Solo: A Star Wars Story

[GeneChing]

... but it's next week and with 10th Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship this weekend, we just can't make that happen.

Can't make this happen either. And it's local.

I find this lack of Star Wars disturbing.

[GeneChing]

We don't know if there will be lightsabers in SOLO but while we're on the subject of Star Wars, READ Lightsaber Combat and the Value of Myth in the Martial Arts by Dr. Benjamin N. Judkins and Chad Eisner



THREADS: Solo: A Star Wars Story & Jedi Academies

[GeneChing]

That was better than expected. Kinda sweet in that ‘awww Baby Han’ way. It answered a lot of questions that I didn't really have about Han, Chewie & Lando. One question that still bothers me - why doesn’t the name ‘Chewbacca’ sound like that in wookienese? That’s been bugging me since the very first film. Great droid, very different than previous droid and still a total scene stealer. Decent pacing and action overall. And I loved the reveal - if only no one had SPOILED IT. I did it to myself scanning reviews. I would definitely watch a sequel to this just to follow up on that reveal. If I didn't know that was coming beforehand, it would've rocked me. And to see his name in the credits just made me so happy. May the FORCE be with him. **** spoiler review - I think it was in a **** headline too - couldn't miss it on the **** newsfeeds.

No lightsaber fights tho. And the music wasn’t as good as usual. Nevertheless, I won’t deny it as canon-worthy.

[GeneChing]

This is a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen Solo: A Star Wars Story. But if you haven't by now, I doubt you care.

Star Wars: A Complete History Of Darth Maul
BY SARAH MORAN – ON SEP 13, 2018 IN SR ORIGINALS



Solo: A Star Wars Story is a surprising movie for a lot of reasons, but it's the unexpected cameo appearance of Darth Maul that has people talking most. And for good reason, seeing as the last time most movie-goers saw Darth Maul he was cut in half and sent plummeting down a reactor shaft, leaving audiences to assume he died (he didn't).

For fans of Star Wars animation, Maul surviving his bisection at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi is old news, and in both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Maul reemerges from the shadows, seeking revenge. In fact, Maul's role in those series (as well as the comics) is where the bulk of his character's journey is explored, finally giving fans the look at the villain they've been wanting ever since he first shrugged off that cloak and ignited his double-bladed lightsaber.

With his cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a new chapter is added to Darth Maul's story, but some viewers may still be unclear about when this cameo appearance falls in his personal timeline. For that, we've outlined Maul's history, explaining when this cameo falls and what it might mean for the character's film future.

MAUL: A DARTH IN TRAINING



Well before he was a Darth, he was simply Maul. Born on Dathomir to Mother Talzin - leader of the Force-wielding witches, the Nightsisters - Maul and his brothers, Savage Opress and Feral, were trained from an early age to be warriors. Talzin was a close ally of Darth Sidious, and often the Sith Lord would come to Dathomir to learn new and dark Force powers from the witch. She had hopes of one day becoming his apprentice, but when Sidious noted the great potential in her son, he chose Maul instead.

Maul quickly became deeply entrenched in his Sith training, even visiting Malachor - home to an ancient Sith temple - where Sidious made him inhale the ashes of Sith warriors slain by the Jedi so he could experience their anguish and pain. From that moment on, Maul carried a deep hatred for the Jedi that was so powerful, Sidious needed to repeatedly reign him in lest he reveal the existence of the Sith too soon. To satisfy his bloodlust, Sidious sent Maul on a mission to kill pirates who were attacking Trade Federation ships, but Maul soon learned of a captured Jedi padawan and jumped at the opportunity. Hiring a group of bounty hunters (among them Cad Bane and Aurra Sing), Maul was successful in locating and killing the padawan in combat, satiating his revenge for at least a moment.

MAUL "DIES" IN THE PHANTOM MENACE

Come Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Sidious - or rather, Senator Palpatine of Naboo as he was known publicly - began putting his plan to bring down the Republic into motion. He secretly conspired with the Trade Federation to establish a blockade of Naboo, forcing then-Queen Amidala to seek assistance from the Senate. Palpatine manipulated Amidala into calling for a vote of no confidence in the Chancellor, enabling himself to then be voted in as the new leader, consolidating his power within the Republic.

While this political scheming was taking place, Sidious dispatched Darth Maul to eliminate the Jedi - Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi - who had been sent to accompany and safe-guard Amidala. Maul tracked the Jedi to Tatooine, where they had stopped to repair their ship (and coincidentally pick up a young slave boy and potential Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker), briefly fighting with Qui-Gon before they could escape.

Later, during the climactic showdown between the Trade Federation's droid army and the combined forces of Naboo, Maul got his chance to duel the Jedi in The Phantom Menace's now iconic "Duel of the Fates" sequence. It's during this duel that Maul kills Qui-Gon, but in retaliation, Obi-Wan gets the upper hand on Maul, slicing him in half and kicking him into the seemingly bottomless pit of Naboo's reactor shaft.

And, for years, the image of Maul's bisected body plummeting down that shaft was the last anyone saw of him - until Lucasfilm Animation found a way to bring him back.



