2023 has ended and what year it was!
From Omega to Yana Ro! From the Thirteenth Sister to Sav Malagan! From Geonosis across the pathway to Peridea! Star Wars has taken us on plenty of journeys this year!
I know I’m a lil’ late but here are some stand-out moments for me!
All around me are familiar faces…
This year was FILLED with familiar faces turning up everywhere! We had many favorites pop up in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi which was to be expected. Characters like Max Rebo and Sy Snootles of course were great to see. There were a few stand-out surprises though! Dexter Jettster and Enric Pryde during the end of the Galactic Civil War! Therm Scissorpunch and Maz Kanata in The High Republic Adventures comics were also a high point! Honorable mentions for Gungi in The Bad Batch, the Handmaidens in Darth Vader, and Inferno Squad popping up in Bounty Hunters!
Await the Dawn
Qi’ra has been popping up since War of the Bounty Hunters but I think she was on top of her game this year! Not only were her comic stories Crimson Reign and Hidden Empire amazing but she also got more of her origin story told in Crimson Climb by EK Johnston! I loved everything Qi’ra and even how there was a teeny bit of overlap making me wonder what’s next for the character!
For Light and Life!
Young Jedi Adventures had a few familiar faces pop in to visit our little Tenoo crew! Bell Zettifar, Loden Greatstorm, Estala Maru, and even Ember the charhound!
And it looks like there are even more familiar faces coming in 2024!
Homeward Bound
The Mandalorian season 3 had many solid moments! But for me, the Battle of Nevarro was a standout. Seeing the clans unite to help was some grade-A Star Wars stuff. And the moment of Greef Carga giving the Mandos a home where they were welcome after being wanderers for so long really hit the spot.
The Night of Sorrow
Phase II of The High Republic reached a fever pitch Q U I C K and when all roads lead to Dalna the storytelling was breathtaking. We didn’t spend as much time with these characters as we did with their Phase I brethren, but the climactic battle definitely had me on the edge of my seat. Whether it was Cataclysm, Path of Vengeance, or Edge of Balance: Precedent I was hooked. The storytellers did an excellent job with the characters and the drama and each story had its own perspective. Each stood strong and told its own story but seeing all the events together made it even better! The Greylarks, Marda Ro, Yana Ro, Gella Natai, Xiri, and Phon-Tu all had plenty of moments.
And now that Phase III has started there are many connections I didn’t see coming.
Fallen Jedi
Another High Republic moment was the Fall of the Last Guardian in The High Republic comics. Finding out it held a few secrets was a surprise to be sure… but a welcome one.
The Time Has Come
Every time we see Order 66 again is just another heartbreak waiting to happen. In Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade we get a radically different take and follow through on this familiar moment. The entire book is wonderful but this scene in particular really twists the knife.
The SCOURGE
The Dark Droids crossover was a crazy horror ride through every Star Wars comic line.
I love when Star Wars is horror but it was particularly existential this time.
Fate and Fortune
I had a great time with a little lightsaber training on a show you might have heard of.
WHEEL. OF. FORTUNE. (applause)
If not, go ask your parents!
Ocean View
Pabu is the cozy, scenic, serene island paradise The Bad Batch found themselves relaxing in after a few tough missions. Everything about it was another reason for me to want to be there. Except for the tsunami I guess… But even then the locals were so helpful and supportive of each other!
This is definitely a Star Wars place I’d love to live in.
Like a Vos
Issue #9 of Hyperspace Stories gives us the return of our hero QUINLAN VOS!! A personal favorite of mine I just loved seeing him back in action! I’m still pulling for him to be a Bad Batch ally but for now, this will tide me over…
Speaking of Bad Batch allies… That trailer AMIRITE?
Message in a Bottle
In The High Republic: Eye of Darkness Avar Kriss fights against the Nihil trapped and alone in the Occlusion Zone. On the other side of the Stormwall, Elzar Mann desperately searches for a way to breach the wall and find her. He sends messages in hopes one might get through. When one finally does it’s a moment that connects to one of the core themes of Star Wars.
Hope lives.
Survivors. We Adapt.
Jedi: Survivor was a banger of a game this year. The story. The worlds. The combat. The saber styles. And while it might be a cheat to say that everything about the game is amazing, it kinda was.
Look. It’s just facts.
But if you combine the story with Battle Scars, Merrin really stands out. Her character growth and moments all made her one of my favorites to see. I really enjoyed meeting her back in Jedi: Fallen Order but in Battle Scars watching her come to terms with herself, her past, her home, her wishes, and her needs was my favorite for sure. Then throw in Jedi: Survivor and her part in the story just keeps getting better. Maybe I just have a soft spot for Nightsisters…
#WheresEzra
I guess being reunited with a few of my favorite characters of all time has to be the best. Sabine and Ezra have always meant so much to me and my family. the Ahsoka show was the one that finally reunited us with them. Everything about their storytelling was wonderful. Watching and seeing how far they’ve come and wondering where they’ll go next. I’m still eager and hopeful we’ll get more stories of the time we missed too!
I’m so happy to have them back. Two of my favorite characters of all time finally reuniting and ready to face whatever the future brings. Even if they become separated again pretty quickly…
All in all a great year to be a Star Wars fan.
And with 2024 just beginning we’ve got a lot to look forward to! High Republic Phase III marches on! The Bad Batch series finale! The Phantom Menace back in theaters! Live-action High Republic in The Acolyte! Meeting Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws! Jedi Council road trip in The Living Force! Hopefully Star Wars Hunters? Jango Fett returns with his own comic series! And probably Skeleton Crew and Tales of the Jedi season 2!
The Rogue Rebels 