All right, let me just one last time warn you. Interesting stuff about characters, plot, action, and technology follows.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
So let’s begin a different look at information that has floated concerning this massive project. First, remember that, while I have taken care to leave out any rumors which seemed particularly far-fetched, these ARE ALL RUMORS, SPECULATION, AND UNCONFIRMED REPORTS! Some will be accurate; some will prove to be false. Don’t get come looking to lynch me if a favorite of yours turns out to be inaccurate.
With that said, have a look, ponder what I’m pondering, and read on!
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION
In addition to the characters Lucasfilm has announced, there are several that have been rumored so often and so strongly that they are worth a look in this column. Others, whom Lucasfilm have admitted to, have had interesting tidbits revealed over the past months. We’ll start with our old favorite droids...
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R2-D2 – Take a good look at the photo above, released by Lucasfilm. It’s reportedly of Anakin Skywalker’s bedroom on Tatooine. Now…look close, ever so closely at the lower right hand corner of the image. See anything familiar? It would seem that R2 has been in the Skywalker family for at least a couple of generations now. Want some further evidence? Okay, how about THIS photo below, from an unofficial source that claims that it is part of Anakin’s racing “Pod”. Getting convinced yet?

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C3-P0 – Well, Lucas told us to expect the droids in an earlier form, unlike what we’re used to. Well, R2 looks pretty normal, but how about this. Brace yourselves. Threepio on wheels. Here’s the rumored story. The Skywalker’s buy 2 droids from Jawas. One is a blue astromech; the other is a severely beaten up protocol droid. He’s missing his leg, has no gold plating, and is basically a jumble of wires. Anakin repairs Threepio, demonstrating his mechanical adeptness. Weeeellllll…it could happen.
- Jar Jar – Okay, not the best name in the world. Take heart, at this point it may only be a codename. Jar Jar is a Jedi Master, POSSIBLY voiced by Mark Hammil, and will be the all CG character Lucas and McCallum have been hinting about for months now. Stay tuned, I’ll pass on more as I get it myself.
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Darth Maul/Sideous – Two last names for Darth, because there are two major rumors floating right now about this character. Whatever his name, Darth is going to be the big bad-guy of episode 1. He has, depending on the rumor you like, either a red face with black horns, or a black face with little red horns. Be prepared for a Sith knight of some kind, me thinks. And also be prepared for a cool new lightsaber-type weapon.

- Yoda – The diminutive Jedi Master Yoda will make an appearance in episode 1. Frank Oz will again perform Yoda, however, for this film Yoda will appear as a puppet AND as a CG character. Assume the CG will be used to animate Yoda when he walks. What more can I say about Yoda, except that we’re going to see more of his species in this film. Okay, now go look at the photos below and above of the Yoda CG sculpture model under preliminary construction in clay.
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Yodb – No, no idea what his name is. He’s pink, has a missing left eye, floppy ears, and may be taller than Yoda. Yodb will be a minor or even background Jedi Knight of the same species as Yoda.
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Gran – Hee hee…a cool treat for Dark Forces players, the Gran are going to figure into episode 1. Not sure how yet, stay tuned as more develops!
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Boush/Bosch/Bail/XXXXX – The Liam Neeson character. This is one of the most speculated over characters right now. Various reports have placed Neeson as Bail Organa (Leia’s adopted father), Boush (a Jedi Master), Bosch (Also a Jedi Master), and XXXXXX (the latest rumor, and claiming that he is Anakin’s father). Harry Knowles reports that there is a major, surprise-destroying secret concerning the Neeson character, and refuses to say what it is. We’ll see.
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Tarkin – Yes, you read that right. Apparently Tarkin is going to figure very prominently into all three films. No doubt we’ll see his rise from captain to higher glory under Emperor Palpatine. Who will play the despicable villain? Who knows? Just trust me right now…this rumor feels RIGHT.
- Oolb – Again, no idea what this character’s name is, but she is a Twi’liek Jedi Knight, and she is in the film.
- Queen Padme - Please let this one be false. This is the latest rumor on the Natalie Portman character. Queen Padme lives in a Palace on Coruscant, and rules over the ooompa-loompa, or some other similar ridiculously named people. Portman WAS at the palace location in Italy, so it seems a safe bet she would play the young queen role…just PLEASE…please not “Queen Padme”. Further rumors about the Young Queen say that she is the future Ms. Anakin Skywalker. Nudge nudge…. wink wink…
Tech Wars
Some information about the technology that we’ll see in the new films has surfaced. Check out the latest.
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Blasters – The standard blaster rifles will again be built on the body of a Sterling 9mm machinegun (the Stormtrooper rifles of the middle trilogy), but will have more components, making them look like older technology.
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Light Staff – The evil Jedi (assume Sith Knights until someone tells you otherwise) will wield “light staffs”, basically, a red, double ended lightsaber, used like a quarterstaff. Our man Darth will duel Neeson using such a weapon.
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Lightsaber – A lightsaber is a lightsaber. The technology is older than the Jedi themselves, so don’t expect
much differences in the style of the hilts and blades. By the way, the Neeson character has a green saber.
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Battle Tank – This photo above from STARWARS.COM is identified as a “battle tank”. Cool, Robotech styling may just rule the production design.

