Star Wars Episode 7 News

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Meet the Cowboy Jedi Kanan from Star Wars: Rebels.

rebels

The first human character from Star Wars: Rebels has been revealed. It's Kanan "a gunslinger full of bravado and the Force". He is voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr...



rebels

From USA Today:
Rebels takes place 14 years after the last of the movie prequels, 2005's Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, when the evil Emperor enacted "Order 66" to wipe out all the Jedi in the galaxy, sending the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda into hiding.
Since then, Kanan has been on the down-low, too. He keeps his lightsaber under lock and key and brandishes a blaster instead to avoid the attention of the Empire, especially the Inquisitor (a Sith villain) and his Stormtroopers. But Kanan gets his Force-ful groove back with his crew on the spaceship The Ghost and fights back against the imperial menace.
Executive producer Dave Filoni describes Kanan as a "cowboy Jedi." And unlike the stoic knights of his order in the Star Wars mythos, his banter is as sharp as his blue lightsaber strokes.

50 comments:

  1. Ah the prequel effect. Normally I may be freaking out about this but seriously... it's not any worse or better. I don't hate so that's a plus. Interested to see how this turns out... plus... TIE FIGHTERS. Even though it looks like a big throw back to the originals I still loved it :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...it IS a throwback to the originals....

      Delete
    2. really? I don't recall seeing a Han Solo-personality jedi in the OT.

      As a side note, I really hate the uninspired character design and the fact that there are still jedi roaming around the galaxy at this point in time.

      Delete
    3. He's gonna have to die by the end of it, if Yoda's statement about Luke being the last of the Jedi was true. I'm really not a fan of his looks and they certainly could have done better with the "cowboy" element of the character. It's a sad attempt at reviving the gritty side of Star Wars we saw in the OT. If this is how the ST is going to be, I'll be very disappointed...

      Delete
  2. How well does he get along with Chopper?

    ReplyDelete
  3. ..great, more characters with bleedin lightsabers..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sigh...

      No, just no. This looks like typical Disney tv trash. And the guy's face looks too similar to Flynn Ryder from Tangled.

      Delete
    2. Yep, just a typical badass character by the looks of it, but with a ponytail and a lightsaber so people will genuinely think he is interesting and then defend it with "It's only a kids tv show", as though kids are brain dead and only appreciate characters who fight a lot, instead of unique and testing characters. It doesn't even make sense to the star wars continuity for him to be a jedi. Plus the plot is now ruined, we know he is going to die, the same with the villain, otherwise they would have been in the films. I thought it was going to be some set of rebels going on adventures. I mean the show is called Rebels, not Jedi.. *sigh* I just hope in time I will be able to look back and find that my lack of faith was disturbing

      Delete
    3. I think he looks more like Guybrush threepwood from the old "Monkey Island" games... And yeah, OF COURSE they needed a jedi, a group of smugglers, gunslingers and freedom fighters narrowly beating imperial forces when ever they're caught would be to boring....fuck.....

      Delete
    4. I was hoping for heavy focus on a non-Jedi group of characters, should've known they'd take the easy way out... I bet this guy isn't even the worst of it.

      Delete
  4. looks like an interesting character. Sounds like Han Solo with a lightsaber. I'm cool with that!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is what I was afraid of. Diluting the story.

    I hope they pull this off......

    ReplyDelete
  6. guys calm down it's a cartoon.. it's designed to be fun, take it as such.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You seem to be missing the point. The same as the anonymous posted above- "Sounds like Han Solo with a lightsaber. I'm cool with that!".. Why does everything have to have a lightsaber though? Why do people need lightsabers for 'fun' when it comes to star wars. Why not character and soul instead. Han Solo for example is one of the best ever characters of star wars. His character was interesting and yet mysterious at times, but he had a big heart. Nothing detracted from his sole brilliance of the character (like a lightsaber would for example..) Look at how they are describing this character. Without a lightsaber his personality, motives and background would be a million times more intriguing than this typical "he's a jedi that has survived and he still has his lightsaber", which we've been smacked in our faces about 100 times..

      Delete
    2. It was never mentioned in the OT exactly when the last of the Jedi were hunted down. Could have been minutes before the opening of A New Hope. And we still have 5 years on the timeline..

