Recommended music: Gustav Holst – Mars, the Bringer of War
This #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still looking ahead to the 10th anniversary of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in December. Check out these trading cards from Topps Star Wars: Rogue One: Mission Briefing!
Topps launched the Rogue One: Mission Briefing trading card set in September 2016 to build excitement for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story among both longtime and new fans. The 100-card base set covers stories from Episodes I to VI and animated series from that period, providing a broad look at events such as the creation and destruction of The Death Star.
The set includes several parallels: Death Star (one per pack), blue (one in every four packs), gray (numbered to 100), gold (numbered to 50), and orange (one of a kind). I’ll talk more about the set later. For now, I’m highlighting four cards each week. This week, I’m focusing on four cards that capture the story of The Clone Wars and the start of Revenge of the Sith.
Tom Kane gave Admiral Wullf Yularen a classic British military voice, which made Yularen stand out in The Clone Wars series and added a sense of real military grit to the story. As the naval commander for Anakin Skywalker’s 501st Legion and leader of the flagship Resolute, he balanced Anakin’s wild, rule-breaking style. Yularen was strict and loyal to the Galactic Republic, which made him a natural choice for a top position in the Galactic Empire later on.
Stephen Stanton did an excellent job voicing Wilhuff Tarkin, capturing the cold and calculated menace that Peter Cushing first showed in A New Hope. He carefully adjusted his voice to sound like a younger but still tough version of Tarkin in The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch.
Tarkin and Anakin grew to respect each other because they both felt frustrated by political red tape and the limits set by the Jedi. When they met during the Citadel rescue, Tarkin quickly admired Skywalker’s bold, results-focused approach, seeing someone who valued military efficiency over hesitation. Anakin liked Tarkin’s clear and firm views on war. Their connection grew stronger through their ties to Chancellor Palpatine, who supported their partnership, which later became the team of Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.
During Revenge of the Sith, clone troopers change from heroes of the Republic into basically the first version of Imperial Stormtroopers. This change reaches its peak with Order 66, when their bio-chips make them completely obedient, stripping them of individuality and turning them into the enforcers of the new Galactic Empire.
Anakin Skywalker’s tragic turn to the dark side really becomes complete when his desperation to save Padme leads him to join Darth Sidious. He proves his loyalty by attacking the Jedi Temple and killing the Separatist leaders on Mustafar to fully transition into Darth Vader.
Yes, The Mandalorian & Grogu movie is still showing in theaters, along with Masters of the Universe. If you haven’t seen them yet, make plans to catch them on the big screen! I’m already excited for another Star Wars anniversary coming up, so I’ll be back next Saturday with more Star Wars talk!
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