Page 90 - Star Wars Insider #194

WORLDWIDE
BOUNTY HUNTERS

Scouring the galaxy for the
stars of Star Wars...

Meet the stars, show the evidence, win
the bounty! Bounty Hunters is sponsored
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Wars statue kit! To see more,
visit facebook.com/kotobukiyaofficial

essawankenobi’s passion for cosplay
stems from the amount of time it
N allows her to spend with her mom, as
much as it does from her zeal for Star Wars.
While Luke Skywalker and Star Wars: Return
of the Jedi (1983) were her favorites growing
up, she was immediately drawn to Rey in The
Force Awakens. “I love how compassionate
she is and how intrinsically motivated she is
to do what is right, yet she’s fi erce and SABERS IN SAN DIEGO
strong,” the fan explains.
As fate would have it, she had a chance to
meet Mark Hamill while cosplaying as Rey, Friendships forged through lightsaber training
and came up with the brilliant idea of
recreating a behind-the-scenes photo of ince the age of six, lightsaber temple had more than 20 years
Daisy Ridley giving Hamill a piggyback ride, connoisseur Steve Kirk knew of sword-play experience, and the
just as Luke had carried Yoda during his S that he needed to follow trio decided to create their own
training. “I don’t know what kind of gibberish the path of a Jedi. “I have always informal training group. While the
came out of my mouth,” Nessawankenobi associated myself with the light side initial meeting included only nine
says, “but somehow I managed to mumble of the Force,” the lifelong fan reveals. attendees, the fans who now
piggyback and he knew EXACTLY what to “Ironically, while many kids wanted regularly gather for a fun-fi lled
do. He took such care to get it right and I am to be Luke Skywalker, I was always a evening of sparring numbers in
just grinning at the camera like a big goof. He bigger fan of Obi-Wan Kenobi. excess of 30.
was so cool and kind,” adds the fan, whose Perhaps it was the mystery and the “I feel very proud of creating this
costuming adventures can be found on mysticism that surrounded him.” new family,” grins Kirk. “Star Wars
Instagram at @Nessawankenobi. The underlying message of hope has become, for me, like the Force;
that permeated the original Star ever present in all things, and the
01
Wars trilogy particularly resonated story of hope—the foundation of the
with the San Diegian, and as an adult, franchise—keeps me going every
Kirk has immersed himself deeper day.” The bonds formed are dear to
in Jedi mythology by studying its the saber enthusiast, but there’s one
lightsaber techniques. “I had toys thing that he truly relishes. “I greatly
and props, but you couldn’t do much appreciate that the TSA have a
with them besides swing them page on their website talking about
around,” he says. “The fandom how lightsabers are allowed to
was strong with me, and I wanted travel,” he laughs.
to learn to really duel with them.”
Kirk searched through various
online video tutorials for the right
master to acquaint him with the
basic forms of the fantasy weapon,
before connecting with one of his
friends who held the same interest
in saber sparring. The Force smiled
upon the duo when they met a
third kindred spirit during the
release of Star Wars: The Force
01 Mark Hamill, the actor known to many as Luke
Skywalker, recreates his viral piggyback picture Awakens (2015). The newest
with fan Nessawankenobi. member of their growing Jedi

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