Star Wars: questions you've always wanted answers for

[Treadwell]

Well, if all troopers have grappling hooks hidden somewhere, Luke's was the only one that wore one on the back of his belt in lieu of the cylinder.

 

[Jedi2016]

Well, if all troopers have grappling hooks hidden somewhere, Luke's was the only one that wore one on the back of his belt in lieu of the cylinder.

Do we see that specifically? I can't recall. I would theorize that the "cylinder" is the spool of wire used for the grappling hook. Has to come from somewhere.

 

[Treadwell]

Yes, it is plainly seen on the trooper's belt when the pair goes up the Falcon's ramp (and other times). He does NOT have the cylinder (EU says it's a thermal detonator).

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Regarding black Jedi stuff... The unprocessed ghost Anakin from ROTJ had a black turtleneck, black cloak, and dark cream "mid-robe" (this is the least-processed image I could readily find. I'll have to scan the one I have here at home):

Other artists picked up on that and one used that as inspiration to depict an interpretation of a younger Obi-Wan (pre-Prequels):

And also for Luke post-ROTJ:

It's all reflected in Vader's ANH outfit the most, with his black inner robe worn over the chest armor, rather than the harder-to-see under that he had for the rest of the films:

And yes, I really wish they'd remembered this for the Prequels (and Clone Wars). I'd've loved to have seen Anakin wearing his Clone Wars armor over standard black Jedi top and trousers, with the cream robe over that a la Vader or Obi-Wan, above. Makes sense to ditch the cloak for front-line combat. As far as "bad guys wear black", the whole premise George was going for (and forgot) was monastic. Allow me to cite history:

Catholic monasteries and the monks who live in them have weathered the ups and downs of colorful historic times while embracing an architectural austerity and color palette that starkly differentiated them from society. The subdued and neutral shades of monks' robes visibly proclaimed their vows of poverty and detachment from the ornaments and distractions of this world. Different monastic orders chose distinctive hues for their habits as an additional means of advertising their particular missions and philosophies.

In early days, the habits of religious orders were somewhat of a hodgepodge. Monks wore whatever color of poor garment was available, based on donations from the faithful, local cloth and vegetable dyes, or the tradition of their monastery. Robes were gray, brown, undyed wool or a mix of dun colors. As the monasteries grew in power and prestige, traditions codified and each order identified itself with colors chosen to express the philosophy or commitment of that particular community. By the twelfth century, as monastic growth and influence was approaching its zenith, the habits of the orders had become distinctive uniforms.

Benedictines were the most organized and widespread order and, like other religious houses, they started out wearing simple undyed wool robes -- a kind of dingy white shading to dark, depending on the local sheep. Eventually they settled on black as the color for habits and became known as "the black monks." True black robes required dye so the adoption of a processed color may have signified the relative wealth of the Benedictine communities, without refuting ideals of monastic humility and simplicity by embracing an ostentatious -- and more expensive -- color like red or blue. The Carthusians, an order of mostly contemplative monks, wore undyed white wool robes with white over-tunics called scapulars or cowls. They were known as "white monks" due to the all-white habits of fully-professed Carthusian monks.

Cistercians follow the Rule of St. Benedict but their practices are more severe and, unlike the Benedictines, Cistercians do not wear black. Cistercian robes are undyed and range in hue from grayish-white to light brown. The undyed wool of their tunics and cowls is a mark of their poverty. Despite the fact that none of their garments are exactly white, Cistercians are also called "white monks" to distinguish them from the more worldly Benedictines.

A reform monastery of the Cistercian order is today known as Trappists wear a stark white tunic under a black scapular -- a kind of protective apron -- to signify their strict adherence to monastic life. Trappists are a relatively recent monastic order. Unlike most monasteries that were founded in the Middle Ages, the Trappist order began in the vivid and opulent seventeenth-century Renaissance, well after the dissolution of the established monasteries by Henry VIII in the fourteenth century.

Brown went in and out of fashion in monastic couture. The Carmelites chose brown wool and stayed with it as a reminder of the cross on which ****** was crucified and of the humility of the soil of the earth. The sturdy brown robes are held together with a leather cincture, a visible sign of the vow of chastity the monks take when entering the order.

Franciscans, itinerant mendicant preachers who are actually friars, embrace a life of poverty and their original brown robes reflected the destitution of the peasants they served. The robes of St. Francis' followers were made of cloth and old clothing donated by those peasants, who always wore undyed brown. The color brown also symbolizes the Franciscan commitment to protect the earth and nature and to contribute to society.

Dominicans are also teaching friars, not monks, who wear white tunics. Their pale robes reflect traditional garb of teachers and represent purity. Tunics are belted in black leather and their white scapular is a blessed shield of protection from the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, not a protective apron for their robes.

