Star Bros

The Acolyte may be on the horizon, but the day shines bright on the High Republic in print form. One of the most impactful authors in the series has been Cavan Scott, author of The Rising Storm, Tempest Runner, Path of Vengeance, multiple comics series, and the upcoming Tempest Breaker in December 2024. Cavan teaches us more about his writing process, his influences in driving character development, and his plentiful action figures. You do not want to miss this interview with Cavan, High Republic fan or not.

The wait is over! Ok, we didn't have to wait that long in reality - we've been waiting for Andor longer - but with how season 2 of The Bad Batch ended, we really wanted an update on Omega's situation. We finally got our update, and luckily, Disney+ was feeling extra generous this time, giving us three new episodes. There was a lot to enjoy amongst all the stress of these first few episodes, including some more detail on the work happening at Hemlock's secret facility on Tantiss. We discuss all three episodes after recapping some of our favorite moments from season two.

If you were to ask any Star Wars fan what makes the franchise so great, you'll hear discussion of the Force and lightsabers, but arguably the most critical has to be...the music! John Williams is just as responsible as the creator himself for breathing life and emotion into our favorite character. In this episode, we pay tribute to the great John Williams and other composers in Star Wars, followed by a rundown of some of our favorite tracks and melodies, including a mediocre attempt to interpret John's amazing skill at writing music.

Disney Plus celebrated its 4th birthday recently! That's four full years of Star Wars streaming to reflect on. Many would be shocked to learn some of the stats that we uncovered about how much content has been developed for Disney Plus. From Mandalorian to Light and Magic, from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Biomes, Star Wars fans have truly been blessed with a lot of great content. But how successful has the Disney Plus era of Star Wars been for the franchise? Which shows were the best? What storylines do we want to see continue? Tune in to hear more of our analysis of the first four years of Disney Plus and Star Wars.

Happy Life Day, and for those in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving! In this episode, we sit down and send out some good vibes to the galaxy for the makers of Star Wars. We've isolated it to just four of the many that could be thanked: John Favreau, Doug Chiang, Cavan Scott, and Dave Filoni fresh off his recent promotion as chief creative officer. Tune in as we discuss the impact these creators have had on the Star Wars story that was kicked off by George Lucas.

In our third ever celebration of Halloween with the other patrons of our waterhole, which I guess would be our listeners, we get a little silly with our own scary stories based in the Star Wars galaxy. Think about it! What if there was a Frankenstein story in our favorite galaxy? What more chaos are Ewoks capable of? What if there were haunted houses on Coruscant? Well, you don't have to wonder anymore, because our fan-made stories may be just what you need to ring in the Halloween season.

Ahsoka has wrapped up (see Filoni, we can do a pun off of the Narnia franchise too), and while many of our questions about Ahsoka's whereabouts have been answered, it feels like we have more questions than when we started. A few things that are clear from this first season: Thrawn is a legitimate threat that did not disappoint, Filoni really knows how to develop and grow his characters, and most importantly, this story is just beginning! Tune in and share in the enjoyment of this first season as we discuss Thrawn's return, all the great surprises in these episodes, and our burning questions going into the next inevitable second season.

Filoni's story on Ahsoka is soaring to new storytelling heights just as our bro-hosts Jan and Ben come back down to earth after a wild few weeks of flying and being on lockdown. This week, the bro-hosts bring you a summary of our top favorites moments from the last three parts of Ahsoka, parts 3 through 5. We discuss everything from the state of the New Republic to who can wield the force, and we dissect Ahsoka's final lesson from a special guest that nearly blew Jan's mind back to the UK. You don't want to miss this series, nor our discussion of its top moments so far.

Nothing beats new Star Wars content! Ahsoka has finally arrived with a two-episode premiere, and after a long summer of school and travels, the Bros are finally back to cover it all and give our reactions (spoiler: they're very positive). We discuss everything from the nostalgia of seeing all these great characters and locations, a lot about Baylan and Shin, and the possible identity of Marrok. And Ben endures Jan talking about Philly cheesesteaks...again.

It’s our second take on an episode about technology after a technology glitch. Irony aside, we are back with our theme-based episodes to discuss all our favorite technologies in the galaxy, including holograms, lightspeed, and gravity tech? Yup, we cover that too! From the Techno Union to the beloved member of the Bad Batch Tech, technology may be just as important to Star Wars as sleep is for all of us…but please don’t go to sleep on us just yet!

