In the world of Berserk, many mysteries surrounding the characters that are yet to be solved. One in particular that has shown up as of Volume 28 within the Millennium Falcon Arc is that of the appearance of a young dark-haired boy, seeming to only appear when the moon is full.
There seems to be a connection between this boy and the triad of main characters, Guts, Griffith, and Casca. Within this list will be the analysis of this mysterious child's origin as well as some unknown facts that even the most avid of fans might have overlooked. Beware of spoilers for those who are not up to date with the 2016 remake anime and/or manga.
One moonlit night, Casca goes off on her own and strays from the rest of the group, finding herself walking along a beach where she encounters a strange young boy, nude, standing in the wading water. They stare at each other and seem to have an instant connection. She and the boy are found by the others soon after, with the boy enveloped in her cloak, sitting between her legs, gazing out at the water. While back at the cabin, Casca is seen instinctively feeding and swaddling the boy, like it was her child.
Two years prior to when the boy was first found by the group, Casca gave birth to a grotesque, malformed fetus, named the Demon Child within the Berserk community. This child disappears shortly after, on random occasions, to Guts. Unknown to the group, this same Demon Child was used within a ritual which in turn gave new life to Griffith and granted him a human body after he transitioned to a demon during the Eclipse. Even after the child fused with Griffith, it still retains its memories and continued to protect his birth parents, Guts and Casca. The boy can assume consciousness and take control of Griffith's body for a short time, only during a full moon. Also, it is known that magical powers seem to be exemplified when the moon is full, which could contribute to how this is possible.
Even though the child seems to be scared of Guts, surprisingly, he tries to climb up onto the swordsman's large shoulders but tumbles off. In a panic, Casca jumps to his rescue and at the same time, so does Guts.
At this moment, all three of them are cradled in each other's arms in a touching but bewildering embrace. Ishidro jokingly comments "they look like a family." Also, the boy does look similar to both Guts and Casca as well, with Guts' complexion and both of their dark hair.
When the boy first appears before Casca, and she is found swaddling the boy, Guts locks eyes with the child briefly and feels a certain connection to him. Casca is of course very protective of the boy and keeps him away from Guts. When back at the cabin, Guts can't help but look on as Casca seemingly starts to 'mother' this mysterious boy, like it was her own. He is confused by this fascination with the child since he is never one to become interested in relationships with others.
During Casca's tragic assault by the demon lord form of Griffith, Femto, at the time of the Eclipse, she was in the beginning stages of pregnancy after having made love to Guts on an occasion. With this forceful act, the corrupt seed of this member of the God Hand contaminated the growing child within Casca's womb and thus the Demon Child was conceived. A child possessed by evil, with the power to control wandering demons in the Astral realm and execute hallucinogenic visions on others. This demon child has been proved to be Moonlight Boy, however, this boy appears to age quicker than normal, most likely due to his magic powers.
When this seemingly mute child appears during a full moon, it mysteriously disappears without a trace by morning. This could explain the moment in recent chapter 358 of the manga, where Griffith is laying in bed with Charlotte and awakens to gaze at the full moon. Moments later, his long white hair starts to turn black, he then says to himself something along the lines of "It will happen again tonight..." and vanishes. However, it is speculated that Griffith and Moonlight Boy are not the same entity, rather, they share the same body.
On the night of their initial meeting with the boy, Guts watches on as the others sleep, in particular, over Casca and the child. This triggers a memory of two years ago when Casca gave birth to a pre-mature, deformed demon child that disappeared shortly after. Guts can't help but wonder where the demon child is now, but on random occasions, the child appears before him, especially when he is in danger.
The child does the same for Casca as well, and after a grueling bout of protecting her from death, he is left weakened and near death himself. At this point, a Behelit-shaped Apostle, also near death due to the ritual, swallows the fetus. With this act, the demon child is transformed into an infant and its body used as a vessel for Griffith.
