Star Wars: Core World News

Much like a force healer, we feel the weight of things in the pressurized, penultimate arc of Andor Season 2. From the harrowing Ghorman Massacre to Mon's stirring speech and courageous move to name Emperor Palpatine as a monster and force of evil in the galaxy, we discuss it all and even connect the dots to the rest of the canon established in Rogue One and Rebels.

The light is blinking, and that means it's time to leave the safehouse and pod about Andor! This week, we dig into episodes 204-206 and parse through all the character arcs and events. Early in the episode, Grant shares a major theory about our favorite Antiquarian. This is a Cantina Chronicle you will not want to miss!

Sagrona Teema! Saddle up to the bar, grab a nog, and join us in a toast to the fallen. With Grant shipwrecked and stuck in the middle of two warring factions, Ben and Adam discuss all things episodes 1 - 3 of Andor Season 2. Listen as we dive into "One Year Later," "Sagrona Teema," and "Harvest."

We are excited to be back in the cantina to breakdown all the latest news and reveals from Star Wars Celebration 2025! Aside from discussing both the new and returning projects promoted at the event, we also take some time to discuss the many insightful interviews and panels that also took place over the weekend!

Episode 86 - The Forest Gump of Star Wars   We're back in the cantina to discuss the latest Star Wars news and also share our predictions for possible reveals and announcements at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Japan. We also stumble on the idea that Darth Maul may well be the Forest Gump of Star Wars! All these topics and more on this week's episode of Cantina Chronicles! 

This week, the cantina crew celebrate the return of Andor with an Andor-themed draft! All three hosts draft both a Rebel Strike Team and an Imperial Response Force to meet those rebels in battle. After they make their picks and share their lists, you will be the judge of who assembled the most effective team. Enjoy!

Take shelter in the cantina during these dark times to hear our review of ‘Star Wars: Reign of the Empire; Mask of Fear' by the wildly talented, Alexander Freed. This book could not be more prescient for our current day, and we dive head first into all the politics and Star Wars lore surrounding a righteous resistance that we know will eventually dispel the darkness that has taken root in the galaxy.

This week, the cantina crew cover some theme park news before diving into a discussion about the recent Andor season 2 live stream. While discussing numerous behind-the-scenes info and insights shared by Tony Gilroy, the pod evolves into a scintillating discussion about the creative direction of modern Star Wars and how Gilroy's character-driven approach to Star Wars storytelling is something we'd like to see continue beyond Andor season 2.

This week, we chronicle the numerous film projects announced by Lucasfilm in the last decade, as well as dig into what's actually coming down the pipeline such as the Mando & Grogu film and the mysterious Shawn Levy feature. With The Mandalorian and Grogu fast approaching, we'll soon find out if telling stories between saga films is a good direction for the brand, whereas some of us argue an entirely new era of the timeline is needed to capture the mythic potential only Star Wars can provide. We end our discussion with some predictions for what we might see in terms of project reveals and announcements at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Enjoy responsibly!

This week, the cantina crew discuss the Andor season 2 trailer, dig into the news surrounding Kathleen Kennedy's succession plan and wrap the show with a review of the latest Star Wars: High Republic Adventures runs, ‘Echoes of Fear' and ‘Dispatches From The Occlusion Zone.'

With Grant suffering a bad case of Tythonian Laryngitis Ben and Adam take the lead to discuss a host of recent High Republic Adventures comics. The path to the High Republic finale is clear and part of it leads to Eriadu, but first there is a wedding! Sadel up to the bar, grab a drink, crack open a comic, and let's talk Star Wars!

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' the cantina crew reflect on the sequel trilogy and share their honest thoughts about the films nearly a decade after their release. Once we conclude our retrospective of the sequels, we move onto coverage of the latest comics, specifically, ‘Ewoks' and ‘Star Wars: A New Legacy.' We finally land the pod with a discussion of The Dark Lord, Darth Momin, and leave our listeners with a lingering question: How will Disney handle The Sith Empire in future Star Wars films?  Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

This week, we're back in the Cantina to play a game we've all been  eagerly anticipating, The Starship Draft!  As we draft myriad ships in different classifications, we share why we love the design of our picks and why they matter to us.  Share your draft list in the comments below and join in on the fun, we'll be sure to give your list a mention on the next pod! 

The Cantina Crew are back together to discuss the final four issues of the Battle for Jakku comic series entitled, Star Wars: Battle for Jakku — The Last Stand. After covering the comics and chatting about the definitive end of the Galactic Civil War, we talk the Ryan Gosling casting news and share our picks for who we would like to see play the next Han Solo-type character in a Star Wars feature-length film. 

