SWM-Canon
SWM-Canon (Star Wars Minute Canon), also known as M-canon (Minute canon), are stories and ideas that are not canonical in the larger Star Wars universe, but are commonly accepted by the hosts and/or the listeners of Star Wars Minute.
Star Wars (1977)
New Hope
The name of the first movie to come out was originally just Star Wars, so that is how it is canonically referred to on Star Wars Minute.
Since the Episode II/III hiatus, the hosts have begun calling it "The Motion Picture" (after the first Star Trek film) to differentiate it from the Star Wars franchise and universe.
Ben Kenobi is a killer
This is also known as the "Kenobiist" theory. It is well known that Ben Kenobi is a filthy liar (see ROTJ 47) and is not above manipulating the situation to achieve his aims. To ensure that Luke would join him and learn the ways of the Force, Kenobi killed not only the Jawas, but perhaps the Lars family as well. Guest Mars Wong mentioned that he is a Kenobiist.
Death Star droids
The stormtroopers, upon finding a destroyed sandcrawler, gathered up all the droids and took them back to the Death Star. That's how the Death Star droid made it from Tatooine onto the Death Star.
Although Wookieepedia will tell you differently, it is official SWM-canon that the Death Star droid we see walking around the streets of Jedha in Rogue One is the same one we see in the Death Star, meaning it too must have been picked up by the Empire.
"The Force" does not exist
As stated in ROTJ 123, fifty percent of the SWM Crew believe that "The Force" isn't real, that it's all a bunch of simple tricks and nonsense. Examples of this include Darth Vader pulling Han's gun from his hand using magnets, and the Emperor shocking Luke using electricity from a generator hidden beneath his robes.
Luke's nickname is "Wormie"
On Tatooine, Luke's friends at the Tosche station called him "Wormie" as a derogatory nickname. This is from the former Expanded Universe (now Star Wars Legends), but it is still canon among Star Wars Minute hosts and listeners. The headline of the local Tatooine newspaper after Luke destroyed the first Death Star was "Wormie Wins Big" according to Pete in Minute 112.
Peet N'Alex
- Main article: Canonized SWMers
Boba Fett interrogated a moisture farmer on Tatooine as to Luke Skywalker's whereabouts. Although not named in the new (Disney) canon, former guest Jordan White stated that his name would be Peet N'Alex, in honor of the hosts of Star Wars Minute. This is explicitly referred to in TPM Minute 75.
"Sand People"
"Sand People" is a racist term for Tusken Raiders used by the human inhabitants of Tatooine (See Minute 32 of Star Wars). "Tusken Raiders" may itself be a racist term for the indigenous people of Tatooine, also known as the "Native Tatooiners". Beginning late during their coverage of AOTC, the guys began referring to them by the non-canonical name Ghorfas.
"Sand Citizens" is another term for the Native Tatooiners that lies somewhere between the two extremes of the racial sensitivity continuum.
- Additional facts
- They are all foodies, but they're terrible cooks so they have to eat out at restaurants a lot.
- They have perpetual swimmer's ear; this is why they shake.
Luke didn't blow up the Death Star
When Ben Kenobi told Luke to "let go" during the trench run, he meant literally, "let go of the controls. You can't do this; let me do it for you." SWM 113
All Jedi go commando
As discussed in SWM 97, based on the fact that there didn't appear to be any underwear left behind with Ben Kenobi's clothes when he vanished in front of Darth Vader, Jedi like to be 'one with The Force' when they dress and don't wear anything under their robes. The hosts acknowledge that this fact changes the movies, and refer to it interchangeably as "going commando" and "going Jedi".
On a related note, as discussed in SWM 104, some X-wing pilots may also "go Jedi" when they fly.
Chewbacca's Life Debt
Although this is never addressed in on-screen canon, the hosts agree with the Expanded Universe that Chewbacca follows Han around all the time because he has a life debt to him. Alex and Pete believe that, throughout the original trilogy, Chewbacca is not trying all that hard to protect or save Han because if he dies, then Chewbacca's life debt to him will come to an end and he can finally go home and raise his kid like he should have been doing the whole time.
