We know that in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Luke constructed his own lightsaber, but we have no idea what that entails. HeвЂ™s just Hondo, and he shows a few times how brief and tenuous his support can be.Д«ut thatвЂ™s a lot of fun! We love scoundrels in Star Wars, even when they betray us (like DJ), but especially when they save the day (like Han Solo). Hondo is a fun character because of just how quickly his allegiances will shift, and how he seems to have no real moral compass that isnвЂ™t вЂњwhatвЂ™s best for me?вЂќ He clearly isnвЂ™t evil, like Dooku, nor is he clearly good, like a Jedi. Trying to steal kyber, kidnapping Ahsoka, generally running afoul of the law, this is classic pirate activity. WeвЂ™ve been seeing a lot of Hondo lately, and here he is at his most pirate-y. Byph is a good reminder of that too, but sheвЂ™s not a fuzzy mini-Chewbacca, so she doesnвЂ™t stand out quite as much. ThereвЂ™s the obvious novelty in a Wookie Jedi, and IвЂ™m not opposed to some novelty, but it is also a nice reminder that Jedi arenвЂ™t just human or near-human species. HeвЂ™s the hotshot, and so he naturally stands out. Petro seems like the natural leader, but also the least selfless and most dangerous of the younglings. We spend time with six younglings in these episodes, and a few of them really stand out. Again, weвЂ™ve seen so little of what younglings go through (except for that stupid ass scene of them training with lightsabers and blast helmets like Luke did in A New Hope), that I really dug seeing some of the вЂtraditionsвЂ™ of the Order. The process by which the various younglings find/harvest their crystals was pretty great to see, as it gave each Jedi a personal challenge: be patient, be compassionate, be persistent, etc.

Is this different kyber than found elsewhere? We donвЂ™t really know. Ilum, where the younglings are brought to harvest their crystals for their lightsabers, is not the only place where kyber is found, as we know Jedha also contained lots of kyber, but it appears that this is the place where Jedi get their from. The term вЂkyberвЂ™ had never been uttered in a film until Rogue One, but the first episode of this arc, вЂњThe Gathering,вЂќ got there a few years earlier.

These were some of my favorite episodes of the season, so letвЂ™s get right to it.Дespite the lightsaber being such an integral part of Star Wars canon, we really know precious little about them. The younglings we meet this week are not exactly at the start of their journey, but they represent a time we havenвЂ™t seen yet in Star Wars canon. So much of The Clone Wars has been focused on AhsokaвЂ™s journey, but we join her story already in progress.

Clone wars a test of strength