Species of the week: Ewok

Designation: Sentient

Homeworld: Endor (Forest Moon)

Notable members: Wicket, Chief Chirpa

Fandom: Star Wars

Appearances: Return of the Jedi, Battlefront II

Ewoks are a primitive race of beings compared to most of the civilised galaxy. This did not prevent them ftom playing a key role in liberating the galaxy from the Empire. The small humanoid mammals were used to fending off threats far greater than themselves such as the Gorax and put their ingenuity to good use in destroying the armed might of the Imperial Army

I’ve really enjoyed playing Ewok Hunt on Battlefront II – playing both as Stormtroopers and Ewoks in the dark is great, I’m terrible at both but its a lot of fun!!

Species of the Week: Felucian

Designation: Sentient

Homeworld: Felucia

Notable members: Cassis

Fandom: Star Wars

Appearances: The Clone Wars

 

Felucians are a diminutive reptilian species native to the planet Felucia. Some members of their species had managed to tame the wild jungle of their home and farm the valuable substance nysillin. Their small stature made them a target for pirates and made their world a target for the Seperatists, forcing them to train to defend their world. 

I’ve been playing Battlefront II  on Felucia and I’m enjoying the playing on the latest addition to the game. The nysillin farm was a cool addition and it reminded me of the ‘Bounty Hunters’ episode, which was a fun one.

---

For completeness sake I would mention that there was another species called Felucians from the Force Unleashed video game. These were a wild and fierce tribal people with a strong connection to the force and visually seemed to fit in more with the wilds of Felucia. The contradiction was wiped away when the Force Unleashed became ‘Legends’ and now there is only one Canon species called ‘Felucians’

 

Sluggish Reaction: Krypton, season 1

So…I’ve watched Krypton Season 1. The season takes place decades before the planet was destroyed in the events of Superman’s origin story and focuses events on Seg-El his ancestor as he tries to save the future of his planet.

I liked Seg, apart from the fact that my kids watch Blaze and the Monster Machines so I couldn’t stop thinking about Zeg the Dinosaur truck every time they said his name!! I thought his character arc of being cast out of his Rank and guild and wanting to find his purpose in the world and building up to be a leader and saviour were well done.

I thought the plot, at least initially, relied too heavily on his connection to Kal-El and in the end it just muddled things as Seg was forced to choose between saving his world or allow it to die to preserve the timeline only for that not to really be part of the story in the end. I liked Adam’s character but for me it just muddled the plot and I’d have rather just explore early Krypton without any direct connection to Superman.

Speaking of names – I don’t know how any of the cast managed to keep saying Brainiac with a straight face. I actually thought he was a good villain and I liked how his threat grew as the series went on but I just couldn’t take it seriously. I respect that you want to honour the comics but I think they could have found another way to say it, or just name drop it – something Marvel seem to handle well.

That said I did really enjoy getting to see Kryptonian culture removed from the story of it’s destruction. The belief system they had as well as the ranks and guilds of their city were really interesting and were a fun world to explore.

Overall the series was interesting and fun, but it didn’t hook me enough. If it sounds interesting to you season 2 is out now, but for me I think I’m gonna leave it.

The ORIGINAL Knights of the Old Republic: Thon

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Master Yoda was not the first great Jedi Master to be overlooked for his appearance. Meet Thon of Ambria, reclusive yet powerful Jedi and Master to Nomi Sunrider. 

Master Thon was a mystery, even to many of his fellow Jedi. He kept the details of his species, the Tchuukthai, and his homeworld secret and it was known that he was skilled in the force in ways that most Jedi could not attain. He quickly gained the rank of Jedi Master then moved to Ambria, a planet swathed in the dark side. After containing the darkness on the world he set up a small enclave, training a handful of Jedi.

When Nomi Sunrider arrived on Ambria to meet Thon, she was greeted by Oss Wilum his apprentice. She was surprised to see him riding a ferocious-looking beast and wondered at his affection for it. Later they were attacked and Thon revealed his great power, repelling the attackers charging at them with the force. While Thon possessed a lightsaber he rarely used it, using the force as his means of attack and defence.

Despite his desire for isolation and privacy Thon was drawn into the Krath uprising and the Great Sith War. His wisdom and skill in battle were revered and he was ultimately one of only a few Jedi Masters to survive the conflict unscathed. Years later he attended a conclave led by his former protegé Nomi Sunrider who had now grown beyond her master to be head of the Jedi Order.

---

 

I really like the character of Thon. I liked the parallel with Luke going to Yoda, but this time it wasn’t his diminutive stature and goofiness but rather his vast size and ferociousness that led Nomi to believe he couldn’t possibly be a Jedi. I want to see Star Wars on screen take more risks and what better way than what appears to be a mindless creature turning to be one of the greatest Jedi of his time?

