The Star Wars saga continued to thrive through a series of novel, comics, and video games that achieved cult status among fans–the Expanded Universe.
It’s hard to imagine that after Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars was no more. Not that it was completely gone, of course. There were two made-for-TV Ewok movies, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle of Endor (1985). Likewise, a pair of Star Wars cartoons produced by Nelvana (the same animation studio which contributed to The Star Wars Holiday Special) were also released on ABC, Star Wars: Droids – The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO (1985-1986) and Ewoks (1985 – 1987).
There was also the very popular simulator ride at Disneyland called Star Tours, which lasted from 1987 to 2010. There were still plenty of those Kenner action figures and other merchandise which was selling in access of $100 million a year. Likewise, Marvel Comics had published Star Wars comics since the first movie, adapting each chapter of the Original Trilogy upon release. The series also widely diverged from the films, though this certainly didn’t stop fans from buying them. Former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter said the comic sales for Star Wars single-handedly saved the publisher from possible bankruptcy.
The story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Darth Vader and all the rest George Lucas’ beloved characters was effectively over. That all changed in 1991 with the debut of two original Lucasfilm-licensed Star Wars stories.
Yet with Return of the Jedi, George Lucas started turning his attention towards producing other film projects. By 1985, Kenner discontinued their line of Star Wars figures. Two years later, Marvel stopped publishing Star Wars comics. The only resources Star Wars fans had to draw from was the Original Trilogy. The story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Darth Vader and the rest of George Lucas’ beloved characters was effectively over.
That all changed in 1991 with the debut of two original Lucasfilm licensed Star Wars stories. One was Heir to the Empire by Hugo Award winner Timothy Zahn–the first of three novels that would later be known as “The Thrawn Trilogy.” The other would be a six-part comic book miniseries called Star Wars: Dark Empire. These two stories, each taking place years after the Original Trilogy, were the foundation for what would become the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Lucasfilm had partnered with Bantam Books in 1989 and were looking to create new Star Wars novelizations to jumpstart the Star Wars franchise. As part of Zahn’s contract for writing the novels, he was under strict instructions that they take place “3 to 5 years after Return of the Jedi,” and that he “couldn’t use anyone explicitly killed off in the movies.” Other than that, he could write whatever he wanted.
The story Zahn came up with–much of it based off of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game–was that the Rebel Alliance formed the foundation of a New Galactic Republic. Luke Skywalker, now a Jedi Master, had begun looking for pupils to rebuild a new Jedi Academy. Han Solo and Princess Leia were now married with Force-sensitive twins, Jacen and Jaina. Lando was running another planetary mining operation. But the remnants of the Empire were still out there, lead by one Grand Admiral Thrawn. It also involved a plot to rebuild the Imperial Forces using clones, which includes a clone of Luke Skywalker grown from his severed hand.
…the most fascinating and impactful [of the new characters] is [Grand Admiral] Thrawn himself. A blue-skinned, red-eyed alien humanoid, Thrawn was essentially Star Wars‘ version of Napoleon, a tactical genius with an appreciation for art
Naturally, Heir to the Empire, along with Dark Force Rising (1993) and The Last Command (1994) introduced new characters, many of whom generated their own fanbases. Much of their popularity came from the fact that, aside from being well-rounded, they were subversions to Star Wars’ own tropes. Talon Karrde, for instance, is a smuggler who took over Jabba the Hutt’s criminal syndicate, but who often allies himself with the New Republic. The red-headed Mara Jade is a Force-trained assassin for the Emperor who sets out to kill Luke but who eventually becomes his wife. One supporting character, Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, undergoes a full-blown character arc from staunch Empire loyalist to commanding the New Republic’s navy.
But the most fascinating and impactful character is Thrawn himself. A blue-skinned, red-eyed alien humanoid, Thrawn was essentially Star Wars’ version of Napoleon–a tactical genius with an appreciation for art. Moreover, he didn’t kill his subordinates for failure like Darth Vader, or needlessly sacrifice his own troops if he couldn’t help it. At the same time, he still engaged in total warfare, and he severely punished those who he deemed stupid or unimaginative. This made him unique among Star Wars villains, and he proved such a hit with readers that, when Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Thrawn became part of the new, official Star Wars canon.
Meanwhile, Dark Horse Comics, having also partnered with Lucasfilm, began publishing Dark Empire (1991-1992) in December of that same year. Written by Tom Veitch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy, the series takes place a year after the events of the Thrawn Trilogy. The main plot involved the return of the evil Emperor Palpatine, having survived Return of the Jedi by transferring his soul into a clone of his younger self. In order to defeat Palpatine once and for all, Luke willingly succumbs to Dark Side of the Force and becomes his new apprentice. Naturally, it’s up to the heroes, especially Leia, to bring Luke back to the light.
