Our Favorite Star Wars Moments From 2023: SWNN Roundtable

We at Star Wars News Net are continuing with our end-of-year celebrations by looking back at the past 12 months in Star Wars. Even with the absence of a feature film coming out or going into production, it's been full of highs and lows, starting back on January 4 with the release of The Bad Batch season 2 and wrapping up most recently with the release of Dark Droids #5 and The Mandalorian season 2 #7.



So I asked my fellow staff members to pick out their favorite memories from a galaxy far, far away from 2023, in our latest edition of 'SWNN Roundtable'. Without further ado, here they are.



Aled Morgan: Star Wars Celebration and the Lucasfilm Showcase panel were a highlight of my year, particularly as I never thought I'd get in! Getting an early glimpse at projects like The Acolyte, which looks to be an absolute Jedi-fest, was truly thrilling. Also, visiting the Coruscant film set nearby was unreal!



As for media, I'd have to go with The Mandalorian Chapter 21: 'The Pirate'. The action-packed episode was pure joy to watch and the culmination of Din's story arc as his experiences led to him influencing his people to become heroes.



Danail Naydenov: Without any doubt, my favourite Star Wars moment of 2023 was Star Wars Celebration London! God, my first Celebration ever! Four days! Four awesome days, where my soul and my heart became one with the Force. I met wonderful people, I met my SWNN team members, my favourite actors, and authors.



Of course, the cold draft Guinness was also a very good idea after a day spent in the galaxy far, far away. By the way, the trailer for 'The Bad Batch' Season Three is perfect...







Eric Lentz: While I wasn’t there in person, I have to say that this year’s Celebration really did a lot for me as a Star Wars fan. There’s just something about an event dedicated to, well, celebrating all aspects and eras of the saga that makes me feel good. It was also a great reminder that while the future of the series is far from certain, there is a lot of good stuff still headed our way.



If I had to choose a favorite part of Celebration, it’d be the Andor panel. I was surprised when it was announced that Tony Gilroy would serve as showrunner for the series, given that he once said that he had no desire to ever do another Star Wars project after Rogue One. As we all know, Andor turned out to be wildly different from other recent Star Wars projects, which worked in that show’s favor. Seeing Gilroy and the show’s cast clearly having the time of their lives at the event now that they knew audiences had responded positively to their work was a joy to see.



Jay Goodearl: Easily my favorite Star Wars moment of 2023 was the ending to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. When the credits started, my reaction was the same reaction I had after watching The Dark Knight for the first time. After watching The Dark Knight, I thought to myself “Comic-book movies will never be the same again.” And after playing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, I said to myself “Star Wars stories will never be the same again.” Star Wars Jedi: Survivor told a very serious, somber story that goes into dark, mature places we haven’t seen before, pushing the franchise beyond its limits, and because of that, it’s an experience I’ll never forget.







Josh Atkins: Like Jay, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is up there with my best Star Wars moments of the year. The ending is one of my favorites – even if you did see the story twist coming, the gameplay twist is something I didn’t expect at all and gives one of the series’ best characters an outstanding swansong. There’s also that earlier moment on Jedha with Merrin that truly makes you feel like you’re playing Uncharted in space, a bombastic piece of gameplay that I will never forget.



However, the return of Gungi in The Bad Batch season 2 is also up there for me. I hadn’t thought much about the fate of the younglings after Order 66 but I found everything about this episode fascinating. The sight of a former Jedi in the early days of the Empire is always thrilling, but I didn’t realize just how much I wanted to see Gungi again until I saw him ignite that green lightsaber. The resulting adventure is super fun and a great example of why The Bad Batch needed to exist.



Miguel Fernández: 2023 was filled with memorable Star Wars moments, many of which have already been brought up by my colleagues here. Star Wars Celebration, aka four days of waiting in line, was definitely a highlight, and watching Lars Mikkelsen's Grand Admiral Thrawn reveal with a crowd was glorious. Part Four of Ahsoka was also the best Star Wars was all year (admittedly I still have not played Jedi: Survivor), and Ariana Greenblatt's teenage Ahsoka was a true delight in Part Five. Another big highlight for me: finally some official movements on the feature film side.



But I'd be lying if I didn't say that the best Star Wars brought to my life this year was virtually hanging out with the rest of the Star Wars News Net crew, and also interacting with our readers in the comment section and social media. Watching a new episode of a Star Wars series is only half the fun; the other half comes when we start to break it down, publicly or privately. The website has allowed me to make new friends and share things that I love, and for that, I'll always be grateful to Star Wars.



(L-R): Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Ahsoka Tano (Ariana Greenblatt) in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



Sydney Watsek: I’ve narrowed my favorites down to a small collection of moments, which is the best I can do and an excellent problem to have. The Bad Batch season 2 episode 8 “Truth and Consequences” the alarm blares to signal the Emperor’s arrival in the Senate chambers, quelling the bedlam, he disposes of Rampart, and quickly snuffs out a nearly successful attempt to expose his machinations. Omega is often a symbol of innocence, resolve, joy, and perseverance, and watching her world expand to include more darkness and complexity makes for incredibly engaging storytelling.



I found Thrawn’s return in Ahsoka to be captivating and haunting, in large part due to the music and the chanting. Plus, hearing Lars Mikkelsen’s iconic Thrawn voice again brought a smile to my face. I thought he killed it and I can’t wait to see more. Honorable mentions include the droid bar The Resistor in The Mandalorian season 3, Sabine’s introduction along with the song “Igyah Kah” in Ahsoka, and Cal and Merrin’s kiss in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.



Tyler Bradshaw: What a year for Star Wars! There are so many moments that come to mind. From Lydia Kang’s Cataclysm masterpiece novel to Ahsoka being just the kind of Star Wars I was missing in my life. However, I am going to go in a different direction for my FAVORITE moment. It has to be Daisy Ridley walking on stage at Celebration as they announced the new slate of feature films and her return as Rey Skywalker.



While Lucasfilm shouldn’t have the benefit of the doubt when it comes to feature films right now, I am totally bought into the three they announced at Celebration in London. The excitement I felt as Daisy walked on stage was akin to how I felt when the first teaser for The Rise of Skywalker dropped. Nothing beats a Star Wars feature film experience. 2026 (fingers crossed) is going to be magical. I can’t wait.



Daisy Ridley steps out on stage at Star Wars Celebration 2023 to announce she will be back as Rey in an upcoming film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.



<hr />



What was your favorite Star Wars moment from 2023? What did you think of our picks? Let us know in the comments below, and look forward to a special edition of 'This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away' coming tomorrow, along with a 2024 preview coming in the New Year.



Click HERE to check out and comment on this topic on our main site