MAUL IS REBORN

Simply saying that Maul survived his injuries and fall wouldn't be enough. If fans were going to believe that Maul lived, there would need to be consequences from his failed duel with Kenobi. And there were, with Maul's subsequent exile bringing him to his absolute lowest.

Channeling his hatred for Kenobi, Maul was able to use the Force to escape the reactor shaft, landing in a trash container and eventually winding up on the junkyard planet, Lotho Minor. Giving his mind over to the dark side, his powers not only healed him, but forged his new lower spider-like body, but the pain, hatred, and years of exile took a toll on his mind. For years, Maul lived in the bowels of Lotho Minor, turning more wild and feral until one day, his brother, Savage Opress, came to find him.

MAUL JOINS THE CLONE WARS



Savage Opress brought his brother home to Dathomir, where Mother Talzin used Nightsister Magik to heal Maul's body and mind, forging him new legs from the scraps of battle droids. Together, Maul and Savage became a new master and apprentice, a new Sith, and they set their sights on destroying the Jedi - especially, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

To lure out Kenobi, they began wreaking havoc across the galaxy. Maul would cross lightsaber blades with Kenobi on multiple occasions during the Clone Wars, but he was never able to finish what he started. Maul eventually forms an alliance with Pre Vizla and the Mandalorian terrorist group known as Death Watch. Alongside the group, they built a coalition of crime syndicates - the Shadow Collective - and used them to conquer Mandalore. This led to him confronting Obi-Wan but also drew the attention of Palpatine.

Sidious fought with the duo, eventually killing Savage but spaces Maul as part of a plot to lead him to Mother Talzin, hoping to kill the witch once and for all. Talzin is eventually killed, leading to a battle that sees Maul fight against Sidious, Count Dooku, and General Grievous before retreating.

At the same time, what remains of the Shadow Collective was in ruins, but Maul manages to escape with just enough loyal forces and return to Mandalore. There, he resumed control of the planet, if only for a short while. In the final days of the Clone Wars, Maul is ousted by Republic forces led by Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex. Ahsoka and Maul duel briefly during the battle, before Maul escapes into exile once again.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

MAUL'S CAMEO IN SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Maul's appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story (played by Ray Park and voiced by Sam Witwer) is the newest piece of information we have about him. Very little is actually revealed in the scene, but it does suggest that Maul has been very busy in the years after he was overthrown on Mandalore.

In the film, after Qi'ra kills Dryden Vos and assumes his position of leadership within Crimson Dawn, she contacts the real leader of their criminal operation via hologram - Maul. He listens as Qi'ra relays to him what has transpired, placing the blame for Vos' death on Becket and Han. They then make plans to continue their work, signaling that either in future Solo movies or another Star Wars spinoff (possibly Boba Fett), Qi'ra and Maul are high up on the list as potential antagonists

Whether or not Crimson Dawn is the second coming of the Shadow Collective - which included such gangs as Pyke Syndicate, Black Sun, and the Hutt Clan - also remains unclear, but it's obvious Maul is continuing to ally himself with whomever he believes can help him achieve his goal: killing Obi-Wan Kenobi.

STAR WARS REBELS & THE END OF MAUL



Maul was previously last seen in Star Wars Rebels, set a few years before A New Hope. He met the crew of the Ghost, a small Rebel cell, on the planet Malachor while they were searching for a weapon they believed capable of destroying the Sith. Maul had crashlanded on the planet years before, and immediately set about manipulating them; he befriended Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger, who helped him find the Sith Holocron. Sensing a strong connection to the dark side within the boy, Maul planned to make the boy his apprentice, but his turn on the Ghost crew didn't go well: it was only when Darth Vader turned up that he's able to make his escape.

Later on, Maul visits the crew of the Ghost once again, wanting to combine the Sith and Jedi Holocrons and reveal their secrets. He manages to trick Ezra into doing just that and the pair of them experience visions: Ezra's reveals to him the key to defeating the Sith, showing him an image of twin suns, while Maul's vision reveals to him that Obi-Wan Kenobi still lives. Combining the Holocrons also left a mental link between Maul and Ezra, which the former Sith uses to manipulate the young Jedi into joining him on Dathomir. There, Maul employs the magic of the Nightsisters to give their visions some clarity, learning that Kenobi not only lives but he's on Tatooine.

Maul leaves to hunt is former nemesis, but is unsuccessful in locating Kenobi, so he again tricks Ezra, planning to use the boy as bait to lure out the old Jedi Master. It works, and sensing that Ezra is in danger of being attacked by Tusken Raiders, Obi-Wan reveals himself. Maul then confronts Kenobi and the two duel - though this is not the flashy, acrobatic fighting of their youth, but a very quick and measure fight of only a few strikes. In the end, Kenobi slashes Maul across the chest, delivering a fatal wound. Before he dies, Maul wonders why Kenobi has hidden on such a remote, barren world, asking him if the young farmboy he's watching over from far is the true Chosen One. Kenobi responds, "He is", and Maul dies, uttering with his last breath, "He will avenge us."

