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12/20/99: Perhaps he/they [Palpatine/Sidious] would, perhaps not [know the location
of the Gungan Sacred place if it was the ruins of a Sith Temple]. How
was/were he/they to know that the Gungans consider it sacred? It looked
awfully abandoned (perhaps for a millennium?). I just thought maybe that
would be a cool back story on Palpy, but I doubt we'll get much in the way of
that in the next two films. Keep up the good work! The Gungan Sacred Place could be interesting as a Sith Temple, considering that Palpatine's homeworld is in fact Naboo. The faces certainly did look humanoid, but then again, who says there cant be a Gungan Sith Lord? Darth Jar Jar? WJ
I read that some people cannot believe that Palpatine and Sidious are not
the same person, reasoning that the Jedi Council cannot sense them even when
Palpatine is at Qui-Gon's funeral. INT. TEMPLE OF THE JEDI - COUNCIL CHAMBERS - DAY QUI-GON : ...my only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord. Notice how Yoda says "Hard to see, the dark side is." I believe
this was George's way out. Be interested to see what the reaction is to that. I think your evidence is pretty strong with that scene you chose. The whole reason why Palpatine can stand in the Jedi Council's midst is because the Dark Side is so 'hard to see'. I'm sure it's no coincidence that Yoda chose those particular words (or George Lucas for that matter!) After all, just look up the definition of "insidious"... WJ
Does the color of a Jedi's light saber represent anything? Such a
red saber for the Sith, or is the color of the saber a Jedi's choice of personal
preference or is it a status symbol of some sort. There is no official word on what the color of a lightsaber represents, but we can make a few deductions: Greetings! Have just recently started surfing the web looking for SW sites and ran
across yours---looks nice! Especially fond of the idea that you'll collect
fan fiction---I've just composing one now (calling it Episode 1.5, for
lack of a better title at this point) and I'm sure it won't go anywhere, but if
you're interested I'll send through a few bits for an opinion. (Problem is,
they're not in much coherent order as yet and it's hard to tell where the plot
is going based just on what's done.) (Second problem is a lack of time in my
life to get it written, let alone distributed for second opinions....) Thanks so much for the nice words! I am always looking for quality fan
fiction and gladly accept submissions. I have never read the Zahn novels myself,
but I have heard good things about them. I am not into the "expanded
universe" at all -all I know about it is from the SW Behind the Magic
and Ep 1 CD ROMS.
Hi! Loved your site for ages, unfortunately when I try to get to it now
the screen goes blank and nothing happens. This is at https://members.tripod.com/WhillJournalist/
Have you moved? If not do you have any idea what's going on or advice? Cheers,
keep up the awesome site!!!!!!!! Now that is a compliment I truly like to hear!
Hello!
11/16/99: I was watching an interview between an Australian reporter and Liam Neeson a week prior to TPM being released in Australia. Neeson suggested that he would be in episode 2.The reporter said to Neeson "It looks unlikely that you'll be in episode 2".Neeson replied "Well, I wouldn't count that out.... after all it is Star Wars" The reported then said "So we might keep an eye out for you in Sydney". Neeson answered "Most certainly. I'll be the big, tall one with a green saber" This interview backs up the rumors about Qui Gon appearing in episode 2. Much like Ben Kenobi in the original trilogy he is likely to return as a spirit.Also, I know you have difficulties believing that Sidious and Palpatine are the same person. You stated that you believe they may be different people because the Emperor is never called Palpatine in the films. Well in TPM, Sam L Jackson's character was never called Mace Windu by any other characters in the movie. Aurra Sing was only seen for 2 seconds but fans know who she is and about her past as a failed Jedi. Matt That particular interview along with several others insinuate that Qui-Gon may in fact appear again, though that is not too surprising and frankly is still total conjecture at this point in the game. - In TPM what are those statues that are located in the Gungan swamps ?. - I was looking at an opinion poll asking for the best villain in star wars. It mentions a evil character called "GAT". I was hoping you could tell me something about him/her or it. - Is there any information on Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship with Owen Lars. We know that Owen wanted Anakin to stay on Tatooine to farm, but how could Anakin have worked on a farm being a Jedi. Finally I just want to point something out. As I was watching ESB
something surprised me. I noticed that when Luke is recovering in the Rebel base
on Hoth after the wampa attack Han says to Luke "You look strong enough to
tear the ears off a Gungan". I thought it was remarkable that Lucas
had already had the vision of a Gungan back in 1980. There is no current explanation of the statues in the Gungan sacred place other than that they are "ruins of an ancient temple". Hello Whill Journalist. I feel I must begin this message with a
familiar ring....nice site! It's one of the best ones I've seen. I've been
trying to think of a reason why Darth Sidious (and/or Palpatine) chose to invade
Naboo. What about the possibility that the Gungan "sacred place"
is actually a long-since destroyed Sith temple? The weed overgrown statues
and fallen pillars don't exactly make it appear to be a well-maintained
synagogue. Maybe Palpatine (being from Naboo) stumbled across the temple
in his youth, discovering power? Just a thought.... Thank you very much for the compliment -I've been getting a lot of that lately! You are killing me. I must be driving your hit counter to the moon
accessing your page. I've got to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT in the Maul story!! When
will we see the next installment? Looking forward to it, keep up the good work! I apologize!! I have been negligent in my writing duties, but have faith... 10/18/99: I must say, that your site, is by far the best site I have seen online for
a long time. The info on Episode II and III is wonderful. It is now in my
favorites folder. Keep up the good work :) Thanks very much for the compliment on my site. I hope to keep making it better in the future. WJ hello! I'm kinda new to this whole star wars universe thing. (don't get me
wrong, my dad used to make me watch the trilogy when I was little kid. i'm used
to the stories, but not in-depth) Anyway, I have this question that has been
nagging at me. How could Queen Amidala be elected??? First of all, Queens are
not elected, they are born into the status of ruler. Second, even if
"queens" were elected in Naboo society, why the crap would they elect
a 14 year old? Thanks for your help! Your question is a valid one, and it has a reasonably valid explanation: Is there any way to get George Lucas into reconsidering the role of the
older Anakin...Leonardo is such a girl,,,,,,i don't want it to be tainted by
some woman's heartthrob.....im having a heart attack. Don't have a coronary just yet - the role of Anakin Skywalker remains uncast. There is absolutely no evidence yet that Leo will be selected for the part, or is even being considered. WJ "And in the time of greatest despair there shall come a savior and he
shall be known as: THE SON OF THE SUN" ("Journal of the Whills,"
3:12) You made me double-check my source... First and foremost; your page is SUPERB. Very well organized and pleasant
to view without being excessively fancy. The fan fiction is also surprisingly
well written (better than the crap found in many of the novels; excluding Zahn's).
I have a question (actually two) regarding The Phantom Menace: Superb, eh? That sounds even better than not bad! Thanks a lot for the compliment. Darth Sidious is Palpatine! Rick McCallum said it on an interview a few
months ago. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??? And Darth- is only the title of the Sith
Lords, not their real name. Palpatine (Darth Sidious) Khameir Sarin (Darth Maul)
Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) GET IT? Woah, easy big fella....let's address your points in a civil manner shall we?
10/04/99: I must know the answer...Boba Fett has 2 symbols. The Imperial Navy has one and the rebels have a shield as a symbol. Even Black Sun has a symbol......BUT! Do the Jedi have a symbol or badge?????????Help me WhillJournalist. You're my only hope. May the force be with you... Corporal Roq Daambe. Death Star Sewage Outlet Team
The Arabic word for "Demon" is 'Jinn'. Remember the evil
"Blue Jinn" from the old TV show "I Dream of Jeannie?" Who
exactly is Qui-Gon Jinn? Hmmm.... I take it from your insinuation that there is more to Qui-Gon Jinn than meets the eye. Darth Jinn? WJ I want to say that I love the site as it provides reasonable information about the remaining prequels. However there a few parts that seems incorrect. In your alleged plotline for Episode3 you state that after Anakin becomes Vader he finds Kenobi and defeats him but cannot he destroy Kenobi. I find this illogical as in ANH when they meet again Vader says to Kenobi" When I left you I was the learner, but now I am the master " This suggest that the last time they met was when they had their battle on the volcano as Kenobi was the master and Anakin/Vader was the leaner and was defeated by Kenobi. There it seems irrational that Vader finds Kenobi and defeated him and let him go. Also Palpatine and Sidious are the same person because - Played by same actor - Since Sidious face is hidden it must be a surprise. Palpatine presents himself as loyal to the queen - Palpatine says to Anakin " We will follow your career with great interest" we all know what happens - When Windu says to Yoda " Which was destroyed the master or the apprentice" the scene cuts to Palpatine - If there are if fact to different people it would a great coincidence that Palpatine is elected chancellor than that would allow Sidious to gain power. Instead because they are the same person Palpatine was using the Force to influence the senate to vote for him. - Sidious seems to know a lot about the Queens personality. Sidious says to the federation just before she returns to Naboo " This is an unexpected move for her, its too aggressive ". It seems like that Sidious knows her personally. Palpatine would know her personally. This is not anything against the WhillJournalist but as a mad Star
Wars fan I thought that I might point a few things out Consider this line instead: VADER: You should not have come back. It seems logical to me that at one point Vader may have warned Kenobi to never come back.
09/27/99: Response to Bad Nightwatchman" you asked why, if baby Darth is the
chosen one, did he not kill the emperor. Well, your question is flawed. Anakin
is not exactly "the chosen one" he is, however "the one who will
restore balance to the force". One of the points of the whole saga, I
believe, is that good and evil, the force and the dark side, whatever you wanna
call them, are not two antagonistic forces, but two that work together. One
cannot create until one first destroys, and there can be no good without evil.
That is why anikin is the one who will bring balance. Not because he's a great
jedi, but because, only through the destruction he brings, can a better world be
created. George Lucas himself said that Anakin Skywalker, not Luke, is in fact "the Chosen One". However, much to Qui-Gon's postmortem chagrin, this restoration of balance to the Force will not occur until this chosen one first causes the galaxy to reach it's time of greatest despair. WJ hi, its mark again i am writing in to tell you an other theory that
palpatine is sidiuoses clone sidiuos cloned him to get an apprentice but the
force didn't rub of on him he got the ability to clone from a young Jedi ( this
was in the book darksaber ) the Jedi was que gon he gave him the knowledge of
cloning as he feared for his life this would also explain why he didn't disappear That is an interesting theory about Darth Sidious and Qui-Gon Jinn, but it looks like yours and my own may have both been shot down recently in an interview with Lucas and McCallum where they say that Sidious and Palpatine are the same person. WJ
I've always wanted to believe that Sidious and Senator Palpatine
are the same guy, but here's one point everyone here seems to have missed.
If Senator Palpatine was Darth Sidious, how come Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Yoda, and
the other members of the Jedi Council did not "sense a disturbance in
the Force?" Darth Vader and Luke could always sense each other,
and Yoda could read much about Anakin. All those Force senses should
have had their disturbance detectors going off like a Geiger counter at
Palpatine's presence. But they sensed nothing. Maybe you could
say "Difficult to see the dark side is," but I have a hard time
seeing how they couldn't see at least that he was hiding something. I
like the clone idea. Maybe Sidious (as the Senator) had to clone
himself because his dabbling in the Dark side was eroding his physical
features. Consider also the possibility that midichlorians (sp?) can't
be cloned, therefore Palpatine (the clone) wouldn't give off a force
signature. I don't know, it's just some ideas. Feel free to tell me
why I'm wrong. I'm not an expert on Star Wars. Anyway, great site!
I really enjoyed it!!
