title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: In 1991, after the independence of Ukraine, the plant became a property of the Ukrainian state. In 1996, the state started its privatization. The plant became owned by Metinvest, a metallurgical company solely owned by the Ukrainian business conglomerate Systems Capital Management.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: In 2005, the plant produced 5.906 million tons of steel. From 2006, it partnered with the Priazovskiy State Technical University to help streamline students into working at the site. In 2011, it was the country's third largest steel producer, accounting for 15% of the entire steel output, and known as a large exporter of steel slabs and billets.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: In 2014, the bunkers under the factory were used when Russian-backed Donbas separatists tried to take Mariupol from the Ukrainian government.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: In a 1999 study, it was found that the site had been identified by a regional environmental protection agency as the second largest air polluter in the region. To attempt to lessen pollution amounts, a small pilot program was first implemented to mitigate pollution caused by graphite and smelter fumes, and was introduced in a larger scale after beneficial outcomes were shown. The site also implemented regular pollution prevention audits each year.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: As a result of lax environmental regulations and "totally obsolete" equipment used by Azovstal and other Metinvest-owned factories in the city, Mariupol was what "National Geographic" described as "one of the most polluted cities" in Ukraine. In 2018 and 2019, residents of Mariupol protested in the streets for reform.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: In March 2022, during the Siege of Mariupol, the works was badly damaged, with Ukrainian parliament member Serhiy Taruta stating that Russian forces had "practically destroyed the factory". By 16 April, it became the last pocket of organized resistance in the siege. Russian forces gave the defenders until 6:00 AM Moscow Time on 17 April to surrender, claiming that if they left behind their weapons they would guarantee their lives. Ukrainian forces refused to surrender and portions of the plant remained under their control.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: On 4 May, Russian troops claimed to have entered the steel plant after launching an all-out offensive. However, this was refuted by Ukrainian sources, claiming they had repelled some Russian attacks. On 7 May, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk stated, "The president's order has been carried out: all women, children, and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal. This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed." According to "The New York Times", the Azov Battalion was ordered to surrender by the Ukrainian General Staff on 16 May, saying “The supreme military command ordered the commanders of the units stationed at Azovstal to save the lives of the personnel... Defenders of Mariupol are the heroes of our time”. Efforts were ongoing to evacuate the battalion from the bunkers.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: Rap group Kalush Orchestra, who represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 and later won the competition, called to save the soldiers at Azovstal onstage following their performance. This contributed to a sharp increase in global interest in Azovstal.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: On 17 May 2022, fifty-three seriously injured people surrendered and were evacuated from Azovstal to a medical facility in Novoazovsk and 211 people were taken to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor, marking the end of the combat mission in Mariupol and the defense of the Azovstal plant after 82 days of fighting.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: Following the capture of Mariupol by the DPR and Russian forces and the surrender of remaining Ukrainian servicemen in Azovstal, Denis Pushilin announced that the plant would be demolished and that "other projects are planned in place of Azovstal".


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: The steel plant operated as a subsidiary of Metinvest Holding LLC, in turn a subsidiary of Metinvest B.V., at the time of the siege.


title: Azovstal iron and steel works

text: Rinat Akhmetov is co-owner of Metinvest B.V. Akhmetov supported the Ukrainian forces in the fight for Mariupol: “Mariupol has always been and will be a Ukrainian city. Ukrainians fiercely defend every inch of Ukrainian soil. I am proud that Azovstal is our bastion of resistance”.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: Datuk Jimmy Choo (born 15 November 1948) is a Malaysian fashion designer of Chinese descent based in the United Kingdom. He co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd, which became known for its handmade women's shoes.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia, into a family of shoemakers. His family name is Chow (), but was misspelled on his birth certificate as Choo. He studied at Penang street Primary School in Love Lane, Penang. Choo's father, a shoemaker who made all of his shoes by hand, taught him the craft. "My parents were shoemakers and I have followed my father's lead. He inspired me," said Jimmy Choo. He made his first pair of shoes when he was 11 years old, a pair of slippers.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: Between 1982 and 1984, Choo studied at Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney (now part of the London College of Fashion) in London. He went to a design firm to work after graduation, wishing to remain in London instead of going back to Malaysia.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: After college, Choo worked at two design companies for a total of nine years before opening his own business. Choo's parents moved to Britain to help him get started, and he eventually expanded the business by opening his own shop in 1986, renting an old hospital building. His craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed at London Fashion Week in 1988. After seeing his creations, "Vogue" featured the shoes in an eight page spread. Choo has said that his designs became significantly more popular after the "Vogue" coverage. Patronage from Diana, Princess of Wales in the early 1990s further boosted his image.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: In 1996, Choo co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with British "Vogue" magazine accessories editor Tamara Mellon. In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million. He has since concentrated his work on the exclusive Jimmy Choo couture line produced under license from Jimmy Choo Ltd. The Jimmy Choo London line, also known as Jimmy Choo Ready-To-Wear or, simply, Jimmy Choo, is under the purview of Tamara Mellon. The ready-to-wear line has expanded to include accessories such as handbags.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: Choo lives in London and is currently involved in a project to set up a shoemaking institute in Malaysia. His company continues to produce expensive high-end shoes.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: He is married to Rebecca Choi from Hong Kong. The couple have two children: Emily and Danny, the creator of Smart Doll, for which his father designed shoes. A niece of the couple, Sandra Choi, followed in her uncle's footsteps by becoming a shoe designer.


title: Jimmy Choo

text: He is mentioned in Fetty Wap's 2015 hit titled "Jimmy Choo", Placebo's track "Follow the cops back home", Vybz Kartel's song "Yabba Dabba Doo", the Bollywood hit song "Abhi toh Party Shuru Hui Hai" from the movie "Khubsurat" (2014), UnoTheActivist's "Ice Age" featuring Gunna (rapper), Karlae's "Jimmy Choo" featuring Young Thug and Gunna, and French Montana's 2018 hit "No Stylist", featuring Drake.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl game appearances, including the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. This success led to him serving as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons, three with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and one with the San Francisco 49ers (2016). Kelly only made the playoffs in his first season with Philadelphia, and he was fired from both teams. After leaving the NFL, Kelly returned to college football in 2018 to coach UCLA.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly was born in Dover, New Hampshire. He attended Manchester Central High School and earned his Bachelor of Science in physical education from the University of New Hampshire in 1990. He played quarterback at Manchester Central and defensive back at the University of New Hampshire. Additionally, he played ice hockey and basketball during his high school years.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly broke into the coaching ranks in 1990 at Columbia University, where he served as secondary and special teams coach for the freshman team. The next year, he was outside linebackers and strong safeties coach for the varsity team. In 1992, he went to the University of New Hampshire as the running backs coach. He left to become the defensive coordinator at the Johns Hopkins University for one season. He returned to his alma mater as the running backs coach for the next three seasons (1994–96). He was just in time to devise a zone-blocking scheme for star Jerry Azumah. From 1995 through 1998, the speedy back raised the profile of UNH football as he rushed for what was then an FCS record 6,193 yards. He changed to the offensive line coach for two seasons (1997–98).


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly was promoted to offensive coordinator at New Hampshire (1999–2006). The Wildcats' offenses averaged better than 400 yards per game of total offense in seven of his eight seasons


title: Chip Kelly

text: In 2004, the school broke 29 offensive school records; compiling 5,446 yards of total offense and scoring 40 or more points in seven games. Their best offensive output was in 2005 when the Wildcats finished second nationally in total offense (493.5 ypg), third in scoring (41.7 ppg) and fifth in passing (300.1 ypg). They completed the season with an 11–2 record.


title: Chip Kelly

text: He was named the College Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston following the 2005 season in addition to being selected as "one of college football's hottest coaches" by American Football Monthly. In 2006, quarterback Ricky Santos won the Walter Payton Award under Kelly's guidance, after Santos finished second in balloting for the award in 2005.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly, along with Florida Gators former head coach Dan Mullen, former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, are part of the so-called "New Hampshire mafia" as they all have strong connections to New Hampshire.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly coached the Oregon Ducks to BCS games in each of his four seasons as head coach; the 2010 Rose Bowl, 2011 BCS National Championship Game, 2012 Rose Bowl, and 2013 Fiesta Bowl. He coached Oregon to three consecutive outright conference championships from 2009 to 2011 and a conference division title in 2012. Oregon won its second consecutive BCS bowl game after they defeated #5 Kansas State in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. What may be considered the most important part of Kelly's résumé at Oregon, however, is that he posted undefeated records against the Ducks most hated rivals, the Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies, something never before achieved by an Oregon coach.


title: Chip Kelly

text: He was named the 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, 2010 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, 2010 Sporting News Coach of the Year, 2010 AFCA Coach of the Year Award, and 2010 Associated Press Coach of the Year.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly was hired as offensive coordinator at Oregon in February 2007. His potent spread offense attack was an instant success at Oregon.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In his first season as offensive coordinator at Oregon, the Ducks led the Pac-10 in scoring (38.15 ppg) and total offense (467.54 ypg), and also became the highest scoring team while amassing the most yards in the history of Oregon football. Prior to Kelly's arrival at Oregon, Dennis Dixon struggled in his first three seasons at quarterback. Under Kelly's guidance, Dixon was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In 2008, the Ducks once again led the Pac-10 in scoring (41.9 ppg) and total offense (484.8 ypg), while breaking the school record marks set the previous season.


title: Chip Kelly

text: On March 31, 2009, Oregon announced head coach Mike Bellotti would be promoted to athletic director; consequently, Kelly would be promoted to head coach.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly helped the Ducks gain national attention in 2009 after an upset of the then #5 USC Trojans on October 31. Kelly became the first Pac-10 coach to win an outright conference championship in his first season, sending the Ducks to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1995. The Ducks hoped to win their first Rose Bowl since 1917, but lost a close game to Ohio State University. On December 7, 2009, Kelly was named Pac-10 Coach of the year. He was the second Ducks coach to earn the honor, the other being Rich Brooks (two times).


