Since we've bounced from board to board over the years, we've all developed a kind of Star Wars shorthand. This is most evident in our adoption of acronyms to specify a film, perhaps, but it is evident elsewhere. We all have a pretty good idea what works and doesn't for the typical Star Wars fan, so we can proceed with that foreknowledge when discussing aspects of either trilogy, or even other movies entirely. Star Wars has so worked its way into our consciousness that it is often easier for us to explain our feelings toward another movie by way of Star Wars analogy. When we do this, we do this knowing others on the board will more likely than not be able to tap into our emotional state by virtue of our assuming that there are certain scenes, sounds, quotes (how many non-Star Wars-themed threads have devolved into OT [there's one of those acronyms] quote fests?) and characters evocative of something that--among Star Wars fans, at least--approaches a kind of constant. If I were to say a scene in a movie stirred within me the kind of emotion stirred by Luke's gaze into the binary sunset, for example, most of you would be able to "get" where I was "coming from."

We've known each other (in many cases) for so long--and we've been part of an on-line Star Wars fan base for so long--that we don't often bother with the n00b-ish sorts of threads in which we engaged when we first hopped on this electronic ship. Why bother? Most of what we had to say in such threads we said long ago back when we were earning our nerd stripes, anyway, right?

For many of us, those sorts of threads are a decade (or more) behind us. A lot can happen in a decade, though. Minds expand and change. Minds, too, narrow and focus. I am going to try to go back and revisit some of the topics of yesteryear while keeping this in mind.

This is the first of those re-visitations. Back when we were first finding our way onto message boards, an entry in the "Which Star Wars Character Is Your Favorite?" thread was almost as important as answering roll call in the "Tell Us a Little Bit About Yourself" thread.

So tell us which character is your favorite. Tell us how growing into an old bitter fuck has colored your take on your favorite character from your youth. Is your favorite character from your youth still your favorite character? Feel free to rank favorite characters. Feel free to defend your choice if you so desire, or feel free to challenge other's choices with your own.

This one is easy:







Nien Numb.



I used to like Bib Fortuna a lot but recently I changed my mind.

I'm still impressed by my recent discovery that he was a puppet in all the cockpit scenes.

Good idea, Mr. McQ. I'll have an answer for you when I'm not half-asleep.

Great idea Thursty!

Mine is a 2 part answer. When I was a kid it was Han Solo, hands down. He had the coolest ship, and got to hang out with the coolest side kick. Also, even though he wasn't a Jedi, he still got to use a lightsaber and ended up getting the girl. Also, my brother's favorite was Luke, and we couldn't both have the same favorite. So I let him have Luke and I took Han.

As I've grown up and watched the prequels, I think that Obi-Wan is now my favorite. Definitely my favorite of the PT, and pretty close to my overall favorite. I really like how he grows up throughout the PT and by the time you see him in Sith, he's basically the same guy we saw in the OT. It's pretty cool.



On a somewhat related note, years ago I got to meet Mark Hamill at a local Blockbuster. While waiting in line there was a girl behind me who's favorite character was Bib Fortuna. She was in her mid-to-late teens and I was in my early 20's. She was very attractive, and a huge SW fan. I spent the rest of that weekend wishing I was about 5 years younger.

I have a long write-up about Han Solo I will be posting in this thread at some point. I will probably be titling it "The Necessary Castration of Han Solo." Of the main characters, he is the saddest one to watch grow. He has to compromise himself in a number of heartbreaking ways. But he does it. He takes one for the team.

I could speak with a great deal of enthusiasm for a number of the OT characters. I have a great deal of affection for Yoda, Lando (though, for me, he serves more to strengthen my affection for Han), Vader, Tarkin, Obi and Piett.

Watto wins my PT vote.

I liked Boba Fett alot. Then Jango came along, and now I have less love for the Fetts.

You know, Boba and Jango are genetically identical. Depending on whether you own the VHS or DVD, they sometimes even sound exactly alike.

Dengar.

Because his costume is made from old Stormtrooper armor parts and gauze. It's like they ran out of stuff when they were making the bounty hunters.