Grant is away on a special mission this week, but Ben and Adam sally forth and discuss all the Star Wars news that is fit to print, before delving into the comics. The boys break down all the news swirling around the Rey and Shawn Levy movies, including casting rumors and new writers. Then the potential surrounding the new ongoing mainline Star Wars comic is examined. Finally, we delve into exciting second part of the Battle of Jakku Comic: Republic Under Siege!.  Pull up a seat and join us at the bar!

Skeleton Crew has sadly come to an end, and so we gather in the cantina to discuss the spectacular finale and bid farewell to an ensemble of truly standout Star Wars characters. 

Episode 74 - All the Credits   This week, Ben and Grant claim a new pirate vessel and gather on the bridge to breakdown all the twists and turns in episode 7 of Skeleton Crew. 

This week, while Ben is away on a secret missing, Grant and Adam once again, gather in the mud baths of Lanupa to discuss episode 6 of Skeleton Crew. We chat about the focus on character building, and the big swings this series is taking, and much more on this week's episode of Cantina Chronicles! Enjoy the spoils! 

This week, the cantina crew gather in the mud baths of Lanupa to discuss episode 5 of Skeleton Crew. Was Jod once a Jedi of old or has he simply heard some of their adages in passing? Has the mystery of At Attin been solved or is there more to the mysterious world we now know was a center for credit production during the Old Republic? What happened to SM-33's old captain and will we meet him in the flesh? We chat about this proverbial pirate's plunder of topics and more on this week's episode of Cantina Chronicles! Enjoy the spoils! 

Bienvenue! Nous sommes retournés à la cantina pour discuter le quatrième épisode de Skeleton Crew, ‘Can't Say I Remember No At Attin'.  We may not have learned a whole lot more about Jod Na Nawood (or Crimson Jack as he's known by the New Republic), but that didn't stop us from parsing through all the details of the dystopian world of At Achraan, the crew's interactions with two warring factions and SM-33's history on the war-torn planet to generate even more theories about the many mysteries surrounding the these isolated treasure worlds like At Attin and the identity of both thirty-three's old captain and the Oz-like Supervisor. 

Ahoy! This week, we gather in the captain's quarters to pour flagons of revnog and discuss episode 3 of Skeleton Crew. While covering the episode beat-by-beat, we explore a new theory about At Attin, analyze our favorite polyonomous pirate played by Jude Law, and chat about where these newfound coordinates will take our crew of youngsters in the next episode. 

Grab some quality hooch and join us in Port Borgo for our review of the two-episode premiere of Skeleton Crew! We start our conversation with praise for Jon Watts and his creative team's nuanced approach to the Amblin formula and series-centric worldbuilding before diving into our general reactions. After sharing our broad thoughts on all aspects of the show, we dig into the details and try to solve the many mysteries presented in the first two episodes. Why is At-Atan isolated from the rest of the galaxy and when was the barrier built? Who is Jod Na Nawood? Will Wym's dream of meeting a Jedi or discovering a Jedi Temple take shape? All this and more on this week's episode of Cantina Chronicles! 

THIS WEEK The Cantina Crew grabs some beverages and debates about the Jedi who survived Order 66 and The Purge.  How many is too many? Who are the ones who lived? What other fun stories could there be about them and is Jod in the upcoming skeleton crew live action show going to end up being one?   Grab your lightsaber and robe and meet us at the Cantina!  

Somehow Adam Returns!!! THIS WEEK we cover several news topics including a newly released list of directors for Skeleton Crew,  We then go on to do a full review of the first 4 issue arc of The New Comic Star Wars: The Battle Of Jakku: Insurgency Rising  We then meander through many other topics in the Galaxy Far Far Away! lean into the barn with us and let's talk star wars!

This week, we are chatting about the greatest musical genius of our time, the iconic and brilliant John Williams. Ben and Grant begin their discussion of the legendary composer by parsing over the new insights they've gleaned from the recently released documentary, Music by John Williams on Disney+. After talking about the informative and deeply moving film, the cantina crew take part in a John Williams Music Draft, wherein each host drafts their favorite theme from each of the saga films in any order. We hope you enjoy this celebration of John Williams and his indelible mark not only on Star Wars but film and music history. 

This week, the cantina crew gather around the table to discuss the newly announced development deal with Simon Kinberg to create a wholly original Star Wars trilogy. 

