Iconic Japanese Art Echoes in Star Wars Celebration's Latest Badge Designs
Heading back to Japan! That's right, folks, Star Wars Celebration is making a long-awaited return to the Land of the Rising Sun in 2025, and the convention's badge art is gonna be a sight to behold!
As you might have guessed, this year's badges will pay homage to Star Wars' deep-rooted connection to Japanese culture. Five of the 17 badge art pieces have been unveiled so far, and they're already stunning! Created by the talented illustrator TAKUMI, these badges draw inspiration from the classic Japanese woodblock printing style—ukiyo-e—popularized during the 17th and 18th centuries. Now, imagine Yoda, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Din Djarin reimagined as noble samurai and mythical creatures straight out of an ukiyo-e masterpiece!
Now, how did TAKUMI bring these epic creations to life? By immersing himself in the characters' backstories, identifying themes that could seamlessly blend with ukiyo-e elements. Each portrait captures the essence of traditional Japanese clothing, armor, and weaponry, with a Star Wars twist, making for a dynamic fusion of Western design and Japanese history.
Intrigued? Check out the astounding art below! Although, be warned: you might find yourself yearning for more! Like those badass lightsaber-katanas (yep, you read that correctly), which wouldn't be out of place in Star Wars Visions.
But it's not all about those recognizable characters; each illustration also incorporates natural elements and motifs relevant to the character's story. For example, you'll notice an abundant use of plants and flowers, as well as the presence of the moon across each piece—yes, that's indeed the moon, and not a moon-shaped death star!
Oh, and perhaps the best part? 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith, so we can only hope to see some prequel characters decked out in this breathtaking style as more badge art gets released before Star Wars Celebration Japan kicks off in April 2025.
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- The 2025 Star Wars Celebration in Japan will feature technology-enhanced badges that embellish traditional Japanese art, specifically drawing inspiration from the ukiyo-e style, as seen in Yoda, Darth Vader, and others reimagined as samurai with lightsaber-katanas.
- Movies like Star Wars Visions might find influence from the badge art created for Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2025, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith and likely incorporate prequel characters.
- Incorporating natural elements symbolic to a character's story, the badge art for Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2025 juxtaposes Western design with Japanese history, presenting a fusion of lush flora and fauna, moon motifs, and traditional Japanese clothing, armor, and weaponry.
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