Out of the way, boys—these galactic gals are here to save the day.
In a new, canon Star Wars mini-series titled Forces of Destiny, Rey, Ahsoka Tano, Jyn Erso, Princess Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, and Sabine Wren return with lightsabers and blasters a-blazing. The eight shorts, which were released on Disney’s YouTube channel from July 3 to July 9 and made their Disney Channel debut on July 9, provide fans with an inside look into some of the heroines’ smaller heroic actions that occur between big screen moments. Here’s a recap of the shorts:
“Sands of Jakku”
This short takes place shortly after Rey finds BB-8 on Jakku in The Force Awakens. The new friends must escape a hungry nightwatcher worm that thinks BB-8 is the perfect snack.
“BB-8 Bandits”
As seen in The Force Awakens, everyone in the galaxy is after BB-8, and that’s what this episode is all about. Rey and the little droid are about to leave for Niima Outpost when Teedo, a character with a brief appearance in The Force Awakens, and a couple of other thieves attack, leading to a speeder chase. The nightwatcher worm returns to help rid the heroes of the bandits.
“Ewok Escape”
Princess Leia and Wicket the Ewok help two Ewoks escape from stormtroopers. As a thank you, the furry creatures give Leia the tan dress she wears while in the Ewok’s tree village in Return of the Jedi.
“The Padawan Path”
After seeing a giant, rampaging, broken droid put a mother and her child in harm’s way, Ahsoka is side-tracked from her mission to return to the Jedi Temple for an important ceremony. After defeating the droid and making it back to the temple, Yoda presents her with a strand of silka beads, which is added to the pre-existing strands hanging from the Togruta’s montrals. Yoda says she is growing closer to becoming a Jedi Knight, and fans have the pleasure of hearing Anakin call his young Padawan “Snips” again.
“Beasts of Echo Base”
After a Wampa, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back, kidnaps Chewbacca, it’s up to Princess Leia and R2-D2 to save him. Leia keeps the beast occupied while Chewie and R2 work to seal the door to Echo Base, as it would be disastrous if the monster were to enter the rebels’ new hiding spot.
“The Imposter Inside”
The relationship between Padme and Ahsoka, which was seen in a few episodes of The Clone Wars, is expanded upon in this episode. Padme is about to conduct important negotiations with alien politicians when Ahsoka notices that something is amiss with the dinner table preparation. This leads one of Padme’s handmaidens to reveal herself as a shape-shifting bounty hunter, and the Jedi and the senator work to defeat her.
“The Stranger”
Rogue One heroine Jyn shows her rebellious streak when she engages two stormtroopers after they take away a young girl’s Tooka cat. When Jyn rescues the cat and returns it to the girl, she makes a surprising move by telling the girl her real name and not an alias.
“Bounty of Trouble”
Princess Leia is still pretending to be on the Empire’s side in this episode, and Sabine from Star Wars Rebels makes an explosive entrance. Sabine snatches the princess from her stormtrooper escorts after activating a paint bomb and asks for the data tape needed by the Rebellion. While retrieving the hidden tape, the two encounter the bounty hunter IG-88. Luckily, Sabine escapes with the data tape.
Eight more Forces of Destiny shorts are set to be released this fall, and Rebels ladies Hera Syndulla and Ketsu Onyo should make an appearance. Books and Hasbro dolls, along with other merchandise, will eventually make their way to store shelves, so everyone can represent their favorite Star Wars women.
What do you think of Forces of Destiny? What Star Wars heroine were you most excited to see, and who do you want to see next?
Edited by: Kelly Conley
