Making Sense Of The New Star Wars Canon

SW Canon Logo

After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the creative powers that be declared that the only existing works of the Star Wars universe that the new films moving forward would be bound to in continuity are the original six films, the Clone Wars film and its companion TV series, and the upcoming Rebels TV series – as well as all future works across all mediums.

 

 

For the first time, we have a unified Star Wars canon and a group of people whose primary job is to make sure that everything fits together to tell a cohesive story without contradictions or inaccuracies.  That being said, this decision left a ton of previously written novels, comics, etc. out of this newly unified canon.  These works can still be enjoyed under the Legends banner, but have no impact on (and may even contradict) the Star Wars stories moving forward.

 

Pablo_Hidalgo_Rebels

Whereas you can enjoy the films on their own merit and never delve into the ever expanding Star Wars canon, if you so choose to immerse yourself even deeper in the Star Wars Universe, that option is now available to you – as every novel, comic, and television show produced going forward will be officially part of the Star Wars canon – meaning that these new stories actually happened in relation to the films and are part of the behind the scenes history of the saga that we love.  You can just enjoy the films, take in every single book, comic, and TV show,  or somewhere in between.  As a patron, the choice is yours.

 

So maybe you’ve been wanting to expand your Star Wars experience but don’t really know where to start.  This is understandable as 2015 has brought us a slew of additions to the new canon.  Which novel do you read first?  Should you bother with the comics?  The answer is simple.  Whatever is of interest to you, check it out.  There are no “must reads” to know what’s going on in the upcoming films.  If you choose to skip these stories, you will not be lost come December – but if you choose to partake – it will only enrich your experience.

 

Star Wars Canon Collage

 

If you’re like me, you like to have an idea of when the events in these stories take place in the overall timeline, and as these stories are not released chronologically, it helps to have a working knowledge of the new canon timeline.  Our very own Kyle posted a great detailed article a while back concerning the new canon, but maybe you want more of a quick reference guide.  Well, look no further.  Below is a timeline of the current Star Wars Canon.  I will try to update this periodically to reflect new additions.

 

Keep in mind that this timeline has not been officially released by the Lucasfilm Story Group, and although the general order of these works are chronological, some of them may overlap, and some of the dates listed are approximated.  The timeline begins with Episode I as the baseline (year 0) and everything else is in relation to it.

 

This timeline includes the main canon works such as the films, TV series, novels, comics, and video games.  In an effort to simplify the timeline, the Star Wars: Insider short stories are not listed, nor are the young reader books as this chronology was created with adults in mind. A complete unofficial timeline of canon media can be found here.  I hope this helps you decide where to begin and what to take in.  May the Force be with you…always.

 

Canon Timeline (SW7N)
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Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

135 thoughts on “Making Sense Of The New Star Wars Canon

  • September 21, 2015 at 6:29 pm
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    I was under the impression that Knights of the Fallen Empire was also canon.

  • September 21, 2015 at 6:45 pm
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    this…..or you are free to pick up your own personal canon, which to me will always be just the movies no matter how often, how hard and how loud will others scream Nooooooooooooooo 🙂

    • September 21, 2015 at 6:55 pm
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      Exactly. My canon is just the OT, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the other stories on their own.

    • September 21, 2015 at 7:06 pm
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      Agreed. For me the CANON is episodes I to IX, and all the spin-offs and stuff are ancillary- reveling planets, creatures and names that are MENTIONED in the films, but don’t necessarily appear on screen like Gundarks.

    • September 21, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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      A lot of fans will choose to just stick with the original films, and I think that’s awesome (It will certainly save a lot of money). The thing I think all fans should take away from the new canon though(even if one chooses to abstain from all non-film stories) is the knowledge that all future films are bound to the continuity of the new comics, novels, etc.

      Used to be that when Lucas decided to do something in a film, it would supersede other works where inconsistencies where found. Now, with the LFL Story Group in place, there is a new commitment to ensure that there are no contradictions between mediums. The stories of a comic book now carry just as much significance as a film entry (canonically that is).

      There are obviously many pros and cons to this. For instance, it’s easier to tell a cohesive story and keep things in line, however, freedom to tell a specific story in the future may be directly affected by previous works. The original films did not have these restrictions.

      That being said, it’s easier to reject the new canon in light of a personal canon that just regards the original films as all the new media are bound to the continuity established by those films. So obviously, they seem to carry a LOT of weight when new stories are considered.

      The new trilogy and anthologies will be restricted to the continuity of other works in a way that the original films never were. It remains to be seen if this will have a positive or a negative effect on the films themselves.

      • September 21, 2015 at 7:56 pm
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        you are right and I just hope the EU will not have an influence in future Star Wars films too much. I´m not saying I won´t see Rebels, Clone Wars or other tv projects. I may enjoy it with my kids as well. But it will always be “that other SW universe”. We fanboys are an extremely loud group of people and that sometimes blinds us to think, that most of the world feel the same. Wrong. No matter how big the core fans group is, there will always be this 95% of moviegoers who will never see or know books, comic books ot tv shows….And because of that I believe the movies will always remain independent of the EU material, which is primary made for core fans.