With the Moonlight Boys' initial appearance on the beach, Schierke seems like the only one of the group who senses something odd about him, while the others just assume he is separated from his family, robbed or worse. The young witch may have an idea of the child's identity due to her powers being so in tune with the Astral realm but doesn't say anything to her comrades. During their time with the elves, it is explained to Schierke and the others that the Astral realm is where the dead reside and there are three planes of existence- Mortal, Astral, and 'Ideas', where all existence resides. Perhaps the Moonlight Boy resides in all of them.
After the night of the Demon Child's birth, Skull Knight appears before Guts. He prophesizes that the misshapen child that Casca has birthed was corrupt during her assault by Femto and even though it is seemingly fused with evil intent, it will still retain a life long bond with its rightful parents, Guts, and Casca. This prophecy was proven true since, during all of the encounters of them with the child, there was no sense of evil emitting from it and no harm done.
With the success of the reincarnation ceremony, Griffith and the Demon Child, now Moonlight Boy, are now one. With this marriage, both entities are conscious within one vessel and carry pieces of each other within themselves. This could prove as a great weakness in Femto, one of the most powerful of the God Hand, as well as the demon race, and could contribute to his possible downfall when he and Guts finally match up in their final battle. If this is so, and Guts realizes that the Moonlight Boy, his son, is also his once closest friend, Griffith, this would be a most devastating blow, which would not be so out of the ordinary for the tragedy of Berserk.
DC Comics has a rather big week ahead of it, with the publisher set to put out no fewer than 19 new comics this Tuesday, July 7.
This week, DCeased saga continues with the release of DCeased: Dead Planet #1, which CBR was given an exclusive preview of. There's also three final issues this week in the form of Lois Lane #12, Young Animal's Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #7 and the Sandman Universe's House of Whispers #22.
The Dark Knight also has a few titles releasing this Tuesday, namely Batman #94, Batman and the Outsiders #14, Detective Comics #1023, The Batman's Grave #8 and the reprint title DC Classics: The Batman Adventures #2. Other major superhero books getting new issues this week include such solo titles as Harley Quinn, Hawkman, Superman, The Flash, The Green Lantern Season Two and Wonder Woman, as well as such team-oriented comics as Justice League, Justice League Odyssey, The Terrifics and Young Justice.
You can see all of the books releasing this Tuesday below, with links to the previews that will show you what's to come from DC Comics. (Note: DC only provided covers for Batman #94, Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #7 and The Green Lantern Season Two #5.)
Be sure to check back next week for new previews of your favorite DC comics releasing on Tuesday, July 14.
Stargirl has been renewed for a second season, but Season 2 will air only on The CW.
According to Deadline, Stargirl Season 2 will not stream on DC Universe. Instead, it will join Arrowverse series like The Flash, Supergirl and Black Lightning as a CW exclusive.
Stargirl is currently in the middle of its first season, with a new episode hitting the DC Universe streaming service today. For the rest of Season 1, episodes will debut Monday on the streaming service, then air the following night on The CW.
This isn't the first DC Universe show to move to a new home. Doom Patrol recently jumped to HBO Max, Warner Bros.' new streaming service. The two streamers currently share the series, which just launched its second season. Titans remains DC Universe's only exclusive series, even as the service shifts to focus more on comic books and news. Unlike Doom Patrol and Titans, Stargirl is geared for a younger audience, and thus is more suitable for network TV.
Stargirl Season 1 follows Courtney Whitmore, who finds her life uprooted when her mother Barbara marries Pat Dugan and they move with his son Mike to Blue Valley, Nebraska. There, she discovers Pat was once a sidekick to Sylvester Pemberton, aka Starman, who she believes to be her long-lost father. After she bonds with the Cosmic Staff, she begins to recruit her fellow students into her new Justice Society of America, all while the Injustice Society -- and some of their kids -- gears up to launch their as-yet unrevealed master plan.
