The prolific writer on some of his biggest moments in the galaxy far, far away and reaching a milestone with Star Wars #25.
Since Marvel returned to publishing Star Wars comics in 2015, few writers have made as great an impact on the galaxy far, far away as Charles Soule. The scribe took his first steps with 2016’s Lando, a five-issue miniseries that garnered significant acclaim. From there, Soule’s Star Wars star continued to rise, as he racked up credits including Poe Dameron, The Rise of Kylo Ren, War of the Bounty Hunters, and more, often with major contributions to lore; when it came time to shape what would become the Star Wars: The High Republic initiative, Soule was one of five writers recruited as an architect of its first stories. Today, Soule is at the helm of Marvel’s flagship Star Wars series, which is celebrating a milestone along with its writer: Star Wars #25, now available, is Soule’s 100thStar Wars comic. And it’s no ordinary issue. The comic includes four short stories that all see Soule return to characters from his prior runs — Obi-Wan and Anakin, Darth Vader and Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and Poe Dameron — while reuniting with the artists from each respective title. To mark the occasion, starwars.com spoke with Soule about hitting the 100-issue mark, why Ben Solo bleeding his kyber crystal was so important, and why two stories from Star Wars #25 will be particularly “resonant.”
starwars.com: To start, I want to say congratulations on the milestone. That’s pretty amazing. What does it mean to you?
Charles Soule: When all of this occurred to me, it was really just late last year, probably. I was just, “I wonder how many of these things I’ve written,” and I just started adding it up because it was something that you do to procrastinate from doing the actual work of writing the issues. I realized how close I was to writing a hundred. Like, I was very, very close. I think, when I ran the numbers, it was like 97 or something like that. And so I was like, “Man, that’s crazy.” And then I did some more procrastination slash research slash analysis, and looked to see what some of the other prominent Star Wars comic book writers had done. And I realized that, at least in the modern canon, no one else had gotten there.
It meant to me that I had kind of definitively done what I always wanted to do in Star Wars, which was to make a mark, contribute in some significant way to this thing that I’d loved since I was really little. And you don’t have to write a hundred comics to do that. You can do that with one story. You can do that by being a fan. You can do that by loving Star Wars, however you want to love it. You don’t have to do this thing. But for me, it just felt like a really solid, real milestone that made me feel really good. I mean, that’s thousands of pages of material, thousands of pages of story that I got to create with some of the best artists in all of comics, and told stories that resonated with the fans, and have really given me the Star Wars career I have today, which is significant and goes beyond comics.
So it felt great, I guess, which is what I could have said very quickly [Laughs.] as opposed to going through that long spiel. Certain things happen in your career that bring things home for you in a way, right? That make it clear to you where you are or what you’ve achieved, or maybe how your work is received, that pull you out of the day to day, constant applied effort of making the stuff. And for me, this really was one of those, realizing that I had done or was about to do 100 of them….
Phase II of Star Wars: The High Republic begins with a relaunch of the titular comic, the Mandalorian searches for sanctuary, and much more!
Before the Starlight Beacon lit the way for the Republic, the moon of Jedha was a beacon of faith and spirituality, home to the Temple of Kyber. As Phase II of Star Wars: The High Republic kicks off this fall, the titular Marvel comic series will step back in time 150 years for a prequel to the events of Phase I.
Reuniting writer Cavan Scott and artist Ario Anindito, issue #1 will introduce Vildar Mac, a Jedi embarking on a journey that will end in terror.Get your first look at the relaunch of Star Wars: The High Republic#1 and other Marvel Star Wars titles coming in October 2022 — including covers and solicits for the flagship Star Wars series, Chapter 4 in the adaptation of The Mandalorian on Disney+, and new installments in Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra.…
The new Star Wars-themed lounge on the Disney Wish is a must-see for fans.
Aboard the Disney Wish there are amazing experiences behind every door, and with a push of a button you can exit the world of cruise life and enter the galaxy far, far away. Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge is the first Star Wars-themed lounge on the high seas, where guests can enjoy a panoramic view of space as they taste Star Wars cocktails inspired by familiar planets from across the galaxy. Stay on guard — you never know when a TIE fighter attack may take place right before your eyes while you’re sipping your favorite libation.
With a backdrop of spaceports welcoming ships from across the galaxy, bartenders work to create specialty drinks, like a bright red Berken’s Flow reminiscent of Mustafar’s lava, which has a secret reveal when a blacklight is shined on it. The Golden One — a flavorful, fruity cream-topped drink — is sweet and creamy, its color reflecting the moons of Endor.