        • September 21, 2015 at 8:21 pm
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          I agree. Of the remaining 5% of movie goers whom I suppose you could label as “super-fans” I’d say only 10% (pure conjecture of course) of those are completists in that they take in all stories from all mediums. I think they have made a point to do stories in such a way that you can take in as much or as little as you like and still be entertained. I think the films will always be the driving influence though and I don’t think we have anything to worry about.

  • September 21, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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    You’re missing the Kanan the last padawan comic on your first pic

    • September 21, 2015 at 7:10 pm
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      Good eye. I’ll add it. 🙂

  • September 21, 2015 at 7:21 pm
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    Just terrible. Good article but the biggest mistake that Di$ney’s made so far is wiping out the entire EU. Obviously all of the post-Jedi stuff had to go from the direction they are going in with the new trilogy but they didn’t have to de-canonize all the stuff that came before because most of that stuff wouldn’t contradict what’s already out in any way. If the new books/comics were well-written then I wouldn’t have such an issue with it but it seems like all the new novels and comics are aimed at illiterate 5 year olds with the most green authors imaginable who have probably seen the films maybe once or twice in passing. Yeah, There was loads of shit in the old EU and I’d say at best 60 percent of it was good but 0 percent of the post 2012 is any different than your average cash grab franchise and pretty much none of it stands on it’s own two feet.

    • September 21, 2015 at 7:24 pm
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      We are nearly FOUR years into the new canon and there are NO memorable original EU characters. Not a single one. I’ve read, watched, and seen pretty much everything and all the stuff happens to the film characters, The ancillary character are expendable at best and prone to the worst sci-fi/fantasy tropes imaginable.

      • September 21, 2015 at 7:40 pm
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        I like to think that this is because the best of the EU is being mined for use in the films, but I see your point. There have been some great stories in the new canon so far (as well as some not so good), such as Lords of the Sith, Dark Disciple, and Lost Stars, but I agree that most of the characters are throw away and the focus is on the movie or TV characters. There have been some good characters, but we’re definitely still waiting to be introduced to the Mara Jades and the Kyle Katarns of the new canon.

        • September 22, 2015 at 3:07 am
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          The Kanan comics are great, and really make that character stand out a little more.

          My biggest disappointment so far is the Leia comics and the introduction of Sansa Solo in the Marvel Star Wars, but here’s to hoping they make all of that mess more clear in the future.

      • September 21, 2015 at 8:14 pm
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        I agree. Some characters are more memorable than others, but throughout the new canon I get a very real feeling that lucasfilm is pulling their punches. Having the books be canon means that books aren’t allowed to change the status-quo or spoil anything from the new movies. We get one sentence teases of new characters or foes who will die before the movie comes out. People are reticent to introduce new mainstays since they will disappear before TFA. It is a lot like Marvel’s TV shows, they will name drop characters or give vauge tie-ins, but no matter how hard they try to convince us otherwise, the movies will ALWAYS shape the TV, not the other way around.

        I am, however, very hopeful that AFTER the force awakens comes out they will stop having to dance around major plot points and the quality will improve tremendously.

      • September 23, 2015 at 4:33 am
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        Once the order of things is established in TFA the writers will have more freedom to play around with characters and stories in the intervening years.

      • September 27, 2015 at 7:31 am
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        I’m still giving the new canon a shot. When you think about the EU, what did it accomplish in its first 4 years? Not much, just some okay stories (books and whatnot). It was only later (~10 years after the first EU novel) that stuff really started to get interesting.

        • September 27, 2015 at 5:06 pm
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          The Thrawn trilogy, Rogue Squadron, and Dark Empire which all still hold up. I think the steam was running out ten years in bookwise but Dark Horse very rarely made any bad comics. It really seems like they are aiming for a younger demograhic with the new EU from how things are written. Especially with writers from the old EU.

    • September 21, 2015 at 7:41 pm
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      Spot on. I feel like all of my investment in the EU is wasted (never giving up my Zahn/Stackpole/Allston books) and why should I invest in the new canon other that the movie?

      • September 21, 2015 at 7:49 pm
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        I was really sore about it myself…and I’m still holding out hope (for whatever reason) for the Darth Bane trilogy and Darth Plagueis. I have a ton of EU books, and I still very much enjoy Zahn’s post ROTJ take as well as the X-Wing series. I had to come to that place where I accepted that those books will have no impact on the future of SW. I don’t think they’ve lost any entertainment value though. Being labled as they are kind of makes sense in light of the new canon, kind of like a “what if?” scenario. I really can’t understate how disappointed I was about the old EU when I heard it was dropped. But I guess I found a way to move on and enjoy the new stuff. 🙂

        • September 21, 2015 at 7:55 pm
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          I really have tried to have a “good” attitude about it, but with the release of the current batch of books, I’ve been left wanting. There aren’t any storylines that have grabbed me. Sure there are things that lead us to TFA and that’s somewhat exciting, but non of the side stories or side characters have drawn me in.

          And of course there is my struggle to read Aftermath with its present tense perspective.

          • September 22, 2015 at 10:06 am
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            None of it’s new either. Just ideas that have been done better before.