At the time of writing, Stargirl is not a part of the Arrowverse, despite the fact they now share a network. As established by The CW's massive "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover, Stargirl belongs to the multiverse; a quick shot of the series established it as taking place on Earth-2, while the Arrowverse exists on Earth-Prime. However, Stargirl creator and executive producer Geoff Johns recently suggested the series will cross over with the Arrowverse at some point, and this latest move seems to suggest that could happen sooner rather than later.
DC Universe's Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl) and Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan (S.T.R.I.P.E.). The series airs Monday on DC Universe and Tuesdays on The CW at 8 pm ET/PT. It also stars Amy Smart, Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Cameron Gellman, Trae Romano, Jake Austin Walker, Hunter Sansone, Meg DeLacy, Neil Jackson and Christopher James Baker.
The console wars are heating up again, as Microsoft prepares to unveil titles coming to its latest home video game console, the Xbox Series X.
Microsoft has confirmed its video game showcase will take place on Thursday, July 23 at 9 a.m. PT. A pre-show will begin that day at 8 a.m. PT, hosted by game journalist Geoff Keighley through YouTube. The main event will be streamed through YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook and the official Xbox website.
The event comes one month after Sony's showcase for titles coming to the PlayStation 5, which will launch in direct competition with the Xbox Series X as the two industry titans kick off the next generation of console gaming.
The announcement of the presentation's date and time comes less than a week after reports surfaced that Microsoft planned to officially unveil its long-rumored Xbox Series S, an all-digital, lower-powered and lower-priced counterpart to the Series X. Reports speculated that the console would be announced at a separate presentation in August, while Microsoft sidestepped the existence of the console with a confirmation of the games showcase without specifying the content.
The Xbox Series X goes on sale this holiday season.
Black Widow director Cate Shortland has promised the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie will hand the baton from Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff to Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
Speaking to Empire magazine, Shortland explained how this is potentially just the start of Pugh's journey. "[Kevin Feige] realised that the audience would expect an origin story so, of course, we went in the opposite direction," she said. "And we didn’t know how great Florence Pugh would be. We knew she would be great, but we didn’t know how great. Scarlett is so gracious, like, 'Oh, I’m handing her the baton.' So it’s going to propel another female storyline."
Shortland didn't reveal what she meant by Black Widow propelling Belova into "another female storyline," however, Johansson recently described the movie as part of a standalone franchise.
For those disappointed that Romanoff didn't get a proper sendoff in Avengers: Endgame, Shortland said she's also addressed criticisms there was no funeral for Nat, explaining it will give the character a fitting end.
While Black Widow is being released after the shocking events of Endgame, the movie's setting between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War will expand on Romanoff's mysterious backstory. With a de-aged version of William Hurt's Thaddeus Ross appearing in Black Widow's trailers, it looks like fans could also get to learn more about how Natasha became Black Widow.
There's been plenty of speculation that Pugh could join the MCU full-time as the next Black Widow, which would also marry with rumors that a New Avengers movie is coming. Feige has reiterated there will be no traditional Avengers movie in Phase Four, but that doesn't mean the franchise overseer won't assemble a different team further down the line. The end of Endgame left only Hulk, Thor and Hawkeye as OG Avengers, while even their continued involvement in the team was left up in the air. However, there were recent reports that Spider-Man and Captain Marvel could be the "new" leads of the Avengers and fill in the gaps with some new faces.
Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason and Rachel Weisz. The film arrives in theaters Nov. 6.
Comic book publisher Impact Theory has announced the release date for its flagship series Neon Future on the digital platform Webtoon Canvas.
Scheduled to coincide with Canvas Day, a day designated by Webtoon to spotlighting comic book creators, the first three installments of the acclaimed cyberpunk series will debut on the platform on July 13. In advance of the series' transition to its new format, CBR has a first look at promotional artwork by series artists Jheremy Raapack and Abraham Lee showcasing the title's characters.
