Details emerge on why the Chromed Captain gave in so easily and more Easter Eggs from Star Wars: Phasma…
After 2015’s The Force Awakens, many Star Wars fans wanted to know more about the chromed-out Captain of the First Order Stormtrooper corps. Thanks to author Delilah S. Dawson’s newest Star Wars canon novel — Star Wars: Phasma — fans finally get some exposition on why Phasma was so easily “persuaded” to drop the shields on Starkiller Base.
Thanks to Delilah S. Dawson, Phasma now has some meat and substance within her character, which bodes well for her upcoming role in The Last Jedi. We also were given some sweet Star Wars canon connections, showing that Dawson pays attention to detail and is a Star Wars fan herself.
Before we dive head-first into these sweet reveals, get caught up here with our initial review of Star Wars: Phasma.
Now that you’re caught up, let’s venture deep into the origins of Phasma, brought to life by Dawson, within this epic and revealing novel.
To me, she’s royalty
Revealed in the Poe Dameron comic and the novel Bloodline, General Leia Organa was very active in her fight against the First Order, even before they revealed their cruelty to the galaxy.
The story kicks off with Leia sending one of her top spies to a location where forces of the sinister First Order are gathering their military might. The General is desperate to thwart their attempts before they take control of the galaxy, which we learn in The Force Awakens, that her efforts come up short. Her only hope for defeating this Dark Side presence can only come from her brother, Jedi hero Luke Skywalker, who once again is nowhere to be seen within post-Return of the Jedi events.
Family
Feud
We first meet Armitage Hux, not to be confused with Brendol, within the Star Wars story-line, in the Aftermath trilogy, just a month after the events of Return of the Jedi. As a child, he was psychologically and physically abused by his father, Brendol, who was initially in charge of the Stormtrooper training program, which Armitage later takes over after his father’s death.
Speaking of that, we discover in the novel that Armitage and Phasma both betray their mentor, subtly killing him, and of course, they cover it up.
Anakin’s legacy lives on
"It shifts under your feet. Coarse and rough. Irritating. Gets everywhere. Slips into your clothes and boots."
This nod to Episode II nearly caught me off guard, but I know Anakin’s hatred for sand when I see it, and so does Dawson. I’m grateful that Lucasfilm and its writers can poke fun at some cheesy moments within the Star Wars universe. Hayden Christensen himself is self-aware and can also take the heat, even when a fan had him sign a jar full of sand, which he did with grace and class. I saw it with my own eyes at Star Wars Celebration, a moment I will not soon forget.
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Why did Phasma give into the demands of the defective Stormtrooper?
I’m in charge now, Phasma
The answer is quite simple and nearly satisfying. Phasma was always out for herself, even at the expense of the greater good. Throughout her story arc, the now Captain, sacrificed her planet, family, and “friends” in order to survive. Her motto might as well have been “survival of the fittest,” because that is how she rolls.
Unlike the other Stormtroopers who were trained and brainwashed from birth, Phasma was well into her early adulthood, meaning she would be prone to be more independent.
Phasma is not loyal to the First Order, but to her own continued existence and personal life goals.
Next: 50 Most Memorable Moments from Star Wars: The Clone Wars
We are extremely pleased that Dawson was chosen to write Phasma, and we hope she gets more opportunities to expand the Star Wars galaxy. You can purchase Phasma and her novelette The Perfect Weapon here.