title: Chip Kelly

text: Prior to the 2010 season, Kelly suspended Jeremiah Masoli for the season after the quarterback pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary charges, marking the second year in a row that a key player was suspended. Masoli was later dismissed from the team following an arrest for marijuana possession and several driving infractions.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In early October, Kelly led the team to a #1 spot on the AP, Harris, and USA Today Coaches Poll, followed a few weeks later by a #1 BCS ranking. With a 37–20 win over the Oregon State Beavers on December 4, 2010, Kelly led the Ducks to a 9–0 finish in conference play, winning their second consecutive outright Pac-10 title. With Darron Thomas at quarterback and Doak Walker Award winner LaMichael James at running back, the Ducks averaged 49.3 points and 537.5 yards per game in the regular season.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In December, following an undefeated 12–0 season and an end-of-season #2 BCS ranking, Oregon was selected to play the #1 Auburn Tigers in the BCS national championship game on January 10, 2011. The Tigers, out of the Southeastern Conference, were coached by Gene Chizik, and had the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback in Cam Newton. The Ducks lost, 22–19, on a last-second, 19-yard field goal by Wes Byrum. It was the closest that a team from the Pacific Northwest has come to winning a share of the national championship since 1991.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In recognition of his coaching achievements, Kelly received the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year award and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the second year running. Kelly also won the AP Coach of the Year.


title: Chip Kelly

text: The 2011 season began with the #3 Ducks facing the #4 LSU Tigers in the Cowboys Classic where they were defeated 40–27. Oregon won their next nine games, including a 53–30 blowout victory at #3 Stanford.


title: Chip Kelly

text: A consecutive trip back to the BCS Championship appeared to be a strong possibility, but they were defeated 38–35 by #18 USC when an Oregon field goal attempt failed as time expired.


title: Chip Kelly

text: The Ducks won their third straight Pac-12 championship title after defeating UCLA in the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game. They represented the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl and defeated #10 Wisconsin 45–38. It was their second Rose Bowl appearance in three years and their sixth overall. This was Oregon's third consecutive year in a BCS bowl game.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Oregon's all-time leading rusher LaMichael James decided to forgo his senior season in 2012 for the NFL and starting quarterback Darron Thomas, with a career starting record of 23–3, surprisingly also decided to leave early for the NFL.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Led by redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota at quarterback and senior tailback Kenjon Barner, Oregon rolled to ten straight victories before finally falling to #14 Stanford in overtime 17–14 on November 17. Oregon had two opportunities to beat Stanford with a field goal but both attempts failed. Kelly's Ducks would rebound to beat #16 Oregon State in the Civil War for the fifth straight year and play #5 Kansas State in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks proved to be too much for Kansas State as they prevailed to a 35–17 victory in Oregon's fourth consecutive year in a BCS bowl game.


title: Chip Kelly

text: The Ducks finished the season 12–1 (8–1 Pac-12) with a #2 ranking, putting them in the top five of the final season rankings for the third straight season.


title: Chip Kelly

text: On April 16, 2013, "The Oregonian" reported that the University of Oregon has offered to put its football program on two years' probation in response to NCAA violations that allegedly took place during Kelly's tenure as head coach. On June 26, 2013, the NCAA Committee on Infractions issued its report concluding the investigation into Oregon's use of football scouting services. Oregon received 3 years of probation, reduction of scholarships, but no bowl ban. Kelly received an 18-month show-cause penalty, which would have made an immediate hiring by another NCAA institution difficult. This obstacle became moot, however, after Kelly spent the next four years coaching in the NFL.


title: Chip Kelly

text: New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin tried to hire Kelly as a quality control coach in 2006 when Kelly was still the offensive coordinator at the University of New Hampshire. Kelly turned down the offer and shortly after became the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In the spring of 2009, Jon Gruden and Kelly spent several days in Tampa, Florida, discussing theories, progressions, and offensive strategies. In November 2010, Kelly visited Pete Carroll at the Seattle Seahawks practice facility during an Oregon bye week.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In January 2012, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interviewed Kelly for the head coach position but he declined to take the job because he had "unfinished business to complete" with the Ducks.


title: Chip Kelly

text: During the 2012 offseason, Kelly met with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to discuss how he operated the "blur" offense that he ran at Oregon. New England had implemented the hurry up offense as early as 2007. "Oregonian" columnist John Canzano speculated that Kelly was waiting for the New England Patriots head coaching position to become available.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In early January 2013, numerous NFL teams expressed interest and Kelly was interviewed by the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. After a seven-hour meeting with the Browns followed by a nine-hour meeting with the Eagles, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Kelly initially decided to remain at Oregon. A week later, Kelly accepted the offer from Philadelphia and became the head coach of the Eagles.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles to become the team's head coach on January 16, 2013. Although general manager Howie Roseman ran the team's drafts and free agency signings in his first two seasons with the team, Kelly had the final say over the 53-man roster. His predecessor, Andy Reid, also had the title and/or powers of general manager for most of his tenure.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In his first season, Kelly reversed the Eagles' fortunes of the previous year. Taking over a team that went 4–12 in 2012, Reid's last year, Kelly led the Eagles to a 10–6 record and the NFC Eastern Division Championship, becoming just the second head coach in league history to win a division title in his first season in the NFL. They lost in the first round of the playoffs at home to the New Orleans Saints 26–24, on a last-second field goal.


title: Chip Kelly

text: In his second season in Philadelphia, Kelly finished with an identical 10–6 record, despite key injuries to players like quarterback Nick Foles and linebacker DeMeco Ryans. However, unlike the previous season, the Eagles failed to make the playoffs in 2014.


title: Chip Kelly

text: On January 2, 2015, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie announced that Kelly would assume control of the 90-man roster (including authority over the draft and free agency), while Roseman would be "elevated" to the role of Executive Vice President of Football Operations, remaining in control of the salary cap and contracts. Soon afterward, the Eagles traded All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso (who was a former Oregon Duck under Kelly) and Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for quarterback Sam Bradford on March 10, 2015, under Kelly's request. Both trades were met with overwhelmingly negative reception from Eagles fans. He also signed former Cowboys running back and reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray.


title: Chip Kelly

text: On December 29, 2015, with the Eagles at 6–9, Kelly was fired before the final regular season game, in a statement made by Lurie. It was quickly speculated that he would be a candidate for several NFL head coach openings; on January 7, it was reported that Kelly had met with the San Francisco 49ers about their head coaching position.


title: Chip Kelly

text: On January 14, 2016, Kelly was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as head coach. He entered the 2016 season as the 49ers' third coach in three seasons, following Jim Harbaugh and Jim Tomsula. In his first game with the 49ers, they defeated the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium in a 28–0 romp. It was the first Week 1 shutout since 2009, when the Seattle Seahawks coincidentally shutout the Rams. However, the 49ers went on a 13-game losing streak, with many speculations opening up that Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke may be fired at the end of the season. In late November, there were also many rumors that Kelly would return to coach the Oregon Ducks after the Ducks finished the season with a 4–8 record, the team's first losing season since 2004, resulting in the firing of Ducks football coach Mark Helfrich. Those rumors ceased after the Ducks hired former South Florida Bulls coach Willie Taggart on December 7.


title: Chip Kelly

text: The 49ers finally got their second win of the season on December 24 in a road game against the Rams, then lost their final game of the season on January 1, 2017, at home against the Seahawks. Following the loss to the Seahawks, and having posted a 2–14 record for the season, Kelly was fired by the 49ers, and Baalke was also relieved of his duties after six seasons as the team's general manager.


title: Chip Kelly

text: On November 25, 2017, Kelly was hired as the head football coach at UCLA. He had also interviewed for the Florida head coach position. In his first season in 2018, the Bruins began the year 0–5 for the first time since 1943. However, they later defeated USC to snap a three-game losing streak against their crosstown rivals. UCLA finished the season with a 3–9 record, their worst since going 2–7–1 in 1971.


title: Chip Kelly

text: The next season, the Bruins started 0–3, with losses to Cincinnati, San Diego State, and No. 5 Oklahoma, all by multiple scores. Under Kelly, the Bruins started 0–3 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1920–1921. The 0–3 start to the 2019 season gave Kelly the worst 15-game start as a UCLA football coach since Harry Trotter. However, when the Bruins played No. 19 Washington State the following week, they erased a 49–17 deficit and won, 67–63. The 32-point comeback was the third-largest in FBS history.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Two weeks after the win over Washington State, the Bruins lost at home to Oregon State by a score of 48–31. This was only the Beavers' third road win over a Pac-12 opponent since 2014, and their largest road win over a Pac-12 opponent since their 49–17 win at California in 2013. The loss dropped the Bruins to a 1–5 record for the second consecutive year.


title: Chip Kelly

text: After an open date, the Bruins traveled to Stanford and defeated the Cardinal, 34–16. UCLA got its first win over Stanford since 2008, snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Cardinal. The Bruins held the Cardinal to 198 total yards and just 55 rushing yards in the victory.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Following the Stanford victory, the 2019 Bruins defeated Arizona State 42–32 at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins led 42–10 heading into the fourth quarter. The Sun Devils were ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll at the time, and they were favored over the Bruins by three points at kickoff. UCLA then defeated Colorado 31–14 the next week, also at the Rose Bowl. The wins over Stanford, Arizona State, and Colorado gave the Bruins their first three-game winning streak since 2015.


title: Chip Kelly

text: Kelly is reluctant to discuss his life outside of football. He lives in Los Angeles, California but has a small, tight-knit group of friends in Manchester, New Hampshire, who never speak about him to reporters. ESPN blogger Ted Miller describes Kelly as being "funny, biting, pithy, strange, fiery and surprising when talking to reporters."


title: Chip Kelly

text: In 2009, Kelly responded to a season ticket holder's letter demanding a refund for his expenses after traveling to see Oregon's 19–8 loss to Boise State. That loss ended with Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount responding to a Bronco player's taunts by punching him in the face. Kelly replied to the man with a personal check written out for his travel costs (exactly $439); in response, the fan wrote him a thank you note enclosing the original check, which he did not cash, but made copies of to frame.