Sometimes, you just hit a brick wall when it comes to puns and creative episode titles. But as the title suggests, we continue our conversation of Visions season two by covering the last four episodes: The Spy Dancer, The Bandits of Golak, The Pit, and Aau's Song. This has been a great season with tons of interesting stories that we would love to see continue someday, but until then, we will settle for these. Tune in to hear about some of our favorite moments and make sure to share yours with us as well!

You may not have the Galactic Starcruiser much longer to guide you through the galaxy, but you will always have the Star Bros to as your guide through the galaxy! On that cheesy note, dive in with us into the world of anime once again – Star Wars style – and share a laugh with us as we break down episodes one through five of this fantastic season.

Another milestone has been reached for another Star Wars movie, but this one just so happens to be our favorite one, so we have to cover it. As Return of the Jedi turns 40, we realize that it has only gotten better with age, especially with the additions of shows like Obi-Wan and the prequels. Even on what feels like our 100th watch of this movie, we pull new insights out on the state of the Empire, the Emperor’s plans, and all those changes since it came out in theaters. Tune in to celebrate with us, and be prepared to be shocked by you might actually learn!

We’ve reached the end of another terrific season of The Mandalorian, and this two-part finale gave us a lot to celebrate. And at the risk of spoiling anything here in the synopsis of this episode, we’ll just say that if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it and come right back! We finally have our villain, Bo Katan is at her best as she reunites two clans, and we get a few truly “What the force?!” moments that you just have to see! Let’s see if Jan can keep his excitement contained for the whole episode.

We know we’ve said this before, and we’re saying it again…it’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan. The conclusion of Bad Batch punched us in the gut, the Mandalorian keeps releasing fantastic episodes, and to top it all off, Star Wars Celebration is giving us so much news that we may need a second episode to break it all down. We’re here to cover it all, give you our reactions, and discuss the latest two installments of The Mandalorian: The Pirate and Guns For Hire, including that amazing battle on Navarro, that crazy about-face move by The Armorer, and the growth of Bo Katan (seriously, who IS the Mandalorian anymore?!).

The wait is over! Our patience has been rewarded with two fantastic episodes to kick off season 3 of The Mandalorian. And before you think too long that Favreau was going to just pick up the blueprint that made season two a resounding success, he has thrown the blueprint out the window and subverted all our expectations. In this episode, Jan and Ben discuss all the memorable moments of these first two episodes, including the hunt for a beloved droid (or two), some cute Anzellans, an unwelcome return to Mandalore, and THAT moment!

Mandalorian season 3 is so close, we can almost taste those blue macaroons ourselves! Your favorite beskar-clad bounty hunter and his force-wielding sidekick are about the capture our imaginations and hearts once again for the next couple of months, but before all that, we show just how inept we are at keeping our excitement contained. In this episode, we look back at the two seasons that preceded, discussing our favorite moments, characters, and episodes. If you're struggling to contain your excitement too, or just want to quickly recall where we stand going into this season, tune in for another great discussion!

On screen, stormtroopers are villains (albeit mostly harmless), but if you ever see them or discuss them in real life, they’re practically heroes and as iconic as the dark lord they serve. And while stormtroopers may not have the best aim, Jan and Ben are aiming to learn a new thing or two about every variety of trooper there is. In what may be our wackiest episode, we also discuss Finn, fun facts from the Stormtrooper book, and much more!

Some people find faith disturbing, but we find it just another fun topic worth a deeper discussion. From one taboo topic to another, this week is about religion! No attempts to convert you to a specific one, but instead, we talk about the role that religion plays in the Star Wars galaxy and the parallels that can be drawn to religions in our galaxy. So whether you’re curious connections to Buddhism, Christianity, or Islam; or, if you’d prefer to explore religions like the Jedi or those found on Jedha, tune in join the great religious debate!

"Death is just another path. One that we all must take." Oh wait, that’s a different franchise. Nonetheless, dealing with loss is a staple to great storytelling, and Star Wars makes us deal with our fair share of loss. As tends to be a tradition with the Star Bros, we dig deep into yet another obscure topic to see how Star Wars uses death to propel our characters arcs forward, the difference in how the Jedi and Sith view death, and the different rituals used to mourn and respect the fallen. And surprisingly, we make it a fun topic too!

Two things have made time stand still the last few years: the pandemic, and debate over the 8th episode in the Skywalker saga. Opinions are still as strong as ever, and it’s time we submitted our opinion into the universe. In this celebration of the 5th anniversary of The Last Jedi, we talk about all the initial reactions, how well it has aged, our favorite moments, and just how fair some of the criticisms are. We love this movie, but we attempt to make this a balanced discussion whether you’re a fan of it or not.