Jim Thanks for the compliment on my site, I truly appreciate it. Many people have wondered why a Sith Lord standing 3 feet from the whole Jedi Council would not be detected. However, the Force is very elusive. Darth Vader could sense his son Luke on the Sanctuary Moon, but the "all-powerful" Emperor Palpatine could not. (excuse me, maybe my English is very bad, that's because I'm French) Here
is my theory: in episode 2, the new apprentice of Sidious is Boba Fett, and he quits
before his training is complete. In EMPIRE, Boba find Han &the millennium
falcon when they escape with the garbage, as if he "know" they were
there ("he can see things before they happen"). And when Luke arrives
on Bespin and sense the trouble, that's Boba Fett that surprises him and attack,
way before any storm trooper. In JEDI, in the Sarlac scene, just before Luke
jumps and take his lightsaber, Boba smells something and follows R2-D2 outside
the bar (watch this scene, that really impressive how he sense that something
happens). Maybe it's just his bounty hunter instincts, but it could be
some Jedi stuff to. We know that Boba is a human (it's written on the toys),
Georges Lucas said that Boba Fett will be on Episode 2, that makes him an old
man on EMPIRE and JEDI, but he still can fight, exactly like Obi-wan and Vader (jedi
power). He doesn't use any lightsaber, but neither than Yoda and Palpatine. OK,
that's because they are the "masters", but Boba is more like Mara Jade
(sorry to refer to the sequel books), after leaving his training he keeps using
some jedi tricks (or sith tricks), but is not totally a Sith, and maybe he
doesn't want anyone to know that he was once a Sith that's why he doesn't use a
lightsaber. Boba is a Mandalorian, he leaves his planet to follow Sidious in the
training, but he leaves him (maybe because war is destroying his planet) and he
go back home (cause he can't stop the training like that, he must run away from
Sidious). Then he get into a "nationalist trip", proud of his planet
in love with his origins and his people, that's why he always wears a
mandalorian armor. He meet Vader during the clone wars ,they fight together (we
know that they both fight against jedi during the war), and they stay
"friends" (can Sith have friends?), but Boba stay away from the Empire
'cause he don't want to face Palpatine again. that's why he "works"
with Vader several times, but never as an "empire member", and is
never seen with the emperor. With Boba Fett being the new Sith apprentice, Rick
Mc Callum's promise (people who are sad that Darth Maul dies will have a great
new surprise) really make sense. I know this could seem strange or even stupid,
but theres got to be something special, something really cool about the new
apprentice. Some people say that it will be a female, but that's not enough
"special". The "Boba Fett thing", THAT is something cool!
, or maybe there are a lot of Sith, not just two (as yoda think), and that's why
the jedi fail... That would make great battles but I think I prefer the
Boba Fett theorie. Thanx for reading! What an interesting and original concept! I think you may be onto something with this theory. The latest figure to become popular with the
Star Wars marketing folks is the bounty hunter Aurra Sing, seen for approx. 1.5 seconds in
The Phantom Menace. This highly successful bounty hunter was once a Jedi Apprentice. So your theory is not without some type of precedent. Hi: According to your facts and rumors page, you strongly believe
Palpatine & Sidious are not the same person. I just wanted to present some
facts to you that indicate they ARE in fact the same person: It would seem that I may have been proven wrong recently in a recent interview
with George Lucas and Rick McCallum, in which it was reported that they confirmed Palpatine and Sidious are the same person. All of the things that you said only Palpatine could do politically are correct. But if a twin brother or clone who is a Sith Lord had influence over him, couldn't the same results be achieved?
09/07/99: If Palpatine is not darth Sidious why were the characters played by the same actor & Palpatine has been referred to the emperor in many books & all the authors must have some idea about what they are saying also why would Sidious lie about his name surely he would have more respect to the sith than to lie about who he was after he came in power.Hammond Officially the relationship between Palpatine and Sidious is still unknown. Unofficially however, all evidence points toward the two characters being one in the same. Actor Ian McDiarmid, who played The Emperor in Return Of The Jedi, also played Senator Palpatine and Darth Sidious. A question still remains, however, since no one at Lucasfilm will come right out and confirm it. Another doubt comes from the novelization of TPM. In it, the connection between the two characters is much more ambiguous. WJ Okay, I know we've been over this a hundred times, but I still need clarification.
I know you're not Lucas, but try to answer this one for me: Vader knows he is not as strong as the Emperor. He knows that only together with his
son Luke can the Emperor be overthrown. The Emperor may very well be more powerful than
even Yoda, as evidenced by his warning to Luke: "Do not underestimate the power
of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate you will." More likely, the Emperor
and Yoda are equally strong in the Force, it is just their different idealogies that make
the Sith Emperor seem more powerful. The Sith use the Force for attack, control, and
manipulation. All these offensive uses of the Force have made the dark side seem more
powerful to observers (remember Luke's question to Yoda: "Is the dark side more
powerful?") Stop everything and finish this story but do not post it!!!
This is great stuff, you should be paid for this well! Send it to a publishing house or
something, I know I will buy it!!! Thanks for the story, I love it! Thanks! That's the kind of compliment I love to hear! One of these days I hope to be published, but frankly, this is the first story I have ever really written. It was kind of a testbed for my writing style, to see if I could pull it off. If you liked it as much as you say, let some friends know! WJ Hi, I am writing to tell you what I think about who the emperor really is. First of
all in star wars A New Hope Obi Wan mentions that darth vader assisted the emperors in
destroying the Jedi so I think that both Palpatine & Sidious become emperor. I think
Sidious is Palpatines clone which would explain why he is so insane ( read the books by
Timothy Zahn if you haven't already ). Palpatine gets elected & Sidious forces him
somehow into starting the great Jedi purge Palpatine resists when it has just started
& Sidious kills him & takes power with the name Palpatine which isn't really a
liehe then finishes the Jedi Purge. I think this would really explain alot about the whole
story because the battle was called the clone wars & if there was a clone of Palpatine
why not make millions of the Mandalore. I don't think Sidious would make clones of him or
Vader as they could easily rebel & take control themseves. Thanks for sparing the time
to read this & I hope I have put avalid point through, bye. I think you have a valid point. I have not read the books by Zahn though I've heard
much about them. Since Lucas is not bound to use anything from the "expanded
universe" I usually ignore anything but the film novelizations and screenplays.
However, I think the name "Coruscant" came from a Zahn book, so it is evident
Lucas is not 100% opposed to the idea. I started committing my Episode 2 speculation to paper and after having read yours,
it seems that there are several points that we can agree on. My belief is that Palpatine
does declare martial law as a result of the Clone War crisis. It seems to make the most
logical sense. It would be a way fo rLucas to illustrate how people will give up their
freedom for the perceived illusion of safety. Just look to the aftermath of Columbine or
even all the curfews and dress codes some cities and school districts are enacting because
of the "gang problem." In my version of the Episode II formula, the Clone Wars are just beginning.
The manipulative Palpatine has been lobbying for years (remember that Episode II
is 10-12 years in the future) that the Republic needs a unified grand fleet to defend it
from external forces. Of course, there is no external threat to the Republic, so this idea
is always passed over. However, when Darth Sidious creates an external threat to all
Republic worlds, i.e. the cloned armies of Mandalorian warriors, this is just the
event needed to bring the Republic worlds into agreement over a massive single fleet. With
defeats at first, the new Republic grand fleet coincidentally wins it's first major
victories when Palpatine takes personal control for the duration. This apparently
brilliant display of military leadership will persuade the people of the Galactic Republic
that the fleet needs to be under the direct control of Chancellor Palpatine who also deems
it necessary to declare martial law for the duration of the emergency. This all seems
perfectly logical to the frightened millions of Republic citizens. I think that Amidala
will actually be a supporter of Palpatine and his idea of a grand fleet. This will be one
of the mistakes of her young rule, due to her manipulation by the Supreme Chancellor. I suspect that Lucas has something big up his sleeve as well. Remember the
incredulous disbelief when we found out that Darth was Luke's father and that Vader and
Anakin are one and the same guy? Nobody saw that one coming, because Vader killed Anakin,
right? Well, from a certan point of view, anyway. I believe a similar revelation will
occur concerning the Palpatane/Sidious fiasco. Lets put together what we know. Palpatine
and Sidious are played by the same actor. Palpatine and Sidious look exactly the same. The
clone wars are rapidly approaching. Clones? Two characters that look exactly the same?
Thats it kids! One is a clone of the other. Did Sidious clone himself to make Palpatine?
Did Palpatine clone himself to make Sidious? Did someone else clone one of them? Those are
the real questions. You couldn't have stated my own opinion any better. The only different take I have on it is that Palpatine and Sidious might be twin brothers, but I am still hip to the clone idea. It seems to make much more sense than the non-deception of 'who could that possibly be in the cloak?' Nothing in the first three movies was so blatantly obvious as what seems to be the main villian in TPM, therefore I am not buying the one-in-the-same explanation either. WJ
08/30/99: First, I have to say this, I enjoy the Star Wars mythos greatly, but it's only
movies. That said, this whole speculation on Palpatine being Anakin's father or whoever,
it will not hold true. Part of the reason I say this is on several occasions Lucas and
crew have made several comments of the Star Wars stories being based on myths throughout
our history. They have pointed out that there are may stories in other cultures that have
occasions of a "virgin birth" so to speak.This is brought out in the first film
in which Anakin's midi-chlorians are off the scale. Qui-Gon maintains he was conceived
totally by the midi-chlorians andis a by-product of the force. But being born outside the
Republic, his fate is sealed. Lucas has said that Anakin, not Luke, is the chosen one of
the so-called Prophecy. I believe that Anakin has no father and therefore this is how Luke
(and Leia) will become so strong with the force. I agree, Star Wars are only movies. However, they are an established
modern-day mythology and a cultural phenomenon nearly unrivalled in the 20th century. Star
Wars is the first technological fairy-tale.
08/11/99: Jason, I know that Ian McDiarmid played both Sidious and The Emperor, so therefore it is the
same voice. However, the other angle is whether Sidious is a clone or a brother of
Palpatine. The clone is a bit of a stretch I admit, but what about a twin brother? With
all the twins and father/son relationships I think this could be plausible. This might
make your theory that Sidious as Anakin's father work, possibly making The Emperor Darth
Vader's uncle. Still family, but not quite as close as father/son.
08/30/99: Dear Webmaster, Which issue of the Star Wars Insider mentioned that Anakin gets married in Episode
II? I don't remember seeing that... How is darh maul doing? Darth Maul is half the man he used to be. WJ Cheers for the reply. I've got a few more questions. George Lucas is in fact going to direct Episodes II and III. I think that if
David Fincher were to direct an episode it should be III, as that is supposed to
be the absolute darkest out of the six. Lord knows Seven was pretty dark. Did he
direct Alien 3? That was a dark one too. I have heard at one time or another that
Shawshank Redemption's Frank Darabont would direct Episode III and that
Spielberg would direct Episode II. I think both would be good choices, however I
think that Lucas can pull it off as long as he has some good script doctors. Editing and
the basic storyline have always been his strong points, not screenplays. 08/02/99: Hello Jason,Thanks for the reply. Well, I went to the Official site and dutifully
checked the link liked you said. I was wondering to myself how I could have missed such a
significant posting on the site when I simply saw a picture of The Emperor. I thought from
your description that I was going to see an actual picture of Darth Sidious. The Emperor
and Darth Sidious both wear robes, but it is not at all clear they are exactly the same
person. You can see The Emperor's face, you cannot see Sidious'. I know they are played by
the same actor and I know that odds are they will be the same person, but anyone who says
that this is a fact now is wrong because Lucas has not come out and said it. Period. Absolutely f**king WICKED site by the way!! I'm blown away by your coverage of
prequel rumours and plotline!! Its fantastic! Just a couple of things I can't work out
though. In my head I have a very clear view of "clones" in the Star Wars
universe. I feel that clones can be "mass-produced", that is they grow at a
tremendously accelerated rate. As far as their education and mental state and such, clones
are purpose-grown for one thing or another, in this case Mandalorian clones bred for
fighting. The only thing they would have to know, besides how to eat and walk and pee is
how to fight. This could be done by a series of computer programs that run the course of
their incubation period. When they emerge from their "vats", they are ready to
begin fighting, but don't try to take them to the opera... 07/26/99: Awesome story!! I need more!! When? Thanks, Thanks for the compliment! Don't worry, more to come within the next two weeks! WJ Dear Whill, I am very happy that you found my site interesting. I'm hoping you can help me with this. In the book Star Wars: Episode 1: The Visual
Dictionary there is the quote (page 11): "Of the teeming trillions of speciesthat
populate the galaxy, very few individuals becomefull-fledged Jedi Knights; the ranks based
on Coruscant number only about 10,000." Does this mean there are 10,000 Jedi Knights
on Coruscant, or does it mean there are 10,000 total throughout the galaxy, and they're
based on Coruscant? Thank you if you have an idea. I am fairly sure that there are about 10,000 Jedi total spread throughout the galaxy and that their home base is the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. WJ Your site is the best prequel site I've seen so far - full of imaginative but
common sense speculation as well as hard facts. Unlike the crap that one usually has to
sift through on other rumour-based sites. Best wishes, Thank you very much for your compliment, it is the best reward I can get. I hope that in the future I can continue to deliver the goods. WJ Hey, it's me again. BTW, I've had a chance to check out some other SW sites,
and yours is the best. I want to get your opinion on these two things: Nice to hear from you again. Thanks for the compliment, I have been getting a lot of
that lately :-]
07/22/99: Thank you for responding quickly. I am a bit confused, because in your article
about Padme, you said that she was a real person, and acting as Queen Amidala's decoy. You
also said that the real Padme, disguised as the Queen,was handed over to Nute Gunray. In
the Lucasfilm book about the making of TPM, that Amidala traded places with one of her
handmaidens, Padme, as a decoy. Please write back! Thank you, I can understand your confusion, as it is a confusing premise. Accordingly, I will update my FAQ's page to reflect a more comprehensive explanation. WJ yo, some thoughts. 1) Anakin says that he and his mom were owned by a hutt, and passed on to watto. He
says he has been around ( on tatooine, since he was three, now, remember the Qui gon
sais that if he was in a republic colony he would have been picked out by the jedi
earlier. I do not think that this is a mistake, I think Anakin was placed there in ORDER
to avoid the jedi! This could also explain his mothers lie ( i think it is a lie) about
Anakins father. You've got some interesting points. What is the pupose of the Jedi knights in general in the star wars saga and who are
the sith? Thanks The Jedi Knights are guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic. Here is
the Jedi Code (from the Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace Scrapbook): The Sith serve as the main enemy of the Jedi. Thousands of years before A New Hope, several Jedi broke off from the order. Under the idea of "power denied is power wasted", the Sith cultivated their connection with the dark side of the force and waged war against the Jedi. Thousands of years later, this ancient threat has returned as The Phantom Menace. WJ big fan here watch the movies over and over I consider myself a big expert but one
question... Why the hell doesnt kenobi run fast using his jedi speed power that him and
qui-gon used in the beginning of the film??? thanks... That is a really good question that I hadn't thought of. I would call that an oversight
on Lucas' part. It would have been a better scene if he was really far from Qui-Gon and
Maul initially, and used the super-speed but still came up short.