I also like the idea of a dark side presence consuming a planet and a Jedi living almost in exile to contain it. There is so much potential to explore with these stories and I do hope we see some of these threads get picked up in a new and exciting way

Species of the week: Kumumgah

Designation: Sentient

Homeworld: Tatooine

Fandom: Star Wars [Legends]

Appearances: Dawn of the Jedi

The Kumumgah were a proud and advanced race native to Tatooine a green planet with vast oceans. They were targeted by the Rakata who sought them out because they had a high number of force-sensitives they could harvest for their technology. After the Kumumgah resisted the Rakata bombed their planet, durning the whole world into an endless desert. After millennia of survival on the harsh landscape the people devolved into two races – the Ghorfa, known as Sand People, and the Jawas. 

I’ve been doing Tusken Raider impressions a lot lately (I have kids, don’t judge me!) and it reminded me of this origin story for the species, first introduced in KoTOR and expanded on in comics which I thought was pretty cool.

Sluggish Reaction: Agents of SHIELD season 6

Watching SHIELD has been a bit of a rollercoaster. After getting a bit fatigued by season 3 the show revamped and revitalised with season 4 – introducing Ghost Rider and breaking the structure down into segments each with their own arc that followed through to build a main plot.

Then we got season 5, which abandoned all that and had one storyline set in a depressing future. It had some great plot twists but overall it stopped being fun to watch. Season 6 turned that around, delivering one cohesive storyline but with different threads in different locations. But the series was definitely more fun, being both literally and figuratively brighter and having a vibe that felt more on par with season 1.

Sarge ‘n the Gang

At first I rolled me eyes at the idea of ‘Sarge’ being portrayed by Clark Gregg but the idea really grew on me as the show went on. To begin with I liked the whole mystery to it, from the way them emerged through walls (which felt like something out of Fringe) to the weapons they used. Having them as targets to pursue and reluctantly agreeing to work with them was fun to watch as well as giving that emotional impact as the characters each adjusted to seeing Coulson’s face in different ways.

I thought they resolved the issue and gave a credible explanation for Sarge within the context of the season. I’m not sure what to make of Coulson 3.0 in the next season but I’ll give it a chance after what they did with Sarge

Shrike Team

I really liked the shrike plotline. It was well set up, we saw straight away how high the stakes were. And then tying in with Fitz-Simmons unknowingly giving her a ride to Earth so she could conquer it was a great way to wrap up the space arc (finally!)

I’ve already talked a lot about Izel and the Shrike in my Species of the Week posts so I won’t say much more other than I thought the incorporeal species idea was cool and I liked the hint that they were linked to Ghost Rider, though I don’t think that’ll get followed up sadly.

DekeCorp

The Deke episode was solid comedy and again reminded me of the fun-times feeling of season 1. There were some genuine laughs in this series and Deke was a big part of that. I liked seeing him get the most of life on un-ruined Earth but also get to be a genius and an asset to the team when it really counted.

Spacetime buddies

The one holdover from season 5 that I did like was keeping Enoch. His character development (and friendship with Fitz) was great and his out of place lines and interpretation of situations was classic Marvel comedy – the episode where he is decommissioned and doesn’t know what to do with his life was one of my all-time favourites!

The Chronicoms were intriguing and again I liked how they slowly developed into a threat. There’s obviously more to this story but I’m glad we will get to find out next season. I found it interesting that this series didn’t seem to draw from comics at all for their villains but chose to stand on their own.

Oh, snap!

I found it interesting that they didn’t reference the snap at all. I understood why they couldn’t but thought they might have brought it in at the end once their schedule overlapped with Endgame, I suppose everyone just decided not to talk about half the world’s population turning to dust and just crack on with it!!

 

I’ve always enjoyed SHIELD – I can’t say I enjoy it as much as I used to, but I think that’s just true of most programmes once they go on for a few seasons. But I thought this one was true to the spirit of what the series was established and was one of the most fun to watch. I’m hopeful that they go out on a high with season 7 –  and that they finally leave FitzSimmons alone – let them just get married and live happily ever!!! But seriously – looking forward to season 7.

 

The ORIGINAL Knights of the Old Republic: Arca Jeth

Jedi Master. Watchman, Battlemaster. This is the story of the legendary Arca Jeth, one of the greatest Jedi Masters of the Old Republic.

Arca Jeth of Arkania was respected by all the Jedi for his skills in the force and for his wisdom. He was exceptionally talented in battle meditation, a rare Jedi skill which allowed him to influence a large-scale battle by instilling hope and determination to fight in his forces and fear in the enemy. He was a key figure in resolving several inter-planetary conflicts.