-

Though we now know how Maul truly dies, his cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story makes it abundantly clear Lucasfilm isn't through with the character yet. After this appearance, there's an opportunity for Maul to reappear in a Solo sequel, a new spinoff, or possibly even his own movie. No matter what, it seems safe to assume that this cameo is not the last we've seen of him.

I reviewed some of Maul's story arc in my July+August 2016 cover story Ray Park: The Force of Wushu.

[GeneChing]

I feel like I've just had my Star Wars nerd card revoked. How did I miss this Easster Egg?

How ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ References the Most Awesomely Bad ‘Star Wars’ Video Game
Posted on Friday, June 1st, 2018 by Ethan Anderton



Solo: A Star Wars Story is chock full of winks and nods referencing future events in the Star Wars trilogy, almost to the point that it’s annoying. But there are also some obscure references for hardcore Star Wars fans that are a little more interesting. One of them comes from a single line of dialogue referencing one of the worst Star Wars video games every made…but it also has a place in the history of Star Wars and even sets up the major reveal everyone has been talking about.

Find out what we’re talking about below, but beware of spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Qi’ra Shows Off Her Fighting Skills

In Solo: A Star Wars Story, part of the plan to hijack a bunch of coaxium begins with infiltrating a mining facility on Kessel. Our heroes accomplish this by having Qi’ra offer up Han Solo and Chewbacca as slaves, allowing them to get into the facility itself. While Han and Chewie are led through the mines closer to the coaxium, Qi’ra, Tobias Beckett and Lando Calrissian’s droid L3-37 are brought into the control room to finalize their business.

During this sequence, Qi’ra pulls off a couple unseen fight moves and takes down the facility supervisor. L3 is visibly impressed and even a little surprised as she asks, “What was that?” And Qi’ra nonchalantly says “Teräs Käsi.” That might not mean anything to the more casual Star Wars viewer, but for longtime fans, this was quite the obscure reference to throw into Solo. So what the hell is Teräs Käsi?



Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi
The fighting style Teräs Käsi became well-known to Star Wars fans when a PlayStation game entitled Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi hit the market. Styled in the model of fighting games like Tekken or Virtua Fighter, it was a video game that featured Star Wars characters duking it out on polygonal environments in a galaxy far, far away. Since this is a first generation PlayStation game we’re talking about, the graphics were not great and the game mechanics were clumsy at best. But **** it, was that a fun game to play with friends as an adolescent Star Wars fan.

The fighting roster features Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia (in Boushh disguise), Chewbacca, Boba Fett, Thok (a Gamorrean guard), Hoar (a Tusek Raider) and a new character named Arden Lyn, a Dark Jedi with a mechanical arm. They all engaged in hand-to-hand combat, as well as weapon combat (which didn’t make much sense when characters like Luke with a lightsaber would fight Thok with an axe). But there was no signature fighting style between them to dictate what Teräs Käsi was. Instead, that came from Star Wars Legends.



The History of Teräs Käsi

The first mention of Teräs Käsi comes from a major story arc called Shadows of the Empire. One of the more well-known Star Wars Legends titles, this was an interesting experimental sort of multimedia project that was intended to tell a story that took place in-between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, where no Star Wars novel had ventured before.

The goal at the time was to create anything and everything that might be associated with a Star Wars movie release, but without ever actually releasing a movie. This included a novel, a video game, action figures, trading cards, comics and even a soundtrack. And within the novel of Shadows of the Empire, the fighting style Teräs Käsi is mentioned as being used by the villains Sun and Zu Pike. And from there it went on to become part of the aforementioned video game that everyone loved to hate.

However, Teräs Käsi was only a blip in Star Wars until it came to be referenced in the novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. You see, after Darth Maul’s acrobatic, fast-paced martial arts style debuted in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, many thought it would be interesting if his character was trained in the art of Teräs Käsi, mostly because his fighting style was unlike any we’d seen in the Star Wars universe up to that point. After Shadow Hunter made it canon (at the time), the fighting style was referenced on and off again until it finally was given a real origin story, made to be a fighting style that allowed non-Force sensitive warriors could engage with the likes of Jedi and Sith and still hold their own. Of course, that’s all Star Wars Legends, but…



Teräs Käsi is Now Canon
With the mention of Teräs Käsi in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the fighting style is now canon. Funnily enough, since this was a fighting style that came to be associated with Darth Maul, the fact that Qi’ra learned it from Dryden works as a hint toward the reveal of the Sith warrior as the puppet master behind the Crimson Dawn in the film’s final act. It only makes sense that those working for Maul have been trained in a fighting style that makes them deadly enough to do his bidding.

The question is how much, if any, of the backstory that became associated with Teräs Käsi will be made canon. Will this fighting style continue to be mentioned in Star Wars stories now that we’ve seen it in Solo: A Star Wars Story? Maybe we’ll see it pop up in other comics, books and video games. And if we’re lucky (or unlucky, depending how you look at it), maybe we’ll get a new generation remake of the original game with even more characters. Because while Star Wars Battletfront II offers us a way to have Star Wars characters from all eras of the saga to fight against each other, there’s just something…special about Masters of Teräs Käsi. Awfully special.

thread
Solo
Mandalorian
Teras Kasi