07/17/99: First off I would like to congratulate you on a wonderful and informative site. For
some time now I have been debating with a friend of mine regarding the Star Wars story as
a whole. His argument is that the prequels were written after the 4, 5 , and 6
episodes and that 7, 8, 9 episodes do not exist. My argument is that George Lucas
had the concept for the whole storyline and then divided it into 9 episodes, that we now
know as Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and so on. I'm not talking about the
screenplays for the movies, I'm talking about the basic storyline. Please help us
settle this debate as we are nearly ending our friendship over the debate. thank you Thank you very much for your compliment. I would hope that you did not end a friendship over something as trivial as when Lucas wrote the story. However, if you are the "I told you so" type, this should lend fuel to your fire: your explanation is the correct one. However, the sequel trilogy will not be made. WJ the jedi council seem so naive and almost scared of the sith. They are almost lazy
in there actions. who do you think is the traitor in the jedi?? there has been a lot of
talk a bout a traitor. The Jedi have become complacent in their 'old age'. It was thought that their last true enemy, the Sith, had been wiped out nearly a millennia before. In that time, the Jedi have had no adversary which truly challenged them. Lightsabers were used mainly for ceremony and for deflecting blaster fire. Fencing was still taught as part of the classical curriculum, and this was lucky for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Jedi were not used to fighting opponents armed with lightsabers, much less ones who were experts in their employment such as Darth Maul. The Jedi began to believe in their own smug invincibility, and this caused them to be quite incredulous when Qui-Gon Jinn insisted that he had encountered a Sith Lord.There is much speculation that Mace Windu may turn out to be a traitor among the Jedi ranks, but this is completely unsubstantiated. The reason this rumor popped up mainly is because mace Windu has a lightsaber that is very much like one half of Darth Maul's. I personally think that Windu will be shown to be a great hero. The Jedi do not need anymore traitors besides Anakin. WJ I'd imagine it'd be best for public enlightenment if you'd put somewhere, as fact,
for it is, the quote of what the novelization says about the Sith (inthe vicinity of page
137). In summary, there can be only two or everything will break down. Darth
Bane has been dead for a thousand years. He was the one who said there could only be
two to begin with. There are only two Sith at a time, I say! I don't believe
for a second that Palpatine is Sidious (although it isn't undeniable fact yet), but if he
isn't, then in E2 it'll be Sidious and Palpatine (see the last few pages of the
novelization for Sidious' last thoughts in TPM). In E3, after Sidious dies,
Palpatine and Vader. Everyone is obviously hyped up about Maul and such and immature
enough to generate whatever regards them, but it would be mighty helpful to put up what
the novelization says, to debase and enlighten. Thanks. And the writer points out in
one place or another that Lucas indeed told him the whole Sith backstory. Straight
from Lucas, then, it would be. Undeniable fact. Well, it is undeniable fact that there can only be two Sith at a time, a Master and an
Apprentice. The question is, how literal are you willing to be? What if one dies (just as
Maul did!) ? Are the Sith invalid? There is only one! Must the remaining Sith Lord grab
the nearest person and say, "tag, you're it!"? Is there a grace period that
allows the other Sith to search for a suitable apprentice? Although I also believe that
Palpatine and Sidious are not exactly the same, I find it difficult to accept that
Palpatine will be the new Sith Apprentice. It is pretty clear that the Apprentice Sith is
fighting muscle, while the Master Sith Lord manipulates through subterfuge and mastery
over the dark side. Look at the three candidates for Sith Apprentice: Darth Maul, Darth
Vader, and Luke Skywalker. Old man Palpatine doesn't seem quite right. I see Palpatine as
a partner to Sidious, not an Apprentice. My thinking is that we will see a new Sith Lord
in Episode II. There are only a few gimmicks left, so don't be surprised if you see a
female Sith Lady wielding two lightsabers at the same time. I think this Sith Apprentice
character will survive to Episode III, where Anakin will fight him/her and win. A couple of questions: what do you think about anakin not having a father?? I think
his mother is hiding something. A traitor in the jedi?? who can it be?? there are not
enough characters yet for it to be hard to find out who. I hope there is not one. If yoda
thought that anakin was soooooooo DANGEROUS WHY ALLOW OBIWAN TOTRAIN HIM? was this a case
of at least we can keep a watch on him? how come cp30 does not realise the connection
between luke and anakin? was his memory flushed? thank Something certainly is up with Anakin's virgin birth besides Shmi getting drunk at a
frat party. Here are the possibilities in my mind: 07/13/99: Dear Whill Journalist, Thanks a lot for your kind words, I really do appreciate them. I am working on a much more detailed Episode II plotline. Actually what I am doing is going to be different compared to what I did for Episode I. For Episode I I basically compiled my own plotline for the film then changed it accoring to web rumors and facts. It gradually matured in to a very polished and accurate treatment of the final film. For Episode II, I am going to establish the current popular thinking on the next film under the Episode II Alleged Plotline section. However, I am working on a full screenplay for what I think will happen and what I would like to see happen in Episode II. It won't be done for some time, but it will certainly be complete before may 2002...This screenplay will be under my Fan Fiction section, which currently only has the first 4 chapters of my backstory on Darth Maul, called The Candle Which Burns Twice As Bright, but will soon include more. Your evidence for why Qui-Gon doesn't die is interesting, but I just don't buy it. First of all, I really don't folow the "expanded universe", and, frankly, I don't think Lucas does much either. I do have my own explanation for why Qui-Gon does not disappear in my FAQ's section, but it is more of an acknowledgement than concrete fact. It is a fact, however, that Qui-Gon Jinn was a Jedi Master and nothing can dispute that. WJ Hi. My name is Charles Earhart. I would like to express my point of view of what I
discovered in the Star Wars series and I would like to know your opinion,after all, you
are an expert in the area. I found out that the series is based upon the history which
develops around Nazi Germany since 1931 and the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, from a
simple politician in a corrupt republic as was the Weimar Republic to the Chancellor and
in a future the Emperor of a devastating army and Empire. Star Wars characters represent
the role played by whole countries and alliances in which I found the following
similarities: That certainly is quite a bit of deep food for thought; here is my take on it Charles: The Knights Templar were an extremely powerful and influential order of the Roman
Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. They established the first international banking
system and were headquartered in several key places, but their largest base of operations
was France. In the 1300's, the papacy was not in Rome, Italy but in Avingon, France for a
period of about seventy or so years. It was during the reign of King Philip the Fair of
France that the Knights Templar came to an abrupt and bloody end. King Philip was a
ruthless monarch and was deeply envious of the massive wealth the Templars possessed right
under his nose. King Philip used his influence with the current Pope to devise a plan to
disband the Knights Templar and nationalize their funds. Many heretical charges were
levied agains the knights, ranging from homosexuality to worshipping a severed head called
Baphomet. Under the auspices of these shady charges and with the Pope's (reluctant)
authority, the whole of French Templardom was arrested en massé. Many Templars
were tortured and executed, including their Grandmaster, Jacques DeMolay. However, the
powerful Templar battlefleet slipped out of French harbors never to be seen again. Much
has been speculated where this fleet sought refuge, and the most logical conclusion is the
following: Now returning to the Star Wars issue, I feel that the Jedi are the Knights Templar, and that King Philip and the Pope are Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine. The Knights Templar were protectors of European Christendom, the Jedi protectors of the Republic. The Templars were fierce fighters who had an air of the mysterious and the mystical about them, much like the Jedi. Like the Jedi, events were orchestrated by outside forces to discredit them, allowing the disbandonment of the order to go unopposed by the people. As far as Lucas taking credit for a story that isn't his, all stories are retelling an older story in one form or another. WJ There is only one thing I dont get...what do they mean by this, as you have on your
website..."And in time of greatest despair,there shall come a savior, and he shall be
known as: "The Son ofSun", are they talking about Obi-Wan? And if so,why do they
call him that? Iguess that Obi-wan is the last of the remaning Jedi (Besides Yoda) who is
willing to train Luke which is the last resort for the Republic? Idunno?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Sincerly The quotation, "And in time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as:'The Son of Sun'" comes from the fictional Journal of the Whills. What is the Journal of the Whills you ask? The Journal of the Whills is a fictional book that exists only in the mind of George Lucas. It appeared in some of the earlier drafts of Star Wars: A New Hope and was essentially a history book that told the events from The Phantom Menace to Return Of The Jedi in the form of a flashback. WJ 07/04/99: Hey, again, great job on the site. One question though: where do you
get these rumors you update? Some of them are compelling, but others are downright
nonsense. Qui-Gon Jinn is actually Darth Sidious? Come on, did I miss
something? What I'm wondering is are these rumors coming from reliable sources, or
just people trying to start their own rumors on the web? If I put on a web site that
I banged Princess Leia, would you add that to your new rumor section? Just wondering
what's up, Thanks again for the compliment. The far-fetched rumors you are referring to do not come from any one site in particular, but are large topics or threads in message boards. I made it a point to post them under the rumors section with a header simply of "internet rumors" but I suppose if I post stuff like that again maybe I will call them "random" or "unsubstantiated" internet rumors. They just happen to be what people online are talking about, not what I personally feel.You banged Princess Leia! Wow that's awesome! WJ Once in the bookstore I saw a tiny book called "Who's who in the Phantom
Menace". It gave back stories for every minor character, such as every alien in the
pod race. The book is no longer in my store. Is this info on the net somewhere? All the info that was in that particular little book can be gotten from the Episode I Insider's Guide CD ROM. Much of it can also be found in the Episode I Visual Dictionary and the Episode I Scrapbook. Pieces of that info are scattered on various location throughout the Internet. WJ parallels of the dune by frank Herbert of Seattle washington we had a few talks
about the stars wars idea in 1971. there are many other trilogy sets C.s Lewis series.
in the menace ep.1 shmi had anakin without father and he failed to be the new hope
but his twin kids became the rulers of the Republic. that is the same as in prequel of
Dune and in the No. 3 star child of c.s. lewis. The force is yin yang and yet in cs.
