In November, I was invited to contribute to a new Star War fan community on Wattpad in advance of the release of The Force Awakens. For whatever reason, the community never really gelled.

My chief contribution was to pull together topics for discussion. I had a lot of fun collecting up my favorite fan theories, which I’ll recap here.

In the comments, please let me know your favorite fan theory or video.

Regarding the Prequels

This is a fascinating analysis of why the three prequels failed: http://mythicscribes.com/analysis/star-wars-prequels/ Did you watch the movies in order from 1-6 or did you start with A New Hope? How do you think that altered how you feel about the prequels?

It’s time to remake the prequels, based around this fan theory: http://www.gamesradar.com/george-lucas-nearly-wrote-perfect-prequel-trilogy-he-just-didnt-seem-notice/

Have you seen the theory that Jar Jar Binks is a secret Sith Master? It makes a terrifying amount of sense. http://laughingsquid.com/in-depth-explanation-of-a-theory-about-how-jar-jar-binks-may-actually-be-a-sith-master/

A new fan theory: What if Padme wasn’t in love with Anakin? What if she was spying on him for the Jedi? https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/11/04/the-biggest-problem-with-the-jar-j

The Original Trilogy

Do you believe that R2 and Chewbacca are the secret leaders of the Rebel Alliance? This is one of my favorite fan theories ever: http://km-515.livejournal.com/746.html

Bring tissues! Obi-Wan remembers what really happened to Vader as he tells Luke about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN74bOubUug

Gizmodo had a recap of the economic analysis of how building two Death Stars bankrupted the Empire: http://gizmodo.com/economist-the-destruction-of-two-death-stars-bankrupte-1746082150

The first really good (I mean REALLY good) fan film was Troops, a mashup of Cops and Stormtroopers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvswNDAAZCU

This is my favorite video of stormtroopers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZSXpm4NKUo

The Force Awakens

JJ Abrams had the same reaction to meeting John Williams that I would have. This gives me even more hope for The Force Awakens! http://www.wired.com/2015/11/star-wars-force-awakens-jj-abrams-interview/

Have you seen the new fan-made trailer for The Force Awakens? We finally get to see Luke! The Force Awakens is barely 2 weeks away. http://epicstream.com/videos/This-Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens-Super-Trailer-Features-Luke-Skywalker

Have you seen the most recent international trailer? This may be the last one we see before The Force Awakens next week: http://io9.com/this-the-force-awakens-trailer-is-probably-your-last-hi-1747287133

What’s Luke’s story in The Force Awakens? Possible spoilers: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Star-Wars-5-Educated-Guesses-Luke-Skywalker-Big-Secret-97737-p5.html

Have you seen the new featurette about Rey? It gives a little bit of background on her character, but I apologize for the sound quality. There doesn’t seem to be a good version on the web: http://comicbook.com/2015/11/28/star-wars-the-force-awakens-behind-the-scenes-with-daisy-ridley-/

This has a great discussion of Rey, Mary Sues, and the Hero’s Journey: http://www.scannain.com/opinion-piece/girls-explain-star-wars-to-you

What if Rey was not hidden on Jakku for her protection, but to keep her isolated? http://www.theferrett.com/ferrettworks/2016/01/the-case-for-rey-palpatine/

Who is your favorite TFA character? Mine is Finn — for all these reasons: http://the-toast.net/2016/01/07/finn-is-the-best-character-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/