title: Skywalker family

text: The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the "Star Wars" franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes lightsaber skills. Luke Skywalker, his twin sister Princess Leia Organa, and their father Darth Vader are central characters in the original "Star Wars" film trilogy. Darth Vader, in his previous identity as Anakin Skywalker, is a lead character in the prequel film trilogy and so is his wife and the twins' mother Padmé Amidala; while his mother Shmi is a minor character in the first and second films respectively. Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo, renamed himself Kylo Ren and is the central antagonist in the sequel film trilogy. Shmi, Padmé, and Han are the only members who are not Force-sensitive. The Skywalker bloodline, alongside the Palpatine bloodline, are the two bloodlines that are the strongest with the Force.


title: Skywalker family

text: In terms of the series' internal chronology, the Skywalkers first appeared in the 1999 film "". In this film, Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn discovers Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin as slaves on the planet Tatooine. Shmi informs Qui-Gon that Anakin has no father, leading Qui-Gon to suggest that Anakin is a product of midi-chlorians (Force-imparting microorganisms). As the film progresses, Anakin leaves Tatooine to begin his Jedi training.


title: Skywalker family

text: "" (2002) reveals that, in Anakin's absence, Shmi has married Cliegg Lars, becoming the stepmother of Owen. Shmi later dies after being kidnapped and tortured by Tusken Raiders. Owen tells Anakin they are stepbrothers and later marries Beru Whitesun. Anakin secretly marries Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala at the end of the film.


title: Skywalker family

text: In "" (2005), Padme dies giving birth to twins, Luke and Leia. Luke is raised by Beru and Owen Lars on Tatooine. Leia is raised by Senator Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa on Alderaan. Anakin, who has since become the Sith Lord Darth Vader, is unaware of his children's birth. The twins soon became part of the Rebel Alliance following the deaths of their adoptive families at the hands of the Empire. Neither of the twins know of their relation until the events of "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" (1983).


title: Skywalker family

text: The Solo family is part of the Skywalker family. In the 2018 spin-off film "" (set between "Episode III" and 1977's "Episode IV – A New Hope"), orphan Han Solo steals to survive on the planet Corellia. The last-name "Solo" is given to him by an Imperial Officer in his application to join the Imperial Flight Academy. Since the last-name of Han's father is unknown, Han would be the first Solo. Han would later be involved in the war against the Empire, forming a romantic relationship with Leia. Eventually, Han, Anakin (who has now reformed), Luke, and Leia succeeded in putting in end to the Empire's reign of terror, but this came at a cost of Anakin's life. In the 2015 film "", it is revealed that Han had a son named Ben with Leia. The family breaks apart following Ben's descent into the dark side as Kylo Ren, with Leia and Han separating. Luke is not revealed to have any children.


title: Skywalker family

text: By the end of "" (2019), the Skywalker bloodline has died out, as Han is killed by Kylo Ren after he tries to convince him to return to the light side, Luke sacrifices himself to save the Resistance from the First Order, Leia dies to bring her son back to the light side, and Ben Solo dies to save Rey. Later, Rey adopts "Skywalker" as her surname to honor the Skywalker family and continue their legacy while cutting ties with her Palpatine lineage, making her the last known person alive to carry this surname. Since then, the Skywalkers have become legendary and famous throughout galactic history and for restoring peace to the galaxy.


title: Skywalker family

text: Shmi Skywalker (portrayed by Pernilla August) is the mother of Anakin Skywalker, the mother-in-law of Padmé Amidala, the paternal grandmother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, the grandmother-in-law of Han Solo, and the maternal great-grandmother of Ben Solo. She appears in "" and "".


title: Skywalker family

text: Shmi was captured by pirates as a child alongside her parents, and was sold to the Hutts. In a bet, Gardulla the Hutt lost Shmi to Watto.


title: Skywalker family

text: In "The Phantom Menace", she and her son are introduced as slaves of junk merchant Watto on the desert world Tatooine. Unlike her son, she is not Force-sensitive. She welcomes Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) into their home, and tells him that Anakin (Jake Lloyd) has no father; she simply became pregnant with him. In spite of her poverty, Shmi tries to give Anakin a good home in the slave quarter of Mos Espa. Qui-Gon helps Anakin win his freedom, but cannot get Shmi out of slavery. She allows Anakin to leave with Qui-Gon, assuring her heartbroken son that they will meet again.


title: Skywalker family

text: In "Attack of the Clones", Anakin (Hayden Christensen), now a young adult Jedi apprentice, senses through the Force that she is in pain. He travels to Tatooine to find her, and, upon arriving, learns that she had been freed by and married to moisture farmer Cliegg Lars (Jack Thompson), but had recently been abducted by Tusken Raiders. He finds her inside one of their encampments, but he arrives too late—beaten and tortured beyond help, she dies in his arms. Heartbroken and enraged by the loss of his mother, Anakin slaughters every single Tusken in the camp, including the women and children. Shmi's death ignites a strong anger in Anakin, and sets him on the path to becoming Darth Vader. Anakin later brings Shmi's body back to the Lars' homestead where she is given a burial.


title: Skywalker family

text: Anakin Skywalker is the son of Shmi Skywalker, born without a father through the Force. He is the secret husband of Padmé Amidala, the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, the father-in-law of Han Solo, and the maternal grandfather of Ben Solo. Anakin is discovered on Tatooine by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn who is sure that the boy is the "Chosen One" of Jedi Prophecy, who will bring balance to the Force. After the death of Qui-Gon, he becomes the Padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He also forms a close bond with Padmé Amidala, the young senator of Naboo. The newly elected Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Palpatine, also befriends Anakin, promising to watch the boy's progress "with great interest" and advise him. Torn between his loyalty to the Jedi and his drive for power, Anakin succumbs to temptation and becomes Darth Vader. As Vader, Anakin spends the following decades serving under Palpatine's Galactic Empire until reuniting with his son, Luke, redeeming himself by defeating his master to protect him (therefore, fulfilling his role as the Chosen One) while sacrificing himself in the process and becoming one with the Force.


title: Skywalker family

text: Anakin is portrayed by Jake Lloyd in "The Phantom Menace" (1999) and Hayden Christensen in "Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "Revenge of the Sith" (2005).


title: Skywalker family

text: Padmé Amidala (portrayed by Natalie Portman) is the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, the mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, the daughter-in-law of Shmi Skywalker, the mother-in-law of Han Solo, and the maternal grandmother of Ben Solo. She served as Queen of Naboo, and later as a Senator for her planet. She does not use the Force like most members of the Skywalker family. Her closest friend in the Senate was Senator Bail Organa. She reconnected and fell in love with Anakin Skywalker after he was assigned to protect her from an assassination attempt, and secretly married him shortly after the Battle of Geonosis. Three years later, she reveals to Anakin that she is pregnant and plans to raise their child on Naboo. She realizes that Anakin has started to have nightmares of her dying in childbirth and assures him that it was just a dream and that it won't happen. After Anakin turned to the dark side and massacred the Jedi at the Jedi Temple, she was told by Anakin that the Jedi had taken over the Republic. Obi-Wan arrives and asks Padmé about her husband's whereabouts and informs her that he has turned to the dark side. Padmé accuses Obi-Wan of lying and doesn't believe that Anakin would kill younglings. Obi-Wan states that Anakin is the father of Padmé's child and sets off to find him. Padmé tracks Anakin, now Darth Vader, to Mustafar and tries to persuade him to abandon the dark side, but Vader refuses and force chokes her unconscious when Obi-Wan arrives. Padmé gives birth to her children shortly after the first Empire Day, whom she calls Luke and Leia. Padmé tells Obi-Wan that she believes there is still good left in Vader, before passing away. During her funeral, her body was altered to make her appear still pregnant. Obi-Wan and Yoda decided to separate the children in order to keep them hidden from Darth Vader.


title: Skywalker family

text: Luke Skywalker (portrayed by Mark Hamill) is the older twin brother of Leia Organa, the brother-in-law of Han Solo, the uncle of Ben Solo, the son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, and the grandson of Shmi Skywalker. He is taken in by his uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars, after the death of Padmé and Anakin's fall to the dark side. He is Force-sensitive and skilled with a lightsaber. In "Return of the Jedi", a dying Yoda confirms to Luke, that Darth Vader (previously Anakin Skywalker) is actually his father, despite Luke's belief that Vader's claim to fatherhood in "The Empire Strikes Back" was a ruse to pull Luke to the dark side. He also finds out from Obi-Wan's Force spirit that Princess Leia Organa is his sister. In "The Force Awakens", as the last known Jedi, Luke is in hiding after failing to prevent his nephew and apprentice Ben Solo (now Kylo Ren) from turning to the dark side to join Supreme Leader Snoke and has cut himself off from the Force. In "The Last Jedi", a young scavenger named Rey has located Luke and tries to convince him to show her the ways of the Force, but he refuses. After knowing the death of Han Solo, he trains Rey about how to use the Force and to become a Jedi. Luke reveals to Rey that he sensed the dark side in Ben and was scared for him, but Ben retaliated by using the Force to collapse the hut, burying him underneath. When he refuses to help Rey turn Ben back to the light, Luke plans to burn the Jedi Library tree and is greeted by Yoda, who convinces him to help Rey and not to mourn his failure of losing Ben to Snoke. On the planet Crait, Luke appears with his old lightsaber and duels Ben, who tries to attack Luke, but he dodges them. Luke tries to reason with Ben and then disappears, revealing that he was still on the island and that Ben was dueling a Force projection of him. Luke falls to the ground and gets up, and afterwards dies after disappearing, becoming one with the Force


title: Skywalker family

text: Leia Amidala Skywalker (portrayed by Carrie Fisher) is the wife of Han Solo, the mother of Ben Solo, the younger twin sister of Luke Skywalker, the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, and the granddaughter of Shmi Skywalker, raised by Bail and Breha Organa of Alderaan. At age 19, she is the Princess of Alderaan, and is captured by Darth Vader while in the Tantive IV blockade runner on a so-called "diplomatic mission". Leia is shown to be Force-sensitive. In "The Empire Strikes Back", Leia professes her love for Han Solo when he is put into carbonite stasis, although it is originally Han and Luke who compete for her affections. In "Return of the Jedi", planning to feed Luke, Han, and Chewbacca to the flesh eating Sarlacc, Jabba the Hutt is instead strangled to death by Leia by a chain he has on her. She later becomes involved in the Battle of Endor. In the years that follow, she becomes General Organa, the leader of the Resistance, a military organization unofficially backed by the New Republic to counter the First Order. She married Han Solo and had a son named Ben Solo, later Kylo Ren, whose turning to the dark side separated the couple before the events of "The Force Awakens". Leia has been on a search to find her missing brother Luke and find a way to save her son from the dark side. She dies spending her energy trying to reach Ben, which helps him come back to the light side. Her body later disappears and she becomes one with the Force.