          • September 22, 2015 at 3:08 pm
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            I agree that a lot has been rehashed, and I also agree that a lot of EU works are better than some of what we have now in the new canon. However, I do like the approach they are taking post ROTJ. It’s very similar to some things from the old EU, but I feel like it also more realistic.

            I didn’t love Aftermath as it was written – I didn’t enjoy the style and it felt really choppy – but the overall story arc was pretty good. A lot of people are comparing Aftermath to Zahn’s Heir to the Jedi trilogy, which is one of my faves by the way. I don’t think this is a fair comparison though as the events in the HTTJ or “Thrawn” trilogy take place about 10 years after ROTJ in a little bit of a different galactic environment.

            I think a more accurate comparison is with the Truce At Bakura novel, and in that contest – Aftermath wins by a long shot. I think after TFA comes out, other media will be given more creative freedom as I feel like Lucasfilm is intentionally holding authors back to avoid TFA spoilers.

            Even though the books that have come out thus far have been hit and miss…we have to remember that the new canon is still trying to hit its stride. A lot of the early EU works besides the glorious few such as HTTJ and SOTE were mediocre at best. So far the new books have a better batting average than the early EU in my opinion, and for that reason I have high hopes about the future of Star Wars.

            There will be some misses along the way, and there will always be those old EU books that we love, but I think it will only get better as time goes on and more of the universe becomes available to writers.

    • September 22, 2015 at 12:58 am
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      I would agree that most of the new cannon stuff that’s come out so far is not that great. However, the old EU stuff is still around to read and enjoy. That’s one thing I guess I see differently from others. Just because it’s no longer cannon doesn’t mean it “didn’t really happen.” NONE of it really happened. They are all stories. In fact, my favorite bit of EU was the Star Wars Infinities comics, which by made purposefully NOT to be cannon.

      But I see what you mean about the quality decline. Hopefully the characters and writing will get better as the new movies come out!

      • September 22, 2015 at 10:05 am
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        It’s no different from most film based games. They all be seemed to aimed at casual fans then the readers of this site who have been there since day 1 or most of their lives. It’s insulting when you think about it that Di$ney thinks they can cynically just ripoff fthe Marvel Method.

  • September 21, 2015 at 8:20 pm
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    so wait… smuggler’s run basicly is the adventure mentioned in heir to the jedi? I noticed Luke said there that han and chewie were on a trip on their own…

    • September 21, 2015 at 8:27 pm
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      I think Smuggler’s Run actually happens before Heir to the Jedi, as they are intending to actually pay off Jabba before they get sucked into the mission to save Ematt. At this point, they have the money and still intend on getting it to Jabba, but in Heir to the Jedi it says that they have now lost that money and are trying once again to earn those credits back to pay off the notorious hutt crimelord. Here is the excerpt you are referring to:

      “Han and Chewie are off somewhere trying to earn enough credits to pay off Jabba the Hutt. They lost all their reward money from the Battle of Yavin and they’re back to being broke and desperate—the galaxy should beware.”

      • September 21, 2015 at 8:59 pm
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        oh well, right ok. I thought in smuggler’s run they already lost that money…. apparently stuff happens really close to ANH in that book. thanks

  • September 21, 2015 at 9:03 pm
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    Wiping out cannon would have been fine if they hadn’t replaced it with utter poop and a buckets. They erased my memory of a steak, and replaced it with 80/20 ground chuck,

    • September 27, 2015 at 7:25 am
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      I wouldn’t judge this new canon just yet. The old EU has been around for decades, so I think it’s only fair to give the new canon at least a sliver of that time before you start making up your mind on it.

  • September 21, 2015 at 9:35 pm
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    Something tells me kylo ren is the nee canon revan while daisy or someone else is bastilla

  • September 21, 2015 at 10:09 pm
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    Doesn’t seem like anything changed from an operational standpoint. Something will eventually be written that filmmakers will overlook, and we’ll have to do some kind of headcanon spin to make sense of it, or some enterprising writer will make an explanation for it.

    You know, kind of how like it was working the -entire time- with the old canon.

    • September 21, 2015 at 10:34 pm
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      I think what’s changed is the mindset of the people at Lucasfilm. George Lucas basically said when making the prequels (not a direct quote), “I’ll do what I want…I don’t care if it contradicts this novel or that comic series, etc…” Now it seems that they are from the outset agreeing to remain in continuity. That being said, although I remain optimistic, I fear that as the years go by and more and more content is merged into the official canon – contradictions will inevitably arise, and a canon system like what we had before with G canon and C canon and so forth will eventually be necessary.

      • September 21, 2015 at 11:58 pm
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        Good point. For example we were told that Battlefront the video game was going to be canon and now it’s not. But honestly, I hope you’re wrong Hard Case. For now I do have faith that they can get this right. It’ll be like holes in a ship if they don’t, you get too many or too big and it’s going to sink.

      • September 22, 2015 at 12:03 am
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        I think you’re half right. Contradictions are inevitable, with so many works in so many formats over so long a time, but I don’t think we’ll go back to the tiered canon system. I figure most of the contradictions will likely be small oversights, easily ignored, given the drive to keep the universe consistent. There will, however, be non-canon material produces, for various reasons (i.e. parodies, what-if stories, video games).

