Okay, before people start coming after me with pitchforks and
torches, I love Chewbacca; he (and Wookiees in general, really) is one
of my favorite Star Wars characters. I'm not suggesting he gets
replaced, whatsoever, but I think we can all agree that
The Force Awakens is an obvious homage to
A New Hope
with a "passing of the torch" feel when it comes to the old and new
characters...so where's the new alien sidekick? I know, I know, nobody
wants the sequel trilogy to be a carbon copy of the original trilogy,
but I, for one, definitely think the saga would benefit from the
inclusion of a more fleshed-out alien character for the next generation
of Star Wars. The prequels had Jar Jar (granted, he was much, much less-involved after
The Phantom Menace), the original trilogy had
Chewbacca, so who will take up the mantle for the sequel trilogy
?
It's gonna be Maz.
We
know the enigmatic Maz Kanata returns for Episode VIII, so is she going
to turn out to be our de facto alien sidekick? I would definitely be
happy to delve more into who Maz is and hopefully find out how a
diminutive alien turned out to be a castle-owning, Force aficionado that
somehow comes to possess Luke's lost lightsaber, but I feel like that's
a story we're more likely to get in the form of a novel or comic
miniseries than as part of the next installment of the saga. However,
that doesn't mean she won't have a significant role going forward that
could certainly qualify her as the new alien sidekick, but I think her
age may keep her out of the running. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not
trying to say an older character wouldn't be relevant or couldn't keep
pace, but it would be more inline with the other new arrivals to
introduce a younger alien character rather than allow Maz to take the
role. You never know, though, they could use Maz as a sort of bridge
between the new cast of characters we're not used to and the characters
that have been around to endure the evils of the Empire since she fits
neatly into both categories.
It's Chewie, just deal with it!
Fine!
I will! Seriously, though, if it does turn out that Chewbacca is
reprising his role as alien sidekick in the sequel trilogy, I'll totally
be okay with that; I'm just a huge fan of alien species in Star Wars,
so I'd much rather have a new alien character to root for than settling
for what we already have. Though, as far as age goes, Chewie is
technically still young for a Wookiee, so he'd fit in that niche with
the new sequel trilogy characters. He could also be a bridge between the
familiar and the unknown, much like Maz, but he'd actually be a more
direct bridge since we know of his involvement in the fight against the
Empire versus having to take Maz's word for it. I definitely want to see
Chewbacca thoroughly involved with the entire sequel trilogy, so, like I
said, I don't want him to be replaced, but I'd be lying if I said I
wouldn't be disappointed if he was the only prevalent alien going
forward.
If not them, who?
Well,
that's the question of the hour, isn't it? And really, there isn't an
answer; it could be literally any character from any species. It could
be someone we thought might be a significant player in
The Force Awakens,
but turned out not to be (*coughZuviocough*), or it could be someone we
saw during the movie but didn't get to spend any time with (i.e.
Captain Ithano). Okay, let's just stop for a minute and be honest: who
wouldn't be stoked to find out the Crimson Corsair decided to join the
cause against the First Order? No one. The answer is no one. And hey, if
we get Captain Ithano, we probably get Quiggold too, and the only thing
better than one alien sidekick is an alien sidekick that comes with his
own alien sidekick...alien-sidekick-ception...or something (is that
even relevant anymore? I don't know)...anyway, the window of opportunity
is wide open at this point, so it's really any character's and any
species' game. Now, real talk, do I actually think they'll add a new
alien sidekick to the sequel trilogy? No, unfortunately I do not; I
reluctantly admit that I believe Maz or Chewie (most likely Chewie) will
be filling that role, and will be the only aliens with significant
screen time going forward - unless, of course, Snoke is a member of a
huge alien species and not just a weak, deformed human with a Napoleon
complex that demands his holo-self be broadcast 10-times larger than
normal...but, that's a different post altogether, isn't it?
So,
another post bites the dust...I'm sure you're sad
to see it end, but don't fret, I'll be back. In the mean time,
share your thoughts on alien sidekicks in the comments: who'd you like
to see join the new big three in Episode VIII? Someone old, someone
new, someone we've seen, someone we haven't? I'm always curious as to
what possible ruminations my posts may cause (probably none, I know, but
a girl can dream, can't she? - and no, guys, I'm not really a girl,
it's an idiom, don't ask if I'm on Tinder). Anyway, think it over. Maybe
come up with an idea for the kind of alien sidekick you'd have in the
Star Wars universe; or, if you're the alien sidekick, what kind of
person would you sidekick for? And don't be shy, it's all speculation
and head-canon, so there are no wrong answers. And, while you're thinking, may the Force be with you...
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