      Delete
  7. This show looks more and more disappointing. Hopefully the return to the originals sensibility in episode 7 doesn't refer to this kind of stuff. Too goofy

    ReplyDelete
  8. I know there are fans who don't want to hear this but I don't think this was ever going to be a serious cartoon. It is what it is and I doubt it has much to do with the planned movies, if that's any consolation.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's in the same continuity, as the movies, the filmmakers are in constant contact with the people invoved with the show, thanks to the Story Group

    ReplyDelete
  10. Its star wars it needs the force and force users are badass with lightsabers so just deal with it all you fanboy haters

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was the anon who said I'm cool with a Han Solo type character with a light saber. In this time period, the Jedi that are left surviving are in hiding so that the rest of the galaxy believes them to be extinct. I personally always found the idea that baser personally killed all the Jedi himself to be absurd, and the fact that Kanon is in hiding means to me he's probably not going to be constantly using it like all the Jedi in the clone wars, which is why he has a blaster. Even the original trilogy had light saber battles too, not as flashy and action packed, nor as commonly used as they are in the PT, but they were still there.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's silly to be expecting a Star Wars cartoon to not have at least someone with a light saber. And when the character is a Han Solo/Kyle Katarn influenced character, that's really not that bad. He fills the rogue archetype perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I mean I know they are in hiding and everything but he doesn't even act like a jedi. I know i probably sound like a whiney fanboy, as all the other non die-hard fans of EVERYTHING star wars would think of me, but all this recent news in rebels and the spinoffs not being about any characters we've ever met before(which contradicts the idea that they were originally supposed to be ORIGIN movies) is kind of disheartening. As another anon said I hope in time i too will be able to look back on these posts and find my lack of faith disturbing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. In the Plinkett Reviews, he talks about how EVERYONE has a lightsaber, hardly anyone of importance doesn't, and how that makes Jedi less special. Although, one could argue that this is just advertizing targeting people who won't watch something without lightsabers.

    Are they using this behavior as an excuse for not undermining Luke's journey? Because having Jedi around would mean that Luke isn't the last hope (along with Leia), or the one to rebuild the Jedi Order. I suppose they could retcon that Obi-Wan was talking about Kanan (way to diminish Leia, in that case).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you actually bring up a REALLY good idea for justifying the existence of what yoda said meaning there is another, and also giving room for maybe not Kanan, but who knows maybe say Starkiller clone? or Ashoka? or any of the jedi tho may still be alive in the galaxy? who knows who they could use. or they could just stick to the original and mean leia

      Delete
    2. I believe Yoda's actual quote was "there is another Skywalker." Why would he be referring to a completely different person by the name of Skywalker? Are Kanan, a Starkiller clone and Ashoka all related to Leia and Luke? Boy oh boy, that'd really do the fans some good.
      FUCK THAT. The entire existing Star Wars movieverse is entirely based around the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and the Skywalker bloodline. Bringing unrelated Jedi into the mix is a perfect way to completely steal away the whole point of the saga and ruin it. If you guys really want everything that Star Wars has been for the passed 40 years to be disregarded entirely, go right ahead. I guess no one seems to care about continuity or legitimatly original character development anymore.

      Delete
  14. Ugh.... this guy looks more plastic then obiwan did in season 1-2

    they need to improve the graphics a bit

    ReplyDelete
  15. We've already seen "Han with a lightsaber". His name was Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi. This guy looks like Disney's version of a Jedi prince. I'm sure this series will have a damsel in distress, that's not Leia. These characters are newly created by Disney FOR Disney. I'm OK with there being Jedi around 5 years before ANH. I'm OK with the Inquisator as a character, but not a character that should exist b/w trilogies. He lessons Vader's persona in this time. Vader should be this feared anomolly. If the Inquisator existed pre-TPM, fine. Vader should be the front and center villian in this series. Or Tarkin, Tagge or Motti. Or even make Sim Aloo (Imperial Dignitary) a dark Jedi. How cool would that be to know Sim in REBELS, to not be in ANH or ESB, and then make a cameo in ROTJ? -Lando Griffin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I completely agree with you Lando Griffin, excellent name btw;) I'm okay with having the inquisitor be a character too but he definitely does undermine the fear and persona of not only Vader but Palpatine too. my doubts in this show are starting to grow strongly after seeing this new jedi. he really does look like Flynn Ryder from tangled. I hope this show isn't a flop. I have a bad feeling about this