title: Skywalker family

text: Han Solo (portrayed by Harrison Ford) is the husband of Leia Organa, the brother-in-law of Luke Skywalker, the father of Ben Solo, the son-in-law of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, and the grandson-in-law of Shmi Skywalker. Like Shmi and Padmé, he is not Force-sensitive. The anthology film "" reveals that Han Solo's father constructed ships on the planet Corellia, where Han was born. The name of Han's father is not known. Han's surname, Solo, was not his birth name, with Han being given his Solo surname by an imperial officer right before Han joined the imperial flight academy, which he would leave three years after. Han Solo's first film appearance however was in 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope" where he is played by Harrison Ford. He and his Wookiee co-pilot and best friend, Chewbacca, are initially hired to transport Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Han and Chewbacca later become involved in the Rebel Alliance and are committed to its cause. Over the course of the franchise, Han becomes a military leader for the Alliance, falling in love with and marrying Leia Organa, with whom he has a son named Ben. He is killed by Ben, who has become Kylo Ren, after failing to convince his son to turn from the dark side.


title: Skywalker family

text: Ben Solo (portrayed by Adam Driver) is the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, the nephew of Luke Skywalker, the grandson of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, and the great-grandson of Shmi Skywalker. He initially trains to be a Jedi under his uncle, Luke. Soon, Luke suspects Ben has been influenced by Snoke, and ignites his lightsaber because of instinct in an attempt to kill Ben in his sleep to prevent him from causing destruction. But when he thinks about killing Ben, Ben wakes up and this causes Ben to fall to the dark side. Ben becomes Kylo Ren, working for the First Order and working under the influence of Snoke. He also forms an uneasy alliance with General Hux. Ren is obsessed with the legacy of his grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and aspires to finish what Vader started: the elimination of the Jedi. He stabs Han Solo, his father, in the heart but spares his mother when ordered to destroy her ship. Ben becoming Kylo Ren also caused Han and Leia to break up, with neither of them able to stop loving their son. Luke confronts him and also disappears trying to stop Ben's actions. Kylo also meets Rey, a strong Force-sensitive with whom he has a connection called 'dyad in the Force', and he develops a romantic relationship with her despite the two being enemies at first. After his mother's death, Rey saves his life and admits to him she does want to join him as Ben Solo; he then sees a vision of his father and decides to come back to the light side, becoming Ben Solo again. Later, he sacrifices himself to bring Rey back to life, and shares a kiss with her before vanishing into the Force as the last of the Skywalker bloodline.


title: Skywalker family

text: The following characters are exclusive to what is now retroactively known as the "Legends" brand since April 2014, and non-canonical to any and all "Star Wars" material produced under the ownership of the Walt Disney Company. With the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, most of the licensed "Star Wars" novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film "Star Wars" were rebranded as "Star Wars Legends" and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014.


title: Skywalker family

text: Following the events of the original film trilogy, Leia and Han marry and have children, and Luke does likewise several years after they do. The Skywalker bloodline branches from Luke and Leia's descendants, but only Luke's side continues to carry the Skywalker name.


title: Skywalker family

text: Leia and Han marry in "The Courtship of Princess Leia" (1994) by Dave Wolverton. Leia is pregnant with twins in Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" (1991) and they are born in Zahn's "The Last Command" (1993). Han and Leia have another child by the time of the "Jedi Academy" trilogy (1994) by Kevin J. Anderson, by which time Leia has become the Chief of State of the New Republic. All three of the Solo children become Jedi Knights under the tutelage of their maternal uncle Luke Skywalker. The Solo children were ranked as the 16th top "Star Wars" heroes, according to IGN in 2008.


title: Skywalker family

text: Having refounded the Jedi Order and trained several new Jedi including Leia, Luke eventually marries an enemy-turned-ally Mara Jade, and they have a son named Ben, who was voted the 40th top "Star Wars" character by IGN and the 6th top "Star Wars" Expanded Universe character by UGO Networks.


title: Skywalker family

text: Mara Jade was created by Timothy Zahn as an antagonist for "Heir to the Empire" (1991), and she and Luke marry several years later in the comic miniseries "Union" (1999-2000). She joins his restored Jedi Order, and they have a son, Ben Skywalker, in the middle of the "New Jedi Order" series (1999-2003).


title: Skywalker family

text: Jaina Solo is the eldest child of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo, created by Timothy Zahn for the "Thrawn" trilogy of "Star Wars" expanded universe novels. Leia is pregnant with twins in "Heir to the Empire" (1991) and Jaina and her twin brother Jacen are born in "The Last Command" (1993). She has appeared in various novels and the "Champions of the Force" set for the "Star Wars Miniatures" game.


title: Skywalker family

text: Jaina, named after Han's mother, is born five minutes before her brother Jacen in the "Thrawn" trilogy (1991–93), set about five years after "Return of the Jedi". The twins, and eventually their younger brother, live at various safe havens for their first few years under the protection of Leia's handmaiden Winter. The twins play a small role in Kevin J. Anderson's "Jedi Academy" trilogy (1994). In "Champions of the Force" (1994), Jaina helps her brother defend their unconscious uncle from the spirit of Sith Lord Exar Kun. In Vonda McIntyre's "The Crystal Star" (1994), Jaina is kidnapped and used in a plot, along with her siblings, to take advantage of their Force powers. In the Corellian trilogy (1994), Jaina is again kidnapped but escapes. Jaina becomes a major character in "Young Jedi Knights" (1995) as Jaina and Jacen begin their Jedi training.


title: Skywalker family

text: Throughout the "New Jedi Order" series (1999–2003), Jaina pursues a life separate from her twin brother and becomes Mara Jade Skywalker's apprentice. Jaina progresses quickly as a Jedi and a pilot, eventually joining Rogue Squadron. She also develops a romantic relationship with Jagged Fel. She briefly becomes the apprentice of fallen Jedi Kyp Durron. Jaina's understanding and manipulation of Yuuzhan Vong technology causes them to associate her with their trickster goddess. She is present at the conclusion of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. Walter Jon Williams, author of "Destiny's Way" (2002), noted that the plot concerning Jaina's love life caused some frantic rewrites. Elaine Cunningham, author of the "Dark Journey", commented that the story of the 2002 novel is a personal one focusing on a difficult time in Jaina's life.


title: Skywalker family

text: In "The Joiner King" (2005), Jaina and the Jedi Zekk are joined in the Killik hive. Jacen tricks them into attacking a Chiss base to provoke a war between the Chiss and the Killiks; Jaina, furious, vows that she will never fly with Jacen again. In the "Legacy of the Force" series (2006–08), Jacen throws Jaina out of the Galactic Alliance when she refuses to follow his order to destroy a crippled ship. She senses at this time a growing darkness in her twin. In "Betrayal" (2006), Jacen falls to the dark side of the Force, and Jaina realizes her duty as the "Sword of the Jedi" requires her to stop him. She turns to Boba Fett to train her. In "Invincible" (2008), Jaina duels and kills Jacen.


title: Skywalker family

text: In the "Fate of the Jedi" series (2009–12), Jaina is promoted to Jedi Master by Luke Skywalker, and marries Jagged Fel. Her and Jagged's descendants include Emperor Roan Fel and his daughter Marasiah Fel in the "" series (2006–14), set nearly 140 years after "Return of the Jedi".


title: Skywalker family

text: Jacen Solo is the middle child of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Jacen was born five minutes after his twin sister Jaina, introduced "in utero" in the 1994 "Star Wars" expanded universe novel "Heir to the Empire", and born and named in "The Last Command". He is a major character in several "Star Wars" novels, particularly as the protagonist of "The New Jedi Order" series and later as the antagonist of the "Legacy of the Force" series, in which he becomes known as Darth Caedus.


title: Skywalker family

text: IGN listed Jacen as #17 on their list of the top 100 "Star Wars" heroes, saying that he had a more "profound effect" than any other Solo children on the "Star Wars" setting. Jesse Schedeen, writing for IGN, also listed him as #5 in a reader-inspired list of top "Star Wars" villains, and named the character's murder of Mara Jade as his "defining moment of villainy". UGO.com listed Jacen as their top "Star Wars" expanded universe character, calling him "one of the most fearsome—and most tragic—villains in the "Star Wars" universe".


title: Skywalker family

text: Anakin Solo is the youngest child born to Han Solo and Princess Leia, and the younger brother of Jacen and Jaina Solo. Anakin is named after his maternal grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, and, like his namesake, is a talented pilot who is prodigiously gifted both in the Force and mechanical engineering.


title: Skywalker family

text: Anakin appears as an infant and toddler in many "Star Wars" novels such as the "Jedi Academy" trilogy (1994). Anakin and his siblings play central roles in other novels such as "The Crystal Star" (1994), the "Corellian" trilogy (1995) and "The New Rebellion" (1996). Anakin's birth is featured in Tom Veitch's "Dark Empire II" comic book miniseries (May 1995). He is first referred to as Han Solo, Jr. by his father, but Leia corrects him, having named the baby after her biological father, Anakin Skywalker, as a reminder of hope. However, Anakin still fears the name and his grandfather's legacy.