lewis Aslon is God with no dark side it seem odd but all realms are about 1,000 years up
to 4,000 years in each time of the 6,000 yr. the 7th is the rule of total power with no
dark side So yin and yang separated as light is from darkness. and the light rules in a
balanced state. Even in the bible it says after the thousand years then comes a 1000 years
of battle at the end before there is a new heaven and earth by fire. just a few thoughts. There certainly do seem to be strong shared themes between Star Wars and Frank Herbert's Dune. In fact, when Star Wars was first released Frank Herbert contemplated suing George Lucas for plagarism. However, the themes of a "chosen one", of ancient enemies, of rise fall and redemption are found throughout various cultures and times. WJ I read your story on the web page and would like to congratulate you on an
admirable job. Your portrayl of Darth Maul (before becoming a Sith I takeit) is very
satisfying. I enjoy the fog of mystery around the character,as well as the more
descriptive characteristics being described through character action, rather than
dialogue. I am curious, is there more tobe added in the near future? I
understand works in progress are, well, inprogress. It is difficult to produce a
well rounded villain, as most portrayls are unsatisfying. The characters lack
complete motivation. It is usually simple motives or incomplete character
surrounding the antihero. I hope you put effort into building something very
substantialin Maul's character. Do you take other's fiction on your site? I'm
sure there are many writers who have flirted with Lucas' genre. I too have a story
in progress (slow on progress) and would find some criticism useful. Thanks and good
luck, I am thoroughly pleased that you enjoyed my story to date, and thank you for your compliment. There will be much more added to The Candle Which Burns Twice As Bright shortly, as I have been working on several projects simultaneously in my spare time. No one has submitted any fiction to me yet, but I would be happy to take a look at anything you have written to date. Naturally, if I think it is good and thematically appropriate I would definately consider posting it on my site. Besides the backstory of Darth Maul, I am also writing an Episode II screenplay and am working on what I call The Phantom Menace: Renegade Version. WJ 06/28/99: My friend and I went to see TPM for the second time today, and I noticed two
things. First, in the scene with the Senate, they briefly show the aliens from E.T. when
Amidala calls for the vote of no confidence. Secondly, when Senator Palpatine came back
after he was nominated for Grand Chancellor, Amidala's Captain mentioned that two other
people were nominated, one of them being Bail Antilles from Alderran? Was it my
imagination or did I here that right. Shouldn't it have been Bail Organa? Confused, You did in fact see the E.T.'s, however I still have not seen them...You and a lot of other people were confused over the nomination of Bail Antilles instead of Bail Organa. There was in fact an actor (Adrian Dunbar) cast as Bail Organa, so it is not as if Lucas and McCallum forgot about him. It would seem that either 'Bail' is a common name or perhaps in fact a title on Alderaan. WJ The following is from the official Star Wars website. Under cast of characters, this is said about the Palpatine character: "Ian McDiarmid returns to his role as the mysterious Senator Palpatine, who will one day become the dreaded Emperor Palpatine." As for Darth Sidious, the are the one in the same and is hinted at twice in the
film and once in the novelization. In the book, Palpatine comes to the Queen's chambers to
her the good news of himself and 2 others being nominated for the supreme Chancellor.
She informs him of her decision to return to Naboo, gathers everyone and leaves. As
Jar Jar is leaving, he notices a sly smile come to the Senator's face. In the film,
this sort of happens, but Jar Jar has already left and his smile starts to appear as the
edit to the next scene is rolling across the screen. At the end of the film, there is the
Yoda/Mace Windu dialogue of there is always 2, no more no less...a master and an
apprentice. Mace leaves the open question of which one died, the master or the apprentice
and the camera sweeps across the faces watching the funeral pyre to stop on...Senator
Palpatine. Not to mention that line of Palpatine to Anakin that they would be watching his
future, was shot at the last minute back in April as a reference to the future
relationship of the Master/apprentice of emperor and darth vader. this was said by
producer Rick McCullem I certainly did not miss any of the astute observations you listed to support your theory. Yet I am still compelled to believe there is something more sinister and, well, insidious (for lack of a better word) about the relationship between Palpatine and The Dark Lord. In almost every reference where any officially sanctioned Lucasfilm merchandise gets a chance to shed some light on this apparently infallable theory, it always remains intentionally vague. Even in the recently released Insider's Guide CD ROM, there is a picture that says, "Actor Ian McDiarmid wearing the Darth Sidious costume". Why would that be phrased in such an intentionally odd manner? WJ Dear Knowledge Guru: Being the simple minded idiot that I am, I can not accept that
Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious are the same person. My very smart and cool friend
has been trying to explain this blatently obvious fact to me for quite sometime but I just
can't see the truth. Please explain to me once and for all this problem that I face.Yours
in Star Wars Well, your 'smart and cool friend' seems to be in the majority of fans. However, I am not! I, like you, am also a simple-minded idiot. There are many hints in TPM that allude to Sidious being Palpatine, but...they are not subtle at all! They come right out and smash you over the head! I won't just yet subscribe to the overly-simplified view that they are the same person. WJ 06/22/99: I still need to see TPM once more to be sure, but it seems that when Darth Maul
sends those objects out to scan Tatooine the one that returns says "it's the
boy". This leads me to believe that Annakin's existence is of some consequence to the
Sith. If Palpatine and Sidious are truly one in the same, as is rumored, could that person
be Annikan's father? Because his mother acts oddly when Qui-Gon gets the readings from
Annikan. From my understanding, the Sith probe droid in question just muttered some type of gobblety-gook at Darth Maul. Maul was not hunting Anakin and did not know about Anakin. He sent the droid specificially to find either of the two Jedi, because his mission was to eliminate them first. The theory that Darth Sidious somehow has a hand in Anakin's conception has been brought up elsewhere, but I see no connection between that possibility and the events on Tatooine. WJ I was just reading the spread you had on Episode II and I just gotta say I'm SO glad someone agrees with me that Sidious and Palpatine aren't the same person OR clones of each other. I get tired of hearing "Look at their chins, look at the balcony railing, listen to the voices, look at the credits!" that it makes me wanna scream. Anyhoo, I think the Alleged Plotline sounds about as good as any I've heard so far, and my own personal theories ran pretty parallel to them. Keep up the good work. Me again. Read Episode III Alleged Plotline. I thought: What if that
"event" that would further discredit the Jedi would be the destruction of
Caamas? A peaceful planet with no armament and a pacifistic view of life; sounds a lot
like Alderaan. Thanks for your time. May the Force be with you, I am glad that someone out there agrees with me, but I just cannot stomach the 'easy' explanation of Palpatine being Sidious. If that was so obvious why would Lucas make it such a sticking point to separate the two characters all the time when he refers to them? Your theory about discrediting the Jedi is a good one, but I have already covered my own idea in the Logic section of Episode III. It explains how Palpatine/Sidious uses the Jedi refusal to allow themselves to be cloned during the Clone Wars to stir suspicion among the Republic. Couple that with Palpatine's promise of a huge strong conventional military to defend the people and you no longer need the Jedi. WJ The special edition looks excellent. This is the creator of Jack's LittlePage. I
appreciate the guest book entry. I have updated my links so they goto your SE site. Sorry
I don't post your banner but if I did I would have to post all of them and there is about
15 sites there and it would be chaotic. I think your site is one of the best on the net. I
like your ideas for the prequels. It seemed that you were pretty accurate in your
guesses about TPM. I am looking forward to see how close you have predicted episodes 2 and
3. Later Thanks for the compliment, I am happy that you like it. I wanted to make sure to sign your guestbook thanking you to the link to my site. It turned out that I was pretty accurate for my TPM predictions...let's see how I do for Episode II. Stay Tuned! WJ With all of the hype that is started about what is going to happen in episode II, I
was wondering if you have heard this little theory. Since we pretty much know for
sure that the clone wars are going to be a major part of it, why is it called the clone
wars? Around here I have heard that the return of Darth Maul by cloning him may be a
possibility. I have read all about the questions about Maul and Kenobi, and basically I
want to know if this sounds too stupid or a possibility. It seems pretty certain that we will see the Clone Wars during Episode II. Theories are many on this particular subject, and I have naturally heard the one that Lord Maul makes his clone return. I really think this is a bit far-fetched, and believe that the true clones will be armies of Mandalorian supercommandos cloned by Darth Sidious to thin out the Jedi. Palpatine will also use this an excuse for a massive military build-up. Will Maul return? I doubt it, but anything is possible... WJ Hello, I was just perusing your excellent "Logic" section and was struck
something bothersome: In Episode I, one of the candidates for Chancellor with
Palpatine is "Bail Antilles of Alderaan" (as stated by Capt. Panaka). Why
not Bail ORGANA of Alderaan?!? I do not understand this apparent inconsistency.
Thank you for your thoughts, Thank you for the compliment regarding my Logic section.It would seem there is a Bail Antillies and Bail Organa. Bail may in fact be a title on Alderaan, or it may just be a common first name. WJ
06/19/99: I currently lean toward Darth Sidious being Senator Palpatine. However, here is
another theory (and I apologize if this has already been speculated, although this might
be such a stretch that no one else would dare think of it ;-) ): In the Dark Horse graphic
novels (Dark Empire I and II), the idea is introduced that Emperor Palpatine was so
powerful in the Dark Force that hecould transport his essence into another body if his
current body died or was killed. In fact, this is the explanation given for how the
Emporer achieved "immortality". In RotJ, when Vader throws the Emporer into the
shaft, the Emporer does not die; rather, the Dark Force energy seen escaping was his
essence. This energy then traveled to the planet of Biss in the Core where the Emporer had
cloning facilities and another body waiting to receive his essence. Maybe at some point
the current Senator Palpatine is taken over by Darth Sidious. This is probably unlikely as
there is no "evidence" to support theidea of a Dark Lord being able to take over
a sentient body. However, if Senator Palpatine dies, or is killed by Darth Sidious, then
Sidious might beable to take over the Senator's body! This could be the penultimate result
of Sidious' manueverings behind the political scenes; after all, what better time to take
over Palpatine's role than when he is elected Supreme Chancellor. As Chancellor, Sidious
would then have the power to destroy the Senate and grow the Empire like we see in
Episodes 4-6. I do not read the "expanded universe" novels, I only read the novelizations of the films. However, running this site does allow me to see snippets of stuff from the novels now and again. Lucas may or may not choose to use an idea from one of the novels. I think that the idea that Darth Sidious kills/posseses Palpatine is not a bad one and fits in with my own personal theory. Even though there is much evidence that Palpatine and Sidious are the same, I am sticking to my guns that somehow there is more to it. WJ I really liked TPM, and I'd have to say it rekindled a fire in my imagination.
I want to read the post-ROTJ books you casually mentioned on the forum page.