Wordy, I know, but relevant, and the most concise evolution of monastic habits I've found. TL: DR -- George absorbed a lot of this between his original notes and co-writing ROTJ and his notion of the Jedi at the time they were wiped out was like the Benedictines, wealthy and powerful, but maintaining an air of austerity. When the writers and artists of the Tales of the Jedi era got to work on the Old Republic Jedi, they followed that lead, giving them that hodgepodge look of early monks making do with whatever charity gave them, mostly undyed fabrics in creams and browns. That sort of got incorporated into the design process of the Prequel Jedi, despite not being intended for that era, and George utterly forgetting his viewpoint of a decade-and-a-half earlier. Along with many other things. I do not say this to slam him or the Prequels, but to show the real-world evolution of how concepts were forgotten by the creators over time.

I am basing my Jedi costume on this version. ^

Other stuff:

1) There are many problems with the original Death Star battle. We need to either ignore them or re-imagine the whole thing (Where are the rest of the "thirty Rebel ships"? Why did they enter the trench so far back from the port? Why didn't the Empire launch more TIEs -- pretty sure the Death Star had more than that on board? Where was the Star Destroyer Vader had arrived on? Etc.)

2) Two quote Anakin -- the sand gets everywhere. Might just have been more pragmatic to use local beasts of burden rather than expose speeders to that environment (especially if they weren't expecting to have to range out from the escape pod landing site -- the sensors showed no life forms, remember).

3) From the pilots' gear to Mandalorian armor, I highly, highly doubt we're supposed to presume they consist only of the single layer of lightweight Earth fabrics. More likely to be some ultra-advanced version of pressure/anti-g suit, with the flight suit protecting it from getting dirty or snagged. Also, the pilots were originally supposed to have air masks and interlocking visors:

And the EU picked up on that:

But the mask was ditched and visor lightened so we could see the actors' faces. Some of us maintain that the mask is hanging out of camera shot, attached to the chair, and the pilots presumably have enough time to snap it on before ejecting, and the other visor closes automatically. The EU also came up with the notion that the chair had a protective clamshell that closed when ejecting. Don't have any pictures handy of that, though.

4) Yeah, they pick up anything they run across. We see this most recently in an "interlude" chapter in Aftermath.

Spoiler

A longtime customer who the jawas know and trust is let into an inner chamber where they keep the "good stuff", where he finds a bunch of pieces of sail barge wreckage and a box with a complete, but very acid-scarred set of Mandalorian armor.

5) Some who know ANH Stormtroopers better than I would be able to tell you scene and time index, but I know some of the Stormtroopers in the opening scene on the Tantive IV have the grappling hook, and I am pretty sure he shows up elsewhere on the Death Star, too.

6) I'm fine with them being multipurpose add-ons for hauling cargo, pulling over smaller walkers, or hauling wrecked materiel for salvage.

Yes, I know I talk a lot. Shut up.

--Jonah

 

[Treadwell]

Regarding black Jedi stuff... The unprocessed ghost Anakin from ROTJ had a black turtleneck, black cloak, and dark cream "mid-robe"

Due to all the trips through the optical printer, it's inconclusive whether those are just dark brown. Contrast would increase with each film generation.

5) Some who know ANH Stormtroopers better than I would be able to tell you scene and time index, but I know some of the Stormtroopers in the opening scene on the Tantive have the grappling hook, and I am pretty sure he shows up elsewhere on the Death Star, too.

Just went through the Tantive scenes; not a single one.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Hrm... I remember the discussion from years ago over on whitearmor.net, but only hazily. I know TK-421 wasn't the only appearance of that hook in ANH...

As far as Anakin, yeah the jury's out on the cloak. My take is a very, very dark chocolate brown (much darker than the action figure). And his turtleneck has no warm tones in it at all -- it stands out in stark contrast to even the cloak and every other dark/shadowed color in that image of Shaw. The larger image I have here that Kenner airbrushed into that card art (adding the blue haze) even shows the faint ribbing on the part of the shirt visible below the collar before it disappears behind the inner robe. It's either black or such a dark shade of cold gray as to be indistinguishable from black...

--Jonah

 

[Utinni]

I don't know too much about radio waves, but if the Trash Compactor is "magnetically shielded" how does Luke's comlink work???

- Jeff

 

[robn1]

I don't know too much about radio waves, but if the Trash Compactor is "magnetically shielded" how does Luke's comlink work???

- Jeff

The door was magnetically sealed.

 

[Utinni]

Wouldn't the rest of the walls be too? Since the blast bolt bounced off the others and only stopped when it hit debris/trash? But I guess you could say the radio waves traveled out the chute hole they fell from...

 

[robn1]

I took Luke's line to mean that there was a magnetic lock on the door, not shielding. How that makes it impervious to blaster fire I don't know, but I never gave it any thought.

 

[Hovito loincloth]

Yes, it is plainly seen on the trooper's belt when the pair goes up the Falcon's ramp (and other times). He does NOT have the cylinder (EU says it's a thermal detonator).