        I, for one, am happy about it. I read the old EU from the very beginning, and it was overflowing with contradictions, inaccuracies, inconsistent characters and (especially in the early years under specific authors) ridiculous elements best forgotten. There were some true gems in those old stories, but not enough to salvage it, and the EU overall was never a cohesive whole.

      • September 22, 2015 at 2:42 am
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        Some minor inconsistencies are already showing up between novels, and we’ve practically just started. I do worry that they’re will eventually be more and bigger errors in continuity going forward, despite the fact that we have a whole Story Group now who are supposed to prevent said contradictions. I would be greatly disappointed, but not at all surprised, if they are forced to return to a tiered system of canon once again in a few years. I kinda expect it to happen, though, to be honest. I just don’t have as much faith in the Story Group as I did at the beginning. They’ve already begun dropping the ball, imo.

  • September 21, 2015 at 10:34 pm
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    TPM comes 1st? Rly!?… What about “The Old Republic” media? Wasn’t that supposed to be canon as well, somehow??..

    • September 21, 2015 at 10:38 pm
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      As of right now, The Phantom Menace is the earliest work of canon in the new timeline. Some elements from the Old Republic have been included (Darth Bane, the planet Taris, and the hundred-year darkness etc.) in the new canon stories, but the works (novels, comics, games, etc) that originally contained these elements are not considered canon. For ex. Darth Bane as a character is canon as he appears in the Yoda arc of the Clone Wars: The Lost Missions, but the trilogy of novels that originally introduced us to the character are themselves non-canon, which opens up for new interpretations and re-tellings of these stories in the future to fit with the new canon.

      • September 22, 2015 at 8:16 pm
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        Well, I guess it kinda sux then!.. I kinda was hoping to hear Revan turning to the light side and saving Bastila, or Satele and Malgus showdowns/feats, or even see some of the oher worlds like nar’shadaa, corellia or dromund kaas, all at least mentioned for a couple of seconds, anywhere in the movies… But I think I can settle with some new side stories based upon those elements and characters, given that they treat them properly…

    • September 21, 2015 at 10:42 pm
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      Nope, sorry, The Old Republic is no longer canon, but part of the old EU, now referred to as “Legends”. Painful as it is, KOTOR and the like never really happened…

      Can’t see Disney not doing a reboot though, in various forms, probably not film, but likely books and/or video games. Too much money to not do it…maybe in conjunction with their new Star Wars Land attractions…by 2020?

      • September 21, 2015 at 11:51 pm
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        I think we’ll see the Old Republic in the Netflix series. If not there, then it’ll be a new trilogy after we’re done with the current round of movies.

    • September 22, 2015 at 12:07 am
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      Give it time. There *will be* new stories set a long time before TPM. It is inevitable.

      • September 22, 2015 at 8:25 pm
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        I hope you’re right mate. The Old Republic is ftw and would work really good as recess from the current trilogies, I think. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Skywalker stories and I’m not even a prequel hater, nothing like that, but I’m sure those will all “wear out” and people will get a bit bored, eventually…

  • September 21, 2015 at 10:48 pm
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    You forgot the short stories in the Star Wars Insider mags. Just kidding. But really, it’s nice to see where Lando sits in the new canon timeline. I thought it was pre ANH for some reason.

    • September 21, 2015 at 10:52 pm
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      It’s unconfirmed about the exact placement of the Lando series, but I think it’s pretty much in that general time period. To clarify, I did mention in the article that I intentionally left out the short stories. 😉

      • September 21, 2015 at 10:56 pm
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        That’s what I get for jumping straight to the timeline.

  • September 21, 2015 at 11:07 pm
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    Excellent article Hard Case. It might be fun to do one on old EU/Legends elements that have been canonized so far in the new material at some point.

    • September 21, 2015 at 11:40 pm
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      I would love to do that. However, that is a huge undertaking. I would inevitably miss something as my name doesn’t end in Chee or Hidalgo, but it may be worth a try. 😉 get enough people to help add to it by commenting on the forum and it just might be doable.

    • September 22, 2015 at 7:36 am
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      Yes!! That would be so awesome! I find myself after every book/comic review I read skimming to see if there were any things re-canonized. The games do this in a big way: mentioning chiss, dark troopers, z-95 headhunters etc.
      I would love some kind of article about it but it would probably be too hard to pull off. Right now the best is the “canon” tab on Wikipedia

      • September 22, 2015 at 2:55 pm
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        I just got started on uprising…are the Chiss mentioned in that game? That would be awesome! Or maybe Star Wars Commander or something? I noticed that some elements from that game have been included in the new canon books as well. Of course that game also drew heavily on EU elements so I’m not sure if a lot of those references originated there or not. But I’m curious about the Chiss species…I’m still holding out hope for a Thrawn appearance. 🙂

        • September 22, 2015 at 3:27 pm
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          Yeah, the Chiss are referenced in Star Wars: Commander. Between that and the ending of Aftermath I am chomping at the bit for Thrawn’s return to canon

          • September 22, 2015 at 11:46 pm
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            I just finished Aftermath as well. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it was Thrawn and not just a new canon doppleganger? I noticed his physical description was conveniently left out.