There seems to be quite afew. Could you recommend a proper chronological or thematic
order for the books? In short: in what order do I read them? Thanks for your
site. I really like it. I am glad you liked the film, and very glad that you like my site. I am not a fan of the SW novels of the "expanded universe", I only read the film novelizations. However, I know some people who might be able to help you. Try some one at AllExperts.com Phantom Menace directory. I know someone there can answer your question (just don't pick me when you're there!) WJ Hello,Would you happen to have an address for directing correspondence to George
Lucas? I am compelled to communicate my opinion of Episode I and thoughts on Episode
II to him. How would I do so? Write to Lucasfilm? Obviously I do not
expect that he will it read it himself or even some staff members, but I would like to at
least try. Thank you very much for your time, and for your great website. Regards, I am sorry, but I honestly have no way of getting in touch with George Lucas. Everyone and their mother wants to talk to him right now. Perhaps writing to someone over at the Official Star Wars website can get you a little further. WJ 06/13/99: I certainly did not miss the scene where the camera focused on Palpatine when Yoda and Windu were speaking of "only two", however, did you ever stop to think that perhaps there is significance that Palpatine may be the Apprentice? Just a thought. The Palpatine/Obi-Wan being related thing is something I put together from the "connections" section on the Official Star Wars website, it is just my own idea, and I can't really base it on anything other that my own intuition. I have not read any of the novels besides the novelizations of the films so I cannot comment on those. I can say that it is well-known that Lucas will pick and choose whatever he wants from this "expanded universe" and will not hesitate to ignore an idea that almost seems "canon" to fans of these books. I do not think the midi-chlorians will prevent cloning, I think that maybe cloning kills the midi-chlorians or damages them, leading to a corrupt connection with the force. (since the midi-chlorians can no longer tell the user the "will of the force") WJ It seems that although Ray Park is listed as being Darth Maul, there is a peculiar
resemblence between Darth Maul and Obi Won. I have seen their faces matched up
together, and it was a perfect fit. I think that Darth Maul is Obi Won's clone and
that Ray Park was just a stunt man to throw us all off the track. This would make
sense because the upcoming movies should deal with the clone wars. What do you
think? That is an interesting theory but I think I know what you are talking about. There is a promotional picture of Darth Maul that some toy companies have been using on their packaging. This face looks exactly like Ewan McGregor with Darth Maul's face makeup on, right down to the mole. That is because it is in fact Ewan's face done up on Photoshop. Why this was used instead of ray Park's face I am uncertain, but there is no doubt that Mr. Park and only Mr. Park was in fact Darth Maul. WJ Hi, I just wanted to ask on everyones opinion on this midi chlorian business. If midi
chlorians are meant to be the source of Jedi Powers what happened to Ulic qel Droma in
TOTJ. Because if I'm not mistaken he's meant to be blocked from the Force. So how did they
do taht to him and what happened to the midi chlorians inside him. Did they die, disappear
or go dormant or something else altogether. And if you're a Dark Jedi, does taht mean the
midi chlorians are telling you to do bad things? Cause Qui Gon said that the midi
chlorians tell you the will of the force. And one other thing, did anyone notice the
guards behind Palpitine as he got off the ship near the ending of the movie? They were
wearing blue robes and you could see their faces but besides that, they look very similar
to some other characters in episode 7..hmm.... U guys know what I mean right? Fear is my
Ally. I am sorry but I have not read any of the novels besides the film novelizations. I do not think any of the authors of the "expanded universe" novels had any idea of midi-chlorians; I am pretty sure this is a Lucas creation only. It is interesting: if midi-chlorians tell one the will of the force, would Sith Lords be told that the dark side was the correct path? Are their midi-chlorians corrupt? Those little buggers are going to require quite a bit of explaining... I am not sure about Episode 7, but in Episode 6 (maybe that's what you meant) they do look an awful lot like The Emperor's royal guard! WJ I was emailing you to tell that your site is great it help me with alot of questions, but I still have one... i do not understand the Queen part... she switches so many charater so many time. Especially at the end where they made that plan.. i don't know but itz confusing and i was wondering if you can help... I seen the movie 2 time still dont know. Thanx alot if you cant help, and keep up the good work on your page :) -KrayzieVanh Thank you very much for the compliment, I appreciate it. Queen Amidala, played by actress Natalie Portman, always appears publicly in ornate dress and surrounded by many handmaidens. The reason for this is twofold: first it enshrouds her in an air of mystery. Second, it allows the Queen to use one of her handmaidens (named Sabé) to act as a decoy Queen. When Sabé is dressed as the Queen, the true Queen takes on the handmaiden name of Padmé Naberrie. In the film, Amidala was dressed as the Queen up until first captured by the Trade Federation Battle Droids. The decoy remained in place up to when Amidala pleaded her case before the Senate. After this the disguise was resumed until Amidala revealed her true self to Boss Nass on Naboo. WJ Well, I have to agree about the introduction of Darth Maul. I thought that was
not done well. He should have been dealt with in a mysterious way. I think
that it would have added to the legend of the Sith even more. Thanks for the email, EFaust. I think it is rather insightful that you see a connection between Mace Windu and the Sith. I have started to see rumors popping up now that he has the same kind of lightsaber as Darth maul (he does, just half of it), that he betrays the Jedi in Episode II or III, etc. It certainly did seem like his particular character was more agitated then any other of the council, and it is known that Lucas does have a larger role for Mace Windu planned in the next film. WJ I just wanted to say "Congrats!" you have definatly captured the Star Wars
FEEL in the ongoing story of Darth Maul's past. Keep up the good work, maybe you should
contact a publisher, you certianly have a lot of talent. Thank you very much for your compliment. You don't know how good it makes me feel to know that someone enjoyed my efforts so far. It has been a while since I have updated with chapter five of The Candle Which Burns Twice as Bright, but I assure you that I have been writing furiously and there is a lot more of that particular story yet to come. Thanks again! WJ i read on your site that you dont think that sidious is really palpatine.. i dont see
how this could not be true when there is much evidence in the movie and novelization that
proves this to be true, first of all the title Phantom Menace suggests that alone,
Palpatine being the menace that no one knows about.. the idea that Sidious takes the
form of Palpatine later on is ridiculous, Palpatine in this movie is not basically a good
guy, he is coniving and deceiving, causing chancellor valorum to be taken from office so
that he could be elected and take his place, it says so in the novelization of starwars:
ANH that Palpatine caused himself to be elected to higher and higher offices until finally
calling himself Emperor, and by the way, how does Sidious make the invasion legal? he is
palpatine and hes on coruscant so he boggs down the senate in procedures.. oh and also,
just thought id add this: Palpatine and Sidious are played by the same guy I am certainly aware that Senator Palpatine and Darth Sidious are both portrayed by actor Ian McDiarmid. However, if it is so 100% guaranteed that Palpatine and Sidious are one in the same, how come Lucasfilm doesn't just come right out and say it? Why will no one like Lucas, Rick McAllum or anyone else who worked on the movie say, "oh yes, and I guess it is obvious to everyone that Palpatine and Sidious are the same person."? When I say that Palpatine was basically a good guy in Episode One, I was quoting George Lucas! He said that in the Vanity Fair interview. He said, "the phantom menace is Darth Sidious, the last of the Sith", and that "Palpatine was basically a good guy". I am not saying that you are wrong or that they are not the same person, I just find it very curious that everyone is so certain when Lucasfilm keeps dancing around the issue. WJ Wow. I am writing a script combining West Side Story and Episode 1 (don't ask) and your
summary was so incredibly helpful! Um, did you make any of that up? I saw the movie a
couple weeks ago but somehow I missed some key points (Amidala having a decoy, Senator
Palpatine=the Emperor). Anyway, I guess I needed the summary for more than the names of
the characters. Thanks! I am glad my summary could give you a hand (in whatever your particular endeavour may be). I was forced to make some things up in order to connect all the internet rumors together (I compiled that summary over a course of months and finished it about 3 weeks before the movie opened) but about 95% of it is accurate. WJ yo dosent darth maul rock he should this is my first e-mail so please writeback Yo, I agree: Darth Maul rocks! WJ I read the post regarding the color of lightsabers. Your response about that the color
could be dictated by the owner (blue for Jedi Knights, green forJedi Masters, red for Dark
Jedi) intrigued me. However, I thought I read insome of the novels that continue the story
after RotJ that the color oflightsabers is determined by the crystal used to focus energy
into the beam. Of course, both ideas are acceptable because it takes deep concentration
inthe Force to forge these crystals: Jedi Knights would not have the same concentration
abilities as Jedi Masters, thus Jedi Masters are better atforging these crystals, hence
the different color; and as for Dark Jedi theybend the Force to do their own will, hence
red may be a natural color result. Thanks for your time! I have heard that many technical aspects of lightsabers are addressed in the "expanded universe" novels, but alas -I do not read them. Like I have said before, Lucas is under no obligation whatsoever to follow any of the stuff in those novels, and he has already proven this changing the history of the Sith (I may not read the novels, but I do have the Behind The Magic: CD ROM). One would think that if a lightsaber's color didn't have any significance then we would have seen something other than blue green or red in TPM. WJ 06/06/99: My chance viewing of TPM on the first day was a surprise to me. I frankly was
not prepared because I came upon the tickets by luck. As I stood in the long line just to
get into the theater, I could barely remember the line I stood in in 1976 to see Star Wars
with my father. Being 5 at the time and the fact that it was the first film that I had
ever seen, I did not think it so odd that people waited in line to see a film. This time,
I could not help but notice that people were actually going to see the film and then
getting in line to see it again. Thanks for the review, EFaust. My disappointments were few as well, which you can read more about in my Updates section. WJ Hi. Well, though Antilles IS common, as in Wedge and Captain Antilles, doesn't it seem
like a mistake to have Bail Antilles of Alderaan? We already know of the prominent Bail
Organa of Alderaan who fought with Kenobi in the clone wars and was a member of the
senate. He's supposed to figure into Episodes 2 and 3, so I think that may have been a
blooper. Although it seems strange no one caught it if it was a blooper. Between Lucas,
McCallum and all of the other SW fans on the crew, you'd think someone would snap. So
maybe it WAS Antilles? A scene with Bail Organa had actually been filmed for TPM during the senate scenes, but was subsequently dropped for reasons unknown. Bail Organa was portrayed by actor Adrian Dunbar. So with that in mind, I am fairly confident Lucas used Bail Antilles intentionally. WJ Hello, my husband and I went to see the The Phantom Menace and we both loved it!
We are both fans of the star wars movies and can't wait for the next movies. I have
one question that I hope you can answer for me. Who wrote the original star wars
books. I would love to be able to read them! In my opinion the books are
almost always better than the movies, but in this case if they are they would be awesome
'cause I loved the movies so much! Thank you I am happy that you enjoyed the film, I did also. The original novelization for Star Wars is attributed to George Lucas, but it was in fact 'ghost written' by Alan Dean Foster. The Empire Strikes Back was penned by Donald F. Glut, and Return of the Jedi was written by James Kahn. WJ Thanx Jason; I was ignorant to notice the connection in TPM (movie), and am currently
reading the novel. It was my friend who noticed a connection, given the following (some of
the following I ascertained after he pointedout the connection): All the evidence points toward Palpatine and Darth Sidious being the same person. It does not seem too odd to me that he is not referred to as "Emperor Sidious" or something, since just "The Emperor" would suffice. George Lucas and actor Ian McDiarmid both have referred to Senator Palpatine as being the younger incarnation of the Emperor, however... WJ Mr. Cunningham,Thanks for the response. I will definitely be checking your site
periodically to get further scoops, rumors, gossip, etc. for Episode II. Just a few more
thoughts: I recommend the novel because it provides insight into the relationship of Qui-Gon and
Obi-Wan. Also, it tells the story more from Anakin's perspective in addition to the
ambiguous treatment of Sidious, which leaves some question as to if he is really Palpatine
or not. A lot of people seem to confuse Yoda's speech about Jedi not using the Force for
attack as "the Jedi cannot attack". In response to someone's question about Bail Antilles. I think there is a Bail
ANTILLES as well as a Bail ORGANA, both from Alderaan. C3PO told Luke in Episode IV
that their former owner was Captain Antilles. Leia and the droids' ship was headed
back to Alderaan, via Tatooine, when they were attacked by Vader. It is reasonable
to think that this is the same Antilles (or a relative) mentioned by Palpatine in Episode
I, especially if C3PO (Anakin's droid) accompanied Amidala/Leia there sometime in Episode
II or III. Both the Antilles and Organas were involved in politics and probably ran
in the same circles. Thus the connection between C3PO, Leia/the Organas, and the
Antilles. I agree with you on your thinking concerning the Antilles/Organas. Hey, it's been a while since I posted any comments, though I have kept up to date on
your site!!! I have one issue and 1 question. Well, SW is full of little inconsistencies like that, isn't it. Why didn't the Emperor put 50 legions of his best warriors on the Forest Moon?! I feel that Shmi will meet a tragic end in Episode II while Anakin tries to free slaves on Tatooine. I think that this will be the biggest contributing factor in Anakin's fall. WJ
05/27/99: Hey sorrry to bother you, but I think your site is amazing...it answers a lot
of Phantom Menace questions and etc that other websites don't...Anyways, I have a question
for ya and hoped maybe you would know how to answer it....Alright, well I know about how
these episodes are 1 to 3, and 4,5,6 are the ones we've already seen... well I'm wondering
if George Lucas is planning on making any movies after the 3rd one, like maybe 7?? Because
I would hate to see this amazing series die out... and I know Darth Vader gets killed at
the end, but I imagine George Lucas could do something...uh like clone him or something...
it's always a possibility... haha... well I was wondering if you did know anything about
what I'm asking you... once again, kick-ass website, ya make me proud to be a Star Wars
fan!! Hahaha cya laterz- Thanks a lot for the compliment. George Lucas has stated that there will be no sequel trilogy. The timeframe after ROTJ (known as the New Republic) has been covered extensively in novelizations by various authors. WJ
Dear Sir or Madam- There has been no official word on the respective color of lightsabers, however it has been a hot topic of discussion. It is clear that the Sith employ red weapons, red being the color of blood, and associated with war and violence. Luke, Ben Kenobi (young and old) and Anakin used blue sabers, while Qui-Gon and older Luke used green. It seems to make sense that Sith use red, Jedi Knights use blue, and Jedi Masters use green. This is not official of course, and it is noteworty that the Mace Windu action figure is packaged with a dark blue, almost purple lightsaber. WJ I know you get tons of emails a day, but I'm currently having a big disagreement with
my roomates over the new movie: Is Darth Sidious the same person as Senator Palpatine? My
roomates say that it was clear in the movie that Senator P was also Darth Sidious, meaning
that the Senator would go and put on a dark robe and makeup and send a hologram message. I
can't see how this can be. I know that Senator P will go on to be the emperor later on,
but they claim that he's already the main bad guy. At the end of the movie where yoda and
Sam Jackson are talking about Siths come in pairs and there's an apprentice and a master,
and then they focus on Senator P. My roomates say that's becuase it's clear that he's
Darth Sidious. I think they do that because he's going to be the new apprentice to Darth
Sidious. So now that you have the background and the argument, please tell me this:
Is Darth Sidious the same person as Senator P in this movie.. and if so where is it so
obvious? Thanks for your time, Well, here is the only way I can answer that: The same actor, Ian McDiarmid, played Senator Plapatine, Darth Sidious, and The Emperor. It seems obvious from the film that Sidious and Palpatine are the same person, however the novel is much more ambiguous. WJ Nifty site. One question that's been bugging me lately about the story is what
exactly is the connection between Sidious and Palpatine? All I can figure out is
that Palpatine eventually gains power and declares himself emperor and somehow develops
the ability to shoot electricity from his fingertips. How does he have these powers?
