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A Rebel's Ramblings
by: FAN4YRS
date posted: Mar 05, 2008 3:23 PM
My Top 100 Best Things about "Star Wars"
Well, as most of you know, either from reading it, or seeing Stooge's blog, STAR WARS INSIDER made a list of the Top 100 Best Things about "Star Wars". Unfortunately, I have to disagree with the list, for a few reasons.

First, as far as I am concerned all of the 100 items should have come from the six films. When most people think "Star Wars" they think a movie, they don't think books or comics. Furthermore, I think to use material outside of the films cheapens the importance of the films--both to "Star Wars" fans as well as the film industry itself.

OK, here's my list. If you want you can scroll to the end and go from 100 to 1.

The Top 100 Best Things about "Star Wars"

1. Luke Skywalker--without him, there's really no story. It's either about him or what led up to him.

2. Princess Leia Organa--see #1

3. The Millennium Falcon--let's face it, this ship is a character in its own right. Even non-"Star Wars" would like to fly, or be a passenger in, this ship.

4. Han Solo--OK, he didn't play a role in the Prequels, but without Han the OT is pretty boring.

5. Chewbacca/Wookiees--What Spock and Vulcans are to "Star Trek", Chewbacca and Wookiees are to "Star Wars". Who among us would care to travel throughout a GFFA without a Wookiee to share the experience with?

6. Yoda--Probably the best fictional spiritual teacher ever to be put in print or film.

7. Darth Vader-What Yoda is to gurus, Vader is to villains. Sometimes I pine for the days I didn't know so much about the man behind the mask, because he truly was a "force" to be reckoned with when I was a youngster who thought he was bad to the synthetic bone.

8. Artoo-Detoo--I was in my twenties before I realized how much many fans admired R2. I know there were a lot of people thrilled to see him in action in the opening sequences of "Revenge of the Sith".

9. See Threepio--Some people might wonder why this "golden rod" is so high on my list, but you can't have Dean without Jerry, and Artoo isn't the same without Threepio bickering beside him.

10. Palpatine--What the Wicked Witch of the West is to "The Wizard of Oz", Emperor Palpatine is to "Star Wars". I think they are very similar. When the Witch was killed the Winged Monkeys and the Winkies were suddenly good. I think this is true of the Empire. With the Empire gone, they either saw the error of their ways, or were easily defeated. I think "Star Wars" has that idealistic message to it. The outcome could happen no other way.

11. Admiral Ackbar--I was shocked to see this fine military man so far down on the "Insider's" list. He probably doesn't deserve #11 here, but I suppose it's sympathy to balance out the published list.

12. Grand Moff Tarkin--Yes, many jokingly call him "Grandma Tarkin", but the Moff was something to fear back in 1977. If you read the original novel he is even more to be feared (he was plotting to become Emperor). In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Palpatine didn't allow the first Death Star to be destroyed to route Tarkin out (and give Vader a means of finding Luke).

13. Mon Mothma--the leader of the Rebel Alliance. A female, in top power. I'm surprised this character hasn't seen more action.

14. Lando Calrissian--call him a scoundrel, but Lando saw the error of his ways and it didn't take him twenty-six years (like it took Anakin). Kudus to the Administrator of Cloud City!

15. Friendship--it's a theme of the films and one we are in dire need of learning. Yoda and the Wookiees were friends. No two people on planet Earth look as different as Yoda and Chewbacca, but they could not only tolerate each other, they were willing to die for each other. This may be the greatest message "Star Wars" has to offer.

