Star Wars 7x7: A Daily Bite-Sized Dose of Star Wars Joy

Palpatine died on the second Death Star. And if you had any doubts about that, Ian McDiarmid put them to rest. He told The Phantom Menace 20th Anniversary panel audience that he'd had multiple conversations with George Lucas about it over the years, and Lucas always insisted that Palpatine was dead as a doornail. So how are we to explain the laughter of that madman as heard in the teaser for The Rise of Skywalker?

Well, between the movies, books, TV shows, and comics, there are at least seven different explanations for how this is possible, and I'm going to run them all down for you today. Punch it!

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It was an amazing five days of Star Wars Celebration, and though the party has left town (as you'll see in the video version of the show, and in photos on our social channels), the fun is just beginning. On today's show, I'm recapping the coverage and the biggest reveals, and announcing the names of all 25 - yes, 25! - interviewees you'll be hearing from on the show in the coming weeks. Punch it!

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Ian McDiarmid teases us about Palpatine; a haunting event gets a sequel; an intriguing new publishing initiative is hinted at; and the first episode of Star Wars Resistance Season 2 debuts! It's a solid finale to an amazing Star Wars Celebration. Punch it!

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This is a full-spoiler briefing on the season 2 premiere of Star Wars Resistance! If you can't wait to learn the details, it's all here - but please, be sure not to share, comment, or reply to this episode in any way that could reveal spoilers to someone who doesn't want it to be spoiled. Punch it!

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As opposed to previous days at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, Day 4 only contained two news-breaking story events: panels for The Mandalorian and for Clone Wars Season 7. And the footage they provided in both was stunning, even though they decided not to show The Mandalorian footage to anyone but the attendees at the panel. Here's the top stories update for both events... Punch it!

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Dave Filoni is a man who does not disappoint, and is also a man who loves to make Ashley Eckstein cry. At the Clone Wars Season 7 (aka #CloneWarsSaved) panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, he shared clips each of the three story arcs that will comprise the final season of The Clone Wars, and unveiled a full trailer as well. Punch it!

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The rules said no video recording or flash photography, but if I can't do that, then at least I can tell you what was happening during the two times they blacked out the livestream of The Mandalorian panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago. This was recorded in the halls of Wintrust Arena while it was fresh in my head, and sheltered from the freak snowstorm outside. Punch it!

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If we had to pick a winner for Day 3 of Star Wars Celebration Chicago, the panel for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order would get my vote. I've got the full scope of the reveals here, including details about the trailer, the characters, the story, and much more. Punch it!

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The reveals from the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago were all kind of at the little teaser level. As in, snippets of music, mentions of voice actors, hints at ride footage previews, and one "refreshing" revelation. Punch it!

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It was Galaxy's Edge's turn in the Star Wars Celebration Stage Panel Lottery spotlight, but I think its thunder was stolen by the gangbusters trailer and additional reveals for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And surprisingly, there were panels on books, comics, and animation where the list of new news could all be summed up neatly in one episode. Punch it!

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