Some liquid refreshments are presented with panache, like the Freetown Reserve from Tatooine. Guests can watch as a special infusion tower takes center stage, using local Tatooine botanicals plus added smoke. It’s delicately poured into a glass, the smoky show sure to draw awe-filled glances from across the room. Once the smoke has cleared, the reveal is a sparkling blue Hyperspace logo on a custom ice cube…
Spoiler warning: This article contains major spoilers from Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The epic Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Star Wars fans a close-up look at the dark times, when the Empire was at its height. The story took the weary Jedi Master on a perilous adventure across the stars to save a young princess. Along the way Obi-Wan regained his connection to the Force, let go of the weight of the past, and found a new hope for the future of the galaxy.Here are 25 quotes from the series that illustrate his emotional journey. Some of these lines are stunning in their significance. Some will make you smile. And all are pivotal to Obi-Wan’s story.
1. “The Jedi cannot help what they are. Their compassion leaves a trail.” — Grand Inquisitor
A former Jedi himself, the Grand Inquisitor knows firsthand that members of the Order are caring to a fault. If someone needs their help, a Jedi will give it without hesitation — even if it means exposing their existence to those hunting them. (Part I)
2. “I’ve got a tribe to feed.” — Teeka
Trader Teeka is a shrewd entrepreneur, who’s still charming in her (not always honest) deal-making prowess. (Part I)
3. “Like you trained his father?” — Owen Lars
Owen Lars is not one to mince words. He’s not daunted by Jedi or the Force. He wishes simply to have his family left alone. His harsh truth silences the once quippy Jedi Master. (Part I)
4. “There are many ways to lead. You just have to find yours.” — Bail Organa
Bail and Breha Organa are patient parents who encourage little Leia to find her own path. But there are times the headstrong princess takes that guidance a little too literally… (Part I)
5. “I’m not who I used to be.” — Ben Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t just referring to changing his name to Ben. Struggling with remorse over the apparent death of his apprentice and dear friend, Ben is hiding not just from the Empire, but from the Force as well. (Part I)
6. “I’d rather be digested by a jakobeast.” — Leia Organa
Little Leia is aghast at the idea that she should apologize for putting her haughty cousin in his place. It’s an amusing reminder that no matter who she’s facing — a Grand Moff, a Dark Lord of the Sith, or a scruffy-looking nerfherder — Leia Organa will stand her ground. (Part I)
7. “Look, have I made a few bad decisions? Sure. Do I feel bad about it? Sometimes. Do I like credits? Yeah.” — Haja Estree
Haja is only concerned about Haja. Or is he? He may not be a true Jedi, but Haja displays their same kindness in his actions. He might seem like a con man on the surface, but beneath the fake Jedi robe Haja is hiding a heart of gold. (Part II)
8. “He’s alive, Obi-Wan. Anakin Skywalker is alive.” — Reva
The Third Sister strikes at Ben Kenobi with a statement more cutting than any lightsaber swing. The revelation that Anakin didn’t die on Mustafar shakes Ben to his core. (Part II)
9. “Have you ever been afraid of the dark? How does you feel when you turn on the light?” — Ben Kenobi
Ben Kenobi shows a hint of his old life as a teacher when he explains the Force to Princess Leia. Simple and elegant, this description of feeling the Force surround you is comforting — and unforgettable. (Part III)
10. “Quinlan was here?” — Ben Kenobi
Not only is this the first confirmation that fan-favorite character Quinlan Vos survived Order 66, but it’s also the first time in a long time that we hear a hopeful tone in Ben’s voice. The two Jedi never saw eye to eye, but Obi-Wan’s relief is unmistakable. (Part III)
11. “I am what you made me.” — Darth Vader
You can almost hear Obi-Wan Kenobi’s heart breaking as Darth Vader delivers this devastating statement. (Part III)…
The Disney+ series are nominees across five categories.
A legendary bounty hunter reborn as a leader with a heart, and animated tales of the galaxy far, far away through the lens of some of anime’s greatest creators. starwars.com is excited to report that two Star Wars series, The Book of Boba Fett and Star Wars: Visions, have been honored with nominations in the 74thPrimetime Emmy Awards. You can check out the full list of Star Wars nominations below.