Posted on the platform for free, fans can either read the title directly through the Webtoon App or website, with the series reformatted in the vertical scroll format to be better read on mobile devices. The comic will be updated on a weekly basis, with new content arriving every Monday.
In a previous interview with CBR, Impact Theory founder and CEO, and Neon Future co-creator Tom Bilyeu explained that the series would be moving to Webtoon to reach wider audiences, with a similar release planned for the publisher's second series Hexagon.
Fans can read the series by downloading the Webtoon App or going to Webtoons.com and searching for “Neon Future.”
Written by Tom Bilyeu, Steve Aoki and Jim Krueger and illustrated by Neil Edwards and Jheremy Raapack, Neon Future debuts July 13 on Webtoon Canvas.
The summer movies of the 1980s are some of the most adored and essential films in the American canon. They were critical and financial successes, with many films listed below being the top grossing titles of their years. If the summer blockbusters of the 80s can teach moviegoers anything, it's that studios and filmmakers shouldn't be afraid to tell original stories that break the boundaries of genre and target demographics. These ten movies were as impactful to the art of cinema as they were popular with general audiences.
Fans and critics now widely accept that Episode V is not only the best Star Wars movie, it is also one of the best, most influential movies of all time. It established the idea of the genre franchise, the spoilable twist and the merchandising universe that orbits a film's release. However, back in 1980, it was just a highly anticipated sequel. Empire doesn't follow the storytelling structure of a traditional summer blockbuster, and initial reactions were more mixed than fans tend to remember, despite it being the number one movie of the year. Like many films on this list, its reputation has only improved with time.
Another film written by Lawrence Kasdan and starring Harrison Ford, the first installment of the Indiana Jones franchise was a pleasant surprise to moviegoers, topping the box office. This historical epic combined action, romance and comedy in a way that felt like a throwback to old Hollywood while also being fresh and visually impressive. It may not ask viewers to think deeply about good and evil, but Raiders of the Lost Ark is a testament to the big screen as a conduit for adventure.
Steven Spielberg continued to dominate the summer box office with E.T., the light on sci-fi but heavy on sentimentality film about kids and their stranded alien companion. E.T. was an intensely personal project for the father of the modern blockbuster, inspired by his own parents' divorce. Thanks to endearing performances from its child actors and believable practical effects, it received near-unanimous acclaim upon its release, plus nine Oscar nominations. E.T. is sadly the kind of character-driven, imaginative movie not born of existing IP that Hollywood doesn't seem to know how to make anymore.
1983 wasn't a particularly strong year for movies, and Risky Business may not have been the year's biggest hit, especially with Return of the Jedi out, but it cracked the top ten on a tiny budget and made Tom Cruise a movie star. People remember it for its frequently parodied tighty-whitie dance number, but Risky Business earned critical praise for its exploration of 80s-relevant themes, like conspicuous consumption. It's a smarmy coming of age story that definitely captures a subculture of the era.
1984 was a strong year for summer movies with the likes of The Karate Kid, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins and Beverly Hills Cop, but Ghostbusters was the victor, in terms of box office receipts and cultural legacy. Another original movie that samples from a buffet of genres, this supernatural thriller comedy found fans of all ages and amongst the geeky and the mainstream. Its theme song reigned on the pop charts, and it spawned as much merchandise and nearly as much of a fandom as Star Wars.
Robert Zemeckis's Back to the Future capitalized on what its predecessors did well and added time travel. Yet another original idea that blended genre and made it to number one, this movie about a teenager venturing back to the year his own parents were teenagers also benefited from Michael J. Fox's rising stardom and his charismatic performance as Marty McFly. Every element - the script, the set pieces, the music - work in harmony to equally sweet and clever effect. Back to the Future is the essential 80s summer movie, and it only gets better with time as it's now doubly nostalgic.