title: Skywalker family

text: On October 1, 1995, Nancy Richardson started the "Junior Jedi Knights" series with "The Golden Globe" starring Anakin and his best friend Tahiri Veila. Anakin is now an eleven-year-old child starting his training at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. Richardson continued Anakin's adventures in the following two novels, "Lyric's World" and "Promises", before Rebecca Moesta finished the series with "Anakin's Quest", "Vader's Fortress", and "Kenobi's Blade", starting in 1996. Anakin appears in the "Young Jedi Knights" series by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, which follows the adventures of Anakin's siblings, Jacen and Jaina.


title: Skywalker family

text: In 1999, the first novel of the "New Jedi Order" series was published, entitled "Vector Prime" by R.A. Salvatore. Anakin is now a teenager, who often spends time alone thinking about the role of the Force, and would get into arguments with his brother Jacen on the ways of a Jedi and the Force. Anakin studies as a Jedi under his uncle, Luke Skywalker, who still sees his nephew as being too young and reckless. In the novel's climax, his father's copilot and best friend, Chewbacca, dies saving Anakin's life.


title: Skywalker family

text: Anakin plays major roles in "" and "" by Michael A. Stackpole published 1 February 2000 and 1 June 2000, respectively, and is the main focus of the books "" and "" by Greg Keyes published April 1, 2001 and August 1, 2001, respectively.


title: Skywalker family

text: In the 2001 novel "Star by Star" by Troy Denning, Anakin leads a team of Jedi to take out a dangerous enemy, resulting in his death. Writers of the "New Jedi Order" storyline revealed in a question-and-answer section of the paperback edition of "The Unifying Force" published on August 3, 2004 that Anakin was supposed to be the hero of the story and lead the Jedi Order, but this was changed due to the release of the "Star Wars" prequel films, in which the hero was also named "Anakin". Instead, he dies in battle at the conclusion of the novel.


title: Skywalker family

text: Even after his death, Anakin Solo has been mentioned several times in most following novels, including a possible appearance in "Traitor" by Matthew Stover, as a droid in "Betrayal" by Aaron Allston as Anakin Sal-Solo, and in "Backlash", where he appeared to his maternal uncle Luke Skywalker and to Luke's son, Ben Skywalker by Aaron Allston.


title: Skywalker family

text: Anakin is portrayed in the earlier books as being a genius and a loner, but is haunted by his name. In "Lyric's World", it is revealed that he loves to take computers apart and put them back together and sees it as a puzzle. He would also have dreams of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader trying to persuade him to fall to the dark side of the Force; Anakin overcomes this fear in "Anakin's Quest", in which he confronts himself.


title: Skywalker family

text: Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker's son. Named after Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, Jedi Knight. Former student of Jacen Solo, his cousin. He inherits his mother's red hair and his father's blue eyes. He is born during the "New Jedi Order" series (1999-2003). In "Fate of the Jedi: Outcast", he voluntarily accompanies his father into exile. He proves himself as both a fighter and as an investigator to carry on his father's name. His love interest is Vestara Khai, formerly a Sith apprentice, then a Jedi apprentice. The character was voted the 40th top "Star Wars" character by IGN and the 6th top "Star Wars" Expanded Universe character by UGO Networks.


title: Skywalker family

text: Allana Djo Solo is the daughter of Jacen Solo and Tenel Ka Djo, Jacen's fellow trainee at Luke's Jedi Academy. She is born during the "Dark Nest" trilogy of novels. In the "Legacy of the Force" series, Jacen becomes Darth Caedus partly to protect Allana from a dark fate which he foresees. Her death is faked and she is adopted by her grandparents under the false identity of "Amelia", a supposed war orphan. She lives and travels with them during the following series "Fate of the Jedi". By the end of that series, her Jedi training is about to begin.


title: Skywalker family

text: In the "Star Wars: Legacy" comic series, set over 120 years after the original trilogy, some of Leia's descendants have since become the ruling dynasty of a reformed, more benevolent Empire. The first volume (2006-2010) recounts their struggles against a new Sith Order. Emperor Roan Fel is Leia's great-grandson, Jaina Solo's grandson and the head of the Imperial Knights (who split from the Jedi refounded by Luke, but are still opposed to the dark side). Marasiah Fel is his daughter and an imperial Knight herself. They oppose the new Sith Order who have taken over most of the galaxy, and ally with Cade Skywalker and the surviving Jedi and Republic forces in order to fight them.


title: Skywalker family

text: Nat Skywalker is a former Jedi Master in "", a grandson of Ben Skywalker, older brother of Kol Skywalker and the uncle of Cade Skywalker. He took the name Bantha Rawk upon leaving the Jedi and works as a mechanic.


title: Skywalker family

text: Kol Skywalker is a character in "". A Jedi Master, he is the younger brother of Nat Skywalker and a grandson of Ben Skywalker (they share the same red hair color, and has green eyes like Ben's mother Mara Jade), he is the father of Cade Skywalker.


title: Skywalker family

text: The second volume of "Star Wars: Legacy" (2013-2014) follows Ania Solo, the great-granddaughter of Leia and granddaughter of Jacen Solo. She is a junkyard trader who is embroiled in the continuing conflict between the new Sith and the Republic-Imperial alliance.