The Book of Boba FettOutstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie
The Book Of Boba Fett • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Richard Bluff, Visual Effects Supervisor
Abbigail Keller, Visual Effects Producer
Paul Kavanagh, Animation Supervisor
Cameron Neilson, Assoc. Visual Effects Supervisor
Scott Fisher, Special Effects Supervisor
John Rosengrant, Legacy Effects Supervisor
Enrico Damm, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor
Robin Hackl, Image Engine Visual Effects Supervisor
Landis Fields, Virtual Production Visualization Supervisor
Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
The Book Of Boba Fett • “Chapter 6: From The Desert Comes A Stranger” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Matthew Wood, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
Bonnie Wild, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
David Acord, Sound Editor
Angela Ang, Sound Editor
Ryan Cota, Sound Editor
Benjamin A. Burtt, Sound Editor
David Collins, Sound Editor
Alyssa Nevarez, Sound Editor
Stephanie McNally, Music Editor
Margie O’Malley, Foley Artist
Andrea Gard, Foley Artist
Sean England, Foley Artist…
The Disney+ series are nominees across five categories.
A legendary bounty hunter reborn as a leader with a heart, and animated tales of the galaxy far, far away through the lens of some of anime’s greatest creators. starwars.com is excited to report that two Star Wars series, The Book of Boba Fett and Star Wars: Visions, have been honored with nominations in the 74thPrimetime Emmy Awards.
You can check out the full list of Star Wars nominations below.
The Book of Boba FettOutstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie
The Book Of Boba Fett • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Richard Bluff, Visual Effects Supervisor
Abbigail Keller, Visual Effects Producer
Paul Kavanagh, Animation Supervisor
Cameron Neilson, Assoc. Visual Effects Supervisor
Scott Fisher, Special Effects Supervisor
John Rosengrant, Legacy Effects Supervisor
Enrico Damm, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor
Robin Hackl, Image Engine Visual Effects Supervisor
Landis Fields, Virtual Production Visualization Supervisor
Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
The Book Of Boba Fett • “Chapter 6: From The Desert Comes A Stranger” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Matthew Wood, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
Bonnie Wild, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
David Acord, Sound Editor
Angela Ang, Sound Editor
Ryan Cota, Sound Editor
Benjamin A. Burtt, Sound Editor
David Collins, Sound Editor
Alyssa Nevarez, Sound Editor
Stephanie McNally, Music Editor
Margie O’Malley, Foley Artist
Andrea Gard, Foley Artist
Sean England, Foley Artist
Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
The Book Of Boba Fett • “Chapter 1: Stranger In A Strange Land” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Propmaster Brad Elliott shares insights on fabricating Kenobi’s lightsaber and other personal items that link the new series to the prequel trilogy and the film that started it all. Kristin Baver
Through the props and costumes of Star Wars, we find a tangible link to connect with the characters from a galaxy far, far away and the stories they inhabit. Inside the Lucasfilm Archive, take a closer look at these artifacts and the stories behind their design.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a man who cannot escape his past.In the Obi-Kenobi limited series, now streaming on Disney+, storytellers explore a previously unseen era in the character’s life — nearly 10 years after the fall of the Jedi with Order 66 but still almost a decade from meeting his fate aboard the Death Star. Behind-the-scenes, the production crew took great pains to find the middle ground between these two known story points when creating the props that would help define the titular character at the midpoint between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.
Among Kenobi’s meager belongings when the series opens on Tatooine, we find familiar macrobinoculars, a holoprojector, and a datapad that look almost exactly like screen-used items from the prequel trilogy. “It made sense that Kenobi would take a few items with him to watch over Luke,” Propmaster Brad Elliott tells starwars.com. That includes his lightsaber and other tools of the Jedi that were glimpsed in those earlier films. “The holoprojector would have been something that he would take with him from his belongings on Coruscant.” In this case, the item allowed Bail Organa to reach his old friend with an urgent request and was later broken in the chaos.
Kenobi’s macrobinoculars, first glimpsed in the trailer for the series, were fabricated from a pair intended to appear in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Their placement among Obi-Wan’s personal effects is itself a deep cut for fans familiar with a deleted scene showing Kenobi using the same item in Episode II. The prop was original destined for use on Geonosis, but an animated version later showed up in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The datapad was an even more obscure recreation, seen only briefly in Revenge of the Sith in the hands of Anakin Skywalker. “He is holding a datapad and mentions that Obi-Wan was there, as if the datapad was the evidence that his master had been to see Padmé and had left it behind,” Elliott says. Visual guides further cemented the idea that the datapad belonged to Skywalker’s master, but “we were the first to actually put it in his hands,” Elliott notes.
An elegant weapon
Even a Jedi in hiding needs their trusty lightsaber.