How does he become a Master of the Dark Side? Doesn't one have to be born with
those powers, like the Jedi? Is Sidious really the one in control and Palpatine just
his puppet? Too many questions.... That seems to be the question on a lot of people's minds. Current thinking is leaning toward Palpatine and Darth Sidious being the same person, with Palpatine being a dark lord from day one, maneuvering his way into the senate. I happen to personally think there is more to it than that, since the novel makes it very ambiguous who Palpatine and Sidious really are. WJ It all seemed to work out well for Palpatine, in that he used Amidala's fear to claim
his place as chancellor and gain power. But his original intent (if we assume that he is
Sidious) was to capture and kill her/have her sign the treaty. Any ideas as to what he was
trying to gain through taking over Naboo? Perhaps he hoped to become Chancellor all along,
using the pity vote thing he mentioned to Amidala if she had been killed or imprisoned?
Perhaps he knows that she's predestined to father two force-strong children? That is a very very good question, one I have asked myself from the beginning. Let's try to work out an answer: Assuming that Palpatine is Sidious (a claim which I will not quite buy into yet) it seems clear that the obvious original plan was to invade Naboo, capture the Queen, and force her to sign a treaty legitimizing the occupation. Now, with the Federation seemingly in legal control of the planet Naboo, would the rest of the republic fear that that were next and vote for 'no confidence' in Valorum? Was Palpatine counting on that particular sympathy vote?Well, that did not transpire, since two pesky Jedi interfered and secreted the young Queen off the planet and safely to Coruscant. We see how Palpatine used this to his advantage clearly enough, the final mystery lies in the end. Palpatine/Sidious felt the planet Naboo was firmly under Federation control. He was very disconcerted when the Queen began to make "aggressive moves", but when the reports of the massed Gungan army reached his ears, Sidious had a change of heart and said that the situation would work to 'their advantage'. He also warned Maul to be mindful. Now was Sidious/Palpatine clever enough to use either outcome of the battle at Naboo? I am going to think more on this issue, and when I come up with an answer that I think is satisfactory and has no major loopholes or logic flaws I will post it. Thanks for the question WJ On your page you state that she regarded Anaking "disdainfully and with littel respect." That is a lie. She regarded him as a kind boy, but she found slavery strange and didn't understand much of Tatoinne. She liked him and continued to develoup a closer relationship with him throughout the rest of the movie. Please change your page. Thank you.And if you would like to discuss any of this further my address in ceiser@hotmail.com thank you. That particular description I posted of Queen Amidala is literally months old, and was the best I could do from the sources available, so calling me a liar is kind of uncalled for, I think. The page will remain as is, for the sake of archive. When The Whill Journal: Special Edition goes active, any descriptions of characters will be completely updated and accurate. WJ Your website is very good and is by far one of the best sites about the prequels. I do
have to say, though, that your first conclusion about sen. palpatine/darth sedious (about
how they are the same person) is veryl ikely not unlikely. it is true that the sith
are in hiding, and what if one was on the planet Naboo only to gain a seat on the Senate
where he could start plans for the demise of the Jedi. Although for an episode 2 and 3 a
story of how Palpatine searched for the sith maybe he found them to be seduced by the
sith. that was avery good conclusion. Thanks for your compliment, I appreciate it. The Palpatine/Sidious discussion is currently the question most frequently raised on my site. I think Palpatine had bad intentions from the get-go, but I am still unsure about his relationship with Sidious. Maybe I am reading too much into the mystery. WJ 05/20/99: Thanks, I think...I have had a couple complaints about the color of the font against the background, and I will be addressing that in the near future. As far as arbitrarily stretching pictures, it was an attempt to have a uniform pictorial layout. I concede your point however -no more picture stretching. Scout's honor. WJ Just wanted to let you know that I loved your site. It was very informative,and
I thought the possible plot section was really cool! I understand that it's not the
actual story and unlike others would like to claim it did not in the least spoil the movie
for me...in fact it actually made my anticipation for the movie all that much
stronger. I can't wait for you to start working more on the next to movies. I
just don't know if I can wait for another 3 years for Episode2 to come out! :)Thanks
again for your site. I loved it! Thanks so much for your compliment.Never fear, as we can all see, my Alleged Plotline came very very close to the final film. I have already started work on the Alleged Plotline for Episode II and will use the same sleuthwork I used for the first one. Keep watching! WJ I thought the movie was great. It laid the groundwork for episodes IV,V, and VI. It
didn't answer allot of my questions, but raised a lot of new ones, which is great!I did
not think that Jar-Jar was that annoying, or hard to understand. I was 8 years old when A
New Hope came out, and have been hooked ever since. I always joked that by the time George
Lucas came out with any new films that I would be married with kids of my own. I was very
moved when I was able to take my 4 year old son to see the film on opening day, it was
great, he has been "addicted" to Star Wars for about a year.He loves the heroes,
villains, and especially the action, which is what I fell in love with all of those years
ago.People should lighten up and enjoy the movie for what it is: an awesome adventure
series that spans generations, and is extremely entertaining. By the way , I love your
site, I need to learn more about the Journal of the Whills I am glad that you enjoyed the film. The Phantom Menace had it's faults, naturally, but I enjoyed it as much as any other SW film. Thanks for your comments about my site. Keep your eyes peeled in the near future for The Whill Journal: Special Edition. By the way, The Journal of the Whills is a fictional work created in the mind of George Lucas. It was to be a chronicle of the events that took place during Star Wars. Unfortunately you cannot get a copy because one does not exist (yet). WJ First of all, I thoroughly enjoy your site. It's the first place I turn for the
latest SW info. Keep it up. I won't bore you with my review of
TPM, but I will share with you my favorite moment (which may be surprising). All
true SW fans who stayed through the end of the credits would recognize J. Williams's
Anakin's theme as a light derivative of the Imperial March. Especially the sequence
at the end of phrases, which was very clearly the same as DV's theme. Then, as the
screen goes black, and the orchestra is holding out a sustained minor chord for some time,
you hear one <<Khoooo-pahhhh>>.It's really quite chilling.
On another note, I have found that a lot of your scoops/rumors are thought provoking (if
not always accurate). Here's one that's been kicked around here: Anakin
further delves into the Dark Side because of this anger/sadness when his mother is killed
(he is on his way to liberate her when called off on a Jedi mission, probably the Clone
Wars). He blames the rigidity of the Jedi code for forcing him to fight a trivial
battle and not allowing him to fulfill his promise to her.What do you
think? As I said, keep up the good work! Thanks for your compliment, I appreciate it. I hope you keep turning to The Whill Journal first in the future, and when I start the Special Edition. William's score was criticized by some, but I thought it was excellent. However, I feel that Lucas needed to use the music more effectively. I feel it is clear now that Lucas has established what a large part of Anakin's turning will be caused by -the loss of his mother. I think it is a safe bet with all the foreshadowing in the novel and film that Anakin will someday return to Tatooine in an attempt to free his mother and the rest of the slaves. I think you are right on track thinking that he will rebel against the Jedi code -much like the rebellious Qui-Gon. If you think my previous scoops/rumors were thought provoking, wait 'til you see some of my new ones for Episode II! WJ Hi, I like your site very much, it is very factual, which is nice. One
thing I noticed in the movie which I thought was very odd- Someone (Palpatine? Valorum?)
mentioned "Bail ANTILLES from Alderaan"! ANTILLES! What's up with that? Did
Lucasfilm make a mistake, or are there two Bail's from Alderaan, Antilles AND Organa?
Sounds like a mistake to me.Also, why do you think Vader does not take any note of R2/3PO
in Episodes IV-VI? I could see the droids not recognizing the name Skywalker when they
meet Luke due to memory wipes or something, but there is no reason Vader should not
recognize them, especially C-3PO! Probably the only explanation is that Lucas did not
think of the droid/Anakin connection when he wrote Episodes IV-VI, and came up with it
when he wrote the TPM. Also, I did not get the impression that Kenobi is a native to
Tatooine as you mentioned in your site. Do you still think this? It brings up questions
about whether or not Owen Lars and Kenobi are related at all. And, why do you feel
Kenobi and Palpatine may be genetically related? Antilles seems to be a real popular name, almost as much as 'Skywalker' eh? Maybe it is like 'Jones' or 'Smith'. Your realistic explanation is probably the correct one, but I'm sure an argument could be made that there are a lot of astromech and protocol droids, and that someone who went through as much as Vader/Anakin did might forget them from 30 some odd years earlier. It states on the Official Star Wars website that Kenobi is a Tatooine native, so I can only go with that for now. The reason I thought Palpatine and Kenobi were genetically related was from a time I was trying to piece together elusive "connections" on the official site. If that is really their status, I have no idea. Thanks for the compliment, BTW WJ
I am a revived Star Wars fan, as I bore much pride and love for the culture, yet lost
such for a time being, only to be revived by Episode I. My question for you is: what you
state on your site, do you still hold with the theory that Palpatine is not Sidious? Do
you still hold the belief that Palpatine was taken over by Sidious? And, if so, could you
please inform as to where you attained your sources? Thank you for you time, It is much harder for me to support my theory that Palpatine and Sidious are not the same, since the film seemed to make that clear. The novel was much more ambiguous, however, and if one read that alone one might never connect Palpatine and Sidious. Only time will tell... WJ
05/20/99: The actors that are definitely slated to appear in Episode II are: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz (as Yoda) and Anthony Daniels (as C3P-0). I have seen the film, and I can agree that some of those criticisms hold true, but only to the extent that they did for the other films in the original trilogy. George Lucas has never been renowned for his fantastic dialogue, frankly a lot of the more inspired moment were form script polishers. There is a little more detail about some of the characters in the novelization, but Lucas can kind of decide to do whatever he wants with background info. As far as your last question, it is hard to say. It is a big part of the history simply because it is the first part. All of the six films will tell the whole story of the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. WJ Hello, I am Writing you to inform you that your Theory on Darth Sidious destroying
Palpatine is almost totally correct. He does Seduce Palpatine But Instead of destroying
him he uses him as a pawn to rule the Imperial Senate. Palpatine dies of old age the
day that the Imperial Senate is disbanded. As soon as the news of the death touched
Sidious's Ears he had the Senate disbanded before anyone else found out. So the galaxy
thinks that there emperor just went into hiding . Through the other two movies The
emperor is seen in both but not the first. That's because Palpatine was always kept close
to Sidious And by showing one it would have ruined the plot. This Information is from a
very reliable source. If you Believe it print it and Ill feed you more if not thanks for
your time and ill take the scoop to another site Well, if what you say is true then that is pretty cool. I figured it was the most logical plot progression. The part about them both surviving until basically the beginning of ANH is something I had never considered. Hey, I am always willing to hear some inside scoops, if you get anymore, pass 'em my way! WJ What do you think about some of the press that the Phantom Menace is getting as being
targeted for young children and that it lacks the integrity of a serious Star Wars movie,
especially the character Jar Jar Binks?In light of the fact that Return of the Jedi was
perceived as somewhat childish because of the too cutesy Ewoks? Is there such a thing as a 'serious Star Wars movie'? Yes, I suppose ESB was the most serious of the trilogy, but Star Wars was always intended for children. The simple fact is that adults can enjoy it too. I have seen TPM and frankly I thought JarJar was kind of funny. I agree he was there for the kids, but he made me laugh a couple of times. I do not much like the Ewoks at all, but the Gungans are much better than those little furballs. WJ I am so glad that I have finally found someone that agrees with me. This is a
movie for the little ones. I'm still kind of a child myself although 19.Movies have
tremendous influence on children when they are young. I don't know where these
people are coming from thinking that Star Wars belongs to their Generation and that they
should be the audience with the most say.Star Wars molded my mind. And the children
of today need something just like that. If this next movie is as Good as ROTJ and
even a little better,already I am more than happy. I have a theory why everyone's so
self-centered and greedy, thinking Star Wars belongs to them. They have been seduced
by the Dark Side. Anyway thanks again. Well, it's always nice to hear from someone who agrees with my opinion (ha ha). Let me just say that I have seen the film and at 26 years old truly enjoyed it. The real treat will be when I see it with my 9 year old cousin, because that is who it is really for. WJ I would like to know how much you liked"The Phantom Menace",Because all these
critics are driving me insane. I have posted my review of TPM on my Updates page, so make sure to check it out if you're interested. WJ Your summary is close, with a few minor exceptions. I believe Darth Maul's light saber
is broken by Qui Gon Jinn during the fight. After Maul defeats Jinn he battles with
Kenobi. He knocks Kenobi over a ledge, and Obi Wan loses his light saber. Obi Wan is
hanging on with one hand while Darth Maul is standing over him trying to knock him down.