Rebellion and Empire emblems
From the brilliant mind of host Alex Robinson in SWM 114.
The emblems that are used by the Rebellion and the Empire in the later movies are not worn by everyone in Star Wars, so they must have been adopted after the Battle of Yavin as follows:
- The Death Star is destroyed by Luke Skywalker, so:
- The Rebellion adopted the hero's (that is, Luke's) symbol as their own - like Robert E. Lee in the American Civil War.
- The Empire adopted The Death Star crew's emblem to commemorate the destruction of The Death Star and the significant loss of life. Never forget - like 9/11.
Note - This theory is actually good enough to be adopted into Star Wars canon.
Luke Can't Drive
Despite Luke's seeming obsession with vehicles, in the search-for-R2 scene C-3PO is seen to be driving the landspeeder. This led to the theory that Luke cannot drive, or at least does not have a driver's license. The seeming inconsistency with Luke's participation in the Battle of Yavin can be reconciled by positing that R2-D2 was actually flying the X-wing.
Holiday Special (1978)
Everything in the Holiday Special is officially SWM-Canon. No exceptions.
The Holiday Special is considered to be episode 4.5 in the SWM universe - see SWM 11.
Chief Bast
Upon discovering that the Rebels knew about the thermal exhaust port that was the Achilles' heel of the Death Star, Chief Bast fled the battle station immediately prior to its destruction, and thus was one of only two survivors. We know he survived (in spite of what Wookieepedia might tell you) because he appears in the Holiday Special.
Kashyyyk
Despite how it is spelled, the homeworld of the Wookiees is pronounced "Kah-ZOOK" according to the Holiday Special.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Treadwell
The droids from the Death Star survived the destruction of the station by stowing away on The Falcon. That's how Treadwell and the Gonks show up on Hoth later.
Taking this one step further, we see Treadwell on Kessel during Solo, but the Jawas worked out a deal to clean up after the droid rebellion, and that's how he made it to Tatooine in time for Star Wars.
Permanent residents
The Rebels had to leave a lot of equipment and droids when they evacuated Hoth. They also left behind an intoxicated General Rieekan, which is why he doesn't appear in the rest of the trilogy. Rebels that get left behind are known as "permanent residents." General Dodonna was presumably a permanent resident of Yavin IV.
Different categories of Stormtroopers
As discussed in many SWM podcast episodes, Sandtroopers are not a different category of Stormtrooper but are simply standard Stormtroopers wearing additional equipment.
This is in contrast to Snowtroopers (as discussed in SWM 31) which are definitely a different category of Stormtroopers.
(Note - This view appears to vary to actual Star Wars canon - but this is SWM so we don't care!)
Execucisor
Yes, it may be SPELT "Executor", but it's PRONOUNCED "Execucisor". Didn't you know?
Captain Scrapey
- Main article: Unidentified Weequay Skiff Guard
The Imperial Officer that says "take evasive action" in ESB 38 was not named at the time of the podcast episode—March 2014—so that hosts decide to call him "Captain Scrapey" as he is always bashing into other spaceships and getting into various scrapes.
Note - The hosts realize during the podcast episode that naming characters is a warning sign of them being slowly pulled into Star Wars canon. The next step is to be extras in an actual Star Wars movie.
The Edge of the Matte
This is an astronomical anomaly in the Star Wars universe - as discussed in ESB 76. It is actually visible through the right hand window of the Millennium Falcon's cockpit. It looks like a totally black area of space without any stars or other objects in it.
The Edge of the Matte causes time to move at different speeds in different locations. This is especially apparent in ESB, where the action on Dagobah, in the slug's belly, on the Star Destroyers and on the Falcon doesn't completely line up.
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Luke and Leia are not siblings
Yoda never goes right out and tells Luke that Leia is his sister. Obi-Wan mentions that Luke has a sister, and Luke jumps to the conclusion that it is Leia, when in fact she is in another part of the galaxy, safely anonymous.
