SJW Wars: The Force Awakens

[rogue06]

Oh, he's scary enough, in a loose cannon sort of way. I would not want to ever approach him bearing bad news.

Compared to Darth Vader Kylo Ren is about as intimidating as a bowl of day old spaghetti. Other members of the Empire were either terrified of Vader or didn't live long enough to regret it. With Kylo Ren they openly sneer at him and try to undermine him. He is just a big emo kid that looks like he should have been cast as an extra for House Slithering in Harry Potter.

[Zymologist]

Oh, he's scary enough, in a loose cannon sort of way. I would not want to ever approach him bearing bad news.

That's true enough. I think a lot of people are (inevitably, I suppose) comparing him to Vader and concluding that he lacks the gravitas and menace of his idol. Which he does, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. It looks like they're going to try to develop Kylo Ren as a villain, which has the potential to be very interesting.

Edit: Btw, Darth Vader is my favorite film villain, by far.

[One Bad Pig]

Compared to Darth Vader Kylo Ren is about as intimidating as a bowl of day old spaghetti. Other members of the Empire were either terrified of Vader or didn't live long enough to regret it. With Kylo Ren they openly sneer at him and try to undermine him. He is just a big emo kid that looks like he should have been cast as an extra for House Slithering in Harry Potter.

Pretty much. What was intimidating about Darth Vader was his ruthless self-control. He didn't have to yell to intimidate; he just casually used his power, and let that do the talking.

[rogue06]

That's true enough. I think a lot of people are (inevitably, I suppose) comparing him to Vader and concluding that he lacks the gravitas and menace of his idol. Which he does, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. It looks like they're going to try to develop Kylo Ren as a villain, which has the potential to be very interesting.

Edit: Btw, Darth Vader is my favorite film villain, by far.

IMHO, Vader was totally dark who in the end returned to the light whereas Ren appears to be gray struggling to decide where he really belongs.

[Zymologist]

IMHO, Vader was totally dark who in the end returned to the light whereas Ren appears to be gray struggling to decide where he really belongs.

Yeah. What I meant was that people are IMO unfairly comparing Ren to Vader, whereas I don't think it's really a fair comparison. I mean, in A New Hope, Vader had been Vader for like 20 years already. He was the most feared man in the entire galaxy. Ren's just some new kid in comparison.

I'm hopeful that when he does finally decide where he belongs, he might be a lot more compelling.

Edit: Basically I thought Kylo Ren was an alright villain. It seems clear that they've got bigger things planned for him than just being a Vader wannabe with a temper problem. Also, the fact that he could practically shrug off a direct hit from Chewie's bowcaster and keep fighting was a lot more impressive than I've seen some people make it out to be.

[Adrift]

You know, it's a shame that the characterization of Kylo that we get in The Force Awakens wasn't what we got with Anakin in Episode II and III. I mean, yeah, my critique of Kylo as non-scary stands, but you can see in him so much more of that internal struggle in the small amount of screen time that he had in this film than you do with Anakin in two entire films as one of the main protagonists. Kylo is the kind of guy I can see turning fully to the Dark Side in Episode III, not some whiny muppet who complains about sand and how unjust the Jedi are in one film, and is off killing "younglings" in the second. That turn around in just one film was completely unbelievable. Kylo isn't scary, but he's believable.

[rogue06]

Yeah. What I meant was that people are IMO unfairly comparing Ren to Vader, whereas I don't think it's really a fair comparison. I mean, in A New Hope, Vader had been Vader for like 20 years already. He was the most feared man in the entire galaxy. Ren's just some new kid in comparison.

I'm hopeful that when he does finally decide where he belongs, he might be a lot more compelling.

Edit: Basically I thought Kylo Ren was an alright villain. It seems clear that they've got bigger things planned for him than just being a Vader wannabe with a temper problem. Also, the fact that he could practically shrug off a direct hit from Chewie's bowcaster and keep fighting was a lot more impressive than I've seen some people make it out to be.

Direct hit? Looked more like it winged him or more precisely was a flesh wound.

[rogue06]

Next up:

Is BB8 really the love child of WALL-E and R2D2?

[Zymologist]

Direct hit? Looked more like it winged him or more precisely was a flesh wound.

I'd have to see it again. It looked like it hit him just off-center.

[rogue06]

I'd have to see it again. It looked like it hit him just off-center.

Me too. But it seemed to be in his side above his hip and below the ribs -- at least that's where it appeared he clutched.

[Zymologist]

I'm wondering if there's an explanation for Ren's lightsaber looking so unique (not just the cross hilt; the "blade" itself looked different from any other lightsabers in the movies) or if they just did it because it looked cool.

[rogue06]

I'm wondering if there's an explanation for Ren's lightsaber looking so unique (not just the cross hilt; the "blade" itself looked different from any other lightsabers in the movies) or if they just did it because it looked cool.

Awhile back I saw a website that explained what the various colors of the light sabers meant but nothing on one that essentially "sizzled." And the cross guard idea is IMHO moronic in that it only makes it more deadly for the wielder.

[Adrift]

I'm wondering if there's an explanation for Ren's lightsaber looking so unique (not just the cross hilt; the "blade" itself looked different from any other lightsabers in the movies) or if they just did it because it looked cool.

One fan theory is that, since Kylo never finished his Jedi training, he didn't know how to built a proper lightsaber. Another theory is that he didn't have the resources to build one, especially as crystals are not easy to come by.

Basically, the sizzling and "guard" on the sword is venting from an incomplete or unstable lightsaber.

According to secondary media (the cartoons, books, whatnot), Jedi blue and green swords are colored because of the natural crystals they find in caves. Sith red swords contains synthetic crystals.

Samuel Jackson's purple lightsaber was allowed simply because Jackson loves the color purple, and it was part of the deal for him to play Mace Windu. I thought that was a goofy decision, and that (along with the rest of the prequels) I've decided do not exist.

[Zymologist]

One fan theory is that, since Kylo never finished his Jedi training, he didn't know how to built a proper lightsaber. Another theory is that he didn't have the resources to build one, especially as crystals are not easy to come by.

Basically, the sizzling and "guard" on the sword is venting from an incomplete or unstable lightsaber.

According to secondary media (the cartoons, books, whatnot), Jedi blue and green swords are colored because of the natural crystals they find in caves. Sith red swords contains synthetic crystals.

Samuel Jackson's purple lightsaber was allowed simply because Jackson loves the color purple, and it was part of the deal for him to play Mace Windu. I thought that was a goofy decision, and that (along with the rest of the prequels) I've decided do not exist.

I've heard that theory.

I heard another one that argued that his lightsaber was of a more ancient design, which now that I think about it might (if true) have implications for Supreme Leader Snoke and just who he is....

[Adrift]

I've heard that theory.

I heard another one that argued that his lightsaber was of a more ancient design, which now that I think about it might (if true) have implications for Supreme Leader Snoke and just who he is....

That's an interesting theory. In The Clone Wars animated series they show a primitive lightsaber called the "Darksaber".