.

Bravo One, piloted by K-2S0, brought Erso to the Rebel Alliance’s main base on Yavin 4 to meet with Mon Mothma.

And during the battle of Scarif, Blue Squadron’s U-wings made it through the Shield Gate protecting the planet. A U-wing piloted by Laren Joma and Taslet Colb provided air cover for Rebel round forces. It disabled a squadron of AT-ACTs as well. And though the U-wing was ultimately shot-down, the UT-60D enabled Rebel Ground forces to breach the compound and capture the plans for the Death Star.

Without the U-wing, Yavin 4 would have been destroyed.

 

[Clubber Lang]

Clive Revill R.i.P
(1930-2025)

Clive Revill, Original Voice of Emperor Palpatine in ‘Star Wars,’ Dies at 94​

His voice can be heard for only a minute in “The Empire Strikes Back,” but it provided the first draft of a character that would be a mainstay of the franchise for decades.

It was a minute that changed the course of the “Star Wars” franchise. In “The Empire Strikes Back,” the now-celebrated 1980 sequel, audiences were treated to the first on-camera sighting of Emperor Palpatine.

After receiving only a glancing mention in the first movie, he could have looked and sounded like anything. A human. A Wookiee. A droid. A turtle. There was, instead, a disfigured, robed face — portrayed by the actress Marjorie Eaton — that terrified fans and etched the character into “Star Wars” lore.

But Palpatine’s voice — cool, crisp and commanding — belonged to Clive Revill, who in about 60 seconds set the stage for one of the most feared and infamous characters in science fiction.

Mr. Revill died on March 11 in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He was 94. His daughter, Kate Revill, said the cause was complications of dementia.

Palpatine’s appearance, however brief, is pivotal. In his conversation with Darth Vader it is established that Vader, already an iconic villain, has a boss — one whom Vader himself fears. Additionally, Palpatine recognizes Luke Skywalker as a true threat.

In just a few lines, Mr. Revill established Palpatine as a cold, dominant figure.

When the original trilogy was rereleased in 2004, his voice was replaced by that of Ian McDiarmid, who played Palpatine in subsequent “Star Wars” films, starting with “Return of the Jedi” in 1983. But in various iterations of Palpatine since the original — including the franchise films, the video game “Fortnite” and even Lego re-enactments — the character’s voice is built on Mr. Revill’s work.

“Those voices are all influenced by this first example,” said Greg Iwinski, a writer on the animated “Star Wars” series “Young Jedi Adventures.” “That was 45 years ago. That’s the importance of that legacy. He was the first guy to do it.”

The small choices Mr. Revill made in introducing Palpatine — for example, making him emotionless with a touch of regality — were anything but. Mr. Revill provided a first draft of a character that would be built on for decades. His performance projected power without raising his voice, while making it believable that Darth Vader could fear him.

“It was frightening and powerful and also reassuring in a way,” said Christopher Tramantana, an actor and an instructor at New York University who is a “Star Wars” fan. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, Vader can be beaten.’ There’s something more powerful than him.”

“Also,” he added, “it was just such a cool voice.”

Keith Powell, a “Star Wars” fan and an actor best known for his work on the NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” said in an email that Mr. Revill’s voice was distinct and clear “while still somehow sending a chill down my spine.”

“How did he do that? I still don’t know,” Mr. Powell said.

Mr. Revill’s involvement in “The Empire Strikes Back” came about after he received a call from the film’s director, Irvin Kershner. Mr. Kershner and Mr. Revill had previously worked together on the 1966 film “A Fine Madness.” By then, Mr. Revill, who was born in New Zealand and grew up intending to become an accountant, was a veteran actor. He had several Broadway credits to his name and had been nominated twice for a Tony Award for his performances in musical: in 1961 for “Irma La Douce” and in 1963 for “Oliver!,” in which he played Fagin. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film “Avanti!” (1972).


During the production of “The Empire Strikes Back,” Mr. Kershner invited Mr. Revill to a recording studio in Los Angeles.

“I’ve got a line here that I want you to think about because it’s got to be the right sort of thing,” Mr. Revill recalled Mr. Kershner saying in an interview at a 2017 fan event. “I said, ‘OK, fine.’ And he gave me a piece of paper and I said, ‘Irv, what do you want me to do with this?’ And he said, ‘Think about it.’”

The line, now often quoted in pop culture, was, “There is a great disturbance in the Force.” Mr. Revill said that it took him several tries to get the read right — each one progressively deeper and more deliberate.

Mr. Revill never expressed bitterness about being replaced as Palpatine.

“I was the original emperor, but they wanted continuity with the later movies,” he told The Oklahoman in 2015.