Compared to space operas, time travel and Nazi-fighting epics, Ferris Bueller's Day Off might seem modest, but this teen comedy about a high school senior playing sick to skip school is probably John Hugh's seminal work. It's highly quotable, and it makes the most of the tropes it employs, including the fourth wall breaks. Furthermore, its message about living in the moment resonated with audiences so much, some people now celebrate Ferris Bueller Day.
This summer drama about a girl who falls in love with her dance instructor went on to become the first movie to sell more than a million VHS copies. That explains why it wasn't just a hit at theaters, but a fixture at sleepovers for the next several decades. Here too the theme song, "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," was a big part of the film's legacy, with many attempting the iconic lift. Dirty Dancing features star-making performances by Jennifer Grey and the late Patrick Swayze, whose agile dance moves and obvious chemistry helped cement the movie as one of the best romances made.
Today, people debate whether or not the classic 1988 Die Hard should be considered a Christmas movie, but it was released in the heat of July, to lowish expectations and better-than-expected ticket sales. At the time, Bruce Willis wasn't a bankable star, and standard action movies weren't reliable hits, rarely receiving positive reviews. Willis' portrayal of Detective John McClane and Alan Rickman's turn as villain Hans Gruber, combined with a frenetic pace and good editing, elevated what could've been another run-of-the-mill police procedural into an oft-imitated fan favorite.
Tim Burton's Batman not only launched a franchise for Warner Bros., but it also created the model for superhero franchises, both in creative conception and in marketing. Despite this, it almost didn't happen with Burton signing on to the project years earlier, but he only got the go-ahead after Beetlejuice became a surprise success. He fought to give the gloomy title role to Michael Keaton, who was until then known for his comedic work. Burton's signature style ultimately suited the character well since Batman, like the comic that inspired the film, is colorful and hyper-real, but dark and more complicated than it seems at first glance.
Netflix has released a dramatic final trailer for its upcoming Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy - Siege original anime series. The footage captures just how desperate both sides of the Autobot/Decepticon war are to finally end the conflict once and for all.
Some of the images that represent the grim nature of the trailer include a massive graveyard for deceased Transformers, other dead Transformers impaled on spears in the ground, and Optimus Prime giving a speech to a group of fatigued and wounded Autobots.
Decepticon leader Megatron is in search of the Allspark to "reformat" the Autobots to do his bidding. Optimus is left with no choice but to orchestrate counter-attacks against the Decepticons that may well cost the heroes their home planet of Cybertron.
Developed by Rooster Teeth Studios, Transformers War for Cybertron: Siege features the voice talents of Jake Foushee as Optimus Prime, Jason Marnocha as Megatron, Linsay Rousseau as Elita-1, Joe Zieja as Bumblebee, Frank Todaro as Starscream, Rafael Goldstein as Ratchet, Keith Silverstein as Jetfire, Todd Haberkorn as Shockwave & Red Alert , Edward Bosco as Ultra Magnus & Soundwave, Bill Rogers as Wheeljack, Sophia Isabella as Arcee, Brook Chalmers as Impactor, Shawn Hawkins as Mirage, Kaiser Johnson as Ironhide, Miles Luna as Teletraan I & Cliffjumper and Mark Whitten as Sideswipe & Skywarp. The film will arrives on Netflix July 30.
WWE has apparently chosen to move SummerSlam this year rather than wait to see what happens in Boston concerning the city's COVID-19 restrictions.
According to PWInsider, WWE chose to move SummerSlam to the WWE Performance Center this year; the event will take place on August 23. WWE has yet to release any official confirmation about the move.
Initially, SummerSlam 2020 was booked for Boston's TD Garden Arena. The company planned to not only hold SummerSlam there but also the Friday Night SmackDown before, Monday Night Raw after and the special NXT TakeOver: Boston event as well.
The problem came when Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said that there would be no large crowd gatherings allowed in the city through the end of the summer. Initially, WWE held off, reportedly even considering moving SummerSlam to September to ensure they could hold the event in front of a crowd.