In this week's episode we chat about the new Skeleton Crew trailer before delving into the depths of Metagos to review the latest Star Wars novel, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes. 

Join Grant and Adam at the bar this week, where they discuss all of the news from New York Comic Con. They examine the recent news surrounding the comics and other far-flung topics, like what impact the success of Skeleton Crew might have on the future of Star Wars, why they aren't bringing any expectations to the show, what they would like to see in the Rey movie, and the possible connection between the juggernaut that is Agatha All Along and the galaxy far far away. 

As Grant fights his way out of the Occlusion Zone, Adam and Ben discuss the Star Wars news of the week, before recruiting a Saber for Hire. We review Cavan Scott's four issue High Republic mini-series following Ty Yorirck: Monster Hunter, and get glimpses of her traumatic past and a greater perspective on the battle with the Nihl. Grab yourself a drink and saddle up to the bar!. 

Episode 61 - The Fallen Council   This week, the cantina crew discuss the exciting prospect of an Obi-wan Kenobi Season 2 and explore possible story ideas for this next adventure. After a spirited conversation about Kenobi, we dive into our review of George Mann's latest High Republic novel, Tears of the Nameless. ”

Now that we've all rolled credits on Star Wars: Outlaws, we finally delve into the story, characters and major reveals while also sharing our final thoughts on the game and how future Star Wars titles could build on the Outlaws formula. After a lengthy chat about Outlaws, we share our review of the Star Wars: Inquisitors comic miniseries followed by you guessed it, more chit-chat about the Rey film, or as we've now dubbed it, the “Master Skywalker” film. 

At last, the time has come to review the final issue of Darth Vader. Greg Pak delivers a poetic and fitting conclusion to an unforgettable tale about Vader's pursuit of ultimate power and the painful memories that keep him from wielding it. Stay tuned towards the end of the show for another, no holds barred, conversation about the Rey film! 

This week, we breakdown rumors surrounding the development of The New Jedi Order film and chat about Ben's progress in Star Wars: Outlaws before returning to the High Republic era to review the latest issues of High Republic: Adventures and the Kelnacca one-shot. Rarrrrggghh! 

This week, we start the pod with a tribute and honorary toast to the life of the legendary stage  and screen performer, James Earl Jones. After we remark upon Jones' prolific career and the powerful presence he brought to Darth Vader, we return to our coverage of the comics. Join us as we dive into the fungal network on the living planet of Gazian to discuss final issue of the Star Wars main run! 

Your favorite gang of scoundrels are back in the cantina to discuss more Star Wars: Outlaws! As we dig into the game, Ben and Adam share highlights from their time in the open world and praise the game for the bounty of side missions it offers, while Grant shares his final critique of the game and hopes for the future of open world Star Wars experiences. 

The time has come to review the first triple-A, open world Star Wars game in ‘Star Wars: Outlaws' developed by Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment alongside partner Lucasfilm Games. Join us inside the ‘Broken Hoof' for a spoiler-free chat about our early impressions of the game and hear our thoughts for how the next iteration of open world Star Wars could build upon the sturdy foundation that is, Star Wars: Outlaws. 

Join us as we pour one out for The Acolyte, a show that brought compelling ideas to Star Wars and setup tantalizing questions that we sadly may never see resolved as the show is reported to have not been renewed for a second season. We then take our time calling out the toxic contingent of Star Wars fans and the rage-filled content mills on YouTube claiming “victory” over this announcement. After blasting the trolls, we descend on Disney and talk about the problem with the optics they've created through this decision and why data worship can lead to a monoculture of low art. If you stick around through the tumult of our frustration with both Disney and the fandom menace, we do eventually return to a state of joy and not only review some comics, but also host our first ever Underworld Draft! 

This week, the gang is back together to breakdown all the latest news and announcements from D23! After discussing the event, we pitch an idea for how to combine two film projects absent from the showcase. 

Star Wars Cantina Chronicles Episode 52 - Unlimited Power   This week, we are joined by our good friend Jason for a chat about Fantasy Flight's wildly exciting trading card game, Star Wars Unlimited! After sharing our thoughts about the game in the six months since its release and exploring our predictions for leader cards in the upcoming set, Twilight of the Republic, we switch hyperlanes to discuss a topic that's always on our minds, The Force. We discuss how it has been utilized in the canon thus far, the broad spectrum of Force powers, and how Rey Skywalker can reinvent the Jedi Order to allow attachment, instill selflessness and limit lightsabers to a deserved few to restore a sense of sacredness to the weapon of a Jedi Knight.

