Characters From Before to Beyond: Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan Discussion Thread! - January Challenge up!

This sounds fine, better than what I was thinking, something about the legal age for drinking or voting. Unsure if that kind of benchmark is actually in the GFFA --- it might take a bit of distracting backstory to set it up.

 

I was thinking similar similar - you're not starting the story with that - BUT?

 

Well, actually not. And I have already done Obi-Wan examining himself in the mirror in another story. For this one, I was thinking of something more intrusive.

I guess I'll go with the 'older man' way of hinting at Obi-Wan's age. Thanks for the comments!

I generally assume that Jedi Padawans are legally adults in the Republic. Physically, they're not, but I can't see how they could go on missions unless they had adult status. And if Naboo can elect Padme Queen at 14, then legal adulthood at 13 isn't too outrageous. But there might be some type of 'maturity qualifications' that have to be met before being a legal adult.

All of that is tough to bring into the narrative, and a lot of times, it's not even necessary, but it's nice to have it in the background for writing.

Wow, interesting point about not knowing the gender of a character. I try to give a quick look for all characters coming into the story, whether they're canon or not, and the gender is usually the first thing that comes up. But in the GFFA, would not knowing the gender of a character bother other characters in the story? There are so many species that come and go, I'm sure that gender often isn't always clear.

 

"Wild Space" came out today. Very focused on Obi-Wan as a character. The entire book is extremely character driven, with good insights into all characters. Qui-Gon is mentioned quite a few times, by Obi-Wan, Yoda and Anakin. Some very nice scenes of bonding between Obi-Wan and Anakin, and later Obi-Wan and Bail. Deals with the aftermath of Geonosis, then moves onto Clone War territory with Ahsoka. This is probably the most Obi-Wan centered profic I've read and his character is handled beautifully. It doesn't feel like a typical Star Wars novel, as there is much more insight into character thoughts and motivations. And it's a paperback, so $14 instead of over $20 like the usual new hardcover would be.

And the dedication page is awesome. I had to buy it for that alone.

 

Thanks for the review. I'm going to wait for a library copy and shall look forward to the read. I've been a little bit disappointed that the Clone Wars TV show has had a smidgen of Obi-Wan on his own and a small amount of Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship, though I don't begrudge Ahsoka and Anakin's growing up together. Only thirty minutes to do stuff in, after all.

 

I'm of the opinion that they should've focused more time on existing main characters than new side characters who don't show up in the films but that's for another thread.

It truly is the most Obi-tastic, Obi-licious book that I've read. Such characterization, such unparalleled ANGST!

 

Obi-angst??? In a pro-book? I'm going to have to look this one up. I wonder if the Clone Wars series will open up more chances for Obi-Wan-centric things?

I don't mind them going with side characters. I don't know if I'd like whatever stories they'd give to the main characters if they did more with them in the books. But I have to admit that the side characters are much more interesting to me if they are introduced through the movie characters like in the 'Last of the Jedi' books. I was pleased that Obi-Wan came back in the last book and gave Watson's Jedi character 'a job'.

 

Some suggest that Yoda believed that Qui-Gon was a gray Jedi. I don't think that's so at all. I mean, Yoda could have thought that, since, for all his wisdom, he was sort of out of touch, but a gray Jedi is one who uses questionable manifestations of the Force to achieve their own ends.

In many ways, Qui-Gon was waaaaaaaaay ahead of the other Jedi. He believed in the prophecy of the Chosen One, and he knew that the only way that the prophecy could be fulfilled was if Anakin was trained as a Jedi Knight.

He learned the ways of the Whills and could transcend death. This, I'm assuming, is a power available only to those who are true to the light side, since I've never heard of a dark sider ghosting into the Force.

 

Oh, and, I'm new here, so could somebody please link me to the January challenge?

 

Angsty Obi-centric book, yum, and I'm waiting with bated breath for the Clone Wars TV show to come up with some Qui-Gon, flashback, vision, I don't care. I do hope, however, that Qui-Gon's beard will not have Obi-Wan's "snowplow" character design re the beard.

 

Hi, QG_Reborn, welcome! Always great to see another Qui-Gon fan

As for the challenges: you find them all on the first page of this thread; the last one issued is the first one you see in this list, in this case the 'Qui-Gon defies the council' challenge. Hope this helps.

 

In the ROTS novelization (in a scene that was presumably cut out of the movie early on) Yoda first contacts Qui-Gon who tells him that it is compassion that allowed him to remain active in the Force beyond death and this was why no Sith would ever achieve that state. And that no Jedi had ever transcended death before.

