Interview-Shena Tokala and Stilwater

When was the first time you watched Star Wars?

Shena Tokala: Back when I was nine years old, my two best friends were telling me about how they were going to watch these films called "Star Wars". I remember how they kept telling us all of these cool facts and scenes from the movies(which their dad had told them about) so my younger sister and I, thinking it sounded like an exciting movie, asked our Mom to rent the movies for us. We went to the movie rental place and got A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. When we got home, we started A New Hope and were blown away. I remember thinking, 'This is the best movie EVER!".
And the rest is history :) 

Stilwater: Oh, gosh...I couldn't have been older than six years old, maybe even younger.  I remember I was at a relative's house and throughout the course of a couple days, we all watched the Original Trilogy and The Phantom Menace.  Since that moment, Star Wars was a part of my upbringing.

Out of the Original Trilogy, which episode is your favorite?

Shena Tokala: Return of the Jedi most definitely! It's the ending of the entire Saga and it definitely finishes it off perfectly. What makes it my favorite of the Original Trilogy movies is the last third of the film which deals with Luke and his desperate attempts at redeeming his father and ending the empire. The ending fight scene and the battle of the light and the dark sides of the Force is very powerful and meaningful, especially the moment where Vader realizes how wrong he was and saves his son from Sidious' horrific wrath, and once again becomes the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Luke's heroism and strength in not falling for the lure of the darkside and Anakin Skywalker's redemption make such an amazing psychological/character study. I love how it shows that love conquers all in the end. Another reason it's my favorite is the ending sequence where the galaxy, after so much pain and fear, is celebrating its victory over the Empire and the Sith.  I love how it shows all of these different worlds celebrating before coming back to Endor, where Luke and his friends are. I just love how Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin's Force ghosts appear to Luke, all smiling and we know that the Jedi are back. It shows that many breaks have been mended; large ones like the rift in the galaxy and the ripping away of goodness and small ones like the personal relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Obi-Wan and Anakin are brothers again! :D. And I just LOVE the song Victory Celebration which plays in this scene, it's so beautiful(I played the song in a piano recital a few years ago).

Stilwater: A New Hope, definitely.  Ben Kenobi is still alive (for the most part), and Han Solo is at his roguish best.

If you could spend the day with any character from the Original Trilogy, who would it be?

Shena Tokala: Obi-Wan Kenobi! I'd love to learn the ways of the Force and lightsaber combat from him(especially Form III: Soresu). I also want to talk to him about life and the Jedi and learn more about him and listen to his stories(I'm sure he has many to tell). I also wish I could comfort him when he is feeling sad about all that he is lost and give him a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on if he needed one.
I'd also love to spend time with Luke Skywalker, that would just be totally awesome! :D

Stilwater: That's an easy one - Ben/Obi-Wan!  He's my all-time favorite character from both trilogies; sophisticated, witty, noble, brave, I could go on and on.  I bet after sitting with him in a coffee booth for a good few hours, I would walk away ready to make some drastic changes about my life as I currently live it.

Did you watch any of the episodes from the Prequel Trilogy including The Phantom Menace in 3D in theaters?

Shena Tokala: I sadly never got the chance to see any of the Star Wars in theaters the first time around. However, I did get to go see The Phantom Menace in 3D in theaters and I can't wait to see the rest of them.

Stilwater: Yes, Attack of the Clones.  It was the first and last Star Wars film I got to see on the big screen.  One of my fondest memories is laughing until my ribs hurt when Yoda went total ninja-on-Red Bull in the duel with Count Dooku.  I bet I talked about that scene all the way home :)