While he was influential to the Jedi he also worked independently, setting up his own academy on his homeworld, taking on gifted students and training them. He was appointed Watchman of the Onderon system when it joined the Republic but sent his students to the world to learn through experience. His students found a way to resolve the civil war on the planet but failed to see the influence of the Dark Side and in the end it was Arca who returned and ended the conflict.

His faith in his apprentices was not misplaced however as when the Naddist uprising broke out on Onderon Arca was immobilised and captured by the dark side energies of the Sith spirit Freedon Nadd. His apprentice Ulic wisely called in the Republic Navy and a Jedi taskforce and successfully rescued him and liberated the planet once and for all.

Despite his great legacy, his life ended in tragedy. When the Krath rose up Arca was influential in calling a Jedi conclave to eliminate the threat. The Krath ambushed the conclave, overwhelming the Jedi with their war droids and forces. Arca Jeth was killed and this act prompted Ulic to infiltrate the Krath in revenge – an act which ultimately led to his fall.

---

 

I really like Master Arca and think that he would be a good model for an Old Republic-era Jedi Master. I particularly like the idea of less centralized Jedi and of Masters running their own training academies with a small group of students.

The death of a Master, especially a wise and influential one, could be a great turning point for the story of a young Jedi.

Species of the week: Kryptonian

Designation: Sentient

Homeworld: Krypton

Notable members: Seg-El, Kal-El, General Zod

Fandom: DC

Appearances: Superman films/series, Krypton

 

Kryptonians were an advanced race of beings from the frozen world of Krypton. While aesthetically similar to humans they had a physiology that allowed them to contain and utilize energy in their cells to achieve great abilities naturally including flight and incredible strength, especially when exposed to a yellow sun similar to Earth’s. They survived their frozen world by building domes cities and developing incredibly advanced technology. Most of their culture was lost when Krypton exploded. 

I finished watching Krypton series 1. The series didn’t grab me (review coming soon-ish) but I did enjoy the exploration of Kryptonian culture before they lost their planet.

My Two Credits: Why the TIE Dagger might be the best TIE yet!!

 

I’ve looked again at the TIE Dagger and I’ve spotted something that I think may be pretty cool about this design – what do you think?

The ORIGINAL Knights of the Old Republic: Exar Kun

A Jedi with incredible potential. A seeker of hidden knowledge. Traitor. Ghost. This is the story of Exar Kun. This is the story of a Jedi and his fall to the Dark Side. 

Exar was apprenticed to the great Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas. He was strong in the force and was quick to gain in power and knowledge. His talents led him to seek more and more knowledge, even knowledge forbidden to Jedi Knights, believing he was wise enough and powerful enough to know the secrets of the Dark Side.

Frustrated with the Jedi he left on his own to seek knowledge. His travels led him to Onderon where he encountered the spirit of the ancient Sith King Freedon Nadd. Nadd led him to the Sith tombworld of Korriban where he grew in knowledge and succumbed to the dark side.

Nadd’s spirit sought to consume Kun but he overthrew him. He settled on Yavin 4, enslaved the native Massassi population, and constructed temples (yes THOSE temples) on the planet. As he grew in power he heard of the Krath cult and viewed them as a threat and waged war on them, battling Ulic Qel-Droma who was now their leader.

During the battle the spirit of Marka Ragnos appeared and branded them both Lords of the Sith. Exar conquered the Mandalorians and grew a great army that waged war on the Republic. He invaded Coruscant and killed the Chancellor and destroyed the Ossus system with a supernova.

Before the planet was destroyed he raided the Jedi library for the dark side treasures he had always longed for and dueled and killed his old master in the conflict. However, the capture of Ulic Qel-Droma became his downfall as the remorseful Jedi led the Republic to his base on Yavin 4. Exar tried to enact a ritual that would bring him immortality but did not quite succeed and the Jedi believed him and the Sith were gone for good.

Millennia later Luke Skywalker opened an Academy on Yavin 4 in the temples. Exar Kun’s spirit had been trapped in the temples and saw an opportunity. He influenced a number of Luke’s first students, tempting them to the dark side but when his influence was discovered the Jedi banded together and destroyed Kun once and for all.

---

 

I think Exar Kun’s story is one worth telling. It has some parallels with Anakin’s in the search for hidden knowledge but the story of a Jedi arrogant enough to believe he could study the dark without succumbing to it and then betraying all he believed in is worth telling I think.

Also it is worth noting he was one of the first examples of a double-bladed lightsaber in Star Wars. Also the scene where his master throws down against him with just a stick is awesome!!!

I think Kun’s cautionary tale would make for a great live-action story in the new Canon.