What Qui-Gon didn't know was that Anakin would take the long way around to balancing the Force by nearly annihilating the Jedi Order and perpetrating 20+ years of serious evil-doing before that one act of compassion to save Luke put him into balance.

I think that Anakin was so strong in the Force that if he passed into the Force in a state of compassion, he would transcend death. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Yoda, thought strong in the Force, would not have transcended death unless they were connected to Anakin, who was that vergence in the Force that Qui-Gon saw. I think that the new balance in the Force is that post-Anakin, any Jedi passing into the Force would also transcend death as well, but that's just my theory.

 

Oh, I'm so oblivious sometimes. I completely missed the challenge on the first page. Thanks a lot!

Ahh...Qui-Gon...

 

I have read it and yes it's a great one

but what about continuity?
Anakin's knighting in other books is much later.

 

I'm in the middle and did notice, among my joy at the whole style and plot, that a while back someone somewhere said Anakin had been Knighted for six months before ROTS, which would skew this book. Right now, though,











SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT =========






Obi-Wan has been hurt and comforted (ka-ching!) , Skyguy and Snips are off on a dangerous mission and I'm going to try to finish it today.

 

I got the book, but I'm going to read 'Beetle the Bard' and 'Dark Rendezvous' first. And there's 'Shadows of Mindor', too.

I got the impression from the first Clone Wars cartoon series that Anakin was Knighted very soon before ROTS, but it's not definite. I'm not worried about continuity, too much. Ahsoka stretches continuity quite a bit for me -- this major person in Anakin's life slipped in between AOTC and ROTS who's never heard about otherwise -- though she's a good character. Ahsoka had better NOT be in the Temple when Anakin goes Vader on the Jedi.

Anyway, continuity is already hugely stretched by the Jedi Temple itself being at the end of ROTJ but not mentioned until many years after the ROTJ story in the EU. I'm willing to stretch a little continuity for an extra Obi-Wan adventure.

 

Indeed. Continuity fuels conversation for me, but that is a quibbly thing and I enjoy Ahsoka, also, as well as Force Unleashed. Dark Rendezvous I liked a lot; engaging characters and much detail regarding Temple practices, great. Stover and Mindor seem a can't miss novel. I'm on the waiting list at the library for it.

 

Just a little side question, I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the previous Clone Wars book in that series, the one that came before Wild Space? Is it any good, or is it just a rehashing of the cartoon movie? And is it necessary to read it before reading Wild Space? Thanks

 

It was a pleasant surprise. It's not necessary to read it to enjoy Wild Space, and Traviss I thought did a fine job with Rex and Ahsoka. Anakin's characterization was well-done and Ventress and Dooku got lots of attention. Obi-Wan did not. Little squibs at the beginning of each chapter moved the plot along neatly, referring to the visuals from the movie without a whole lot of description.

 

Not a lot of Obi-Wan in the 'Clone Wars' movie novelization? That's a shame. He wasn't the star of the movie, but I liked what he did -- it was very funny that the general he negotiated with sounded like Sean Connery. I think that's one thing I've been enjoying the most about the Clone Wars cartoons, the voices. The guy they have doing Obi-Wan isn't quite Ewan McGregor or Alec Guinness, but he's got the style right.

Perhaps 'Wild Spaces' is their way of making up for there not being that much Obi-Wan in the movie novelization?

 

Thanks pronker I think I'll hold off on getting the novelization then. We might have it at the library, we've been getting a ton of little Clone Wars books. It looks like it only come in hardcover too, $20 price tag.

 

Ouch, twenty! The only one, the last one as a matter of fact, on the shelf was paperback digest-size and was fifteen, ten with five off coupon. If resources allow it, it's worth a buy. I'm not sure of the Alex Wheeler Rebel Force books, if they would be worth purchasing, but boy! they would if Qui-Gon were in them, even as a flashback!

 

Is it allowed to enter this thread?
Looks like interesting talk here

 

Oh, anyone can post, though it is polite to stay on the general topic of Qui-Gon and/or Obi-Wan.

Speaking of........we haven't gotten a lot of Obi-Wan in the Clone Wars cartoons. A shame, but I suppose there's still hope. How long are the Clone Wars supposed to have been? 2 years? 3? I have a strong feeling that Obi-Wan got absolutely no time off during the Clone Wars. So, going from full speed warfare to complete abandonment on Tatooine must have been pretty traumatic.

 

You're right there.
But he did say that he planned to retire on a remote world to get some quiet for a year or two after Anakin's training was complete. He couldn't do that during the Clone Wars, but in a way he got his wish.