The Sequel Trilogy: Your Ideas?

[Blaxican]

[video=youtube_share;5BBhNkywMJY]http://youtu.be/5BBhNkywMJY[/video]

PROSPERO, IS THAT YOU??

 

[Kaeb]

So I had a notion today, which is always troublesome.

Naturally, as always it was somewhat connected to the notion of disregarding the prequels in favour of concepts established or rather, not established in the original films.

If we end up having a young protagonist who is connected to Luke in some way, shape or form, whether it's through Jedi teachings or blood relation, what if that protagonist wielded Darth Vader's lightsaber?

Originally, all we are told is that Vader used to be a Jedi and still follows some of their doctrine, so from that ideal we could simply assume that the red lightsaber really has nothing to do with his alignment, despite established notions in the prequels.

This is a simple visual idea moreso than anything else, but essentially what I'm suggesting, is that a main "good guy" protagonist wield a red lightsaber in defiance of the dumb idea some of us have grown to loathe that all bad guys must wear black and wield red lightsabers.

It's a small almost insignificant thing, but something I'd like to see regardless.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I like that idea, especially if the Jedi of the new era are ones who do away with the silly rules and codes of the Old Jedi, and embrace the idea that emotions are not inherently dark sided. It would be an in-universe breakdown of the prequely ideas of Jedi and Sith.

I’ve toyed with your idea for the ancient eras of SWRP as well. That before the advent of the Bogan Empire, red lightsabers were used by the Jedi. It wasn’t until after the Bogan that the Jedi said “yeah maybe these send off the wrong signal now” and did away with them.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

I'm all for the red lightsaber wielding protagonist idea, don't get me wrong, but I think it should be a bigger deal that he have a red colored blade, especially darth-one-man-jedi-genocider-vader's, then just "Oh wow he's so edgy going against the grain". I mean, if it was a few years after WWII and someone came out in the military using not only a mauser pistol, but one used by Ernst Kaltenbrunner himself as his personal weapon, needless to say it would catch more then a few peoples attention.

Also you need to account for the mainstream, non-hard core of the star wars fanbase who might not just roll with the main character using a red lightsaber just because it breaks a tradition and without it having any sort of significance beyond meta-symbolism.

As for the jedi code of the prequels, I'd say refining them and softening them would be more ideal then outright tossing them out the window. There are some good points to be had and some very good potential for telling stories of how dangerous uncontrolled emotions can be. It was handled badly in the prequels, I won't argue with that, but there is probably a better way that keeps to the spirit of the old trilogy with the ideas of the new. Regardless of what they decide however, if they provide an in-universe explanation for the transition and don't just do it out of the blue, i'll probably be happy with it.

 

[Kiro]

I like that idea, especially if the Jedi of the new era are ones who do away with the silly rules and codes of the Old Jedi, and embrace the idea that emotions are not inherently dark sided. It would be an in-universe breakdown of the prequely ideas of Jedi and Sith.

I’ve toyed with your idea for the ancient eras of SWRP as well. That before the advent of the Bogan Empire, red lightsabers were used by the Jedi. It wasn’t until after the Bogan that the Jedi said “yeah maybe these send off the wrong signal now” and did away with them.

Well, there were some Jedi in the Old Order whom carried red lightsabers too (Adi Gallia had one, I believe). They weren't outright the crimson of Vader or Dooku's lightsabers, but more scarlet and burgundy, but they were still shades of red, so it's not unheard of for Jedi to carry red lightsabers.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

Thinking on it a bit further I would honestly imagine after darth vader served as a jedi killing symbol of imperial oppression all those years, people would be more weary to adopt things in line with his image then they were in the prequel era. So red lightsaber, black armor, and probably cyborgs everywhere would get a bad reputation simply by aesthetic association. That's just my two cents on the matter.

 

[Kaeb]

This is all about subverting expectations, the fact that a main protagonist is theoretically wielding a red lightsaber, does not have to be a big idea, concentrating on specific elements instead of establishing them as just another part of the world is one of the reasons the aesthetic and tone of the prequels were so different from the original films.

In the Star Wars world, lightsabers are not viewed the same way we view them, they're a tool like any other, as normal as swords or guns in the real world. At least that's how it was in the original films. When Obi Wan Kenobi chops off that dudes arm in the cantina, you don't see everyone screaming "HOLY SHIT A LIGHTSABER" because that's our reaction as an audience, not theirs as characters.

Drawing too much attention to it would possibly do it a disservice, but it should still be something that is noteworthy, although Vader's lightsaber was just an example, it doesn't have to be his. But if it was:


One of Luke's pupils sneaks into his inner sanctum and steals it.

"You know PROTAGONIST, there was a time when the common folk saw certain shades of a lightsaber as corrupt, omens of destruction and torment. That crimson blade you hold once belonged to a renowned war criminal of his time. My father."

"You don't mean...is this the weapon that was once wielded by Vader? He was your father?!!"

"Yes, but I trust your judgement young one. Times have changed and so have the Jedi. If you really wish to use that blade, you may, but know that it has a history and that should you will it, you can rewrite it."

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

Now that kind of scene is what Id be looking for, addressing the concern and possible implications of using such a blade which also demonstrating the new film principles and philosophies of the changing times. That's what I want to see if they decided to chsnge things up, because thst shows the right kind of mindset mindset introducing change into the world, by acknowledging the in world issues from an in world and out of world perspective.

 

[Kaeb]

Yeah, but keep in mind, that's the kind of thing that would take thirty seconds and be one of a hundred aspects of the character and their ties to the world.

That's something I'd really really love to see, but they probably won't do it because pandering.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

If a single short sentence of a characters entire dialogue can count as groundbreaking writing, I think a 30 seconds scene could manage. Besides, its best not to get bogged down with certain scenes lest the movie ends up dragging too much.

 

[Kaeb]

I'm glad you like it.

If there's anything they need to do this time around, it's subvert expectations.