      Delete
  16. If a lightsaber is the most interesting thing about a character, it's a bad character.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i liked ben and yoda being the last jedi .i liked thinking the jedi died out hundreds not 10s of years ago , (ancient) i like thinking that the falcon is chewies but because of the empire non humans cant own anything so he comes with the ship.. i like thinking droids are mistrusted by organics . i like thinking that only vader tracked down and killed the jedi., i like thinking the ewoks spent years setting everything up to kick the empire off their planet and it was nearly spoiled by stupid humans jumping the gun. ..... nearly all of what i thought has been destroyed by -pequals / cartoons / comics / books and other EU things ...... in my opinion ..... less is more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hundreds?!?........there is only about 19 years in between a new hope and revenge of the sith.....

      Delete
  18. looks like chad crogger in a turtle neck. what a douchebag. "pretty much the coolest guy in the universe"- dumb dumb. I do understand when people say they never thought it would be a serious cartoon, but there were good names attached to it and it sounded well thought out. Hopefully it infact is well thought out.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Since Kanon abandoned the Order he is no Jedi, but a force user. Yoda said: "The last of the Jedi will you be" with Jedi he meant a force user following the code, Kanon seems to have abandoned the principles, so this is no problem for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, the creators are calling Kanan the "cowboy Jedi," so if they're trying to promote the idea that he's a force user rather than a Jedi to support the continuity through episode VI, they're doing a helluva job by giving him a lightsaber("the weapon of a Jedi Knight" -Ben Kenobi) and introducing him as the "cowboy Jedi."
      I'm sorry, but I don't believe your point is valid, AnonymousFebruary 12, 2014 at 3:53 PM...

      Delete
  20. Is this supposed to be a big EF U to loyal fans of the EU all these years?! "His name is Canon...I mean Kanon".

    ReplyDelete
  21. I happen to quite like lightsabers. Sue me!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Potentially a padawan that wasn't killed and grew up without the guidance of the jedi order. Or Obi-Wan/Yoda tried to train him to rebuild the jedi but he went rogue (not to the dark side)?

    Just thinking out loud...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Either way, he's gonna hve to die by the end of the series. If he doesn't, it would completely fuck up and deisregard the existing continuity of the 6 movies.

      Delete
    2. Or he goes off hunting for other 'lost' jedi and never returns? Or is not considered to be a true jedi by yoda.

      "You're going to find many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view"

      Delete
    3. Or Yoda is simply unaware of him

      Delete
    4. Sounds like a pitiful excuse for them to try and squeeze in more and more pointless characters into a universe that still has so much existing potential with what they've already created. Why do we need more and more new stuff at the expense of continuity and ongoing themes?

      Delete
  23. I don't know why, but there's something that looks very Sesame Street about him.

    Is he wearing Burt's sweater?

    ReplyDelete
  24. I like the fact that Kanan is not too blingy. Sure, his one armoured arm gives him the conspicuous assymetry that's often the mark of unimaginative/unrealistic character design but I could also see it as being functional like something from fencing. Also I like the semi-matt tertiary green of that arm, not to mention the tertiary colors of his outfit in general. To me, his colors are very pre-ANH like the stripes on an obsolete white speeder in Mos Eisley or on Luke's old skyhopper in the background of his garage. I could totally imagine this outfit on a background human character in the cantina or some Dengar type figure in a way station somewhere. I could go either way on the beard and pony tail but at least his look is more convincing than Dash Rendar or Prince Xixor or the bug people on Geonosis, or Anakin in Attack of the Clones.

    ReplyDelete
  25. can't wait to see this!-prymal

    ReplyDelete
  26. Disney finally has its prince. This guy's gonna be walking around D-Land with Belle and Snow White. Kanan pins, Kanan role play armor, Kanan Star Tours figure. #sellout

    ReplyDelete
  27. I see a grown up padawan who'd lost his master and an arm to the purge, possibly by Anakin/Vader in the Jedi Temple... an orphaned Jedi of sorts... with buried hatred and anger but a pretending-not-to care rogue... don't like the name though. It means 'right' as in left and right in another language. Silly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kanan is a town located in Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

      Delete