Kenobi’s elegant and iconic weapon from a more civilized age proved to be the most difficult challenge for the prop builders on the series, Elliott says. Designers on the original trilogy and the prequels had utilized similar but not identical designs to create Obi-Wan’s hilt, meaning that the prop builders on Kenobi were tasked with merging the two iterations into something new that still felt authentic.
“His lightsaber was the trickiest thing that we had to figure out,” Elliott says. “The Revenge of the Sith saber is smaller, shinier, and differs in many other details from the New Hope saber that Alec Guinness carried.
“Kenobi is coming from the loss of the war, the fall of the Jedi Order, and the loss of his best friend and Padawan,” Elliott adds. “He’s carrying the weight of his past, so his saber is largely from that past.”
While the design aesthetic mainly mirrors the prequel hilt previously carried by series star Ewan McGregor, prop makers specifically upgraded the emitter to more closely match Guinness’s original and aged the once pristine handle to make it feel like an artifact that had spent nearly 10 years buried in the desert….
In the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, a celebration and a funeral have led the twin rebels to consider what’s next. starwars.com Team
The Battle of Endor was a pivotal victory for the Rebel Alliance, and an occasion for joyous celebration for most.
But what happened after the last wokling was tucked into bed at the Ewok village, the music had ceased, and the embers had cooled on Darth Vader’s funeral pyre?
In the first excerpt to be released from Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel, the new novel by Beth Revis arriving this August, Luke and Leia take a moment to survey the damage of the Galactic Civil War and consider the work yet to be done to topple the Empire……
Get your first look inside the comic book adaptation of the first Star Wars live-action series on Disney+. starwars.com Team
“I can bring you in warm or I can bring you in cold.”
In starwars.com’s exclusive first look at Marvel’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian #1, the mysterious beskar-clad warrior arrives to claim his bounty on the Mythrol.
Looking to add some Obi-Wan Kenobi-themedflair to your Instagram story? Missed the bus and need an Inquisitor emoji to help express your frustration? Maybe you’d like to take a selfie with Lola? You’re in luck — though in our experience, there’s no such thing.
You can bring the heroes and villains of Obi-Wan Kenobi — all episodes now streaming on Disney+ —to your social channels and beyond with emojis, stickers, and much more. Check out starwars.com’s guide below for various add-ons and surprises that you can use to celebrate the epic limited series.
Stickers
Head to Giphy.com/StarWars for animated stickers and GIFs that you can add to photos and more. Choose from a disapproving Uncle Owen, cheery Leia and Lola, the bearded Jedi Master himself, and others, all illustrated by famed artist Truck Torrence, as well as clips from the show.
The moment we see Inquisitor Reva ignite her red lightsaber and hear its ominous hum, it’s clear anything can and will happen. The Inquisitors provide chills and thrills in the Disney+ limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi (all episodes now streaming), which marks the first time we’ve seen these ruthless Jedi hunters in live-action. Now fans have the chance to relive all the epic Inquisitor battles with the HasLab-exclusive Star Wars: The Black Series Reva Force FX Lightsaber. HasLab is a crowdfunding program by Hasbro Pulse that makes fans’ dream projects a reality, like the Vintage Collection Razor Crest and a four-foot-long version of Jabba’s Sail Barge.
With the Reva Force FX Elite Lightsaber, the HasLab team has poured in all the details and features to make this saber as iconic as the Third Sister herself. This is Hasbro’s biggest and most complex Force FX Elite Lightsaber yet, but with less than a week left in the campaign, the fate of this saber is now in the hands of fans.
When Hasbro’s manager of product design, Chris Reiff, and his team first learned there would be a live-action Inquisitor lightsaber in Obi-Wan Kenobi, they knew they wanted to find a way to make the dream of it available to fans. That includes Reiff himself who, as a lifelong fan, enjoys building replica Star Wars props in his free time. starwars.com spoke with Reiff over Zoom about the design process of the Reva Force FX Elite Lightsaber, the innovative tech behind it, and the joy of sharing new releases with fans.
starwars.com: When did you and your team begin working on the Reva Force FX Elite Lightsaber?
Chris Reiff: Our normal development cycle is 12 to 18 months, depending on how crazy things are. I would say we’ve been working on this for probably eight months to a year.
starwars.com: Wow. So you’re working on the project simultaneously as they are filming the series?