    • September 23, 2015 at 5:54 am
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      It’s fun watching the authors do a bit of scooping their old work into the canon whenever they can. I’m sure John Jackson-Miller mentioning the asteroid mining vehicles in A New Dawn was his way of getting his Knights Of The Old Republic getting it’s starts into the new canon. Will be interesting to see when the Old Republic stuff gets some mentions to see whether it’s gonna be contradicted completely or given the soft canon touch.

  • September 21, 2015 at 11:47 pm
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    IMHO Darth Plagueis should be canonized. It helps give validity to the prequels.

    • September 22, 2015 at 12:02 am
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      The prequels are live-action movies made by George Lucas. They don’t need any “help” obtaining validity; they’re as valid as a piece of the Star Wars franchise could possibly get.

      • September 22, 2015 at 12:07 am
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        I don’t disagree with that at all, I like the prequels but if you’ve read this book you understand Palpatines relationship with the Trade Federation, and this power play that was set up, by his old master. I’m just saying that this book highly and riches the prequels

        • September 22, 2015 at 12:12 am
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          I’ve read it; enjoyed it tremendously–I just don’t think it’s needed to give TPM “validity.”

          BTW if you enjoyed “Darth Plagueis” I recommend “Cloak of Deception” as well, it’s also by James Luceno. It focuses on the events directly leading up to TPM.

          • September 22, 2015 at 12:18 am
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            I’ll check it out

        • September 23, 2015 at 4:10 pm
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          Which book are you talking about so I can go after it?

      • September 22, 2015 at 3:26 pm
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        No they’re not. The original 3 films were made by an artist and story teller with tremendous collaboration. 1-2-3 were made a completely different person with virtually no resemblance to what came before.

        • September 22, 2015 at 8:22 pm
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          I don’t understand your argument at all andrewtoronto. On one hand you diss the prequels because George Lucas’ frame of mind and style was different from the OT….. and yet your last comment praises the 1980s Lucas because he was “an artist and story teller with tremencous collaboration.”

          • September 23, 2015 at 12:02 am
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            The originals are good films, the prequels are terrible films, I’m desperately grasping at anything here ok?

          • September 23, 2015 at 3:32 am
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            Which is entirely and solely your opinion, not fact.

          • September 23, 2015 at 5:37 am
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            Well it is certainly not “solely” my opinion. And while this opinion cannot be proven as fact I can provide evidence in its favour: for example: all 3 original movies are in the imdb top 250 list. NONE of the prequels are. Now that list has its flaws. But it is somewhat telling. Are terrible plotting, scripting, directing, editing and acting really so subjective? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

          • September 23, 2015 at 6:48 am
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            So, a random list from a largely user generated site that’s known for having blatant errors and false credit listings for movies is what you use to try and prove that your opinion is actually a fact? Good luck with that buddy. Just because you and your hipster friends think that everything in the prequels was “teh worstest things evar” or whatever, doesn’t make it any less a fact than before. Yes, it is subjective. There is no “Perhaps. Perhaps not.” It IS subjective, it is an OPINION, and as for relevance to this conversation specifically it is solely yours. BS lists and random OPINIONS from websites (which are again, ALL subjective, and ALL just opinions) don’t make your OPINION a fact. If you truly believe that your opinion is a fact and is not subjective in any way then it is no longer an opinion, it is a delusion.

          • September 23, 2015 at 6:38 pm
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            Yawn.

          • September 23, 2015 at 4:09 pm
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            Prequels may be terrible films but their content is awesome!

          • September 23, 2015 at 6:40 pm
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            I agree. Terrible films with some good moments.

          • September 23, 2015 at 8:10 pm
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            I would believe you if your comment started with “In my OPINION…”

          • September 23, 2015 at 9:41 pm
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            Shrug.

    • September 22, 2015 at 12:48 am
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      My favorite star wars novel!

    • September 22, 2015 at 2:32 am
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      Honestly, I love Darth Plagueis as well, but it is far to connected to old EU continuity. That’s actually one of the most impressive parts about the book, how Luceno tied absolutely everything together from recent stories, all the way back to Comics that came out right before and after TPM came out.

      Additionally, the way that Palpatine obtains Maul in the novel has already been contradicted by TCW.

      It’s still a great book that I would recommend to other Star Wars fans, but it definitely wont be canonized as a whole, they can still canonize parts of the story, which we saw in the Tarkin novel.

    • September 23, 2015 at 6:04 am
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      It’s canon in spirit, as ‘Tarkin’ references elements of it. It may not be word-for-word, but in spirit, it happened. I imagine most of the EU will be like this.

    • September 27, 2015 at 7:12 am
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      All the prequels are canon, and Plagueis is mentioned in the third one, so he’s already canon.

  • September 22, 2015 at 12:06 am
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    How come everyone talks about canon, they always seem to kinda forget the rebels tie-ins.

    • September 23, 2015 at 3:31 am
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      Which are canon, so what exactly is your point?

