Anakin's Jedi reflexes -vs- Rebel pilots skills

[JediDave]

In EP1 Anakin mentions being the only human who can pod race and Qui-Gon says he must have Jedi reflexes to do that.

I just watched ROTJ. The scene with Lando, Wedge and the other Rebel pilots flying into the crammed crevices of the Death Star with Tie fighters in hot pursuit? I realized they are flying as fast or faster than Anakin was in the pod race, and they're doing really well. Wedge didn't even break a sweat. "I'm already on my way out." That's just cool. :smokin: Jedi Wedge? Nah.

In the classic trilogy, I just accepted the fact that these guys were highly skilled pilots that really knew what they were doing. Hotshots. But in TPM, these same skills are supposed to mean you have Jedi reflexes? You can see that Ric Olie is no Wedge Antilles. And his squadron of Naboo pilots didn't seem to have "the right stuff" like the Rebel pilots of the classic trilogy.

Oh yeah, and what about Han successfully navigating an asteroid field in ESB? Jedi Han? ;) Nah.

So why is it in TPM, Anakin is considered so special? Compared to what's been done in the classic trilogy, his Jedi reflexes are really no big deal. And half the things he did were by accident anyway, not on purpose. "What's this button for? Oops, I blew up the droid control ship.", "How do I turn this off? Oops, I blew up the Droidekas." What about Jar-Jar accidently taking out a few battle droids when he gets one tangled in his foot? Does he have Jedi reflexes too? Jedi Jar-Jar? <sigh> Stuff like that is so annoying.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the Pod racing scene. I just think if they wanted to portray Anakin as special or gifted they could've shown it in better, stronger ways. I'm sure in EP2 we'll see Anakin has attained some kick a$$ Jedi powers.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I was thinking it was more difficult to control the pod. Realize the ships have navecomputers that control the intangibles and adjusts the controls for the pilots. Controling a pod seems more difficult especially since Anakin was the first human to do it. I also think it has to do with the fact that the pods have to be so small or else they would be able to go very fast so only a young boy would be able to fly them and how many boys do you think could fly a plane. I doubt Wedge could fly an X-wing at 9. I think that is why Qui-Gon said it he knew the only way he could pilot the pod was if he had jedi reflexes.

[Doc Milo]

Well, I'd say off hand that pod racing may be more difficult in that the pod racer isn't just dealing with whats around him, but also dealing with various other effects -- like friction and resistance from the atmosphere of the planet, gravity, the fact that they are only a few feet off the ground -- these are things that will not effect the spacecraft you mention, so there are less variables for those pilots of the X-wings and the Falcon to deal with.

That might seem like a lame answer, but it's all I can think of at the moment.

Now, about Anakin achieving things based on luck -- are we sure it was luck, and not instinct through the Force. Unconcious instinct with the Force guiding his action, I'd say, would look like luck.

And about Jar Jar accidently killing all those battle droids when one got entangled in his feet. I've watched that scene very closely each time I watch TPM, because I noticed something once, and I wanted to be convinced what I was seeing was true rather than wishful thinking. I am now convinced that what I saw is true: Jar Jar only kills the first droid accidently. He then realizes that he can use the droid entagled in his feet as a weapon -- and he purposesly kills the others with it. Yes, even the destroyer droid...

(After the first shot goes off that takes out the first droid, he says, "Oh, moi moi" realizes that there is another droid coming at him, purposefully turns and yanks the droid in the way that produced the shot the first time to shoot the second droid and so on...)

[ReaperFett]

yep, Jar Jar is hard when he has a foot mounted droid :)

[Jedi Master Carr]

I just realized something else. I have played all the X-wing games along with the pod racing game and while I am not sure if they accurately depict the speeds in the movie there is a huge difference. In X-wing the fastest that one can go is 120 (KM per hour that is the mesurement they use in the game) and that is with an A-Wing in X-Wing Alliance the Falcon gets up to around 120 sure you could disable your shields and your laser cannons and get the ship up to 160 but why would you want to do that. In Pod racing the average speed is between 200 and 300. As the game progresses you can gain modifications to your pod and you can get your pod up to 600 now that is fast. So even if you are going at average speed you are still going faster than what a X-Wing or A-wing or even the Falcon can do.

[Hart Kenobi]

Well, all the podracers were pretty small, maybe Anakin was teh only human that was skilled enough that was SMALL enough as well. And also, even the most skilled 10 year old wouldn't be able to have comparable reflexes to a Rogue Pilot, so that might have been the point.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

that an X-wing, or any ship for that matter is an extremely precise machine in it's construction. A pod racer is held together by tethers.

[sirdizzy]

expierence is something too wedge has probally been flying for years to get that good ani is 10 theres a big difference

[EP5GRAFLEX]

The force explains it....it ran strong in Anakin and the Rebel pilots(yes, Han too.;) )

Jedi-Rocker:)

[Darth23]

First of all, Wedge and the boys prolly had time to prepare for the DS2 run, plus they knew what they were getting into ahead of time.

I don't think Anakin's abilities came only from the Force. Ben Kenobi told Luke that when he first met his father, he was already a good pilot, but he was amazed at how strongly the Force flowed through him. I think it's a combination. Anakin the skill as well as being strong in The Force. He was also very technically adept. One of my favorite parts of the pod race was when he has an enging flame out, and quickly does all that stuff gto get back top full power. (What the hell did he DO, anyway?) I thought that was just a totally cool sequence.

As far as the accidents go, I don't think Anakin's success in the big battle was nearly as accidental as many people apparently believe. Remember Nothing happens by accident.

[Doc Milo]

Let's see, what did Anakin do in the pod during the sequence of the flaming engine.

I believe he first suffocated the flame by turning off the engine and closing off the air intakes. Then he bypassed the ignition sequence of the failed engine and used the power of the second engine to ignite the first engine again bringing him back to full power.

At least, that's how I understood it.

And I believe the "accidents" were where the Force guided his hand. But the piloting skills were his own (perhaps a combination.)

[Darth23]

Sound like a good explaination. :p

I just remmeber watching it the second time and thinking 'what the hell was that!?'

I thought it was extremely cool, and showed what a bad ass little Ani really was.