Oh, it is ON in Ferrix! Andor’s season finale has left us all picking up the broken pieces of our hearts and minds. Join us as we discuss the final two episodes of Andor: Daughter of Ferrix and Rix Road. We go deep into the culture of Ferrix, the inspiration of Maarva, and the brilliance of all the actors in this series! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, but the conversation is just beginning!

In the words of Jyn Erso, it's been a long time! We are finally back to bring you our deep dive into the two episodes of Andor that we missed: Nobody's Listening and One Way Out. Prison is never a picnic, but something about the work they're doing doesn't feel like community service. These episodes leave us exploring the depth of the prison metaphor, the lessons on leadership, and the power of sacrifice to make this Rebellion a reality. Needless to say, these episodes were a real treat for Star Wars fans and any fan of good television.

We bet you've never wanted to go to prison, but prison in our galaxy cannot be as bad as prison in the far away galaxy. Andor keeps moving along, and if the anxiety of an improbable heist isn't enough, let's try the anxiety of prison labor with a side of claustrophobia (do you get the episode title now?). The emotions keep running strong in this fantastic series and we are here to break it all down for you!

NYCC and back again! The Bros comes together to cover all the great insights we gained at New York Comic Con 2022 about the High Republic. But also, the Andor machine continues to roll on, and with that is more deep character development and another strong action sequence. These next two episodes really make you think differently about what it means to be a rebel, and it's a true gift to not just Star Wars fans, but all fans. We come together to break these two episodes down along with our coverage of NYCC. Don't miss it!

The wait is over! Andor is here, and it starts with a bang (wow, too soon)! This series has Star Wars fans (and even non-Star Wars fans) from all corners suddenly agreeing on something for a change…this one is special, and it’s clear to see why. Tune in as we discuss some of the major themes, including the Kenari, new characters (we talk about Syril a lot), and all the excitement that is to come, including some speculation.

We are back! Back in the country, back to full health, and since Andor is around the corner, we are back to talk…Kenobi?! It is only fair that before we move on to the next hit on Disney+, we look back at the last one and think about all the lessons we took from it into the next one. This week, we talk about all the wisdom we learn from the point of view of Ben Kenobi, the broken man who is searching for himself again. Everything from processing grief, overcoming your past, fighting for a purpose, and much more! We also cover everything we learned from the D23 expo!

The art of filmmaking has been a key part of our culture for the last decade, but it can be easily argued that ILM has been one of the most influential forces to the art growing to what it is today. With the Disney+ docuseries out now to show us more about how this amazing company came to be, we come together to discuss the best things we learned, the legacy of George Lucas as a leader and visionary, and the many people we learn about who were just as instrumental to making Star Wars as George was!

The Bros are back from summer vacations just in time to watch our favorite Lego friends go on their own summer vacation! And while we’re all dreaming of being on a nice beach at the resort on Scariff (while counting down the days to Andor thanks to that fantastic trailer), our dreams also move into place where all Star Wars fans find themselves daydreaming…having force powers. In this episode, we discuss what makes certain powers light side vs. dark side, the different powers introduced in The High Republic and Last Jedi, and the powers we would use if possible.

As it turns out, parents in our galaxy aren't the only ones trying to pass down good manners. There is such thing as cultural norms, etiquette, and manners in our favorite galaxy as well. The Bros dig into the power of culture and proper manners in Star Wars, at least the ones we know about, and discuss the purpose of protocol droids. Not only do we expect you to learn how to be on your best behavior on Kashyyyk and Mandalore by the end of the episode, but we also hope you'll be contemplating an important question: was it the Rebellion's choice in protocol droids and respect for culture that won them the Battle of Endor and beat the Empire?

With Obi-Wan officially under wraps and nothing else to talk about, we go back to our re-watch of Rebels with season two, a season that sees our rag-tag group of rebellious friends go through a lot of growing pains. And surprisingly, there's a lot of great ways to tie it back to the Obi-Wan series after all. Tune in to hear us discuss our favorite moments, ties to Ralph McQuarrie's artwork, that epic rematch, and the major themes that drive each character and the series along their rebellious path.

Wow. Just wow! Just like that, the Obi-wan Kenobi series has wrapped up and we are left picking our jaws up off the floor. We are here to break down parts four, five, and six of what has been a fantastic series that is all pulled together to an epic and satisfying conclusion. We talk about the character arcs of Tala and Reva, the power of Vader, and the rebirth of Obi-Wan as the titular hero. Heavy spoilers ahead, so please, go see this series and enjoy our breakdown.