Her name was going to be "Nellith", according to an early draft (see ESB 83). The hosts shorten this to "Nellie", although this might just be an another insulting nickname for Luke. Eventually her name was forgotten entirely, and the name "Marie" was invented for her.
Force-Swimming
Dead Jedi, as force ghosts, cannot just appear wherever they wish - they have to swim from place to place. Ben Kenobi was unable to help Luke in his fight with Darth Vader because by the time he was able to swim there it would be all over (see ROTJ 45).
Laser Swords
Following the principle of Papal Infallibility, George Lucas is known to have referred to lightsabers as "laser swords" (see ROTJ 98). So despite how they refer to them in the movies, the canonical name of the weapon of the Jedi knights is the laser sword (sometimes stylized as "lazer sword" or with even more "z"s added throughout). They are sometimes referred to as "Lightsaber® Brand Laser Swords".
Laser swords can cut through anything, except Kryptonite and Adamantium.
Noise in space
Sound cannot travel in a vacuum, so why is there all this noise in space? It was revealed in ROTJ 105 that spaceships have speakers that play a noise to let you know from which direction enemy fighters are coming, so you can use your sense of hearing to locate them without taking your eyes off your targeting screen. These speakers also play horns when exciting things are happening.
Lando Calrissian's "Maneuver at the Battle of Taanab"
In ROTJ 48, Chris Radtke advanced the theory that Lando's rank of General was awarded as result of an intimate assignation with Mon Mothma. The "maneuver at the Battle of Taanab" mentioned in dialogue in fact refers to an adventurous position employed during this encounter.
Oola was the frog
In the Special Edition of ROTJ, they added a scene of Oola the dancing girl after she fell into the Rancor pit to let the audience know what became of her. But if you discount the Special Editions, which we always do on Star Wars Minute, then the scene jumps straight from Oola falling to the frog in Jabba's goblet. This led some viewers, including perhaps a young and impressionable PTR, to conclude that Jabba transformed Oola into that frog, then proceeded to eat her. In honor of the SWM Wiki 500th Article Extravaganza, a poll was posted to the SWMLS to determine whether or not this was SWM-Canon. After a race that was almost too close to call, the results are in: Oola was the frog.
Radio dramas (1981, 1983, and 1996)
The NPR dramatized versions of the original trilogy, featuring many of the original actors' voices. Since many "Star Wars words" are said aloud here and nowhere else, it's often all we have to go on about how things are pronounced. Definitely Canon.
The blockade runner
Everybody knows that Princess Leia's ship is called the Tantive IV, but since it's never said in the movie, how should it be pronounced? If you said 'Tant-iv 4' or 'Tan-teev 4', you'd be wrong! According to the radio drama, it's 'Tan-tee-vee 4'.
Special Editions
What? They came out with digitally remastered editions to the Original Trilogy that made significant and unwanted changes to the films? Never heard of 'em. Definitely not canon.
The Phantom Menace (1999)
Boonta Eve
This is a holiday celebrated on Tatooine. It takes place March 26, the day before Boonta the Hutt is supposed to have ascended to godhood (although this is not recognized by the B'omarr order of monks). It is traditional (and is actually a legal obligation in some municipalities) to name anyone born on March 27th "Boonta the Hutt" (see TPM 63). Boonta Eve was the subject of a series of 8-DAY-GREEDO calls.
Neimoidian eggs
As mentioned in TPM 103, Neimoidians lay eggs, and much like a seahorse, it is the males of the species that carry them1.
Naboobian
Some say that the demographic adjective derived from the noun "Naboo" is "Naboo"; some say it's "Naboolian". Pete and Alex know better, and use the correct demonym, "Naboobian".
Attack of the Clones (2002)
Obi-Wan's vanity
When Obi-Wan is plummeting through the skies of Coruscant, he could have used his Force powers to slow or even stop his descent. But instead, he used all his powers to keep his hair from getting messed up.
This might also explain why Obi-Wan wears a hairpiece in Star Wars (see SWM 32), despite the fact that he was in hiding and would want to disguise his appearance.