EPISODE VIII: A PARTY?!

She's been rushing at Force speed to the local shoreline thinking that the decayed Jedi Temple's ongoing servitors, the Caretakers, are in danger from hostile sea pirates, but Rey soon makes an unlikely discovery! A fun deleted moment from The Last Jedi.

CLASSIC ART: FORGING AN 'EMPIRE'!

Acclaimed artist Martin Ansin's stunning works covering the Star Wars saga have been published worldwide, and they continue on with this gorgeous piece covering the excitement, action and drama of The Empire Strikes Back.

EPISODE I: COSTUMED ROYALTY!

A look at just one amazing costume for Queen Amidala seen in EPISODE I. Stunning image by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair magazine.

Never has there been a Star Wars film before or since where the costume design of the characters has been so important to the overall storytelling function than in The Phantom Menace, and especially with regards to the life and duties of Naboo's beloved Queen Amidala, as played by a very young Natalie Portman, who instantly fell in love with the designs, and inspired her acting choices, brought to her in full creation by Trisha Biggar over three months filming in 1997. 

Three shots taken by Nigel Parry for Lucasfilm to use in publicity.

A French film magazine cover from 1999.

EPISODE VII: WHO'S PILOTING THIS SHIP?!

He's finally found his beloved, prior stolen Millennium Falcon, now legendary star pilot Han Solo has to get used to the two interlopers who have been stowed aboard with his discovery in Rey and Finn, and get used to the fact that he has a second mate in the cockpit who isn't currently Chewie, in a fun scene between Daisy Ridley and Harrison Ford from The Force Awakens.

CLASSIC IMAGE: REBEL DAWN!

As the intense red sun of Yavin captures nearly all of the sky above, a Rebel sentry on look out atop his sentry post watches the X-wing fighters blast off into the skies from their temple bases, in a wonderful shot from the original version of Star Wars.

I loved the Special Edition version of this scene with the X-wings and Y-wings too, but this original shot works much better with John Williams ever-special score.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" (2025)

Our Original Trilogy heroes prove that they're not just great at fighting the Empire, they also know how to sing for Christmas!

STAR WARS AFICIONADO wishes all its worldwide readers a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

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REMEMBERING CARRIE...

As the Tenth Anniversary of her sad parting from us approaches next year, Star Wars Aficionado continues to remember our immortal Carrie Fisher and her never-to-be-forgotten, enduring portrayal of Princess Leia Organa, as seen here in this lovely colourised posed image from The Empire Strikes Back.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DISABLING THE BLOCKADE RUNNER!

The dreaded Star Destroyer Devastator has swiftly caught up with its Rebel Alliance prey over the far-off world of Tatooine, as its heavy weapons array soon outclasses and disables the fast but less well shielded diplomatic marked Blockade Runner and its vital solar fin.

A hit!

The opening scene as brilliantly rendered by Howard Chaykin for the first issue of Marvel's comic adaptation, from 1976.

CLASSIC ART: MIX AND MATCHING!

Light and darkness have never been pitted against each other more in the Star Wars saga than in The Empire Strikes Back, especially between Luke Skywalker and his relentless pursuer in the evil Darth Vader. The two characters, with other support, are well established in this fine Wayne Douglas Barlowe art for the US Random House published Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back Mix and Match story book, released in  1980.

EPISODE VIII: 'DON'T JOIN!'

He's successfully sold out young Resistance fighters Finn and Rose Tico to the First Order with the failure of their Star Destroyer infiltration, now the enigmatic rogue known as the DJ is preparing to take away and enjoy his excessive loot for his traitorous actions, in a tense scene from The Last Jedi.

We know that the DJ survived the 'Holdo Manuever' attack and fled across the galaxy. Perhaps the character, as played with creepy modern-day significance by Benecio Del Toro, will return for another Star Wars film or Andor-style TV project?