Mr. Revill is on the list of “Star Wars” performers who made an indelible mark on the franchise, and pop culture generally, but didn’t become household names in part because their faces were not visible to audiences. The list also includes Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca, Han Solo’s Wookiee sidekick; and Jeremy Bulloch, who originated the role of the masked bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Palpatine wasn’t Mr. Revill’s only contribution to the “Star Wars” universe. In 1993, he lent his voice to the video game “Star Wars: X Wing.” He also returned to the franchise almost two decades later to voice multiple characters for the 2011 video game “Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

Clive Selsby Revill was born on April 18, 1930, in Wellington, New Zealand, to Malet and Eleanor (Neel) Revill. His father was a carpenter, his mother an opera singer.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by a granddaughter.

Mr. Revill began acting professionally in 1950, shortly after he left Rongotai College in Wellington. Laurence Olivier encouraged him to pursue an acting career, and Mr. Revill moved to London and studied at the Old Vic Theater for two years with the help of a government grant.

His first professional job was on Broadway: a 1952 production of “Mr. Pickwick,” based on Charles Dickens’s novel “The Pickwick Papers,” before he moved back to England, where he worked steadily in television, film and theater. His television credits include “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Babylon 5” and “Murphy Brown.”

He worked often as a voice actor both for video games and in cartoons. Arguably his most famous role other than Palpatine was as the voice of Alfred, the butler, in “Batman: The Animated Series,” alongside Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker. He also voiced characters on cartoon shows like “Tom and Jerry” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

It was “Star Wars,” however, that brought Mr. Revill the most fame and led him to occasionally attend fan conventions. In the interview with The Oklahoman, he described interactions with fans waiting to greet him: “They come up to me, and I tell them to get close and shut their eyes.”

Then, Mr. Revill said, he would do the voice.

“I say, ‘There’s a great disturbance in the Force.’ People turn white, and one nearly fainted!”

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The Ronin and R5-D56 -

 

[Samson]

Star Wars original cut to be screened this summer in London

The force is finally with Star Wars fans long frustrated by director George’s Lucas’s alterations to the iconic space opera, with a rare screening of the original cut of the film in London this summer.

The 1977 theatrical version of the film, in which Han Solo shot first and Jabba the Hutt was only mentioned by name, will be shown twice on the opening night of the British Film Institute’s Film on Film festival on 12 June.

This version of the film, which launched a multibillion dollar franchise, has rarely been shown in public since Lucas produced special editions of the original Star Wars trilogy in the 1990s, complete with new CGI characters and other controversial revisions.

If you cannot make it to London, I rate Harmy's Despecialized Edition.

 

[Patine]

Star Wars original cut to be screened this summer in London

The force is finally with Star Wars fans long frustrated by director George’s Lucas’s alterations to the iconic space opera, with a rare screening of the original cut of the film in London this summer.

The 1977 theatrical version of the film, in which Han Solo shot first and Jabba the Hutt was only mentioned by name, will be shown twice on the opening night of the British Film Institute’s Film on Film festival on 12 June.

This version of the film, which launched a multibillion dollar franchise, has rarely been shown in public since Lucas produced special editions of the original Star Wars trilogy in the 1990s, complete with new CGI characters and other controversial revisions.

If you cannot make it to London, I rate Harmy's Despecialized Edition.

I have all three original cuts on DVD from a promotion some years ago.

 

[Gori the Grey]

And I have them on VHS!

 

[HNation]

Revenge of the Sith was by far the best Star Wars movie. Hayden Christensen does a really good job of playing evil Anakin.

 

[Patine]

Revenge of the Sith was by far the best Star Wars movie. Hayden Christensen does a really good job of playing evil Anakin.

The Prequels were underappreciated masterpieces, definitely. But, to me, Attack of the Clones was the most poignant and impactful - and with the most quotable lines.

 

[Arakhor]

For me, the only scenes worth watching in AotC was when Obi Wan was on screen. The "love" story was dreadfully cringy.

 

[Patine]

For me, the only scenes worth watching in AotC was when Obi Wan was on screen. The "love" story was dreadfully cringy.

I think you missed many of the most important parts of the movie. Then again, so did a lot of other. But, the romance was forced and badly acted, I agree, especially given Lucas specifically didn't trust himself to write that part of the script, and got Carrie Fischer to do it.

For me, the only scenes worth watching in AotC was when Obi Wan was on screen. The "love" story was dreadfully cringy.

Then again, Christiansen does just as badly acted and forced a romance in, "Jumper," so it might just be him.

 

[HNation]

The Prequels were underappreciated masterpieces, definitely. But, to me, Attack of the Clones was the most poignant and impactful - and with the most quotable lines.

I love the "I slaughtered them like animals scene"

 

[Patine]

I love the "I slaughtered them like animals scene"

That's not my favourite scene.

 

[HNation]

That's not my favourite scene.

What is?

 

[Patine]

What is?

"I love the Republic. I love Democracy. And I will gladly set aside these emergency powers when this crisis is resolved."

 

[Patine]

What is?

"What if I were to tell you the Republic had come under the control of a Dark Lord of the Sith named Darth Sidious?"

 

[Patine]

What is?

And, "Magnificent, aren't they?"