There’s a common theme developing in Star Wars comics and other properties in recent months: CULTS. Netflix and HBO MAX are full of cult shows: The Program, Mother God and my personal favorite The Vow, which co-stars Bonnie “Aunt Beru” Piesse. A cult usually shows up because there’s a charismatic leader like The Mother or Emperor Palpatine, during a time of great stress in need of hope. The time between The Phantom Menace and Return of the Jedi certainly fill those roles.
The trailer for The Acolyte shows Mother Aniseya, a witch. Described as “the leader of a coven of Witches who value their independence and the preservation of their beliefs and powers.” Not exactly a cult, but…
The antagonists in The High Republic are in cults separated by around 100 years: The Path of the Open Hand and the Nihil. The Mother and her Nameless run deep in Star Wars history.
According to other Mandalorians, Din Djarin, Paz Visla and The Armorer of The Mandalorian fall into a category of a cult. They refuse to take off their helmets and hold a dogmatic way of doing things.
Ahsoka: The Imperial army led by Thrawn is practically a cult. When the Stormtroopers came out during their introduction they were chanting “Thrawn! Thrawn!” and their armor was held together by gold pieces and red ribbon. They felt that Thrawn was the only one to lead them to this moment, worshipping him as their benefactor and that kept them together in the new galaxy. And now, he said he would get them home, and look at this! A Hyperspace Ring to go with their damaged Star Destroyer. Another cult example is there as well: The Three Mothers and Nightsisters Morgan was a Sith-y witch who got the resources necessary to this region.
And courtesy of the June 2024 solicitations, here are several examples of cults in the current comics:
Mace Windu: “Introducing MURO and DIYA, DUSK WEAVERS OF THE HAD’LE PATH, a cult obsessed with wiping technology from the face of the galaxy!”
Also: “Just as MACE and smuggler AZITA CRUUZ arrive at her freighter, they’re beset by MURO, DIYA and the leader of their cult, THE SHROUD.”
Darth Maul: “A prison ship – transporting a cult known as the FINAL OCCULTATION – goes offline, and DARTH MAUL is sent by PALPATINE to investigate.”
Darth Vader: “DARTH VADER and the SCHISM IMPERIAL launch their boldest challenge to the power of PALPATINE with an assault on EXEGOL, the home of the EMPEROR’S greatest secrets and treasures!” All of Palpatine’s followers of Exegol are part of his Sith cult that were in the comics and The Rise of Skywalker.
Star Wars: During the Dark Droids crossover event we were introduced to Ajax Sigma, who runs his organization like a church, essentially a cult for droids only!
Looking at it this way; it seems like there’s a lot of cults popping up!
Now for the Visions portion of this article. Anything from the “Ronin” portion of Visions is visually incredible. The novel was great, although a bit confusing at times, and the two comics are stunning. Read the incredible Art of Star Wars: Visions about the inspiration behind the Japan-ization of droids and action figures.
The comic first starts out with two droids a’la C-3PO and R2-D2, arguing in the sand while the readers’ POV hones in on a rocky outcliff in the background. Turns out, these droids aren’t at all important to the storyline. Two Sith are about to fight on Holy Ground (to borrow a term from Highlander) but one of them (our buddy, a younger looking Ronin) is impatient and attacks first. The masked Sith is just toying with Ronin, making fun of him with every panel. The only color you see is the red of their lightsabers. The masked guy has a lightsaber that reminds me of either a fancy flower vase or abstract art. He’s referred to as a “Sword Saint,” a term I learned from the show Heroes. They fight and we flashback to a Jakku-like planet with crashed starships and the masked guy is fishing and catches an astromech droid and with his fellow castaways, puts him back together. These castaways are visually interesting, with even a Ewok around for the ride. They drink, they laugh and refer to the droid as “Boy.” The masked Sith, known as Okinaa-San, has given a cobbled-together janky leg to the droid and goes about his life as the rest of the group dies (apparently due to pollution). He also has a vision of the Ronin and the Droid going on their adventures. We’re then brought back into the present day with the two Sith dueling. Ronin gets the upper hand and kills Okinaa-San. The droid is devastated, even pounding on his dead master’s chest to get him to wake up. We then see Okinaa-San without the mask.
So the first Ronin comic had him fight against an Afro Samurai/Mace Windu variant and in this one he seems to be fighting Agen Kolar, a Zabrak who famously fought Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith and died within five seconds. The Ronin burns Okinaa-San in a funeral pyre. The time perspective shifts again and we see the Ronin challenging Okinaa-San to a Sith duel where only one survives. Recognizing the Ronin from his vision, he tells the droid to go with the Ronin when he dies. Keep in mind, I think this is early in Ronin’s adventures but we don’t know how early–he doesn’t seem to have much wisdom or experience.
Ronin then gives the Droid his former Master’s hat (which i think would make a great action figure) and has him come with him on his new adventures. Perhaps this is the beginning of the Ronin we all know. Oddly enough, Ronin called the Droid “Master” in the last comic, so maybe Ronin is learning wisdom from the droid, who learned it from his former master. The masked master (perhaps to hide who he truly is) talks a lot about living and dying the Sith way; through duels and combat. The comic ends with the two beginning droids continuing on their journey, which may fail. Perhaps this is the writer saying we’re going beyond what the original Star Wars was all about.
I’d love to see this turn into a monthly series, but the level of intricacy in each panel may be too much to handle regularly. How about a Boba Fett or Cobb Vanth character to show a non-Sith perspective? I wonder what other Sith will turn out to be a little Yoda or Obi-Wan-type character? Whoever it is, I look forward to more Visions. And cults.