title: Skywalker family

text: Cade Skywalker is the descendant of Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker and Ben Skywalker, the son of Kol Skywalker and the nephew of Nat Skywalker. He is a protagonist of the "" comic book series from Dark Horse, which takes place 125 years after "Return of the Jedi". Cade has completely abandoned the Jedi way after an attack by the New Sith Order on the Jedi Academy on Ossus. Despite this, he still encounters other Jedi, as well as the ghost of his ancestor Luke Skywalker, and ultimately reclaims his heritage to fight the Sith. The character was voted the 84th top "Star Wars" character by IGN.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: AI: The Somnium Files ( ) is an adventure video game developed and published by Spike Chunsoft, which released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on September 17 2019, and Xbox One on September 30, 2021. Set in Tokyo, the first installment in the franchise follows Special Agent Kaname Date, who investigates serial killings and enters suspects' memories to extract information to help solve them. The game was directed and written by Kotaro Uchikoshi, with character designs by Yūsuke Kozaki. A sequel, "", was released in 2022.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: "AI: The Somnium Files" is a mystery adventure game that has 2 areas of gameplay: investigation and somnium exploration. The story progresses through branching paths leading to multiple different endings, based on choices the player makes; the player only gets a full view of the story by playing through each route. Rather than starting over from the beginning several times to see different paths, the player can skip directly to the branching points using an in-game flow chart.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: During the investigation, the player character, Special Agent Kaname Date, uses his artificial intelligence unit, Aiba, to assist Date while performing his duties. Her features include X-ray vision and zooming, to further the investigation in the real world. This part of the game takes place in a 2D, visual novel style format.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: During the somnium gameplay, Date uses a device called the Psync Machine to enter the memories of suspects or key witnesses who do not want to share information with him, in the form of dreamscapes called the "Somnium", to find clues and extract the information by solving puzzles. The puzzles involve examining objects and choosing an action to perform with it, as well as solving mental locks – obstacles standing in the way of clues – allowing the player to sink deeper into the character's subconscious. There is a six-minute time limit before the dreamscape collapses, and as actions take time to perform, the player must be careful in deciding what to do. Within the somnium gameplay, Aiba takes the form of a humanoid and acts as the player avatar, while being able to explore in a 3D environment.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: "AI: The Somnium Files" takes place in a technologically advanced near-future Tokyo, and follows Special Agent Kaname Date of the top-secret police department ABIS (Advanced Brain Investigation Squad). ABIS investigates crimes through a process called "Psyncing," in which a Psyncer such as Date explores the Somnium, or dream world, of persons of interest in a case. Psyncing is a powerful process that can often retrieve clues the subject is only subconsciously aware of, but it is limited to a maximum of six minutes for the Psyncer and subject's safety. Any further than 6 minutes can damage the brain of both the Psyncer and subject, resulting in death.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: Date is assisted by an artificial intelligence (A.I.) housed in his cybernetic left eye named Aiba, who can communicate with Date via an artificial nerve, provide him with enhanced vision modes such as X-Ray and night vision, and hack various electronics. Aiba also assists Date's dream world investigations by acting as his avatar in Somnium.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: Kaname Date, who lost his left eye and all his memories six years prior, is called to investigate the murder of Shoko Nadami, whose left eye was removed before her death. He finds her daughter Mizuki at the scene, unable to speak because of her trauma. Date investigates Mizuki's dream to find out what she witnessed, and the plot diverges based on the player's choices in her Somnium.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: In the left branch of Mizuki's Somnium, Date finds evidence implicating Renju Okiura, Mizuki's father and Shoko's ex-husband, before discovering his body with the left eye missing. Boss, the head of ABIS, reveals that she suspects the killer to be a copycat of the Cyclops Serial Killings, an unsolved case from six years prior in which the victims' right eyes were removed posthumously. Date interrogates then Psyncs with net idol Iris Sagan, who was seen with her producer Renju the day before. The story diverges once more from Iris's Somnium.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: In the left branch of Iris' Somnium, Iris's friend Ota knocks Date unconscious and escapes. Date awakens to a livestream of Iris's attempted murder, but traces the video source in time to save her. Date Psyncs with Ota to learn more. The left branch of Ota's Somnium leads to the Ota Route, in which the case remains unsolved, but Ota reconciles with his mother. The right branch of Ota's Somnium leads to the Mizuki Route, in which additional evidence implicates congressman So Sejima as Iris's would-be killer. A gunfight at the Sejima residence leaves So dead and Date comatose. Mizuki Psyncs with Date to save him, and the case is resolved.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: In the right branch of Iris's Somnium, Date witnesses the Original Cyclops Serial Killings. Afterward, Iris's murder is livestreamed, and Date fails to arrive in time, resulting in Ota's death as well. Date learns that the original Cyclops Killers were a duo of a "murderous psychopath" who committed the murders. One of them was the yakuza chairman Rohan Kumakura, the other was currently imprisoned as "#89." Date interrogates #89, who tells the story of a detective-turned-assassin named Falco. Falco worked for the Kumakuras and tried to go clean after falling for Hitomi, Iris's mother. After Boss appears in #89's Somnium, Date searches for her. On her work computer he discovers a video of Boss shooting So Sejima with his left eye missing. The story then locks until the player completes other routes.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: Back in the right branch of Mizuki's Somnium, Date sees a frozen corpse that looks like Iris. The following day, Date learns that Renju was involved in a car crash and ran from the hospital. During his search he witnesses So Sejima leaving a fishery warehouse, and discovers Iris's frozen body inside. Date Psyncs with So, in which he saves Iris's life. After the Somnium, he discovers Iris is alive, and wonders if he altered reality by saving her. Date attempts to interrogate #89, who escapes with Renju's help. Date takes Iris along to search for him, but the two are attacked by mercenaries and Iris reveals that she is being targeted by a secret organization. Date Psyncs with her to determine the truth.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: After the left branch of Iris's Somnium, Date learns that Renju attempted to take her to an off-limits chemical plant. At the plant, Date finds a stolen prototype Psync Machine. Suddenly, Iris collapses, so Date attempts to save her by Psyncing, but fails. She dies in his arms, concluding the Iris Route. After the right branch of Iris's Somnium, Date doubts Iris and goes to Hitomi, who reveals that Iris has a malignant brain tumor causing her delusions. Iris goes missing, and Date eventually finds her body in the fishery warehouse. Aiba realizes the body is not Iris, and identifies it as Manaka Iwai, Hitomi and Renju's old classmate. Date learns from Hitomi that Manaka is Iris's birth mother, and she was killed 18 years ago by So Sejima's son Saito. Date also learns the truth of the Psync Machine: staying past the time limit causes the Psyncer and subject to swap bodies. Hitomi reveals she knows Iris's location, and takes Date to the chemical plant, where #89 knocks him out. The story locks, allowing the other locked route to be completed.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: After watching Boss shoot So, Date finds and Psyncs with her. In her Somnium, he realizes that the murders were committed by one person using the prototype Psync Machine to swap bodies with each of the victims. Their eyes were removed because it was necessary for the machine to work. The killer, in Boss's body, identifies himself as Saito Sejima, and explains that the murders were revenge against Date for taking his body six years ago, Date's true identity is Falco, and #89 is Rohan in Falco's body. Saito convinces Date to swap bodies with him. Date complies, Aiba shocks Saito unconscious and Date blacks out, concluding the Annihilation Route.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: In the final route, Date confronts Saito, who is now in #89/Falco's body having swapped with and killed Rohan. Saito forces them to switch bodies. In his original body, Date regains his memories and recalls how he attempted to save Iris and Hitomi from the yakuza by switching bodies with Rohan, but discovered the truth of the Cyclops Killings. Saito learned about Psyncing and used the prototype to swap bodies, but an accident caused both of them to lose their memories. In the present day, Saito prepares to kill Iris and Hitomi, but Iris's friends come to her rescue. With no other options to save Hitomi, Date activates Aiba's self-destruct function to kill Saito, seemingly also killing Aiba, whose backup data was deleted by rogue ABIS engineer Pewter. With the case resolved, the police pay for Iris's treatment, and three months later she has made a full recovery. Iris takes Date to the warehouse district where Aiba appears in augmented reality. It is revealed that Aiba survived by downloading and recompiling the fragments of her personality in the cloud, and that the Boss replaced Date's prosthetic eye with Aiba earlier that day. The cast of the game celebrates by dancing to her song Invincible Rainbow Arrow, concluding the Resolution Route.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: "AI: The Somnium Files" was developed by Spike Chunsoft, and was written and directed by Kotaro Uchikoshi, produced by Yasuhiro Iizuka, designed by Akira Okada, and includes character designs by Yūsuke Kozaki and music by Keisuke Ito. Kozaki was approached by Uchikoshi for his role as character designer due to being an internationally known artist, and how Uchikoshi wanted the art to have a worldwide appeal. The game was developed with a higher budget than that of Uchikoshi's previous work, the "Zero Escape" series, which according to Uchikoshi helped allow him to express his concept for the game in a way that he was unable to with "Zero Escape". Comparing "AI: The Somnium Files" with "Zero Escape", Uchikoshi described "AI: The Somnium Files" as being made more with adventure game fans in mind, in contrast to "Zero Escape" heavy use of cutscenes. Ahead of the game's release, a similar system to Aiba, a "Borges A.I." system known as Kudan, was introduced in the light novel trilogy "Danganronpa Togami" (2015–2017); further Easter eggs throughout "AI: The Somnium Files" indicate it to be set in the same fictional universe as the "Danganronpa" series.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: Two of the game's core themes are eyes and "different types and expressions of love", reflected in how the title "AI" is pronounced "eye" and in how is the Japanese word for love. The title also has additional meanings in that it is pronounced like the English word "I" and is short for "artificial intelligence", and the "Somnium" in the subtitle is taken from the Latin word for "dream". The idea of entering characters' dreams to solve cases was proposed by Iizuka. Uchikoshi thought it was intriguing, so he decided to use it in the game. The game's investigation-based puzzles are intentionally designed to be less difficult than those in the "Zero Escape" series, and are described by Uchikoshi as a modern take on the style of Hideo Kojima's 1994 adventure game "Policenauts". Other influences on the game included "EVE" (1995) and "The Silver Case" (1999); Okada additionally mentioned "Life Is Strange" (2015), "" (2018), "Heavy Rain" (2010) and "The Walking Dead" (2012–2019) as influencing his work on the game.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: The game was first teased at a Game Developers Conference 2017 press event under the working title "Project Psync", with a piece of artwork depicting an eye. Spike Chunsoft announced the game the following year during an Anime Expo 2018 panel, and released a first teaser trailer introducing Date. In January 2019, Spike Chunsoft started promoting the game with a YouTube and Twitter account for the character Iris.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: The game was released in North America on September 17, 2019, in Japan on September 19, and in Europe on September 20 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4, with both English and Japanese audio. In addition to the standard edition, a "Special Agent Edition" was also released, which included an artbook, the game's soundtrack, an Iris acrylic stand, a set of stickers, and a game box. Due to manufacturing delays and increased demand, the North American physical release was delayed until September 24, 2019.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: An Xbox One version was announced during Tokyo Game Show on September 30, 2021. It was released digitally on the same day, and is available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: "AI: The Somnium Files" received generally positive reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic, and was the 12th best reviewed Nintendo Switch game of the year. Reviewers generally praised the plot and strong writing to the game; they noted it was simultaneously cerebral and thought-provoking while remaining accessible and understandable. The voice acting was also considered "superb", with the actors bringing life to the characters. The dream sequences were also praised as creative and inventive. The art and character designs received approval as well. There was also some light criticism of certain "sleazy" jokes as being not particularly funny and painting Date as less sympathetic and more of an "oaf" than he was presumably intended to be.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: In Japan, the game failed to chart in the Media Create top 10 and Famitsu top 30 in its release week. The PlayStation 4 version ranked 27th with 2,267 copies sold, while the Nintendo Switch version was 33rd with 1,767 copies sold in the Dengeki top 50. The PC version of the game was among the best-selling new releases of the month on Steam.


title: AI: The Somnium Files

text: A sequel, , was released in June 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Uchikoshi returned to write it, while the first game's designer and assistant director Akira Okada took over as director.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: Sean Evans (born April 26, 1986) is an American YouTuber, interviewer, and producer who is best known for co-creating and hosting the series "Hot Ones", in which he interviews celebrities as they eat progressively spicier chicken wings.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: Born in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Evans is a 2004 graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School, where he played football and baseball. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism, where a professor suggested he become a weatherman. He grew up looking up to the interviewing prowess of Howard Stern, Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman, and Adam Corolla. One of his earliest memories, he says, is his dad taping Letterman during the week and binge-watching them all on a Saturday.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: Before working as an interviewer, Evans was a copywriter for the Chicago tourism board, when he started freelancing for Complex Magazine in New Orleans, doing on-screen interviews with celebrities such as 2 Chainz and Steph Curry. Complex liked his interviews and offered him a full-time job, so he quit his copywriting job and moved to New York a month later.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: Evans is the host of "Hot Ones", which he co-created with Chris Schonberger, the General Manager of First We Feast, the Complex Media property that produces the show. "Hot Ones"' tagline is, "It's the show with hot questions, and even hotter wings," and Evans repeats it in the intro to each episode. New episodes normally come out Thursdays at 11 a.m. E.S.T.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: The idea for "Hot Ones" sprang from a meeting in which Evans and Schonberger were brainstorming ways to create a fresh take on the celebrity interview. In a 2022 "Vanity Fair" profile about Evans, Schonberger described the initial discussions about a hot wing interview show: “I just thought it was funny ... Then we kind of saw this magic happen in the room.” Evans and Schonberger realized that the concept carried an added feature: the hot sauce helped break down guests’ inhibitions and encouraged them to set aside the usual late night TV-style talking points. Evans has said, "Celebrity is so unobtainable by definition, you know. But what's more common man than dying on hot sauce?"


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: The format of the show, which regularly amasses millions of views per episode on YouTube, involves Evans and his guest eating 10 chicken wings, or vegan substitutes, each doused in a different hot sauce that's spicier than the one before it. In each season of the show, the lineup of hot sauces changes, with the exception of the eighth wing (Da Bomb Beyond Insanity) and the 10th wing (The Last Dab, a sauce created by "Hot Ones" and the Brooklyn-based hot sauce company Heatonist). The term "the last dab" refers to the show's tradition of Evans and his guest "dabbing" each final wing with an extra dollop of the namesake sauce.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: Evans has interviewed hundreds of celebrities, including Shaquille O'Neal, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, Cate Blanchett, Billie Eilish, Matt Damon, Kevin Hart, Kristen Stewart, Gordon Ramsay, Post Malone, Dua Lipa, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Scarlett Johansson, Noel Gallagher, Salma Hayek, and Jimmy Kimmel among others. Evans' episode, in 2019, with Paul Rudd spawned the meme, "Look at us. Who would have thought? Not me."