Another son of Han and Leia, Anakin Solo, was also introduced. The series also brought back Boba Fett, saying that he literally crawled out of the Sarlacc Pit. This one retcon probably restored his reputation among fans as the most badass villain in Star Wars canon. Dark Empire would also spawn two more sequels, Dark Empire II (1994-1995) and Empire’s End (1995).
With the success of both the Thrawn Trilogy novels and the Dark Empire comics, and as a means of promoting the upcoming Special Releases of the Star Wars Trilogy, Lucasfilm’s next project was a story set in-between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi called Shadows of the Empire. Essentially “Episode 5.5,” Shadows of the Empire introduced yet another villain, a machiavellian Dr. Fu Manchu-like alien named Prince Xizor, who plotted to discredit Darth Vader to gain the Emperor’s favor. Another character was a blatant Han Solo knockoff named Dash Rendar who, just like Solo, became a reluctant ally of the Rebels.
First introduced as a novel by Steve Perry, Shadows of the Empire also had its own comic book series, a first-person shooter for the Nintendo 64, a new line of action figures from Kenner Toys, and even its own soundtrack. Characters, events, and vehicles would be referenced in other Star Wars media for years. If you watch closely, you might even spot Dash Rendar’s Outrider in the Special Edition of A New Hope.
The Expanded Universe wasn’t without controversy…Nothing [had] ignited more uproar among book readers than the death of Chewbacca….
But of all the Expanded Universe projects, none approached the level of success as did Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic. Set 4,000 years before the events of A New Hope, KotOR, as fans would call it, is an RPG video game created by LucasArts and BioWare. Although the plot is essentially a reimagined version of the Original Trilogy, its characters have an incredible amount of depth, particularly the anti-heroic Darth Revan, the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo, and the hilariously trigger-happy protocol droid HK-47. It also helped pioneer morality systems and player choice common in today’s RPGs.
Released in 2003, KotOR would win many “Game of the Year” awards and a sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords was released the following year. Published by LucasArts and Obsidian, it too won multiple Game of the Year Awards; some critics consider it even better than it’s predecessor despite aspects being clearly unfinished. Although plans for a third sequel never materialized, LucasArts and Electronic Arts would create an MMORPG called Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Other novel series set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe would also spring up. There was X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, centered around Wedge Antilles, Luke’s wingman from the Original Trilogy as played by Denis Lawson. Other series like the Young Jedi Knights YA novels followed Jacen and Jaina learning the ways of the Force. And there were a number of standalone and anthology books like Tales From the Mos Eisley Cantina (1995) and I, Jedi (1998) by Michael Stackpole. Dark Horse also published a series called Star Wars Legacy (2006-2010), which followed the adventures of Luke’s great-great grandson, Cade Skywalker. When it came to the Original Trilogy, the Expanded Universe mined anything and everything, and die-hard Star Wars fans couldn’t get enough of it.
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The Expanded Universe wasn’t without controversy. In 1999, Lucasfilm transferred their partnership from Bantam to Del Rey and, starting with The New Jedi Order series (1999-2003), and especially its follow-up series, Legacy of the Force (2006-2008), the Star Wars franchise turned into a much darker, more adult place. A race of biomechanical, Force-immune alien zealots called Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy. Jacen Solo, having been captured by the invaders, would gradually embrace the Dark Side of the Force. Anakin Solo, who many assumed was the spiritual successor to Luke, was killed off.
Nothing, however, ignited more uproar among book readers than the death of Chewbacca in R.A Salvatore’s Vector Prime, the first novel in the series. Originally, Del Rey had planned on killing off Luke and sent his name, along with a list of other potential candidates for the chopping block, to Lucas. Lucas, however, returned to them a list of characters who weren’t allowed to die, which included Luke but not Chewbacca. Either way, some fans considered Chewie’s death a bold move, while others considered this the “jumping the shark” moment of the Expanded Universe.
The fanbase was divided even further in 2014 when Disney, having purchased Lucasfilm two years earlier, announced that the Expanded Universe would be rebranded as Star Wars Legends and would no longer part of official Star Wars canon. Although Del Rey would still publish new novels, the comic book rights would revert back to Marvel. Just like that, twenty-three years worth of novels, comics, video games and toys no longer counted.
Nevertheless, the Expanded Universe still has its share of devotees, and its influence can still be felt in current Star Wars media. Thrawn would become a recurring villain in the Disney XD animated series, Star Wars Rebels. Jacen Solo is regarded by some as the prototype for Kylo Ren in the Sequel Trilogy. Expansion packs for Star Wars: The Old Republic are still being produced. And although it’s no longer official, the Expanded Universe did revive the Star Wars franchise and helped pave the way for a new series of films.