This week, Adam, Ben and Grant parse through all the latest news from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel at SDCC as a fitting lead-in to their review of recently completed arcs in the Star Wars comics that are on stands now, such as the Jango Fett miniseries and The Trial of Lando Calrissian featured in the Star Wars main run (Star Wars #43-#47). 

This week, we venture beyond the Stormwall to review the latest High Republic novel, ‘Temptation of the Force' by Tessa Gratton. Before we dive into the book and discuss Jedi coupling, battles with the Nameless and a mysterious blight that threatens the galaxy, we conduct a final Medal Ceremony for The Acolyte! 

Still in utter disbelief and fascination of all that unfolded in the finale of The Acolyte, we do our best to collect ourselves for our last instant reaction podcast for season one. It happened, Darth Plagueis The Wise has appeared in a live-action Star Wars story! We discuss the mysterious Sith Lord and his possible involvement with story thus far. We also discuss Sol's tragic end, Vernestrah's abuse of power and continued brand management while under external review, as well as Osha's new role as an Acolyte of the dark side. 

This week, we're back in the cantina for another instant reaction pod for The Acolyte! As we breakdown all the scenes in Episode 7, “Choice,” we dissect and scrutinize Jedi protocol and conduct, analyze the impulsive and damaging choices made by our favorite noble knights and how a droid could've helped avert the crisis that unfolded on Brendok 16 years ago… 

While Ben enjoys time on the relaxing beaches of Glee Anselm, Adam and Grant share their instant reactions to Episode 6 of The Acolyte! We discuss The Stranger's tactics and methods of seduction in his attempt to engender trust with Osha, Sol and Mae's cat & mouse game aboard a cramped Jedi transport, and most importantly, the arrival of Vernestrah Rwoh on the scene, that is, the crime scene left on Khofar. Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear a spoiler-filled theory that addresses The Stranger's past and his connection to the Jedi Order!

With Adam still on an away mission, Ben and Grant do their best to breakdown and share their instant reactions to the high-octane Episode 5 of The Acolyte. Join us as we plunge into a discussion about; the deeply compelling Sith villain revealed in the episode, the tragic loss of exceptional Jedi we've grown to admire, Osha's possible brainwashing by the Jedi and the Aniseya sisters trading places and what that could mean for the story going forward. We too want an Acolyte, an Acolyte season 2! 

Cantina Chronicles Episode 46 - The Phantom Master Join us as we use the daylight hours wisely to share our instant reactions to Episode 4 of The Acolyte. After the sun sets on our scene-by-scene breakdown, the darkness takes hold and we dive into our theories surrounding the many mysteries presented in the show including; the wrongdoings of the Jedi, the mysterious death of Kelnacca, and of course, the identity of The Master… That is, if his identity matters, as we're beginning to suspect something far more arcane and sinister could be at hand (or better yet, on head). 

This week, the crew gathers in the cantina minutes after the release of episode three of The Acolyte to share their instant reactions! With more light shed on the tragic events that befell Mae, Osha and their family of witches on Brendok sixteen years ago, we try to piece together the dangling threads that remain unanswered and predict what reveals lie ahead. 

The Acolyte is here! Pour yourself a drink and join us on Ueda for our breakdown of the two-episode premiere of The Acolyte. Be aware that  spoilers abound in our conversation of both Episode 1: Lost/Found and Episode 2: Justice/Revenge. Enjoy! 

In anticipation of The Acolyte, the cantina crew gather around the bar to rank and discuss all the Star Wars shows that have been released and chronicled on this very podcast. Though it's a given all of these shows are beloved to the hosts, they share their unbridled thoughts about what worked, what didn't, and why a specific show ended up where it did on their respective lists. Enjoy! 

On this week's episode, the cantina crew play Star Wars Jeopardy! Unlike traditional Star Wars trivia, these clues and subjects are taken from all corners of the Star Wars media landscape and encompass lore rarely touched on in the mainstream films. Play along, track your score, and stay tuned to hear about our plans for next week and our kick-off of all things Acolyte! 

This week, the cantina crew gather at the local watering hole to review the latest stories in Star Wars comics. If you want to know what a Yaya Shram is or learn about Mace Windu's homeworld, you won't want to miss our coverage of the wildly entertaining Mace Windu miniseries. We also discuss the latest story arc from the Darth Vader main run featuring the Schism Imperial.