TexAgs Declares War on the Fett Boys
The shocks continued on the Road to Exegol Thursday as the Rogues Gallery Bracket saw its No. 3 and No. 4 seeds both vanquished by wide margins. Third-ranked Boba Fett, the biggest cult hero in the pre-Internet Star Wars realm, was shown the door by the new sheriff in town. Din Djarin, more commonly known as The Mandalorian, who thrashed Fett 79.6%-20.4% to advance to the Sweet 16. It was a case of like father, like unaltered genetic clone for the Fetts, as daddy Jango squandered an early lead and was squashed by Jabba Desilijic Tiure (yeah, it's that kind of party), 69.4%-30.6%. When informed he had accrued 69% of the vote, the Hutt licked his lips for the next 20 minutes. The upsets are all well and good, but it puts the two outlaws into the Big Boy Class. Jabba will go up against his favorite former employee/wall decoration/top seed Han Solo, who dismantled 9th-seeded IG-11 with 100% of the vote.
In the matchup so great I'll be sad when it's over, the other Sweet 16 Rogues Gallery matchup will be none other than #2 Lando vs. #6 Mando. The jive-talkin', moustache-rockin', Leia-stalkin' former baron-administrator of Cloud City (ranked among the top 10 most promising Tibanna Gas producers this side of Kessel) had his way (not that way, but maybe that way?) with young #10 seed Sabine Wren, cruising to a 83.7%-16.3% victory.
Over in the Republic, Rebels, and Resistance Bracket, the Cinderella journey for one Ahsoka Tano rolls on after she knocked off 5th-seeded Rey 59.2%-40.8% on Thursday. The 13th-seeded Tano will take on Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, the top seed in the bracket, who went through 9th-seeded Jyn Erso like a hot lightsaber blade through... well, Jyn Erso. The other Sweet 16 matchup will pit #2 Obi-Wan Kenobi, who took 98% of the vote over squid bait #10 seed Admiral Ackbar against #3 seed Princess Leia, who apparently TC would kick out of his bed in her prime. Leia was in a huge hole early on (that's what she said) against #6 Qui-Gon Jinn before rallying to a 63.3%-36.7% victory.
Meanwhile, the Men in Black and Beep! Boop! Yub-Nub! Brackets both voted almost a straight party line on Thursday, setting up some intriguing Friday matchups. Top seed Darth Vader reminded us all that the bully always beats the nerd as he crushed 8th-seed Grand Admiral Thrawn 93.9%-6.1%. Author Timothy Zahn was seen pouting and stomping his foot in the corner shortly thereafter. Vader now will match red blades with a guy who nearly ran him over when he was 9 years old - the Dathomirian Devil himself, Darth Maul! The fourth-seeded Ol' Red Eyes crushed #5 Count Dooku 87.8%-12.2%. On the other side of the region, #2 Darth Sidious unmade #7 General Grievous with ease, 89.8% to 10.2% to set up a showdown with his BFF's grandson, Kylo Ren. The third-seeded Artist Formerly Known as Ben Solo took down #6 Grand Moff Tarkin 75.5%-24.5%.
The final region featured not one, but two perfect shutouts. #1 Yoda chuckled his way past #8 Wicket with 100% of the vote, but so did third-seeded R2D2 in skunking the Roy to his Sigfried, sixth-seeded C3PO. Yoda will match powers against everyone's favorite sarcastic murderer #5 K2SO, who treated #4 seed BB8 roughly in a 77.1%-22.9% victory. R2D2 will square off against his former holochess opponent #2 Chewbacca, who was dominant in the paint with a triple-double in rolling past fan favorite Baby Yoda 81.3%-18.7%.
Round of 16 starts momentarily.
I have spoken.
Round of 16 Matchups
#1 Luke Skywalker vs. #13 Ahsoka Tano
#2 Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. #3 Princess Leia
#1 Han Solo vs. #5 Jabba the Hutt
#2 Lando Calrissian vs. #6 The Mandalorian
#1 Darth Vader vs. #4 Darth Maul
#2 Emperor Palpatine vs. #3 Kylo Ren
#1 Yoda vs. #5 K2SO
#2 Chewbacca vs. #3 R2D2