      • September 25, 2015 at 10:20 pm
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        I think his point is that they should be listed here, but they’re not. The Servants of the Empire series of junior novels in particular should be listed here, as they are original stories and not just novelizations of tv episodes.

        • September 25, 2015 at 10:42 pm
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          Fair enough. I think anyone who cares about canon though would already know that Rebels tie-in’s are in line.

    • September 25, 2015 at 10:59 pm
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      If you read the bottom of the article you’ll find a link to a page on wookieepedia that lists every single addition to the Star Wars Canon. This was meant to be more of a quick reference guide with adults in mind and the junior novels were left out intentionally as stated in the article. The only junior novels included were the ones that were part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 🙂

  • September 22, 2015 at 1:24 am
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    People getting all bent out of shape over the fact that elements of a completely fictional universe are, indeed, fictional is hilarious.

    • September 23, 2015 at 2:05 am
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      They weren’t fictional in the Star Wars’ Universe.

      When they say these stories are not canon anymore, they’re saying they are now fictional not only in our Universe, but in that Universe too.
      You see, the Star Wars fictional Universe is separated from ours.

      If a story is fictional in the Star Wars’ and in Our Universes, then that story is twice-fictional.
      If a story is actual in the Star Wars’ Universe and fictional in Our Universe, than that story is just once-fictional.

      So it matters.

      Sorry, I’m tired.
      >.<

      • September 23, 2015 at 5:44 am
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        The Star Wars universe is 100% fictional regardless of what story and media it is being told in. So something occurring in one version is just as every bit fictional as what occurs in another version. You simply decide which version to go with based on what you are reading or watching. There’s no reason to get upset over something like that.

        • September 26, 2015 at 8:22 pm
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          yawn..you’re boring Zoidberg

    • September 25, 2015 at 7:24 pm
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      You could say the same thing about stories described in the Holy Bible…from a certain point of view

      • September 25, 2015 at 9:52 pm
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        Not really. Wether you believe the Bible to be true or not, it contains figures that historians agree actually existed. Nothing about Star Wars ever existed.

    • September 26, 2015 at 8:22 pm
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      So says the guy on a Star Wars news site. Grow up.

      • September 26, 2015 at 11:50 pm
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        Yeah, I need to grow up. Not the people bitching about which aspects of something completely fake are more “real” than others. Whatever.

  • September 22, 2015 at 2:44 am
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    How about the Han Solo trilogy? Does that still hold its place in the new universe?

    • September 22, 2015 at 3:49 am
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      Nope, ALL of the books and comics from the old EU are now considered non-canon. That doesn’t mean that you wont get to see certain elements of those stories get adapted into the new canon, however none of the old books will be wholly canonized going forward.

      • September 22, 2015 at 5:59 am
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        That’s some BS! Those are some of the best books in the entire catalog.

        • September 22, 2015 at 2:49 pm
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          I’m curious to see if the Han Solo Anthology film will draw from any of the material in these books.

          • September 23, 2015 at 3:58 am
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            I have a gut wrenching feeling it won’t. They’ll probably have something ridiculous like, Han being born from royalty like in Spaceballs.

          • September 27, 2015 at 7:08 am
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            LOL, that would be great.

      • September 22, 2015 at 4:12 pm
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        None of the EU was ever canon. EVER.
        Why are people thinking it was official?

        • September 23, 2015 at 6:03 am
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          There’s nothing about the new EU that makes it more legitimate than the old one. There was an analogue to the Story Group, and a claim by the wider company, especially when films weren’t in production, it was all equal canon.

          It’s the same shit.

          • September 27, 2015 at 7:08 am
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            There’s nothing new – except now it’s actually canon.

        • September 28, 2015 at 2:39 am
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          Maybe because it was published by Lucasfilm.

  • September 22, 2015 at 3:22 pm
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    The only cannon is 4-5-6. 1-2-3 are the works of a very different man. And Everything else is fan fic.

    • September 22, 2015 at 8:16 pm
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      Until Disney says otherwise, Episodes I, II, and III are canon.

      Live with it.

      • September 23, 2015 at 5:41 am
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        Disney schisney. My kids have no idea who jar jar is, no idea that 3po was built by vader, that r2 units fly, that vader was a whiney little pussy…because I’m a good dad.

        • September 23, 2015 at 8:08 pm
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          you and your family is not a very good sampling of the audience who watches star wars. If you shun everything that isn’t episodes 4-6 that’s your choice, but please understand that there are others who have a differing viewpoint.

      • September 23, 2015 at 5:28 am
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        Because I’m hoping that Abrams and kasdan made some decent fan fic.

        • September 23, 2015 at 3:48 pm
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          It is gonna be a fan fic reboot of 4-5-6.

          • September 23, 2015 at 6:39 pm
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            It may be.

    • September 27, 2015 at 7:06 am
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      Great, good, wonderful, now move on.

  • September 22, 2015 at 5:09 pm
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    I’ve been conflicted on if Darth Maul Son of Dathomir is canon or not. It was published after the canon reboot was announced, but it was published by Dark Horse, not Marvel. Did Dark Horse make a deal that went along the lines of, “Hey, we’ve been handling Star Wars for years and you just wiped our entire contribution to the saga, throw us a bone, here?”