With the COVID-19 pandemic cases spiking again, WWE appears to have thrown in the towel and will hold the event the same way they did WrestleMania — inside the Performance Center where they can control every aspect of the show. This is the first time that SummerSlam was not held in an arena or a stadium setting.
WWE SummerSlam 2020 will take place on Aug. 23 on the WWE Network.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Rise of Kyoshi already broke new ground by expanding the much-beloved franchise into the realm of prose, delving into the past of the history-rich world to explore Aang's predecessor Kyoshi on her journey to discover and master her power as the Avatar. The book gave new insight into the world while offering fans a wholly unique story by author F.C. Yee, and in just a month's time Yee repeats his success again with the sequel, The Shadow of Kyoshi.
CBR interviewed Yee about the upcoming novel. Here's the spoiler-free half of the interview, providing fans hungry for every scrap of detail about the world of Avatar they can get with just enough to whet their palette before the book's release on July 21.
CBR: Unlike your previous projects, the Kyoshi novels were an expansion on a pre-existing world rather than a wholly unique creation. What has that process been like creatively? Is there quite a bit of freedom in terms of the details you come up with? Do you need to check with anyone when you invent something like melonyams?
F.C. Yee: The creative process revolved around taking the slices of the wonderfully fleshed-out world we see in the show and trying to figure out what they could logically imply in the realm of a book. We see how Aang is discovered as the Avatar in a brief moment of world-building richness. But that means the other nations probably have their own methods. And then you start wondering whether they also revolve around statistical improbability. And then you wonder if there was ever a failure to reach a conclusion or a false positive. So that’s basically the kickoff of the Kyoshi books, all because the original creators put care and attention to a short scene in the show.
There was a lot of freedom in the details when working with Mike. For example, I didn’t have to get approvals for any new hybrid flora or fauna proposals. Any major lore definitions were judged on the merit they could bring to a cohesive story.
On a related note, are there any rules you try to impose for what benders can or can't do? For instance, earthbenders in The Shadow of Kyoshi move everything from glass to ceramics to paint. Where do you draw the line on what counts as "earth?"
There weren’t strict rules other than matching the feat to the implied skill of the bender. Things with explicit mineral bases counted, and if the question came up of “why isn’t everyone in the setting bending that” then the answer was not everyone has the imagination to try or the skill to succeed.
What aspects of Avatar lore were you most excited to expand on in your novels?
I was most excited to expand on the concept that the Four Nations continue to exist and operate even without the Avatar’s influence. It makes the setting feel alive and the Avatar’s actions feel meaningful. I personally think one of the most brilliant things that the original show creators did was to have the timeline of the show become what it was in Aang’s absence, rather than have the war start up and get shut down during his tenure as Avatar.
The Shadow of Kyoshi also gave you a chance to follow up on many characters and story elements you established in the previous novel. How did writing the sequel feel different from The Rise of Kyoshi, and what developments did you feel were most important to delve into?
The most important development was Kyoshi’s rise to prominence and her own growth, which comes easy to her in some areas and less so in others. We already know she’s destined to become someone for whom no physical threat really exists on the planet, so it was important to challenge her in other ways. The first book was about her learning what she could do on a personal level, and the second is different because it’s about her learning what she can do on a political and leadership level.
It also felt great to have more of Rangi’s backstory and explain why she is how she is, because of how great a fixture she is in Kyoshi’s life.
The LGBTQ+ themes of the Kyoshi novels feel at once important and totally normal, neither taking the spotlight nor falling to the wayside. Was the balance intentional, and if so did you feel it was a hard one to pull off?
What was intentional was making sure her bisexuality was represented fully and not erased or glossed over. After that, it wasn’t a matter of difficulty or balance so much as trying to put in respect and attention, same as any other part of the book, and being mindful of the interaction between character and setting.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Shadow of Kyoshi, by author F. C. Yee, is the sequel to The Rise of Kyoshi. Available for preorder, the novel will be released July 21.