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: Other videos for "First We Feast" include teaming up with Chili Klaus, another spicy food internet personality, to eat a Carolina Reaper pepper, a record-breaking chili pepper (1,569,300 Scovilles) grown by chili pepper guru Smokin' Ed Curry. Evans and Klaus reunited to eat the pepper a second time, that time while riding on a horse carriage in Central Park.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: In 2020, Evans began hosting "Hot Ones: The Game Show," a trivia game show based on "Hot Ones" that aired on TruTV.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: In 2021, Mikey Day impersonated Evans in a "Saturday Night Live" skit where Maya Rudolph plays Beyoncé in a spoof episode of "Hot Ones". A year later, in June 2022, Evans did a cameo as himself in an episode of Apple TV+ show "Loot", where the main character, played by Maya Rudolph, does the "Hot Ones" interview and ends up having a meltdown due to not being able to handle the spiciness.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: On May 25, 2021, Evans was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host at the 48th Daytime Emmy Awards. He has won internet entertainment awards including the Shorty, the Lovie, and the Webby. Evans has appeared on "Good Morning America, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: On July 19, 2019, the Chicago native threw out the first pitch at a Cubs-Pirates game at Wrigley Field.


title: Sean Evans (interviewer)

text: In a 2021 interview with "Esquire", Evans addressed the future of the show this way: "I do feel in some ways closer to the end of it than the beginning. We have been doing it for a long time and I'm not sure there's anything that I'm leaving on the table. "Hot Ones" has already done 10 laps around any expectation that I ever had for it ... So it's in a spot where I'm just doing something that I really enjoy doing. So I'm committed to "Hot Ones" for as long as the fans will allow it."


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second album, "Youthquake" (1985). Released as a single in November 1984, it reached No. 1 in the UK in March 1985, taking 17 weeks to get there. It was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. On the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100, it peaked at No. 11 on 17 August of that year.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: In 2003, "Q" ranked the song at number 981 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever", "Blender" listed it at number 289 on its ranking of "Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" in 2005 and in 2015, it was voted by the British public as the nation's 17th favourite 1980s number-one in a poll for ITV.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Dead or Alive's vocalist Pete Burns stated in his autobiography that he composed "You Spin Me Round" by using two existing songs as inspiration for creating something new:


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Desiring to move on from the sound of the band's first album, "Sophisticated Boom Boom" (1984), Pete Burns wanted "You Spin Me Round" to be produced by the then little-known production team Stock Aitken Waterman, in the Hi-NRG style of their 1984 UK hits "You Think You're a Man" by Divine, and "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" by Hazell Dean.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Burns claimed the song was "completed" by the time the producers were then chosen to work on it, stating that "the record companies don't trust a band to go into the studio without a producer". According to Burns, the record company was unenthusiastic about "You Spin Me Round" to such an extent that Burns had to take out a £2,500 loan to record it. After it was recorded, he recalled, "the record company said it was awful" and the band had to fund production of the song's video themselves.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Interviewed for BBC Radio 4's "The Reunion: The Hit Factory", in April 2015, Burns said that a confrontational attitude between the producers and band led to "quite a bad vibe" during production and "a time of intense friction". Engineer Phil Harding, who mixed the track, said tensions were running so high between the band members and producers Mike Stock and Matt Aitken during mixing, that it almost escalated to violence. Aitken has confirmed that tensions were high, with the produces clashing with band members over the latter's desire to keep adding new elements to the mix. Stock has disputed the seriousness of studio tensions, alleging that Burns, Harding and Pete Waterman have all "exaggerated" what happened in their recounting of events.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: A remix version of "You Spin Me Round" was released in 2003 at the same time Dead or Alive's greatest hits album "" was released. The song reached No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart. The original 1984 recording was re-released on 30 January 2006 because of lead singer Pete Burns's controversial time as a contestant on television series "Celebrity Big Brother" and reached no. 5.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Earlier remixes were in 1996 and 1997 (some are included on the US, European and Australian releases of "Nukleopatra"). In 1999 these mixes were issued in the US as a 2-CD set. The first disc held seven mixes of "You Spin Me Round" while disc two has five mixes of "Sex Drive". In 2000, new mixes appeared on "Fragile" and in 2001, on "Unbreakable: The Fragile Remixes".


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: The song has been re-released three times since its original release in 1984. Each time of its release, it achieved success, but failed to match the success of the original. However, after lead-singer Pete Burns's appearance on "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2006, the single was re-released and managed a Top 5 peak on the UK Singles Chart.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: According to Burns, 12-inch singles comprised over 70% of the original sales of "You Spin Me Round", and because these were regarded by the record label as promotional tools rather than sales, the band had to threaten legal action against the label before they received the royalties on them.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: The accompanying music video, which features a disco ball, waving gold flags and an evocation of the six-armed deity Vishnu, was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: In 2003, British popular music magazine "Q" ranked "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" number 981 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: In 2015, it was voted by the British public as the nation's 17th favourite 1980s number-one in a poll for ITV.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: After the death of Burns in 2016, musician and actor Gary Kemp described the song as "one of the best white dance records of all time."


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Nu metal band Dope covered the song on their 1999 album "Felons and Revolutionaries"; the cover also appeared on the soundtrack for the film "American Psycho". This version reached no. 37 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: Jessica Simpson's version of the song was released as a promo single from her fifth studio album "A Public Affair" in 2006. Her version of the song failed to break into the "Billboard" Hot 100 (though it did reach no. 20 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles). Simpson's version has new lyrics and only preserves the chorus of the song.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: In 2007, Danzel remixed "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"; his version peaked at no. 32 in Belgium.


title: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

text: In 2020, American industrial metal band 3Teeth released "GUNS AKIMBO", a two track set that included a cover version of "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)". The song was previously featured in the 2019 action comedy film "Guns Akimbo".


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. The turret was produced in two forms, one for US needs and one modified to British requirements to place the radio next to the commander. In British Commonwealth service, the tank was called by two names: tanks employing US pattern turrets were called "Lee," named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, while those with British pattern turrets were known as "Grant," named after Union general Ulysses S. Grant.


title: M3 Lee

text: Design commenced in July 1940, and the first M3s were operational in late 1941. The US Army needed a medium tank armed with a 75mm gun and, coupled with the United Kingdom's immediate demand for 3,650 medium tanks, the Lee began production by late 1940. The design was a compromise meant to produce a tank as soon as possible. The M3 had considerable firepower and good armor, but had serious drawbacks in its general design and shape, including a high silhouette, an archaic sponson mounting of the main gun preventing the tank from taking a hull-down position, riveted construction, and poor off-road performance.


title: M3 Lee

text: Its overall performance was not satisfactory and the tank was withdrawn from combat in most theaters as soon as the M4 Sherman tank became available in larger numbers. In spite of this, it was considered by Hans von Luck (an "Oberst" (Colonel) in the "Wehrmacht Heer" and the author of "Panzer Commander") to be superior to the best German tank at the time of its introduction, the Panzer IV (at least until the F2 variant).


title: M3 Lee

text: Despite being replaced elsewhere, the British continued to use M3s in combat against the Japanese in southeast Asia until 1945. Nearly a thousand M3s were supplied to the Soviet military under Lend-Lease between 1941 and 1943.


title: M3 Lee

text: In , the U.S. Army possessed approximately 400 tanks, mostly M2 Light Tanks, with 18 of the to-be-discontinued M2 Medium Tanks as the only ones considered "modern." The U.S. funded tank development poorly during the interwar years, and had little experience in design as well as poor doctrine to guide design efforts.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M2 Medium Tank was typical of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) many nations produced in 1939. When the U.S. entered the war, the M2 design was already obsolete with a 37 mm gun, an impractical number of secondary machine guns, a very high silhouette, and frontal armor. The Panzer III and Panzer IV's success in the French campaign led the U.S. Army to immediately order a new medium tank armed with a 75 mm gun in a turret as a response. This would be the M4 Sherman but until the Sherman reached production, an interim design with a 75 mm gun was urgently needed.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 was the solution. The design was unusual because the main weapon – a larger caliber, medium-velocity 75 mm gun – was in an offset sponson mounted in the hull with limited traverse. The sponson mount was necessary because, at the time, American tank plants did not have the design experience necessary to make a gun turret capable of holding a 75 mm weapon. A small turret with a lighter, high-velocity 37 mm gun sat on top of the tall hull. A small cupola on top of the turret held a machine gun. The use of two main guns was seen on the French Char B1 and the Mark I version of the British Churchill tank. In the French tank, it had been designed as a self-propelled gun to attack fortifications and an anti-tank capability had been added through a second gun in a small turret; the Churchill carried a gun in the front hull to fire chiefly smoke shells. The M3 differed slightly from this pattern, having a dual-purpose main gun that could fire an armor-piercing projectile at a velocity high enough for effectively piercing armor, as well as deliver a high-explosive shell that was large enough to be effective. Using a hull mounted gun, the M3 design could be produced faster than a tank with the same gun in a turret. It was understood that the M3 design was flawed, but Britain urgently needed tanks. A drawback of the sponson mount was that the M3 could not take a hull-down position and use its 75 mm gun at the same time. The M3 was tall and roomy: the power transmission ran through the crew compartment under the turret basket to the gearbox driving the front sprockets. Steering was by differential braking, with a turning circle of . The vertical volute-sprung suspension (VVSS) units possessed a return roller mounted directly atop the main housing of each of the six suspension units (three per side), designed as self-contained and readily replaced modular units bolted to the hull sides. The turret was power-traversed by an electro-hydraulic system in the form of an electric motor providing the pressure for the hydraulic motor. This fully rotated the turret in 15 seconds. Control was from a spade grip on the gun. The same motor provided pressure for the gun stabilizing system.


title: M3 Lee

text: The 75 mm gun was operated by a gunner and a loader; sighting the gun used an M1 periscope – with an integral telescope – on the top of the sponson. The periscope rotated with the gun. The sight was marked from zero to , with vertical markings to aid deflection shooting at a moving target. The gunner laid the gun on target through geared handwheels for traverse (15° to left and to right) and elevation ( +20° to -9°). The shorter barreled 75 mm M2 cannon sometimes featured a counterweight at the end of the barrel to balance the gun for operation with the gyrostabilizer until the longer 75 mm M3 variant was brought into use.