 Which episode from the Prequel Trilogy is your favorite

Shena Tokala: Revenge of the Sith! Not only is it my favorite of the Prequels, it's my favorite of the entire saga and my favorite movie overall. It's an amazing film and I connect with it so much, especially as I grow older and begin to understand the significance in everything. It has everything- action, emotion, an amazing plot, awesome characters, very, very good acting, and beautiful music. My favorite character(Obi-Wan Kenobi) is at his best in this film and we get to see many sides of him here that we don't really see in any of the other films(except TPM). His relationship with Anakin Skywalker really resonates with me and to see my hero loose everyone and everything is truly heartbreaking. The movie also has my favorite scenes ever. The entire Battle of Mustafar is amazing, especially the ending. The part where Obi-Wan tells his now-gone friend "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you" is my favorite in any fictional story ever and is truly touching, since Obi-Wan has never said "I love you" to anyone before (not even in the EU of TCW) and the fact that he never got the chance to tell anyone he loved that is very heartbreaking. The betrayal of the Clones to the Jedi is definitely one of the most tragic scenes in the movie; those good, honorable people did not deserve what they got and their deaths at the hands of those they trusted is also very sad :(. I feel especially bad for the younglings :( The film is definitely one of the saddest movies I've ever seen and the acting in this one is some of the best I've ever seen. I love how they end the movie with sadness, yet a small hope, while the Binary Sunset theme plays. 

Stilwater: Easy, Revenge of the Sith.  Even though I felt as if some of the scenes were written poorly - as if ignored until the last possible minute - it was without a doubt a grand finale to the saga.  The intensity, the emotion, and the music score were brought to the max with this one.  Special effects obviously were at their best.  I actually loved Padme in this one, and to me Obi-Wan was like the only strong light holding you out for hope as all else was cloaked in shadow as the film progressed.  Of course, it was the darkest one, but that made it all the better.  Operation Knightfall/Order 66 - Battle of the Heroes - ending scene with the Tattooine sunset pointing to A New Hope - so many elements and scenes I adored.  I walked away from this film feeling shaken and actually cried for a while.

Who would win, General Grievous or Darth Maul?

Shena Tokala: Hmmm, good question. I'll go with Grievous since he was able to defeat many Force users, such as Ventress, even though he doesn't have the Force(though he was killed by a Jedi with a gun). Darth Maul is very good and has defeated many, but he was killed by a Padawan(It's kind of funny, since in the EU, he keeps saying that he wanted to fight great Jedi Masters like Yoda and Mace Windu, yet a Padawan takes him out in the end).

Stilwater: I love both of these guys, but Grievous a lot more ever since they resurrected Maul (whhhaaaaat...??)  However, I'd say Maul would probably win because he has a stronger goal in mind.  He has direct motives, while Grievous is like Dooku's pet and has more of an undirected rage.  It would be a close call, though.

What are your two most annoying characters in the Star Wars Saga?

Shena Tokala: There are many, but I definitely know who the top two are(and Jar Jar isn't one of them XD). If you like any of these characters, I completely respect that and I'm happy that you enjoy them :). The reason I don't like the below characters are because I am a SiriWan fan and since it was around first, it's the only one I consider real.
Number one is the character of Satine from TCW. I really do not approve of her creation by the makers of TCW and the whole Obi-Wan and Satine thing really upset me(I don't consider any of it canon, by the way).
Number two is the character of Taria. I actually dislike her more than Satine, but since no one really takes Taria seriously, I have to worry about Satine more. Besides the whole Taria and Obi-Wan thing(which I most definitely don't consider canon) I found her personality very annoying, especially since she was a Mary Sue. I also think she was kind of dumb since she ate a poisonous fish and you'd think a Jedi would know better than that. I don't consider this person canon either.
Other characters that get on my nerves are Etain Tur-Mukan, Kal Skirata, Ordo, Savage Oppress, Pong Krell, and any Hutt or Anzat.

Stilwater: I know people will hate me for this, but I found Lando really annoying and full of himself in a turn-off sort of way.  It felt like he just ran in to ruin everything, and by Return of the Jedi he was hoping people would forget his betrayal by jumping in undercover and commanding a Rebel fleet.  C'mon, man, I know there's an ace up your sleeve!