16. The Second Death Star--it just looks so cool with its bad uncompleted self.

17. The Second Death Star battle--my favorite space battle in the film series.

18. Greedo

19. Bossk

20. Zuckuss

21. IG-88

22. Boba Fett

23. Ithorians

24. Jawas

25. Sandpeople (or worse)

26. Jabba the Hutt

27. Obi-Wan Kenobi (OT version)

28. Qui-Gon Jinn

29. Bib Fortuna--the only "Star Wars" character to scare me the first time I saw him (at age 9)

30. Dewbacks

31. Weequay

32. Ugnaughts

33. TiE Bombers

34. TIE Inceptors

35. TIE Fighters

36. X Wing Fighters

37. Emperor's Royal Guards (red)

38. Landspeeders

39. Slave I

40. Little Boba Fett--There could have been SO much more to the story, but
I will list him for potential

41. Shmi Skywalker

42. Lobot--kind of creepy

43. Tatooine

44. Bespin

45. Hoth

46. 2-1B

47. FX-7

48. R5-D4

49. RA-7

50. Bail Organa

51. Ask Ack--cool name

52. ANH lightsaber battle between Ben and Vader

53. ROJ lightsaber battle between Luke and vader

54. ESB lightsaber battle between Vader and Luke

55. AOTC lightsaber battle between Dooku and Yoda

56. ROS lightsaber battle between Palpatine and Yoda

57. Mynocks--chewing on the power cables

58. Space Slug

59. Ewoks

60. Jedi

61. Mos Eisley Spaceport Bar

62. Bith musicians

63. Sy Snootles

64. Salicious Crumb

65. Padme--could have been developed a lot more

66. Little Anakin--Jake Lloyd had a hard job and doesn't get enough credit

67. Gungan City--they did have a nice place to live

68. Endor Moon

69. Watto's Shop--not Watto, but his shop.

70. Blue Milk

71. EVE-9D9

72. Walkers

73. AT-ATs

74. Taun Tauns

75. General Grevious

76. The Clone Wars--as left up to my imagination in the OT

77. gaffi sticks

78. TC-421

79. Jawa Sand Crawler

80. Carbonite Freezing--cruel, but cool

81. Rodians

82. Wampa

83. Wampa's Ice Cave

84. Echo Base

85. Aunt Beru

86. Uncle Owen

87. Storm Troopers

88. Biker Scouts

89. Hoth Storm Troopers

90. Speeder Bikes

91. The First Death Star

92. Death Star Gunner(s)

93. Moff Jerjarod

94. General Veers

95. Luke and Leia's swing across the Death Star chasm

96. Han's escape from the asteroid field

97. Chewbacca and R2 playing space chess

98. Boba getting eaten

99. The end of "Return of the Jedi"

100. The end of "A New Hope"


usetheforce19
MasterMonkey13
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 4:20 PM
Awesome list!

I especially agree with 4, 6, 56, 64, and 66.

Kudus to the Administrator of Cloud City!

Gah! A kudu! ;)

MTFBWY! God bless!
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 4:41 PM
Thanks, MasterMonkey13
amidalooine
The Emotional Galaxy
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 5:08 PM
All these lists!! Makes me want to make one of my own! :D

I have to say that your #15 is really my #1. The friendships, the relationships, are what make SW tick for me. All the rest is gravy.

:)
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 5:11 PM
That's funny, amidalooine, because I thought about changing that to #1, but I guess if you didn't have the characters you wouldn't have the friendships. Thanks for reading that LONG list.
  KaiYves
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 5:13 PM
R2-D2 is my favorite character! The parody/adaptation that I'm working on now doesn't even have a Threepio, but it has an Artoo!
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 6:09 PM
A friend of mine in college was all about R2-D2, that's when I learned how popular he is. I got to meet Kenny Baker in 1998 and maybe some of him shown through in the barrel-shaped droid, because he's a great guy.
  jediknightcole34
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 7:14 PM
Love the list! Especially Wookiees/Vulcans. But I think that Wookiees are more like Klingons. They are both easily angered. Overall a very good list. I love the Falcon and Slave One.

I would probably substitute Gungan City with Star Destroyers. And I'd put in Mon Cal Cruisers. They saved the Alliance.

Liked reading it, though. Brought back tons of memories!;)
The Stooge
Star Wars Joke-A-Day
date Posted: Mar 05, 2008 10:29 PM
No two people on planet Earth look as different as Yoda and Chewbacca, but they could not only tolerate each other, they were willing to die for each other.

Good observation! Maybe that's why his piggyback scene works so well -- Yoda didn't even have to ask. It was understood that that's what friends are for.

I am a bit surprised that you didn't include the lightsaber fight between Obi and Maul. That's probably my fave of all the films.
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Mar 06, 2008 4:47 AM
I thought about putting in the Mon Calarami ships, but I couldn't think of their proper name. I saw the Star Destroyer and Super Star Destroyers made the INSIDER list, but to me they were menacing, but not really very action oriented. I thought the various forms of TIE Fighters all deserved their own positions.

As far as the fight between Obi and Maul, yes, that is a good one, but I'm more of a talky lightsaber fight guy and I don't think there are any words exchanged in that one.
master zarate
When are they coming out?
date Posted: Mar 07, 2008 10:02 AM
Hey have you seen anything on the new Star Wars series on Spike tv? They are really keep it under wraps. I really want to see what happens between 3 and 4. This will really answer alot of things like completion of the Death Star and hopefully see some of Luke's raising, flying the T-16 and maybe what is left of the Jedi in the galaxy that were not killed in the last attack.
Jade Sabre777
A luminous being, I am...
date Posted: Mar 08, 2008 12:39 PM
89. Hoth Storm Troopers
:^O I'm sorry FAN4YRS, but at first glance, I read this as "hot storm troopers!!" :8}

99. The end of "Return of the Jedi"
I'm glad this made your list. I watched this scene the other day, and I was reminded of how much I love it and how emotional the ending is for me. :)

Great list! :D
leia19886
Someone get this big walking carpet out of my way ...
date Posted: Mar 08, 2008 1:00 PM
# 15 -- the lost frienship between Obi-Wan and Anakin -- not necessarly a favorate SW
moment, but a root for Obi-Wan to watch over Luke for all those years.

Nice list -- Hope your having a good weekend.
Sorry I missed this the other day:)
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Mar 08, 2008 2:32 PM
I should have said "Snow Troopers"

Thanks for reading my incredibly long list.
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