Obi Wan uses the force to jump up while at the same time have Qui Gon's light saber fly
into his hand. This move is conducted in a very brief time, and as Obi Wan lands he
strikes down Maul who falls into the pit and dies. When Obi Wan goes over to the injured
Jinn he is alone for his master's final words. The queen is still in the throne room. My
question is why when Qui Gon Jinn died did his body not disappear, become one with the
force, like Obi Wan's does in Episode 4, and like Yoda's does in Episode 6? If you know
the answer to that I would like to know. Maul's lightsaber is actually cut in two by Obi-Wan. The 'disappearing Jedi trick' has been explained as a technique that only someone greatly in tune with the Force can do. Yoda supposedly taught this technique to Ben Kenobi, as a way to guide young Luke Skywalker through all his perilous trials ahead. If you remember, Anakin at the end of ROTJ remained flesh and blood as well. WJ 05/18/99: Well, what do you think he was offering to buy that guy in the cantina? WJ I don't understand something. It's the young actor Jake Lloyd is Anakin Skywalker,
Luke's and Leia father, how could be Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) be Luke's &
Leia's mother? Jake Lloyd (Anakin) seems younger than Queen Amidala . Is this relation
possible? Thanks so much. In Episode I, Anakin is about 8 or 9 and Queen Amidalia is about 14. Episode II takes place 10 years later, so Anakin is about 19 and the Queen is about 24. Sound like they could make babies? WJ Well, I think your site is whilly good! Haha, ya, ya I know-lame joke. But all joking
aside, I love your site. I have been a Star Wars fan since the day I understood what the
word, force meant! Anyway.......I actually wanted to ask you a question. I'm assuming that
Queen Amidala and Anakin will get married at some point during the Prequels. Do you have
any idea if their romance will be a major part of the plot <like Leia and Han>? Also
do you know a place where I could get a few spoilers about their relationship?Thanks so
much:) May the Force be with you, Thanks a lot for the compliment and the lame joke. I have actually been called "Slick Whilly" before (ugh). You are correct and most likely the courtship and marriage of Anakin and Amidala will take place in Episode II or at the very latest early Episode III. Lucas has already stated that Episode II will be a romantic film, so put 2 and 2 together. There is currently no information (spoiler or otherwise) about their relationship, but keep watching my site, and something might arise! WJ To whom it may concern, I love this site I'm glad there are people who still love Star
Wars enough to do something like this. Thanks so much. I am thrilled that you like it and that you love the modern day mythology as much as I have come to. WJ I have heard stories that Boba Fett was a key part can't understand how. Is this true
in the first three movies and can we expect more on this in the Prequels George Lucas has stated that Boba Fett will have a "prominent role in Episode II". What this role may be is pure speculation at this point, but it may have something to do with the Clone Wars. There is a theory that the clones in these wars are a race of cloned warriors called the Mandalorians. Boba Fett, as it turns out, wears Mandalorian combat armor. There is another rumor that Boba Fett is actually Anakin's childhood friend Kitster. WJ 05/10/99: Well thanks for the concurring opinion. It would seem George Lucas basically is saying
the same thing I did about preliminary reviews about the film. Here is an excerpt: Nice SW-related site. I was curious about your choice of the title "The Thanks for the kind words.I too saw the reference to the fictional enigmatic work known as the Journal of the Whills in the prologue of A New Hope. Whether we actually find out anything about this book is still unknown.As far as can be told, it is the written chronicle of the events covering all six Star Wars movies as told in flashback from a far future date. It seems you are not the only one who agrees with my assessment, since George Lucas has said essentially the same thing in the face of recent critical review. WJ 05/05/99: Darth Maul only has eyes for young Obi-Wan. You wanna know what I think of your posting of the alleged plot? I think it
stinks! You are taking away from the very mystery and wonder that George Lucas is
trying to preserve. I have to question both the character of the person who
published this blatant plagarism on the web and of those who are stupid enough to read
this crap! When I stumbled upon this, I had to catch myself from reading it.
Scanning down, it looked as though the entire script was there. This is the first response like this I have gotten, but I knew it would eventually
come. In the summary of Episode One, you had mentioned Obi-Wan does the double kick on the
two battle droids on the Federation Battleship. In Trailer B, however, there is clearly a
Naboo Fighter docked above his head, thus he is in fact in the Naboo hanger in Theed. Just
thought you might like to know. Thanks for the correction; you are of course right. I have left my summary in it's final complete form, however, since the screenplay is now available. (I'm using it for comparison against the real thing...pretty close if you take a look!) WJ Hi, I'm a reporter at bostonherald.com. I helped put together a quick Star Wars news
archive, and we've linked to your site. (You can see it at: http://www.bostonherald.com/bostonherald/starwars/starwars.html) If
you have such a space, could you link to ours? Either way, it's been a pleasure reading
your site. Thanks, What can I say man...thanks a lot! I'll be glad to link to your fine, fine site. (Good taste too) WJ 04/28/99: Thanks for the compliment! I think Roderick Vonhöven has already covered the image+plot aspect adequately. Check out The Virtual Edition if you haven't already. WJ I found your site this evening and wanted to compliment you on your terrific work. I
have been needing a fix like this since the second trailer was released. I do have a
question if you have time to spare. The first is whether or not the Whill Journal was ever
published either entirely or partially? I only remember a reference from it in the SW:ANH
novel and I would be very interested in reading it. Thanks so much for the compliment. The "Journal of the Whills" is a fictional account of the entire Star Wars saga as told in flashback form. It is a concept of George Lucas that remains shrouded in mystery. WJ Loved the summary! Thanks, I loved writing it! WJ WJ: I have spent the last three days catching up on prequel news and rumors and would
like to proffer my thoughts on not just on what I've read on your page but on others. The
whole "midi-chlorininadinin" thing has got to be unfounded speculation. That
would suggest that the Force is completely physiological, hence biological, hence physical
or material in it's very basic nature. Conceivably it could be replaced in a blood
transfusion, or created in a transplantable kidney like organ. It removes the notion that
the Force is mental, mystical, cerebral, spiritual, and psychological. This leads me to my
next observation, do the Clone Wars have to be about clones? My limited understanding of
the Clone Wars, having been out of the Star Wars Universe/History scene since I discovered
girls and rock and roll 15 years ago, is only based on the reference that is made in Ep.
III. Could the Clone Wars be referencing a place, or a person, or as someone suggested
somewhere I read, about two similar wars. If there is other evidence to the contrary, I am
open to accepting it. Additionally, why would cloning, even if my above premise is wrong,
(Jedi Knights, presumably?) make sense to the notoriously paranoid and fiendishly
conspiratorial Dark Force guys. Why would you, as Darth Journalist, want to make evil
little duplicates of yourself, knowing full well that they could and eventually would be
used against you someday? I thought that's why there was never more than two Darths around
at the same time. Even though I am nowhere near that evil, I can see that idea has
problems. If that could be logically explained, and I admit it may, how could such a
process be explained. Technologically or mystically? Draw Jedi blood, culture the
midi-chlororidiianainan things, mix with clay in a hyper-blender, bake in a microwave
blaster oven, and viola, clones. Or inject Jedi blood in volunteers/slaves/prisoners,
shake well. I don't intend to sound so facetious and maybe I'm asking to much of milieu
where planets can be blown up but it has to at least be plausible, if not logical, in that
world. Lastly, if the all the above were adequately and convincingly argued in favor of
cloning and Clone Wars, I don't think DNA would be medium of transference. It would have
to be something made-up, like the mini-choliciandian things. DNA would be too direct a
reference to our reality. How can fairy tale heroes have DNA? All of this discussion about
the Clone Wars and clones sort of sounds to like our late 20th century angst about cloning
is being projected into a world where we have heroes we root to win and villains we
desperately want to see defeated in an issue we can't completely comprehend, much less
fight our selves right now. That brings my argument to a confusing full circle. Thanks for
your time It would seem from all sources I have at my disposal that the 'midi-chlorians' are in
fact in the film and novelization of The Phantom Menace. It is supposedly the adept's
ability to 'talk' with these microscopic creatures that allows one to effectively weild
the force. Do I think this demistifys the concept? Yes, somewhat but there is not much
either of us can do about it. (Nobody liked the freakin Ewoks either...) I have a couple more questions for you. My friend says that Star Wars will only be on
1000 screens nationwide. I read in the latest time magazine that it will be 2,500 screens.
My friend is no idiot. But wouldn't Lucas be crazy not put it out on as many screens as
possibly? Also, is it possibly to buy advance tickets? thanks again Here is the official party line from StarWars.com: 04/12/99: Thanks mate! I plan on it! WJ Jason, can you please provide a response to the following questions: That is quite an interesting question, and there will not be a true answer until all
"the making of" books and documentaries about The Phantom Menace occur. However,
I can always give my opinion... "According to this source, Maul (whose "real" name is Khameir Sarin) is
from a species called "Zabrak". Observant Star Wars fans might have noticed that
there is a similarly horned member of the Jedi Council. He's a Zabrak too, named Eth
Kooth. I have another question for you Jason, in episode 1, Anakin is 9, and obi-wan is
probley in his 20's. I'm sure jake Lloyd won't reprise his role in the future movies. But
what about Ewan McGregor. There probley going to go ahead at least 10 years for episode 2
right? Will they just make him look older? thanks again Ewan McGregor will play Obi-Wan in all three prequel movies. They will use makeup and hair stylists to make him seem older. By the time Episode III is made, he will in fact be about 6-7 years older than he was when TPM was filmed. Oh yeah, he can also act like he's older, too. WJ
03/31/99: Thanks a lot for the compliment. I try as hard as I can to produce an enjoyable site that has a little bit deeper content than racing to publish pictures or news first. As far as the 'you guys' goes, it is just little ol' me! But then there are all of you of course, who help fill this forum. Thank you for writing! WJ Does the first movie deal with the clone wars at all? If so, which part of it? The
start? the end? the events leading up to it? The Clone Wars will really not come into play until Episode II. However, Episode I will certainly show the events leading up to it/them. WJ Well I definitely felt sheepish when I found my inquiry on the forum page. Okay to add
to the forum, I have a question about Darth Maul. Does anybody have any information on
this guy, the actor I mean. I found out his name and that is all. Are the powers of Star
Wars keeping him intentionally in the dark, or am I just not looking in the right places?
I would appreciate any information you could give. Thanx again. No need to ever feel sheepish.