I suppose the other would have to be the Ewoks, if they can count as a 'character'.  Really, the Imperial Army is no match for a bunch of teddy bears who talk like Bucky the squirrel from The Emperor's New Groove?  Really??

List your top ten favorite characters.

Shena Tokala: Here they are :) - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Siri Tachi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, Jaina Solo, Luke Skywalker, Anakin Solo, Tahiri Veila, Tenel Ka Chume Ta' Djo, and Satele Shan.

Stilwater: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cad Bane, Yoda, General Grievous, Aurra Sing, C-3PO, Padme Amidala, Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, and Darth Vader.

If you could dress up as any Star Wars character, who would it be?

Shena Tokala: I already have a really cool Jedi costume(tunic and cloak) that I plan in wearing to CVI and other conventions. If I had to pick a character, I'd go with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Siri Tachi, Jaina Solo, or one of my two Jedi characters that I made up. I also hope to make Luke Skywalker's black jumpsuit sometime.


Stilwater: Aurra Sing or Darth Maul would be awesome.  But I would give anything to own an authentic custom-owned Cad Bane hat of my own as well, if that counts.

Besides Basic, what language would you speak?

Shena Tokala: I already know a little Huttese, so I would definitely want to be fluent in that. I'd also like to learn Twi'leki, Togruti, and be able to understand Shyriwook. 

Stilwater: Hutteese, it would be way too much fun to insult people and sound like Jabba when I say it :)

Who is your favorite Bounty Hunter, Boba Fett or Jango Fett?

Shena Tokala: While I think Jango was the better fighter of the two, I prefer Boba since he's a lot cooler and has a much more interesting personality. 

Stilwater: I'm not a big Boba Fett fan, so my fan loyalties would have to go to Jango Fett.  Blue agrees with me better than green.

Who is your favorite villain?

Shena Tokala: Darth Vader is definitely my favorite villain in Star Wars(I love how he comes back to the light in the end) since he is so complex and multidimensional. I also think Sidious, Bane, Zannah, Revan, and Plagueis are interesting villains.

Stilwater: Blast it...as you can tell, I love a lot of villains.  But my all-time favorite villain must be Cad Bane.  For crying out loud, the Man With No Name has arrived in the galaxy and he's bringing sexy back - cowboys in space?  I'm first in line!  :)

Is Star Wars your favorite movie?

Shena Tokala: Yes, and it always will be! :) I have many fandoms, but Star Wars is my main one :).

Stilwater: Yes, definitely.  I must be honest and say it's not in my top five, but it's definitely somewhere close by.  Star Wars FTW!!

Shena's Bio 
I am a huge geeky tomboy who loves many fandoms, the main ones being Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, The Avengers, Once Upon A Time, Percy Jackson, Avatar, Doctor Who, North and South, Studio Ghibli films, and Chaos Walking; I love anything Science Fiction/Fantasy related, however. I am an aspiring actor(film, t.v., theater), writer, filmmaker/director, singer, and black belt in Taekwondo as well as other martial arts. I hope to one day star in and direct amazing films, television shows, and Broadway plays and write many books to be enjoyed by all. I am currently working on my science fiction series which I hope to publish very soon. I also enjoy reading, singing, watching movies/t.v shows/plays, playing piano and clarinet, learning new things, and listening to music. If you want to learn more about me, feel free to read my blog, Pens, Thespians, andWords :) 

Stilwater's Bio

I am a homeschooled teen with a heart for ministry and a passion for following Christ.  I love to write and all I want to do is write the truth of what I feel and see around me, whether that comes out through novels, short stories, songs, or just plain nonfiction.  My other favorite pastimes include movies, road trips, a paper route, and of course Star Wars.  I grew up on the movies and I've been hooked on the TV series for over a year now.  My blog is In the Shadeof My Wide-Brimmed Hat, on which I share my fanfiction, original writing, fan art, and things Cad Bane and Star Wars.  If you like any of those, I suggest hitting the link down below.  'Thanks for reading, and God Bless!