I hate bittersweet endings.

Because they're so **** easy to write and so many act like they're the absolute best kind of ending.

I hate bittersweet endings.

Because they're so **** easy to write and so many act like they're the absolute best kind of ending.

I think it's because of the emotional contrast. Let me explain.

From what I understand, nowadays in order for a piece of art to be "good", all it has to do is be moving. Doesn't matter how it moves you, it just has to make you feel something, a lot; then it is considered to be good. Looking at it this way, it becomes easier to understand a lot of the "bad" art we get today. And movies, novels, games - these are all art, and follow the exact same trends as more traditional mediums.

Look at this. This is art.

If it makes you angry, if you think it's clever, if you feel anything at all strongly enough to comment on it, it is considered to be good art.

Now how does this apply to story endings? In traditional art, contrast is used to draw attention. Contrast between colors draws the eye, contrast between sounds creates interest in music, and contrast between themes cements an event in the mind. Good, evil. Hot, cold. Comfort, terror. Orange, blue. Wet, dry. Alive, dead.

Contrast makes things stand out, and draws attention more easily than a unified theme. If you contrast emotions, your work will stand out, be more memorable, and be considered good.

This is why I believe it is popular to make an ending either tragic, or bittersweet nowadays; and why such endings considered the best. The contrast makes the work stand out more easily than a work with a unified theme; and since we tend to remember the beginning and the end of a work more-so than the stuff in the middle, constructing your ending from both bitter and sweet themes will make your work more memorable than a work with an ending that is simply good, or simply bad.

TLDR: They use mental tricks that make them on average more memorable than regular good or bad endings.

I still want to believe the last act is them holding back waves of stormtroopers long enough to transmit the plans to the Tantive. Knowing full well they won't be leaving afterward.

So you want this to be Halo: Reach: A Star Wars Story?

Because I'm not certain that what Star Wars needs is a 2-hour competition to see who can die the most valiant and noble death.

I hate bittersweet endings.

Because they're so **** easy to write and so many act like they're the absolute best kind of ending.

I think it's because of the emotional contrast. Let me explain.

From what I understand, nowadays in order for a piece of art to be "good", all it has to do is be moving. Doesn't matter how it moves you, it just has to make you feel something, a lot; then it is considered to be good. Looking at it this way, it becomes easier to understand a lot of the "bad" art we get today. And movies, novels, games - these are all art, and follow the exact same trends as more traditional mediums.

Look at this. This is art.

If it makes you angry, if you think it's clever, if you feel anything at all strongly enough to comment on it, it is considered to be good art.

Now how does this apply to story endings? In traditional art, contrast is used to draw attention. Contrast between colors draws the eye, contrast between sounds creates interest in music, and contrast between themes cements an event in the mind. Good, evil. Hot, cold. Comfort, terror. Orange, blue. Wet, dry. Alive, dead.

Contrast makes things stand out, and draws attention more easily than a unified theme. If you contrast emotions, your work will stand out, be more memorable, and be considered good.

This is why I believe it is popular to make an ending either tragic, or bittersweet nowadays; and why such endings considered the best. The contrast makes the work stand out more easily than a work with a unified theme; and since we tend to remember the beginning and the end of a work more-so than the stuff in the middle, constructing your ending from both bitter and sweet themes will make your work more memorable than a work with an ending that is simply good, or simply bad.

TLDR: They use mental tricks that make them on average more memorable than regular good or bad endings.

Thing is, stuff like Star Wars shows how wrong the modern mentality on such things are. Not saying you're wrong. No, your observations are indeed correct.

I still want to believe the last act is them holding back waves of stormtroopers long enough to transmit the plans to the Tantive. Knowing full well they won't be leaving afterward.

So you want this to be Halo: Reach: A Star Wars Story?

Because I'm not certain that what Star Wars needs is a 2-hour competition to see who can die the most valiant and noble death.

I like this idea. I really, really like this idea.