03/28/99: Thanks so much for the compliment. You are not a dumbass, you are just giving my knowledge of HTML too much credit! The Forum is just where I post all my emails and stuff. If you want to get involved, just email me like you did, and/or sign my guestbook. I will get back to you and post your comments there. WJ
03/23/99: I currently live in Pittsburgh, PA, but used to live near Seattle for about a year. It is bugging me, it seems so damn obvious now that Palpatine and Sidious are the same person, but I can't accept it! Yeah, it is not like Jedi have Force homing beacons on their heads. Luke slipped by The Emperor but was felt by Vader. Perhaps the Jedi Council simply feels a dark ripple in the Force. WJ It is made clear that Anakin/Vader was trained by Obi-wan (at least at first). But also
Obi-wan said something to the affect that he was trained by Yoda, not Qui-Gon...what
gives??? Any thoughts? I am sure Lucas did not develop the character of Qui-Gon Jinn until very recently. Jedi and Sith alike seem to share a Master/Apprentice relationship, however, all Jedi are subject to training and evaluation by the council. WJ I'd like to know the relationship between Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine. Are they
one and the same, from the trailer it seems they are played by the same actor? Boy, you and everyone else. Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine are both played by Ian McDiarmid, who also played The Emperor in ROTJ. Funny thing is, Ian McDiarmid has played the 'same' character with three different names....hmmmmm, seem weird to you too? I would like to think that Palpatine is a Senator from Naboo and that Sidious is the last of the Sith (meaning two different entities), but we won't know for sure for a while. WJ Very impressive site! I wanted to ask you for your comments on why exactly episodes 7-9
will not be made. I know producer Rick McCallum was quoted recently during his
StarWars.com on-line chat as citing the extreme difficulty of making movies with the kinds
of special effects that episodes 1-3 will have (he also rather cryptically mentioned
something about the reasons for not making 7-9 being revealed in episode 3), but I don't
find that answer satisfying. If anything, special-effects will become easier to
create over the next decade or so. In addition to short-circuiting the aesthetics of the
six movies (making episodes 1-3, waiting 20 years to make episodes 4-6, and then calling
it quits would have made more sense), I also think Lucas could be taking a commercial
risk: aside from devoted fans, who's going to rush out to see, in episode 3, Anakin
finally become Darth Vader? He's a bad guy. People want to cheer good
guys. Episodes 7-9, it seems, would present the possibility that, like at the end of
Return of the Jedi, they could. Regards. Thank you for your compliment! I have been reading this and other sites and have not heard mention of what I am about
to say. Lucas is obviously taken by folklore and mythology, that sort of thing. I see a
striking similarity in the story of "The prophecy of the one who will bring balance
to the Force..." and King Arthur's tales. In KA, there is a story about Lancelot and
his Gallahad (sp?). I can't recall the plot exactly, but I think Merlin goes on a quest to
find a protector for Arthur. Merlin is told that the protector will be met at the end of
his journey. Anyway, he meets Gallahad and Gallahad's father, Lancelot. Lancelot is a
strong battler, thus the assumption that he must be the ONE who will protect Arthur. But
it is really Gallahad and there are serious repercussions to this mistake. Some of my KA
storyline may be confused, but I think I explained the gist of it. In any event...this
sounds a lot like the confusion surrounding who will actually bring balance to the Force
Luke or Anakin...Qui-Gon, a wizard, thinks Anakin is the ONE and it turns out that Luke is
really the ONE. Just some food for thought The King Arthur parallels have been mentioned before, and I do think your theory has credence. However, it really is Anakin who is the ONE, it just required Luke to act as the catalyst for his redemption. Always remember that Luke was utterly helpless at the end of ROTJ, and it was Vader alone who killed the Emperor, thus bringing Balance to the Force. WJ I want to voice my concern, once again, over the midi-chlorian thing. This is just
stupid, stupid, stupid. Nothing more about the Force should be revealed, least to mention
that the Force is driven by a microscopic race of beings in someone's blood. George if you
are listening, please do not use this midi-chlorian thing, please, please, please!!!!!!!! Well, I can't help but agree that the Force should remain 100% mystical, but it seems our pleas have gone unheard. The Midi-chlorians are supposed to be 'no big deal', but everything I have heard about them suggests they are a bad idea that should just be scrapped. WJ 03/16/99: There are really only two reasons for Lucas making it so 'obvious' that Sidious and
Palpatine are the same: either they are the same, or Lucas is intentionally misleading
everyone.
Hey whoever you are- here's just a point I picked up from the trailer.... I am Legend! J/k, the Queen's advisor is Sio Bibble, played by Oliver-Ford Davies. The Queen is all over the place with costumes and handmaidens, but I have a feeling the Jedi (at least Qui-Gon) know the real score....WJ
Hello, great job on the plotline summary of Ep.1. I have one question that nobody was able to answer...Is The Emperor In Ep. 4-6 SIDIOUS? They look identical. But isn't the last name of the Emperor "PALPATINE"...as in the senator. I realize the senator is deceitful and will become the Emperor...I guess. But how would that explain the two of them, obviously not the same since in your summary they spoke to each other, looking alike? Maybe the clone wars? What do you think? Also, obviously, there will also be a revelation on Anakin's father, as history repeats itself (Maybe Ep.2). Remember, "don't defy the council, not again."..any rumors on this you might know of? Thank you for your time, just curious. Joel Thanks for the compliment, but remember it is my assessment! I may very well be wrong
on many points! It seems obvious only in Trailer B that Palpatine and Sidious are the
same, everywhere else points to them being two different people, so I am sticking with
that.
Wow! That trailer was pretty awesome! I liked the little touches like the grass blowing
and the frog-like creature hopping on the rail in front of Jabba. JarJar's voice didn't
seem to be as annoying as I thought it would be, but we'll have to wait on that I guess.
My impression of CG is that it is really good, but there were some things that annoyed me,
like the overall glossy look to the CG stuff. For example, the shot of the Naboo fighter
flying next to the one that exploded looked kind of cheesy... George sure has a lot
happening in this film. I wonder what surprises in terms of environments, etc he has in
store for Ep1 & 2!!!??? Lastly, is George really going to direct 2 and 3? Later, I agree, awesome trailer! JarJar's voice still seemed annoying to me, but I am sure
I'll get over it. As far as the CG goes, I think it is really just nitpicking by anyone at
this point, unless something looks really bad. How soon everyone forgets the options (stop
motion puppets and miniature models!)
03/07/99: Chewbacca is alive during the Prequels. Whether we see him at all is anyone's guess,
but I think we will see him. Wookie ambassadors will be present during the Senate scenes.
The backstory is supposed to be that Wookies (along with other races) were enslaved when
the Empire rose to power. Han Solo, then fledgling cadet at the Imperial Naval Academy,
freed Chewie and was expelled from the Academy. I have a funny feeling we may see Chewie
and young Han during Episode III.
Hi. My name is Jackson Compton and I have some thoughts on your forum. Hi there, thanks for your input:
03/04/99: Thanks for writing. "Padawan learner" I am fairly sure comes from some of
Lucas's initial drafts of The Star Wars. There was a character named Darklighter (sound
familiar?) who was referred to as a "young padawan-Jedi". Padawan was always a
term to be used for apprentice or young Jedi, it would seem. What species is the character Darth Maul? What planet is he from? (Source: Michael) A very very good question. Sorry I can give you no answer, as there is none. However, I
can give you some speculation that a member of the Jedi Council (as seen in the teaser
trailer) may be of the same horned species as Maul. I am sure there will be a new planet
that he will be from, perhaps Malastare or one of the planet names used in the early
drafts of Star Wars. In the same vein, I am currently writing a fictional serial
concerning the early adventures of young Darth Maul, which you can look at under Fan Fiction, if you so
desire....WJ 02/27/99: I heard JarJar's voice...did you? My initial reaction - - "Shmoo". It sucked!! I'd much rather have Peter Lorre be the voice. I hope he is not as whiny as the clip indicates. Maybe JW's music will drown this little baby out. I fear that this will be a spruced-up ROTJ. (Source: Jundland Waste Dude) I heard JarJar's voice also and it was very irritating. Then again, everything must
always be taken with a huge grain of salt. I am sure that before ANH if any of C-3P0's
lines were listened to, most people would think he was a whiny suck too. I agree that with
the music and sound effects and voice levels mixed he might turn out ok.
02/19/99: I know Yoda will be in these movies--but will he ever engage in any
duels?--I'd love to see the little guy go at it. There have been several rumors that Yoda might actually fight during the Prequels
-whether this would be solely with the Force or with a 'saber is pure speculation. There
was a rumor that he had a short white lightsaber, but if he does we probably wouldn't see
it until EP. II or III anyway. There is also the possibility that we will see Yoda defeat
a powerful Dark Jedi at the site of 'the cave' on Dagobah. Did you see the trailer description on TFN? What are your thoughts? I was disappointed. (Source: Tusken Boy) Yes, I did in fact read that description. My thoughts? 02/13/99: WhillJournalist I love the site, especially the plots sections and the
logical deductions. I have one question for you though. Have you heard whether they will
do anything on the great victory that the Rebels had in the opening scrawl of A New Hope?
Since I saw the movie, I always thought that part would've been interesting to develop. I
also have a theory about the upcoming trilogy Prequels. Thanks for the compliment, Rasheed. I think it would be very cool if the 'great
victory' that the rebels score as referenced in the opening crawl of ANH would be shown at
the end of Episode III, but I am unsure the timetables would allow for it. Episode III
takes place about 20 years before the events in ANH, so unless there is a flash-forward at
the end of the film, we probably won't see it. I was wondering if we are going to find out how the Emperor turned to the dark-side. It's still a mystery and since Senator Palpatine isn't noted to be a Jedi in any of the history that I have read I wonder how he became strong with the force and how he became a dark Jedi. Thank you (Source: David Radord) That is a really great question, and I will direct you to Logic, where numerous writings on that matter have been posted. I just heard on a local morning radio show this morning that ticket prices for "The Phantom Menace" will be $26.95 ea. Have you heard anything regarding this as to whether or not this is true. I am having a hard time believing it myself. I mean, if that's true Lucasfilm will lose soooo much money because people will only go to see it once if at all. It just doesn't make any sense. Thanks, (Source: Jake) I have heard that tickets for The Phantom Menace may be slightly higher than regular ticket prices. This does have a precedent: when ROTJ was released it's ticket price was higher than other movies playing. I am confident that the price hike would only be a dollar or two (or three). Do you think The Phantom Menace can beat Titanic? All my friends say that it will kill
off Titanic, I have a very pessimistic attitude. I think that TPM will break the box
office record of highest gross on it's opening day. because everyone is going to fill up
just to see the "Lucasfilm LTD" logo. But I do not think it can beat out
Titanic. I cannot explain why Titanic became the success that it is, and I do not think I
could mimic it. It is a once in a decade kind of thing. In a way I don't want to Episode 1
to beat Titanic, I really want to see Episode 3 do that. Stay Frosty Well, I think I basically agree with you Victor. I think TPM will come close to Titanic, but there is just not as much mass appeal as there was with James Cameron's masterpiece. It would be pretty awesome if Ep. II or III beat it, but by then (2005?) something else may have come along. Do you know if there will be any pre-sale tickets or any special showings going on (kinda like what they did with the last three) please let me know Thanks (Source: Chris) Scuttlebutt has it that there may be some special showings, but it would be an extremely limited showing at best. Demand for tickets to this film is going to be like the super-bowl; so expect corporate buys, scalpers and all the other scum and villainy associated with that scene.
01/19/99: Trust me I have been keeping up with your page, I've just been too busy to write. I've seen all of these supposed 'plot leaks' recently, but none of them shed new light. One thing that I've been thinking about is exactly how will this movie end? ANH had an ending since George probably did not expect the movie to generate enough interest in a sequel, but this movie has a definite continuation about it. Yet, everything I read sounds like ANH type ending. That surprises me. Also, we've heard about them since day 1, but what do Nute Gunray, Boss Nass, etc look like? I've seen thousands of pictures of everyone else but nothing on these folks. Does Gunray really exist? And finally, have you heard any rumors on directors for Ep II? That's it for now later (Source: Tusken Boy) Thanks for keeping up with the site, I really appreciate it. |
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The only thing that even comes close to being a Jedi symbol is the
image to the right. Actually, what it's really the Jedi holo-projector that Qui-Gon uses to show Watto the Queen's ship. This strangely shaped device does appear as a drawing on the 'Jedi' page of the
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Scrapbook, however...WJ