Mmmm, what shall I accessorise with today? Detonator or Grappling hook? I know, I'll stand out from the crowd. GRAPPLING HOOK! You go girlfriend, today's gonna be a good day!

 

[Jaitea]

When R2 plugged into the Death Star's computer system & located where the tractor beam power locations were for Ben,......it would be funny if this were to happen:

THREEPIO
He says he's found the main computer to power the tractor beam that's holding the ship here. He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor.

The computer monitor flashes readouts.

THREEPIO
The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave.

Ben studies the data on the monitor readout.

BEN
I don't think you boys can help. I must go alone.

HAN
Whatever you say. I've done more what I bargained for on this trip already.

LUKE
I want to go with you.

BEN
Be patient, Luke. Stay and watch over the droids.

LUKE
But he can...

BEN
They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny
lies along a different path than mine. The Force will be with you... always!

Ben adjusts the lightsaber on his belt and starts to step out of the open doorway....

Artoo starts beeping frantically

THREEPIO
Artoo says, don't bother going,...he's switched it off from here

J

 

[Hovito loincloth]

And how garbage does a Star Destroyer generate? If any ship chucks out what looks like several thousand tons of broken machinery enough to disguise a freighter then they must be horrendously maintenance intensive. Is the internal volume of the ship stock full of spare parts?

 

[Laspector]

I always assumed that when the X-wing pilot ejects, maybe the whole cockpit comes out like some kind of escape pod or something.

And yeah, what's the point of magnetically sealing a trash bin door? Why make that door blaster proof yet not the doors to your ships to avoid boarding?

 

[Fenris]

And yeah, what's the point of magnetically sealing a trash bin door? Why make that door blaster proof yet not the doors to your ships to avoid boarding?

You got a point.

 

[Monkey67]

Well maybe they break out the big guns or hack the lock. Could have used a thermo / c4 on the ship door. No need for blaster when you can blow that bad boy apart. That's why the storm trooper keep a thermo on them all time...well not the guy who rocked the hook that day.

 

[Riceball]

1 Why don't the rebels drop some more fighters behind Vader and the Ties in the trench and take them out or just fly in Falcon style and pick them off?
2 Empire with repulsor lift vehicles and speeders yet the Sandtroopers adopt Dewbacks while dispatched to Tatooine. Why? And nobody say it's like the Alliance "having trouble adapting the speeders to the cold."
3 Porkin's is asked to eject. So he would swap a fiery death to freeze in space or does an orange coverall and motorcycle gloves protect pilots from no atmosphere and sub-zero temperatures.
4 Jawas. Great business model trundling round the desert hoping to chance upon droids.
5 Grappling hook. Amongst millions of imperial troops Luke happens to chance on the only Stormtrooper with a grappling hook. Good job TK4356 or "Mr Tractor Beam Deactivator key guy" as he was known to his colleagues had the day off.
6 Snowspeeder tow cables. Why? Do the Rebels have target blimps or an ace waterski team that would need tow cables? Are there some kind of snow-whales on Hoth that need harpooning?

1. I always wondered about that too, for that matter, when they're running down the trench why don't one of the escort fighters pull up and drop speed a touch and drop back behind the TIES in the trench? But I suppose, like Wolfsburg suggests, perhaps all of the other fighters were too busy with the TIEs outside of the trench but if so, that makes them pretty lousy escorts in my opinion.

2. This is probably because using dewbacks was deemed to be more efficient because all that sand tends to mean lots of maintenance on mechanical systems, more than it would be worth. This doesn't mean that the Empire didn't have repulsorlift craft on Tattooine, it's possible because of maintenance they kept them in reserve for when speed is critical.

3. My guess is that the cockpit serves as an escape pod, sort like how the cockpit on the F-111 was originally designed to serve as an escape module for the crew instead of ejection seats.

4, 5, & 6 Got nothing there.

 

[Riceball]

And yeah, what's the point of magnetically sealing a trash bin door? Why make that door blaster proof yet not the doors to your ships to avoid boarding?

What's to say that the Tantive IV is actually a military grade ship? Perhaps it's a civilian ship and doesn't have anti-boarding measures, outside of troops inside, because as a civilian vessel it doesn't expect to need to repel boarders. Sure it has blasters, but those could be more for taking care of debris it might encounter and/or discouraging pirates, pirates who would likely not be flying in something as large as an Imperial Star Destroyer.

 

[glunark]

There was a lot of big pieces in the garbage, but I figure it came from when the two SDs came together when the falcon swooped down in between them, which kind of raises another question.

Even if the falcon had not escaped right then, those two were still heading for each other, was noone watching the helm, or checking the radar?

 

[Treadwell]

Perhaps it was an unusual amount and size of garbage due to asteroid damage. (Damage that just so happens to be on the opposite side from camera, of course)