It reminds me of this, and this was grand. So I really, really like this idea.

Maybe but look at the two best Star Wars movies. A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, both have bittersweet endings. In A New Hope they win at the cost of almost every rebel pilot that participated in the battle at Yavin and after Obi-Wan dies, Alderaan is destroyed, and the entire Tantive IV crew is either killed or enslaved (which would be probably just as bad in the Empire.) I don't think I need to explain why ESB has a bitter ending.

I would counter that a bittersweet ending isnt easy at all. To a talented writing any form of concluding a story depends on how you want that story to end to begin with. If anything it's a golden mean balancing both good and bad. These people aren't the new hope after all.

So let's say it doesn't have a bittersweet ending, do you really want this movie to have a happy ending? All they did was steal the death star plans. That's no great defeat on the Empire's part. The best thing I think that can happen is a Revenge of the Sith/ESB strikes back type ending. You have this looming sense of doom but the final scene is one of renewed hope.

Here's the bittersweet ending they could do. Rogue One Team mostly survives, decides to take a week vacation on Alderaan. Last line would be "Man this is going to be the best vacation ever! What could go wrong?"

That is actuall kind of the ending I an a friend think that the characters in Rebels will have...oh we are too meet with the Organa's on Alderaan...end of series.

As for Rogue One, I epect them to die as many have said to show the sacrifice required to take down a Death Star. Not to mention look at other heroic suicide mission style movies Dirty Dozen, and Saving Private Ryan, just to name two...the majority of them die and it makes it apparent what they did was that much more difficult and heroic.

I love the idea of tragic endings being seen as a modern thing. I guess you have heard about Greek tragedies or the works of Shakespeare?

Just finished Titus Andronicus. It was BRUTAL.

Obi-Wan: "That boy is our last hope."
Yoda: "No...there is another..."

That the problem with Ezra, Kanan and Asoka. At least 2 of them should die. All 3 if "another" means Leia.

In Rogue One however, so far no lightsabers - for once. A lot of grunts, perfect for a tragedy.

I love the idea of tragic endings being seen as a modern thing. I guess you have heard about Greek tragedies or the works of Shakespeare?

This. A tragedy is much better to drive a point/message home than a comedy. Human brains remember negatives better.

Well we know that Vader doesn't kill them considering the movie ends 10 minutes before ANH starts.

It does?

Obi-Wan: "That boy is our last hope."

Yoda: "No...there is another..."

That the problem with Ezra, Kanan and Asoka. At least 2 of them should die. All 3 if "another" means Leia.

In Rogue One however, so far no lightsabers - for once. A lot of grunts, perfect for a tragedy.

I love the idea of tragic endings being seen as a modern thing. I guess you have heard about Greek tragedies or the works of Shakespeare?

This. A tragedy is much better to drive a point/message home than a comedy. Human brains remember negatives better.

Except, of course, it has already been shown how effective Ezra and Kanan were against Vader. Together. Luke and Leia were the only ones capable of defeating Vader, not just power wise.

Obi-Wan: "That boy is our last hope."

Yoda: "No...there is another..."

That the problem with Ezra, Kanan and Asoka. At least 2 of them should die. All 3 if "another" means Leia.

Or that Yoda is saying this - from a certain point of view.

I still want to believe the last act is them holding back waves of stormtroopers long enough to transmit the plans to the Tantive. Knowing full well they won't be leaving afterward.

So you want this to be Halo: Reach: A Star Wars Story?

Because I'm not certain that what Star Wars needs is a 2-hour competition to see who can die the most valiant and noble death.

I like this idea. I really, really like this idea.

It reminds me of this, and this was grand. So I really, really like this idea.

Halo: Reach: A Star Wars Story would have to be set during and after Revenge of the Sith and focus on a group of Jedi and Clone Commandos without their Order 66 chips fighting against hordes of Imperial Clonetroopers and end with the Empire BD0'ing the planet they're on.