Chris Reiff: Yeah. A lot of times they’ll be developing the props, taking them into the studio, shooting reference photos of them, and sending us the photos the next day. One of the many great aspects of the partnership and trust we have with Lucasfilm is early access to very detailed references. In this case that took the form of a lot of photographs, 3D data, sound files, and conversations about when the saber would appear. We worked with Lucasfilm closely as we developed our own CAD [computer-aided design] from the reference, making sure we really studied every little detail and feature. This includes a lot of little notes and drawings, even a few early models just to make sure the size was right and felt good to wield. For the team to make it look just right, be able to be configured multiple ways like in the show, and fit more than two lightsabers worth of tech into it was a lot of work but we are excited about how cool it is.
starwars.com: How did it feel when you first saw the Third Sister’s lightsaber in action in the show?
Chris Reiff: It was fantastic. We had seen behind-the-scenes stuff of it in people’s hands, but seeing it come to life in the show with full effects and story behind it, it’s a nice, rewarding thing to see because we’ve been spending so much time and got to know it so well, and then it just takes it up another notch to see it in the show coming to life.
starwars.com: Each of the Force FX Elite Lightsabers offers something new, such as Palpatine’s Force lightning effect or Darth Revan’s color-changing blade. What are the innovative features of this Reva lightsaber?
Chris Reiff: Having the fully integrated blade tech is a huge new add. The ability for the saber to know whether it has one OR two blades installed and adjust its effects accordingly was a blast to see come together as the team has been developing it. The Duel Effect and Battle Replay feature we introduced in our latest mainline Force FX Elite Lightsabers are included in this HasLab Black Series Reva Force FX Elite Lightsaber, but the dual-blade configuration allows us to take them up a notch and have effects like Battle Sequence and Blaster Deflect play out across both blades differently than they do with just one blade. In addition to that, it comes with a rechargeable battery, stereo speaker sound, and fans will have the ability to reconfigure the saber from a half-circle hilt to the full circle hilt.
starwars.com: I’m obsessed with the half-circle, full-circle configuration. It’s so impressive, and it’s obviously screen-accurate. Was that an important design element that you said, we have to have?
Chris Reiff: Oh, yeah. We knew from talking to production and our Lucasfilm partners, we knew kind of how much each version of the saber was going to show up in the show. The half-ring or half-circle version that she wears on her belt, we knew was the primary. But it’s such a cool moment when it does go to the full circle and really as part of an Inquisitor lightsaber, it’s such an iconic look to have that full circle. So we wanted to do all that stuff and have fans reconfigure it to whatever they wanted to because a lot of the Inquisitor stuff you see shows up as just a full circle, and that’s it. But with hers being so unique and doing the half-circle, the ability for our fans to reconfigure their own sabers into whichever version they wanted was super important.
starwars.com: Is there a central button on the hilt that activates both sabers?
Chris Reiff: The great thing about this one is that because it is essentially two sabers in one, there are four buttons on this one. So there are two primary buttons and then two secondary buttons. And each of the primary buttons can turn on an individual blade or both blades, depending on whether you press a click, or hold and press, or whether you have both blades installed or just one blade. So because of that, it’s in the design of the saber — there are two buttons on each end of it, and we took advantage of that design and presumably how it was designed to work in the show, and use those same buttons to do similar features on our sabers.
starwars.com: One of the fun aspects about roleplaying with a Force FX Elite Lightsaber is the sound FX. Can you tell us more about the “series-inspired sounds” included in this design?
Chris Reiff: To start, the sounds in this lightsaber are brand new and different from other lightsaber noises we’ve heard before. Some are even unique to the two-bladed configuration of this lightsaber. The production shared the original sound files with us and the two-speaker setup in the HasLab lightsaber lets us really take advantage of all that to deliver audio beyond our regular Force FX Elite Lightsabers, as well.
starwars.com: As the designer, how does it feel when you’ve been working on these projects for so long and finally release them into the world?
Chris Reiff: It’s a moment we all look forward to just because we’re fans too, we’re working on this stuff, we enjoy it. So we get so close to it in developing it that sometimes we forget just how cool what we do is. And then that moment when we do share it with people and the larger fan community in general, that just kind of brings back that energy for us. And it’s an important part of the whole process, just emotionally, for us to see those reactions from people and to interact with fans and talk to people about it. And I think it was one of the beautiful things about being able to get back to Celebration and do those sorts of events again — where we get to celebrate what we do with people and kind of bring that full circle.
Now that we’ve said “Hello there” to all six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the latest live-action Star Wars story now streaming on Disney+, we have an even deeper understanding of the former Jedi master during his years in exile on Tatooine. Sure, he was looking after Luke Skywalker and keeping the son of Skywalker out of trouble. But now we know that he also had to fight off Inquisitors, former pupils, and protect Luke’s twin sister, Leia. Prove your strength in the Force and find out how well you know Ben, er, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
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