Due to the rising rates of infection from COVID-19 in Florida, other states have begun to put safety measures in place. In New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, all travelers coming from Florida must be put in a mandatory two week quarantine before being allowed to move about the state or travel again. This has put both AEW and WWE in a difficult position.
Considering both companies are currently filming all of their television programming in the state of Florida, there are sizable problems with this mandate. While some performers already live in Florida, or temporarily moved there to continue filming without interruption, most live in other places, including the states with mandated quarantines.
Complicating this situation is the fact that WWE is headquartered in Connecticut, so a large chunk of its staff travels back and forth from their for its shows. With this in mind, how have both companies found a way to travel their performers and crew back and forth every week for tapings?
After already pulling a few strings to get wrestling programming to be allowed in Florida in the first place, WWE and AEW have found new workarounds for the mandated quarantines from other states. Instead of flying back directly into the states from Florida, all wrestlers and staff will now be flying into Philadelphia and then commuting from that state back into the three with quarantine rules in place. This would essentially nullify the two week quarantine mandate and allow everyone to travel back and forth to Florida for tapings without a hitch.
However, this workaround should not be the permanent solution to this situation. While neither company is technically breaking any laws by doing this, the well-being of all those who are traveling -- and the well-being of the many people they will come in contact with in the course of their travels -- might be compromised. There is already an inherent risk in coming in to film matches and segments at all, with many already testing positive for COVID-19. This is only exacerbated when taking into account the additional travel each wrestler must now go through just to make it home and back.
The danger for these employees does not simply lie in the return trip, either. Nearly every single person traveling back and forth must do so through the Orlando International Airport. This becomes a larger point of concern when taking into consideration the recent reports on the influx of cases coming from the employees who work there.
The constant travel from Florida is dangerous on both ends. Now, instead of adhering to mandated quarantine rules put in place to prevent further spread of COVID-19, televised wrestling has found a loophole. However, the unfortunate nature of the situation prevents either company from being able to ensure the safety of their wrestlers while abusing this loophole. Despite testing before all tapings and the new addition of masks for (some) of the wrestlers in the audience, nothing can be guaranteed.
There is no easy solution that can solve this either. Forcing all workers to temporarily live in Florida, away from their families, might be safer -- but is certainly more emotionally taxing and would most likely lead to more people refusing to work during the pandemic. If there is to be new wrestling content each week right now, the health of all those involved will always be a major risk. As it currently stands, it is a risk that AEW and WWE seem willing to make.
It might not seem like it on the surface, but there are similarities between the Star Wars and Harry Potter universes. Not so much when it comes to location but it's more about the characters and what they stand for.
One similarity is between the universe's main characters: Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter. Both young and inexperienced when fans first met them, these characters became powerhouses that drove the rest of the characters to fight. Since they're both strong, a question comes to mind. Who would beat who in a fight? To find out, these reasons lay out five ways that each one of them would come out on top.
Though Luke already had the tools to use the Force in A New Hope, he didn't know much about them. It took several years and a severed hand to realize what he needed to do to utilize the power. In doing so, he also had to use sheer will to prevent the Dark Side from seeping through.
It was a hard task. During Return of the Jedi, there were moments where filmgoers thought Luke was going to kill Emperor Palpatine. It's this discipline that would help him quickly disable Harry. Despite his wand experience, the young Potter can be shaken.
What makes Harry a hero isn't his spell casting. He's good, but he's no Hermione. It's that he can think fast when he encounters an evil wizard.
For example, at the end of The Deathly Hallows, Harry realizes he's not dead from Voldemort's spell. He discerns the situation and remains motionless. It allows him to get the drop on He Who Must Not Be Named and energize his allies. Playing possum would help Harry get the upper-hand on Luke, especially since his magic isn't connected to the Force.
Harry learned his spellcasting skills in a piecemeal way. Each year it seemed like someone wanted to give him a bit more knowledge, either willingly or, in the case of Snape, reluctantly. With most summers away from Hogwarts, he couldn't always get the necessary training to battle Voldemort.