    • September 22, 2015 at 5:19 pm
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      It was canon because it was a story arc that was in the works for the next season of Clone Wars which never became a reality due to the Disney buyout and subsequent cancellation of the series.

      Show creators had already finished 13 episodes (which were released as a “season 6” on Netflix titled “Lost Missions”. The Son of Dathomir story arc was in the works but was unfinished. Disney was not going to supply the resource for the show creators to finish this arc (since they wanted to focus on Rebels), but gave Dark Horse (who owned Star Wars comic rights at the time) the go ahead to tell the story through the comic medium.

      A similar instance occurred with the novel Dark Disciple as well. You can also find some story reels on starwars.com for two complete story arcs from the Clone Wars that were left in an unfinished state. Due to the work previously put in to these episodes, all 8 of them were released on the site as “story reels”. You can watch the full episodes for the story elements as the voicework was completed, but the animation and other audio elements were only in the early stages.

      All of these works are part of what they are calling the “Clone Wars Legacy” – unfinished stories originally meant for the series, but re-worked into a different medium or released in an unfinished state. The stories they contain are considered official canon.

      • September 22, 2015 at 7:53 pm
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        I had seen those two unproduced arcs on StarWars.com, but I didn’t realize Son of Dathomir was in the same vein. Thanks for the cool info!

  • September 22, 2015 at 7:19 pm
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    Why isn’t the main star wars comic listed? The other marvel comics are

    • September 22, 2015 at 7:22 pm
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      It is listed. I listed the ongoing Star Wars and Vader Comics under their story arcs. “Skywalker Strikes” is the first arc covering issues #1 – #6 of the titular Star Wars series. “Showdown on the Smuggler’s Moon” includes #7 – #12.

      • September 22, 2015 at 7:30 pm
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        Ah, got you. Great work. When I first read it, is thinking that Skywalker strikes was the star wars comic that isn’t available in the UK, possibly Japanese? The origin has just slipped my mind

  • September 22, 2015 at 8:48 pm
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    …Also – and here goes nothing again – I would love to see Kyle Katarn included in the canon if not present in any form, at some point in the movies or any live action for that matter. It’s a very interesting character and the like we really haven’t seen yet, at the big screen – A forceful individual who turned from dark side, mastered some powers from both sides, wields a lightsaber but chose not be a Jedi or Sith or be branded with any of those, by any means – and I think it would a very nice addition to the list of canon acts. I mean, not necessarily the video game novels, but the character itself!

    • September 23, 2015 at 6:01 am
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      Agreed completely. I’m really hoping he’s at least referenced in passing in Rogue One, since Dark Forces filled that niche before. There’s hope – some EU characters got name-dropped in ‘Tarkin’ for example.

  • September 22, 2015 at 11:10 pm
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    I see that there isn’t much love for the new canon. I have dropped in and out of the EU over the years and as mentioned, it’s a real shame most has been dropped, but they are still there to enjoy. Being a fan of star wars from the very beginning, yep a 70s kid I am loving the new stuff as I am enjoying it with my son. I have watched rebels with him and an reading the new comics. Admittedly, I didn’t finish a new dawn and I am a little sceptical about aftermath after reading other people’s reviews but it’s a great era to be a start wars fan. I was the first to complain about tpm on its release, I still can’t watch it but this new stuff isn’t nearly as bad. Nothing will ever match the original trilogy though; I still call star wars, star wars and not a new hope lol

    • September 23, 2015 at 1:54 am
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      Read Lost Stars, it’s awesome.
      Don’t be fooled by the target audience, the Young Adult part is not so prominent.
      It’s really Star Wars at its best.

      • September 23, 2015 at 10:49 am
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        Yes, others have said this too. I have read young adult stuff before (not star wars) and really enjoyed it. I’ll give it a whirl after aftermath. I am currently finishing a crime thriller; by the way, it’s the 11th in a series and the continuity is perfect lol. Just saying 🙂

    • September 23, 2015 at 5:52 am
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      I’m a 70’s kid too and the great thing about SW canon is that I can choose to decide what I want canon in my own SW universe. Disney can try to dictate whatever they want, but I’ve been purchasing merchandise since the 70’s. I too call it Star Wars and not ANH.

      • September 25, 2015 at 5:09 pm
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        That’s the point I was trying to make in the article. The beauty of fandom (especially in SW) is that you can enjoy whatever you like and read/watch/play whatever is of interest to you. It’s just worth noting though that if you make the old EU your own personal canon, future films may contradict a lot of those stories.

        That being said, I still love a lot of the EU stories and can still enjoy them on their own merit. I just have to realize that they have no bearing on the stories moving forward. It is cool to have been a part of the EU fanbase though and to see the new stories pull in some of those elements. That material is not irrelevant by any means, but we just have to realize what things are sure to impact the future of SW and what things probably won’t.

  • September 23, 2015 at 6:22 am
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    New canon is lame. Long live the EU. It’s my universe and I’m sticking to it.

    • September 23, 2015 at 3:15 pm
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      So am I. EU >>>>> Disney canon. EU already makes more sense, even being crowded. Which Disney’s canon is starting to be.