title: M3 Lee

text: The 37 mm gun was aimed through the M2 periscope, mounted in the mantlet to the side of the gun. It also sighted the coaxial machine gun. Two range scales were provided: 0– for the 37 mm and 0– for the machine gun. The 37 mm gun also featured a counterweight – a long rod under the barrel – though it was ill maintained by crews who knew little about its use.


title: M3 Lee

text: There were also two .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns mounted in the hull, fixed in traverse but adjustable in elevation, which were controlled by the driver. These were, due to coordination issues, removed, though they would be seen on early Sherman tanks.<ref name="Chieftain/Nicholas Moran Grant Outside"></ref>


title: M3 Lee

text: Though not at war, the U.S. was willing to produce, sell and ship munitions including armored vehicles to Britain. The British had requested that their Matilda II infantry tank and Crusader cruiser tank designs be made by American factories, but this request was refused. With much of their equipment left on the beaches near Dunkirk, the equipment needs of the British were acute. Though not entirely satisfied with the design, they ordered the M3 in large numbers. British experts had viewed the mock-up in 1940 and identified features that they considered flaws – the high profile, the hull mounted main gun, the lack of a radio in the turret (though the tank did have a radio down in the hull), the riveted armor plating (whose rivets tended to pop off inside the interior in a deadly ricochet when the tank was hit by a non-penetrating round), the smooth track design, insufficient armor plating and lack of splash-proofing of the joints.


title: M3 Lee

text: The British desired modifications for the tank they were purchasing. A bustle rack was to be made at the back of the turret to house the Wireless Set No. 19. The turret was to be given thicker armor plate than in the original U.S. design, and the machine gun cupola was to be replaced with a simple hatch. Extended space within the turret of the new M3 also allowed the use of a smoke bomb launcher, although the addition of the radio would take the space for storage of fifty 37 mm rounds, reducing the ammunition capacity to 128 rounds. Several of these new "Grant" tanks would also be equipped with sand shields for action in North Africa, though they often fell off.<ref name="Chieftain/Nicholas Moran Grant Inside"></ref> With these modifications accepted the British ordered 2,000 Grants, although only 1,685 were built.


title: M3 Lee

text: Contracts were arranged with 4 US companies for 500 tanks each: Baldwin Locomotive Co, Pullman Standard Car Co, Pressed Steel Car Co and Lima Locomotive Co. The total cost of the orders was approximately US$240 million, including funds for factory re-tooling. That was the total of all UK Government funds held in the US; it took the US Lend-Lease act to solve the financial shortfall and fund future equipment orders. The order with Baldwin was later increased from 500 to 685. Lima did not produce a single Grant against their contract as it took them so long to complete steam locomotives in production to create factory space and to tool-up that M3 production was winding down before they were ready. It was therefore agreed that they would supply 500 of the new M4 Sherman instead. Lima actually undertook the T6/M4 development while they were unable to manufacture the Grant and as the other companies were all too busy, and became the first company to begin producing the M4 in March 1942 with the M4A1. The first 28 M4A1s were British contract tanks as Grant replacements but the remainder of the order was subsumed into Lend-Lease.


title: M3 Lee

text: The prototype was completed in March 1941 and production models followed, with the first British-specification tanks produced in July. Both U.S. and British tanks had thicker armor than first planned. The British design required one fewer crew member than the US version due to the radio in the turret. The U.S. eventually eliminated the full-time radio operator, assigning the task to the driver. After extensive losses in Africa and Greece, the British realized that to meet their needs for tanks, both the Lee and the Grant types would need to be accepted.


title: M3 Lee

text: The U.S. military used the "M" (Model) letter to designate nearly all of their equipment. When the British Army received their new M3 medium tanks from the US, confusion immediately set in between the different M3 medium tank and M3 light tank. The British Army began naming their American tanks after American military figures, although the U.S. Army never used those terms until after the war. M3 tanks with the cast turret and radio setup received the name "General Grant", while the original M3s were called "General Lee", or more usually just "Grant" and "Lee".


title: M3 Lee

text: The chassis and running gear of the M3 design was adapted by the Canadians for their Ram tank. The hull of the M3 was also used for self-propelled artillery as with the original design of the M7 Priest, of which nearly 3,500 were built, and recovery vehicles.


title: M3 Lee

text: Of the 6,258 M3 variants manufactured 2,887 (45%) were supplied to the British government for use by British and Commonwealth forces.. 1,685 of these were Grants which the UK ordered directly from US industry for cash and which did not fall under the Lend-Lease arrangements.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 Grant first saw action with the Royal Armoured Corps in North Africa during the Gazala battles of May 1942. However, with the arrival of the M4 Sherman tank from October 1942 the surviving M3s in North Africa became surplus and were mostly shipped on to India. 657 Grants and 75 Lees were supplied directly to N Africa.


title: M3 Lee

text: 97 Grants and 119 M3 Lees - including 49 diesel M3A3 Lee V, the only diesel Lees used by UK and Commonwealth forces - were supplied directly to the UK and were used for testing and training. 335 were later converted to Canal Defence Lights (no diesels), and further refurbished turretless M3 hulls were supplied by the US to support this project.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 brought much-needed firepower to British forces in the North African desert campaign. Early Grants were shipped directly to Egypt and lacked some fitments (such as radio) that were remedied locally. Under the "Mechanisation Experimental Establishment (Middle East)" other modifications were tested approved and made to tanks as they were issued. These included fitting of sandshields (later deliveries from the US had factory fitted shields), dust covers for the gun mantlets and the removal of the hull machine guns. Ammunition stowage was altered to 80 75 mm (up from 50) and 80 37 mm with additional protection to the ammunition bins.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 tank's first action during the war was in , during the North African Campaign. British Lees and Grants were in action against Rommel's forces at the Battle of Gazala on 27 May that year. The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 3rd and 5th battalions Royal Tank Regiment going into action with Grant tanks. Retreating in the face of a large attack, the 8th Hussars had only three of their Grants remaining, while 3rd RTR reported losing 16 Grants.


title: M3 Lee

text: Their appearance was a surprise to the Germans, who were unprepared for the M3's 75 mm gun. They soon discovered the M3 could engage them beyond the effective range of their 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun, and the 5 cm KwK 39 of the Panzer III, their main medium tank. The M3 was also vastly superior to the Fiat M13/40 and M14/41 tanks employed by the Italian troops, whose 47 mm gun was effective only at point-blank range, while only the few Semoventi "da" 75/18 self-propelled guns were able to destroy it using HEAT rounds. In addition to the M3's superior range, they were equipped with high explosive shells to take out infantry and other soft targets, which previous British tanks lacked; upon the introduction of the M3, Rommel noted: "Up to May of 1942, our tanks had in general been superior in quality to the corresponding British types. This was now no longer true, at least not to the same extent."


title: M3 Lee

text: Despite the M3's advantages and surprise appearance during the Battle of Gazala, it could not win the battle for the British. In particular, the high-velocity 88 mm Flak gun, adapted as an anti-tank gun, proved deadly if British tanks attacked without artillery support. Britain's Director of Armoured Fighting Vehicles nonetheless said before the M4 Sherman arrived that "The Grants and the Lees have proven to be the mainstay of the fighting forces in the Middle East; their great reliability, powerful armament and sound armor have endeared them to the troops."


title: M3 Lee

text: Grants and Lees served with British units in North Africa until the end of the campaign. Following Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa), the U.S. also fought in North Africa using the M3 Lee.


title: M3 Lee

text: The US 1st Armored Division had been issued new M4 Shermans, but had to give up one regiment's worth to the British Army prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein. Consequently, a regiment of the division was still using the M3 Lee in North Africa.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 was generally appreciated during the North African campaign for its mechanical reliability, good armor protection, and heavy firepower. In all three aspects, the M3 was capable of engaging German tanks and towed anti-tank guns.


title: M3 Lee

text: However, the high silhouette and low, hull-mounted 75 mm were tactical drawbacks since they prevented fighting from a hull-down firing position. In addition, the use of riveted hull superstructure armor on the early versions led to spalling, where the impact of enemy shells caused the rivets to break off and become projectiles inside the tank. Later models were built with all-welded armor to eliminate this problem. These lessons had already been applied to the design and production of the M4.


title: M3 Lee

text: The M3 was replaced in front-line roles by the M4 Sherman as soon as the M4 was available. However, several specialist vehicles based on the M3 were later employed in Europe, such as the M31 armored recovery vehicle and the Canal Defence Light.


title: M3 Lee

text: Beginning from 1941, 1,386 M3 medium tanks were shipped from the US to the Soviet Union, with 417 lost during shipping (when they went down with their transporting vessels which were lost to German submarine, naval and aerial attacks en route). These were supplied through the American Lend-Lease program between 1942 and 1943.


title: M3 Lee

text: Like British Commonwealth units, Soviet Red Army personnel tended to refer to the M3 as the "Grant", even though all of the M3s shipped to Russia were "Lee" variants. The official Soviet designation for it was the "М3 средний" ("М3с"), or "M3 Medium", to distinguish the Lee from the US-built M3 Stuart light tank, which was also acquired by the USSR under Lend-Lease and was officially known there as the "М3 лёгкий" ("М3л"), or "M3 Light". Due to the vehicle's petrol-fuelled engine, a high tendency to catch fire, and its vulnerability against most types of German armour the Soviet troops encountered from 1942 onwards, the tank was almost entirely unpopular with the Red Army since its induction into the Eastern Front.


title: M3 Lee

text: With almost 1,500 of their own T-34 tanks being built every month, Soviet use of the M3 medium tank declined soon after mid-1943. Soviet troops still fielded their Lee/Grant tanks on secondary and quieter/less-action fronts, such as in the Arctic region during the Red Army's Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive against German forces in Norway in October 1944, where the obsolete US tanks faced mainly captured French tanks used by the Germans, such as the SOMUA S35, which to a limited extent was somewhat comparable to the Lee/Grant it fought against.