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Landspeeders – Expect clunkier speeders, painted in REALLY hideous 1970’s colours to be the norm. A second version, which has been glimpsed on location in Tunisia, is a yellow seaspeeder, which looks like a swamp boat with an A-Wing style canopy, and two engines mounted on the sides.
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Slave 0 – Until we get a better idea of what this ship will be doing, Slave 0 will have to suffice for a name. An employee at Leavesdon who saw the ship under construction drew the sketch below. Apparently it looks like a cross between Slave-1 and a Hind Russian helicopter gunship.

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Racing Pod – The kids on Tatooine will have these cool one man racing pod things. Remember the panic caused by the release of the image of a jumbo-jet like model with the two enormous engine pods? Well, fear not, that’s not a model, it’s one of the full sized pods before it was painted.

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Imperial Attack Droid – If Dark Forces fans love the Grans in the film, we should throw ourselves into spasms of joy over the attack droids. Apparently these nasty critters are virtually identical to a Phase 1 DT. Nasty nasty nasty nasty things!
Action!
While the plot of the film is still almost totally secret, along with the other bits of rumor and reports we have received several bits and pieces of the action.
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Anakin’s Pod Race – This will take place on Tatooine, and MAY open the film. Anakin and his friends will be drag racing those little buggers, re-affirming Lucas’s own love of car racing. This will establish Anakin’s ability as a pilot, even at so young an age.
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Obi-Wan and the temple of Doom – Interestingly, not much about Obi-Wan has come to light yet. However, we finally have a bit of news about a swamp scene where he discovers an ancient temple, shaped like a woman’s face, and half-submerged in the murky waters. Okay…sure thing.
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The big wet chase – An older rumor tells of a great underwater chase scene. This seemed to be proved inaccurate until the story about the seaspeeders came to light. Again, we shall sea…er…see.
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The big dry chase – Another possible opening for the film has one of the Coruscant busses, seen at the end of ROTJ: SE, leaving the platform, and suddenly being attacked by a swarm of what may be pre-TIE Fighters. The chase winds through the skyscrapers until the bus is chased into even bigger trouble. It has been suggested that this may be the first glimpse at a Star Destroyer like ship in the new trilogy.
The Best of the Rest
Well, that about covers the easily qualified rumors we have. Some odd tidbits that might interest you are in no
particular order:
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ILM – ILM has already begun work on a few of the space battles in episode 1. One of these was reported to have taken 75 hours to render a single shot in the sequence.
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James Earl Jones – Has been told by Lucas that he will be needed to perform Vader’s voice in Episode 3, towards the end of the film.
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Sir Alec Guinness – Has been seen at the Leavesdon studio with Lucas and McCallum. Word is he will perform some voice over narration in episode 3.
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Boba Fett – Will NOT be the major character everyone has been predicting he will be. Fett and the mandalores WILL be in the trilogy, but not in any more of a direct way than in Empire.
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The fall of the Republic - is NOT caused by whom you might think. Not specifics, but this apparently will explain Obi-Wan’s willingness to be killed aboard the Death Star, a way of atoning for his sins. These will be sins of inaction, rather than direct action.
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The Falcon – MAY make an appearance in the three upcoming films…. Wait and see…wait and see….
Unfounded rumor or truth, it all depends on your own point of view at this time. One thing is certain, as more unfolds about this film; we’ll be here anxiously awaiting whatever scrap of it we can get. And be sure I’ll bring you the best each month in each issue of Darkness
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