Nick Hughes, a Star Wars enthusiast and managing editor of The Snapper, poses with his 3D printed stormtrooper helmet. Photo courtesy of Kat Delaney / The Snapper

Nick Hughes
Managing Editor

Here it is, the fifth and first to last Star Wars state of the Union. This series of opinion articles started my first full year as Opinion editor here at The Snapper. Five is an important number for Star Wars. It is the episodic number of the best Star Wars movie, “Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes back.” 

Now, I am not striking back at anything, but I do want to look at Star Wars and how it is doing this year. In previous articles, I looked at the controversy that was plaguing the galaxy I love. I have decided not to do that this time, instead of looking at the positives that have happened since the last Union.

The big one first, The Mandalorian happened and revitalized the franchise. With the introduction of Grogu, who most people refer to as Baby Yoda and Mando, whose real name in the show is Din. Two seasons later and I am chomping at the bit to see more of the Mandalorian. In the show, we saw the return of several characters that I felt Disney intentionally forgot about. 

Chief amongst those, at the time, was Boba Fett. Mandalorian gave Star Wars fans Fett once more. Boba Fett played a pivotal role in the second season of Mandalorian. I have been a long-time Boba Fett fan and at the end of the second season, akin to the Marvel movies, there was a post-credits scene. This scene announced the Book of Fett. A new Star Wars show that will star the famed Bounty Hunter. 

Shortly after that, during an investors meeting, some more big announcements happened, and let me say it is good to be a Star Wars fan right now. There will be a show staring Ahsoka Tano, from The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Mandalorian. Rosario Dawson will be reprising her role in this tv show. We also got a Cassian Andor show called Andor. Cassian is the male lead in the Rogue One anthology film, which I loved and rank as my third favorite movie in the Star Wars movies. 

I watched this investor meeting via a live stream and my roommate had to come running to my room to see if I was alright because of my screams of happiness. Ewan McGregor was invited on stage during this investor meeting. McGregor plays a favorite character of mine by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Quite possibly the most popular Jedi in all of Star Wars. Yes, they are doing an Obi-Wan Kenobi show. To say my excitement is at its peak does not do my excitement justice. To compound that, we later found out that the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader would also be in the show, and reprising the role of Lord Vader was none other than Hayden Christensen. 

Now, let us talk animation. Firstly, we got the Bad Batch, which I would say is a masterpiece so far and that I cannot wait for the third season. In this very issue of The Snapper though, you can find my review of what I consider to be one of the biggest steps for Star Wars in the past couple of decades. Anime. Yes, you read right, Star Wars anime now exists and I have never been happier about Star Wars than I am right now. I watched all nine episodes the day they came out and I loved them all. 

Wow, that is a lot of Star Wars. The future looks very bright for Star Wars fans. I cannot wait to see what happens next in a galaxy far, far away. May the force be with you, always.