Merchandise! Memorabilia! Collectibles! Star Wars has 'em all, and in abundance. Come on, it's a Disney franchise, what else would you expect? In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite pieces of merchandise that we own to show our love of Star Wars and share the stories behind those items that make them so special for us. Plus, we talk about the ultimate merchandise headquarters, Rancho Obi-Wan! And speaking of Obi-Wan, we get a little caught up in our excitement for it in the news too. So tune in to hear it all, including all the Funkos, models, Legos, action figures, and much much more that we own and hope to own someday. Maybe it'll get you inspired to make your nerd den too (and send us pics, please)!

With Obi-Wan now just one month away and everyone talking about Inquisitors, the Bros sit down to re-watch (and even watch for the first time) Season 1 of the beloved animated series, Rebels. If you want to relive your favorite moments from this season or just get the CliffsNotes version before you see Obi-Wan fight the Inquisitors himself, this is the episode for you!

It's been a few weeks now since Book of Boba Fett wrapped up, but it's still on our minds. So much so that we decided to revisit it and see what life lessons we could pull from this series alone. If you like our episode titled "Smaller In Number Are We, But Larger In Mind" where we discussed life lessons courtesy of George Lucas and Star Wars, then you don't want to miss this episode. We talk about how Boba Fett (seriously, of all characters, Boba Fett) ends up teaching us lessons about leadership, wisdom, community, and....kethcup?! Just listen and to find out more!

Well world, your patience has paid off. And as the Grand Inquisitor says, the key to hunting Jedi is patience. We’ve been given a small bit of footage for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer just in time for us to discuss his great master, Qui-Gon Jinn. In this episode, we dissect the trailer and go over all the great things that Qui-Gon gave us in just one movie. His time on the screen may have been relatively short, but his impact on the franchise and all its fans is large.

Disclaimer: our microphones did not work as planned this episode and cut out around the 5-minute mark. We apologize for the poor audio quality, but we had such a great conversation that we didn’t want you to miss it.

You know those robots that are always walking around in Star Wars? Don't they almost seem, I don't know, human? And I don't mean like they look and sound like humans (except in the case of R2-D2), but they do things like show emotion, experience challenges, and even grow. In this episode, we explore how the droids in Star Wars, especially C-3PO and R2-D2, are "characterized" as much as the other lead characters in the story, something that is almost uniquely Star Wars.

All good things must come to an end, and we’ve reached that point for The Book of Boba Fett. It feels like only yesterday Boba Fett was aggressively negotiating the removal of Bib Fortuna from the throne. Now look at him! He’s fighting for the soul of Mos Espa. I guess we all grow soft in our old age. Tune in as we discuss the season finale to this tale of Boba Fett, and here’s to hoping that this is just the first of many to come!

How do you even write a description of this episode without spoiling all the wonderful gifts we have received from The Book of Boba Fett lately? Do yourself a favor and make sure you're caught up on chapters 5 and 6 of the show on Disney+ and then tune in to hear us attempt to contain our excitement for these chapters. See if you can count how many times we "geek out" over the events that unfold. Good luck to everyone holding out for chapter 7 now.

The chapters in Boba Fett's book keep rolling out with chapters 3 and 4, giving us something great to look forward to every Wednesday. These latest additions to Boba Fett's story have been quite the roller coaster for fans and there are lots of opinions floating around out there on the interwebs, so we are here to break it all down for you with our patented positive perspective. As a reminder, spoilers ahead!

It feels like just yesterday that we were all sitting in the theaters watching the mission of Rogue One unfold before our eyes. Believe it or not, it's actually been five years. To celebrate the occasion, we dedicate an entire episode to revisit the many boundaries that the movie pushed for Star Wars and relive its best lessons and moments. 

The holidays aren't complete without a little Star Wars, and this holiday season, we are gearing up for a hunt for a few bounties. In preparation for The Book of Boba Fett, we dive into the complicated profession of bounty hunting and discuss everything from the creed, our favorite bounty hunters, and of course...The Fett himself.

Some traditions are as old as time themselves, and carving a tip-yip to usher in the holiday season has to be one of those as old as a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. In this special episode, we say our graces for everything Star Wars has brought us in our lives, including a very recent Star Wars themed Flyers game that we attended. If you need a few ideas to be grateful for this year, the Star Bros have you covered!

It's Life Day again, and this year, you better be ready to curl up by the campfire with a cup of hot spotchka, because it is story time! Jan reads us all an excerpt from the Life Day Treasury book before we dive into a deeper discussion on Wookies, including everyone's favorite co-pilot, Chewbacca.