      • September 27, 2015 at 6:57 am
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        I don’t necessarily disagree, but I’m wondering, how does the EU “make more sense”? I don’t really get that.

        • October 2, 2015 at 1:01 am
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          I meant that, in my opinion, the old EU storyline is more akin to ROTJ then what Disney is porposing. I don´t think that stuffs like Resistance or First Order or Knights of Ren fits as a “sequel” then, say, the Thrawn Trilogy, New Jedi Order or even the Yuzhan Vong.

          • October 5, 2015 at 3:33 am
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            Oh. i guess I see your point. In the end, I think both canons (Legends and the new canon) are both pretty cool, although the latter should get more time to grow and develop before we start judging it.

    • September 27, 2015 at 6:56 am
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      Good for you, I guess. The EU for me is more “magical” if you will, but it’s just too overcrowded for me.

  • September 23, 2015 at 10:54 am
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    The new comics now have Vader finding out that Luke is his son in them. So the little chat with the emperor in ESB is now a continuity error, which also links to obi one telling like in anh that his father wanted him to have his lightsabre when he was old enough (meaning he knew he had a son all along)

    • September 25, 2015 at 5:03 pm
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      This version is still canon as it appears in the Blu Ray I believe. However, I think it just comes across differently now. We now know that Vader is feigning ignorance about Luke since he doesn’t want the Emperor to know about him in the first place. He says “How is this possible?” But what he’s probably thinking is “How did you find out about that?” The comic basically ret-conned this scene in ESB and ends up being a more powerful scene in my opinion than what we originally thought.

  • September 24, 2015 at 12:02 am
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    There remains a question though. Which versions of the OT are canon? Because they can’t all be. Is Han shooting first or Greedo shooting first canon? Is Ian McDiarmid in ESB canon? Is Lapti Nek or the Nub Nub song canon? We have so far: original theatrical versions; SE theatrical releases; 2004 DVD versions; 2011 blu ray versions – all are different in some way or other. Which are considered canon?

    • September 25, 2015 at 4:58 pm
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      Lucasfilm has stated that they are basically honoring George Lucas’ wishes that only the most recent Blu Ray versions of the films are officially canon moving forward. Purists may disagree, and it’s not to say these are the best versions of the films by any means, but it does mean that these films represent Lucas’ definitive vision for the saga and all future stories will be based off of these versions.

      • September 25, 2015 at 7:22 pm
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        Thanks for that info, I didn’t know. Would you happen to have the source?

        • October 2, 2015 at 3:13 pm
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          Back in 2006, Leland Chee (LFL Story Group, “Holocron Keeper”) stated the following…

          “Anything not in the current version of the films is irrelevant to Film only continuity.”

          Although I have not seen an official statement from the story group and/or Disney stating that the blu ray version is the only canon version, it seems like those are the versions they are holding to given that the only versions to be re-released to consumers under Disney have been those editions.

          They have released a new set of Blu Rays as well as digital versions of the films (which were just digital copies of the blu ray editions). The absence of an original theatrical version in the market reinforces the idea that with the 2014 relabeling of non-canon publications , they only want to sell the canonical versions of the films to firmly establish the new continuity.

          This was George Lucas’ mentality regarding the films, and it seems that they are sticking to the guns he once held regarding his vision for the saga.

  • September 25, 2015 at 5:39 pm
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    I want to clarify something based on a trend I have noticed in the comments. Obviously the old EU vs. New Canon debate is a big deal to a lot of fans. I admit that initially I was up in arms about the EU being basically cast aside, and I still enjoy some of my favorite EU books more than a lot of the new canon stories. But the point about something being “canon” is not about whether or not one story is better than the other, it’s about how it fits in to the continuity of the films moving forward.

    Is Aftermath the better than Heir to the Empire? Most people would respond with a resounding “No”. However, the future of Star Wars continuity is in fact bound to Aftermath and not HTTE, for the sole reason that it fits into where they are going with the story. Is doesn’t mean it’s a better story, but it’s a better fit for where they are going with the overall story. One thing I have noticed is it seems obvious that the authors are going back to EU material for a LOT of information and references, which makes me very happy, knowing that they are not pretending these stories had no impact on the fanbase.

    So don’t think that just because something is “canon” that you should be forced to enjoy it more than a stories you already love. Just know that the canon stories are the only ones that have a definite impact on the future of SW as a whole. You as a consumer are free to read/watch/play whatever you want. This is a fictional universe afterall. And as much as I hated the decision at first, I now realize that it was necessary, and I am much more excited for what the TFA will bring not knowing what to expect than I was initially in 2012 when I thought they might be doing an adaptation of the EU books set in this era.

  • September 26, 2015 at 7:15 pm
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    I have started reading aftermath now. I am not sure if I have brainwashed into not enjoying it? I have read so many bad reviews about it, that it is really putting me off. I don’t think it seems to bad yet, it is, as others say, the way in which it is written

  • October 3, 2015 at 9:30 am
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    Star Wars: Servants of the Empire series is missing.

  • October 13, 2015 at 4:15 am
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    I’m getting lost Stars pretty soon. I’m also reading the previews for Dark Disciple and Lords of the Sith.

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