On the other hand, Luke had periods of concentrated training. While not official, he obtained his first Force skills on the Millenium Falcon with Ben Kenobi. Later, he spent long hours training with Master Yoda. And there was the time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back to cull his skills. He has the edge over Harry.
To be fair, Luke has a group of loyal friends to help him. While they're skilled at fighting or flying, people like Han and Lando don't tap into the Force. Though Leia is Force-sensitive, as shown in The Rise of Skywalker, she didn't utilize its power into much.
Conversely, Harry's friends are all wizards with various levels of experience. This isn't talking simply about Ron and Hermione. His influence expands beyond Hogwarts to include dozens of others who would join him in a fight. Therefore, Harry has an advantage over Luke, particularly if a number of his cohorts simultaneously utilized a stunning spell.
In The Order of the Phoenix, Harry is shown as an angry teen wizard who begins to resent his role as The Boy Who Lived. He's tired of being kept in the dark, tired of the harassment, and tired of Professor Dumbledore. After confronting Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic, Harry throws a tantrum in Dumbledore's office.
If Harry were in the Star Wars universe, he would already be a member of the Sith. Luke doesn't have this problem, at least on the outside. While his battle with the Dark Side rolls on in his soul, he remains calm. Even in battle, Luke turns his anger into active rage instead of revenge. Thus, he can take Harry out when he has another tantrum.
Even when Luke seems like he's being spontaneous, it's done with planning. Take his run through the canyons of the Death Star. He kept hearing Ben's voice to use the Force. So, when he disengaged the targeting system on his X-Wing, he had some pre-meditated idea to do so.
Harry wings it, no matter the danger. He did it starting in his first year of Hogwarts up to Voldemort's defeat. He's not afraid to take on the big challenges to save those he loves. If it means escaping Gringott's on a blind dragon, so be it.
One of the ways Luke has utilized the Force is to increase his agility. This allows him to be faster and more flexible. It also gives him the ability to perform leaps and flips to avoid other weapons.
These skills give Master Luke a big advantage when he confronts Harry. Simply put, Harry is a runner. Even when he disapparates, he does so while running. Since Luke can use the Force to transport himself, he would appear at Harry's destination before the young wizard did.
This is a tough one. Luke is an excellent pilot, be it in an X-Wing or Stormtrooper air cycle. By utilizing the Force, he can perform tight maneuvers that would shock even Poe Dameron. However, he isn't as skilled as Harry.
Thanks to his Quidditch skills, Harry is a supreme flyer. His role as Seeker on the team showcases that. Though Luke can use the force to destroy another starfighter, it would be harder for him to locate and capture a Golden Snitch.
This needs some explanation. Luke is not burden-free. The fate of the galaxy and the destruction of the Sith is in his hands. However, he's not the only one who can do it. There are plenty of individuals in the Alliance who are also up to the task. Thus, he can focus on eliminating Palpatine.
It's not like that for Harry. For him, being The Boy Who Lived means he needs to defeat Voldemort. It said so in the prophecy he found at the Ministry of Magic. So, instead of everyone at Hogwarts standing behind him, they're more like, "Yeah, you're the lucky one. Go and kill him!" This puts a tremendous burden on Harry, and it would weigh him down as Luke came in for an attack.
Jedis can die and become part of the Force. It happened to many of them in Revenge of the Sith, it happened to Luke's father in Return of the Jedi, and it happened to Leia. They can certainly encourage, but not much more.
Harry can't die. Well, at least not when he has a piece of Voldemort's soul inside him. After the Dark Lord's first attempt at killing Harry, a piece of him embedded itself inside the baby Potter. So, when Voldemort shot Harry with a killing curse, he didn't die. Instead, that last piece of Voldemort perished. This is a pretty good skill to have when Luke stabs Harry with a lightsaber.
